http://nyunews.com/NYU's daily student newspaperen-usFri, 20 Nov 2009 02:25:07 -0500http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/ep7SyDfKD24/<p>Two members of Take Back NYU, an on-campus activist group, were arrested last night during a rally that began near Washington Square Park, continued to Union Square and snaked south again, ending at NYPD's 6th Precinct in the West Village.</p> <p>Police arrested CAS junior Maria Lewis and CAS senior Drew Phillips at MacDougal Street and Washington Square North shortly before 9 p.m., where they were transported to the precinct; they were released just before 11 p.m. on charges of disorderly conduct.</p> <p>The night began at 8 p.m. with about 30 students, mostly from NYU and The New School, who met in Washington Square Park for what they said would be a &quot;dance party&quot; to express their solidarity for the occupations currently taking place on some of the campuses of the University of California system.</p> <p>Since the beginning of fall, UC students have been protesting a 32 percent student-fee increase and ongoing attacks of campus unions; just yesterday, several dozen students at UCLA occupied Campbell Hall, a classroom building, according to UCLA's student newspaper, The Daily Bruin.</p> <p>But the focus of TBNYU's rally wasn't exclusively about the UC occupations; the ralliers spoke out against capitalism, consumerism and, later, the city.</p> <p>&quot;We are here tonight to abolish the commodity form,&quot; said a second-year New School graduate student who identified himself as Auguste ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/tbnyu/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Michaela KronFri, 20 Nov 2009 02:25:07 -0500http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/tbnyu/http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/tbnyu/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/meQaAyVt828/<p>The soundtrack to the "Twilight" sequel is a bloated mess; it is lifeless and oddly subdued, despite its well-publicized cast of indie all-stars. Knowing they would be reaching a built-in fan base of gajillions, most of the album's artists decided not to take any risks. Whether the album's crushing lack of levity is a result of pure disinterest or over-exaggerated attempts to replicate the melancholy of the books, the whole thing is a bore. Songs such as Anya Marina's "Satellite Heart" and Death Cab for Cutie's mind-numbing "Meet Me On The Equinox" pile on frustratingly overt lyrics about love. Ben Gibbard's lyrics about the "sun ... perched at its highest peak in the middle of the day" make vampires seem like lucky creatures: At least they don't have to listen to this song.</p> <p>The repetitious, homogenized lyricism carries over into creepy nursery rhyme territory with Lykke Li's "Possibility" and The Killers' "A White Demon Love Song," in which you can feel the band straining against its taste for bombast. Only on "Hearing Damage," a Thom Yorke single built around jagged, polyrhythmic beats and unexpected chord changes, do haunting harmonies stick. The album's second half also helps fight boredom, featuring "Roslyn," a sleepy, ethereal Bon Iver/St. Vincent collaboration with pleasantly ambiguous lyrics, and "Monsters," a crushing rock song by Hurricane Bells.</p> ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/album/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Aaron GonsherFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:21:40 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/album/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/album/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/wW4KMUDgtIA/<p>Private detectives aren't known for their social skills. Part of what makes them such effective characters is their lack of family and friends, and an unscrupulousness that allows them to bend the law to their advantage.</p> <p>But there's never been a private eye as unmotivated, distasteful and lazy as John Rosow (Michael Shannon), the protagonist on the case in Noah Buschel's new film "The Missing Person."</p> <p>Rosow appears at the start of the film lying on his bed, determined to stay there forever. The phone interrupts his plan of eternal idleness and he's quickly roped into hopping aboard a train to follow an unknown man at the behest of a mysterious caller.</p> <p>Rosow is hardly in control of his life, but it's not as if he really cares, aside from the few times he's required to actually get up and do something. Rosow's profession is one of solitude, and it's no surprise that the few people he does meet along the way are just as crooked and deceitful as he is. The film's title might be better applied to Rosow himself, a man who is hopelessly missing from society, than to the man he's charged with finding.</p> <p>Shannon broke out last year with a surprise Oscar nomination for his small role in "Revolutionary Road." That performance was filled with anger, ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/missing/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Abe Fried-TanzerFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:19:15 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/missing/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/missing/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/kMnYVTfqIic/<p>For "Twilight" fans who can't get enough of Bella and Edward's love story, you'll have to wait until the next movie. This one's mostly about the other guy.</p> <p>"New Moon" opens with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) turning 18, an event she hates because it reminds her that she's getting older while her perfect immortal boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), remains 17 (and perfect). After a birthday party goes wrong, Bella is left bleeding in a house full of bloodthirsty vampires. At that point, Edward decides the best way to keep her safe is to leave Forks, Wash., with his family forever.</p> <p>Bella spends most of the movie dealing with something most women can relate to: the painful part of the relationship when the man you love suddenly decides he doesn't want to be with you anymore and abandons you &mdash; leaving you an emotionally crippled mess of despair. It sounds extreme, but it's not for Stewart's character, who spends most of the movie pitifully hugging herself and staring blankly out the window as the months pass her by. She sits alone at a table in the cafeteria where the Cullens once sat and listens to emo music on her iPod &mdash; grief in its most distilled form.</p> <p>Bella discovers that when she places herself in danger, a misty vision of ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/twilight/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Kadeen GriffithsFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:17:56 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/twilight/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/20/twilight/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/4zWUHQEKajU/<p>Toward the end of the college football season the big universities (i.e. Florida, Texas, Ohio State) schedule easy games for the sole reason of protecting their BCS rankings: The later in the season you lose, the more it will affect your end-of-season ranking, so ranked matchups or intense rivalries are practically non-existent this week. So, instead of picking the teams this week, I'm trying something different.</p> <p>I found one interesting game &mdash; the surprisingly undefeated, and fourth-ranked Texas Christian University Horned Frogs on the road against the 5-5 University of Wyoming Cowboys. One of the starting receivers for the Cowboys, freshman Chris McNeill, is a friend of mine from high school back in Los Angeles, and I asked him a few questions about the game, the experience of playing D-I college football, and his transition from high school.</p> <p>Even though he's playing for Wyoming, which has almost nothing to do with NYU, the freshman athletes from both programs can relate to one another. As with most freshman athletes, whether they play football, tennis or basketball, the transition from high school to college is difficult at first. New rules, better competition and higher expectations make it hard for a player to compete at his full potential.</p> <p>"The game is a lot faster," McNeill said. "You have to think faster along with ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/cfb/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Cole RileyFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:16:37 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/cfb/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/cfb/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/7_QfujOD210/<p>The countdown to the summer of 2010, when many star NBA players will become free agents, has officially begun. Among the free agents-to-be are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the two marquee players on the New York Knicks' radar. Donnie Walsh, the Knicks' president of Basketball Operations, spent that last year clearing cap space to sign one of these superstars and reignite New York's passion for basketball. Yet numerous obstacles still stand in the way of the Knicks' quest to become competitive again.</p> <p>First and foremost, the Knicks must lure Wade or James to Madison Square Garden, and this is far from a slam-dunk. Wade openly said winning is his highest priority. "This is where I want to be," he said. "I would love to retire in a Heat uniform. I just want to win." Other than the Heat, Wade has strong loyalties to his hometown Bulls, who are also clearing cap space to make a run at the 2006 Finals MVP.</p> <p>James also wants to win. If the Cavaliers prove they are committed to winning long-term, he may be driven to stay on the team that drafted him and win multiple championships, like his idol Michael Jordan did.</p> <p>If the Knicks end up signing either Wade or James, a contract worth upward of $20 million would put a large ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knicks/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Michael PantelidisFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:15:28 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knicks/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knicks/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/RIoSUCIYCkM/<p>Very few people hate Bill Belichick as much as I do. I hate how he screwed over my Jets by resigning on a napkin before even completing one day as head coach. I hate his arrogance. I hate the way he treated Eric Mangini when he first took the Jets head coach job. But really, I just hate how good he is.</p> <p>Despite all of this, my hate for Belichick has never been stronger than it is right now. Because now I hate Bill Belichick for making me defend him.</p> <p>We all know the situation by now: Fourth and two for the Patriots on their own 29 yard line. Instead of punting the ball to Peyton Manning and the Colts, like every other NFL coach would do without hesitation, Belichick decided to go for the win and the first down. Patriots didn't convert. Colts went on to capture the victory.</p> <p>Suddenly, Belichick is a coach too arrogant for his own good.</p> <p>"I hated the call. It smacked of I'm-smarter-than-they-are hubris," Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote in his Monday morning column. Former Patriot Rodney Harrison and ex-Colts coach Tony Dungy were killing Belichick after the game on NBC's post-game coverage. In a column on espn.boston.com, former Patriot Tedy Bruschi wrote, "[Belichick] is going to have to rebuild the feeling of confidence ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nfl/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Yaron WeitzmanFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:13:10 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nfl/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nfl/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/FQVZibNHIic/<p>&quot;Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.&quot;</p> <p>When Alexander Pope wrote that, he couldn't have had New York on his mind. But as crisis mode descends upon the Jets camp, it would be wise for Jets fans pulling out their hair to heed the words of a man who died well before the advent of the forward pass.</p> <p>The Jets were the big story of the NFL in the first few weeks of the season as they walked the walk to back up the talk they talked. The Jets opened 3-0, scoring big wins over Houston, New England and Tennessee behind an aggressive new coach, a hard-hitting defense and an opportune offense. But since then, the Jets are a measly 1-5, with their sole victory coming against the Oakland Raiders. The Jets now sit at 4-5, heading into a monstrous AFC East showdown in New England with the Patriots.</p> <p>The thing is, had you taken a poll of Jets fans before the season, most would have been satisfied with a 4-5 record after nine games. This was a team that had a very up-and-down 2008 campaign, with the down part comprising four losses in their final five games to miss the playoffs. The offseason featured key changes, such as head coach Eric Mangini getting ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/yoni/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Yoni BainFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:10:06 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/yoni/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/yoni/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/96nXORgQmVk/<p>After looking at the "Knitting IS Sexy" calendar, you'll never look at that old knit sweater your grandmother made you the same way again.</p> <p>What used to be a frumpy hobby for the elderly is now a booming fashion trend. With celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker knitting, the craft has gained popularity with the fashion-forward. Now it's about to hit maximum exposure with the release of the 2010 "Knitting IS Sexy" calendar.</p> <p>"We included people that were so overwhelmed at the thought of being in a calendar that's sexy," co-creator Tammy Cunningham said. "When we provided these services for these women, they were astonished at their own beauty."</p> <p>The "Knitting IS Sexy" calendar features 11 women posing in nothing but their own skin and a piece of knitwear of their own creation. Each photo answers the question of what knitting means to the woman, from relieving stress to focusing on their inner creativity.</p> <p>The calendar is the brainchild of Cunningham and Laurie Maves, who traveled nearly 10 years ago to Ethiopia to promote self-sustainability along with fellow volunteer and avid knitter Julia George. George taught the craft to Ethiopian children; Cunningham and Maves were so inspired they decided to start a project to prove just how much women can enrich themselves through knitting. Ten ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knitting/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Katie ThompsonFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:08:06 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knitting/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/knitting/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/W1_5GCEu1iQ/<p>Some students have jobs at the bookstore, waiting tables or swiping NYU ID cards at Palladium gym. They might get discounts on NYU sweatshirts, the occasional free meal and easy access to the elliptical.</p> <p>But CAS senior Nisa Nejadi's job has a different sort of reward: She makes her classmates happy by giving them promotional fashion swag.</p> <p>Nejadi is a brand representative for BCBGeneration. Because of NYU's non-traditional campus, it can be difficult for brand reps here to set up on campus. Instead, Nejadi developed partnerships with organizations such as the Fashion Business Association and various sororities. She can give away promotional items to people in those groups.</p> <p>&quot;The relationship is mutually beneficial,&quot; she said. &quot;I get to promote the brand while these organizations get cool giveaways.&quot;</p> <p>On a higher level, Nejadi promotes the brand at events in stores such as Macy's and Lord &amp; Taylor. Although Nejadi worked in a lot of retail stores before and held other internships, this is her first position in a specifically fashion-related position. She had several offers from fashion companies that were looking for campus brand representatives, but Nejadi had the most interest in BCBGeneration.</p> <p>&quot;I was really excited to work with a brand that I loved and would have no trouble representing,&quot; she said. &quot;It is so much more rewarding and authentic ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nejadi/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Anna PodkovyrovaFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:06:11 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nejadi/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/nejadi/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/kdczJTzpGI4/<p>Let's face it: We all want to be our favorite television heroes or heroines at some point. They seem to know all the right moves, and always get the girl or guy in the end. And they look fantastic doing it. After the images fade from the screen each week, we're left lusting after that killer dress or necklace or pair of shoes that our favorite character sported: We long to look as glamorous or put-together as our beloved television icons.</p> <p>A recent crop of television-inspired clothing and jewelry items are playing off our desire to do just that. For those who want to dress like one of the 1960s fat cats from AMC's "Mad Men," Brooks Brothers just released a suit for you. Inspired by the show, the gray suit features a slim fit, a sharkskin print, and details particular to the era. For a whopping $998, the look of television's most shrewd advertising executives could be yours.</p> <p>For vampire fanatics, HBO's "True Blood" recently released a line of jewelry designed by Love, Peace and Hope founder Udi Behr. The sterling silver and stainless steel pieces boast rubies, leather accents, layers of chains and infinity signs. They're just the ticket for those hoping to infuse a vampirical edge into their otherwise mundane lives. These baubles might not make you ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/tvfash/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Allegra LeeFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:04:31 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/tvfash/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/20/tvfash/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/7AwNGIJ5whY/<p>The NYU College of Dentistry campus is officially smoke-free as of this week.</p> <p>Michael O'Connor, the school's executive associate dean for administration and finance, announced in an e-mail on Monday that in addition to no smoking inside the building, a smoking ban within 15 feet from any part of the exterior of the building (including all entrances and exits) was official.</p> <p>The NYU administration is considering a similar universitywide ban. Alison Leary, NYU's senior vice president for operations, sent an e-mail in late October asking for feedback regarding a proposal to prohibit smoking within 15 feet of entrances and exits as well as fresh air vents of all NYU buildings.</p> <p>"As an academic community, we have made a collective choice to discourage smoking in order to create a better environment for our students, faculty, staff and patients," O'Connor said. "A smoke-free policy is consistent with our mission."</p> <p>The policy was primarily implemented in accordance with a recent New York State Department of Health mandate that established specific no-smoking policies for institutions under Article 28, which include dental schools and dental hygiene training programs.</p> <p>Some school administrators have noticed a number of people standing in front of the building with lit cigarettes while still in their lab coats. O'Connor said he felt this was unacceptable behavior for health care providers.</p> <p>"We ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/smoking/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Feiye WangFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03:13 -0500http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/smoking/http://nyunews.com/news/2009/nov/20/smoking/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/N6h3Xq0oZe4/<p>Making friends at NYU is not as easy as Welcome Week led me to believe. Those first days at this university created what I found to be a false sense of camaraderie among the freshmen. They put us together, ran us around New York City to all of the tourist attractions, and built up this image of dorm life that came crashing down the moment classes start. Because I was a fresh-faced kid off the wagon from nowhere, I fell for it.</p> <p>In the weeks leading up to my arrival at NYU, I had been reconsidering what I wanted out of my college experience and re-examining myself as a person.</p> <p>Truthfully, I was chickening out. New York City is so wholly removed from anything I had ever experienced, and the students frightened me more than anything. Not because they are crazy liberal demon-worshipping miscreants waiting to brainwash me, like my grandmother swore up and down, but because they seemed to be so extremely passionate about what they wanted. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to acclimate to something so different.</p> <p>Welcome Week gave me hope. By the end of it, I knew almost everyone's name on my floor, I knew whether they preferred vanilla or chocolate ice cream, and I knew that they also found these icebreakers slightly asinine ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/opinion/2009/nov/19/horak/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Taylor HorakThu, 19 Nov 2009 02:59:07 -0500http://nyunews.com/opinion/2009/nov/19/horak/http://nyunews.com/opinion/2009/nov/19/horak/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/kdjgiWRhJBI/<p>I always find it interesting how we've internalized what film critics call the auteur theory. Whenever you talk about a Scorsese, a Bergman, a Tyler Perry or a Michael Bay, you assume that the director was the biggest, baddest presence behind the film &mdash; and that the best films, moreover, are the hand-crafted works of mammoths. It's somewhat reductive, but it works. And it sounds like it's going to work for video games.</p> <p>A recent article in The New York Times Magazine focused on indie game designers who strive, self-consciously, to create art. It couldn't have come at a better time: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 raked in $500 million in five days last week, proving that the industry is liquid gold but artistically stagnant. Indie designers have a lot of blockbuster syndrome to combat, and they've responded, admirably, like a Justice League full of Lars von Triers.</p> <p>&quot;Games don't need to be fun,&quot; designer Jonatan S&ouml;derstr&ouml;m says in the article. &quot;They can get intensely weird and freak you out.&quot;</p> <p>Roger Ebert is one nemesis of these designerati because he said, once or twice, that games can't be art. His theory: They're too interactive, and their authors don't have enough control over the audience's engagement. &quot;Carrie&quot; wouldn't be &quot;Carrie&quot; if you could tilt the analog stick and make her ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/pretent/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Matt MarginiWed, 18 Nov 2009 23:09:23 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/pretent/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/pretent/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/diN6xGDLOho/<p>Any fan of Yiddish literature will recognize the name Sholom Aleichem. Billed as "the Jewish Mark Twain," he revolutionized the genre of Jewish fiction and, most famously, penned the short stories that inspired the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." Now, the National Yiddish Theatre is commemorating the 150th anniversary of Aleichem's birth with the one-man musical "Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears."</p> <p>The show's writer and star is Theodore Bikel, no slouch in the Jewish theater community himself; throughout his prolific career, he has held starring roles in "The Sound of Music," "Fiddler" and numerous other Broadway productions.</p> <p>Bikel begins the show as himself, telling us how the icon influenced his own career and inspired him to write this play. He then launches into a first-person narrative of Aleichem's life, using anecdotes from his early childhood to just before his death in 1916.</p> <p>As he speaks, black-and-white photographs of these scenes are projected onto the arch behind him, adding depth to Bikel's retellings. Some of the stories are amusing; others are wrenchingly poignant, such as the story of the unexpected disappearance of one of Aleichem's childhood friends.</p> <p>Bikel's sweeping hand gestures, boisterous pacing and clever vocal impressions keep the stories interesting and prevent the play from becoming a lecture. His performance is surprisingly robust for an 85 year old; in each ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/aleichem/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Lindsey GarlandThu, 19 Nov 2009 03:08:13 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/aleichem/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/aleichem/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/9xf5X6wEmPw/<p>"Kiss Me on the Mouth," the first full-length play from playwright Melanie Angelina Maras, painfully and hilariously depicts lonely and love-starved New Yorkers.</p> <p>Lifelong best friends Christina and Amy are separated by class but united by their troubles with men. Christina (Aubyn Philabaum) comes from a family of great wealth but little intimacy; she doesn't have a job, and she goes through men like toilet paper. Amy (Megan Hart), by contrast, is sick of men and life and decides to find "freedom in obedience" by joining a convent.</p> <p>Before Amy does so, Christina is there to make sure she has "one last night of revelry," which, of course, involves some drugs. A mysterious pill puts Amy in a trance, broken only when a man oddly resembling Jesus (Troy Lococo) appears before her. She reaches out to him, a possible savior, and they leave. Christina herself cozies up to artist Gabriel Quinn (the very natural Ken Matthews) and decides to take him with her on a different adventure.</p> <p>Amy's mystery man is Andre, an Italian-Brazilian who speaks somewhat broken English. He lays it on thick, saying the most ridiculous, clich&eacute;d lines, but he comes across as endearing thanks to Lococo's talent and charm. Conveniently Catholic and a former altar boy, he accompanies Amy to church even though he lusts after her. ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/kiss/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Jessica KramerThu, 19 Nov 2009 03:07:07 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/kiss/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/kiss/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/xmvMnsXM6l8/<p>"Broken Embraces," writer-director Pedro Almod&oacute;var's long-awaited new film, quenches our thirst for beautiful imagery and tells a dark tale of jealousy, multifarious love and secrets.</p> <p>The tangled love story follows Mateo Blanco (Llu&iacute;s Homar), a former film director who takes on the full identity of his writer's pseudonym, Harry Caine, after a traumatic accident.</p> <p>Mateo didn't just lose a portion of himself in the accident &mdash; he also loses the love of his life, Lena (Pen&eacute;lope Cruz), as well as his sight. Now he lives the complicated life of a blind screenwriter, assisted by his former lover and production manager (Blanca Portillo) and her son. Throughout the film, Caine leads us through repressed memories of his past life as Mateo, unraveling long-kept secrets and eventually arriving at essential truths about himself.</p> <p>Almod&oacute;var's visionary eye assures that the camera depicts simple actions in the most artistic way, which results in beauty and suspense. Numerous crisp reflection shots through a glossy closet door and a young girl's eye relay the significance of sight while presenting a different perception of everyday occurrences. Delicately framed embraces and sex scenes further define the film's characters, conveying the triviality of sex without love, the tension of desire and the coldness of withdrawal.</p> <p>Cruz fully inhabits the role of a struggling young woman who transforms into a ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/embraces/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Erin Whitney FaighThu, 19 Nov 2009 02:20:22 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/embraces/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/embraces/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/PZmLJa91VWA/<p>Budding NYU filmmakers may have one more chance to hit it big.</p> <p>DFD-TV is a new web-based entertainment network with an online portal designed to showcase the work of emerging independent filmmakers. The site is an attempt to revitalize the process of marketing student films, and its creators are particularly interested in what NYU graduates have to offer.</p> <p>DFD-TV boasts a broad range of content &mdash; including cabaret &mdash; but the Really Independent Film Channel (ReallyIFC.com) is where NYU students come in. According to Kevin Kennison, the site's executive producer, ReallyIFC.com is the "perfect venue for students who are graduating and have some school films under their belt, but before they go to the festival circuit and have their first major distribution."</p> <p>Kennison, a former Tisch faculty member, wants to build an audience for independent films. He believes that today's truly independent films are coming out of schools, not showing in major cities around the country. ReallyIFC.com aims to create a dialogue about what exactly independent film is and encourage those who might not enter the festival circuit to discuss their work.</p> <p>As someone with close ties to NYU, Kennison was excited by the idea of contributions from Tisch students. DFD-TV is now taking submissions, and it's unlikely that the site would refuse to host a film unless its content ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/dfdtv/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Abe Fried-TanzerWed, 18 Nov 2009 22:56:59 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/dfdtv/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/dfdtv/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/MtavjYbQdLU/<p><b>A Grave With No Name<br />'Mountain Debris'<br /></b> 3.5 stars</p> <p>Given the current state of indie rock &mdash; a competition to see who can strum their guitars most lazily and add the most distortion &mdash; it's refreshing to discover A Grave With No Name. Bending the mold of the ubiquitous "chillwave" song, the British band has emerged as one of the most original acts this year.</p> <p>"Mountain Debris" starts off with "The Sun Rises," a track composed of slowly strummed, distorted guitar with a deep, slow drum beat and overdriven harmonies &mdash; all poured beneath the sound of a babbling brook. It's a gorgeous track that characterizes the album, establishing a frequently used water motif. Wind chimes, introduced on "Ghosts &amp; Stones," also reoccur. These sounds unify the album and lend each track an immediate feeling of nostalgia, especially in "The Passing of a Day (Interlude)" and "Open Water," two songs paired together by the comforting sounds of white noise and the chatter of a busy street.</p> <p>Despite the repetition of imagery, the songs contain plenty of surprises. "Pacific," for example, puts away the guitar in favor of two haunting, echoing ukuleles. It lasts under a minute, which is the album's main problem: The songs here may be sweet, but they're far too short. The average length of each song ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/album/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Spencer BronsonWed, 18 Nov 2009 22:56:01 -0500http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/album/http://nyunews.com/entertainment/2009/nov/18/album/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/QOlYuI1YKZ8/<p>CAS senior Zach Maher, co-captain of the men's cross country squad, has had a lot of success during his four years at NYU.</p> <p>He continues to perform at the top of a very good team. And he has consistently chalked up numerous accolades, including UAA Athlete of the Week selection, the UAA Most Valuable Runner award and All-American status.</p> <p>But Maher is proudest of his improvement over his four years on cross country.</p> <p>"I went from being just another runner on the team to being one of the scorers [the top five finishers on each team] as the years went on," he said. "It's been better to see the improvement than win a specific race or award."</p> <p>Maher's talent could have landed him spots on the cross country teams at many Division I schools, but he said he is glad he chose NYU.</p> <p>"I visited a lot of schools to see their sports programs, but they weren't what I was looking for," he said. "I actually didn't do that with NYU, but once I met the coaches and the guys on the team, I was glad I came here."</p> <p>The Violets will undoubtedly need Maher to score for them this Saturday at the NCAA Division III National Championship. Maher and his team hope to run a solid race to cap ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/maher/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Ryan HepworthThu, 19 Nov 2009 02:19:54 -0500http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/maher/http://nyunews.com/life/2009/nov/18/maher/