Making year-end lists are always difficult, especially for films. Many lists either focus on the big box office winners or only look at the critical darlings that come out during award season. This is going to be a hybrid between the two, focusing on films that were well made as well as enjoyable. The ...
“Zero Dark Thirty” tells the story of one of the greatest manhunts in history: the search for Osama bin Laden. The film follows a CIA agent named Maya as she pieces together clues and overcomes adversities to locate the infamous terrorist. The trailers and promotional material for the film heavily ...
If you are anything like me, you are probably the kind of person who likes opera in theory but gets somewhat bored in the theatre. I went to see “Don Giovanni” not too long ago and nearly fell asleep. That being said, I was absolutely delighted with Mercer Opera’s latest performance. An opera ...
Suzanne Stroup's review When I heard the music from Broadway’s “Les Misérables”, I thought it was forgettable, to go along with the convoluted story and the one-dimensional characters. When I heard about the movie, I was not planning on seeing this one in theaters. Then I read the cast list. ...
Joshua Whitfield's review Let me be the first to say that the movie adaptation of the musical “Les Misérables” is fantastic. The adaptation’s musical genius, visual appeal, scope and sense of detail make it the best musical I’ve seen in a decade. I heartily recommend this movie to my fellow ...
To quote one of her own songs, loving Taylor Swift is red. One song can be so good you have it on repeat for days and the next has you wanting to rip your hair out when it plays on the radio. Yet whether you love her or hate her, you can’t deny her music is catchy, relatable and extremely popular. Swift’s ...
The most succinct explanation I can give of the Mercer Players’ latest performance comes from a conversation I heard during intermission between two elderly ladies sitting near me in the audience. They had been among those in the audience laughing hardest during the performance, and now they were ...
The Homecoming 2012 concert on Wednesday, Nov. 7 had two artists perform: Stevens Layne band and Corey Smith. The vocalists, Molly Stevens and Whitney Layne sat down with the Cluster to tell us a little about their background. Molly Stevens is a Mercer graduate and a former member of Phi Mu sorority. Cluster: ...
Featuring a large ensemble cast, “Cloud Atlas” may be the most expensive independent film to date. It is certainly one of the most ambitious. The 172-minute film features an outstanding ensemble cast including talented actors such as Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving and Halle Berry. “Cloud Atlas” is ...
The Mathis Brothers, the Travis Denning Band, Lingo, Flannel Church and Saint Francis performed at the Fly South Music Festival. The Cluster was able to catch three of the bands after their performances for interviews. The Travis Denning Band consists of singer and guitarist Travis Denning, guitarist ...
With the recent premiere of “Breaking Dawn: Part II” (which, according to CNN, secured the “eighth biggest opening weekend of all time” despite earning a 46 percent from the critics at Rotten Tomatoes), the world saw the final installment of the Twilight film series. Unless Stephanie Meyer decides ...
The latest installment of the James Bond films centers on Bond confronting a cyber-terrorist named Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) as he attempts to exact revenge on M (Judi Dench). The film has a heavy focus on M’s relationship with Bond, as it is mirrored by her history with Silva. M is portrayed as ...
Funk You is a conglomerate monster of raw psychedelic energy and flowing rhythm. The progressive funk fusion act was formed by Gavin Hamilton and guitarist Evan Miller. Both from Augusta, Ga. the two friends built a solid foundation for the group that would later welcome drummer Thomas Reid, bassist ...
In the age of auto-tuned catchy choruses and single-song downloads, there aren’t too many popular bands out there anymore that could call themselves progressive rock. The constantly changing rhythms, classical instrumentation, lengthy guitar solos, elaborate concept albums and songs that last as long ...
“Taken 2” is the ideal movie for action lovers and fans of the previous movie, “Taken.” Just like the first movie, it is fast-paced with no time wasted getting into the action. If your expectations are fighting, gunplay and more fighting, then you will not be disappointed. However, besides action, ...
Ed Sheeran, a 21-year-old British artist, melted many hearts with his debut song “The A Team,” which is now sold in the U.S. on his new album entitled “+.” Recently, the Brit recorded a duet called “Everything Has Changed” on Taylor Swift’s new album “Red” and is scheduled as Swift’s ...
One of Warner Brothers’ newest feature films, “Trouble with the Curve,” came to theaters in September with mixed reviews. Starring Hollywood favorites such as Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, this drama proved to be predictable yet charming in its simplicity. Director Robert Lorenz, ...
Mercer Opera recently produced Seymour Barab’s opera, “The Toy Shop.” It is a one-act opera aimed at children, so all of the words are in English and the subject matter is a little more toned down than what typical opera-goers are used to. As I sat in the audience, this was evident before the ...
Video games have not fared well on film. Few films based on video games could be considered good. On the other hand, films related to video games such as “Tron,” are somewhat more successful. “Wreck-It Ralph” fits into the latter category. “Wreck-It Ralph” is a story entrenched in video ...
The Deep Roots Festival was a panoply of entertainment for the throngs of tipsy college students, classic car enthusiasts and candy-faced kids who packed downtown Milledgeville on Saturday, Oct. 20. Residents who don’t just go to the festival for the live music could head to the grounds at 10 a.m. ...
Solutions by The State News