Once upon a time, in (a future not distant enough to prevent the film’s rampant product placement), a protagonist (Jude Law) works for a shady, dystopic group (The Union). It provides a wonderful service (synthesized organs on credit), but at a devastating cost (default on payment means violent, deadly repossession).

For decades, Jeff Bridges has been appearing in critically acclaimed films such as The Last Picture Show and Seabiscuit, most recently winning his first Academy Award for his portrayal of a broken-down country singer in Crazy Heart. Twelve years ago, Bridges starred in a film that was less of a commercial success, but can still be considered a modern cult classic. This film, written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen, is the engaging mystery-comedy The Big Lebowski.

Allow me to start off with quite possibly the most obvious statement of our times: The Internet has completely changed our lives. I get it. You get it. We all get it. The people who are only now beginning to grasp it? The entertainment industry.

Spring has finally (okay, sort of) sprung on the Hilltop, which means we Hoyas are finally able to venture further off campus than a Prospect Street townhouse or the infamous Rhino Bar for some much-needed entertainment. Although outsiders may think that D.C. is strictly a buttoned-up town of bureaucrats and politicians (and while this may be, for the most part, true), The District does have something else much more fun to offer: an incredibly vibrant music scene. There are some incredible concerts coming to our neck of the woods in the next couple of months, so here is your guide to the best

Before I wrote this review I had never heard of the reggae artist Iration. As much as I love reggae music I am honestly a little ashamed about my ignorance. Luckily, while searching albums at the iTunes store, his album cover — the one with black lips silhouetted on a yellow background — caught my attention. Otherwise Iration would have remained unknown to me.

I first heard of the Watson Twins in relation to my personal idol, Jenny Lewis. Standing behind the amazingly talented, red-headed performer, it was easy to overlook the novice singers whose subdued vocals acted merely to set the stage for Lewis’s tale of a mother who never loved her. However, Chandra and Leigh’s new album Talking to You, Talking to Me is a true testament to the unique and immense talent of the twins. Their third album, Talking to You, Talking to Me is characterized by an enticingly sultry and soulful sound.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have watched all 10 movies that are nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Apparently voters in the Academy this year are required to rank the films from 1 to 10, as opposed to just voting for one. Yes, there are 10 nominees this year, not five. I don’t know why. I suppose I could just Google it, but then again so could you. In any case, here is how I would fill out my ballot, starting with the worst film and finishing with my no. 1 pick. Oh, and a pre-emptive article-long spoiler alert is in effect. If you haven’t seen one of these films and are pla

Don’t ask me why, but I have always had a huge thing for southern rock. I am a liberal Democrat from the hippie enclave that is coastal California, but put on “Sweet Home Alabama” and I might as well be wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots, dancing in some honky-tonk in Memphis — or, as the case may be, Alabama. I have never, ever been a fan of country music, but southern-inspired rock has always been high on my list of favorites.

It pains me to write this review. Really, it does. As a lover of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and an ardent supporter of Tim Burton’s work, I desperately wanted to like his new take on the classic tale. I had heard rumblings that it was not all the marketing and hype had cracked it up to be, but I did my darndest to push all those thoughts from my mind and go see the movie with an open mind. After exiting the theater, all I could think of was this: Why are people going so easy on this catastrophe in the reviews?

Love it or hate it (and you probably hate it), Pitchfork Media has become something of a tastemaker in the last few years, wielding their powerful influence over the indie-rock scene with little regard for potential backlash. So when they recently declared Local Natives’ debut album, Gorilla Manor, this year’s “Best New Music,” other critics took two routes: wholehearted agreement or complete rejection.