This Week in Entertainment
Thresher Staff Writer Louis Lesser discusses the upcoming Arts and Entertainment you should look for this week:
Movies:
Project Almanac:
This long-delayed sci-fi adventure film, produced by Michael Bay and previously marketed as Welcome to Yesterday, finally is released in theatres. The movie, which is produced as “found footage,” tracks a group of friends who build a time machine to undo past mistakes. Eventually, however, they recognize the dire and unintended consequences of altering the past. PG-13. 106 minutes.
Jupiter Ascending:
From the creators of The Matrix series comes this CGI-heavy space opera starring Mila Kunis (Black Swan) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher). The plot follows a normal, hard-working woman (Kunis) who is confronted by an intergalactic warrior (Tatum). When he explains to her that she is fated to a royal destiny that extends beyond her life on Earth, the two set off on a special-effects-laden adventure. R. 127 minutes.
Music:
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World – The Decemberists:
From Portland, Oregon, the popular indie rock group has just released their seventh studio album, which is their first album since the Grammy-nominated The King is Dead (2011). The collection features 14 new and original songs that reflect the band’s distinct, folk-influenced style, including lead single “Make You Better.”
Blu-Ray, Streaming & DVD:
John Wick:
This action thriller film took viewers and critics by surprise when it was released this past fall. Its modest box office success indicates it could find a bigger audience in home entertainment. The film stars Keanu Reeves (47 Ronin) as a retired hit-man who goes back to work seeking vengeance for the murder of his dog. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes documentaries and audio commentary from the film’s directors.
More from The Rice Thresher
Startup incubator unveiled in Ion District
The Rice Nexus in the Ion building was opened to the public Feb. 14. The Nexus will assist selected faculty, student and alumni startups with office space and industry mentorship, free of charge.
Rice testifies for lawsuit against ‘devastating’ federal funding cuts
Rice joined 70 other universities supporting a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health, which may reduce research funding by billions of dollars. A Feb. 7 NIH memo announced a drastic cut to indirect costs, which covers overhead for research institutions; including funding for lab spaces, water and power bills and paying subcontractors, according to testimony from Provost Amy Ditmtar.
‘Collateral damage’: Houston’s top horn musician allegedly harassed Rice students for decades. And the school knew.
Rice University’s famed horn professor William VerMeulen abruptly retired last spring amid a swirl of sexual misconduct allegations. But dozens of students and industry insiders say “the administration has known for 30 years” — and failed to act.
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