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Volume 67, Issue 5
Herring
and the Church of Barron: Or The Physical Impossibility of Celluloid
Fish
by
Menachem Wecker
The Renaissance is vulgar savagery. Baroque is uncertain, immature Rococo. Neoclassicism is parasitical plagiary. Romanticism is the illusion that people matter. Realism is sado - masochistic pleasure in our bloody, itchy wounds. Impressionism is the study of bunk. Surrealism is sensual, pornographic philosophy. Expressionism is aggression. Minimalism is laziness and resignation. Kinetic art rules the world! Art history in a nutshell.
Avodah
in the City
by Aaron Rothstein
As we entered the first floor of Tobi Kahn’s three-story studio apartment in Queens, we were greeted with the all too familiar scent of paint and sawdust. Hanging on the rear walls was an array of pieces from his latest exhibit, “Microcosmos,” a series of abstract paintings portraying different cellular structures that symbolize the creation of the world and the growth of the human body. It seemed quite appropriate to have this present at the entrance of Kahn’s display, bringing us to the lowest and simplest level of the biological reality that is God’s brilliant handiwork.
The
Immortality of Shlomo Carlebach and His Music
by Jeremy Gaisin
Rav Shlomo Carlebach’s inspiring songs have laid the foundation for modern Jewish music; indeed, his melodies, sung at all types of gatherings, convey the meaning of their words profoundly, poignantly and with a strong sense of hope. In addition to being a talented composer, though, Rav Carlebach was also a charismatic individual, with a warm personality and a non-judgmental love for all human beings...
Book
Review: Seeking
Revenge in the Arab-Israeli Conflict
by Joshua G Pollack
Revenge: A Story of Hope
By Laura Blumenfeld
Simon & Schuster, 2002
382 Pages; $25
When a historical event occurs that shakes an entire society to the core, the human mind must express this change in order to adjust. From the misery portrayed in Picasso’s Guernica to the patriotic fervor of the World War II film “Why We Fight,” humanity demands expression to the emotional chaos evoked by massively distressing and painful upheavals. The book Revenge: A Story of Hope by Laura Blumenfeld is an attempt to fulfill a more personal need for expression in the author’s own traumatic life, and, in the process, she tries to impart the lessons she learns to the reader.
Music
Review: The Flaming Lips: Still Burning Strong
by Josh Becker
The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Warner Brothers Records
Released July 16, 2002
As an Oklahoma City band known for their bizarre history, frequently brilliant musical arrangements, brave, unrelenting ingenuity, deliciously bizarre styles and themes, and one-hit wonders (such as “She Don’t Use Jelly” in 1993), The Flaming Lips are back, and are asking a very simple question: If the Powerpuff Girls took on Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” who would win? The answer, in this case, is the listener. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, released last July after nearly two years of recording and re-recording, editing and re-editing, illustrates that the band has surpassed one-hit wonder status; you might even call The Flaming Lips sorcerers of sound.
Table
Tips:The Search for Sushi is Over
by Jessica Russak
Haikara Grill
1016 Second Ave (between 53rd and 54th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 355-7000
Meat/Japanese
Have you been searching for the best kosher sushi in Manhattan? Don’t worry. I took care of it. I went to Haikara Grill and ordered a California roll, a yellowtail combination, and some sushi tempura, and tested them out for you. It’s conclusive. The search is over. This is the best kosher sushi in Manhattan.
No
Matter What Happens, Just Don’t Press Play…
by Jesse Mandell
As I walked out of the theater into the night’s enveloping darkness, Mike Chiert turned to me and said, “Jesse, that was the scariest movie I have ever seen.” I couldn’t disagree. This response to the new blockbuster “The Ring,” a remake of the acclaimed 1997 Japanese film “Ringu,” is far from atypical. The horror thriller, released October 18 and directed by Gore Verbinski, tells a nightmarish story, filled with ghostly images and beautiful cinematography, of an urban legend centering on a strange and deadly videotape: Exactly one week after watching it, its hapless viewers are found dead, their faces frozen in twisted expressions of horror.
Drumming
Blithely Through the Doldrums of Inconsistency
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