This Week in Entertainment
Louis Lesser presents all the new entertainment you should be looking for this week.
Movies:
Kingsman: The Secret Service: From the director of X-Men: First Class comes this spy-themed action adventure based on the comic The Secret Service by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. In the film, a secret agent (Colin Firth, The King’s Speech) recruits a young miscreant (Taron Egerton, Testament of Youth) into an exclusive espionage agency in order to help him outsmart an evil genius attempting to control the world through the use of mobile devices. R. 129 minutes.
Hot Tub Time Machine 2: Five years after the original film, which followed a group of friends as they traveled back in time to the 1980s via hot tub, comes this sequel that takes the main characters in all directions of the time-space continuum. The film reunites three of the main cast members from the first film (Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Dude) and replaces John Cusack with Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation). R. 93 minutes.
Music:
Smoke and Mirrors – Imagine Dragons: The alternative rock band’s double-platinum debut studio album Night Visions was one of the biggest surprises in music in recent years, and now the group has returned with their second compilation. The album contains a collection of 13 original songs with a more rock-influenced sound than in the band’s first effort, including lead single “I Bet My Life,” which charted to mild success last fall, as well as new single “Shots.”
Blu-Ray, Streaming & DVD:
Birdman: Nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Michael Keaton) and Best Picture, this film is one of last year’s most acclaimed and arrives for home viewing just days before the Oscars. The movie tells the story of a washed-up film star (Keaton) as he attempts to stage a theatrical production. Bonus features include a conversation with Keaton and Best Director nominee Alejandro G. Iñarritu, a behind-the-scenes documentary and a photo gallery.
More from The Rice Thresher
Jones wins men’s and women’s Beer Bike races, GSA snags alumni
Jones College won both the women’s and men’s Beer Bike 2024 races, while the Graduate Student Association claimed the alumni team win. Hanszen College bike teams were the runner-up in the alumni and men’s races, while Brown College was the runner-up in the women’s race. Martel and McMurtry Colleges did not bike in the alumni race, according to the Rice Program Council’s final report, and the GSA was disqualified from the men’s race for accidentally sending out two bikers simultaneously.
Super Smash Bros. ultimate tournament sees smashing success
The Super Smash Bros. Club held their second annual ultimate tournament Friday, April 12. Club president Jashun Paluru said all Smash players were welcome, regardless of ability, experience or involvement in the club. The event was held in collaboration with Owls After Dark, a late-night activity series headed by the Rice Student Center, at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall.
‘Off the beaten track’: Commencement speakers through the years
A former American president, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Nobel laureates and the founder of Khan Academy. All may share similar traits or levels of fame, but there’s another, quieter, common ground: They’ve all spoken at Rice’s commencement.
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