Artists and Model

A gorgeous muse bridges the artistic generation gap in Renoir

Putting the “art” in “art-house flick,” the lush biopic Renoir (Samuel Goldwyn; 112 minutes; R; 2013) not only examines the twilight years of the Impressionist painter (1841-1919) but also the young female model who became his final artistic muse, as well as Renoir’s three sons, who embarked on their separate creative paths.

Chiefs All Wet in Opener

It had to take two strikes before the Syracuse Chiefs could begin their 2013 hometown season slate. The Boys of Summer had to contend with nagging precipitation on the afternoon of Friday, April 12, scheduled as Opening Day.

Local Flavorings

Turning Stone’s new Upstate Tavern creates its menu from our own back yard

Travel to certain casinos in Las Vegas and it’s like the Rat Pack never left, where a time-standsstill ambiance continues to exist, one of swizzle sticks, the loosest slots in town and “jumbo” shrimp cocktails that, in terms of size, are more like those magic seahorses that would expand when kids tossed them into a water glass.

Growing Pains

Nuclear fears circa 1962 are part of Ginger & Rosa’s coming-of-age narrative

In one of the most unsubtle opening minutes in recent cinema, archival images of the atomic bomb’s mushroom cloud over Hiroshima are paralleled with the 1945 London births of the title characters of Ginger & Rosa (A24 Films; 90 minutes; widescreen; PG-13; 2013), as both babies literally define the concept of a post-World War II nuclear family.

Bottoms Up

The Redhouse unzips The Full Monty for The District’s theater festival

The Full Monty is the Redhouse Arts Center’s contribution to The District theater festival’s trio of rotating productions at the New York State Fairgrounds’ Empire Theater.

Keeping It Reel

Forgotten flicks form the main attraction during Cinefest 33’s annual celebration of celluloid

The 2012 Cinefest auction, the annual Sunday-morning sale of movie-related artifacts, featured host Leonard Maltin in rare form. “Are you ready for excitement? Are you ready for fun?” the noted film historian asked the bidders.

The Spy Who Loved Us

kyfall hits an all-time high in the James Bond franchise

Cartoon Clubhouse

Spooky Dog offers a naughty woof spoof of a Saturday-morning neo-classic TV series

 For those who loved the old Hanna-Barbera animated whodunit TV series Scooby Doo, Where Are You? as a kid, then wondered years later why the hell you did, maybe Spooky Dog and the Teenage Gang M

Blond on Blond

Pop idol Aaron Carter’s new tour includes a Sunday stop at the Westcott Theater

 There will always be a flavor-of-the-month child performer whose popularity peaks sometime after puberty. That’s just the cruel nature of show business, where talented kids fall by the ways

A Jazzin’ July 4

Pencil Independence Day weekend for this year’s Syracuse M&T Jazz Fest

It’s not too soon to be dreaming about summertime plans, especially when the July 4 holiday falls this year on a Thursday, which means that most people (and their sympathetic employers) will