Check it, Bro. It’s a Musical

There are many reasons to see The Book of Mormon, the Broadway musical by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez. It won nine Tony Awards; Parker and Stone, the geniuses behind South Park, proved they know show tunes with the brilliant big-screen South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut; also, critics…

What Do Plano Christians Have Against Veterans?

Buzz is rarely shocked, but we must say we’re taken aback by Plano Citizens United, the Texas Pastors Council and assorted fellow travelers such as the right-wing Texas Liberty Institute. It never occurred to us that they had it in for military service members and veterans. We could be wrong,…

Merry TubaChristmas

You’ve survived the crowded shopping. You’ve suffered through Jim Carrey’s desecration of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You’ve sat through tassled titties celebrating the birth of Christ, and ironic Nutcrackers and — shudder — traditional Christmas chorale music. You’re near the finish line, so take this day to relax. Head…

Trailer Trash Is Comedy Gold

Thank God for the French and poor white Southerners. In this politically correct age, marginalized groups can get mighty huffy about stereotyping, even if it’s sort of good-natured and just for laughs. Seriously, just try to put on a traditional minstrel show and see what happens (really seriously, do NOT…

The Peoples’ Opera

So, some Mr. Picky Pants classical music critics don’t much care for tenor Andrea Bocelli’s opera singing, describing his voice as resembling a thin, squeaky fart played on a child’s kazoo. (Not their exact words, but we’ve fairly captured the gist of what they’ve written.) Poor man, it must hurt…

Music for the Master of Suspense

Hmm. Now that I think of it, I can recall only a couple of snatches of music from Alfred Hitchcock films: the screaming violins from the shower in Psycho and the thrumming from the scene with the swinging lamp, when Mother showed her face. Of course, the master director must…

True Wuv Ways

Frame for frame, is there a more quotable movie than Princess Bride? Hmm. Ghostbusters, maybe. (“That’s a big Twinkie.”) Monty Python and the Holy Grail? (“Your father smelt of elderberries.”) Young Frankenstein, Pulp Fiction … this is the sort of question movie geeks love. Princess Bride might not be No…

A Fair Head Start

You say you just can’t wait to get your greasy mitts on some of the fine State Fair of Texas fried food? Twelve months is just too long to wait between bouts of funnel cakes and corn dogs? Well, we have good news and bad news. The good news is…

Think While You Drink

Here’s the lowdown: The Lot’s Geeks Who Drink trivia night is a 120 minutes long. Teams of up to six players each compete in eight rounds of eight questions, with rounds 1, 4 and 6 being themed rounds, while rounds 2, 3 and 7 are … Jesus Christ! Whatever happened…

Was Mel Really Acting?

It’s the archetype of every buddy/cop movie since. Old guy paired with rule-breaking buck. They dislike each other at first, then become BFFs. Over-the-top bad guys. Shooting. Lots and lots of shooting. It’s 1987’s Lethal Weapon, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as mismatched police partners who something something bang…

Always Look on the Bright Side

At this point in the lives of the remaining members of Monty Python, you have to wonder: Is that a bit from the Ministry of Silly Walks he’s doing, or does John Cleese have a touch of lumbago? Oh, it’ll be hilarious either way; it’s just nicer to laugh with…

Apparently, There’s More

What the …?! Oh, come on. More? Geez. OK, fine. But only because the Rangers are done, preseason real football isn’t here yet and the Guinness International Champion Cup tournament has the word “Guinness” in its name. That always gets attention. Anyway, it’s AS Roma vs. Real Madrid, which are…

Time Warps Us All

Joel Ferrell, choreographer and director for the upcoming production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Dallas Theatre Center, is looking for eight unpaid extras to take the stage, and to find them, DTC is holding an open casting call at The Rose Room (3911 Cedar Springs Road) from…

It’s the Supermoon. Stay Calm, Everyone.

Dallas photographer Daniel Driensky caught this image of the “supermoon” rising above Reunion Tower over the weekend. A supermoon, also called a perigee moon, occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit. NASA says the moon may appear somewhat larger and…