Khan might be remembered in Western circles as a rapacious warlord, but to many central Asians he’s the father of a culture who unified his people, created borders that exist into modern times and supposedly gave rise to such innovations as passports, postal services and even pants. The world tour…
Last week, the world experienced a great loss when wrestling legend Randy Savage and his wife suffered an automobile accident, with the “Macho Man” passing from his injuries. Fortunately, his newly wed wife Lynn survived the crash with minor injuries, and our hearts go out to her and all the…
Last week’s edition of the Dallas Observer was gloriously illustrated by poster artist/illustrator James Flames, one of the many fantastic artists exhibiting at Flatstock 29 back in March at SXSW in our fair state’s capital (of which you can still view the images we captured here and here).Not only were…
When you’ve got a 10,000 square-foot penthouse with picturesque views of the Trinity River and downtown skyline, entertaining at home is kind of mandatory, but entertaining a bunch of strangers who are specifically there to see your home might be a different story. The Dallas Architecture Forum is known for…
Pico Iyer is a travel writer’s travel writer, one of a small elite among the living (also Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson, Jan Morris) whose travel writing ranks as literature. In an era when most travel publications want stories about Five Fab Luxury Hotels for Dogs or Ten Terrific Places to…
One of the best things about going to film festivals is taking a chance on a movie you know almost nothing about and coming out hours later inspired, broken, or slack-jawed; it’s the indie gems that make the exhaustion well worth your time. Yes, attending the premieres of the big…
Most of us have heard of a Brontosaurus or a Triceratops. But what about their Asian kin like Mamenchisaurus and Jingshanosaurus? Not so much. Although this may come as a surprise, China is now the center of the hottest dinosaur research news. From the newest species to the most-recent evolutionary…
Conspiracy theories can be fun, right? It’s a lot cooler to believe that little green men from some distant planet crashed on a Roswell ranch in July 1947 than to think that the Soviets were trying to scare Americans with a stunt straight out of a science fiction novel. But…
Cha-ching! It’s time once again for The Weekly Tease, wherein every Tuesday (AKA, press day), The Mixmaster brings you a little taste of the upcoming cover art for the issue about to hit the streets and stands around the fair burg of ours.We hope this week’s cover will prompt you…
One Thirty Productions is selling out the house at the Bath House Cultural Center right now with the world premiere of its new comedy, The Mystery of Miz Arnette. The play by Ronnie Claire Edwards and Alan Bailey is set in the days of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, the 1930s,…
“Chateau Cardboard” is how art instructor Renata Sharman describes most of the wine poured into plastic cups at Painting with a Twist, the art-class-cum-happy-hour studio in Garland. It’s BYOB here, but everything else is provided: canvas, paints, brushes and paper plate palettes. They also provide the subject. Thursday night, 10…
Fact: No amount of updating or clever modern-day references will make Gilbert & Sullivan operettas cool. And that’s OK with dorky old farts like me. I started mainlining G&S when I was a teenage usher at the Light Opera of Manhattan in the 1970s. I can practically sing the G&S…
Each week, Fine Lookin’ Piece offers an image of a work of art visually compelling enough on its own to inspire our readers to hit up the gallery for a closer look — even with no prior knowledge of the artist or exhibition. Summer is still a month away, but…
The loudspeaker cut through the low roar of chatter on the convention center floor. “Attention: Carrie Fisher is in the building.” The former Star Wars babe slipped in and out of the building like Elvis; we never saw her. Fisher’s heralded arrival began day two of Dallas Comic Con at…
In a confluence of events that involved meat helmets, gorilla suits and balls, Dallas Observer’s Mixmaster (hey, that’s us!) made an entry into the 24 Video Race last week. The race, as the name indicates, messed with our circadian rhythm enough to construct a film around not going to the…
The Locals flooded the table lined corridor leading to the entrance of Centre in Mockingbird Station this Saturday. The shop held a locals-only streetwear consignment expo, where any Dallasite with a brand, ambition and 40 bucks could come take part. All participants were Dallas-based entrepreneurs, getting some exposure to their…
Star Jones was in town Friday night promoting her new novel, Satan’s Sisters, a fictitious behind-the-scenes look at the sordid lives and conflicting personalities of five women who host a daytime talk show. Imagine that. After lap-band surgery, shedding 160 pounds — “a whole person,” she said — and open…
Stan Lee, godfather of Marvel Comics and creator of Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Avengers, Incredible Hulk and X-Men, spilled secrets about comics and cameos Sunday afternoon at Dallas Comic Con. Lee, casually dressed in a green shirt and khakis, was greeted with a standing ovation and a shout of…
The Wisby-Smith Fine Art exhibit of Salvador Dali’s etchings propels viewers into a fairy tale; some pieces are symbolic, some a little twisted, others simply fun, but the collection bears a thrilling levity that is, to put it simply, a pleasure. The etchings of the famous eccentric surrealist artist result…
It’s finally Friday, and you know what that means: Time to buy a keg, join an orgy and enjoy the last few hours before the world ends tomorrow. If you’re like us, you’ll be around after the rapture, slightly drunk from Friday’s festivities. We’re not participating in the nationwide looting…
A week ago today, Oliver Peck and the gang at Elm St. Tattoo were all in the middle of this year’s Friday the 13th tattoo marathon. Surely by now, Oliver and friends are fully recovered from their 24 hour non-stop inking crusade, and those on the sharp end of the…
I have always liked looking for excellent photography and design in newspapers, magazines, blogs. Lately a recent crop of photo/design related online magazines have caught my eye. Book mark these three bad boys, I have a feeling that more goodness will follow. 1814 Magazine: recently launched and based in Dallas,…
