One of my biggest fears is that robots will one day try to take over the world and make us their unwilling servants–thanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger. So when one of my favorite comedians, Robin Williams, decided to play a robot in the movie Bicentennial Man, it totally freaked me out. Yes,…
It’s a blessing that February is as short as it is–halfway through the month, Valentine’s Day creeps up on all the sad sacks out there who end up feeling mopey even if they know better. Hallelujah, then, that March is here before you can say “February 29” and St. Patrick…
With a name like The Seafarer, you might think Stage West’s latest play would be set at sea. An adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea or The Perfect Storm, perhaps. Or maybe it’s a full-blown, mega-production version of Kevin Costner’s Waterworld. Unfortunately for all you special effects lovers,…
Pursed lips, angry eyes and a jaw line like Jay Leno’s. I was in third grade the last time I heard Miss Viola Swamp’s callous name breathed into the air. Think Wicked Witch of the West meets old-style, slap-you-with-a-ruler-type teacher. Based on the popular children’s book, Casa Manana’s musical rendition…
When a political revolutionary starts adorning the T-shirts of kids too young to have even learned about him in history class, it’s definitely time to make a biopic. Che Guevara’s story is now being told in the best way possible–with a Hollywood budget and a documentary mentality. Che first debuted…
Last night I had the strangest dream…about Joan Baez. I dreamed that she married a guy she met in jail, that she went to Woodstock six-and-a-half months pregnant and almost changed her name to Rachel Sandperl. And also that she fooled around with Steve Jobs and got to see the…
After a slow start, the Dallas Stars’ stock is rising. At the time of this writing, they’ve skated to six consecutive wins and a spot right in the thick of the Western Conference standings. With the playoffs still months away, there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon. You can jump…
I went to a high school that was very into dance. Dance concerts seemed to happen every other day, and girls with excellent posture and purposeful strides abounded. It was part of my education, to be sure, and I graduated knowing plenty about the world of dance. The name Alvin…
Here’s a little observation: Whenever The Chieftains come through town (and it’s a surprisingly frequent occurrence), it’s always with special guests. In fact, it seems like they’ve made a career out of collaborations, as everyone from Tom Jones to Elvis Costello to Ziggy Marley has taken to the studio or…
You don’t have to watch American Splendor or even Chasing Amy to realize the art that goes into producing a comic. Single-cell, strip or book, the amount of creativity that goes into developing characters, drawing expressions and writing dialogue is sometimes gut-wrenching. And sometimes, the scene is just inspired by…
There’s not a single gay character onstage in the latest play by Sordid Lives writer Del Shores. But the forced estrangement from her gay son gives main character Willadean Winkler (Cindee Mayfield) the motivation to ditch her abusive husband, break out of her dreary trailer park life and get a…
Tom Tykwer’s The International is one of those movies in which shadowy men meet in parked cars, abandoned buildings and inconspicuous public spaces, travel under assumed names and always glance nervously over their shoulders, fearful of being spied on through a sniper’s lens. All tread carefully around potentially bugged telephones,…
The Confessions of a Shopaholic we need right now would be a handheld doc featuring former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain sobbing into the camera and begging the American public to forgive him for purchasing a $35,000 commode. With its curious release date—the film is meant to be Valentine’s Day…
A little bit of Walton’s Mountain, a sprinkling of Horton Foote, a dash of Tennessee Williams and you’re on Last Train to Nibroc, the first play in Arlene Hutton’s charming, evocative Nibroc Trilogy. Echo Theatre is presenting all three plays in rolling repertory this month at the Bath House Cultural…
With the inventions of ovens, microwaves and grills, I never thought people would go back to eating uncooked food again, but I was mistaken. Apparently, the raw food diet is the new Atkins. This Friday raw food enthusiast Theresa Wohlfeld will show us the healthy benefits that a person can…
For a lot of people, pinball defines the ’70s the way that Atari will always be tied to the ’80s. And while videogames got their own definitive place in pop culture history (what with War Games and other countless feature film adaptations), nothing has ever been immortalized to the same…
Every time a fallen soldier is transported home, another soldier makes the journey as well. A soldier who has volunteered for escort duty meets faces of fellow passengers, renders honors to the deceased whenever they change planes, cars, trains or what have you, and delivers a son or daughter to…
It is estimated that nearly 200 million stems of roses are sold in the United States each Valentine’s Day. And guys, I hope you’re packin’ rubberband banks in yo’ pockets because these ancient symbols of love and beauty pack quite a punch. Rose bouquets can cost anywhere from $40 to…
Greg Giraldo has a lousy 2-7 record on Lewis Black’s Comedy Central mock trial series, Root of All Evil. For most of the show’s advocates, the win/loss record is beside the point. But for a former attorney with degrees from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, every loss must remind…
George Segal is the sculptor behind one of the Nasher Sculpture Center’s most recognizable works, “Rush Hour,” a group of life-sized people posed as though walking to work. “Rush Hour” is a good representative of Segal’s work, which is largely comprised of life-size figures presented alongside elements from the everyday…
Photography has always been a secret love of mine. I’ve spent hours looking at photos trying to figure out what the photographer or subjects were thinking at the exact moment the picture was snapped. Were they were pondering quantum physics or maybe the latest Lindsay Lohan debacle? Either way, it…
Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraimsdaughter Longstocking, but you can call her Pippi, is living the American…errr…Swedish dream. She has an abandoned villa that she calls home with her pet monkey and horse, and her dad just happens to be a pirate. Did I also mention she is the strongest girl…
