By comparison, King Richard III makes Macbeth look like a pussycat. As Shakespeare’s worst/best sociopath, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, romps merrily through one of the Bard’s longest plays, killing everyone who stands, sits or squats between him and the throne of England. In a classical five-act production of Richard III,…
As a kid, I spent countless hours thumbing through a dog-eared copy of The Guinness Book of World Records, determined to find just the right stupid human trick to vault me into freak-show history. Turns out I didn’t need to waste all those years stretching my neck with metal rings;…
When Time recently featured George Clooney on its cover accompanied by the headline “The Last Movie Star”—note not even a question mark at the end—you didn’t have to read the article to know where it was coming from. After all, stars of the postpubescent variety are an increasingly rare commodity…
Mick Jagger’s most essential physical feature, according to Martin Scorsese: his bellystache. On the poster for Shine a Light, the big-shot director’s Rolling Stones concert film, Sir Mick is frozen in mid-song aerobics, his back arched, his half-shirt raised, that yawning navel and faint hairline more prominently showcased than his…
Rooted in his signature bluesy folk-rock and branching out into all sorts of other forms, Greendale has become Neil Young’s musical kudzu. What started in 2003 as an “audio novel,” by Young’s description, already has been performed by Young on CD, DVD and in live concerts with his band Crazy…
If you’ve haunted the streets of Deep Ellum in the past couple of decades you’ve no doubt stumbled upon the art of Frank Campagna, whether it was gracing the brick walls of the Gypsy Tea Room or those of his own Kettle Gallery. Or perhaps you’ve seen some of his…
Not to sound overly cynical, but nothing can cheer me up better than sarcastic fingers pointing at the dystopian world we’ve made for ourselves. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll surely enjoy UnNatural Disasters, the exhibition that UTD faculty member Greg Metz has put together. A show that will…
Matt Foley has been reincarnated. Chris Farley’s beloved motivational speaker has emerged from the van down by the river and found a fresh reinterpretation via Ed Forman, an equally greasy and disheveled looking guy who hosts his own live (non-televised) talk show. Forman, the alter-ego of comedian Aaron Ross, brings…
Icelandic artist Magnus Sigurdarson has a cool ass name. Together with Argentinian Leon Ferrari, the two could even give McLovin a run for his money. Sigurdarson works in photography and multimedia, which in this case means over 7,000 copies of PaperCity magazine turned into “expired time” and housing “video soliloquies,”…
Frogs are where it’s at. There was Kermit, Jeremiah, Keroppi and don’t forget sweet little Frogger. All of them are sweet, loveable creatures and damn if the kids don’t love ’em. But toads? Well they tend to be the more crotchety of the amphibious fellows, getting a bad rap on…
Anthony Schaffer’s no stranger to murder. The famous English playwright and novelist penned screenplays for movies such as Sleuth, The Wicker Man, Appointment With Death, Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy and Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Not that we don’t think he could’ve loved puppies and rainbows, but just be glad…
Never understood the mythological staying power of Little Red Riding Hood. Girl walks through woods to bring food to sick granny; girl meets wolf who would eat her but for the public nature of his carnage; wolf arrives at granny’s house first and eats granny whole; wolf dresses in granny…
We’re not sure if Dallas has been called beautiful by anybody—ever—but the organizers of The Fifth Annual Big D Texas Marathon claim theirs is one of the most beautiful courses you will ever run. It starts at the State Fair grounds, continues around White Rock Lake through Swiss Avenue and…
It’s a simple story, really. A tale as old as time: Girl rides on boat. Girl meets boy. Boy turns out to be detective. Detective accuses girl of killing her son. Series of flashbacks reveals a tangled web of murder, lies, deceit and betrayal in girl’s past. From the first…
Some brigades are dangerous. If you were part of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War, you died. If you were to join the Kansas City Brigade arena football team, you’d be repeatedly smashing your skull into other skulls, which probably hurts, helmet or no. That’s why the Barefoot Brigade…
My familiarity with motocross racing is near non-existent but for this nugget: hip-hop/rock/pop/whatever’s popular with the Now That’s What I Call Music! crowd this week singer Pink’s estranged husband rides dirt bikes. With an event as important as the Monster Energy Supercross FIM World Championship coming to Texas Stadium this…
Igor Malijevsky is a jack of all trades. And not one of those “master of none” types, either. He’s a true Renaissance man; a recognized artist, photographer, writer, poet, theoretical physicist and philosopher. Being good at so many different things gives you options when you get fed up with one,…
The Wizard of Oz is so technically flawed that I can’t help but notice all the things that go wrong. The way the Tin Man actually helps the balloon to take off or how the gatekeeper’s mustache changes directions will always catch my attention but by the end I still…
Last year’s efforts from Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman included Bratz and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, both of which were major flops at the box office and were blasted by critics. Who woulda thought seeing Voight play a principal in a movie based on dolls and Hoffman play a 243-year-old…
Man, I just don’t know what to write about the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. I have a good time every year I go but for some reason I’m coming up blank. I could write about the how I was introduced to local band Lovie for the first time. I remember…
On Friday, the 40th anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a commemorative peace concert will be presented at Munger Place United Methodist Church in East Dallas. Called “I’ve been to the mountaintop,” the concert will include performances by the choirs of the Booker T. Washington High…
The disclaimer on the Hal Samples Gallery website sums up the artist’s agent provocateur: “…You may find opinions you disagree with or even opinions that disagree with each other—I call them the beginning of conversations I have with myself…” Since 2003 Samples’ camera has dialogued with both sides of the…
