When I signed up to write about the Firemen’s 5K, I was all, “Too easy. Firemen are hot. Firemen all sweaty? Even hotter. I’ll make jokes about kittens stuck in trees. Innuendo about firemen and their hoses.” But when I went to their Web site, I saw that the race…
The Wendell Baker Story, written by Luke Wilson and directed by Luke and older bro Andrew, bowed in March 2005 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, where the film had been shot two years earlier. That the movie—which also stars other brother Owen Wilson, Eva Mendes, Eddie…
Coming out of Shrek the Third, I asked the two smart pre-teen girls I had in tow what they had liked about the picture. Projectile vomiting and multiple farts, they said promptly, best Shrek ever. Ordinarily I’m not big on poop and flatulence, but in this instance I sympathized; there’s…
What a friend she has in cheeses. Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, member of an obscure offshoot of the Amish called the “Squeamish,” is the goddess with gouda in Amy and David Sedaris’ lactose-irreverent one-act comedy The Book of Liz. Bootstraps Comedy Theater is putting on this curds-and-way-funny little play right now…
Pan’s Labyrinth (New Line) Guillermo Del Toro has made a career of mixing slam-bang special effects (Hellboy, Blade II) with creepy atmospheres (Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone). But with Pan’s Labyrinth, he’s used his entire palette for what will likely be remembered as his masterpiece. Mixing Franco’s Spain with fairy tales,…
Army of Shadows: The Criterion Collection (Criterion) Arthur & the Invisibles (Genius) Bill/Bill on His Own (Brentwood) Bunny Whipped (Think) Caddyshack: 20th Anniversary (Warner Bros.) Chasing Liberty (Warner Bros.) Curse of the Zodiac (Lionsgate) The Dead Girl (First Look) Denzel Washington: Spotlight Collection (Universal) ER: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner…
If you’re looking for a laugh, find a kid raised on Grand Theft Auto and introduce him to Pac-Man for the first time. As he stares at you blankly, explain the addictive joy of eating dots and the simplistic genius of the neon-blue maze. When he sneers, “That’s it? It’s…
At times it seems the Dallas Observer’s own Matt Pulle has seen every gangster flick ever made. If it’s got a De Niro or a Pacino (or even a Liotta or a Pesci) in it, he’s seen it at least three times, if not more. I think he even saw…
Tiresome, bumbling Barney the Dinosaur. Chattering, yapping Pee-Wee Herman. These were the great Saturday morning TV characters of Generation-Y’s childhood. A disturbingly happy, mentally deficient dinosaur and a pasty dude with questionable sexual interests? Worst of all was the veneer of innocence cast over their dark cores. Better that I…
Among the various and sundry monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., there are a few subtle works that may be off the beaten path, but are no less impressive. One of these is the Albert Einstein Memorial, situated in a grove on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences…
Frank Zappa was what one would call a freak. Even though he never touched drugs, you couldn’t tell from his 1971 bizarro film, 200 Motels. Ostensibly a movie about “life on the road,” it’s a surreal journey into the mind of a true musical genius. While it is not really…
Tower of Power released their first album in 1970. They have upward of 18 releases so we haven’t heard all their music, but we’ve heard enough to know what it’s all about. It’s pretty high-energy stuff, a very danceable sort of jazz/funk/soul hybrid with some rock elements. Around 60 musicians…
At some point long ago, some early version of a techy out there was totally over the moon when he figured out how to make a digital reproduction of a painting. Think of the mass reproductions! Ah, the ease of art enjoyment! Painter William Betts has a technique that is,…
Watch out for amateur video crews running around town on Saturday when the sixth annual 24-Hour Video Race unleashes packs of over-caffeinated cinematic auteurs trying to prove their celluloid mettle. Registration’s ended, so if you missed out, stop by the judging screenings and take notes so you can get a…
Sure, some wines relax you and put you in the mood for solo piano music and candles, but sometimes you sip a fruity Australian Riesling and you just have to rock out. In that case, what you need is a taste of Urbano Restaurant & Paninoteca’s Rock and Roll Wine…
Damn that Shakespeare. After a while, all his plays and plots start running together and sounding alike. I can’t even remember in which one I was the shining star of the ensemble cast. For sure I was in Love’s Labour’s Lost and maybe Much Ado About Nothing, but for the…
The best parts of James Bond movies don’t include the blatant misogyny, the cheesy acting or the over-the-top phallic symbolism. In fact, there’s not much point in watching the films unless you’re into checking out the cars that Bond, James Bond and his various nemeses motor about in. There are…
Visualize the inside of any of the following stores: Abercrombie and Fitch, American Apparel, Forever 21, Madewell, Urban Outfitters. Imagine the merchandise and the salespeople. Realize that you’re probably better at this visualization than if we’d asked you to describe the inside of a soup kitchen you frequent, the church…
For years, Richardson’s Wildflower Arts and Music Festival has been the place to see suburban soccer moms whipped into a frenzy by the performances of has-been rockers. This year looks to be no different. Not that the has-been rockers aren’t still good—the acts are top-notch and there’s good music to…
Like the city itself, Dallas’ gallery scene is diverse and spread out. One of those things is great for an art aficionado. The other…well, let’s just say that it would be pretty ambitious to try and hit 11 of the major players in one day. It could happen, but you…
I don’t care how big your grill is, you’ll never be able to make me a steak as good as one I could get at a four-star steakhouse like Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House, 5330 Belt Line Road. Perhaps they have steak elves helping them in the kitchen, because, more…
Ever since Al Gore’s little PowerPoint presentation turned up in movie theaters last year, being environmentally conscious is what’s hot. And, while I’m usually skeptical of Hollywood hipster trends, this is one bandwagon I’d like to ride. Luckily, the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas feels the same way. For…
