Nobody in the film industry wants to be pigeonholed. Personal assistants long to be studio heads, gaffers want to direct, and name actors fantasize about hanging it up and doing something that, y’know, matters. In such an environment, director Randall Miller’s career is fairly typical. Using his 1990, feel-good film-school…
Theater director Damon Dering has wanted to produce David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly for nearly two decades. He first fell in love with the play “sometime before 1991,” he tells us in his director’s notes for the production that his company, Nearly Naked Theatre, has recently unveiled. Dering has, he…
Let’s not pull punches. Phoenicians detest Tucsonans, their Birkenstock flip-flops and patchouli cologne, their laissez-faire approach to life, their liberal voting habits. (On the other hand, we’ve got Sheriff Joe and the idiots who keep electing him, so maybe they’re on to something.) Mostly, we loathe the University of Arizona,…
First, a key spoiler: Cadillac Records is not the story of Chess Records, the blues label started in Chicago in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess that featured among its stable of artists Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Etta James, plus many others who birthed…
For the past year or so, DJ mig50 has brought Yacht Rock Sundays to the masses with a monthly event featuring the music of Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, and Steely Dan. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is, but big ol’ bummer for us, ’cause mig and Yacht Rock have…
Whether you’re a Sun Devil, Wildcat, or a house divided, there are plenty of places to watch this year’s Duel in the Desert, a.k.a. the ASU Sun Devils/Arizona Wildcats football game, if you’re not planning to make the trek down to that smelly place down south on Saturday, December 6…
Whether you’re a Sun Devil, Wildcat, or a house divided, there are plenty of places to watch this year’s Duel in the Desert, a.k.a. the ASU Sun Devils/Arizona Wildcats football game, if you’re not planning to make the trek down to that smelly place down south on Saturday, December 6…
Repo Man meets Blade Runner in this chilling future-shock opus about a medical-transplant company that repossesses organs from those who miss their payments. Directed by Darren Bousman (who helmed Saw II, III, and IV). Cash only at the door. Thu., Dec. 4, 10 p.m., 2008…
You’re raped by a screaming alarm every weekday morning. Then you rush around in the “10 minutes late” zone, only to fly into work in an ill-fitting outfit, greasy hair in a ponytail, and smudgy mascara. You’re a goddamn mess. It’s just work, but it’s also a slippery slope that…
Call off the Christmas competition. The heck with mistletoe and holly. Kyle Jarrow’s impertinent, improbable A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant is coming to a theater stage near you. The folks at Stray Cat Theatre (who else?) corralled a cast of children to portray figures from the controversial Church…
Too bad the cinema won’t let you flick your Bic, ’cause this primo, 90-minute concert film catches the classic-rock crew on the cusp of superstardom. The flick is showing across the country tonight in its U.S. theatrical premiere. This is the only screening in Arizona. Thu., Dec. 4, 8 p.m.,…
Seriously, exactly where did Chelsea Handler come from? One day she was a virtual unknown, then suddenly there she was, all blond and tall and likable, turning the tired late-night talk-show circuit on its ear with her E! sarcasm-fest, Chelsea Lately. It’s like she never even paid her dues on…
Eyebrow piercings and poor facial hair choices aside, you gotta give Godsmack credit for turning what could have been a trendy, one-hit wonder into a legitimate rock band with an incredibly loyal fan base. When the seminal group first hit the national scene in 1998, it fit easily into the…
Certainly the best-known Van Halen cover band in its home state of California (and possibly the nation), Atomic Punks are the Heidi Fleiss of tribute bands. They’re glam-trash pretty (how could they not be, doing only Roth-era Van Halen?), and they’ve got a list of exclusive “clientele” that includes Roth…
The grand-opening party for the new store features a living fashion display, beats by Mr. P Body, a mode circle and cigar lounge, silent auctions, and hosted cocktails and “lite bites.” Proceeds benefit HALO Animal Rescue and The House of Performing Arts. Thu., Dec. 4, 7-9 p.m., 2008…
The humongous fine-arts-and-crafts fest opens at 10 a.m. daily and runs through dusk. Fri., Dec. 5; Sat., Dec. 6; Sun., Dec. 7, 2008…
Find out why all those folks who live in old homes in downtown Phoenix are so dang house-proud at this weekend’s 24th annual F.Q. Story Historic Home Tour. The event takes place up and down Story’s Lynwood Street, where historic bungalows, Spanish Revival, Tudor, and Transitional Ranch homes will throw…
You gotta admit, the holidays in Phoenix are kind of lame. No snow except for snowbirds, few brisk days, no outdoor ice-skating rinks . . . you picking up what we’re putting down? However, Golfland SunSplash makes up for it a wee bit by putting it down (get it?) with…
As founding members of Procrastination Nation, we were just fine with the notion of leaving our unfinished artsy-craftsy projects unfinished – until we read the tag line for Modified Arts’ December Art Night event: “Felipe is bringing the soy milk and cookies.” Okay, well, now that you mention it, that…
The kickass class is chock-full of wit and wisdom concerning the lovely Maggie, as well as insider’s tips on how to make the so-called perfect one. The price includes appetizers and a private margarita/tequila sampling. Wed., Dec. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 2008…
What separates nude art from porn? The observer? The intent? Or, in the words of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, “a government grant”? ASU assistant professor and controversial photographer Betsy Schneider kicked up a virtual shit storm last summer when New Times published artistic photos of her kids in the buff…
What separates nude art from porn? The observer? The intent? Or, in the words of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, “a government grant”? ASU assistant professor and controversial photographer Betsy Schneider kicked up a virtual shit storm last summer when New Times published artistic photos of her kids in the buff…
