It seems as if, for every 10 issue-oriented documentaries that essentially function as long-form magazine articles with images attached, we get perhaps one doc that exemplifies the methods of “direct cinema” — the observational mode of documentary filmmaking that allows audiences to observe from a detached remove. That mode is…
Almost immediately after it was released, the 2011 stealth hit Best Exotic Marigold Hotel became more a punchline than a movie. Who knew “older” people were so starved for pictures featuring gorgeously shot exotic locales, not to mention people falling in love, falling out of love, or desperately hoping for…
Good news, Sun Devils, Maysoon Zayid is returning to her alma mater. The comedian, writer, and co-founder of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, who credits her BFA to Arizona State University, has made serious waves thanks to her “I can can” attitude. Although Zayid has made appearances on Comedy Central, CNN,…
Is there a more perfect food than bacon? It’s good flimsy; it’s good crispy. It enhances savory dishes and brings an unexpected salty twang to desserts. It’s the one thing conservatives and liberals agree on: bacon is awesome. Celebrate this greatest of meats at the America Loves Bacon Festival, which…
While the rest of the nation may be anticipating the coming of spring, particularly those out east, we Arizonans know that the month of March simply means that the heat is about to come marching. So when the 11th Annual Chandler Classic Car and Hot Rod Show rolls through downtown…
Though it certainly sounds plausible, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 is not the sequel to a very important foreign film that didn’t make a blip on your artsy radar. Instead, it’s the super-cool, little-sister troupe to the full-size Nederlands Dans Theater. 2 works with young, emerging dancers as a launch pad,…
Come thirsty to Devour Phoenix’s Sixth Annual Bartending Competition. The three-round competition features nine local bartenders: Michael Soo for Crudo, Titus Fontleroy representing St. Francis, and Libby Longlott of The Parlor Pizzeria among them. Judges include last year’s champion (The Parlor’s Mike Allmandinger), Jessica Hill of New Times, and Ross…
The Coronado Home Tour is back for its 28th year. The community event will feature early 20th century bungalows and WPA-era homes, as well as a classic car show and a street fair with local artists and vendors, food, and music. The Carnival de Coronado happens Sunday, March 1, in the…
The tiny house movement returns to the Valley this month with “MicroDwelling 2015: Alternative Spaces for Simple Living.” The showcase features about a dozen projects, including four built by ASU students in design and sustainability programs. Returning architects Dan Dwyer and event creator Patrick McCue will also show their small…
If you don’t know anything else about the Tony-winning musical Dreamgirls, you’ve probably heard that song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” When you contemplate Desert Foothills Theatre’s production, however, which closes Sunday, March 1, you might want to change the soundtrack in your head to “Maybe I…
Reality inspired the imagination of MFA playwriting candidate Kirt Shineman when he created Germs and Viruses: Or The Syrian Spring. In the midst of violent conflict in the Levant, social media steps up as a key player. Blogger Seban becomes a viral rallying point as her country struggles to choose…
For a third year, a section of the Arizona Canal will be filled with art, light, and of course water during Canal Convergence 2015. The four-day event features interactive pieces and installations along the canal between the Soleri and Marshall Way bridges near the Scottsdale Waterfront, 7135 East Camelback Road…
Horses are so last year. 2015 is all about the ram. In celebration of this cosmic shift brought about by the Chinese New Year, the Arizona Chinese Lantern Festival is taking over Rio Vista Community Park in Peoria. The festival includes musical and dance performances, an Asian market, Mahjong tournaments,…
So the 2014-15 season isn’t going so well for the Arizona Coyotes. Our home hockey team currently has a 2-3 win/loss ratio, is ranked near the bottom of the Pacific division, and is in the midst of a pretty rough stretch of losses. But there is good news: hockey is…
It’s been an eventful offseason for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team replaced its GM and manager, shipped off star catcher Miguel Montero and acquired a stable of young power pitchers. The overhaul was needed because whatever the D-Backs were doing before wasn’t working — as evidenced by their one winning…
Jimbo Reid is pissed off. He’s mad that there aren’t any “cute chicks” today in Jobot, a coffee shop in an old house on Fifth Street. He’s angry that the guy he’s talking to on Jobot’s cracked front porch keeps asking him about gentrification. He’s fuming because the latte he…
Elizabeth, a youngish suburban mother, is determined to have a normal day. But there’s a tree growing, upside down, in her kitchen. Her three-headed talking dog is acting churlishly. The announcer on her radio, which keeps turning itself on, is speaking directly to her. And someone keeps trying to climb…
What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a weekly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This week: Samantha Lyn Aasen, current MFA candidate in the…
Steve Rannazzisi is not Kevin MacArthur from FX’s The League. He’s certainly not the complete opposite, but he’s definitely not the character he portrays on television’s top fantasy football-themed comedy series. “I’m not that different from Kevin, but some of the fans of The League have trouble differentiating,” Rannazzisi says…
So, have you heard anything recently about that alleged Banksy piece that suddenly appeared over at The Lost Leaf? Probably so, since news of the alleged creation by the enigmatic street artist has been all over social media and the talk of Roosevelt Row. If you’re not up on the…
There was an awkward moment between Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson and her mom, Melanie Griffith, on the red carpet before the Oscars on Sunday. But the world got to see Johnson’s impressive talent for pretending uncomfortable situations don’t seem to bother her (see also: Fifty Shades of…
Beth May has a way with words. And having just graduated from Arizona State University’s screenwriting program, there’s no telling where or in what medium those words might land her. At 23, May has already sold her first screenplay, a possible movie adaptation of her end-of-days play, Earthlings, which she…
