A funny thing happened in 2013. Both of us — two curmudgeonly writers who between us have lived in Arizona way closer to 100 years than either would like to admit — came to a shared conclusion. We like Phoenix. That’s funny because for years we’ve loved to hate this…
New year, new password. Seriously, guys, your pet’s name and your birthday fall just shy of “1234” and “password” on the list of sad ways to protect your personal information…
First Friday heats up tonight with creative works going up all over the city. Here are our picks for shows not to miss this artful evening. “The Light Beneath” @ Eye Lounge Olivia Timmons’ latest solo show takes viewers on a journey through a strange world where technology and sea…
If you don’t know Brad Dourif by name, you may recognize his face. After all, the esteemed veteran character actor has made many memorable cinematic appearances, including the evil Grima Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, racist sheriff’s deputy Clinton Pell in Mississippi Burning, the naive Billy Bibbit…
This weekend, the audition process begins for the 2014 Arizona Sidewinders, the cheerleading and dance team for Phoenix’s arena football team, the Arizona Rattlers. Dancers and cheerleaders interested in joining the squad are invited to attend preliminary auditions this Sunday, January 5, at US Airways Center. The final auditions will…
Taiyou Con @ Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa Halloween seems like a distant memory and Comicon is over six months away. If your costume yen needs to be fulfilled, the fourth annual edition of Taiyou Con celebrates the different dimensions of Japanese pop culture starting Friday, January 3, that includes, yes, cosplay…
Ah, the thesis. It’s the bane of a soon-to-be college graduate’s existence, falling just behind the sad economy and the poor job market as the top reason to just never ever reach graduation…
Anyone who has watched RuPaul’s Drag Race for at least 10 minutes can vouch for the magic of drag. Seeing a burly man (eyebrows optional) transform into a gorgeous woman is more entertaining than you might think. The process isn’t easy, thanks to tucking and creating the illusion of a…
Mischief-makers of the Valley, get your shopping carts ready. Oh, and you might want to fire up your brain cells as well and start conjuring up crazy ideas, too. That’s because the Arizona Cacophony Society has set a date for the next Phoenix Idiotarod. And it’s a little over a…
Courting Disaster is Jackalope Ranch’s weekly column of dating horror stories, observations, how-tos, and more by Katie Johnson. Names of ex-boyfriends, past hookups, and bad blind dates have been changed to protect the guilty. For as many guys out there fantasizing about having a threesome, there are just as many…
Did you resolve to up your IQ this year? Lucky you, the Valley’s home to plenty of brainiacs who host lectures year-round. Here’s a sampling of some of the coolest-sounding talks going down in metro Phoenix this month. “Along Old Route 66” John Craft, a professor at ASU’s Cronkite school,…
The holidays may be over, but wasting your time on the Internet sure as hell isn’t. Which is why we’re pleased to inform you that some favorite old-school video games (and we really do mean old) are now available on your web browser. Adios, productivity…
Here’s where I write about how hard it is to draw up a 10-best list at the end of the year. Except it isn’t: I think of drawing up a list as an honor and a necessity, a way of putting 12 months of moviegoing into some sort of perspective…
I could write a Shakespearean sonnet about each film on my Top 10 of 2013, but we know we’re all here for the agreements and arguments. (Plus, have you tried writing about Joe Swanberg in iambic pentameter?) Ladies and gentlemen, let’s begin. The Act of Killing: The year’s best film…
As awards season draws nearer and best-of-the-year lists keep rolling in, there’s only one thing left to do: Get excited about what comes next. Here are 10 films you won’t want to miss in 2014. Adieu au language (Dir. Jean-Luc Godard): Jean-Luc Godard, former master of the French nouvelle vague,…
Here’s a movie that’ll flop in Kabul. Lone Survivor, the latest by Battleship director Peter Berg, is a jingoistic snuff film about a Navy SEAL squadron outgunned by the Taliban in the mountainous Kunar province. After four soldiers — played with muscles and machismo by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile…
Rosemary’s Baby notwithstanding, it’s usually only white suburban people who fall prey to movie ghosts and demons — they’re always the ones opening doors to rooms that shouldn’t be entered, stepping witlessly into pentagrams painted on the floor in goat’s blood, and wondering aloud, “You think this is some sort…
You might not ever make it to Austin, Texas, for SXSW, but one of the city’s institutions, Alamo Drafthouse, has been re-releasing long-lost movies that make for perfect late-night fare. The recently unearthed Ms. 45 is the Abel Ferrara-helmed revenge flick that will light up the screen at FilmBar Thursday,…
Anyone who has watched RuPaul’s Drag Race for more than 10 minutes can vouch for the magic of drag. Seeing a burly, masculine man transform into a glamorous, six-foot-something woman in heels is pretty impressive, but doubly so once she starts lip-syncing Britney or Cher. Ru paints a small picture…
There’s something about a glowing light — be it neon, flame, or an electric flicker — that makes us feel particularly connected to the holidays. Perhaps it’s because the bright glow is a symbol of hope, or maybe we just like the idea of illuminating the unknown future.“Lighthouse” at the…
The Phoenix Coyotes haven’t given their fans much to celebrate in the last two seasons, but they’ve at least been exciting. The ‘yotes have seemingly been sitting somewhere between seventh and 10th place for the last season and a half. This has given championship implications to virtually every game the…
It may not be considered a professional sport, but roller derby certainly is one of the most badass. Is there another word for a combination of fierce women, brutal battles, and high-speed pursuit?This month’s match pits the Arizona Derby Dames Hot Shots against the Phoenix Rattlesnakes. Now in its ninth…
