I’m pretty sure the dumbest way to die is killing yourself upon discovering that faking your own death has tricked your forbidden lover into his or her own suicide. The second might be to get gutted in one of the jumbled, perfunctory sword fights that clang up the streets of…
Who could have imagined that “Chaos Theory,” a three-day, ragtag invitational art exhibition uncurated by artist Randy Slack of Legend City Studios, would hit its teenage prime and actually force local artists to hone their skills for public review? Fourteen years ago, “Chaos Theory” borrowed its name, quite aptly, from…
Tom Hanks has built a career out of playing aggressively noble roles, so it’s only natural to want to see him taken down a peg. But it’s no fun to watch him suffer at the hands of Somali pirates in Paul Greengrass’ true-life adventure Captain Phillips. Hanks plays the commander…
“After 40, you have to choose between your ass or your face,” one offscreen spin-class participant remarks to her fellow affluent fitness enthusiasts within the first minute of writer-director Stacie Passon’s poorly conceived Concussion. The remark is a paraphrase of a quote attributed to Catherine Deneuve, and the first of…
During his 2012 presidential campaign, Republican candidate Herman Cain rhapsodized about the fence he’d build on the U.S.-Mexico border: 20 feet tall with barbed wire, electricity, and a moat. “And I would put those alligators in that moat!” he cheered. For Machete Kills, Robert Rodriguez built that fence but left…
CBGB begins with a bit of misdirection. You think punk started at 315 Bowery. You’re wrong. It began in a basement in Connecticut with two ne’er-do-wells, John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil. There, according to the film — a mostly turgid, boring-as-hell, campy slog that gets more wrong than right —…
There definitely are some geeks out there who are worried about Zero Charisma. Does the movie take a lot of cheap shots or does it for once accurately show what it’s like to be a geek? Zero Charisma is more of a nuanced character study than a broad comedy, and…
With festival season in full swing, it’s time to pay tribute to the country that brought us plate breaking, gyros, and the original Snuggie, a.k.a. the toga. The Phoenix Greek Festival returns this fall for a three-day celebration of Hellenic tradition. This family-friendly event includes genuine Greek grub, a taverna with…
Julianne Swartz’s artwork is transformative. It’s interactive — playful, engaging, and thought-provoking, too. The artist is known for her installations that morph traditional spaces into exploration-worthy environments. And her Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art exhibition “How Deep Is Your” delivers on all expected fronts.Swartz will be on hand to discuss…
The worst: people declaring beliefs that perfectly aligns with feminist principles and then jettison responsibility with the tag line, “… but I don’t consider myself a feminist.” For the folks who aren’t afraid to celebrate the label, GRRL Fest beckons rebels with a cause this Saturday, October 12.October is Domestic…
Hannibal Buress is a one-man-army of comedy; he’s hitting you from nearly every possible angle. Less than a month after visiting with Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival, the prolific stand-up comic returns with his own Rural Legend tour Friday, October 11.The Chicago-born comedian has done it all, from writing for…
What does it mean to live in Arizona today? Of course, the answers vary. But that’s the question up for exploration when international performance group Nemcatacoa Teatro and Tucson-based multimedia troupe Verbo-bala come together for Desierto Remix: Performance in the Desert.The performance will begin with Nemcatacoa’s acrobatic procession though the…
Affixing labels is often a bane and a blessing for a band. For Savannah, Georgia’s Kylesa, the esteemed Southern psych-metal act that helped usher in the first waves of indie’s acceptance of sludgy, off-center metal, pigeonholing is hardly an option. There’s just too much to process, too many edges being…
Datsik, known in his native British Columbia as Troy Beetles, fuses the heaviest elements of rap and dubstep to create a unique sound that translates into the equivalent of standing in the middle of an epic man-versus-machine battlefield. With heavy distortion and intergalactic samples, Datsik delivers a show similar to…
For five years running the city of Chandler has brought Native American culture to the forefront of its fall events lineup. This weekend’s Indian Art Market features three days of food, jewelry, and art native to tribes throughout the Southwest. Each day also hosts traditional tribal song and dance. Alex…
Over the last few decades Garrison Keillor has staked his claim as the last of the American radio stars. Sure there’s been a dozen or so books — who’s counting? — a slew of insightful articles and one delightfully odd excursion into film, but it’s Mr. Keillor’s unmistakable voice that…
This season Scorpius Dance Theater choreographer Lisa Starry will bring her popular Halloween-themed performance to the stage for the tenth time. Starry’s A Vampire Tale combines contemporary dance and sultry, blood-sucking showmanship for a performance that’s become affectionately known as “the Nutcracker of Halloween.”The show tells the story of an…
The profoundly silly four-person live stage version of The 39 Steps was originally billed as Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps or John Buchan’s “The 39 Steps” adapted by Patrick Barlow (who played Bridget Jones’ mom’s boyfriend!). But at this point, Phoenix Theatre trusts you to know it’s not a 1935…
If it doesn’t make sense that Arizonans should be exploiting solar energy, then perhaps you’ve been in the sun too long. Given the Valley’s long cloudless days of summer and continued sunshine-y intensity throughout the year, it does seem surprising there isn’t more solar energy collection around. But it’s not…
Between the black cats and the black magic, Halloween is all about superstition. So naturally the prime number of prime evil is once again headlining one of the scariest attractions of the season with Phoenix’s 13th Floor Haunted House. This multi-story venue lets thrill seekers explore a labyrinth of bone-chilling…
There’s really just too much going on at this year’s Arizona State Fair to tell you about it all in this space — but we’re sure as hell going to try. Here we go:Megadeth, monster trucks, the United States Armwrestling Championships, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top, pie eating contests, live ice…
Consider Mona Lisa messed with. The Last Supper? Let’s say, supplemented. And as for The Two Fridas, you’d be correct to guess that they’ve been funked up. You can see all of the above (and more) at “Messin with the Masters” — an exhibition that does just that.With wonky works…
