If Jodi Picoult’s characters were real, The Oprah Winfrey Show would have no shortage of guests. The acclaimed author of the bestseller My Sister’s Keeper specializes in family legal dramas on the outer fringes of believability. Also, her people tend to be chronically ill. Picoult’s latest novel, Change of Heart,…
If Jodi Picoult’s characters were real, The Oprah Winfrey Show would have no shortage of guests. The acclaimed author of the bestseller My Sister’s Keeper specializes in family legal dramas on the outer fringes of believability. Also, her people tend to be chronically ill. Picoult’s latest novel, Change of Heart,…
On its Web site, the Mukilteo, Washington-based band The Fall of Troy prides itself on being “impossible to classify.” However, at first listen, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to blurt out “screamo” and be done with it. Then again, upon further investigation, it becomes apparent that this Northwest trio is speaking…
What are your top five albums of all time? Betcha they’re not as cool as ours. Says who? Says us. Okay, then, let us see your list. Uh-huh. No Mississippi Delta blues in there. Typical. And what’s this? Limp Bizkit? Are you for serious? That whole rap-rock craze wouldn’t exist…
“Oh, the humanity!” cried WKRP in Cincinnati reporter Les Nessman as 25 turkeys plummeted to their splatty deaths after being tossed from a helicopter. Unfortunately, our consciousness always takes a dive similar to the publicity-stunt-cum-fowl-tragedy following Thanksgiving dinner. Luckily, Redmonkey’s Work That Turkey is here to save the day. Redmonkey…
Normally, we’d never urge anyone to mimic George W. Bush (except in jest, of course), but we’re making a one-time exception: Ape the soon-to-be-ex-President’s annual tradition of pardoning a turkey by refraining from ripping through the usual 10-pound Butterball on Thanksgiving Day. Instead, give your karma a major boost by…
Okay, Thanksgiving’s come and gone, so even the Grinchiest humbuggers should be ready to feel Christmasy. It helps to wait for evening, when there’s that nip in the air. Get out of the car. See pretty lights. Not there yet? Here’s the prescription: a loading dose of cheer at the…
We dig events that feel like some nice person’s living room: free admission, mingling, new stimuli, maybe some snacks. Our perfect storm: the screening of Inside Creative Minds Episode 16. ICM is a nifty local TV show that’s accessible on most Valley cities’ channel 11 and online at www.phoenixartspace.com. But…
The annual holiday lights displays kicks off with a grip of arts and crafts booths and vroom-tastic Harleys. Sat., Nov. 29, 6 p.m., 2008…
Generally speaking, we frown on guided hikes. The Sonoran Desert is not the Louvre, and true hikers hardly need to have someone spell out its (fairly obvious) magnificence. The extraordinary exception is the Elephant Mountain Fortress Hike at Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. The relatively difficult seven-miler takes participants into…
Five years ago, Abelardo Gil decided to change lives for the better one show at a time with music that’s part electronic, part soul, part motivational speaking, and mostly magic. His one-man band, Treasure Mammal, will take you to a world of rainbow roads, unicorn life partners, and lovingly violent…
Among comedy geeks, Frank Caliendo is a divider like no other. First off, he’s an impressionist, and not since the halcyon days of Rich Little-as-George Burns has the skill been comparatively viable to, say, humorous hypnotism or ventriloquism. Second, his interpretations of Dubya, John Madden, and Jack Nicholson haven’t really…
By Lilia MenconiThis: Plus this: “Casablanca” by Yoshiki Hishinuma, wool seamless knitwearEquals an excellent way to decompress after clogging your bowels with Thanksgiving dinner.Okay, so maybe you don’t need that kind of decompression, but it’s a great way to take in some art and a little exercise before the “soft…
By Julie Peterson Let’s lay some cards on the table, here: I’m not crazy about traditional, mid-century, Rodgers-and-Hammerstein-style musical theater. I’m also not crazy about more recent spectaculars like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s. It’s not that I think less of those genres; it’s just that musical theater has so many challenging…
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Jobing.com Arena on Sunday, November 23 Read: about the Christmas wonder rock that is Trans-Siberian Orchestra. See: a slide show of shots from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. Irwin Benefit Boasts Two Brash Female Voices Read: about what went down at the benefit concert. See: a…
By Lilia Menconi With slideshow by Kathleen Vanesian Yes, you must see this and more in the slideshow.If you haven’t heard of Dale Chihuly, put a rubber band on your wrist, pull it back and snap that baby as punishment. This is an artist you should know. He’s one of…
See more of this in the slideshow. By Lilia Menconi Alright, folks, I’ll be straight: Arty Girl ain’t feeling so hot about some shit she saw last night. I have mixed feelings about this event. And I’m keeping in mind that Scottsdale Public Art has come through in the past…
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Well, who wouldn’t in this economy, even if the currency in question is rupees and winning the loot means being pegged as a fraud, getting a firsthand education in “enhanced” interrogation methods, and having to relive some of the most painful moments of your…
With his blazing white coat and pig-pink ears, to say nothing of the zigzag of lightning cut into his flank, the eponymous canine lead of Disney’s lively new animated movie Bolt looks a little bit real and a whole lot not. That’s not a failure of craft: Goofy and sweet…
I’m telling Danny Boyle over coffee that his new film, Slumdog Millionaire, is his best by far. “I hope it comes across that I had a real blast making it,” the British director murmurs politely. Either the coffee is over-caffeinated, or Boyle’s Lancashire friendliness disarms me, or I’ve had it…
The Lady with All the Answers is an agreeably entertaining character study in search of a story. Its direction by Samantha K. Wyer is faultless; its set, where we are left to visit Eppie Lederer (best known to you and me as the late, syndicated advice columnist Ann Landers), is…
Life can be tricky for metalheads who turn to heavy music either to galvanize their conscience. If that sounds like a stereotype, plenty of metal bands play into the whole meathead/douchebag/sociopath thing and do it with pride. Gojira isn’t one of those bands. On the other hand, Gojira doesn’t simply…
