At the movies, straightforward storytelling, the kind in which a director and his cast push a story forward in waves of action and feeling, has become so out of fashion it’s almost avant-garde. Moviegoers, it seems, need to be cool: not too moved, not too surprised, not too impressed. We…
Like so many screenplays, The World’s End has its origins in a Starbucks. As director Edgar Wright tells it, the ideas for the sci-fi action-comedy starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost came to him while shooting the trio’s last film, the buddy-cop parody Hot Fuzz. That film takes place in…
Geniuses, unfortunately, tend to be impossible people. Consumed by their own dazzling brilliance, they treat those closest to them cruelly and thoughtlessly, causing much undue suffering — only to turn around and invent a device that can put 1,000 songs in your pocket. Damn them. If what we see in…
In late July, playwright Kim Porter penned a tribute to Phoenix’s de facto improvisation headquarters, The Torch Theatre. Porter has taken classes at the theater, honing her improv skills and getting to know its seemingly normal crew of folks “who step onto the stage each week and pretend to be…
A good pupil will know he’s achieved success when he’s finally able to challenge — and take down — his master. For years sous chef Garrison Whiting has trained under executive chef Lester Gonzalez, and soon he’ll see his chance to demonstrate the extent of his culinary skill.On Thursday August…
That the design and filmmaking collective MK12 hails from the Show-Me State seems entirely appropriate. The Kansas City-based crew collaborates often with musicians and major studio film directors to turn their ideas into exciting visuals. AIGA Arizona, the local branch of the national association of design professionals, brings MK12 and…
There aren’t many summer events in Phoenix that include winter in the title; it would seem downright insulting. Especially since, even in the dead of winter, Phoenix really doesn’t have one. Heck, when was the last time Johnny Winter came through town? (Take it easy Frankenstein, it’s a rhetorical question.)…
Back to school blues? We’ve got you covered. To ease the pain of your fall semester woes, New Times is kicking off the school year right with the second installment of the Back to School Pub Crawl. This year’s featured stops include Dave & Buster’s, Cadillac Ranch, Thirsty Lion Pub…
Sure, the Saturday, August 24, Arizona Cardinals home game is still a part of the preseason. Sure, the starters will probably only be in for, like, one series, while second- and third-stringers dink around the field for the remaining two hours and 50 minutes. Sure, you’ll have to deal with…
Chances are you’ve seen Maddie on something. Maddie balancing on a bicycle in Michigan or a basketball hoop in Iowa. Maddie posing inside a giant watermelon in Mississippi. Maddie inside a barbeque at a park in Wyoming.It may not sound worth documenting, except that Maddie is a dog — a…
Cacti are jerks. The smug, spined plants refuse to cavort with “cactuses,” and the lewd saguaro looks like it’s flipping everybody off. Most Arizonans have run into a cactus (literally) at some point in their lives, and it isn’t pleasant. Fortunately, we can get the upper hand by harvesting the…
Calendar shmalendar. To the theme-loving folks at Salt River Tubing it doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of March or the backside of August — there’s always a good excuse to throw down some Mardi Gras Magic. At this faux Fat Tuesday event, river-goers can soak up the sun, score…
Look. We know plenty of people want to claim Aidy Bryant as their own. She lives in New York. She made a name for herself in Chicago. But we Phoenicians really should have first dibs on the Saturday Night Live performer. A few reasons: Her fam lives here (her mom…
There was a time when the words “convention” and “tattoo” were never uttered in the same sentence. But it’s 2013, an era when tattoos are not only conventional — but often come with their own congregation. Weekend-long body modification events have become commonplace throughout the Valley, and The Hell City…
It’s only been eight days since SummerSlam, the WWE’s marquee dog-days pay-per-view showdown, but the fed’ll be shifting gears from the event’s aftermath to ramping up for September’s Night of Champions. Monday Night RAW will be a test of which grapplers can extend their SummerSlam heat.The usual suspects of the…
While not all of us can make it out to Utah to schmooze with the silver screen’s finest at Sundance, we can still take in the most talked about, trendiest, and, in this case, tiniest films from the festival. In this limited screening of Sundance Film Festival Short Films: Best…
The Arizona Diamondbacks spent nearly all of first half of this season sitting comfortably atop the NL West, and a playoff spot seemed all but assured. Then July happened. There are plenty of explanations for the Diamondbacks’ collapse, but perhaps the biggest problem might have been an inability to beat…
David Lindsay-Abaire’s odd, hysterical plays are also trenchant enough to send you through a guardrail on the way home. Many have played here: Rabbit Hole, Fuddy Meers, Wonder of the World, Kimberly Akimbo. Lindsay-Abaire wrote the book and lyrics for Shrek the Musical as well. (Somebody had to.)Lindsay-Abaire’s 1997 A…
Phoenix is home to everything from sports teams to rock stars. It’s home to a broad community of artists, young professionals, and everything in between. There’s something for everyone in this diverse metropolis, so it’s no surprise that Phoenix has lots to offer in the nerd department. We’ve gathered our…
The dance scene in the Valley is gearing back up after a summer-long hiatus from the grind of rehearsals and performances. But as with many things Phoenix, the dance world can feel disparate and hard to navigate. Lucky for you, we’ve done the hard work and gathered the dance events…
We hate to break it to you, Valley vintage enthusiasts with an eye for international style, but Vintage by Misty soon will close up its downtown Phoenix shop. But it’s not goodbye; not even close. VBM will relocate to a new space in Old Town Scottsdale, where the store will…
Between the advancing technology of sex toys, hookup apps like Tinder, and the HPV epidemic — one would feel safe assuming that the current generation of young adults is by far the most promiscuous. But according to a new study, despite the technological advances in sexual bells, whistles, and things…
