Friday 24 May
 
 
DVD reviews

The Burning

It speaks to the strength of The Burning’s reputation among cult-film fans that what’s most memorable about the 1981 slasher is not that it was written by the Weinstein brothers, nor that it represents early appearances of the likes of Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter and Fisher Stevens. It’s that its Cropsy is just a damned good villain.
05/24/2013 | Comments 0

Dexter: The Seventh Season

There's no way to discuss the seventh and penultimate season of Showtime's hit Dexter without acknowledging how the previous year ended. Therefore, if you haven't finished the sixth season, stop reading now. You've got work to do.
05/21/2013 | Comments 0

Nightfall

As Simon Lam gets older, he gets better. The veteran actor has appeared in such in seminal HK action films of the 1990s as Once Upon a Time in China (opposite Jet Li) and Bullet in the Head (directed by John Woo); in the aughts, he graced audience and critical favorites Election and Ip Man.
05/20/2013 | Comments 0

Grand Duel

Lee Van Cleef enjoyed a secondary career in Italy cranking out spaghetti Westerns, with little regard to quality. However, 1972’s Grand Duel — aka The Big Showdown — is deserving of its Grand label. No wonder Quentin Tarantino borrowed its sweeping theme song by Luis Bacalov for Kill Bill; you'll recognize it in two notes.
05/20/2013 | Comments 0

The Last Stand

Early in The Last Stand, the small-town sheriff played by Arnold Schwarzenegger says, "It's my day off. Should be a quiet weekend." That's the new way of saying, "I've got one week to retirement," because it signals — with flashing neon and everything — that life is going to royally upend those plans.
05/17/2013 | Comments 0

At a clip


More yoga, Butterfingers, hairy bikers, Mick Jagger and walruses than your peepers can handle.

By Rod Lott October 11th, 2011

Lotsa local film and TV happenings are on the immediate horizon, so let’s run through them on the record so I can say, “I told you so!”

• Yo’ go see “Yogawoman,” a documentary on — wait for it — yoga and its influence on the modern woman. Narrated by three-time Oscar loser Annette Bening, the film screens Oct. 20 at Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.; drinks, appetizers and live music will be provided before the 8 p.m. showing. A recommended donation of $10 at the door will benefit the YWCA, and the screening is hosted by Yoga Room OKC. For more info, call Laura Lester at 823-7838. Check out the trailer or skip to the next item, about candy bars and serial killers.



• Fathom Events Presents “Fathom Thriller Thursdays” on Oct. 13 and Oct. 27. This is a fancy-sounding name for a double feature, one of which is a commercial directed by Rob Lowe, and the other like something my dad would watch on History Channel. At 7:30 p.m. both nights, see the horror-comedy featurette “Butterfinger the 13th,” followed by the documentary “Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Story.” You can see them at Cinemark Tinseltown USA, 6001 N. Martin Luther King, and Hollywood Spotlight 14, 1100 N. Interstate Drive in Norman. It’s not quite “The Exorcist,” but hey, it’s more Halloween-y than Fathom’s opera lineup.



• Speaking of History Channel, it debuts the reality show “Hairy Bikers” on Oct. 14, in which two guys on motorcycles (spoiler alert: the “Hairy Bikers” of the title) trek around the U.S., fueled by their passion for good food. On Friday’s very first episode, they visit Okahoma — specifically, Meers Restaurant, the Choc Beer Company and the Stroh Family Wheat Farm — all while you’re on your couch, eating a Hungry-Man Dinner. Again. (I should note that the bikers are British, but they do like hot chocolate.



• Speaking of Fathom Events, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 brings “The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live in Texas” to the aforementioned Hollywood Spotlight 14. The concert film was shot in Fort Worth on July 18, 1978, but has been digitally remastered in HD and features a new, 20-minute interview with Mick Jagger.



• For those who like their music less with less swagger, check out Lang Lang with the Philadelphia Orchestra for “Lang Lang Live on Franz Liszt’s 200th Birthday,” showing live at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 (with a replay Oct. 24), at Cinemark Tinseltown USA, 6001 N. Martin Luther King, and AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W. Memorial. At 200 years old, don’t you think Liszt is starting to look a lot like Jagger? We shall see.  ‘



• Finally, local filmmaker par excellence Mickey Reece debuts his latest way-out effort, “Walrus,” Oct. 22 at City Arts Center, with a live music performance by Samantha Crain. It’s about underground arm wrestling, and Reece promises his “most alienating movie” yet, so take that as a gotta-attend! Your trailer awaits below, and look for my review in the Oct. 19 issue of Oklahoma Gazette.  —Rod Lott

 
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
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