Make-Out with Violence
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003VADS32&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Were it released theatrically this year, “Make-Out with Violence” would land on my year-end 10 best list for film. This out-of-nowhere gem is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, making it difficult to describe accurately. My best stab: What if Wes Anderson made a zombie film? The story finds a family of three brothers…
And Soon the Darkness
Don’t cry for me, Argentina “? scream! In this same-name remake of an obscure British psycho-thriller from 1970, two American girls “? straight arrow Stephanie (Amber Heard) and wild child Ellie (Odette Yustman) “? go AWOL from their bike tour through Argentina to explore on their own. The BFFs spend the night at a…
Stonehenge Apocalypse
“Stonehenge Apocalypse” is more fun to say than it is to watch. The Canadian production pegs itself as along the lines of Roland Emmerich’s recent “2012,” but it’s more like a 2. The disaster movie is indeed a disaster, aping “2012” in more ways than one. From the start, with its conspiracy-happy radio personality and…
Crazy Mama/The Lady in Red
rica. They cross paths with a greaser named Snake, a saucy octogenarian named Bertha, and Stuart Whitman, who can’t keep his filthy paws off Leachman and vice versa. You also get a car crash, an American Indian bonking someone on the head, and Donny Most from “Happy Days” making a “duh” face. With seemingly more…
Americathon
How 2010 does this sound? Fear of a gay takeover, talk of an oil shortage, people forced to live in cars and tents because of money woes, terrorist demands, pot legalization, and worries of nationwide bankruptcy. And yet “Americathon” was made in 1979, during the Carter administration. Many brickbats have been lobbed its way since…
Pastor Shepherd
Based on an Internet character I’ve never heard of prior to seeing this comedy, “Pastor Shepherd” is like a “Saturday Night Live” character spin-off film, minus the TV institution’s built-in pedigree. While it’s not an “It’s Pat”-level disaster, it’s nowhere to close to “Wayne’s World,” either. Or “Wayne’s World 2.” You probably already get the…
Michael Jackson — Michael
s ubiquitous; Jackson was trying to re-invent himself for modern audiences; and the songs, like most things on the radio, are enjoyable while played and forgettable when gone. All debate to how finished it is aside, this album sounds remarkably nice. It doesn’t push boundaries, it doesn’t titillate or thrill, and it definitely doesn’t get…
Without a Face – The First Album Was Better
While self-effacing humor is a running theme in Dillard’s work, in the case of both albums, the titles are misleading. “Worst Debut” was anything but, with a healthy balance of humor, sentiment and some truly great sing-along-worthy hooks. While “First Album” may lack some of the punch of the first album, it’s a more mature…
Wrong and immoral to vote for the Republican ticket
To the Editor, As a rule, I don’t write letters to the editors. I am so involved in so many activities that I usually don’t make time for this, even when I have strong feeling about a topic. I recently retired from the active ministry as a pastor after serving communities in Oklahoma for over…
After rocking a holiday compilation, the bands behind ‘Checking It Twice’ give another gift: a free show
Checking It Twice Holiday Concert 7 p.m. Saturday Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union University of Oklahoma 900 Asp, Norman nicepeople.bandcamp.com Things have come full circle for Jonathan Fowler and Chris Harris. In May, they met on the back patio of Gray Owl Coffee in Norman to discuss a possible project for Harris’ record label, Nice…
Post-divorce, singer/songwriter Kevin Welch embraces acceptance, and finds that the ‘Sky’ is the limit
Kevin Welch 8 p.m. Thursday The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley www.bluedoorokc.com 524-0738 $20 In a musician’s life, there’s someone who profoundly affected his or her future. For Kevin Welch, it was University of Oklahoma professor John Hadley. As a youth in the Sooner State, Welch had gotten it into his head to become a…
Meet the good ol’ boys behind metal’s Texas Hippie Coalition, raised in the backwoods and on Southern rock
Mad Maxx’s Hippie Holiday Bash #1 with Texas Hippie Coalition, Tempesta, Day of Tragedy and One Gun Solution 7 p.m. Friday Samuari Sake House 3034 N. Portland 651-5458 Some men are born for metal. They look the part, sound the part and, presumably, smell the part. Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister is a perfect example of the…
Monte Montgomery uses his acoustic prowess to create new sounds and heal old wounds
Monte Montgomery 8 p.m. Thursday Oklahoma City Limits 4801 S. Eastern www.oclimits.com 619-3939 $15 Monte Montgomery is a guitarist of rare skill, blending the delicacy of an acoustic songwriter with the grit of electric blues for a powerful, dynamic sound that at times recalls the work of Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey…
Acoustic pop vocalist Ashley Windham landed a record deal in a most unconventional manner: by not even expecting one
It’s every artist’s dream: Finish a set, and an impressed stranger walks up and offers a record deal. Any number of bands will tell you it doesn’t happen that way, but Oklahoma City singer/songwriter Ashley Windham won’t. That’s how she ended up signed to Tate Music Group. “I was playing a gig at The Mantel,”…
Kite Flying Robot releases ‘Solid Gold’ debut album
Every song that Kite Flying Robot touched in the last four years turned to “Solid Gold.” The pop/rock/indie band, which splits time between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, will release the 10-song, element-titled album Friday at the Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson. Local indie rockers The Hex will be reuniting for the show. “Solid Gold,” the…
Maggie McClure and Shane Henry team up for Christmas show
Home for the holidays? So are metro musicians Maggie McClure and Shane Henry, who’ll join forces for a special “Home for the Holidays” concert, 8 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley. The all-ages show will feature a festive mix of their favorite Christmas classics and their own originals. “It always is refreshing…
OK CityScape is not only the site of incredible Lego displays of the metro, but educational opportunities
OK CityScape 1100 N. Broadway $3 kids 12 and under, $5 adults Friday-Saturday Organizers at OK CityScape hope the allure of the bricks that click can help reading click with kids. On Friday, the annual fundraiser exhibit of Oklahoma City landmarks built in Legos will host a story time for children of all ages. For…
Minor league leaders
Nuke LaLoosh, Crash Davis, and the sultry Annie Savoy tore up the minor leagues in the movie “Bull Durham.” The story of baseball players traveling from town to town in a dilapidated bus, trying to make the big leagues ” the ultimate goal for aspiring minor league ball players ” is an apt analogy for…
Is the religious left right?
In the beginning was a word, and then more words, and finally, enough words that everyone fit neatly into a category: conservative, liberal, left, right, moderate, progressive. Even for Christians who worship an ostensibly unifying “Word,” the categories apply. It’s seldom been more obvious than in the 2010 election. Much has been written about the…
Food fumble
CFN knows all you football fans are still tingling with excitement over OU’s Big 12 Championship, but let’s sober up for a second and ponder this problem: How many football stadiums would it take to hold the hungry people of Oklahoma? According to the Oklahoma Policy Institute, the answer is “¦ well, unacceptable. On OPI’s…
Lardy loot
Like squirrels preparing for winter, two women braved the wild world of T.J. Maxx, allegedly smuggling provisions to endure the holiday season in style. Between the two of them, the would-be shoplifters are accused of squirreling away about $2,600 worth of merchandise in their fat folds. The two suspects were arrested for shoplifting and face…
Questioning what Saad said
In response to Saad Mohammed’s Commentary (“Point: A guide for all mankind,” Nov. 17, Gazette): Mr. Mohammed says that Oklahomans should be embarrassed by voting for SQ 755, which (only) requires Oklahoma to use only federal/state laws. He says more or less, we have nothing to fear from Shariah law. If that is the truth,…
Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s staging of ‘Oliver!’ hits a snag
Oliver! 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Through Dec. 19 Oklahoma City Theatre Company Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker 297-2264 $22 Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s production of “Oliver!” is the most misguided show seen on city stages in years. It shouldn’t be. It has some great show tunes “? which aren’t listed in…
Chop it down and drag it home, as Oklahoma farms grow trees just waiting for all the tinsel and lights
While driving down the dirt lanes of the Sorghum Mill Christmas Tree & Blackberry Farm in Edmond on a four-wheeler, it’s hard not to get into the spirit of the season. Evergreens rise up on all sides, whispering in the winds to be chosen. With acres of trees and a growing time of three to…
A local nonprofit helps Oklahomans begin their journey to sobriety with a variety of substance abuse and addiction services
The single mother of four grown children took a bus from Ardmore to Oklahoma City about five months ago, returning to the small acreage near Lake Stanley Draper where women go to get help for drug and alcohol addiction. After 15 years of alcoholism, Amy (not her real name) came to the facility, which eventually…
Oklahoma’s Children’s Hospital Foundation helps infants both at home and abroad
As Dr. Marilyn Escobedo was briefed on the condition of the preemie, her heart broke. Despite underdeveloped lungs, this baby would recover. But then the attending Chinese doctors informed her that this child, born a twin, was now an only child. Not because the other baby simply couldn’t pull through, but because the parents lacked…
Oh, snap!
In his Gazette Commentary (“Counterpoint: Recovery and redemption,” Nov. 10), Kurt Hochenauer explains the Democratic Party needs to recover and redeem itself. Fortunately, redeeming itself with the same message and recovering by implementing the same means will continually face failure here. Instead of using “recover” and “redemption,” Hochenauer should have used the true R&R: reality…
TheatreOCU’s annual staging of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a bit lackluster, but competent
A Christmas Carol 11 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday TheatreOCU and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center, Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder 951-0011 $7-$10 This is my third time reviewing the annual co-production of “A Christmas Carol,” mounted by Oklahoma City University’s TheatreOCU and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. It’s been interesting…
Greg Burns’ interpretations of Oklahoma landmarks go on display
“Visions of Reality” Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive Through March 12, 2011 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays 235-2714, www.oklahomaheritage.com $7 adults, $5 seniors and students Greg Burns is known for capturing Oklahoma landmarks and buildings on canvas, incorporating his interpretation of real life in his pieces. Burns’ career-spanning exhibit, “Visions…
OU’s ‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’ serves up a helping of holiday hilarity
a great match for Whitmire. The second act introduces Beverly Carlton, based on famous English Renaissance man Noel Coward, played with ridiculous zeal and silky-smooth perfection by Colin Welch. Kevin Percival joins the action in Act 3 as Whiteside’s friend Banjo, based on Harpo Marx, in a turn that is mad and wonderful. Percival’s is…
Edmond businessman facilitates a network of security cameras online for the greater good
Online social networking sites can connect old friends and stir memories, good and bad, and have been the subject of recent books and movies. Sites like Facebook and MySpace have become a tool for politicians and celebrities to reach out to voters and fans. Paul Conrady has a slightly different vision: using the connective power…
Nanny Mick flee
CFN realizes that it’s December, and the Lingerie Football League leaving was oh-so November. And while the robotic, “Stepford”-esque underwear video is all the rage this month, we still need to mention that Reason.tv bestowed the November Nanny of the Month honor to Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “The LFL reversed plans to add a…
Pikachu power
By now, the country knows how the University of Oklahoma Sooners fared on Nov. 27. But what about Thomas Patterson? “Who?” you ask. Our new Pokémon city champion, we answer. Patterson, age 14, put his Pokémon trading card skills ” or is that skillz? We forget ” to good use at the Pokémon Trading Card…
Norman Rockwell meets ‘The Far Side’ in Nick Hermes’ pop surrealist paintings
br /> “I can’t tell stories and I can’t act,” he said. “I tried my hand at comic strips, but you have to really be funny every day, but this way, I only have to be funny about once every month and a half.” “?Charles Martin top “Hard Candy” bottom “The Lost Toy”
Celebrating 30 years in 50 Penn Place, the independent Full Circle Bookstore keeps writing its own chapters
Through challenges posed by chain stores, Amazon.com and now the one-two punch of e-publishing and the recession, Full Circle Bookstore has weathered many a storm over a few decades. Outside of Best of Books in Edmond, Full Circle is the last remaining independent bookstore in the metro, said owner Jim Tolbert. On Nov. 26, it…
The good, the bad and the most improved
One (calendar) month down for the Thunder. More than 20 games finished up. A quarter of the season is history. If you’re looking for a word to sum it up, I think “weird” might be a good one. The Thunder has won more than it has lost, is in the middle of the Western playoff…
Nail files
Gee, thanks, Oklahoma Gazette. I’d appreciate it if you would consider the response of small children to your cover art, and save certain images for the inside where the little ones are less likely to browse. We keep the Gazette next to our kitchen table, and our almost 4-year-old son always comments on the cover.…
Sparking ‘progressive encouragement and dialogue’
Dear Gazette and readers, Thank you for your publications regarding current events, issues, policies, politics and conversations affecting Oklahoma. Thank you for publishing a diversity of opinions, from right to middle to left. You help provide a fair, just and intelligent opportunity to self-educate and intrinsically generate positive thought, positive movement to change and actual…
The RidicuList
Anderson Cooper, aka CNN’s Silver Fox, named an Oklahoma prisoner to his RidicuList during an episode last week of “Anderson Cooper 360.” Inmate Justin Walker, or “Jus N Walk,” as Cooper pointed out he’s known on Facebook, was the subject of the Dec. 2 segment. Added Cooper, “Frankly, his online name is enough to get…
Getting schooled
Clifton Adcock’s article about State Superintendent-elect Janet Barresi (“‘Super’ intentions,” Nov. 24, Gazette) unwittingly illustrates the difficulty our state and the nation face when we appoint ideologues lacking in knowledge and experience of how schools actually function to run them. Tracy McDaniel, principal at KIPP Reach in Oklahoma City is quoted: “Social promotion is a…
A new downtown Business Improvement District plan being considered would expand the current district’s boundaries
The Oklahoma City Council will be considering approval of a new downtown Business Improvement District plan that would expand the current district’s boundaries and have some property owners paying for maintenance on a major downtown streetscape project. The City Council accepted a city engineer report regarding the proposed plan at its Nov. 30 meeting, and…
Tamara Drewe
s next novel, but puts more effort into ignoring Beth so he can hop away for his latest extramarital tryst. As any author of fiction will tell you, conflict is what drives any story, and there’s plenty to be found at this place. It’s the kind of setting that, although visually idyllic, harbors ill will…
Islamic officials discuss reaction to preliminary injunction against State Question 755’s certification
The fight over State Question 755 ” which would ban the use of Islamic and international law in state court rulings ” hasn’t been easy, said Muneer Awad, but it has been worth it. Following the state question’s passage by around 70 percent of voters in November, Awad, who is the director of the Oklahoma…
Elvis lives in a lecture about his indian roles and heritage
“Elvis as Indian in Film and Life” 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday College Union, Room CU1 Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May free It’s one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, as Michael Snyder, English professor at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May, addresses royalty in a Thursday…
TSA T&A?
A woman sitting in a wheelchair wearing only a bra and panties in public is bound to attract attention, but add possible traces of nitrate, and you’ve got a combination that the eager hands of the Transportation Safety Administration are unable to resist. Tammy Banovac, 52, showed up twice last week to Will Rogers World…
Education reform is the goal of the first two measures introduced in the state Senate
A bill recently filed in the Oklahoma Senate could, if passed, bring major changes to the way state teachers are fired, eliminating a controversial component of the process. Meanwhile, a second Senate bill would require schools begin lowering dropout rates incrementally. The bills, Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 2, were filed by Sen. John…
Tea strategy
Some of the Republican National Committee establishment, conservative pundits and others want to blame Sarah Palin and the Tea Party for nominating the “wrong” candidates and losing the Senate for the GOP. Have they ever stopped to consider that had they thrown their full support behind these candidates early on, they might have won? “Mickey…
