Beyond a Reasonable Doubt / While the City Sleeps
Neither has enjoyed as lasting an impact as “Heat” — not to mention Lang’s other masterpieces, from “M” to “Metropolis,” or his string of pulpy Dr. Mabuse features — but are by no means worth ignoring. The two are now available as manufactured-on-demand DVDs from Warner Archive, in remastered editions. As the “Reasonable” hero, Dana Andrews…
Alison Krauss and Union Station — Paper Airplane
If you haven’t heard of her, you probably don’t like bluegrass. If you have heard of her, you know what you’re going to get when she puts out an album. If you haven’t heard of her and you like bluegrass, you need to fix that with “Paper Airplane.” Her gorgeous voice and down-home fiddle lead…
Imperial unit
Norman’s Crown Imperial is a no-name, lo-fi, indie-pop band. Or at least it was for its first show. The group was born as a side project of garage rockers The Mean Spirits, and it had a gig at The HiLo before it had a moniker. “The Mean Spirits were playing a show, and we had…
Pity party
It’s always sunny in California, but it’s been a while since the guys behind Gardens & Villa have found themselves in a comparably cheery mood. Deaths, drug abuse and homelessness (three members currently split time living in friends’ houses and their tour van) have plagued the band and its social circle, but the music has…
Hear It Is
Although they’ve often abandoned traditional music-delivery methods for more unique ones, The Flaming Lips do, in fact, have albums. And on Record Store Day, April 16, Oklahoma’s most famous weirdos will reissue a decade’s worth of records on actual vinyl, in a box set titled “Heady Nuggs: The First 5 Warner Bros. Records 1992-2002.” Including…
Yorn free
There’s a neat duality to Jersey rocker Pete Yorn’s latest tour, which makes a stop on Sunday in Oklahoma City. As is standard, the tour is in support of an album, but in Yorn’s case, it’s two: last year’s self-titled release and a reissue of “musicforthemorningafter,” the debut that led him to this point. The…
Jane Eyre
Starring Mia Wasikowska (“The Kids Are All Right”) as Jane, and Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”) as Rochester, this new version emphasizes the novel’s Gothic elements: gloom, melancholy, suspicion and someone creeping through the halls of Thornfield Manor after dark. Director Cary Fukunaga (“Sin Nombre”) and screenwriter Moira Buffini (“Tamara Drewe”) provide an intensity of emotion…
Win Win
The characters in those films created their own families. His newest work, “Win Win,” manages to take a nuclear family and still convert it into something different and deeper. Paul Giamatti (“Barney’s Version”) plays Mike Flaherty, a New Jersey attorney with a struggling practice and mounting debt. When he finds himself with an opportunity to…
Bite Size
Favorite indulgence? “Traveling. My wife, Ozzie, and I have been traveling lots. We have been to Europe and saw the South of France, Paris and Italy, and Stuttgart, Germany.” Children? “Daughter, Nina, who is a lawyer and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a son, Navid, at Columbia University in the…
A rollback to racial integration
SJR 15 is a misguided attempt to end equal opportunity in Oklahoma. In a recent editorial appearing in The Oklahoman, Johnson stated that California and Washington experienced no negative impact after passing similar laws. He is wrong. In fact, California saw a dramatic decline in the enrollment rates of minority students in the University of…
Blots and bands
Mike Riggs is conflicted about the brave new world of tattoo culture. The Scum of the Earth front man made his name playing lead guitar for Rob Zombie before splitting to make his own music and start a tattoo parlor in Branson, Mo. “I just wanted to have awesome people tattooing in the town that…
Calvin and jobs
Releasing an album is cause for celebration, and Norman-based singer/ songwriter John Calvin did his share as he let loose of his second album, “Wish Alloy.” But, like a good artist, he didn’t stop there. “When you make an album, it’s a snapshot of you in that point of time — a sonic photo album,…
Interpol’s most wanted
No one wants to live life under a microscope, and Interpol knows this better than most. The revered indierock trio rose to prominence following the 2002 release of its beloved “Turn on the Bright Lights,” and every move since has been scrutinized by anyone with a penchant for Joy Division and a keyboard with which…
smag 7
The changing scene Everything changes. That’s especially true for the restaurant business, where menus, staff and even owners make transitions. When new owners take over a restaurant, that’s “all new” to me. Let’s give these new owners and restaurants the boost they need. —Carol Smaglinski, photos by Mark Hancock and Shannon Cornman $$: Up to…
That was then … this is now, Oklahoma City Thunder fans
As fans, we watched the team stay in playoff position from start to finish; we saw Kevin Durant become the youngest player to win back-to-back scoring titles; and we witnessed Russell Westbrook leap into superstardom. Looking back, it’s hard to believe this is the same franchise that limped into Oklahoma City three years ago decimated…
Steak your claim
Maybe Gage’s, with its wide-open spaces and a bit of a cowboy twist thrown into the mix, does reflect Guthrie. We visited the steak-heavy Gage’s on a recent Saturday night, and it was a smart move when I called ahead for a reservation. At 6:30 p.m., the place was already filled. The bustling restaurant is…
Samson and Delilah / Of Gods and Men
While not documentaries, “Samson & Delilah” and “Of Gods and Men” focus on groups that are nonetheless real: Australian Aborigines and French monks, respectively. Either way, you can’t get further from “Scream 4” this weekend. Hope you like subtitles. Playing Thursday through Sunday at Oklahoma Museum of Art, 415 Couch, “Samson & Delilah” is neither…
Leon Russell — The Best of Leon Russell
A recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Russell made a Billboard splash in the ’70s with songs like “If I Were a Carpenter,” “Tight Rope” and “Lady Blue,” all represented on Capitol Records’ new compilation. —Rod Lott
Ribald, not ‘Rotten’
The musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” now at the Pollard Theatre, includes a song titled “Oklahoma?,” sung by a character named Jolene Oakes, an oil heiress in a mink coat and miniskirt (played by the really funny Cory King), and it’s a humdinger. Maybe someone will start a petition to make it the state song. I’d…
Baking bliss
But hectic schedules and diminished time in many kitchens have left the baking to someone else. Of course, grocery-store bakeries and local restaurants offer a host of selections for the busy shopper. However, metro residents are getting to eat their cake and much more as creative bakers emerge to satisfy the most particular palate. Take…
CFN Twitter Exchange of the Week
—Mike Koehler, chief strategist at Smirk New Media, 9:16 p.m. April 5 “Not me. He ran a way better campaign.” —Casey Cornett, account executive at Jones Public Relations, 9:18 p.m. April 5
Inside and out
“Keeping your vehicle clean not only protects your valuable vehicle investment, it also fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment,” said Rich White, the organization’s executive director. “It’s a task that takes very little money or effort, but has huge returns.” With April being National Car Care Month, the council recommends: • removing clutter inside,…
Core values
For two nights only, West Sheridan will shift from revitalized to red-light district, as the Individual Artists of Oklahoma hosts the 20th annual “Biting the Apple” erotic art exhibition. This year’s theme, “Gallery de Grindhouse,” is an ode to the string of theaters on New York City’s 42nd Street where burlesque theater and peep shows…
Rural Alva advantage
Richey captures the beauty of his small town of Alva in a unique way, said Alyson Atchison of the Oklahoma City Arts Council. “The viewers really get to see Alva through his eyes. He shoots the town in a way that he makes everything seem beautiful and interesting,” she said. “The framing and composition within…
Earth-friendly
Kids and their families can enjoy earth-friendly seminars and activities, including crafts that involve using recycled materials, as well as creek explorations where children can net fish and other reptiles. Casey Lindo, naturalist for Martin Park, said that EarthFest is a great opportunity for children to get outside and explore. “It’s important for kids to…
The world of tomorrow
The house blends modern building techniques with materials from the past. Exterior walls are concrete, while inside, 2,500 square feet of wood is reclaimed. Even the bar comes from the original O’Connell’s Bar & Grill in Norman. More than 15,000 pounds of scrap material were repurposed for the home’s construction, including 6,000 pounds of recycled…
Don’t get lowballed
“As people who have been looking for work a long time start to get back into the workforce, many of them are so happy just to get a job that they sometimes accept a lower salary than they have to,” said Bill Humbert. “Some employers feel that they can probably get away with a lowball…
Viva Italia!
In two weeks, I’ll be in Italy. I love to travel, and I’ve been to Europe twice, but this’ll be my first time to visit Italy. To say I’m excited and can’t stop thinking/talking/casually bringing it up in random conversation with strangers would be an understatement. My parents — whose idea of a great vacation…
PR BS
—“City collects 76,258 pounds of tires, computers, ammo and medications” —“Denver Family Wins Primrose Schools National Family Dance-off” —“Introducing… CEREBRAL BALLZY” —“FDA pressures are topic of OUHSC lecture” —“Nutritional Sciences Researcher Finds Mangoes Beneficial” —“Casting for Ugly Kitchens – Selected Homeowners Could Get a FREE Remodel!” —“Ownbey Praises Committee Passage of Task Force to Study…
Jesus, take the shirts
On a recent appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, the “American Idol” winner complained about her Nashville Predators-employed hubby’s tendency to have, you know, stuff. “He came and he brought all of his crap with him. Our house became … he’s not a hoarder but he’s close, maybe,” Underwood said. “Shirts and stuff … he…
Affirmative inaction
The bill, Senate Joint Resolution 15 by Sen. Rob Johnson, R-Kingfisher, and Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Tuttle, would prohibit special treatment based on race or gender in public employment, education or contracts. The measure passed the Senate 31-15 on March 8, and is currently in the House for consideration. According to The Associated Press, supporters of…
Twitterpated
And thus began the saga of NYC-based young-adult fiction author Maureen Johnson’s Oklahoma City junket. She kept mildly obsessive tabs on her recent Metropolitan Library System tour via her award-winning Twitter account, which was tabbed by tech site Mashable in 2009 as the “Most Interesting Twitter User to Follow.” A tour of her tour, via…
‘Glory’ in Indian Territory
Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, said the Civil War events that occurred in Indian Territory were dramatic after the clock started ticking in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. “It all changes directions from 1861 to 1865 for the Indians, and for the African-Americans who had been victims of slavery. It changed…
‘Dysfunction’ junction
I found Clifton Adcock’s article “Art suspension” (March 16, Gazette) particularly enlightening. The supersized farming discs erected on the front lawn of the newly christened Office of State Finance (OSF) building intrigue me and concerned me a bit. Being a 22-year veteran of hazard mitigation, I look at man-made structures in terms of how they…
Point: More doctors, less preachers
The strategy among creationism proponents for a long time has been to create a nonexistent controversy and cast doubt on proven science and the scientific method, a disingenuous ploy that brings into question the sincerity of those who push it. Why don’t the religious-inspired politicians here just openly push to place the story of Christian…
MAPS streetcar steps forward
The “transit spine” accepted provides a key corridor for the MAPS 3 streetcar system, almost ensuring immediate ridership success while enabling the easy future expansion into the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. The Robinson (northbound), Broadway Avenue (southbound) rail corridor will immediately connect Bricktown to Midtown, while establishing the opportunity for easy future expansion into the Plaza…
Modern architecture on display
The self-guided tour allows guests to visit some of the metro’s most unique architectural destinations, including residences and commercial buildings that showcase the important role architecture plays in the community, said Melissa Hunt, the chapter’s executive director. “I think people will enjoy seeing all of the different styles and varieties of architecture in OKC,” she…
No sympathy for professor
Like his liberal union/Democrat buddies, he mourns the demise of collective bargaining in Wisconsin and soon in Oklahoma. His credibility is seen sadly lacking when he says, “conservatives have waged war on the American worker through union busting.” Pardon me, Kurt, but it was Jimmy Carter who got rid of collective bargaining nationally, not conservatives!…
Losing Momentum
By far, the group that spent the most in the elections was an independent expenditure group known as the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum. Funded at least in part — if not fully — through a Greater Oklahoma City Chamber program, the group employed the services of one of the most influential political strategy companies…
Counterpoint: Scrutinizing science
The most recent was the Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act carried by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City. Each has ultimately been defeated mainly due to pressure exerted by the science departments of the major universities in Oklahoma. It is hard for me to understand why, since I believe the adage, “Truth does not fear…
Summer crop
New vintages of many of last year’s favorites have already arrived in stores — including Crios rosé of Malbec — and others are arriving in April and May, a shipment that includes the remarkable Chinon, a 100 percent Cabernet Franc from Charles Joguet. To get a taste for rosés, The Coach House, 6437 Avondale Drive,…
Momentum ‘money’
The Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum’s “budget,” nor their agenda, certainly has not been covered by The Oklahoman. —Ron Ferrell Jones
OKC ‘confidential’
Now a recent report from the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity claims the FBI treated a senior ABC News journalist as an informant and prodded him to reveal the confidential source of an uncorroborated tip. According to an FBI memo, the journalist “advised that a source within the Saudi Arabian Intelligence Service advised that the…
Triple R
Barresi, who was elected in November and is the first state superintendent since Sandy Garrett first took office 20 years ago, was one of four school officials from around the nation to testify April 7 at the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as Congress begins to look at reauthorization of the No…
Thursday — No Devolución
As one of the most critically and publicly beloved bands of the early ‘00s emo movement, they could have kept cranking out the noise forever and been given a pass (see 2009’s “Common Existence,” which was met with no praise or criticism). But they decided to work themselves, and “No Devolución” is the result. “No…
Murder Investigation Team: Series One
But it’s also a spin-off to a series called “The Bill” that premiered nearly two decades before CBS started co-opting The Who catalog for its enormously successful franchise. From 2003, “MIT” is not as successful, at least in terms of flashy visuals and absorbing storytelling (and it’s not like Britain can’t do that, if you’ve…
Tiny Animals — Our Own Time
Tyson Ritter and company put the gas to the floor on the first track and don’t really let up until the end. The guitars roar, the vocal melodies soar, the drums pound, the bass thrums and various keyboards twinkle. Everything is done for high drama, and it’s great. Tiny Animals’ “Our Own Time” is exactly…
Stan Lee’s Superhumans: Season One
Stan Lee hasn’t dreamed up anything of value recently: “Stripperella,” “Condor,” “Mosaic,” anyone? (Don’t get me started on “The Governator,” which reeks of desperate failure.) Irony: Along comes the History Channel series “Stan Lee’s Superhumans,” which is reasonably entertaining, but Lee hardly has anything to do with it. Its real host is Daniel Browning Smith,…
Sex & the Single Mom
Just imagine: “Here, Mom, I bought you this movie about an unmarried, middle-aged woman who gets herself knocked up. Hope it inspires you! Love ya!” Gail O’Grady of “NYPD Blue” is the paralegal who allows herself to be seduced by an expert witness in one of the cases she’s working on. He’s a heart surgeon…
Dinoshark
That’s all the setup given by the Roger Corman production, and really all a Syfy-weaned audience asks of it. Before we proceed, allow me to explain the complex concept: Dinoshark is half-dinosaur, half-shark. Please re-read that as many as needed for your mind to grasp. The glorious, sun-soaked Puerto Vallarta is the site of many…
Of God and Science — Black Rabbit
I’m not old enough to have actually experienced AM radio in its prime (I would have to be 50 or older to have been a part of the mythical era), but I suppose that if it really had to be recreated, Of God and Science has done the best job I’ve ever heard of appropriating…
Rex in effect
He’s excited to so, and not just because the event is celebrating its 50th anniversary. “I’m going to be up there co-emceeing with my good friend, four-time Academy Award nominee Mr. Ed Harris,” Linn said, who appeared with Viggo Mortensen and Renée Zellweger in the Harris-directed “Appaloosa” in 2008. “It’s gonna be awesome.” But the…
Generationals — Actor-Caster
Old cars don’t have MP3 hookups, and those radio receivers always dissolve into static. Trusty steeds take CDs, and yours needs summer music. Short of burning yourself a copy of this mixtape, you need a new love. Here it is: “Actor-Caster” by Generationals. Generationals plays the sort of perky, bouncy indie pop that’s only applicable…
Hafdis Huld — Synchronised Swimmers
“Synchronised Swimmers” is the effervescent acoustic pop of The Weepies, only swapping Americans for Icelandic people and introducing banjo into the mix. There is no possible way to dislike this music, unless you’re opposed to things that sound pretty and make you want to sing. Iceland’s almost-to-be-expected plucky soprano vocals apply here, as Huld’s almost-too-cute…
Soylent Green
Look at its images of a rioting populace fighting against heavily armed authorities, and tell me you can’t see the same on the nightly news. And that’s without touching upon the elephant in the room: its theme of dwindling resources in an exploding population. That’s no longer the stuff we have to stop worrying about…
L’Altra — Telepathic
L’Altra’s lushly orchestrated “Telepathic” has a stately quality that impresses until it doesn’t, which is somewhere around track four or five. Then the pop tunes become mush in the brain. There’s nothing bad here, but it all just becomes one big jumble of haunting vocals, dusky piano and hazy atmospheres. The single, “Nothing Can Tear…
GDP — Useless Eaters
Example rap: “What kind of person could I possibly become when my personality is dependent on a drug / And usually more than one, ’cause too much of anything is never enough.” In short, GDP hates modern rap. That’s enough to make me recommend it to you. But before you think this is an “ABC…
Rocky Business — A Rebel’s Roar
If you’re really good or really lucky (coughKanyeWestcough), you can get both at once. Rocky Business’ seven-song EP, “A Rebel’s Roar,” skews toward the art, with a few pit stops in the nonsense. I mention it because the rap/pop duo is really good at club-thumpin’ nonsense when it wants to be. Non-EP single “Kim Kardashian”…
Husk / Prowl
Two of the first out of the gate, “Husk” and “Prowl,” show real promise for this endeavor. First, “Husk,” which you may have seen already on Syfy: It proves my long-held belief that finding references to Scripture in a cornfield is never a good thing. The movie has the first two of the four things…
The King’s Speech
Real-life story of an embattled hero overcoming a handicap? Check. About the British monarchy? Check. Customarily great British actors being customarily great and, um, British? Check. Still, “Speech” also has another trick up its sleeve: It is excellent — a rare work of Oscar-bait as satisfying as it purports to be. And it is anchored…
Black Heaven / Heartless
Just because the concept is as old as cinema itself doesn’t mean it’s no longer worth exploring, so long as the perspective shifts in new and interesting ways. Think Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” Then think about checking out two current imports from IFC Films — one French, one British. I’m not suggesting they’re even in the…
Steven Boone — Rockabye Baby!: Lullaby Renditions of The Flaming Lips
New to the former is Steven Boone’s “Lullaby Renditions of the Flaming Lips.” It is just that: instrumental covers of the Lips catalogue, but played largely on a calming, tinkling vibraphone, and slowed to a soothing pace that’ll relax even those of us who have mastered the art of not peeing our pants. As someone…
Shadid’s surge
Shadid faced opponent Charlie Swinton, senior vice president and registered lobbyist for BancFirst, in the runoff for the council seat being vacated by outgoing Councilman Sam Bowman, who decided not to run for another term. The runoff election was the result of the March 1 primary race, which featured six candidates in the Ward 2…
Lenka — Two
The Australian pop ingénue caught my ear with “Roll with the Punches,” a tune that would be at home having a tea party with She and Him, Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor. The plucky vocal stylings of Spektor meets the faux vintage sound of She and Him while the exuberant arrangements of Michaelson cap the…
All Tiny Creatures — Harbors
It needs a name, but op-prog seems wrong. Oprog? Oprock? Op rock? I have no idea. If bands keep coming out like Delicate Steve, Adebisi Shank and now All Tiny Creatures, I’ll have to distill this idea into one name. But for now, it’s enough for you to know that All Tiny Creatures’ “Harbors” splits…
Mansions — Dig Up the Dead
Mansions’ main man Christopher Browder decided to make a rock album called “Dig Up the Dead.” The best thing Browder could have done was make an acoustic album of the same songs called “Dig Up the Dead.” I’m not just being petulant. His last release, “Best of the Bees,” was a collection of cast-off tracks…
A Summer in Genoa
In this case, that season is “A Summer in Genoa,” another ambitious but failed enterprise by director Michael Winterbottom (the Oklahoma-lensed “The Killer Inside Me”). Just now hitting DVD domestically, the 2008 film has the benefit of starring Colin Firth, fresh off his Oscar win for “The King’s Speech.” That alone may trigger some initial…
