Sprawl, y’all
“Sprawl: OKC’s Unique 621 Square Mile Permutation” is a free public meeting slated from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, in the Grand Ballroom of the Oklahoma City Marriott, 3233 Northwest Expressway. “OKC is virtually alone among cities in terms of attempting to provide municipal services to such a large geographic area,” said Ward…
The Debt
The way “The Debt” is structured, it’s as if audiences get two movies in one: a late-’90s-set spy movie with its mid-’60s prequel already attached, both roughly an hour apiece. In the ’90s half, essentially the wraparound story, Mirren plays Rachel Singer, one of three Mossad agents who, in the ’60s half (when she’s played…
Sword and Sorcery Collection
Two of them, 1984’s “The Warrior and the Sorceress” and 1985’s “Barbarian Queen,” were paired in a double-feature DVD last year that you now need to sell or pay forward. Here, they’re joined by 1983’s “Deathstalker” and 1987’s “Deathstalker II.” As you may have surmised, barbarian movies were big business in the 1980s, following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s…
Let’s start over
Then the dead child gets her name put on a piece of meaningless legislation. It is all too common for the children of Oklahoma. A few years ago, my wife and I attended a DHS-sponsored forum on how to become foster parents. One of the first slides explained the main problem with DHS: “The central…
On a stick!
Himalayas Aroma of India 709 N. Moore, Moore 701-3900 This is off Interstate 35 on the west side. Go for the minced lamb skewers that are baked in the tandoori oven. They can kick up the spice level if you just ask. Special spices being used are coriander powder, cumin, garlic and garam masala, which…
Bite Size: 8-31-11
COME THIRSTYWho knows who might need money for urgent medical care this year? That’s the basic idea behind the annual Thirst for the Cure, which is set for Sept. 14 from 6:30-9 p.m. The money raised might come to the rescue of a needy person in the local hospitality business who couldn’t otherwise afford to…
Going ape
Norman, 1973. A mother chimpanzee named Carolyn held her infant to her chest as two strangers, a man and a woman, approached her cage. The man pulled out a dart gun, turned to Carolyn and shot the mother chimp with a tranquilizer. Carolyn slumped to the floor of the cage, her hands still clutching the…
Growing fangs
Oklahoma City’s The Copperheads have dozens of crazy shows under their belt, but they aren’t usually directly involved in the chaos. They aren’t necessarily wooden performers, but are far from the most animated. They usually take the stage — perhaps with cigarettes curled in their lips, beers on the amps — plug in and play…
Walk the line
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Council was scheduled to possibly decide what to do with $30 million set aside from convention center funds and a more detailed draft timeline on the MAPS 3 modern streetcar project was unveiled. In May, the City Council approved a recommendation from the MAPS 3 convention center subcommittee to put the…
‘Laugh and cry’
The young-Earth creation argument is laughable. I could go on about the evidence suggesting the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but evidence doesn’t matter against the weight of a story written down by a tribal Middle Eastern society about 7,000 years ago (5,000 BCE). The young-Earth idea is only a symptom of a…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
But let’s give credit where credit is due: This is a remake of a fondly remembered, made-for-TV movie in 1973. Although effects have come a long, long way, baby, I still prefer the original. Living underneath the new-to-them Rhode Island mansion of architect Alex (Guy Pearce, “Animal Kingdom”); interior-designer girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes, TV’s “The…
Soundcheck: ‘This Machine’
Well, yeah, he did. But his legacy carries on well after Huntington’s disease claimed his body on Oct. 3, 1967, and not just in the folk genre he mastered. His legacy is one that was hell-bent on tearing down authoritarianism and replacing it with tolerance and understanding. “Woody was a social conscience as much as…
Crown Jewell
Idaho singer/songwriter Eilen Jewell has quite a bit in common with the songstress of a very similar name. They both hail from less populated regions; both blend rock, pop, folk and country; and both made a go at busking to support themselves early in their careers. Jewell hasn’t written a hit as big as Jewel’s…
Hey! Dodo this
When The Dodos’ Meric Long sings for “a means to conjure you up,” he isn’t referring to the San Francisco indie-rock act’s long-extinct namesake. It’s possible “Good,” off this year’s “No Color,” is an open letter to the elusive sound he and bandmate Logan Kroeber have been looking for since their 2005 inception. “The closest…
Itsy bitsy ‘Bikini’
Nostalgia rules the day in the Oklahoma City debut of “The Bikinis,” a new musical by Ray Roderick and James Hindman. The show is set in 1999 at the 30-year reunion of The Bikinis, a New Jersey-based girl group that failed to break into the national scene after recording one hit single. Inspired by true…
Arts Festival Oklahoma
Fireworks aren’t reserved just for the Fourth of July anymore. They will illuminate the sky Sunday at the Arts Festival Oklahoma, following the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s performance. Held on the Oklahoma City Community College campus, the 33rd annual festival will span the length of the Labor Day weekend and will house 164 art booths and…
‘Into the Storm’
One man in Oklahoma doesn’t live in fear of tornadoes, hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions. On Tuesday, he’ll talk about devoting his career to studying dangerous weather patterns. One of the “Storm Chasers” of the Discovery Channel television series, Reed Timmer will discuss his new book, “Into the Storm,” at 7 p.m. at Hastings,…
Raw diet
But, there’s not much to style if there’s no substance behind it, and In the Raw has plenty of that to back it up. The Bricktown eatery has sister locations in Tulsa and Norman, all of which got new owners in January, but this locale might be the most special, in more ways than one.…
Wine on Tulsa time
Long the target of “little sister” criticism, our sister city has developed an outstanding wine culture with the help of landmarks like Polo Grill and entrepreneurs like Vintage 1740’s Matt Sanders. Most of Tulsa’s premier wine locations can be found in a relatively small geographic area, especially when compared to Oklahoma City’s sprawl. Utica Square,…
Side job
Workers at Funny Or Die would be wise not to tell Griffin if he gets their coffee orders wrong because the 6-foot 10-inch and 251 pound basketball player could wad them into a ball-shaped figure and dunk them into the nearest garbage can. All-Star forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, Griffin took the internship position…
Auto eats
Located in the neighborhood along N. Broadway from N.W. Fourth up to N.W. 10th, restaurants such as Red Prime Steak and Iguana Mexican Grill, along with Coffee Slingers, have definitely paved the way for niche dining in this historic part of downtown. New to the neighborhood is the latest outpost of Hideaway Pizza, 901 N.…
What’s a few thousand between friends?
The news station reported that the company’s accountant read through the DHS handbook and found the part where a business that makes an overpayment should contact the agency and ask for a refund. When KFOR reporter asked Jeff Wagner of Child Support Services about the kerfuffle, Wagner said, “It’s really unfortunate that the employer submitted…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Now that you’re asking, I’m actually about to turn 46 this Christmas. I’m very excited. I’m going to spend it with the kids. You know, we’re gonna have a good vacation, nice Christmas and it’s gonna be good.” —Edmond pop moppet Greyson Chance, age 14, to The Associated Press
Have yourself a Lippy little Christmas
They recently sent out a list of gift suggestions, and amid the Devo- and My Chemical Romance-branded items are several offerings from Oklahoma City’s own Flaming Lips. Because when Chicken-Fried News thinks “birth of the Christ child,” we think “Silver Trembling Fetus Ornament.” For $30, this silver pewter “shiny little prebundle of pure joy” measures…
‘Right of return’
“Today, I’m hearing the term ‘the right of return,’ and it’s in reference to the right of the Palestinian people to return to that land,” the man, Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee Chairman Charlie Meadows, said to the crowd gathered before him. “I want to tell you something: I believe in the right of return…
It’s a Chance Chance Chance Chance ‘World’
“I really can’t believe I’m on the cover of ‘The World Almanac for Kids’! Just two years ago, I was an everyday kid from Oklahoma, and it’s an honor to be here now — especially in the company of such amazing other young people!” said Chance in a statement that CFN bets dollars to doughnuts…
Lankford and the Bush trifecta
U.S. Rep. James Lankford’s absolute opposition to any tax strategy locks in place the irresponsible and immoral trifecta of G.W. Bush’s first term: Backed by a Republican-controlled House and Senate, President Bush launched two foreign wars and cut taxes, rather than levy a tax to pay for the wars. Mr. Bush inherited a balanced budget…
Down the ‘Rabbit Hole’
In the 2006 drama “Rabbit Hole,” playwright David Lindsay-Abaire examines a family’s grief after the accidental death of a young boy. But he doesn’t provide any more insight than have the philosophers, theologians and pop psychologists who’ve come before him. That’s because Lindsay-Abaire takes on the great unanswerable question: Why do bad things happen to…
Scary faucet
Water is on the minds of most everyone in OKC now. In your favorite search engine, search for “disappearing groundwater,” “groundwater depletion” or something similar. Then search for “water in agriculture.” Then search for “water footprint.” You will find out that groundwater is disappearing in many parts of the globe. And you will find that…
Welfare recipients denied work ‘blessing’
Christians are to care for the poor, but Jesus here is condemning indifference toward his disciples, not indifference toward the poor. Jesus promises his followers that they will be hated, persecuted and killed (Matthew 24:9). Then in the full parable Wertz cites (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus tells the heaven-bound “sheep on his right” that “whatever you…
CFN QUOTW, part deux
“I would say my hobby is probably getting drunk. … People assume we are just gobbling handfuls of acid all the time.” —The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne, in an Aug. 19 New York Times profile
Ward 3
It’s been nearly a decade of loud guitars for Jim Ward. The Texas native achieved worldwide fame with his original group, hardcore’s At the Drive-In, then by starting the rock band Sparta. The buzzing in his ears must have gotten to him, because in the middle of the aughts, he ditched the electric for an…
Inhofe: Obama an ‘appeaser’
The event, attended by several state and local politicians and business leaders, also touched on uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi had yet to be found when Inhofe spoke, but the longtime leader’s reign was all but over, Inhofe said. “He’s history in terms of where we are,”…
Vick not Durant’s pick
KD communicated how he rated the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback via the wonderful World Wide Web. Starting on Aug. 24, Durantula tweeted that Vick didn’t count among the top 5 National Football League QBs, which he listed as New England Patriot Tom Brady, Indianapolis Colt Peyton Manning, San Diego Charger Philip Rivers, Green Bay Packer Aaron…
Under there
After my recent trip to the East Coast, however, I think I’m finally fully on board with spending a bit of dough on underthings. In this case, it was a bathing suit top (by Seafolly from LA Sun & Sport) with a price tag that made my husband choke. But, you guys, the price was…
Puzzling lack of sense
I’m heading westbound on Grand over the Lake Hefner Parkway and have to slow down behind a bicyclist blocking the road, waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass. Meanwhile, I’m looking at the paved bike path that encircles Lake Hefner, not 3 yards north of where he’s a-pedallin’. This isn’t some random dude on a…
The Weeknd — Thursday
Far from it, in fact. “Thursday”’s a terrific R&B record, creeping and grinding along at a pace appropriate for a sequel to the menacing, borderline-nihilistic “Balloons.” What the second album (Tesfaye promised a trio by the end of the year — all to be downloaded online, for free) lacks is the cloak of enigma that…
Win Win
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 become legal guardian to Leo (Burt Young, “Rocky Balboa”), an elderly client suffering from dementia, Mike stifles his ethics for the $1,500 monthly payments. Promising the court he will…
Love Wedding Marriage
As Ava, a marriage counselor who’s newly married herself, Moore shines. As her husband, Charlie (Kellan Lutz, those damn “Twilight” movies), doesn’t; he’s as dull as his name is awkward. He doesn’t even look real. Anyway, their post-honeymoon bliss starts to wear off quickly as her parents (James Brolin and Jane Seymour) separate just shy…
Superchunk – Foolish
Well, here’s an album reissue originally produced about 20 some-odd years later far more appropriate for the consumer. Guitar-wise, a lot changes in two decades, and Superchunk were at the head of the pack when it came to ’90s riff-driven rock ’n’ roll. Inspired by the ’80s punk do-it-yourself-and-work-effin’-hard-at-it ethic, “Foolish” was recorded amid a…
The Gazebo
Prepare to smile a lot — after all, the last actor credited is “Herman, the pigeon.” Glenn Ford flexes his comic chops as stressed-out live TV director Elliott Nash, who’s suffering from an “overapplication of work and an underapplication of common horse sense,” per his doctor. He’s happily married to new Broadway star Nell Nash…
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: The Complete Collection
Shy of their star, the prequel turns its focus on the villainous couple of Batiatus (John Hannah) and Lucretia (a luscious Lucy Lawless), both last seen lying side-by-side in a pool of their own internal fluids in “Blood and Sand”‘s final episode. Not yet the Vince McMahons of an ancient Rome who watch their well-oiled…
A Horrible Way to Die
And yet, this one has something most mumblecore does not: an actual story. The loose structure of mumblecore feels like on-the-fly moviemaking: continual bobbing of the handheld camera, zooming without worrying about pulling focus, unobstructed views of Swanberg’s penis. Here, director Adam Wingard (“Pop Skull”) sacrifices shots of full-frontal Swanberg. In its place: in-your-face Swanberg…
Once I Was a Champion
He was, as director Gerard Roxburgh’s film makes clear over and over, a man of ironies. He’d preach kindness for fellow man, but beat crap out of other people for a living. He became a world champion in his field, yet wanted to become a monk. He found the roundly derided ice-skating movie “The Cutting…
Heroes of the Old West
One inexpensive way to find out: Mill Creek Entertainment’s release of “Heroes of the Old West.” Let’s run the numbers: For less than $10, you get almost 22 hours of material on four DVDs. That’s 10 feature films, 20 television shows and, hopefully, one happy camper. With the exception of John Wayne in 1963’s “McLintock!,”…
Live from Tokyo
The live scene is healthy, although with so many bands, there aren’t enough rewards to go ’round. As with here, the Internet has taken a huge bite out of CDs, but low album sales doesn’t mean a lot of people aren’t listening. They are. And thanks to the Internet, followings can be built overseas without…
An American Family: Anniversary Edition
Almost 40 years later, PBS has issued a two-hour version of the groundbreaking project in an “Anniversary Edition.” It may as well be subtitled “Historical Sociological Document,” because that’s what it is. As producer Craig Gilbert informs the viewer at the beginning: “They are not the American family, they are simply an American family.” In…
Thirst for the Cure returns
The party, one of the city’s best wine-and-food events, will be at the Jim Thorpe Museum, 4040 N. Lincoln Blvd. Thirst Wine Merchants has brought together local top-notch restaurants to serve samples, including: • Boulevard Steakhouse• Café 501• Cattlemen’s• The Coach House• La Baguette Bistro• The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro• Oak Tree Country Club•…
MAPS milestone
The council will consider three plans at its regular meeting regarding the $30 million issue. The MAPS 3 money had been proposed to be set aside to move an OGE substation located next-door to the future MAPS 3 park. The $30 million in question was originally tucked into the fund for the MAPS 3 convention…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
But let’s give credit where credit is due: This is a remake of a fondly remembered, made-for-TV movie in 1973. Although effects have come a long, long way, baby, I still prefer the original. Living underneath the new-to-them Rhode Island mansion of architect Alex (Guy Pearce, “Animal Kingdom”); interior-designer girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes, TV’s “The…
Cry Terror!
Man 1: “Well, suddenly, we’ve got a problem on our hands, and it’s a dilly: the prankster.” Man 2: “Oh, no, not another one.” Man 1: “The fifth character to pull this sort of stunt in the last 60 days alone.” Man 2: “Used to be the joker who turned in the phony fire alarms.…
A ‘Musk’-see!
As Yukon’s Stage Door gears up for its stage production of the classic swashbuckler “The Three Musketeers” (scheduled for Sept. 9-11 and 16-18), CFN hopes they get that one little wardrobe anachronism ironed out before opening.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Manos: The Hands of Fate — Special Edition
Therefore, color me unsurprised that Shout! Factory has pulled out all the stops to showcase the stellar ep in a two-disc special edition. How special? Like, “even if you already own the ‘MST3K: Manos’ disc” special. But true MSTies know that already. According to IMDb, movies don’t get much worse than “Manos,” the 1966 horror…
Pickin’ and grinnin’
(You may remember Steve for his July 27 Letter to the Editor about humans and dinosaurs living together). Look for full coverage of Stand for Israel in Wednesday’s Oklahoma Gazette. Photo by Mark Hancock
Airwolf: The Movie
The two premiered within days of one another, and here’s how things shook out, if you don’t recall: “Blue Thunder” lasted a mere three months; “Airwolf,” four entire seasons. Sometimes, it pays to be second out of the gate. Now, Shout! Factory has resurrected the victor’s Bellisario-written and -directed pilot, “Airwolf: The Movie.” I’m guessing…
X
The differing characters whose lives crash head-on are Holly, a high-priced pro on the verge of retirement, and Shay, a 17-year-old street amateur desperate for cash. They’re played, respectively, by Viva Bianca (TV’s “Spartacus: Blood and Sand”) and Hanna Mangan Lawrence (“The Square”). Holly gets hundreds of dollars to do her thing with only the…
Eat for Upward
Then plan to attend 2011 Summer Celebrity Wait Night, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Hideaway Pizza’s newest location, 901 N. Broadway in Automobile Alley. With tips collected from the party, Celebrity Wait Night supports Upward Transitions at 1033 N. Walker, which aids the community’s less fortunate citizens. Mention “Upward Transitions” for the…
Metropolis
“Metropolis” is even trickier, having so many cuts of varying lengths, not to mention soundtracks silent or provided. Recently, as you may have heard and read, lost footage from Lang’s 1927 masterpiece was discovered, finally making “Metropolis” complete, as Lang intended, for the first time since its roundly dismissed theatrical debut in its native Germany.…
Cause for alarm
UPDATE: Spencer Tillman issued the following statement to Oklahoma Gazette: “I exchanged messages with Austin’s father. I consider the matter over. They’ve lost a son. Please let the family and the matter rest. It matters little at this point what anyone, official or otherwise, communicated to me. I take full responsibility for what I said.…
