Better buses
In addition, most bus routes will move to more favorable 30-minute intervals as opposed to the current frequency of an hour or longer, said Rick Cain, COTPA’s executive director. “We’re not going to be dipping into neighborhoods as much. We have localized the routes as much as possible to meet our priority needs,” he said.…
Head of the class
Credit: Brad Gregg With the recent release of the Princeton Review’s annual “Best of the West” list, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma Baptist University and Oral Roberts University are designated as among the top colleges in the western United States, proving the schools offer more than Scripture-quoting professors and M.R.S degrees. Perhaps less surprising, The University…
Crooks for life
With country currently among the most popular genres on the music charts, more bands have to find new ways to make themselves sound different from everything else on the radio. This is a credo that Josh Mazour, songwriter and lead singer of Crooks, has taken to heart, going as far as to create a new…
Movie morons
Credit: Brad Gregg The notoriously meticulous executive has a reputation for trimming the fat (or, in some instances, the meat and bones) of certain films to make them more palatable for your average moviegoer; so much so that he acquired the nickname “Harvey Scissorhand.” His latest casualty is Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller…
Miranda rights
Credit: Brad Gregg The country music star, who lives in Tishomingo with hubby and native Oklahoman Blake Shelton, stopped an Aug. 3 show in Hartford, Conn., when two female fans got into a tussle. “There’s somebody causing trouble right here,” Lambert said from the stage. “It’s making me angry. I don’t really wanna have to…
Smoked out
The e-cig can be charged by USB. That’s right; it can be charged. I know this because I got extremely curious after several friends touted the product and I noticed a growing number of e-cig shops popping up across the metro. So one day I stopped into Vapor King (3506 N. Classen Blvd.; 528- 2808)…
Life preserver
Annette Prince Credit: Mark Hancock Physicians and patients have long agonized over such issues. “The patient has the right to make decisions about their body and about their health care,” said Dr. Phillip Rettig, pediatrics professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and co-chair of the OU Health Sciences Center Ethics Committee. “But…
Dog’s best friend
Credit: Brad Gregg According to news accounts, the Rottweiler pup was in a van with the windows rolled down. Still, Switzer felt sorry for the animal. He plucked the canine from the car, tracked down the owners and purchased the dog from them on the spot. Switzer took the pup, which he named Stella, to…
‘Passing’ through
Pollard Theatre Company has revived its production of the musical Passing Strange with nearly the same cast and creative team from its terrific 2011 staging of the show. If you missed it then, now is the chance to atone for that sin. If you saw it before, rest assured that it’s back with the same…
Pony up
Like a lot of local musicians, Steven Battles has grazed the floors of Norman’s Opolis for as long as he can remember. The Pink Pony ringleader has seen countless musicians at the venue, even cutting his teeth as a doorman at one point. But no matter how vital the place has been in the booking…
OKG7 sensational salad stops
Lottinvilles801 Signal Ridge Drive, Edmondlottinvillesrestaurant.com 341-2244 This Edmond gem has a mean — and delicious — salad game, starting with the rustic guacamole, which comes topped with corn, onion, rajas, spices and fresh avocado. Or try the chopped cobb salad, made with grilled chicken, tomatoes, cooked eggs, bacon and cheese crumble. The Metro Wine Bar…
Let’s talk about gun laws
A few weeks ago, after the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, I announced that I am convening an interim legislative study this November on Oklahoma’s so-called “Stand Your Ground” and open-carry laws. As the representative for Oklahoma House District 97 in eastern Oklahoma County, these laws are, indeed, an issue that has weighed heavy…
Out of school
Karl Springer will leave OKC Public Schools at the end of August. Credit: Mark Hancock Thirty-six years later, he has no regrets. “No experience, outside the birth of my children, has been as unbelievable as being able to teach that first day. It changed everything,” he said in a recent interview. The 65-year-old Springer is…
Mr. Popular
Credit: Brad Gregg On Reynolds’ newly launched website, shannonforcongress.com, he appears to accuse Shannon of everything short of stealing candy from a baby. The Oklahoma City Republican suggests Shannon took a pair of illegal corporate campaign contributions, has a sorry legislative track record and even has played fast and loose with his claim of being…
Whoa, Nelly!
Credit: Brad Gregg Although a new state law that would allow horse slaughterhouses takes effect Nov. 1, a federal judge on Aug. 2 approved an injunction against allowing such facilities to operate in the country. The Humane Society of the United States contends in litigation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture failed to perform a…
Happenings the week of Aug. 13, 2013
A Fresh Take: William S. and Ann Atherton Art of the American West Gallery, showcasing the Museum’s permanent art collection in 10 newly reinstalled exhibition spaces. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd, 478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Doors of No Return, display of castles and forts in Africa by Owasso photographer Douglas Henderson. North Gallery,…
Happy campers
“A herd of longhorns was walking through our campground,” said the Oklahoma City woman. “They were loud. But that’s another reason why I love the Wichita Mountain Refuge — there’s so much wildlife down there.” Getting into a tent means getting close to nature, and in Oklahoma, that natural night out is closer than you…
LIFE
Of all the things one can accomplish in 48 hours, writing, directing and filming a movie isn’t the first that comes to mind. But the 48 Hour Film Project — which provided local filmmakers with a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre — required its participants to do just that. The…
LIFE
Of all the things one can accomplish in 48 hours, writing, directing and filming a movie isn’t the first that comes to mind. But the 48 Hour Film Project — which provided local filmmakers with a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre — required its participants to do just that. The…
Happenings the week of Aug. 13, 2013
A Fresh Take: William S. and Ann Atherton Art of the American West Gallery, showcasing the Museum’s permanent art collection in 10 newly reinstalled exhibition spaces. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd, 478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Doors of No Return, display of castles and forts in Africa by Owasso photographer Douglas Henderson. North Gallery,…
Justin Adams — Justin Adams
The linebacker with all-American good looks flexes his muscle in ballads and anthems alike, demonstrating a solid versatility over the course of the EP’s five tracks. Opener “Can’t Forget About You” is built around a standard pop-country hook, anchored by a rock earnestness and Adams’ rich, powerful voice. “Miss Me Whiskey” is a more interesting…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
I’m So Excited
From internationally acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, I’m So Excited is a futile attempt to explore crisis-induced catharsis from 30,000 feet up in the air. When employees at an airport in Spain fail to properly prepare a plane before takeoff, the pilots and crew are left to deal with the repercussions. Opening Friday at AMC…
Cronut craze
What is a Cronut? They can’t be as good as people are saying. The Cronut describes a very specific pastry. Part croissant, part donut and entirely trademarked by the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City, it has fast become the must-have dessert treat of the year. In fact, New Yorkers were seen wrapping around…
Pouring it on
Breakfast should always be an occasion. When someone suggests I start my day with cereal, that person becomes dead to me. True, the mornings I rush off to work, I tend to find myself making breakfast out of a Coca-Cola and a candy bar. But I try to give that meal the respect it deserves,…
When you wish…
The Poteet Theatre is sure to be a place of enchantment at its upcoming Disney Magic production. This fresh take on Disney old and new casts a fairylike spell of music, dance and storytelling on its audiences. “This show will appeal to both kids and adults, because characters from Disney’s beginning such as Snow White…
PR BS
Lots of press releases cross our desk. Recently, these titles least screamed “Stop the presses!” —“Michael Jackson’s Niece Endorses New Agency As A Leader In The Music Industry At Finding Great New Talent” —“Behrman Communications Now Reps Blowfish for Hangovers!” —“You have milk, but … got publicity?” —“Can you please publish this for us? It…
LIFE
Mid-Week Market, fresh, delectable local fruits, vegetables and other goods, 4-8 p.m., Aug. 14, 21. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno, 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. WED, WED Flapjack Fundraiser, all proceeds to benefit the basketball program for the Air Stars Basketball Club., 8-10 a.m., Aug. 17. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill, 3521 S. Broadway, Edmond, 478-1716. SAT Paint N’…
LIFE
Mid-Week Market, fresh, delectable local fruits, vegetables and other goods, 4-8 p.m., Aug. 14, 21. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno, 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. WED, WED Flapjack Fundraiser, all proceeds to benefit the basketball program for the Air Stars Basketball Club., 8-10 a.m., Aug. 17. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill, 3521 S. Broadway, Edmond, 478-1716. SAT Paint N’…
Life Food & drink
Life Food & drink Do you miss arts and crafts time? As an adult, sometimes your artistic side — unless you’re a painter — gets put on the back burner. And even if you’re in a creative job, sometimes it’s nice to cut loose and just have a little fun. Enter Paint N’ Cheers, 1614…
Life Food & drink
Life Food & drink Do you miss arts and crafts time? As an adult, sometimes your artistic side — unless you’re a painter — gets put on the back burner. And even if you’re in a creative job, sometimes it’s nice to cut loose and just have a little fun. Enter Paint N’ Cheers, 1614…
Betting on OKC
Bruce Rinehart BY: Shannon Cornman Up the ante for a worthwhile cause at the second annual Casino Florale to benefit OKC Beautiful, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the appearance of Oklahoma City. The Shoppes at Northpark will transform into a lively casino with an array of exciting games for Lady Luck. Test your good fortune…
Making connections
High-speed passenger rail fans shouldn’t get too excited about the prospect of a corridor between Oklahoma City and Tulsa — at least not yet. Nevertheless, the notion of traveling between Oklahoma’s two largest cities in less than an hour might become an eventual reality, provided the stars align and the federal government keeps on course…
Flying Fists of Kung Fu / Kickin’ It Shaolin Style
After about the third or fourth film I watched — either 5 Pattern Dragon Claws or 18 Fatal Strikes, I can’t be sure — I noticed how similar the movies were to another. I wasn’t exactly surprised, having digesting so many of these cheap chopsocky efforts over the years, but never in such close proximity. Basically, each…
The Brontë Sisters
The film stars Franco-actress standouts Isabelle Adjani (Possession) and Isabelle Huppert (Amour) before they were household names in international cinema. Adjani is Emily, the most recognized of the Brontë sisters; Huppert is Ann, the youngest; and the moral realist in the family and the oldest and least-known, Charlotte, is played by the late Marie-France Pisier…
Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics
Two vehicles for James Cagney anchor the box: 1931’s The Public Enemy and 1949’s White Heat. Today, he remains indelibly associated with tough-guy roles, and it’s easy to see why. In the former, he demonstrates his might and power with a grapefruit; in the latter, he makes an electrifying exit with the immortal cry of…
Street Trash
Debuting on Blu-ray in Synapse Films’ “Special Meltdown Edition,” the 1987 skid-row epic centers on an auto junkyard populated by homeless winos. One of them, who looks like famed Torgo from Manos: The Hands of Fate, finds that a decades-old bottle of Tenafly Viper purchased at the local liquor store causes those who drink it…
To the Wonder
His Tree of Life in 2011 earned praise and derision alike for its ambitions and meandering, largely plotless tale. It was my No. 1 film that year, but I had no idea at the time that it would look like Iron Man 3 when compared to his follow-up, To the Wonder. Now on Blu-ray and…
Amour
In other words, the guy is definitely not the lovey-dovey type. But that unblinking, cold-blooded aesthetic is largely what makes Amour, coming to home video after an Academy Award win for Best Foreign Language Film, so remarkable. In its depiction of an elderly Parisian couple coming to terms with illness and looming death, the film…
Rapture-Palooza
The Pitch Perfect star and John Francis Daley (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone) play cute couple Lindsey and Ben, whose sandwich-shop dreams are crushed, literally, by Armageddon-style rocks that fall from the sky, post-Rapture. The devil lives in the form of a former Boise, Idaho, mayoral candidate (Robinson) and has settled in the “not biblically referenced”…
Dark Angel
Oh, well. At least it’s finally available on Blu-ray, so I can ditch the MGM burned-on-demand DVD (an overdue 2011 release that finally allowed me to ditch my VHS — Google it, kids). Any Dolph Lundgren fan worth his weight in protein powder knows how welcome this high-def release from Shout! Factory is. In a…
On the Road
An ode to poet Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation, On the Road fails to elicit nostalgia for all things Beat, but not for lack of ambition. Its Americana backdrop depicts the unbridled beauty of the West. The visuals are a testament to a time when these United States were more innocent and collectively curious.…
The Place Beyond the Pines
The opening minutes serve as a nifty precursor for the action, both physical and psychological, to follow. Stunt motorcycle driver Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling, Gangster Squad) emerges from a darkened trailer and into a traveling carnival. As the camera trails him over his shoulder, Luke gets on his cycle, enters the caged globe of death…
Disorderlies
While most of it is my fault, I like to take comfort in the idea that I was doomed from the get-go: • Blame a Depression-era father who forced me to clean my plate through shame and guilt.• Blame a public school free-lunch system that taught gravy as a food group.• Blame cable television for being so…
Hatchet III
Mind you, this is played as a punch line in itself. If you can see the absurdity within the annihilation, Hatchet III is recommended for you. And if not … well, hell, you already knew that. Written — but not directed this time — by series creator Adam Green (TV’s Holliston), the third flick depicting…
Errors of the Human Body
Fresh from relishing villainy in The Call, the near-unrecognizable Michael Eklund cleans up nice as Dr. Geoffrey Burton, a reluctant geneticist specializing in embryonic abnormalities for very personal reasons. He leaves the University of Massachusetts behind to continue his controversial research in Dresden, Germany — a far less-politicized environment. But Eron Sheean’s film is not…
My Amityville Horror
Now a father himself of two teenagers, Lutz — a dead ringer for actor Michael Chiklis (Parker) — recounts what he, his siblings, his mom and his wretched stepfather went through in the Long Island home at 112 Ocean Ave., reportedly haunted because of the six murders that occurred there. Whether speaking to a psychiatrist,…
