The Doors: Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story of L.A. Woman
While those folks are certain to lap up every minute of “The Doors: Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story of L.A. Woman,” the good news is that even the uninitiated might find their mojo risin’ in this well-oiled rockumentary. Eagle Rock Entertainment cranks out a wealth of making-of album documentaries on DVD and Blu-ray, with most…
Deposit insurance
While it’s not hard to imagine the state Legislature holding a special joint session to sing that song with as much gusto as “God Bless America,” it had an opportunity last week to prove how sacred sperm can be. “Personhood” legislation is making its way through the Legislature. The measure grants all rights and privileges…
The Myth of the American Sleepover
“The Myth of The American Sleepover” seems so genuine, so honest, so middle-America, there literally were parts that I thought had to be filmed in my neighborhood, at my high school. (Instead, it’s suburban Detroit.) The actors portraying the kids do so well because they’re kids themselves, precious few with any acting credits before or…
Perils of ‘Personhood’
If your hand is in the air, you are in luck. An Oklahoma state Senate committee last week passed Senate Bill 1433, “The Personhood Act,” as its first step toward becoming law. This measure states that life begins at conception, so a single-cell fertilized egg has “all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other…
Next up
After leaving the board of Carpenter Square Theatre a year ago, Oklahoma City actor Todd Clark and actor/director Rodney Brazil were bombarded with the same question: “Will you start your own theater company?” “We had no plans to, but all the questions got us talking about it,” said Brazil. Inspiration struck when he read an…
‘Grande’ belle
Singer-songwriter Laura Gibson is cherished for her quaint, angelic ballads. She’s similarly lovely herself. The Portland-based chanteuse was raised in the tiny city of Coquille right off the Oregon coast and grew up in a home with a father stricken by cancer. Those experiences made Gibson wise beyond her years, always introspective and deliberate from…
Hurt rockers
Despite playing a fairly straightforward, unpretentious type of music, a lot of modern- and alt-rock bands treat the stage like a political platform and the microphone like a bullhorn. Hurt front man J. Loren Wince has no patience for such abuse. “Honestly, I wish they would shut the fuck up. They have no idea what…
Go, Diego, go!
In 2009, Bank of America launched a program to enrich and educate communities through art, allowing museums nationwide to access its corporate art collection for exhibitions, free of charge. As a result, City Arts Center debuted “Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art” yesterday. It runs through May 4. Translated from Spanish, “mirada”…
Take that to the bank
Oklahoma, of course. Attorney General Scott Pruitt protested that the national settlement against the banking titans — Wells Fargo, Citigroup, GMAC, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America — had morphed into an Obama administration overreach for a regulatory overhaul. Instead, Pruitt cobbled the state’s own settlement with the banks, ensuring $18.6 million for Oklahoma. Compare…
Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ
There are barbecue joints all over Oklahoma, and the same is true in Norman, but Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ brings a good ol’ home-cooking edge. Former University of Oklahoma football player Darrol Ray opened the restaurant a little more than three years ago, and it’s been cooking up quite a reputation since. “We’re pretty mom and…
Workplace dangers prevalent
The high school/college kid with the part-time job is such a time-honored tradition in our country, it hardly occurs to us that danger could be imminent. We as parents just send them off blithely, assuming all will be well. I never thought my daughter’s part-time gig at a neighborhood pizza joint would be her undoing.…
Do the Busey
Last week, the paparazzi outlet caught the Oscar-nommed actor (in 1979, mind you, but perhaps there’s hope next year with “Piranha 3DD”?) in a playful moment, dancing in a parking lot, presumably to an audience of his car’s open trunk (parked in a handicapped spot, for what that’s worth). Grooving awkwardly to Orleans’ soft-rock 1976…
WTFunny
Marc Maron is enjoying himself these days. That’s a relatively new sensation for the longtime standup comic for whom self-loathing and merciless introspection seem as vital as breathing.“It’s an exciting time,” he said. “I’ve been doing this a long time and nothing ever really fully clicked. There’s a great pride in something that’s clicking and…
Gras is greener
Traditionally, Mardi Gras is celebrated as a last-minute carnival of sorts to get in those indulgent splurges before Lent. Whether that’s food, booze or both for you, make the evening count if you’re participating in the Western Christian practice. If you’re of another faith, then just enjoy a night of gluttony and inebriation with your…
Making the grade
Part of several education reform measures passed last year by the Legislature, the plan is scheduled to be posted Monday to the education department’s website. A 30-day public comment period begins at that time and the state Board of Education votes on the measure during its March 29 meeting. If it passes, the policy change…
Days of Lives
“Let’s just say we kept our shit together,” singer Jesse Tabish said of performing for Radiohead, in the very pub that hosted the Grammy-winning alt-rock giants’ first conventional performance in 1986. Added Jonathon Mooney, who plays piano, violin, guitar and a host of other instruments in Other Lives’ intricate, baroque arrangements, “Having them in the…
Smag 7: Taste the trend
The Chinese Gourmet 280 N. Mustang Road, Mustang 376-5000 Just open at the beginning of the year, owner Tony Wu is wasting no time offering Asian recipes in the traditional manner. Try the sweet-and-sour chicken, as well as the beef broccoli, chicken teriyaki or the filling and satisfying sesame chicken. Start with crab rangoon for…
PJ Bond
Bond chose to go solo. For three years, he has been gracing stages simply as a man with a guitar. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, he’ll perform at HiLo Club, 1221 N.W. 50th. He’s also a nomad, calling many cities home as he travels the world. He’s toured Europe three times, twice since the…
Bar none
“Watching the Super Bowl in the middle of the night with a bunch of Swedes, having to explain the rules and positions during the most important game of the year was pretty hilarious,” said Chad “Rad” Raunborg. He and partner Matt Buckley never expected to do anything remotely like that when the act began. The…
In orbit
12th Planet is not a household name … yet. DJ/producer John Dadzie — who uses the spacey alias for his music — has been working quietly in the background since 2006, helping make dubstep a massively popular subgenre of electronic music on these shores. Now, the “American dubstep king” is embarking on his first headlining…
Inns and outs
Almost every show in Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s season is an American play written between 1957 and 1982. Why the company has selected plays from such a limited place and period is a mystery, but its current offering is Bernard Slade’s 1975 romantic comedy, “Same Time, Next Year,” directed by Cristela Carrizales. In this Neil…
Royal engagement
Quite literally, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art proudly will serve as the only U.S. venue for an exhibit fit for a prince. Debuting tomorrow, “Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces 1600-1800 from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London” displays items gathered from countries such as France, Italy, Sweden, Russia and more. “It’s one of the…
Chefs di Domani
Chefs do not hatch from space eggs, although that’s not a bad idea for a movie. They are not sculpted from clay by the gods of Mount Flavor. They are mere mortals. They have to learn. They have to practice. Some of them do that at Chefs di Domani at Platt College Wednesday through Friday.…
Bite Size: 2-15-12
Mi corazzina!Guest executive chef Luca Corazzina from 312 Chicago will delight your palates Tuesday at Deep Fork Wood Grill & Seafood, 5418 N. Western. This native Italian immigrated to Chicago in 1986 and has been pursuing his passion as a chef since then. He worked at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as Vivo…
Next Stage
What perhaps doesn’t appeal to some sensibilities, however, might attract an entirely different audience: children. Tracey Zeeck, an Oklahoma City public relations professional, said she and others have banded together in an attempt to repurpose the building, located at 400 W. Sheridan, as a children’s museum. Designed by John Johansen, Stage Center opened in 1970…
‘Cup’ of excellence
The Oklahoma country star has a life better than you. Yes, you. And you, and you, and you. And you, too, over there, hiding behind that desk! Keith’s PR agency issued a press release last week to cement his awesomeness, making note that: —his “Red Solo Cup” T-shirts sold out within a few hours of…
Here to pump you up!
The “Get Motivated!” business seminar (billed as America’s largest) stops by the Chesapeake Energy Arena tomorrow for inspirational speeches from rich bald guys and strong women married to very rich dudes. You can hear from former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw; former New York City mayor and alleged serial adulterer Rudy Giuliani; former first lady…
Capitol love
In the book “Fifty State Capitols: The Architecture of Representative Government,” author Jim Stembridge touts our own state Capitol as one of the 10 best in the U.S. for tourists. He praises the Oklahoma Capitol’s working oil well, dome and murals of historic Oklahomans. Shhh! No one let it slip that those oil derricks on…
What a boob
In the Feb. 9 news release heard ’round the world, the agency noted that the Insurance Commissioner’s Award would be “presented to the girl with the biggest tits.” Alas, no such award is awaiting top-heavy aspirants (unless ogling is its own reward). The Insurance Department issued an apology about an hour later, blaming the nip…
Rick’s their pick
“I shook his hand! I shook his hand!” one woman said excitedly as she walked away from a crowd still hoping for an autograph, handshake or opportunity to pray with the presidential candidate. Former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, fresh off primary and caucus victories in three states, visited Oklahoma City on Feb. 9. The…
Yakuza Weapon
For the uninformed, the yakuza is the Japanese equivalent of our mafia — an underworld crime syndicate where loyalty is value No. 1. Break that, and there’s hell to pay! In this Sushi Typhoon offering from co-directors Tak Sakaguchi (“Mutant Girls Squad”) and Yûdai Yamaguchi (the similarly wacky but overlong “Battlefield Baseball”), Sakaguchi also stars as…
Various Artists — Chronicle: Music from the Motion Picture
While that name — and arguably, most of the acts on the 12-track compilation — screams “off-putting teen band,” that’s not the case. The disc holds wide appeal, from tweens to their middle-aged parents. (Just don’t tell the tweens.) Manchester trio The Longcut could also describe its six-minute-plus contribution, “Told You So,” whose uptempo darkness…
Love and meatballs
If you answered “yes” to both of these questions — for the record, CFN hopes you didn’t — then tomorrow is your lucky day. We’ll let Fazoli’s Italian restaurant PR guy take it from here: “Fazoli’s is offering any couple that gets engaged in the restaurant on Tuesday, February 14 two certificates for a year’s…
Poliça — Give You the Ghost
Winning an NFL Championship (last season) and a couple Grammys (for Bon Iver) probably has a lot of those folks high on life, which could possibly also explain why they’re so unafraid to strike out in weird sonic directions. Enter Channy Leaneagh (formerly Casselle). Previously fronting Minneapolis folk ensemble Roma di Luna, her new vehicle,…
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)
Well, readers, welcome to the “much worse.” Turns out that when writer/director Tom Six promoted his original film by saying the sequel would make it look like “My Little Pony“ by comparison, that wasn’t just a good sound bite. “Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” makes its big brother look positively innocent. To Six’s credit, he…
Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story
Really? Well, for those who compete in the Monopoly World Championship every four to five years, it is. After a predictable opening sequence of The Drifters’ song playing over Atlantic City tourist footage, freshman feature director Kevin Tostado introduces us to them and, unfortunately, stays focused on them. Sad to say, the “Story” promised by…
King of Triads
When a crime lord is execution in cold blood — is there any other kind? — his will leaves his billion-dollar estate to his two grown children, Audrey (Bernice Liu, “The King of Fighters”) and Jason (Lok Yi Lai, making the jump from HK TV). This decision does not sit well with the criminal peers…
A healthy start
The fair begins at 5:30 p.m. and will include physical and mental health screenings, as well as offer information about:• counseling services, • nutrition, • diabetes, • substance abuse, • smoking cessation, • aging, • trauma, • suicide prevention and • cancer detection and prevention. Participants will include:• The Oklahoma City County Health Department, •…
Talking Heads: Chronology
While official Warner Bros. compilations of the Heads’ mind-bending, envelope-pushing videos allow for a glimpse of the art-rock band at its most creative, this 18-track disc is the next best thing to catching them live — outside of Jonathan Demme’s “Stop Making Sense,” of course. “Chronology” kicks off with a 1976 mic test that captures…
Police Woman: Season Two
For that success and a winning performance, she was rewarded with Emmy nominations for three of its four seasons, and a shiny Golden Globe. But let’s not raise the flag for feminism: As good as Dickinson was in it, the show was a hit because of her then-incredible hotness. After all, it was spun off…
Gymnast Shannon Miller headlines community health forum
Miller, the most decorated American gymnast and recent cancer survivor, will share her story with fellow Oklahomans to raise money for Swine Week beneficiary Oklahoma Project Woman, oklahomaprojectwoman.org a nonprofit dedicated to breast health education and prevention. This year’s fundraising goal is $350,000. “I’m excited to be back in Oklahoma, in the community where I…
Steve Aoki — Wonderland
The guy’s earned some cred. However! “Wonderland” stumbles right out of the gate when Rivers Cuomo gets as banal as he does on “Earthquakey People” with the late-song climax, “Don’t be afraid to dance / Don’t be afraid to take a chance!” line. Yes, I realize that it’s been a long time since the Weezer…
The Catechism Cataclysm
In the misbegotten words of Texas businessman Clayton Williams, just relax and enjoy it. The goofy, socially awkward Father Billy Smoortser (Steve Little, TV’s “Eastbound & Down”) is in a rut, so he’s forced by his church to take his annual vacation a little early. He reveals his big plans to his too-patient superior: He’ll…
Meth is not mirth
It would be one thing to depict a ravaged meth addict, if the object were to wake readers up to the horrors of addiction. But instead, you aimed for humor: Your caricature, dressed in a stained “wife beater” tank top, gives us her biggest, tarnished grin and cheerily displays a prescription that says her name is “Suzie…
