Salyer seeking full-term seat on Oklahoma City Council
Salyer, who also serves as president of Accel Financial Staffing, was elected to the post in 2008 to finish the term of Councilwoman Anne Simank, who vacated the office when her son became a firefighter. Salyer has held leadership roles for several nonprofit boards and foundations such as the Citizens Community for Community Development, Downtown…
Munn ho!: First in a series
Former Oklahoman turned actress/model/ geek icon Olivia Munn won’t return our Twitter DMs. We assume she’s too busy being a “Daily Show” correspondent and all, so throughout 2011, Chicken-Fried News will attempt to keep tabs with her semi-tabloid life. First of all, the NBC sitcom “Perfect Couples,” which gives Munn her first starring role in…
Laugh tracks
“It’s really important that I sell at least one more copy of my album than Leah,” Porter said. “That’s all I really care about. I’d consider myself a complete failure and probably kill myself. I’m just sayin.’” “I’m going to sell at least 100 more than you,” Kayajanian said. “Hell, I might end up buying…
Bullet proof in the line of fire
They are discussing gun control and Arizona, and someone says if someone had a pistol that day, the guy in Arizona would have been dead. Right, and if everyone had a pistol — which is “supposed” to mean “security” — then everyone would have shot the right person and no one would have assumed there…
Stutter steps
Regarding Phil Bacharach’s review of “The King’s Speech” (Film, “Firth and foremost,” Jan. 5, 2011, Oklahoma Gazette): As support group leader for “Speak Out!,” Oklahoma City’s National Stuttering Association (NSA) adult support group, I was touched personally by “The King’s Speech” movie. The movie captures very well the feelings and emotions that people with disfluency…
CFN Mailbag
I read your Chicken-Fried News article “To inform or inflame?” in the Jan. 5, 2011, Oklahoma Gazette. I have these comments to make. Muslim terrorism became personal for me in 2001 when a group of missionaries was kidnapped and held hostage in the Philippines and by extreme Muslim terrorists. Two of the men were beheaded,…
Bar exam
There aren’t a ton of people who need a late drink on a work night. They tend to prefer other things, like sleep. Tuesdays, sandwiched between the beginning of the week and hump day, are especially difficult days to draw in a crowd. Kyle Davis, a manager at La Luna Mexican Cafe, 529 Buchanan in…
‘Inspiration’ point
It was a historic day for Oklahoma: The state’s first female governor had just been sworn into office and delivered an inaugural address about the challenges the state faces and how to move forward into a brighter future. But it wasn’t long after Gov. Mary Fallin spoke those words that some started questioning whether a…
The fifth element
Montu with DJ Kilter9 p.m. Saturday Kamp’s Deli & Market 1310 N.W. 25th 819-6004 $5 When Norman’s Montu started to mull over who to bring in to jam with the band next, they opted for a visual approach, rather than aural, and radiation proved to be just as capable as resonance. “One of the first…
White water
However, price alone won’t bring you back. Fortunately, as a general rule, the quality is exceptional. “I was talking to a retailer the other day, and we had to think for quite a while before we could name a bad wine from Washington state,” said Scott Witherby, a wine rep with Premium Brands. Witherby had…
Nesting nomenclature
The metro is ripe with all the fixings for cozy retreats. Often, the first thought for shaking off the cold is lighting a fire — hopefully in a fireplace — and Bachle’s Fireplace Furnishings & Outdoor Living, 9422 N. May, has all the right stuff. Who knew fireplaces had gotten so sophisticated? Sure, you can…
All is Bright
Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma7:30 p.m. Monday Fee Theatre, Casady School9500 N. Penn 7:30 p.m. Tuesday St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral127 N.W. Seventhwww.brightmusic.org Free Performing pieces by such musical masters as Schoenberg and Strauss, the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma hosts its third free program of the season, “Sounds from Vienna,” at different venues on Monday and Tuesday.…
Better off with ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal?
Regarding Brendan Hoover’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” story (News, “Ask, tell,” Jan. 5, 2011, Gazette): Are America’s gay and lesbian service members better off with DADT now on the way to the trash can of prejudice? Are gays and lesbians in civilian life better off without DADT on the books? I’ve been asking myself that…
‘Radical’ retooling
And if all aspects of the plan are implemented, it could have a dramatic impact on schools across the state as well. The Jan. 11 meeting between the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education and the Oklahoma City Council allowed city leaders to ask questions and make comments about the school district’s upcoming strategic…
Rappin’ cowboy rolls in to OKC
Whatever it is that Chris “Sandman” Sand does, it’s a dream. The self-described “rappin’ cowboy” was the subject of the documentary “Roll Out, Cowboy,” an official selection of last year’s deadCENTER Film Festival. Having toured with the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead and Devendra Banhart, Sand now comes to Oklahoma City for a 7…
Detox Diary
At 2:42 on a Thursday afternoon, I came to the startling realization that my will to live, at least to some not-so-small extent, is directly related to my consumption of alcohol and high-caloric foods. For six days, I followed actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s plan for cleansing one’s body of toxins and holiday cheer (read “fat”) —…
Point: Revise outmoded liquor laws
That’s right — the bulk of these laws remain unchanged since the birth of Oklahoma more than 103 years ago. We live in a world where change is all around us, yet some resist the notion to even examine laws that were put in place more than a century ago. The business community in Oklahoma…
The Del Toros — Come Down
Informed equally by ’90s rock and modern pop, Tulsa-based The Del Toros infuse each of the 10 tracks on “Come Down” with a sharp sense of melody and a clear vision. Each of the songs is incredibly friendly to the ear, which is good — you’ll have them with you for a while afterward. The…
Cheap chow
Aja Bleu Cafe10708 N. Western607-0553 Not free, but pretty frugal, Aja Bleu Cafe offers takeaway and catering. Owner Demetria Dawson said the best bargain on her menu is the lunch cheeseburger, a good deal that comes with french fries and a lemonade for $7.50. And the wings, she says, are outstanding.$$ Soul food Pelican’s291 N.…
A rhetorical analysis for ending violence
A year earlier, one of her aides called authorities when a visitor dropped a handgun at an announced public event at a local Safeway grocery store. What’s happening in American politics? Most are aware that, shortly after the health care reform vote, Sarah Palin’s website exhibited a national map with some 20 congressional districts in…
Ray’s way
Ray Wylie Hubbard and John Fullbright8 p.m. Friday-Saturday The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinleywww.bluedoorokc.com 524-0738 $25 advance, $30 door He received his big break via Jerry Jeff Walker, who turned his track, “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother,” into a hit in 1973. That inaugurated a 15-year stretch of good times and wild partying (or…
Take a hike
When I was a kid, we walked to school in 2 feet of snow. Uphill both ways. And did I mention with only one shoe? You might get your delicate tootsies or sensitive schnoz a wee bit frosty, but hiking in winter is worth it. But don’t take my (harsh, berating) word for it. “The…
PR BS
—“ON 199th ANNIVERSARY OF NEW MADRID QUAKE, FEMA URGES PUBLIC TO BE PREPARED” —“Nature’s Toiletries brings one-stop shopping for men’s organic toiletries” —“Graymark Healthcare Signs Five New Provider Contracts for Sleep Medicine Services” —“Omnicell’s OmniLinkRx Honored with KLAS Award in Medication Order Management Systems” —“Garth Brooks Announces New Concert Dates for Wynn Las Vegas” Also,…
Boxing Gym
I often have to stop to remember what month or season we’re in, but I possess an uncanny recall of where I saw any particular movie. A few cinematic experiences stand out, not necessarily having anything to do with the quality of what was being projected. For example, at the age of 7, I couldn’t…
Hey! Do This
Laugh this Comedian and hoo-hah BeDazzler Kathy Griffin declined an interview with Oklahoma Gazette, but since we’re not the vindictive type, we’ll go ahead and mention you can catch the Emmy winner doing her thing (telling jokes, not poolside Pap smears) at 8 p.m. Friday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker. Tickets are…
Random thoughts on the Oklahoma City Thunder
And not in any kind of actual order, but more just an “I put a number in front of something” kind of thing. It’s not complicated, really. So here’s a set of random things I’m organizing as “Power Rankings” because they seriously have so much power. 1. What got me thinking about this was after…
Spectral sounds
Young Prisms with Melted Toys and The Copperheads 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Normanwww.opolis.org 820-0951 $8 Young Prisms is a suitably fresh band from San Francisco with a reputation for spiritual rituals and mystical séances fueling its music. Turns out, new bands are just as susceptible to urban legends as experienced…
All in the family
Vito’s Ristorante7521 N. May 848-4867 Owner: Cathy Cummings Food style: traditional Italian Average price: $15 That’s what you’ll find at Vito’s Ristorante, a cozy Italian eatery owned by Cathy Cummings going on seven years. With black-and-white photos of her family on the walls and redcheckered tablecloths spread over the tables, this narrow dining room feels…
Bite Size
The Oklahoma Cattlewomen’s Association and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition have announced their choices for the Beef Cook-Off this Saturday in the Carriage Hall building at State Fair Park. The competition is part of the annual Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show. The cook-off will feature six statewide finalists who will prepare beef dishes in…
Roast with the most
It’s “big,” with tastes of blackberry and chocolate and an incredible mouthfeel. A fine wine, maybe? How about an aromatic Southern Ethiopian coffee from the highaltitude Sidama region and the Michicha village? “I love coffee. It’s my love. It’s my passion,” said Chris Holliday of Elemental Coffee Roasters. The small company has been roasting some…
Sneak peek
For what it’s worth, here’s a vague idea of what’s cookin’ at the Capitol! SB 14: Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate: Repealing Art in Public Places Act and the Art in Public Places Revolving Fund and the Art in Public Places Administrative and Maintenance Revolving Fund. SB 37: Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah: Sex education; requiring sex…
Just Joshin’
Josh Sallee with The Cool Kids, Roosh Williams and Jabee6 p.m. Friday Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Kleinwww.okcfarmersmarket.com232-6506 $18 advance, $22 door “My dad keeps asking if I’ve put in any applications yet, and I keep telling him ‘no,’” Sallee said with a laugh. “I’ve been in school for like 17, 18 years straight through,…
Counterpoint: Paying the price
A current law states you must live in the state of Oklahoma for 10 straight years in order to own a liquor store. Every store you see on every other corner is owned by Oklahomans. If you change the laws and allow Whole Foods Market, headquartered in Texas, and Walmart, based in Arkansas, to sell…
Lunch-hour ‘Leak’
More honking and hand gesturing than normal occurred Jan. 14 during the lunch hour at the intersection of N.W. 23rd Street and Broadway, but it wasn’t because of an in-store appearance by Ronald McDonald, and the gestures were mostly peace signs. A group of about 20 people held signs, wore T-shirts and passed out fliers…
Bang on!
Bang Tango7 p.m. SaturdaySamurai Saki House3034 N. Portland “I moved to L.A. and then the rest is history,” Lesté said. “We were signed six weeks later, and we’ve been going ever since.” That’s not technically true, inasmuch as within three years of their 1989 glam-metal debut, “Psycho Café,” and its minor hit, “Someone Like You,”…
Poll position
The poll of 303 registered Oklahoma City voters was conducted by SoonerPoll.com and sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette. The poll, which was conducted by live interviewers via telephone, was conducted from Dec. 27 to Dec. 29, 2010, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.26 percent. According to the data, respondents across the…
Hot cuppa
I wouldn’t say no to some caramel, either. I have the coffee tastes of a 5-year-old. Thankfully I’m redeemed a bit by my love of tea — strong, no cream or sugar. Whether you go for coffee or tea, this is the season to indulge in both. And by indulge, I mean buy some really…
Enter stage left
Central Oklahoma professional, semipro, collegiate and amateur theater companies — along with touring shows and performance-art events — will stage nearly 100 productions this season. But rarely will the presentations be new plays and musicals. Why so few productions of new work? I surveyed artistic directors of six area theater companies and found them open…
Trotting into town
Sunday It wasn’t long ago that the Harlem Globetrotters last trotted through town, but when they return at 2 p.m. Sunday, they’re bringing something new: “the first-ever 4-point shot.” With basketball’s crown princes slated to play against the Washington Generals at the Oklahoma City Arena, 100 W. Reno, the 4-point shot is made from 35…
Wye Oak — Civilian
Their previous releases have been full of concrete songs, made up of very definable riffs and melodies. They were the equivalent of a period, and even sometimes an exclamation point (especially live). “Civilian,” their new album out March 8 on Merge, is much more of an ellipsis. Songs are fluid and less defined, with the…
U.S. Royalty — Mirrors
The harmony-heavy vocals and full-band arrangements of these folky tunes scream Fleet Foxes, America and Crosby, Stills & Nash. But I like U.S. Royalty more than all of those, because their harmonies retain a vitality and directness that cut through kitsch and get to the heart of the feeling. It also helps that they have…
The Radio Dept. – Passive Agressive: Singles 2002-2010
Hailing from Sweden, this trio has been around in varying ways since 1995, although things took off for them in 2001. They have the distinction of being predecessors of both sides of the psych-pop resurgence, having released albums both with distorted guitars and fuzzed-out synths. Both sides of the sound are shown in “Passive Aggressive:…
The Morning After Girls — Alone
Instead of using it for chillwave or dream-pop, The Morning After Girls go back to 1991 and stomp their pedals to make shoegaze. They do a good job of modernizing the sound; it’s not the genre that’s off-putting about “Alone.” The band cleans up several of the trademark moves of shoegaze for a modern…
Jonny Burke — Distance and Fortune
From Austin, Texas, where they know a thing or two about both genres, Jonny Burke excels at folk tunes, but is off on his rock tunes, on “Distance and Fortune.” It’s not the instrumental execution that’s off; Burke blasts out of the gate with “Broke Again,” which sounds somewhere between Springsteen and The Hold…
City council to consider extending Bricktown canal
The report from the Consultant Review Committee states the canal extension would pass under the existing bridge built for the realigned Interstate 40, and will include a pedestrian link between the bridge’s two landing areas. The construction cost of the plan would run around $2.2 million, according to documents provided to the council. The measure…
Jon Hardy and the Public — A Hard Year
I acquired their recent EP, “A Hard Year,” on the strength of this first impression, and it does not disappoint. The four tunes sound like Wilco, The Jayhawks and Bruce Springsteen got thrown in a blender, then went and jammed with the Old 97’s. It’s loud, twang-less country or it’s pensive, evocative rock, depending on…
Foxes in Fiction — Alberto
And when the songs are as evocative as the tunes on Foxes in Fiction’s “Alberto” EP, the phenomenon makes perfect sense. Foxes in Fiction’s take on the genre is a vocals-heavy one, as it sounds like Warren Hildebrand can actually sing. He still runs his voice through the requisite reverb, but it seems unnecessary. The…
Exit Calm — Exit Calm
The reverb-laden guitar cacophony, buried vocals and mood emphasis of the former were swapped out for focused distortion, pop melodies and distinct song structures of the latter in listeners’ minds. Shoegaze never recovered. If Exit Calm had appeared in 1993, shoegaze might still be going strong. Armed with ear-splitting waves of reverb-heavy guitars that came…
Colin Stetson — New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Colin Stetson (Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, among others) is of the last category, as his upcoming album, “New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges,” is a cerebral experience unlike any other I’ve heard. It drops Feb. 22. Stetson plays saxophones primarily; there’s one 76-second French horn suite, but the bulk of the…
Zorro: The Complete Series
As someone whose bookshelf still contains the Penguin Classics edition of Johnston McCulley’s 1919 novel, “The Curse of Capistrano,” as well as a hardback of Isabel Allende’s 2005 “Zorro,” I’m drawn to many adaptations of Mexico’s mysterious, masked rider, no matter the medium. Although it lasted four seasons, Family Channel’s early-’90s television series is not…
Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers
Although casting its eye on a team in Portland, I assume the experiences are common to other cities and states. (I spotted a couple, including the fracturing of initial teams.) Following colorful participants with more colorful monikers like Grace Lightning, Break Neck Bettie and Madame Bumpsalot, Chip Mabry’s film is both an introduction to and…
Broken Records — Let Me Come Home
Instead of Frightened Rabbit’s stripped-down rock sound, Broken Records goes for an expansive, “Funeral”-era Arcade Fire sound based as much in pounding piano lines as in charging guitar riffs (although they have their fair share of those, too). They set up their ambitions from the outset, as opener “A Leaving Song” builds to a crescendo…
British Sea Power — Valhalla Dancehall
If you didn’t catch them at Norman Music Festival 1, check out their Wikipedia article, which details their antics. Despite their wild stage presence, their music has never been incredibly confrontational or extreme; they’ve more often than not cranked out solid rock music and called it a day (see title and music of previous release,…
George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack
With combined album sales of more than 100 million, the reigning King and Queen of Country aimed to assert that time could be now Saturday night with its near-capacity show at Oklahoma City Arena. Being the top-selling country tour of 2010 — the second leg starting just a night before in Austin, Texas — and…
Funny or Die Presents: The Complete First Season
From Will Ferrell’s comedy shorts website FunnyorDie.com comes the HBO series “Funny or Die Presents.” A simple litmus test: If you like the Interwebs version, you’ll like the cathode one, too. “FoD” is hosted by Ed Haligan (Steve Tom, channeling Leslie Nielsen), the FOD network’s white-haired West Coast head of sales who intros and outros…
Frankenstein Unlimited
While mixed, the end results are recommended for the hardcore horror fan, and perhaps even more to microcinema enthusiasts who champion such ambitious projects. Saliba himself is first at bat, with “Dark Lotus,” a revenge tale told in black-and-white photos. Whether a decision that’s budgetary or creative (or both), it works nonetheless. With a soundtrack…
Enter the Void
The same could apply to the film, “Enter the Void,” written and directed by Gaspar Noé, the mad Argentine who previously shocked the arthouse world with 2002’s “Irréversible,” known informally as “the one where Monica Bellucci gets raped.” <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0048LPRCS&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Well, that scene’s brutality is blown away by several scenes in “Void.” Unfortunately, so will…
Dead Space: Aftermath
Oh, it’s not phenomenal by any means, but I enjoyed the viewing. The animated film is mostly one extended flashback, as the members of the spaceship USS O’Bannon — points to you if you recognize the “Alien” reference — are under orders to head to a planet that could blow up at any point to…
The World, The Flesh and The Devil
That’s drilled into your head in the opening scenes of 1959’s “The World, the Flesh and the Devil,” when his character, Ralph, awakes from a cave-in to find an empty New York City. Why, it’s just like “I Am Legend”! Well, minus the zombies. See, while Ralph was underground, atomic dust wiped everybody else out.…
Nite Tales: The Series
And now, unsuccessfully, in “Nite Tales,” a television show on BET. This DVD release gathers five episodes, all written, directed and produced by one Deon Taylor. Our host is none other than Public Enemy alum Flavor Flav as The Timekeeper. His delivery is impossible to digest without thinking of Tracy Morgan’s “30 Rock” character, and…
The Green Hornet
In promotions for the now-finished film, star Seth Rogen and director Michel Gondry have trashed several of those attempts — which would have seen Nicolas Cage speaking in a Jamaican accent or Stephen Chow using mind-control chips — as too ridiculous for what they eventually birthed. How, then, do they explain their version’s sped-up, “Benny…
Candi & the Strangers — 10th of Always
Well, one wishes radio sounded even half as sweet as the cotton-candy swirls the dreamy space-pop combo whips up in a whirlwind of mid-tempo grooves. (Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that that song closes with her noting, “Just for you.”) The Austin, Texas, quintet comes packaged from the same producer of The Octopus Project, Maserati and…
The Dukes: The Complete Series
As someone who was not particularly a fan of “The Dukes of Hazzard” growing up, I had forgotten the ridiculously popular CBS TV series had spun off into its own Saturday morning cartoon, titled simply “The Dukes.” Warner Archive now offers both seasons — all 20 episodes — on a manufactured-on-demand four-disc set. Unlike many…
The Outfit
That poor fellow’s brother, Macklin (Robert Duvall), hits back harder shortly after being released from prison — and shorter after an assassination attempt on his life — by busting up the syndicate’s poker game and taking all the dough. Then, of course, the syndicate plots to hit back hardest, in “The Outfit.” Based on Richard…
The Window
If not, the opening frames of 1949’s “The Window” will remind you, before digging in to a number about a boy who witnesses a murder … and no one believes him. That boy is 9-year-old Tommy (Disney star Bobby Driscoll), an only child with an overactive imagination. He lives with his parents in a tiny…
What’s the Matter with Kansas?
Based on Thomas Frank’s book of the same name, the film looks at how Kansas has transformed itself from a state of radicalism to extreme conservatism. It was one of the first states to legalize abortion, even before the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision made it so, yet now, it kills its abortion doctors…
Up from the Depths / Demon of Paradise
Roger Corman has every reason to show off “Piranha,” but he should’ve returned “Up from the Depths” to the water as soon as he had it on the hook. This is one “Jaws” rip-off that’s a rip-off in itself. The 1979 picture takes place at a Hawaii resort where paradise is interrupted by the arrival…
United States of Tara: The Second Season
She plays the Tara of the title, a happily married woman who has roughly three times as many personalities as she does children. As the season opens, Tara has her “alternates” under control, thanks to a massive mix of medications. But when the guy next door dies, and she and hubbie Max (John Corbett) buy…
The Horde
People trapped in a building with the undead swarming in? What could go wrong? Practically everything, as we learned. Romero barely used the tower, making “Land” rather barren, thrill-wise. For the guy credited with inventing the genre, he sure hasn’t done much to advance or innovate it. Vive la France! That country now gives…
The Hessen Conspiracy
It’s OK, though, no doubt due to a smarter-than-average script by veteran Nicholas Meyer (”The Seven-Per-Cent Solution,” “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”) and a healthy $20 million budget to make the period piece look like an actual period piece. Set in the wake of World War II, Army Col. Jack Durant (Billy Zane) and…
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
He decides to get to the bottom of the matter by interviewing all his ex-girlfriends, to see what his problem is, and the end result is the often very funny and always frank “A Complete History of My Sexual Failures.” Easier said than done, as initially, Waitt can’t find a single one to agree to…
Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: Sci-Fi Classics
From 1957, “Attack of the Crab Monsters” is your standard “giant monster run amok” picture of the Atomic Age. It’s made memorable — if only while you’re watching it — by three things:• the not-so-special effects of the title crustacean creatures, • the novelty of a pre-“Gilligan’s Island” Russell Johnson in the cast, • and placing…
Paper Man
In one, “Slings & Arrows,” it works. In the other, “Paper Man,” it’s not even needed. That’s not to say “Paper Man” is a failure. Although problematic in parts, it’s an enjoyable indie dramedy that is every bit as quirky as you’d expect when you hear the phrase “enjoyable indie dramedy.” Jeff Daniels is the…
Map of the Sounds of Tokyo
As the title hints, the work is something of a tone poem rendered in big, bold visuals. In Tokyo, Ryu (Rinko Kikuchi of “Babel”) has a dirty day job working in a fish market, and a dirtier one at night as a freelance assassin. She’s hired to off David (Sergi López, “Pan’s Labyrinth”), who runs…
Durham County: Season Two
While the Canadian crime series didn’t need her, her formidable presence is most welcome. The six episodes on two discs comprise one story arc, in which the Sweeney family deals with the fallout of the previous season’s climax. There, child murderer Ray Prager was shot not by his across-the-street neighbor and longtime rival, Det. Mike…
Downton Abbey
Instead of reflecting on what that says about my laziness, let’s focus on what that says about this near-perfect British miniseries. “Downton Abbey” begins with a telegraph. It’s April of 1912, and as the family and staff of the palatial mansion called Downton Abbey wake up and start their day, the news travels fast: The…
Run Fat Boy Run
Reviewer’s grade: C- Simon Pegg is slumming it. How else to explain that the guy who starred in and co-wrote the hilarious “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” is now relegated to the formulaic idiocy of “Run Fat Boy Run?” Pegg portrays Dennis, a lingerie-store security guard still carrying a torch for…
Bread Crumbs
First, the story is a twist on ye olde fairy tale of “Hansel and Gretel.” And second, the people being twisted — and maimed and speared — aren’t mere summer campers, but filmmakers on a porn shoot. Because nothing says sexy than the middle of nowhere, I guess, the group drives their van into the…
Bitter Feast
Restaurateur and chef Peter Gray (James LeGros, “Drugstore Cowboy”) takes the news of his TV show gets axed rather poorly. Instead of moving on to the next project, he blames arrogant food blogger JT Franks (Joshua Leonard, “The Blair Witch Project”), whose savage reviews have hounded Gray his entire career. Going a little mad, harkening…
Best Worst Movie
Michael Paul Stephenson directs, explaining how landing the lead role in that feature film as a child was incredibly exciting … and then ultimately depressing when he saw the finished product. If you’ve seen it, you know it to be a cinematic abortion — entertainingly so, but a total mess nonetheless. In adulthood, he went…
Apparitions
That’s not a slight, as the BBC show does the same kind of theological heavy lifting as the classic horror film, where Christianity’s ability to trump the devil is achieved, if not without serious hard knocks. <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0048083KM&fc1=000000&IS2=1 In the six-episode series, English thesp Martin Shaw plays Father Jacob, a Catholic priest who finds faith…
Alarm
Writer/director Gerard Stembridge puts his female protagonist through the ringer in his tale of suburban paranoia, some of it quite justified. Still reeling from a home invasion that resulted in the death of her father, Molly (Ruth Bradley) buys a house of her own in a pretty, picturesque neighborhood far from the madding crowd of…
11 Harrowhouse
The great Charles Grodin headlines as Chesser, a sad sack of a small-time diamond dealer who gets the chance to become somebody — and takes it — against seemingly impossible odds. Treated as a second-class customer at best by Meecham (John Gielgud) at London’s prestigious, highly secure exchange at 11 Harrowhouse, Chesser is hired by…
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
More than 3 million units of the “Eclipse” Blu-ray and DVD were sold during the first 48 hours of its early December release. Following directorial turns by Catherine Hardwicke and Chris Weitz, horror director David Slade was pegged to direct the third “Twilight” installment. Slade, who previously directed the splatterfest “30 Days of Night,” is…
The Last Exorcism
Despite the filmmakers’ insistence on the Blu-ray extras, I don’t think that anyone will be tricked into thinking it’s real, although the cast certainly is more convincing than those other tries. It helps that none of them are names, and that none their faces approach anywhere near the realm of recognition. Patrick Fabian (TV’s “Big…
Slings and Arrows
It sounded all too … well, precious. But by the time the first episode’s initial minutes introduced the phrase “chilled German urine,” I was hooked. Paul Gross (best known to American audiences for the show “Due South”) heads the self-absorbed folks of the New Burbage Theatre Festival as Geoffrey, who reluctantly returns to the company…
Merantau
That enigmatic title won’t win it any favors in the United States, but chopsocky fans generally are willing to overlook such things if action is delivered. It is. Merantau refers to a rite of passage in the culture of young Yuda (newcomer Iko Uwais), who must leave his parents’ home in the poor farming village…
Machete
No, I don’t mean we should go to the “bad part” of town and run the risk of being roughed up — I mean your couch, to watch “Machete,” from directors Robert Rodriguez and his frequent editor/now co-helmer Ethan Maniquis. <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002ZG98CS&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Like Rodriguez’s half of “Grindhouse,” from which this film began as a fake…
Cyrus
As played by Jonah Hill in the new-to-disc dramedy by writer/director siblings Jay and Mark Duplass, the 21-year-old Cyrus lives at home with his single mom, eschews things like “school” and “work,” and spends his time composing techno tunes on his cache of synthesizers. That all adds up to trouble for John (John C. Reilly),…
Buried
Whether or not Hitch would, that’s an apt summation of this unique thriller. After all, how many movies do you see that take place in a single location? Much less when that location is as confining as a coffin? As truck driver Paul Conroy working in Iraq, Reynolds wakes up with a bonk on his…
Treat wins Senate District 47 seat in special election
In a special election Tuesday, voters elected Greg Treat, 32, to the vacated state Senate seat of newly elected Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb. Treat is a former staff member for Tom Coburn during his time in the U.S. House and in the Senate, as well as former legislative director for then-Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, experience…
PR BS
—“McCurtain County, OK Is the Perfect Getaway for Couples Who Want to Spend ‘Alone Time’ Together”—“LendingTree Weekly Mortgage Rate Pulse Reveals Slightly Falling Rates” —“Express Employment Professionals Find Stress and Workloads Increasing Across the Country—“PANHANDLE OIL AND GAS INC. Sets Annual Shareholder Meeting Date and Announces Dividend Payment”—“A Look Ahead: AASHTO’s Top 10 Transportation Issues…
Turn and face the ‘pain’
Now he’s getting ink for saying America’s “apocalyptic pain” from runaway debt might cause 18 percent unemployment and nothing less than utter destruction of the middle class, according to FoxNews.com. The Happy New Year — or the next three of four, anyway — could see a massive economic contraction as this country experiences austerity measures…
CFN Mailbag
It came to my attention that you ran an article in Chicken- Fried News about OK Jailbirds (“Giving prisoners the ’Bird,” Dec. 15, Gazette). Apparently, in the article, a mention was made that the publication was free and available at various convenience stores. OK Jailbirds is NOT a free publication. It sells for $1.50 and…
You may Lip the bride
Talk about a “Race for the Prize”: When The Flaming Lips perform their annual “New Year’s Eve Freakout” on Friday downtown, it will be a most memorable night for one couple. Texan Sandy Bates Bell says she and her fiancée will be married onstage. After participating in Oklahoma Gazette’s Ghouls Gone Wild Halloween parade this…
Registering a complaint
The Oklahoma City Council may not have expected the third degree or Spanish Inquisition when it opened the floor to let citizens speak at its regular Dec. 21 meeting. But then again, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. After a presentation over the proposed routes and hub location for Oklahoma City’s planned streetcar system, several…
Weed control
Got hemp? (Wait, don’t answer that.) Well, can you have a license tag with that word on it? Not in Oklahoma, you can’t! State officials denied a request by Tom Walker to have the words “FRE HEMP” (yup, that’s the spelling) on his personalized tag, according to KFOR.com. “It’s not about getting high,” Walker told…
CFN Mailbag
Regarding the Chicken-Fried News “CFN Quote of the Week” by Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee founder Charlie Meadows in the Dec. 1 Oklahoma Gazette: Mr. Meadows implies that he is a Christian and a conservative. I am a Christian, and Mr. Meadows does not speak for me. If I were a conservative, I would find…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Regrettably, during a brief moment of anger, I used the term ‘wetback’ once.” —Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott, responding to allegations of racism and a recusal request involving the murder case of pharmacist Jerome Ersland, according to KFOR-TV
Suite sums
And no wonder! Based on new research conducted by the hotel brand, 36 percent of American adults said the holidays would be less stressful if their relatives stayed at a hotel instead of with them. When respondents had kids of their own under age 18, that number jumped to 45 percent. In other fun findings:…
Third Chance
Take that, “Twilight Saga: Eclipse”! Up yours, Justin Bieber! Eat dust, double rainbow guy! You stink, Old Spice! None of you were a match for Edmond middle-school moppet Greyson Chance. His live performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” was the third most watched YouTube video of 2010, according to the ever-popular website/ time-suck. As of this…
Makes us Blu
According to Redbox, the five most popular Blu-ray titles rented from its ubiquitous kiosks across the Oklahoma City metro area are “Iron Man,” “Kick- Ass,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “Killers” and “Green Zone.” What does this mean? Oklahoma City alone is responsible for encouraging Katherine Heigl to make rom-coms in which she screams and falls…
Bye-bye, Blake
CFN pauses to shed a tear — yes, even we have a heart — at the passing of legendary film director Blake Edwards. Arguably best known for birthing the “Pink Panther” franchise with Peter Sellers, the filmmaker hails from Tulsa, where he was born in 1922. He died Dec. 15 at the age of 88…
On its toes
The Nutcracker7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Oklahoma City Ballet Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker 297-2264 $29-$54 While traditional in aesthetic, Oklahoma City Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” offers up some rousing music, exciting choreography and rich, colorful costumes and sets. It’s a show sure to delight a modern audience looking to…
Bob Macy: A look back
Two weeks after he was sworn into office in 1980, Oklahoma County District Attorney got the call to which he’d promised to respond. It was a police detective from the south side of Oklahoma City. “He said, ‘We just had a triple homicide at a south side motel and thought you might want to be…
Counterpoint: An internationalist agenda
Agenda 21 is a 40-chapter document spelling out how all activities on the planet are to be brought under the control of the United Nations to create a “sustainable” future for all, forever. George H. W. Bush signed on to this agreement at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. A year later,…
Raising Arizona
Javier Flores considers himself an “accidental immigrant.” At age 9, his father hired someone to smuggle him and six other family members across the U.S.-Mexico border. For two years, Flores was in the country illegally until he was able to obtain resident status, and later took extra English courses in high school and college to…
Point: Sustainability is ‘good stewardship’
Edmond called a meeting to discuss a “sustainability plan,” but protesters disrupted the meeting and shouted down citizens. The protesters believe Agenda 21 — a United Nations plan for sustainable development — is an effort to impose a global socialist government run by a small ruling elite. They must think the U.N., under a green…
New and notable
Jeon Ju Korean Restaurant 217 S. Sooner Road, Midwest City 672-4644 In business for almost a year, Jeon Ju is where memorable meals are cooked up for customers. Once you’ve tried the beef bulgogi and its bibimbap (translated, it means “mixed rice”), you are sure to tell all of your friends. This is mom’s authentic…
Night owls
Who hasn’t been there? You’re just leaving an evening Thunder game or a movie and you’re hungry. And that popcorn you snacked on three hours earlier just isn’t going to cut it. Breakfast is how many hours away? Usually, late-night hunger calls for a spin through the Taco Bell drivethru (Mexican pizza, hold the beef,…
Memory Lane
Former Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane said he set out wanting to write a biography, rather than an autobiography. The subject: God. “This is not meant to be a book about the fascinating subject of me,” Lane writes in the preface of his new book “Amazingly Graced.” Lane was a prosecutor in the Oklahoma…
‘Rum’ punch
Screw the Eggnog, Pass the Rum: Eggnog 2: Electric Boogaloo8 p.m. Friday-Saturday Ghostlight Theatre Club 3110 N. Walker 286-9412 $30 Any theater company not presenting a variation of “A Christmas Carol” this time of year garners extra gold stars. Seeking something different last season, Ghostlight Theatre Club came up with an original variety show called…
Grand Canyon
Black Canyon with The Dead Armadillos9 p.m. Friday VZD’s Restaurant & Club 4200 N. Western www.vzds.com 524-4203 Southern fun is at the heart of what Jordan Herrera and Jake Morisse are doing with their upstart indie-roots band Black Canyon, and in just a brief time, they’ve made huge strides in bringing that back into the…
Head West
Foodies had their eyes on the construction under way next to the N. Western Avenue Hideaway for months. Slowly, the old Iguana location transformed into a modern building surrounded by a chic, low-walled wood patio. For sibling co-owners Rick and David Haynes, the journey from concept to opening night was even longer. Their latest venture,…
LETTERS
‘COVER’ IT UP To Misha Klein, the parent who said your Nov. 24 Oklahoma Gazette Donny Vomit cover was inappropriate for her child (Letters, “Nail files,” Dec. 8): Why doesn’t she take responsibility and put her Gazette where it can’t be seen by her little angel? Like the old adage says, “If you don’t like…
Fa-la-la-la femme
December Divas7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday Lyric Plaza Theatre 1725 N.W. 16th www.lyrictheatreOKC.com 524-9312 $25-$30 The brainchild of Lyric’s artistic director Michael Baron, “December Divas” is a unique holiday show meant to provide a showcase for Lyric talent and an alternative to traditional Christmas shows. Having successfully programmed and…
Change of plans
A source of funding from the MAPS 3 project that had been promised by supporters of the project to go toward hiring 20 new police officers and 10 new firefighters is instead being used to pay for existing public safety employees because of the city’s budget shortfall. The police and fire unions clashed with supporters…
Optic nerves
Mind Games6 p.m. Thursday Science Museum Oklahoma 2100 N.E. 52nd www.sciencemuseumok.org 602-6664 Brains are amazing and beautiful machines, able to translate massive amounts of information pouring in from the human senses to decipher the world around us. That’s why tricking them is so much fun in Science Museum Oklahoma’s brand-new permanent exhibit, “Mind Games,” opening…
Black Swan
Opening Friday, “Black Swan” is so haunting, so engrossing, you might be tempted to invest it with more meaning than it warrants. With its über-creepy shock effects, swirling camerawork and Oscar-caliber performance by Natalie Portman (“Brothers”), the psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky (“The Wrestler”) is a ballet/showbiz picture awash in LSD. It’s trashiness masquerading…
Cent-ered
2nd Annual Opolis Toydrive with Penny Hill, Samantha Crain, Ali Harter and more8 p.m. Thursday, Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org $7 with a gift, $10 without Penny Hill with The Workweek and The Mustard Beards10 p.m. Saturday The Blue Note 2408 N. Robinson 600-1166 $5 You probably remember a girl from high school much…
A shore thing
It’s safe to say that most people love dining by the water, especially Lake Hefner. Even in the winter, the Hefner Grill is a wow-worthy spot where one can relax and study the sunset. In the spring and summer, views of sailboats going by await at this easygoing, appealing place. On a recent Saturday night,…
Letters
home,” namely “politics and policies that serve corporate profiteering and America’s wealthy minority.” Yet the two wealthiest Americans, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, and billionaires Oprah Winfrey and George Soros, all supported Obama. Surveys by Prince & Associates show that individuals worth more than $30 million favored Obama 2-to-1 over McCain, while in 2004, 59…
Oh, Momma!
Metro mom Caitlin Kelley has always had a passion for shopping. It was something about finding a good deal that kept the flame for her favorite pastime ignited. Along with shopping, Kelley found joy in lending a helping hand to those who needed assistance. From her work with Infant Crisis Services, to her own experiences…
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo
With McAlester’s Oklahoma State Prison Rodeo canceled this year due to state budget shortfalls, the next best thing is watching “Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo,” a documentary of the annual event’s 2007 installment. It plays Friday through Sunday the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Director Bradley Beesley is no stranger to unusual goings-on in the…
Willie do it?
Willie Stradlin with Hellcat SusieFriday Wormy Dog Saloon 311 E. Sheridan www.wormydog.com 601-6276 $5 Arkansas-based band Willie Stradlin makes no effort to hide its inspirations, taking its name from Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin and country music icon Willie Nelson. The act formed six years ago when front man Heath Molton was asked to…
Aldrich might already be a draft bust
After winning an NCAA national championship as a sophomore and being an All-American as a junior, several NBA teams were salivating at the skill set he could bring to the table. Unlike college scoring averages and steals, which may or may not pan out at the next level, rebounding averages and blocks per game translate…
Bite Size
Are you one of those people who just can’t cope with chopsticks? Listen up, folks: Last week I told you about the new spork. This week, it’s the plastic “Chork,” which is on the market now and was recently written up in Catersource, a magazine for professional caterers. The Chork is just what it sounds…
Wine on a dime
Yes, the labels don’t always make sense, at least to non-experts. They have villages and domaines, and appellations and importers, and nowhere can we find the name of the grape. French wines remain a cipher to many American shoppers conditioned to look for the name of the varietal. Some French wineries outside of traditional regions…
Welcome to your ‘Nightmare’
Hinder with Saving Abel, My Darkest Days and Default7:30 p.m. Saturday Diamond Ballroom 8001 S. Eastern www.diamondballroom.net 677-9169 $19 Oklahoma City’s Hinder hit the sophomore slump like a speed bump at 60 mph, and the thump to the guys’ noggins hurt. The shot to their pride was even worse. After selling 3.5 million of their…
The Tourist
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Alfred Hitchcock is dead. That doesn’t mean that he is no longer the master of suspense. “North by Northwest” will always be the exemplar of the lighthearted thriller in which an innocent man is mistakenly identified as someone else — someone with dangerous secrets —…
Winterize
So who’s excited that it’s finally cold out? All this frigid air means lots of great coats, hats and scarves. The thing is, I’ve had a spotty past with winter wear. In early college, I scored what I thought was a great deal on a long, gray wool coat that I soon realized made me…
Games afoot
If video killed the radio star, many of today’s video games seem determined to bring him or her back. Since several musically inclined game titles may be on your loved ones’ lists this Christmas, I enlisted my kids to help tackle a couple, pre-Yule. First up? “Rock Band 3,” the latest in MTV Games’ venerable…
‘Leverage’ steals an election
Leverage Sunday, 8 p.m. (TNT) TNT’s “Leverage” is a funnier “Mission: Impossible,” in which Timothy Hutton’s merry band of thieves, con artists and hackers set up elaborate stings to thwart that week’s bad guy. The series makes expert use of cheesy accents, stagy disguises and unlikely gizmos, not to mention wisecracks at the tensest moments.…
Game of Spades
Directed by Sundance-approved Oklahoma filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the video for metro-based experimental rock quartet Junebug Spade’s “Under the Gun” shows guitarist and vocalist Peter Seay II playing in a variety of unusual locations: a Laundromat, a junk store, a room lined with mattresses and various front steps. So when I told Seay that we’d be…
Alleged abuse
A former Oklahoma City Catholic priest has been accused of childhood sexual abuse in a lawsuit by one of his former parishioners. The Rev. Stephen D. Cude is named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed recently in Oklahoma County District Court. The plaintiff’s identity is not revealed in the filing. Cude did not return…
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, e-mailed to rcollins@okgazette.com or sent online at www.okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact number…
The defender
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on prominent Oklahoma County legal figures. Former Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy was profiled last week. For more than three decades, Oklahoma native Garvin Isaacs has spun epic story lines throughout Oklahoma and the West — stories that shockingly cast alleged murderers as convenient…
Dead alive
The Dead Armadillos with Green Corn Revival 10 p.m. Wednesday Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company50 Penn Place www.belleislerestaurant.com 840-1911 The Dead Armadillos began as a simple enough folk-rock outfit, but has gained all sorts of flavor with each move that it makes. It’s gone from stew to goulash, and is nothing if not unique.…
Jack Rowdy – Jack Rowdy
With red dirt, pop, ballads, gospel and hot country all receiving attention, it’s easy to see that Jack Rowdy (an Oklahoma City band, not a man) has studied up. Far from being a radio pastiche, Jack Rowdy infuses each of its tunes with enough muscle from the self-stated “classic rock and ’80s hair metal” influences…
December downtown doings
My husband was convinced it would be a holiday death march. I was more inclined to believe it would be all dancing reindeer and sugarplum fairies. How much Downtown in December can you pack in — and enjoy — in one weekend? We were about to find out. Downtown in December, for those uninitiated, is…
On Broadway
After two years without a home of its own, Reduxion Theatre has staked its claim on a brand-new performance space. The appropriately named Broadway Theater, 1613 N. Broadway, is a big step forward for one of Oklahoma City’s youngest and most ambitious theater companies. In its first two seasons, Reduxion primarily was based out of…
HEY! DO THIS
Rock this Follow the vibrations of a bass, the windy urgency of the kazoo, and the rhythmic thump of a two-piece drummer, and eventually, you’ll find the Hosty Duo. Together, Mike Hosty and Mike Byars comprise the Americana act, using their musical prowess to charm crowds statewide. Catch the two performing at 9 p.m. Christmas…
One haute dish
Park Avenue Grill 1 Park Ave. 702-8444 Chef Andrew Black is writing his own cookbook due in mid-2011. Meanwhile, at this restaurant inside the Skirvin Hotel, Black has noticed the changing landscape in his guests. He said people are looking at healthier food. Hands down, his lemon-broiled sole takes top honors, done with a citrus…
Zenith
Contrary to the belief of film execs, not everyone hitting the cinemas at Christmastime wants to see Reese Witherspoon in a romantic comedy or Jack Black being tied up by little people. For those seeking a decidedly different, off-off-Hollywood experience, you’ll get it — and then some — in “Zenith.” The self-described “retro-futuristic steampunk thriller”…
Bones about it
Museum of Osteology 10301 S. Sunnylane www.museumofosteology.org 841-0006 $5 Families hungry for a fun, brainy afternoon outing now have a new option with the opening of the Museum of Osteology in southeastern Oklahoma City. Featuring an impressive educational return on a measly $5 admission fee, the 7,000-square-foot site bursts with an exotic menagerie of skeletons…
Cheeky citation
Shot in Guthrie and Oklahoma City, the crime film “The Killer Inside Me” failed to bowl over critics and audiences upon release this summer — budget, an estimated $13 million; total gross, $214,966 — but at least it’s taken home one coveted year-end award: inclusion on Mr. Skin’s Top 10 Nude Scenes of 2010. The…
They love the ’80s
’80s Alternative Tribute9 p.m. Wednesday Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org 820-0951 $7 Filling Morrissey’s shoes is no easy task. Many have tried, few have succeeded, and Will Muir will add his name to the ranks tonight. “I can maybe do a good imitation. Hopefully, if the crowd closes their eyes, they will think they…
Sober sisters
Not to ruin everyone’s fun this holiday season, but AAA Oklahoma reports that 30 percent of all state automobile crashes are caused by alcohol. This number rises as high as 40 percent during the holidays (cue Debbie Downer trumpet — wah waaahh). It’s a season fraught with celebration and — if your family has just…
Destination Japan
Review of Tokyo Japanese Restaurant 7516 N. Western 848-6733 General Manager: Koji Omori Sushi chef: Akihiro Ishimaru Food style: Japanese Average check: $12 I was a little late to the sushi party. When the only entry into the Asian culinary scene growing up is that canned chop suey kit popular with ’80s moms throughout the…
It’s a Thunderful life for OKC hoops fans
The arena that’s still called the Ford Center is empty and lifeless. And there’s not anything anywhere that’s blue or has the word “Thunder” on it. Bricktown’s bars have gathered a few patrons, but most of the downtown action is at the movie theater and Bass Pro Shop, where people are getting in some last-minute…
Remain calm
Children coerced into good behavior by threats of a dark, meaningless Christmas in which one of God’s very own saints skips their house because he, like their parents, has had it up to here with their acting out. This season’s hottest toy squirreled away in some out-of-reach and never-seen corner of the house, possibly acquired…
Dear ‘Diaries’
The Santaland Diaries8 p.m. Wednesday Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker www.cityrep.com 297-2264 $8-$30 Tonight, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) brings back its hit production of “The Santaland Diaries,” adapted for the stage from best-selling author David Sedaris’ essay. The sly, subversive, one-man, one-act play chronicles in inglorious detail his…
Do you hear what we hear?
“Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album”WHAT’D’YA BRING ME?: Sick of those “Glee” kids yet? Don’t answer yet! Let them present their peculiarly popular brand of glossy karaoke on holiday classics first, with the strangely titled “Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album,” because “Glee: The Christmas Album” just wasn’t descriptive enough. CANDY CANES: A stomp-rap version…
Year-round learning
The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Dec. 13 to change the district’s traditional calendar to a “continuous learning calendar,” which features a shorter summer break while increasing the time of fall, winter and spring breaks. The new schedule has the same number of days as the old one, and allows students…
Sounds of the season
Dads with everything, moms who refuse to make lists, and picky sisters create challenges when the gift-giving season rolls around. But never fear: Oklahoma Gazette is here to help you please everyone with something they’ve never heard. TEENAGE BROTHER Whether in the throes of teenage rebellion or just hyperactive, it’s almost guaranteed that your bro…
Bite Size
“We are looking at March and bringing the same pizza recipes that we have in Yukon (342 S. Mustang Road), plus the glassblowing part. We will have a glass studio there so people can watch from the restaurant and they can purchase glass items, too,” McGahan said. The pizzeria owner said he is going to…
Circus circus
Alegría7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. Sunday Cox Convention Center 1 Myriad Gardenswww.cirquedusoleil.com/alegria 800-745-3000 $35-$95 The world-renowned Cirque du Soleil opens tonight in Oklahoma at the Cox Convention Center with the critically acclaimed “Alegría.” From its humble beginnings in 1984 as group of 20 street performers in Montreal, Cirque du Soleil has grown…
Recipe for success
Tastes, aromas and textures of food excite anyone who loves to cook, but it’s the recipe that makes food taste as good at home as it does in a restaurant. It’s all in the magic of combining flavors. A recipe is just a moment in time. Foolproof recipes often give creative gratification to cooks with…
Passing the gavel
State Superintendent Sandy Garrett took the gavel one last time on Dec. 16 as she chaired her final regular state Board of Education meeting. After two decades at the post, Garrett, who did not run for reelection, is retiring in January, when Superintendent-elect Janet Barresi will be sworn into office. “Certainly, it has really been…
True Grit
When you dare open your film with a biblical quote about revenge, as “True Grit” does, you better deliver a story about revenge, and it better be epic. Rest assured, writing/directing siblings Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) have done that with their latest foray into the sinister side of the American…
TRON: Legacy
You know, 1982 was a good year for science fiction films. We got Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and Disney’s “TRON.” Of course, the latter two were relative flops, although ”The Thing” went on to sci-fi superstardom, while a cult of unapologetic geeks took “TRON” to its bosom. None have spawned sequels until…
Growth chart
We’ll be popping corks very soon to celebrate the new year, and Champagne has always been the bubbly of choice for those celebrations. This year, for the first time, Oklahomans will be able to choose Grower Champagnes. The name, created by wine importer extraordinaire Terry Theise, refers to small production Champagne made by the same…
Imagine that!
“Imagination Station” is a traveling exhibit through the Oklahoma Museum Network. The interactive display marries art, science and music into a union whose offspring is knowledge and creative learning, said Sherry Marshall, director of OMN. “Imagination Station highlights the blending of these three topics,” she said. “You can’t isolate any one of them because they…
The View ‘From the Top’
Want to get to the top via “From the Top”? The NPR program is on the lookout for pre-college-aged classical musicians to perform at its live concert radio performance at 3 p.m. May 15, 2011, at Oklahoma City University. From soloists and vocalists to composers, interested students age 8 to 18 who have not yet…
The art of crunch
Late-season scrambling is a Christmas tradition — almost a rite of passage as desperate customers rush to complete their shopping lists. Since not everyone can stomach the dense mobs packed into shopping malls, look for more unique finds at local-focused galleries and shops across the metro. “Everything you find in here is either from a…
Cozy Christmas
For the most part, I love living a few states away from family. Maybe “love” isn’t the right word. “Cherish?” I love my family — I cherish my independence. But around this time of year, I miss them. The holidays are unquestionably about family and going “home,” two things I won’t be partaking in this…
The Fighter
Mark Wahlberg (“The Other Guys”) has gone the route of the inspirational, true-story sports picture before, in 2006’s “Invincible.” Director David O. Russell, however, has not. He’s spent his entire career straying as far as he can from the main streets of convention. That’s what happens when your feature debut (1994’s “Spanking the Monkey”) mines…
WWH&LD?
Harp & Lyre with A Bullet for Pretty Boy, A Sequence of Ghosts, Jerusalem and more6 p.m. Saturday The Conservatory 8911 N. Western www.conservatoryokc.com 607-4805 $8 advance, $10 door Outward appearances can be deceiving. Such is the case of Harp & Lyre. The six guys who comprise the group look like the typical rock band,…
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, e-mailed to rcollins@okgazette.com or sent online at www.okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact number…
WikiLeaker?
The helicopter circled the dead and dying lying in the street. Moments prior, the troops in the Apache helicopter had opened fire, killing several people, some possibly armed, standing in the Baghdad suburb’s street. A lone survivor began to crawl away, but when a van pulled up to load him, the helicopter opened fire again,…
The year in theater
Oklahoma City theater hibernates from Christmas until about the ides of January, so as we turn our attention to bowl games and ringing in 2011 — which marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of playwright Thomas Lanier Williams, better known as Tennessee — let’s look back on some of the city’s more noteworthy dramatic…
Hey! Do This
Roll this “You snooze, you lose” alert No. 1! “Another Hot Oklahoma Night,” an exhibit focused on Oklahoma’s role in the history of rock ’n’ roll, closes after Friday! So jump in your car (or giant inflatable bubble) and head to Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi, or risk being haunted by the ghost of…
Bumper cars
One of the major projects of the approved MAPS 3 program came under fire by an Oklahoma City council member who said it was at odds with other city initiatives and something city leaders would end up regretting. Around $130 million from the MAPS 3 fund is dedicated to the modern streetcar project, which will…
Okie flavor
In the November election, the GOP extended their majorities in the Oklahoma House and Senate, captured the governor’s office and swept every single statewide office. Coalescing around anti-President Barack Obama and anti-Washington hysteria, Republicans swarmed into office, often with landslide votes. It was a time for Republicans to celebrate. But that was so November. Republican…
List-en up
It’s the end of the year, and that means lists. I’ve actually been making a list of the best best-of lists (1. Paste Magazine, 2. MySpace, 3. Rhapsody), which means that I’ve officially gone overboard. But this means nothing but good things for you, dear reader. Here are a ton o’ lists that chronicle the…
Alt lang syne
For sprawling, family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebrations, it really is hard to beat Opening Night downtown, but many of-age revelers opt out of the massive event and instead head to less congested commercial districts across the city offering a relaxed environment to ring in 2011. The gay district is a long-standing hotspot for festive drinking,…
Thirty for ’10
ROD LOTT’S PICKS If you haven’t noticed, 2010 has proven volatile for our country, and the same goes for cinema. It’s been an off year. Need proof? My list of the 10 best from the last 12 months has two — count ’em, two — movies starring Mark Wahlberg! (Could that be real or is…
Holiday stink
So who got the official Red Ryder carbineaction, 200-shot range model air rifle they were angling for this Christmas? Yeah, us neither. But, hey, could be worse. At least we weren’t on the receiving end of one of the stinky presents from McClain County Operation Christmas. Not that the presents were dumb, or anything, they…
Spreading the word
Poblano Grill 2701 S. Interstate 35 Service Road, Moore 759-7371 Management said this location of Poblano Grill has great food and great service in a family atmosphere. There’s even a hamburger on the menu just for kids. New items include a tilapia Mexicana with a dusting of Southwest seasoning with sautéed spinach and its pollo…
Animal house
above American Bald Eagle at the zoo The Oklahoma City Zoo will be getting some major renovations under a new master plan approved by the City Council at its Dec. 21 meeting. In addition, zoo-goers will also see ticket and membership price increases, with single-day tickets going up by $1 and annual membership prices increasing…
‘Bi’ the way
2010 Creativity World Biennale 11 a.M. aND 3 p.M. fRiDaY-SatURDaY thROUGh JaN. 8 [aRtSpaCE] at UNtitlED 1 N.E. thiRD WWW.aRtSpaCEatUNtitlED.ORG 815-9995 fREE City leaders rolled out the red carpet for innovators worldwide as hosts of November’s Creativity World Forum, which garnered more attention in the business, education and cultural sectors than it did in the…
On trend
Eating out is no longer a treat. To many, it is a convenient way of life. With 2010 at an end, the metro saw a whole host of trends and fads roll through local eateries. Sometimes that trend has staying power, and sometimes it doesn’t. Many restaurants that monkey around too much with fads and…
Purple Church – Woodsporn/Hayseed EPs
If that weren’t enough, Purple Church also saw fit to release a real-life cassette single (side A and side B, y’all) named “Hayseed” recently. This group of four dudes is rockin’ the DIY thing, much to my glee. The music within “Woodsporn” is worthy of the excellent art. The group throws down some dark, distortion-heavy,…
Bite Size
The line was long and several people waited for hours, but Emeril — the BAM! man who is the chef/ proprietor of a dozen restaurants — performed his chores right on time, just like on TV. He then autographed books for the hundreds who came to see the popular chef in person. His latest book…
At home with Mama
Mamaveca Mexican Restaurant 2551 Hemphill Drive, Norman 573-4003 Date Established: December 2007 Owner: William Chunga Kitchen Manager: Renato Victorio Food Style: Peruvian, Mexican Average Check: Lunch $8; Dinner $11 The tropical, exotic landscape of Peru feels worlds away from the tamed, mild plains of Central Oklahoma, yet you can find the littlest slice of South…
Soul music
Soul on Fire2 and 7 p.m. Thursday Douglass Theatre 900 N. Martin Luther King 517-4176 $20 Musical theater is often seen as a monolithic world of jazz hands and non-threatening gangsters in flamboyant zoot suits. But there are musicals that use the genre to tackle more substantial themes, whether it’s sexual identity in “Hedwig and…
Better off Fred
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey8 p.m. Friday Cain’s Ballroom 423 N. Main, Tulsa www.cainsballroom.com 918-584-2306 $19 advance, $25 door Brian Haas does not subscribe to your ideas of music. “It’s hard to have a conversation about music genres, because I simply don’t believe in them,” said Haas, pianist and founding member of Tulsabased Jacob Fred Jazz…
Candy Capitol
Rooftops drip with delicious frosting. Peppermint swirls bloom in gardens. All of this can be found in the gingerbread village fit for a gingerbread king, currently on exhibit at Capitol Hill Library, 334 S.W. 26th. This is not the library’s first year to build the miniature candied community; it has done so for several years,…
Buy backs
While that odd gift was memorable for many reasons — and, in fact, it still sits proudly on my desk, its weird, pink mouth smiling — I am happy to report that my favorite finds of 2010 are less peculiar. While still not exactly bursting with wads of cash and high-paying jobs, the year saw…
Special ‘Bulletin’
Now in its fourth year, the “New Year’s Eve Freakout” hosted by The Flaming Lips has become Oklahoma City’s version of the television networks’ traditional Dec. 31 programming. “Do You Realize??” has become our “Auld Lang Syne”; Wayne Coyne, our Dick Clark. The orb in which Coyne rolls around the arena is the crystal ball,…
Roses for Nick
An Edmond teen killed in a tragic accident will be remembered on a float promoting organ and tissue donation during the 122nd Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif. Nick Van Stavern is among 60 organ, eye and tissue donors nationwide who will be remembered with memorial “floragraph” portraits on the Donate Life…
Rogers’ will
Randy Rogers Band 9 P.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Wormy Dog Saloon 311 E. Sheridan www.wormydog.com 601-6276 $50 Friday, $30 Saturday Not all metro music fans want to spend their New Year’s Eve with The Flaming Lips; some seek something a little more grounded in reality. That’s where red-dirt favorite Randy Rogers Band steps…
Put it on the calendar
Saturday, ongoing Be the first to get an early peek at JRB Art at The Elms’ 2011 calendar and a chance to buy pieces featured in it, as the gallery hosts the exhibit’s opening, with a 1 to 6 p.m. reception on Saturday. Twenty pieces from 20 artists who are showcased in the calendar comprise…
Good Fortune
The Fortune Tellers with Feel Spectres and DJ Eddie Lee9 p.m. Friday VZD’s Restaurant and Club 4200 N. Western www.vzds.com 524-4203 If you were in Oklahoma City during that era when cell phones were bigger than irons and neckties were skinnier than Calista Flockhart — the 1980s, for those of you playing along at home…
Champions in the NBA feed on doubt, criticism
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant receives a lot of accolades. Coming into the season, NBA pundits bent over backwards to proclaim Durant as the “odds-on favorite” to win the MVP. Opposing players fawn over his abilities. His performance in the FIBA World Championship tournament had journalists across the globe proclaiming him as the best…
Growing rowing
The sport of rowing continues to make a splash in Oklahoma City. In fact, the United States national rowing team has taken so much of a liking to the Oklahoma City River, it decided to make the waterway its new home. The USRowing team will consolidate its lightweight division training operations to the Oklahoma City…
Good eats
So, who’s on a diet? Yeah, that’s what we thought. But keeping that New Year’s resolution to drop a few pounds (or even a few dozen pounds) isn’t all boiled carrots and broccoli. Local restaurants can make eating right an easy choice. At Beatnix Café, 136 N.W. 13th, owner Dave Filkins strives to create sandwiches,…
Counterpoint: A matter of perspective
They say that as if it’s a bad thing. It’s not. As the Nov. 2 shellacking made perfectly clear, people want less government and more freedom. As one wag observed, that wasn’t an election — it was a restraining order. From Nov. 5 to 11, telephone interviewers for SoonerPoll asked likely voters: “Which would you…
Big in Japan
Sunday Jazz guitarist Issei Aoyama will pick, pluck and strum in a free concert 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Performing Arts Studio, 200 S. Jones in Norman. He will be accompanied by Cory Gavito on piano, Michael Geib on double bass and Justin Walke on drums. The quartet will play original pieces by Aoyama, as…
Penny for your thoughts
A recent poll of likely Oklahoma City voters shows a majority of those surveyed do not support the city owning a hotel that would adjoin the future MAPS 3 convention center. While likely voters are split about the MAPS 3 convention center’s location, it is important that the site be near Bricktown, according to the…
Morgan road
Kylie Morgan9 p.m. Friday Coach’s Brewhouse 110 W. Main, Norman www.coachsbrewhouse.com 321-2739 Oklahoma native Kylie Morgan has plans for the future that measure up with most other country artists, like having a video on rotation on CMT or sharing the stage with Carrie Underwood, but she also has other goals that most have already reached,…
Hey! Do This
Climb this Had to cancel your Mount Everest expedition last week because Auntie and Paw-Paw dropped by unexpectedly? Yeah, me, too. Perhaps you’ll join me at the next best thing as Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 N.E. 52nd, screens the documentary “Everest” daily in its Dome Theater. Liam Neeson narrates, so close your eyes and imagine…
Point: ‘A new fiscal reality’
Funding to state agencies has been cut by more than $500 million, which is having a corrosive effect on our ability to invest in our future and promote the education, health, safety and economic well-being of Oklahomans. We have laid off teachers and increased class sizes, cut services to low-income seniors, eliminated preventive programs serving…
House calls
Anyone fed up with the aloof, crossarmed music experience might do well to get themselves invited to a Blue Moon House Concert. They are invitation-only, but it’s easy to snag one: Friend “Blue Moon House Concerts” on Facebook. The place is typically peopled by folks who live for the song — which, by default, are…
Male call
The Cow Calf-Hay 3409 Wynn Drive, Edmond 509-2333 Date established: 2010 General manager: Beck Blevins Owners: Blevins Brothers of City Bites Food style: Burgers and daily specials Average check: $8 What guy doesn’t like a burger? A pretty good one can be had at The Cow Calf-Hay, tucked into a nondescript shopping strip in south…
Mystery meat
Whodunit Dining RoomStarting Tuesday www.whodunit.net 420-3222 The Whodunit Dining Room, a mystery dinner theater troupe, is not for passive audiences wanting to sit quietly in the darkness and admire a cast while trying to power through clinking glasses and scraping forks. The company appeals to more raucous crowds comfortable with characters breaking the fourth wall…
Firefight
The Oklahoma City firefighters’ union has come to a possible agreement with the city in this year’s contract negotiations. The firefighter’s union is the only city employee union that has yet to come to an agreement with the city for the current fiscal year. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the…
Campaign contributions
Campaign for Real Music featuring Crown Imperial, The Wurly Birds, Copperheads, Ryan Lawson, Plaid Rabbit, Dadrock, Psychotic Reaction and more 4 p.m. Friday-Saturday Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org 820-0951 A diverse assortment of local bands will rally together Friday and Saturday at the seventh annual Campaign for Real Music at Opolis in Norman. Twenty…
Revisiting 2010
CocoFlow 100 E. Main, Bricktown 524-9500 CocoFlow opened a chocolate studio on its second floor offering classes and parties in Bricktown. It is right above the retail spot. CocoFlow offers artisan chocolate, freshly made pastries and desserts. This is a perfect spot for an after-dinner dessert with coffee or hot tea. There is also a…
Drinking well
So you’ve made it through the inevitable holiday bloat and promised yourself that this year — this year — is the year that it happens. This is the year that you Get In Shape. This is the year you will sculpt a body that will make your 23-year-old self want to vomit with jealousy. You…
LETTERS
BRADLEY MANNING A ‘BRAVE OKLAHOMAN’ I am writing in response to Clifton Adcock’s cover story “WikiLeaker?” from the Dec. 29, 2010, issue of Oklahoma Gazette. I was very happy to see the story of Pfc. Bradley Manning told in an evenhanded manner. I was even more happy to see the level of depth given to…
Return of the King
Travis LeDoyt as Elvis8 p.m. Saturday Riverwind Casino 154 West Highway 9, Norman 322-6464 $10-$20 Travis LeDoyt wants to get something straight right away: He doesn’t think he’s Elvis Presley. Although LeDoyt is an Elvis impersonator with an uncanny ability to sound and look like the King, he refuses to be lumped in with so…
Prime number
It’s all R’s in the upcoming state Senate race to fill the seat of Lt. Gov.-elect Todd Lamb. Since 2004, Lamb, a Republican, served as state senator from District 47, which encompasses part of northwest Oklahoma City and Edmond. Lamb won his bid for lieutenant governor in November, and a special election is being held…
To inform or inflame?
The ad, titled “What About Islam?” was paid for by the Church of Christ in Elk City, which often purchases similar ads with the series title “Let the Bible Speak” in other newspapers. The ad appearing in The Oklahoman was authored by four pastors from Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas. The ad states that “the Muslim…
Bite Size
The Societies of Oklahoma City University are honoring four women at the annual Awards of Excellence dinner Feb. 26 at the Skirvin. The honorees are Jenny Love Meyer, being awarded the Kirkpatrick-Petree Music and Performing Arts Society Award; Julie Hall, awarded the Dulaney-Brown Library Society Award; Lori Hill, awarded Norick-Hulsey Art Gallery Society Award; and…
Deadly headlines
Oklahoma is making death penalty headlines again because the state Department of Corrections used pentobarbital, a barbiturate commonly used for animal sedation and euthanasia, on Dec. 16 to execute John David Duty, 58. Duty was serving a trio of life sentences for rape, shooting with intent to kill and robbery when he strangled cell mate…
Live long & prosper
What’s the one New Year’s resolution that could change your life? What if we could all live in prosperity and abundance despite what the bank account balance is? According to four financial experts, sustainable prosperity is available for everyone, but it requires a switch in mind-set and practice. With those Christmas credit card bills starting…
Ask, tell
Trey Watts looked out his office window on a recent blustery, December day. A string of multicolored pennant streamers flapped in the breeze at the used car dealership in north Oklahoma City where he has worked for 11 years. On his desktop computer, Watts checked for breaking news concerning the upcoming vote in Congress to…
Go Greek
Greek, Roman and Etruscan pottery, blown glass, coins, weapons and mosaics from between the 21st century BCE and the 3rd century CE are featured in the exhibit “Mediterranean Treasures: Selections from the Classics Collection.” Curator Kathryn Barr structured the exhibition to show how ancient Mediterranean cultures used the same tools and means to create aesthetically…
Why play? ‘Cos!
Saturday If you want to win this year’s Southern Oaks Library cosplay contest, do not come dressed as just some random ninja. No casual clothing will be accepted as a costume and you cannot come dressed as generic or background characters like a “Naruto” peasant or Hufflepuff student. Cosplay is the practice of dressing up…
Grape forecast
This last year saw Australian wine take a beating and South American wine rise to prominence all over the country. Led by popular brands like Luigi Bosca, Crios, Colome, Lamadrid and La Posta, South American wines carved out a niche in metro wine lists and saw an increased presence in shelf space in liquor stores…
Hippies that time forgot
The Bellamy BrothersFriday Wormy Dog Saloon 311 E. Sheridan www.wormydog.com 601-6276 $15 They’re a pair of lighthearted old hippies that time couldn’t bear to part with. Raised on a farm in Florida, they’re country boys at heart, but their tastes travel widely across reggae, gospel, folk and rock. They’re Howard and David Bellamy, aka The…
Five New Year’s resolutions for the OKC Thunder
What’s a guy to do when the year turns over and he’s got a commentary due soon? Why write a New Year’s resolution piece over the topic he covers, that’s what! And in my case, that would be the Oklahoma City Thunder naturally, so here are five resolutions the team should put up in the…
Jabee – Lucky Me
Jabee’s “Lucky Me” mixtape is remarkably fun to listen to, as the easy flow of his lyrics meshes with the melodic beats that float the rhymes. Those pieces result in a great set of tunes that will kill 34 of your minutes before you realize what happened. Although the album is a pretty chill affair,…
The King’s Speech
“The King’s Speech” is one of those films seemingly made with a checklist for garnering awards. 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 —…
‘Grow’ into it
If you’re going to be playing mournful New Orleans jazz, you better have a broken heart, a gritty voice and a talented band. Mark Growden has all three of those things, and he’ll bring his earthy, darkly religious tunes to OKC on 8 p.m. Saturday at a house concert (friend “Blue Moon House Concerts” on…
New Year, new resolutions
I nominally consider making New Year’s resolutions every single year. I have yet to actually make one and stick with it. But I swear, this year will be different. (No, it won’t.) First up, lipstick. I don’t wear it. I don’t even wear gloss. Instead, I go for ChapStick, a lifelong obsession. But I know…
Chicago marathon
Chicago with Leon Russell8 p.m. Sunday Lucky Star Casino 7777 N. Highway 81, Concho www.luckystarcasino.org $41-$91 After forming in college, the members of Chicago Transit Authority — soon simply Chicago — abandoned their namesake home for La-La Land in 1968. Within a year, they’d signed with Warner Bros. and launched one of the most successful…
Athlete altruism
In the sports world, a lot of organizations volunteer their time, showing up long enough to smile for the camera and sign an autograph or two. In the world of University of Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale, her players roll up their sleeves, block out their schedules and get to work. Now in her…
My Dog Tulip
It may be only coincidence that the animated feature “My Dog Tulip” is distributed by New Yorker Films, but Paul and Sandra Fierlinger’s film looks like cartoons torn from the pages of The New Yorker: erudite and engaging, but hardly realistic-looking, and likely not to be understood by the average person. The brisk film plays…
Little Fockers
As it is, Greg is Jack’s son-in-law. They appear to get along, but one of those comedy misunderstandings occurs and soon they are mistrusting each other again. Spoiler alert: They work it out by the movie’s conclusion. So you get rid of all the other characters and have these two guys move into an apartment…
Gulliver’s Travels
I’ve been suspicious for some time, but now it’s official: I am tired of Jack Black’s overaged rocker shtick. Sorry, Jethro, but you can be too old to be a rock ’n’ roll doofus, and Black is. In “Gulliver’s Travels,” he brings that character to Jonathan Swift’s 1726 scathing satire, and the result makes little…
