Update
Artist Martin Creed won Britain’s 2001 Turner Prize for his highly acclaimed installation of a lightbulb going off and on indefinitely in an otherwise-empty room. His latest exhibition (“Work No. 850”), at the Tate Britain in July, consists of a runner sprinting through one of the galleries every 30 seconds. The museum’s director described Work…
Least Competent Criminals
Not Ready for Prime Time: According to police in Canton, Mich., Joseph Webster, 54, walked into a Comerica bank in June, gave the teller a robbery note and claimed he had a bomb strapped to his body. A nearby customer overheard, pulled out his licensed 9 mm handgun and told Webster: “You are not robbing…
The Ruins
MG height=92 alt=theruins.jpg src=”/Images/Imported/DVD%20review%20thumbnails/theruins.jpg” width=65 border=0> 2008 A weekend getaway, bikini-clad youthful curves and a few (too many) adult cocktails near a body of water. Ever since “Friday the 13th” laid the groundwork, the recipe has tasted familiar. But instead of a campsite, the college kids in “The Ruins” opt for a trip abroad that…
Brutal Massacre: A Comedy
2007 If your movie has to use its title to tell you it’s supposed to be funny, it’s probably not. And “Brutal Massacre: A Comedy” makes for brutal viewing. The mockumentary is not the “Spinal Tap” for the horror genre as a box quote proudly proclaims; heck, I’m not even sure it qualifies as a…
305
2008 Some movies achieve cult status because they deliver something special, often without getting much critical attention. Gems like ” Army of Darkness,” “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” “? the standards. “305,” a cross-spoof of the screen epic “300” and sitcom favorite “The Office ” might only appeal to frothing, rabid…
Fine Points of the Law
The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed in June that defendants have a constitutional right to cross-examine witnesses against them and must get a new trial if denied that right. The challenger was Dwayne Giles, who had tried during his trial to keep incriminating statements by his girlfriend out of court, in that she was not available…
User-Friendly Research Projects
In May, NASA sought subjects for a study into the effects of microgravity on the human body and offered each participant $17,000 to lie in bed for 90 straight days. In April, England’s University of East Anglia advertised for subjects for a study of whether a natural compound found in cocoa could cut the risk…
Wedgies in the News
In July, the Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Erik Low, now 40, ruling that a jury should have considered the possibility of a lesser crime than manslaughter in the 2003 shooting death of a man who had just 15 seconds earlier during a fight given Low what was described as a violent…
The Bank Job
2008 Based on a true story, “The Bank Job” is not your average heist film. For one thing, it’s awfully subdued for a generation weaned on the glitz and glamour of the George Clooney-fronted “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise. Instead, this has its roots in the English crime genre of the Seventies “? mannered, deliberate and raw.…
Doomsday
2008 “Doomsday” is violent, raucous, and wetter than a spring break T-shirt contest. Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra, TV’s “Boston Legal”) is a major in the British Army. She’s tough as boot leather and she has only one eye “? replaced by a fake one with a camera in it. She also has the worst job…
People Different From Us
In Augusta, Maine, in June, Marshall Crandall IV, 39, was sentenced to serve nine months in jail for violating a domestic protection order by reuniting with his girlfriend, even though the woman pleaded with the judge, arguing that the altercations were mutual and that it could just have well been she who was charged with…
Masters of Horror: Season Two
your persistence has paid off! All 13 one-hour mini-movies of the anthology series are now available in a limited-edition box set “¦ or should I say skull set? Yes, in a stroke of packaging ingenuity and shelving frustration, the whole of season two comes encased in a realistic-looking plastic skull split horizontally. Pop off the…
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Reviewer’s grade: C Series creator Chris Carter serves as director and co-writer of “The X-Files: I Want to Believe,” six years after the TV show called it quits. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their career-defining roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, investigators of unexplained phenomena for the FBI. Except now, they are not.…
California musical group present abrasive, invasive live show
If there’s an indicator that Internet buzz might not be the high road to success it’s often hyped to be, look no further than Los Angeles noise-rockers Health. Health ” with Gravity Propulsion System and Memorize ” will play Wednesday at 8 p.m. at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western. Call 607-4805. “We hadn’t made a…
Gallery Ghost – Anna Nilsen
Birdcage Press With schools cutting back on art instruction, it’s up to parents to help pick up the slack. One would be wise to start with Anna Nilsen’s “Gallery Ghost,” because its readers won’t even realize they’re absorbing art history as they’re engrossed in tracking ghosts. The gist of this hardback “? part graphic novel,…
Flight of the Red Balloon
ted/Movie%20review%20thumbnails/flightoftheredballoon.jpg” width=150 align=right vspace=10 border=0>Reviewer’s grade: B+ In “Flight of the Red Balloon,” Simon (first-timer Simon Iteanu) and his scattered-but-well-meaning mother, Suzanne (Juliette Binoche, “Bee Season,” “Dan in Real Life”), are trying to get along two years after Simon’s father left their Parisian home for Montreal. It isn’t clear why he ditched, but it is…
Local singer/songwriter gains fame with ‘Best Days’
Good money says that a majority of Graham Colton’s target demographic has already heard “Best Days” by now. They might not know it, but tens of millions of television viewers tuning into “American Idol” have already been exposed. “Best Days” is a prom-ready torch song, with little more than a guitar, soft atmospherics and Colton’s…
Musicians plan benefit for club owner
One of the metro’s storied bars, the Hi-Lo Club, 1221 N.W. 50th, suffered a blow when its longtime manager and current co-owner Jimmy O’Neil was hospitalized recently after a series of strokes. O’Neil established the club’s Tuesday “band night” 15 years ago, which attracted larger, mixed crowds and developed the Hi-Lo into an oasis for…
Mamma Mia!
Reviewer’s grade: C “Mamma Mia!’s” smorgasbord of risen-from-the-grave Abba songs and clich
OCTAFest features workshops, shows and receptions
Right now may be the best time to be a local theater hound. To be held Thursday through Sunday, the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association’s biennial OCTAFest is a gold mine of 10 performances from all around the state, ranging from clever and humorous musicals to award-winning, darker-themed dramas. Workshops and post-show receptions round out the…
Energetic songwriter finds a fan in local rock veteran
Chainsaw Kittens’ Tyson Meade and Philip Rice of The Neighborhood are both original singers with an ear for melody and the voices capable of carrying it above layers of messy guitars. Both will play solo sets at the Opolis on Saturday, delivering a union of old and new Norman rock. Tyson Meade and Philip Rice…
OKC youth conference gun giveaway gutted
If Chicken-Fried News readers were interested in the semiautomatic rifle that was going to be given away at a local church’s weekend youth conference, you’re out of luck. Windsor Hills Baptist Church hoped the weapon would encourage attendance at the event slated for last week, but gutted the giveaway when an event organizer couldn’t attend,…
Botball competitors build robots for bouts
Botball is all about enhancing education, imagination and even social interaction ” one autonomous robot at a time. The annual competition for teams of junior high and high school students across the U.S., as well as those in the Middle East, lets participants use skills in programming, engineering, technology and more to create a fully…
The Continuing Crisis
Randall Popkes, 41, and his son Joshua Williams, 22, were arrested in West Des Moines, Iowa, in May and charged with an attempted safecracking at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club. A security officer had noted their license plate as they sped away after a frustrating session in which they had cut into the…
Lyric Theatre presents classic musical ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’
e with these characters, so they feel for them and appreciate the journey they’re on,” said Sorensen. Also still present are the high-energy dance numbers that have become synonymous with the production. “?Eric Webb
Norman’s in the Money
Folks down in Norman took great pride when Money magazine came out with its list of the 100 best places to live in America and the suburb south of OKC received a high ranking of No. 6. The ranking made great news for the home of the University of Oklahoma and put the town in…
Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma present high-tech job fields
Typically, the cookie market is as involved as the general public gets in Girl Scouts, but these badge-sporting girls warrant more attention than their smiling, Thin Mint-toting exteriors let on. Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma is taking its motto for creating girls of courage, confidence and character to the next level, including the week-long day…
The Poteet’s ‘Suessical’ production amplifies fun while minimizing flaws
Directed by Jay Prock and Shawna Linck, The Poteet Theatre’s production of “Seussical: The Musical” is an ambitious and vibrant production that is entertaining in spite of the shortcomings of the source material. “Seussical”‘s narrative is cobbled together from the stories of Dr. Seuss into a new and overly complicated Frankenstein mash-up of a tale.…
Groups denounce campaign comic book
Gay rights groups Cimarron Alliance Foundation of Oklahoma and Oklahomans for Equality are asking state political and business leaders to denounce the campaign comic book released by Brent Rinehart. Last week, the sitting Oklahoma County commissioner sent out a 16-page comic book portraying himself as a righteous leader defending the public from what he termed…
Oklahoma commission candidate embraces being a cartoon
Boy, you never run out of things to report with Brent Rinehart in office. That’s why we at CFN are secretly sorry he’s facing charges that could chuck him outta there like four-day-old fish. Rinehart’s latest antic is the circulation of a re-election brochure ” and we’re using that term loosely ” compelling voters to…
Yikes!
The Panda Chinese Restaurant in York, Pa., was already in trouble in an early June city sanitation inspection, with demerits piling up because of accumulated grease, insects in the seating area and rotting lettuce, according to a York Daily Record report. Then, in the middle of an inspector’s visit, he came upon a live snapping…
Family Values
Spare the Gun (Hammer), Spoil the Child: Darrell Walker, 30, was arrested in Bartlesville, Okla., in May after his 8-year-old son told police that his dad routinely shoots him (and his younger sister) in the leg with a BB gun if they misbehave. Robert Cisero, 46, was arrested in Medford, Ore., in June after (according…
Presidential candidate sues Oklahoma election officials to get on the ballot
Nobody in Oklahoma may get to vote for Bob Barr, but, given the chance, it’s not like many wouldn’t. Former Republican Rep. Barr, who represented Georgia in the United States Congress from 1995 to 2003, led the House of Representatives to impeach then-President Bill Clinton in 1999. He’s for strengthening the border with Mexico, making…
DragonForce proves to be the real ‘Guitar Hero’
Nowadays, it is cliché to suggest that kids could become rock virtuosos if they simply spent less time playing music-based video games like “Guitar Hero” and more time practicing actual instruments. Paradoxically, Herman Li ” guitarist for “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” soundtrack contributor DragonForce ” is a textbook example of a gamer turned…
Is OKC ‘recession-proof’ for the poor?
Looking at one set of indicators, one sees an Oklahoma that’s not only surviving the national economic downturn, but even thriving: Unemployment is down, the housing market is relatively stable, the economy is benefiting from a strong oil and gas industry. Oklahoma City was even recently deemed “recession-proof” by Forbes magazine. However, looking at a…
Oklahoman created auto-window stickers for consumers
Every day in nearly every city in America, shoppers head to a car dealership looking for sweet deals. In today’s economy, with $4-a-gallon gas, the sweeter deals come in the form of a car’s gas mileage, not its price tag. Gas mileage, price and more are immediately available to consumers thanks to Oklahoma’s Mike Monroney.…
Investing in the future
If you’ve ever had the fleeting thought that child abuse doesn’t affect you, then you may want to consider some eye-opening statistics: Children who suffer abuse or neglect are 59 percent more likely to become juvenile delinquents, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as adults and 30 percent more likely to become violent criminals,…
OKC man denies wrongdoing in bird-nest case
The man who reported downed bird nests to city officials in early June denies any responsibility for the deaths of 187 federally protected nestlings at Lake Hefner. Gregory Owen, of Oklahoma City, said he notified marina officials June 8 about the “mess” of downed nests near the marina’s slip area, east of where Owen said…
Boone breaking into wind
T. Boone Pickens, legendary oilman and Oklahoma university benefactor, has a plan to relieve our oil addiction, that pesky substance abuse problem first identified by President Bush in January 2006. With crude oil prices hovering around $140 per barrel, Boone says payments for our nearly 70 percent import requirement represent “the greatest transfer of wealth…
The Dark Knight
Reviewer’s grade: A Times are tough for everyone in Gotham City in “The Dark Knight.” The criminal underground “? once led by big-time mob bosses and established thugs “? is facing problems from every direction. First is Gotham’s new lead district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart, “No Reservations,” “Thank You for Smoking”), an innovative, incorrupt…
Pro pool player leads ladies rackin’ ’em up at tourney
Ewa Mataya Laurance is a gorgeous woman. You know it, she knows it ” they don’t call her “the Striking Viking” for nothing. But as the saying goes, she’s more than just a pretty face. The Sweden native is one of the globe’s top professional pool players ” a multiple titleholder, at one time the…
The Nude Bomb
1980 Steve Carell’s “Get Smart” isn’t the first film to be based on the Sixties TV classic; that dubious honor goes to the much-maligned “The Nude Bomb,” with Don Adams reprising his role as bumbling Agent 86 Maxwell Smart. Universal has rescued the comedy from obscurity, and it’s now available on DVD. “Bomb” doesn’t look…
Horror Films — Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc
Kamera Books From the UK comes “Horror Films,” a compact paperback aiming to give an overview of fright flicks from the world over. (Who knew there was such a scene in “Australasia”? There’s a whole chapter devoted to it.) Unlike the many books on entertainment shelves covering movies of malice, Kamera Books’ offering is not…
Clay Bennett’s ‘mission’
While watching Clay Bennett’s press conference announcing the settlement of the Seattle lawsuit, it caused me to reflect on the effort he’s put into his “mission” of bringing an NBA team to Oklahoma City and how much he’s personally endured. Bennett’s vilification by Sonics fans in Seattle once the city failed to step up to…
Oklahoma County-OSU Cooperative Extension Service plans personal-image workshop
Teenage girls are always ready to begin the rounds of shopping signaled by the back-to-school season. This year, a teen fashion workshop about personal image could better prepare girls not only for making the best fashion decisions, but also for putting their best foot forward this school year. On Friday, the Oklahoma County Oklahoma State…
Firehouse gallery exhibits Asian-influenced style
Herndon’s work concentrates on portraying the beauty of nature. Still, the similarities in their drawings become apparent when examining their use of ink and paper, not to mention a commitment to the Chinese art technique of using color very sparingly; black ink is their primary medium. “If a picture doesn’t stand on its own without…
Reynolds faces tough fight against newcomer to retain seat
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, always appears to be walking up a steep hill, even when he’s on the down slope. The state legislator, who represents part of southwest Oklahoma City and Moore, constantly finds himself holding the Paul Revere lantern. Yet his colleagues, even those wearing the same Republican stripes, tend to stay in…
Time for Favre to shut up
One would be hard-pressed to find a bigger Brett Favre fan than myself. I’ve been a Green Bay Packer fan for the better part of three decades and pretty much bleed green and gold, especially where No. 4 has been concerned over the years. It’s fairly simple: I love Brett Favre. I love his passion…
Tulsa transforms into Dfest
A dozen stages hosting 150 bands for two days ” Tulsa’s Dfest provides a one-stop shop for the best Okie-based and national indie-rock favorites. It’s impossible to hear every act at Dfest, so Oklahoma Gazette is sharing the highlights on our rock shopping list to help you find the best Dfest deal for your dollar.…
