Death Race 2000
Throughout elementary school, 1975’s “Death Race 2000” was one of those fabled movies I’d hear about on the playground and think that it couldn’t possibly be true. A race where people mow down pedestrians for points? No way! Yes way, as I finally discovered via a rental in the late 1980s. Although Paul Bartel’s film…
Daybreakers
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002ZG97CO&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Imagine a near future where a plague has turned most everyone into a vampire, or just let “Daybreakers” do it for you. In the film from brothers Michael and Peter Spierig (“Undead”), Ethan Hawke is Edward Dalton, a vampire who works as a hematologist for a large pharmaceutical corporation headed by the greedy…
Air up the tires for Bike to Work Day
Haven’t hit the pavement on two wheels lately? Dust off your bike and air up those tires, because it’s time to put the pedal to the asphalt. Bike to Work Day is set for May 21 in seven metro-area cities. Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Yukon and Guthrie each will sponsor a group…
Southern Gothic
RSIPQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr” style=”width: 120px; height: 240px;” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″> At least “Southern Gothic” delivers what it promises in its title: a Gothic story, served Southern-style. As far as today’s vampire movies go, it’s a passable one. If you’re anxiously awaiting the third season of “True Blood” to get here, Mark Young’s 2007 film is a…
Mystery Team
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0035LCV12&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Apparently, the videos of the Derrick Comedy troupe have been viewed more than 150 million times on the Internets. So why haven’t I heard of them? I have now, with the group’s inaugural feature film, 2009’s “Mystery Team.” If enough people take the bait, this disc has all the makings of a cult…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
The bad news is that climate change is really underway. That’s why Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal has sunk beneath the waves, swallowed up by rising sea levels and shifts in monsoon patterns. The good news is that its disappearance has ended a dispute between India and Bangladesh, both of which claimed it…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
A Pisces woman I know was harried by ant swarms invading her kitchen. She could have run out to the drug store and brought home loads of poisonous little ant hotels. Instead, she gave her imagination the go-ahead to brainstorm. Soon she’d come up with a solution. She scooped up a host of ants and…
Wha?
There’s a super sniffer on the loose. KOCO reported late last week that a man was caught on security camera breaking into Westmoore High School and sniffing students’ clothing. Um, ew?The incident apparently occurred April 28 around 1 a.m., according to police. The man, shown on the footage with a shaved head and wearing a…
Porn star turncoat?
Now from tasty sports news to sexy sports news. Jesse Jane loves to tell the world two things: She is a sex fiend and is a very much an Okie girl. The adult video star (and Moore High School grad) is as big in the porn world as Carrie Underwood is to country music. Jane…
Adding to recent abortion article
Thanks for LeighAnne Manwarren’s article, “State of abortion” in the May 5, 2010, Gazette.In part, the article explained that House Bill 2780 recently became law in Oklahoma but is on hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, New York.This new law requires that a woman seeking an abortion…
Straightforward with subtle, spirited acting, Poteet Theatre’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ charms audiences and cynical critics alike
Anne of Green Gables8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through May 23Poteet TheatreSt. Luke’s United Methodist Church222 N.W. 15thwww.poteettheatre.com609-1023$12 Despite what the play’s promotional art “? featuring the title character with green skin “? might infer, Poteet Theatre’s production of “Anne of Green Gables” has not been overrun by the undead,
Government isn’t a business
We hear it all the time: Why can’t government be run more like a business? Just as we often have to tighten our belts, can’t government do the same, easing the burden on citizens? There is an inherent appeal of this simple logic, one that typically goes unquestioned: What if government was run more…
After trekking across three continents, one Oklahoman is already planning his next big adventure
In a modern-day international Kerouacian adventure, Oklahoma City resident Clark Taylor recently returned to town after a yearlong stint as a globe-trotting traveler. Fate revealed itself on a summer day in 2008 when he met a girl at a music festival. After a lengthy conversation and an exchange of phone numbers, he decided to join…
PR BS
Lots of press releases related to the Sooner State cross our desk. This week, these titles least screamed “Stop the presses!” “”Waste Management Acquires Certain Assets of MedServe From Stericycle”””SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Arena Resources, Inc. Schedule Special Stockholder Meetings for June 8, 2010; Set Record Date as May 5, 2010″””underWAY(TM), America’s First Appetite-Suppressing Beverage,…
‘The Art of the Steal’ superbly documents the loss and gain of a massive art collection
The lessons in “The Art of the Steal” aren’t like those generally found in made-for-TV documentaries like those on the Discovery Channel or, even, PBS stations supported by viewers like you. Don’t be mislead by that. Don Argott’s (“Rock School”) compelling film about the transfer of The Barnes Collection of art from its home in…
Into the fire
The Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum preserves the history of battling blazes. It’s a dangerous and noble occupation to fight fires. Those who serve as firefighters take great risks to preserve life and property, and they take great care to honor their own. Claiming the distinction of the nation’s only fire museum owned and operated by…
Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton assembles some very vocal friends to serve up ‘Seven Degrees’
Stephen Egerton with Drag the River, Slorder and more8 p.m. Fridaythe Conservatory8911 N. Westernwww.conservatoryokc.com879-9778$10 Stephen Egerton has no shortage of thoughts or ideas. In fact, the musician and producer/studio owner has more tracks than time, but every one of the songs he spent years assembling piece by piece in “downtime” between sessions other artists booked…
Enough with the Islamophobia, Oklahoma!’
This is in response to the April 29 Oklahoma Gazette Commentary articles (Bob Gresham’s “Point: Christians and Muslims in Oklahoma” and the Rev. Paul Blair’s “Counterpoint: ‘Proclaiming truth is not hateful'”). The ridiculousness that I hear and see here in Oklahoma against Muslims is appalling. Paul Blair states that Islam is against the Constitution. The…
Could Oklahoma cash in on alternative sentencing and decriminalization of marijuana?
01 to 2005. But even with its success, Prater has concerns. The program is set up to help those who are facing their third or fourth drug offense and looking at possible prison sentences. He would like to see the state mandate drug treatment after the first offense. “If the state would mandate drug treatment…
Waffling
Don’t know if you knew this, but the Los Angeles Lakers were in town a few times recently for something called the NBA Playoffs. The Lakers are a basketball team. Apparently, our basketball team beat their basketball team, and then their basketball team beat our basketball team. We dunno, we’ll have to check into all…
Black Wednesday
Speaking of PR BS, when CFN’s scribes were in college, we were told not to get into public relations because “you’re the first to go and the last to know.” Now, as news organization budgets are trimmed, more journalists are getting jobs in PR. That may continue. In news that rattled the local media landscape,…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Spanish painter Francisco Goya created an etching entitled “El Sueno de la Razon Produce Monstruos.” Its two possible translations have very different meanings: “The sleep of reason produces monsters” or “The dream of reason produces monsters.” The first version suggests that when our reasoning faculties go dormant, we’re susceptible to doing dumb and crazy things.…
Gray’ for gay
To Tom Furlong (Letters, “Defining marriage,” April 21, 2010, Gazette) and other similar self-proclaimed “authorities” on law, our Constitution, human rights and where gays fit into all this: Gay couples do not already have the same rights as other couples, even in a legal or civil union, because most jurisdictions don’t recognize those unions, even…
Look Mexico heads ‘To Bed to Battle,’ edging ever closer to its rock masterpiece
Look Mexico with Weatherbox and Meddle8 p.m. Sundaythe Conservatory8911 N. Westernwww.conservatoryokc.com879-9778$8 While some bands’ first album is the apogee of their efforts, for most, it often takes a few years to round into form. Much of that evolution requires finding the right chemistry, which generally means tinkering with the lineup. Look Mexico’s already replaced every…
A run/walk this weekend in Guthrie remembers a local man and his love for animals
The See Spot Run9 a.m. SaturdayDowntown Guthriewww.theseespotrun.com There was a route through downtown Guthrie that Chris Cowden took every day. He was an avid runner and enjoyed being outdoors. During his daily trek, he often encountered friends along the way, many of them four-legged. Two years ago, on May 17, 2008, Cowden’s life came to…
‘Recession-proof’ and ‘big league’
In the past, the editorial staff of The Oklahoman has proclaimed that Oklahoma City is “recession-proof” and “big league.” If we are, indeed, recession proof, why are they eliminating 57 positions in their organization? Why wouldn’t they just raise the price of the paper (again) and save these jobs? But, on the bright side, Oklahoma…
Ace Atkins chronicles Machine Gun Kelly’s abduction of Oklahoma oil tycoon in ‘Infamous’
Ace Atkins 2-4 p.m. SundayFull Circle Bookstore1900 Northwest Expressway842-2900www.fullcirclebooks.com Ace Atkins found the spark for his latest novel, “Infamous,” buried within 8,000 pages of an FBI file. Granted, it was a good one, on one of the Depression era’s most notorious gangsters, Machine Gun Kelly. In July 1933, the criminal ” aka George Kelly Barnes…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
These days you have an extraordinary capacity to perform magic. And when I use that word “magic,” I mean it in a very specific sense: causing practical changes to occur in accordance with your most noble and beautiful desires. I’m not talking about the kind of “magic” that helps you gratify mediocre wishes or tawdry…
Corporate America, take heed: Publishers should be local
The corporate suits whisked through the newsroom and into the publisher’s office. A visit wasn’t scheduled, so what were they doing in Oklahoma? Something was up. Nothing good ever came from a surprise corporate visit. A few minutes later, the phone rang in my office. The publisher wanted to see me. I panicked, and my…
The American Indian Cultural Center continues to progress, construction starts on Hall of the People
Among Oklahoma’s Indian tribes, there are many different ways to say “Proud place.” But no matter the language chosen, these words are an appropriate description of what Oklahoma City’s American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM) is becoming before our very eyes. ‘What is that mound of dirt?’A landmark in new waysSite for the site…
Chefs will prepare ostrich egg omelets for kids and families at Saturday’s breakfast event at the Oklahoma City Zoo
24th annual Ostrich Egg Breakfast8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday Oklahoma City Zoo2101 N.E. 50th $12 for adults; $7 for kids Going to the Oklahoma City Zoo this weekend? Bring your appetite. The Oklahoma Zoological Society is cooking up a big breakfast for its guests on Saturday. The 24th annual Ostrich Egg Breakfast ” featuring…
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
What happens when someone “sells out”? Typically, it refers to a person who overrides her highest artistic standards or her soul’s mandates in order to make a bundle of money. But I want to enlarge the definition to encompass any behavior that seeks popular appeal at the expense of authenticity, or any action that sacrifices…
Whether trudging through till ideas come or taking time to play, two artists explore their paths and process for creative progress
Tom Toperzer and Paul Medina7 p.m. Friday, opening receptionOn display through July 10MAINSITE Contemporary Art122 E. Main, Normanwww.mainsite-art.com292-8095 One painting, a single concept or even a series spanning six years is not enough to build a professional career in art, so finding the next great direction in one’s creative life is key to making a…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
I can’t live the button-down life, says cartoon character Homer Simpson. “I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles.” Born May 10, Homer is unusual for a Taurus. Many of your tribe love the creamy middles but are quite content to live without the terrifying lows, even if that means…
Why vote?
Hysteria is coming this November, and every vote is precious. Get ready to hear from the candidates how very important this election is and how both the republic’s and the great state of Oklahoma’s future is in their hands. Yet, I must ask: Why don’t more people actually vote in the elections that touch their…
Reader wishes OKC bomber were still in prison
The tragic decisions of Timothy McVeigh, 15 years ago, illuminate the terrible consequences resulting when anyone takes it upon themselves to “retaliate” violently, no matter how “justifiable” they believe their anger is. Three people I knew were murdered that day, and the losses imposed on others by McVeigh’s personal mission still stab the hearts of…
State lawmakers want to make sure progress continues in regards to teacher performance pay
Educational reform is of great public concern for many in Oklahoma, and state lawmakers are no exception. There are several components that contribute to overall reform, and teacher performance pay is at the top of the list this legislative session. Both a House and Senate bill have been introduced to address the issue. The Education…
Local writers featured at Literati Indie Book Fair
Literati Indie Book FairIndividual Artists of Oklahoma gallery 706 W. Sheridan10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday315-6224, www.indiebookfair.comfree Find tomorrow’s literary superstar today ” or from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, to be technical ” at the Literati Indie Book Fair, returning to the Individual Artists of Oklahoma gallery, 706 W. Sheridan. Now in its…
Samantha Crain – You (Understood)
Samantha Crain makes good time. Where the Shawnee singer/songwriter stands today is miles away from the road she walked in 2007. That year’s rootsy “Confiscation” EP is now a faint flicker on the horizon’ a bluesy moment that she worked through with last year’s “Songs in the Night,” a transitional album where Crain leaned on…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your eyes can discriminate between about 500 various shades of gray. Let’s hope your moral compass is as precise in its power to distinguish subtle differences. Why? Because there will be no easy black-versus-white decisions to make in the near future; no simple, foolproof way to determine the distinctions between good and bad. I recommend…
Despite going more than a decade without a fresh album, Foreigner is no stranger to arenas
Foreigner with Styx and Kansas7 p.m. FridayZoo Amphitheatre2101 N.E. 50thwww.zooamp.com364-3700$35-$125 Is there life after death? Ask Foreigner, because it’s probably come the closest to finding out. After establishing itself as arguably the mightiest arena-rock act of the late ’70s and early ’80s, its descent was precipitous. Following four albums, each bigger than the last, 1984’s…
ARTini guests will sip imaginative elixirs created by local restaurants to raise money for Allied Arts
ARTini7 p.m. Saturday Oklahoma City Public Farmers Market311 S. Klein$65 in advance; $75 at the doorwww.alliedartini.com Artistic tastes and taste buds collide this weekend at an annual fundraiser for Allied Arts. ARTini combines visual art with inventive martinis to support Allied Arts and more than 20 local arts groups it helps support. This year, 11…
K2, herbal incense and alternative to marijuana, recently became illegal
Gov. Brad Henry signed House Bill 3241 on April 29, making a potent marijuana substitute known as K2 illegal in Oklahoma. Sold under various proprietary names, K2 is an herbal mixture sprayed with psychoactive chemicals to produce similar affects to marijuana, although the product was sold in local head shops as incense. Oklahoma Rep. David…
True Blood: The Complete Second Season
d hostage in a vampire dungeon, while Merlotte’s diner owner Sam (Sam Trammell) comes out about being a werewolf. But the real juice is injected via two storylines with new characters. In one, Sookie’s wayward brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten), finds religion and joins the Fellowship of the Sun, an evangelical organization that loves Jesus and…
Iron Man 2
Lighten up. That directive had a lot to do with what made 2008’s “Iron Man” rake in more than $585 million worldwide. The film’s polished storytelling and sly humor invigorated a comic-book superhero genre that, for all its box-office successes, had slipped into an angst usually reserved for high school sophomores. The Hulk was more…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Do you want to know where all the power lies for you right now? It’s nowhere. Do you want to know what the nature of that power is? It’s nothing. But before you jump to conclusions about the meaning of what I just said, read this passage from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, translated by…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Some experts say methamphetamine is more addictive than any other drug. Here’s one reason why, according to “Mothers Against Methamphetamines” founder Dr. Mary Holley: “The effect of an IV hit of methamphetamine is the equivalent of 10 orgasms all on top of each other lasting for 30 minutes to an hour, with a feeling of…
Llama mamas
From KXII-TV out of Texas comes this report of a Bokchito woman and her unique way of helping out in the gulf. Sandra Reynolds owns a llama ranch, and every spring she shears her hairy beasts to help them stay cool in the summer heat. But this year, according to KXII, she won’t be using…
Babies
How cute is the documentary “Babies”? I lactated. OK, I’m joking. However, I’ll admit to it firing up a spark in the paternal-instinct pouch buried deep within my cold heart. Ranging in age from 12 to 5, the three kids I currently own are plenty, but seeing the cuddly, chubby cheeked newborns onscreen moved me…
Two artists explore their paths and process for creative progress
Tom Toperzer and Paul Medina7 p.m. Friday, opening receptionOn display through July 10MAINSITE Contemporary Art122 E. Main, Normanwww.mainsite-art.com292-8095 One painting, a single concept or even a series spanning six years is not enough to build a professional career in art, so finding the next great direction in one’s creative life is key to making a…
