Creep Van
For his sophomore effort, director Scott W. Mackinlay has reassembled much of his cast and crew from 2006’s Gag, including Brian Kolodziej, who takes the driver’s sear as Campbell, a young man forced to accept a lowly gig at a car wash after being fired from a grocery store for stealing porno magazines they don’t…
Bigfoot County
In li’l ol’ Siskiyou County, Calif., Bigfoot has been sighted 913 times in the last 25 years — so states the opening crawl of this found-footage film. Although the sought target is different, Bigfoot County copies The Blair Witch Project story template to a near T, what with sticks, tent rattling, heavy breathing at night…
Attaboy!
Well stated, Rev. —Merle Wright, Oklahoma City
Climate change and logic
Let’s consider the most basic of facts. In 1804, the world human population met a milestone of 1 billion people. It didn’t double again until 1927, yet doubled again to 4 billion in 1974. By 2012, the world human population surpassed the 7 billion mark with over half of the world’s population living in urban…
Misleading figures
And your statements about the 46 percent who have no federal tax liability and the amount of taxes paid by the top 1 percent, while true, are abstractions that make good sound bites, but mean something much different once one looks into them. Everyone who works for a job where he or she gets a…
Secede? We already have
Mr. Brake, Oklahoma is on the rise in many enviable categories thanks to our current leadership: the number of citizens with zero to marginal health insurance, poverty, child hunger, racism, high obesity, diabetes, and smoking rates, high teenage pregnancy rates despite intense fundamentalist religious dogma, restrictive reproductive laws, a low-skill workforce, outrageous incarceration rates in…
Young at heart
Just today, in fact, the city commandeered the front page of USA Today, earning praise for its urban renaissance and active effort to keep millennials from up and moving elsewhere. That’s right, baby boomers, there’s a new generation to fawn over. The millennials are the 20-something generation, or what a recent Gawker story referred to…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
OKG7 recent restaurants you still need to try
Flint15 N. Robinson flintokc.com 605-0657 At breakfast or brunch, try the lemon ricotta pancakes with papaya chutney, or bagel and cured salmon with capers, onions, tomatoes, lemon, cream cheese and chopped eggs. For lunch or dinner, grab the Thai beef salad, complete with soba (Japanese noodles made from buckwheat). The duck tacos with mango relish…
Deluxe shopping
When you slap them together for an event, euphoria is within reach. Saturday marks the sixth show for the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar, which continues to grow and support the absolute best that Oklahoma artists have to offer. What is Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar? Glad you asked. It’s a showcase of local creatives selling their…
Twilight’s last gleaming
Credit: Mark Hancock When the battle for Okinawa ended, 12,500 Americans had been killed or lost. The Japanese lost more than 100,000. Fenwick, hailing from southeastern Oklahoma, was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, an advanced kind of medical personnel who landed with the Marines. He almost didn’t make the battle when his first landing craft…
Merry and bright
Holiday on Broadway White Christmas: The Musical7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Sooner Theatre101 E. Main, Norman soonertheatre.org 321-9600 $15-$23 Adapted from the beloved 1954 film starring Bing Crosby, this musical finds war veterans Bob and Phil singing and dancing their way after showbiz sisters Betty and Judy. The quartet ends up at a Vermont…
The write stuff
Photo: Shannon Cornman Oklahoma has a long, varied history in pop culture. From actors and filmmakers like Brad Pitt and Blake Edwards to musicians and singers like Charlie Christian and Garth Brooks, the state has been a leader in exporting world-class talents. One area that often gets overlooked is the state’s role in the realm…
Questioning power and authority
So why do we, as citizens, often treat police officers with a general mistrust, suspicion and fear? The answer is both simple and complex. Americans are wary about police officers because we have entrusted them with such a critical duty. More important, we have handed to them an authority that — even if slightly abused…
Burgers in HD
If you look on a map, El Reno is so close. It’s just right there. But while a 30-minute drive from my house might not seem like much, when you consider how long it takes to wrangle my kid and deal with traffic, it becomes almost insurmountable. Which is why I’m glad our neighbors to…
Horny time
Photo: Harry Fellows Robert Perlick-Molinari had no idea that a secondhand instrument would set his life on a new course. “My oldest brother played French horn. He had an extra laying around the house,” he said. “I wanted to play a different instrument, but Mom was like, ‘Looks like you are learning the French horn.’…
Hinder — Welcome to the Freakshow
The brand-new, fourth album from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (!?) inductee and long-considered aural equivalent of hot garbage is unlikely to turn the tide, but it’s a — dare I say — commendable effort. It’s hard to hate on a band too much that at least attempts to evolve. Borrowing elements of pop,…
Friends in high places
Credit: Brad Gregg Brooks told the Sun, “It would be amazing if it works out with Scorsese. I’m not confirming or denying that.” Our hope is that the 70-year-old Scorsese, arguably America’s greatest living director, won’t waste his time with someone who peaked 20 years ago. Then again, some of Scorsese’s strange-sounding projects pan out…
PR BS
Credit: Brad Gregg —“Parents Reminded to Check Their Window Coverings” —“GASO Press Release in more usable format” —“The Thompson Tee – the Ultimate Sweat-Proof Undershirt” —“Gift for men: high tech socks with a tracking device” —“Bethesda Academy Partners with Nourish to Produce Exclusive Line of Organic Goat Milk Soaps”
Dear Dad
Garage-pop duo Dadrock had a bloody good time during its debut Opolis performance roughly a year ago. “I was horribly sick that day and took too much Mucinex, which gave me a massive nosebleed right as we were doing soundcheck,” singer/ guitarist Kevin Lough said. “I was in the bathroom nearly passing out while [drummer…
It figures
Sunday may bring the metro’s most memorable ice storm yet. That’s when the Oklahoma City Figure Skating Club presents The Ice Storm, a winter performance celebrating the growth of arts and culture in the city. The story follows the Spuds family as it searches for creative ways to weather one of the state’s severe ice…
To litigate or not to litigate?
Credit: Brad Gregg “The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept.” “If it doesn’t fit, thou must acquit.” Those lines were penned by William Shakespeare, whose plays took a great interest in the workings of the law and the dramas of the court. (That last one might not be his. Who knows? We…
PR BS
Credit: Brad Gregg —“Parents Reminded to Check Their Window Coverings” —“GASO Press Release in more usable format” —“The Thompson Tee – the Ultimate Sweat-Proof Undershirt” —“Gift for men: high tech socks with a tracking device” —“Bethesda Academy Partners with Nourish to Produce Exclusive Line of Organic Goat Milk Soaps”
Trees a charm
During the Adopt-a-Family Christmas Tree Giveaway, a $50 donation provides a family with a decorated Chrismas tree. Ornament donations can be dropped off to volunteers at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno. “I’m excited about it,” said Nicki Largent, Tree Bank Foundation executive director. “I think it will be fun. I wanted to do something…
Sparkle and shine
Champagne and American sparkling wine still dominate the market, but now consumers can also choose Cava, Franciacorta, Lambrusco or Prosecco — all named for the regions in which the grapes are grown. In addition, the bubbles are available in all prices. Mercat Cava arrived in the metro this fall. The Spanish sparkling wine is made…
Womb Dwelling
After college and a few less-than-fulfilling jobs, she purchased a business name, some light fixtures and other odds and ends. She located an out-of-the-way space in downtown Tulsa and did what she had wanted to do since she was a child: Babcock opened a gift shop. Dwelling Spaces soon became popular, especially with artistic types.…
Building a Legacy
The estimated $6 million park, expected to be ringed with restaurants, will bring a different park concept to west Norman, which is dotted with small community parks that usually feature playgrounds. “This is not a typical park site,” said Jud Foster, Norman director of parks and recreation. “It’s an urban park, with an amphitheater, walkways,…
Shoulda tied me kangaroo down, sport
Credit: Brad Gregg Unlike the incorrigible Lucy Ricardo, however, this is one Lucy you wouldn’t be able to understand. Unless you speak kangaroo, that is. We’re talking about Lucy Sparkles, a sneaky little marsupial that bounded off from her Shawnee family’s home Nov. 22, trekking across Pottawatomie County like they were her indigenous Aussie deserts…
Unconventional concerns
Mike Carrier Credit: Mark Hancock The Cox Center is being subsidized fairly heavily compared to counterparts in similar markets, losing an average of $3.4 million yearly between 2006 and 2008. But a new convention center would still require subsidization by the city. Convention Sports and Leisure International (CS&L), the company whose study recommended Oklahoma City…
Pledge cleaner
Credit: Brad Gregg Perhaps the same can be said about congressional Republicans and the antitax pledge pushed by activist Grover Norquist now that U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, has said it’s time to cut a budget deal with President Obama and avoid the fiscal cliff. In an interview last week with Politico, Cole confirmed that…
We laughed, we cried, it was better than ‘Cats’!
Credit: Brad Gregg “A winner.” “Inspired.” “Thrilling.” “Masterful.” “Stunning.” You get the idea. For more rapturous adjectives, talk to Wayne Coyne’s publicist. Even online snark master Perez Hilton was excited, pointing out that “this show is expensive!!!!!!!” That’s seven exclamation points, or three more than Coyne used in his grenade-apology tweet. Based on the acclaimed…
Helping the hungry
Whether the elves are on your shelves or cleverly disguised as everyday humans, they currently are out and about. The Edward Jones financial services firm has partnered with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to collect canned food from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday as part of the third annual Santa’s Helpers Food Drive.…
Open Kitchen
The company, of which Paul is a co-founder and co-owner, has refurbished an old downtown building to house Kitchen No. 324, named for its address, 324 N. Robinson. The eatery is scheduled to open late this month. Historically, A Good Egg reimagines historic buildings as restaurants — Cheever’s and Red PrimeSteak, most notably — then…
Sweet Jaine
“I am in the process of booking places locally to play live. Honestly, I’ll play anywhere, anytime. I’ll play in someone’s living room,” she said. “I just need 5 feet to set up my keyboard. I just want to play music.” Originally from Florida, Savannah considers Oklahoma City her adoptive home. And it’s here where…
Jingle bell prog rock
Roaring ’round the globe for almost 20 years, Trans-Siberian Orchestra —TSO, for short — is the unlikeliest musical group to become not only one of the top concert acts ever, but a holiday tradition equal to Santa Claus himself. TSO brings this symphonic-prog/classical-metal gift to the Chesapeake Energy Arena for two shows Saturday. But, according…
Do you hear what we hear?
Kyle DillinghamA Very Kyle Christmas Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassador, Kyle Dillingham, doesn’t fiddle around on his Christmas disc, as the album is no mere novelty. Solid musicianship abounds on this intimate, acoustic affair, whose 14 tracks — a couple of which are originals — come decorated with interesting instrumentation not relegated to his signature violin. “Shall…
Last dance
Carpenter Square Theatre offers an alternative to the multitude of holiday productions with The Last Romance, about finding love in life’s twilight years. Making its Oklahoma debut, Romance tells the story of Ralph, an 80-year-old widower living a life of routine. One day, a choice to take a different path on his daily walk leads…
Funny business
Comedian Jay Mohr recently used his popular podcast, Mohr Stories, to call Brian Regan the funniest comedian in America. That was news to Regan. “I didn’t realize he said that, but I’m quite honored. That means a lot to me,” him said. “Compliments are always fun, but when they come from people who do what…
A Vampire’s Tale
After unpacking his prized oldest obsidian mirror, Jacob inadvertently allows a time-traveling cowboy to cross over into our world, landing right smack in his barn. The cowboy, Phelan (Jonnie Hurn, The Zombie Diaries), is actually a hundreds-year-old vampire, not to mention one who makes references to The Shining, Army of Darkness and, um, City Slickers.…
Classic Albums: Peter Gabriel: So
To Classic Albums newcomers, the franchise delivers the “definitive authorised story” of a culture-shaking disc in feature-length form, relying on video clips, concert footage and many a talking-head interview from the talents who were there, on both sides of the studio glass. In this case, that includes Gabriel, other musicians, members of the tech team…
Painted Skin: The Resurrection
Five hundred years ago, a fox demon (Xun Zhou, Cloud Atlas) was imprisoned in the ice. Five hundred years later, she is freed, is nursed back to health, and wants to be human, yet has a heart hot enough to melt ice. This being an Asian epic fantasy, that doesn’t strike the other characters as…
A Man Called Django! / Django and Sartana’s Showdown in the West / Django Kills Silently / Django’s Cut Price Corpses
The one that isn’t is 1971’s A Man Called Django! (aka Viva! Django), which finds our drifter hero rolling into town to look for the Four Leaf Clover Gang, whose members who murdered his wife. He carries with him her photo in a music box, many sticks of dynamite and his trusty gun. All are…
Coma
Now, cable’s done the same thing with the perfectly fine ’70s sci-fi thriller Coma, which was directed by Crichton. Both updates come from director Mikael Salomon. It’s nice to see the lovely and talented Lauren Ambrose (Sleepwalk with Me) headlining the project as an idealistic med student who uncovers a conspiracy involving a remarkable number…
School daze
The revelation comes amid allegations by some former Douglass teachers and administrators that former Principal Brian Staples altered student grades and attendance records to make it appear that the beleaguered school was improving. At a heated news conference yesterday, Oklahoma City Public School officials blamed the mess on violations of policy and procedures, but declined…
Kill ’Em All
Then, Saw-style, eight of them wake up locked in a dingy warehouse room dubbed The Killing Chamber, where hit men are taken to die. All of them are assassins, but only one will be allowed to leave after rounds and rounds of glorious mortal combat. So says Snakehead (Gordon Liu, the ’70s martial-arts superstar experiencing…
Big Tits Zombie
But I’ll give you several dozen more. Aoi plays Lena Jodo, the illiterate, chain-saw-wielding stripper heroine at the center of this unapologetic celebration of arterial spray and areola. As her club is being shut down, she and her fellow entertainers … wait, what’s that? I’m boring you? Apologies. How’s this instead: an old Asian midget,…
With Great Power …: The Stan Lee Story
But no household name has led a life devoid of conflict and drama, and the three-director doc skirts over those portions, because I assume this project was made with the subject’s full approval. It is — pardon my French — one ass-kisser of a career retrospective. To give credit where credit is due, Lee truly…
The Apparition
This is the real estate conundrum vexing the cute couple at the tell-tale heart of The Apparition, Ben (Sebastian Stan, Captain America: The First Avenger) and Kelly (Ashley Greene, The Twilight Saga). It’s all because, unbeknownst to his beaut beau, Ben took active part in a paranormal psychology experiment headed by a fellow student (Tom…
