Too-costly Core to Shore bridge being redesigned
A major component of Oklahoma City’s Core to Shore program is undergoing significant changes after it ran into enormous projected cost overruns. The proposed SkyDance Bridge, a pedestrian bridge spanning Interstate 40 that was to be an “iconic symbol of Oklahoma City’s future” and serve as a linkage between the planned central park and promenade…
Altitude
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003WJ6VDQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Among other frightening fare, the fall season recently brought “Devil” to theaters, which took place almost entirely in an elevator with five people. Skipping theaters is the new-to-DVD “Altitude,” which takes place almost entirely in a small plane. How small? Think Buddy Holly. En route to a…
Monster a-Go Go
Asks the cover of this “special collector’s edition” of 1965’s “Monster a-Go Go,” “Is it a misunderstood masterpiece … or the WORST MOVIE EVER MADE?” It’s neither. Oh, it’s one of the worst movies ever made, all right “? just not “the” worst. The sci-fi film “? can we actually call it a film? “?…
The Power
This may be seen as sacrilege by the Monster Kid generation who grew up on the filmography of producer George Pal, but I much prefer the little-known “The Power” to his hit H.G. Wells adaptations, “The War of the Worlds” and “The Time Machine.” This 1967 thriller was ahead of its time! Researchers at a…
Assault Girls
From the basis of the trailer, “Assault Girls” looks like a lean, mean, fightin’ machine with wall-to-wall battles and a high-BPM soundtrack. Surprise! This is more like “? brace yourself, kids “? an elegiac tone poem, directed by Mamoru Oshii, who helmed the “Ghost in the Shell” anime. Story is secondary “? if even that…
A Nightmare on Elm Street
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002ZG9724&fc1=000000&IS2=1 I can understand why the filmmakers behind “A Nightmare on Elm Street” felt the need to hit the restart button in remaking Wes Craven’s classic 1984 chiller, but in doing so, they’ve managed to sap the fun out of the franchise. How soon we forget that razor-gloved…
Grand Prix may race through city’s Adventure District
The idea of having Grand Prix racing in Oklahoma City isn’t dead yet, despite an earlier setback that scrapped plans for such a race to be held in downtown. Oklahoma City Motorsports is in the process of securing a sanctioning body and a 2012 date for a race in the city’s Adventure District. The company…
Hush
Despite having a full bladder for the last half of “Hush,” I couldn’t bring myself to hit the pause button and make a trip to the restroom. That’s a recommendation for this suspenseful indie thriller from the UK. Zakes and Beth (William Ash and Christine Bottomley) make a cute couple, although their relationship isn’t exactly…
Bangkok Adrenaline
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003X3BY9M&fc1=000000&IS2=1 As a wise man —? or was it Murray Head? —? once sang, “One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble / Can’t be too careful with your company.” What a soothsayer! It’s like he predicted the entirety of “Bangkok Adrenaline” all the way back in…
The Lost Tribe
Glance at the cover of “The Lost Tribe” and you’ll note it bears a striking resemblance to “Predator.” That word is mentioned big and bold on the back cover. The creature in the film even sees in that pixelated Predator-Vision, albeit in black and white. But I know “Predator,” and you, “Lost Tribe,” are no…
Batman & Robin: Batman vs Robin
Grant Morrison’s “Batman & Robin” debuted last year after the death of Bruce Wayne, recasting former Robin Dick Grayson as the new Batman, and Wayne’s snotty son, Damian, as the new Robin. (Got that?) In “Batman & Robin: Batman vs Robin ” The Deluxe Edition,” the second collection of the series, they’re already trying to…
You Might As Well Live
And now for the funniest movie you’ve never heard of this year, “You Might As Well Live.” Granted, we Americans tend to choose our comedies based on brand names and recognizable faces, but give this one a try anyway. If you haven’t laughed at least a few times in its first five minutes, it wasn’t…
Portland indie-punkers The Thermals warm hearts with ‘Personal Life,’ an album that swells and sputters like love
The Thermals with Coathangers 9 p.m. Monday Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org 447-3417 $10 advance, $12 door $12 advance, $14 door under 21 Complexity’s overrated. That’s one of the guiding principles for The Thermals. The Portland, Ore., trio’s five full-length albums are characterized by propulsive, straightforward lo-fi rock with a strong punk undercurrent and…
Despite a shrinking industry and equipment attainable by amateurs, three local recording studios are expanding
2.0 Studios, which he co-owns with Scott Garrod. Photo/Mark Hancock” style=”float: right; margin: 10px;” longdesc=”Brad Heinrichs sits behind a TAC Matchless console at Analog 2.0 Studios, which he co-owns with Scott Garrod. Photo/Mark Hancock” />Analog 2.0 Studios, Oklahoma City Engineers: Brad Heinrichs and Scott Garrod When Scott Garrod and Brad Heinrichs first started recording together,…
Death of a justice
I have a short list of heroes, but Justice Marian Opala made the cut with me a long time ago. Justice Opala died Oct. 11 at the age of 89 after 32 years of service as an Oklahoma Supreme Court justice. His life’s work was the law, carried out with a degree of precision and…
Jari Askins hopes to add first female governor to her long line of Democratic firsts
“Jari ain’t Mary.” So says the website of the same name sponsored and maintained by the Oklahoma GOP. Without exception, both sides in the gubernatorial race believe the statement, so it’s at least a little ironic that such an ambiguous domain name was chosen. Sid Hudson, Askins’ campaign manager, chuckled at the name of the…
Jackass 3D
In the 2000 “South Park” episode “Fat Camp,” the eternally hooded Kenny accepts a sum of money from his friends for eating a manatee spleen. The incident leads to a nationally televised career during which Kenny ends up performing fellatio on Howard Stern and works up to spending time in his bus driver’s womb. On…
Quake!!!!
OMG, you guys, did you feel the earth move under your feet last week? Did you feel the sky tumblin’ down (tumblin’ down)? We know. Us, too! We don’t know who it was in the state Legislature (we have our ideas), but someone has obviously ticked off a certain deity. We’re not going to even…
Red City Radio’ Spinning in Circles Is a Gateway Drug
Right now, Oklahoma City punk outfit Red City Radio is making its way down the East Coast, gigging from Pennsylvania to The Fest, a three-day music festival in Gainesville, Fla. Vinnie Fiorello, drummer and founding member of hit Florida ska act Less Than Jake, caught the band’s performance at The Fest last year. After Red…
Beloved songsmith Guy Clark has decades of experience, but he starts anew every day, building guitars and stringing stories
Guy Clark 8 p.m. Saturday UCO Jazz Lab 100 E. Fifth, Edmond www.ucojazzlab.com 340-8552 $45 When it comes to pure songwriting craft, Guy Clark has few peers. His songs pulse with truths like a still-beating heart cut and pasted to the page. He took apart the first guitar he ever owned and put it back…
Insane Clown Posse show too dangerous for children
I was horrifed at the dangerous behavior at the concert. The fans broke down the barigade, stomping people and children as young as 7 yrs old. The Diamond ballroom didnt have enough sercurity and has been reckless in allowing “all ages” shows. No one should allow minors to such dangerous events as these. They didnt…
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s Art Adventures class gives kids and parents free arts education each Tuesday
Art Adventures Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 555 Elm in Norman Ages 3-5 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, ongoing 325-3272, www.ou.edu/fjjma Kids can take an adventure tailored specifically for them, all while learning about art and literature. Art Adventures, an interactive program for ages 3-5, gives children the opportunity to learn creative forms of expression at…
Thirty local artists join for DNA Galleries’ anniversary exhibit, creating skateboard art meant to ride your walls
Custom Longboard Show 7-11 p.m. Friday DNA Galleries 1705 B N.W. 16th www.dnagalleries.com 371-2460 As skaters grow up and the laws of physics catch up with them, many turn to longboards to continue carving out asphalt while minimizing the chance of shedding blood for the sport they love. DNA Galleries revives last year’s ode by…
Fear fans are flush with options for terrifying tours of Halloween haunts
Traveling to the Scream Country Haunted Forest in Drumright feels like the setup of a horror movie, with poorly marked streets devolving into darkened gravel roads winding outside a small town in the middle of nowhere. According to owner Chance Newman, it doesn’t get any easier after that. “On a scale of one to…
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
When I think of the extraordinary feats of strength you will be capable of in the coming weeks, my mind turns to a Chinese martial artist named Dong Changsheng. Last May, he attached one end of a rope to his eyelids and the other end to a small airplane, then pulled the thousand-pound load 15…
Poster platelets
Quick! Somebody call a “Priest Driven Ambulance!” When Wayne Coyne wants to paint a poster, he don’t use jelly ” he opens up a vein. He’s always loved fake gore, but The Flaming Lips front man injected a little all-too-realism into his surreal form of visual expression by screen-printing a poster with his own blood.…
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
When the tide is coming in, the creek I live next to flows vigorously toward the south. When the tide’s going out, the water reverses its course and heads swiftly north. Every day, there’s an in-between time when the creek seems confused. Some currents creep south and others slink north, while here and there eddies…
Three 5th Congressional District candidates cover issues from job creation to legalizing drugs
Three candidates are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin and represent Oklahoma’s 5th U.S. congressional district. A Republican, a Democrat and an independent candidate are each seeking the seat that’s been a Republican stronghold since 1976. Fallin is vacating after serving two terms to run for governor. With the open seat, Republican James Lankford,…
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Scottish scientists decided to see if they could find evidence for the existence of the Loch Ness monster. They took a research submarine down into the murky depths, scanning with sonar. The prehistoric creature was nowhere in sight, but a surprising discovery emerged: Thousands of golf balls litter the bottom of the loch, presumably because…
In your Face
You talk, we listen! Here’s what readers said on some of last week’s Oklahoma Gazette stories, via unedited comments left on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/okgazette: On State Question 752, on adding laypeople to the Judicial Nominating Commission: “”again, i am amazed that most of the state questions, including 752, are on the ballot. in…
Fresh off its 50th anniversary, Chicago’s famed Second City brings ‘Fair & Unbalanced’ to Sooner Theatre for a one-night show
d/Live_Music_Thumbnails/GreenCo_04-10_a_7-06×3-95cm.jpg” style=”float: right; margin: 10px;” />The Second City Touring Company: Fair & Unbalanced 8 p.m. Friday Sooner Theatre 101 E. Main, Norman www.soonertheatre.org 321-9600 $30-$40 Norman’s Sooner Theatre plays host Friday to “Fair & Unbalanced,” a new sketch show from Second City, a touring company from one of the country’s most prestigious comedy institutions. The…
Halloween brings the camp-tastic ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’ to Drumright’s Scream Country
Evil Dead: The Musical 11:30 p.m. Saturday Boomstick Theater 51853 W 101st Street S., Drumright www.evildeadok.com 918-409-0274 $20-$30 Black-clad gunmen lurked behind the stage and along the aisles of the Boomstick Theater. Once Ash Williams (Chance Newman) took a chain saw to his demon-possessed girlfriend, the ambush ensued with the gunmen lifting their water guns…
The “Art Is Politics” exhibit at Tribes 131 highlights three diverse artists
“Art is Politics” Tribes 131 131 N.W. 24th, Norman opening reception, 2-5 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 24 329-4442, www.tribes131.com The exhibit “Art Is Politics” asks the question: If art is politics, are artists lunatics? “Art without a political edge is crap,” artist Murv Jacob said. “The politicians don’t tell us what to do “? we…
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
In fifth grade I was in love with Calley, who was the by far prettiest girl in the school. Sadly, she didn’t return my affection, so I had to be content with adoring her from afar. Eventually I moved away and lost touch. Since then I’ve wondered if she suffered the fate that befalls too…
State Question 757 would increase the amount of surplus revenue put into the state’s Rainy Day Fund to 15 percent
With the state’s Rainy Day Fund facing a drought, one state question on the November ballot would increase the amount of money that could be added to the fund. The Rainy Day Fund, officially the Constitutional Reserve, is essentially the state’s savings account. It is filled with excess revenue, garnered when state revenue collections are…
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
There’s one ultimate goal during sex, says Cosmopolitan magazine, a renowned source of erotic guidance for women. That is “to be as sensually stimulated as possible.” I don’t quite agree with that assessment. Having emotionally pleasing fun should also be an important consideration, as well as creating a playful ambiance and invoking spiritual grace. But…
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
In the weeks ahead, Libra, you’re going to be tested on your follow-through. People will want you to work harder on what has previously come fairly easily. You will be pressured to make good on your promises; you’ll be asked to refine the details that are central to the success of the good new ideas…
Pander to the people
The iPad does not really present much in the way of new technology, and I had a difficult time understanding some of the comments in Joshua Boydston’s “iPad U” article (Oct. 6, Gazette). Boydston describes it as being part smartphone and part laptop, both inventions that already exist. Kathryn Steele, an expository writing professor at…
Seeing ‘Red’
Who wouldn’t be thrilled at having Helen Mirren’s hands all over their tool? Oh, it’s John Malkovich? Never mind. Nevertheless, workers at the Tulsa-based corporate headquarters of tool manufacturer Hilti are excited to see their Hilti DX460 powder actuator have a supporting role in the new action film “Red,” according to an article in the…
Shooting at shoplifters?
As I made my way through the usual heavy afternoon traffic, dreading the upcoming construction zone and wishing I had taken a different route, I noticed an Oklahoma City Police Department crime scene unit right next to me, slowly making its way through the same traffic. I began to wonder what must have happened. All…
Several local craft fairs help out with holiday shopping
WorldFest Market There’s no need to grab passports and tango with airlines in order to go shopping abroad. The sixth annual WorldFest international shopping market brings the work of artisans worldwide to Oklahoma. World Neighbors focuses on eradicating hunger, poverty and disease around the globe. Its approach has a more lasting and notable effect, said…
Time to take the doughnuts
Cops love doughnuts. Who doesn’t delight in the delicacy introduced by Dutch settlers in North America? The delicious treat may pack on the pounds, but the sweet, fried dough rarely leads to allegations of parking lot urination and solicitation of a sex act. Unless you’re in Bartlesville. A woman there faces charges of second-degree burglary,…
PR BS
Lots of press releases related to the Sooner State cross our desk. This week, these titles least screamed “Stop the presses!” “”Snow plow practice for street crews” “”100% OKLAHOMA PUBLIC WORKPLACE NOVEMBER CAPITOL DEMONS” “”Austin Cake Ball Creates a National Dessert Craze that Really Takes the Cake: Company Has Grown by 400 Percent, Expects to…
Unmarked Cars make mark on Blue Note Friday
Oklahoma City indie rockers Unmarked Cars headline a 9 p.m. Friday show at the Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson. Guitarist Justin Hogan’s other band, Rico Muerte, which he formed with his fellow ACM@UCO students, will open, alongside Fort Worth, Texas, rockers Meander. Unmarked Cars will start work on a new album this fall, which will…
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Scientists have discovered an exotic animal that feeds on the bones of dead whales lying on the ocean floor. Known informally as the bone-eating snot-flower worm, it looks like a frilly pink plume growing up out of sheer bone. Believe it or not, Sagittarius, you could take a cue from this creature in the coming…
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
What is the wild and instinctual nature? Radiance magazine posed that question to storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Here’s her reply: “to establish territory, to find one’s pack, to be in one’s body with certainty and pride regardless of the body’s gifts and limitations, to speak and act in one’s behalf, to be aware, alert, to…
Never Let Me Go
“Never Let Me Go” is easier to admire than love, a movie as frustrating as it is fascinating. That probably doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, but this science-fiction romance is too haunting and provocative to dismiss simply because of some missteps. Based on the acclaimed 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, “Never Let Me Go”…
A cast of local musicians and supporters helps The Nghiems defy their own low expectations
The Nghiems with Shitty/Awesome 10 p.m. Thursday The Deli 309 White, Norman www.thedeli.us 329-3534 $5 Brothers David and James Nghiem are preparing for practice in their quiet, suburban rehearsal space as they have for four years, but things couldn’t be much more different. The pair began with little more than a love of music and…
Accusations are flying in the contentious race to replace Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson
Two candidates hired by former Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane are running to replace Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson. One of the candidates is former Assistant District Attorney Cindy Truong, who emigrated from Vietnam when she was 11. Truong’s father worked with U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War, and so had to…
Names Recently in the News
(1) People with tough times ahead: Donald N. Duck, 51 (arrested for DUI, Massillon, Ohio, June). Lord Jesus Christ, 50 (pedestrian injury, Northampton, Mass., May). Tara Wang (marrying Austin DeCock in Moorhead, Minn., in October). (2) Police saw them coming: Jerry Dick, 46 (pleaded guilty to indecent exposure, Greensboro, N.C., August). Kermit Butts, 26 (arrested…
Lyric Theatre combines stage and film versions of ‘Rocky Horror’ into one seductive, sex-charged show
unexpected costume changes for him during the floor show sequence. After years of seeing average actors playing “Rocky” at midnight screenings, it’s a nice chance to see the impossibly hunky Billy Noble take on the title role. Despite a slightly flaccid entrance that involved him halfheartedly running away from Saylor’s Frank, he has tons of…
CFN Quote of the Week
“What religion was Mr. McVeigh? Mr. McVeigh was an extremist as well, and he killed people.” “Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of “The View,” responding Oct. 14 to Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly saying that “Muslims killed us on 9/11.” Goldberg later stormed off in protest.
My Soul to Take
“My Soul to Take” is Wes Craven’s Greatest Hits. Like a best-of album, it has a mellow, nostalgic charm, but fails miserably at originality and cohesion. Sixteen years ago, The Riverton Ripper, a standard-issue movie serial killer, was shot and stabbed multiple times, but still managed to escape the ambulance en route to the hospital.…
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
If you’re strong enough there are no precedents, said novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think that describes you in the immediate future, Scorpio. I bet you won’t have to answer to ghosts or pay homage to the way things have always been done. You’ll be free to ignore icons that the conventional wisdom idolizes, and…
A cyclist’s response
I would like to reply to Sara Ferguson’s fulmination letter of Sept. 29 (“Bicyclists vs. everyone else,” Gazette). I am an avid bicyclist around Lake Hefner since 1997. When it’s around 65 degrees or higher, I try to go at least twice a week as long as my busy work schedule lets me. I consider…
A fine cast struggles to sell a script about gay youth suffering in a Texas small town
Sordid Lives 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 6 Carpenter Square Theatre Bricktown Hotel & Convention Center 2001 E. Reno www.carpentersquare.com 232-6500 $15-$18 Give Carpenter Square Theatre’s production of “Sordid Lives” by Del Shores credit for one thing: It’s a chance to see Brenda Williams, Sue Ellen Reiman, Elin Bhaird, Pat Tweed and…
Oklahoma City Memory Walk raises money for Alzheimer’s research
Oklahoma City Memory Walk AT&T Bricktown Ballpark 2 S. Mickey Mantle Registration, 8:30 a.m.; Run 10 a.m. Saturday www.okcmemorywalk.kintera.org Across the nation, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease; 75,000 live in Oklahoma. The Alzheimer’s Association hosts the Oklahoma City Memory Walk 10 a.m. Saturday at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle. The annual…
Don’t ignore stimulus
Regarding Grant Slater’s story “The 20-year itch” in the Oct. 13 Gazette: Mary Fallin says that she opposes the Obama stimulus money. In fact, she uses terrifying photos of Obama to emphasize just how awful he’s been for us. But Oklahoma has received millions in stimulus money. All that new road construction, the new programs…
Jonah Hex
<iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003YOZNBK&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Jonah Hex is such an obscure character to comics outsiders — and one of my absolute favorites —? that part of me still can’t believe they’ve made a movie based on him. Too bad they didn’t try harder. Turns out the bad buzz about its rumored plagued…
The Girl Who Played with Fire
istian Thulin) a young, freelance journalist who has been researching sex trafficking with his girlfriend, a graduate student. What the pair uncovers reaches deep into the Swedish political establishment to parties who would prefer their penchants for underage sex slaves not be made public, and to a handful with both the means and mind-set to…
The Haunting of Sorority Row / The Gathering
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003JQZXXQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Lifetime’s original movies are some of the worst cable has to offer. When I saw it had delved into supernatural horror for a recent batch of DVDs —? including “Devil’s Diary,” “Hush Little Baby” and “Still Small Voices” —? I wondered, “Interesting … how bad could they be?” The answer, in the case…
