The Warrior and the Sorceress / Barbarian Queen
Barbarian movies were big in the 1980s, following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s two triumphs as Conan. Producer Roger Corman was responsible for many of the rip-offs, including the pair on this double-feature DVD, 1984’s “The Warrior And The Sorceress” and 1985’s “Barbarian Queen.” Corman regular David Carradine stars in “The Warrior and the Sorceress” as the former,…
The Psycho Legacy
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=oklahgazet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003THSXKU&fc1=000000&IS2=1 Even people who’ve never seen Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” know quite a bit about Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” It’s a bona fide classic, both in horror and film in general. On the downside, its pop-culture power is so potent that we forgot how revolutionary it truly was. Spending an hour and a half watching “The…
Night of the Demons
<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=B003VE9WP6&fc1=000000&IS2=1 If you’re going to remake a horror film, why not one in which so few have emotional investment? Case in point: “Night of the Demons,” an update of the 1988 video hit of the same name. Here, Halloween becomes all too real for the young women and…
Human Target: The Complete First Season
Leaping from comics to cathode tubes, “Human Target” fills the void in the networks’ collective prime-time schedules: a kick-ass action/adventure series. To be honest, I thought the same of 2007’s “Bionic Woman” reboot, but that couldn’t survive past a single season. This one already has “? plus, it need not dabble in sci-fi trappings or…
The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut & Original Theatrical Edition
<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=B001992NW4&fc1=000000&IS2=1 After years of seeing it on VHS, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the 1974 classic “The Exorcist” on the big screen twice: once in 2000, and again in the last month. Both times marked a pleasurable, memorable theatrical experience, not only because I discover something new…
Its profile on the rise, Muse makes first-ever stop in Oklahoma City
Easily one of the most popular rock bands in the world today, Muse makes its Oklahoma debut tonight at Ford Center, supporting the UK act’s fifth studio album, “The Resistance.” Comprised of Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard, Muse is hard to pin down. Invoking elements of alternative and progressive rock, metal, jazz, electronic…
American Vampire: Vol. 1
I suspect many Stephen King fans eagerly awaited the collected edition of “American Vampire,” his comic book series co-authored with Scott Snyder, rather than picking it up issue by issue. Well, the first five are here in one handsome hardback, and it’s dynamic, and I hope it sells a ton of copies. And King, despite…
Catfish
The anonymity of the Internet all but guarantees that, at one point or another, we’ll all be duped. It could be innocuous, like thinking that forwarding an e-mail to 10 friends will net you rewards. It could be fatal, in the case of last year’s so-called “Craigslist Killer.” And somewhere in between sits everything else:…
Video Games Live: Level 2
I’m not someone for whom the themes from Nintendo’s “Mario” franchise can elicit tingles of joy, or even tears of nostalgia. Heck, I doubt I could name that tune in all its notes. My heart lies in the heyday of the Atari 2600, but even I can appreciate the camp charm of the concert spectacular…
Fringe: The Complete Second Season
No two ways about it: “Fringe” sure knows how to open an episode. Among the choice prologues in its second season are a suburban man turning into a crumbling pile of ash before his loving wife’s eyes; a dead girl waking up on the table spouting a string of random numbers, while doctors remove her…
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists experiment with a shaky foundation to cement the solid ‘Brutalist Bricks’
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists with Kevin Seconds and Broncho 9 p.m. Wednesday Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org 447-3417 $14, $16 under 21 Ted Leo spent the first half of the ’90s fronting indie-punk and hard-core outfits like Chisel and Citizens Arrest. As the decade wound down, he started work on a solo side…
Let Me In
The odds don’t favor young Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Road”), a greasy-haired outsider who lives in a crummy apartment complex in Los Alamos, N.M., with his soon-to-be-divorced religious whack-job of a mother (Cara Buono, TV’s “Mad Men”). Mom drinks too much, fights on the phone too much and does a lot of nagging. Owen, who’s…
Bicycle races are coming your way
Regarding the Sara Ferguson letter “Bicyclists vs. everyone else” in the Sept. 29 Oklahoma Gazette: I have been trying for quite some time to get a ticket from the Lake Hefner patrol for riding my bike in the pedestrian-only path. So far, I have failed, but I will keep trying until I am successful. When…
The Eternal Ones
High schooler Haven Moore has had visions ever since she could remember: 1920s New York, a man named Ethan and a fire. That’s not normal for a small-town Tennessee girl. At least, that’s what her too-religious grandmother keeps telling her. But as the visions start increasing, Haven can’t deny it anymore. She thinks she’s remembering…
Universities are testing the iPad’s value in class, but will students use the technology correctly?
The iPad measures a mere 9.56-by-7.47 inches. But for being such a seemingly small device, it could have an immeasurably large impact on the world of college education. Marrying the mobility of smartphones and the power of a laptop, the iPad has proven to be quite the wonder. Although met with mixed reception, the technology…
‘Separating families is not the solution’
Regarding “Political Russian roulette” by Carlos J. Toledo (Commentary, Sept. 15, Gazette): This country was built and is still being built by immigrants from all over the world. Everybody has contributed to the growth and success of the United States. From the time Christopher Columbus landed in America in 1492 followed by France, England, Italy…
Three suspension groups will hang themselves from hooks to raise money for injured fellow artist
The Captain’s Halloween Massacre Bora Bora Club, 2415 N. Walker 9 p.m. Saturday $10 in advance, $15 at the door 557-1105, www.myspace.com/boraboraokc There aren’t many people in the world willing to suspend themselves in the air by jabbing hooks into their skin, but on Saturday, three of the top suspension teams in the region will…
Not ‘Badd’
Yo! Hello, Gazette! Seeing your cover of Color Me Badd (Rob Collins, “On the record,” Sept. 29) was the greatest thing I’ve seen since I caught that Tea Party on C-SPAN. Really, “Time and Chance” is soulful, real and playable “¦ anytime. I’m just in from Alcoholics Anonymous as a group member, and I’m…
Harry Potter’ fans in Stillwater gather on the ground to play the high-flying game of Quidditch
Walking on the sidewalk next to Library Lawn on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater, a transformation is beginning. Onlookers watch with stunned disbelief at the sight of a handful of running students throwing dodgeballs at each other with brooms tucked betwixt their legs. For the Oklahoma State Quidditch team, it’s just another day…
The Constellations are an eclectic Atlanta outfit with stars and countless styles in its eyes
The Constellations with Electric Six 9 p.m. Tuesday Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman www.opolis.org 447-3417 $15 advance, $17 door $17 advance, $19 door under 21 The Constellations don’t fit comfortably in any box, and that’s by design. The creation of Elijah Jones and producer Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley), the outfit’s recent debut, “Southern…
Kings River Fall Musicfest puts a music festival in fall
Music festivals litter spring and summer, but by October, options for outdoor entertainment start thinning out. But the Kings River Fall Musicfest has stepped in as a free, family-oriented event. With a day’s worth of eclectic music, a bushel of kids’ activities and vendors filling the 60 acres of Kings River Park at 4144 S.W.…
Case 39
3cm.jpg” style=”float: right; margin: 10px;” />Shakespeare was wrong when he had Cassius say that fault lies not in our stars. He obviously hadn’t seen “Case 39” when he came up with that line, because the movie’s sad fate “? a quick, scalded descent to Syfy “? is primarily the fault of its star, Ren
Women’s voices are rising in religion
“About the injunction of the Apostle Paul that women should keep silent in church? Don’t go by one text only.” “Saint Teresa of Ávila The beloved saint opined on the voice of women in church back in the 1500s, yet nearly five hundred years later, many religions still want the primary voice from the pulpit…
Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre opens its season with the first state staging of the acclaimed, Oklahoma-set ‘August: Osage County’
August: Osage County 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker www.cityrep.com 848-3761 $25-$30 Written by Oklahoma playwright Tracy Letts, the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning “August: Osage County” centers on the reunion of the Westons after the disappearance of the family patriarch. Filled with secretive, dysfunctional characters,…
Nightshade
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Ex marks the spot as American Boyfriends reunite for two shows, reminding us ‘What Love Can Be …’
Pumpkin Fest featuring American Boyfriends, Feel Spectres, Skating Polly and Pumpkin Festival Chorus 11 a.m-3 p.m. Saturday First Christian Church 3700 N. Walker 525-6551 Free American Boyfriends and Feel Spectres 9 p.m. Saturday VZD’s Restaurant & Club 4200 N. Western www.vzds.com 524-4203 Maybe the recent influx of local band reunions has inspired pioneers of Oklahoma…
Wanda Jo Peltier and Mike Christian battle for the south-side OKC House seat
The candidates for House District 93 are ramping up their campaigns and slinging some mud in preparation for the next vote. Republican incumbent Mike Christian and Democratic primary-winner Wanda Jo Peltier square off for the seat, which governs much of the south-side of Oklahoma City. Both candidates have held office before and know the workings…
An unremarkable score is sold by an experienced, capable cast in the musical ‘Lucky Stiff’
Lucky Stiff 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 30 Pollard Theatre 120 W. Harrison, Guthrie www.thepollard.org 282-2800 $25, $22 seniors/military, $15 students Everyone has to start somewhere. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who went on to create such substantial works of musical theater as “Once on This Island” and “Ragtime,” first collaborated on…
According to the Gowalla app, Oklahoma City includes spots both strange and scatological
On any given day, local hangouts like Iguana Mexican Grill, the Ford Center and McNellie’s Public House battle it out for the top spot on Gowalla, the location-based mobile check-in app. But what about Hell? Similar to Foursquare, Gowalla lets users check in via smartphone to where they are around town, and share that information…
How to spot a hipster, or dress like one
Illuminated Mac screens dot the interior of Norman’s Gray Owl Coffee. In their glow, the outline of a certain breed of college creature comes to life. It’s a sea of TOMS shoes, skinny jeans and plaid. Hard to define, but easy to spot ” these are hipsters. And this is just one of their home…
Students from four metro universities open up about their required reading
Rachel Evans University of Central Oklahoma Junior, psychology Most expensive textbook: “Organic Chemistry” $268 new; $201 used Evans still hasn’t bought her most expensive textbook. “That was, like, $250, and I just said, ‘No,'” she said between classes at UCO. She also didn’t buy the $179 text required by her microbiology professor, but said…
Bible study
This is one way to handle an attempted robbery: Hand the perp a Bible and tell him to find God. That’s what one OKC woman did, at least. According to a story from KOCO-TV, a man knocked on a woman’s door on Carey Place asking to use her phone. The 57-year-old woman handed him a…
The Oklahoma City Council is hiring a consultant to help determine the new convention center’s location
The City of Oklahoma City is hiring a site selection consultant for the proposed MAPS 3 convention center and plans to have that person in place by the end of the year. In September, the Oklahoma City Council authorized city staff to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to identify candidates and decide on one…
CFN Tweet of the Week
“Heading to my GYN appointment #ConfusedIt LOL” “That tweet came Sept. 30 from state House District 84 hopeful Brittany Novotny. She was referring to a statement from Charlie Meadows, founder of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, calling Novotny a “confused ‘it’” because she is transgender.
Austin singer/songwriter Darden Smith wants to win the race, but ‘Marathon’ proves he’s in for the long haul
Darden Smith 8 p.m. Thursday the Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley www.bluedoorokc.com 524-0738 $20 Darden Smith is an artist. Indeed, he believes we all are at heart. But losing your way is a part of being human, and around the millennium, after almost 15 years as a professional musician, he began to question his chosen…
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 751, on making English the official state language: “”Can we stop wasting our time making things difficult for people who are seen as complete aliens by…
The funny thing about OKC
Asked in a recent poll to cite the most pressing problems facing the state, Okla-homans named the state’s economy and unemployment as their greatest concerns. At 23 percent and 22 percent, respectively, the state’s economic and unemployment woes weigh heaviest on the minds of Oklahomans struggling to make their way through the worst economic…
Rookie lobster
Violating an NCAA bylaw: ineligibility. Agreeing to terms for five years with the Dallas Cowboys: $11.8 million. Footing the bill for more than 20 teammates at a swank Dallas steakhouse: Priceless? Not exactly, but pretty close. Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant reportedly shelled out $54,896 on Sept. 27 at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in…
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
The hero’s journey is a classic. From “The Lord of the Rings” to “Star Wars,” the story of the young, untested kid being forced into an epic journey to find his inner strength and eventually vanquish the gathering forces of evil never gets tired. That is, if you do it right. The animated “Legend of…
What’s the point?
There are three state questions on the ballot this November that symbolize the deep ideological morass that has come to define Oklahoma’s current political climate. State Questions 751, 755 and 756 will probably pass by landslides as voters vent some anger or make larger political statements. But is it really worth the trouble? SQ 751…
State Question 755 would make sure future courts aren’t able to use Sharia law when deciding cases
The United States’ court system is in danger, if you ask state Rep. Rex Duncan. Duncan, R-Sand Springs, believes international law and Islamic Sharia law are a “looming threat,” encroaching upon the decisions being made in U.S. courts. That is why he wrote the legislation that became State Question 755, dubbed the “Save Our…
PR BS
Lots of press releases related to the Sooner State cross our desk. This week, these titles least screamed “Stop the presses!” “”RELM Introduces P25 Trunking Products” “”SPX Subsidiary to Provide 20 Feedwater Heaters for Two Supercritical Coal-Fired Power Plants in India” “”Tantus Wins Three Task Order Awards Under FAA eFAST and GSA IT Schedule 70″…
Theater reviewer ‘doesn’t get it’
I would like to review Mr. Webb’s review of “The Diary of Anne Frank” (Performing Arts, “‘Frank’ discussion, Sept. 29, Gazette). It was the most review-less of any review I have ever read. Unless you call a collection of bored, pretentious ramblings a review. He displays a staggering ignorance of what a stage performance is…
Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio
Conceptual architecture might strike some as an elitist art, but the film “Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio” shows how the legacy of one idealist can create a viable program of bold design for one of the most destitute communities in Alabama. The film screens 6:30 p.m. today at City…
Used furniture helps cash-strapped college students kit out their apartment while staying unique
For cash-strapped college students with an eye for design, there aren’t too many options when purchasing their first set of furniture. They can opt for the inexpensive selection at Target or Walmart, or the chic Swedish styles at IKEA. But low-cost can mean lower quality and shoddier workmanship. Dace Tom, an employee of Bill’s Used…
John Calvin’ Wish Alloy
Norman singer/songwriter John Calvin’s second album, “Wish Alloy,” is official this week. It’s a seven-song folk send-up that dips toes into indie-pop and country Americana. The self-titled midpoint has pianos, organs and trumpets behind Calvin’s youthful, aching croon. At a fast, rhythmic clip, the opening track, “Nonsense,” makes a lot of sense, and its tambourines,…
The animal-themed “Safari Symphony” kicks off The Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s kids’ music series
Discovery Family Series “Safari Symphony” 2 p.m. Sunday Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker $9 232-7575, www.okcphilharmonic.org The Oklahoma City Philharmonic gives kids the opportunity to “discover” a love for music through a three-part concert series. From wildlife excursions to musical muses with Dr. Seuss’ classic characters, the 2010-11 Discovery Family Series is designed…
Grab a flying disc and and play Ultimate Frisbee, which combines grace, speed and sportsmanship
Fourteen pairs of cleats pound against a grassy turf as players dart across the field preparing to take down their opponents, all without actually touching anyone. With facial expressions ranging from intense to jovial, each team has one concern: the location of the flying disc. Ultimate Frisbee is a game comprised of several other sports…
Fair enough
On the final day of the State Fair of Oklahoma, more than 20 people fell to the ground simultaneously, as onlookers stood baffled. Were they overcome by the Sunday heat? Had they consumed an expired corn dog? Did Jesus Christ decide to come back, but only in small pockets? Or were they just part of…
British artist Nigel Hall visits to debut his career retrospective at City Arts Center
Nigel Hall 7 p.m. Tuesday City Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing through Dec. 18 951-0000 or visit www.cityartscenter.org Nigel Hall, British artist and Royal Academician, flies to the States to attend the 7 p.m. Tuesday opening reception of his career retrospective at the City Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing. On display through Dec. 18, the…
CFN Quote of the Week
I don’t care for that Harry Potter at all. Twilight? Is that like ‘The Twilight Zone?’ “Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin answering NewsOK.com’s question “‘Twilight’ or Harry Potter?” When it was cleared up that “Twilight” was, in fact, different from “The Twilight Zone,” Fallin had a similar response: “Oh, I don’t care for vampires, either.”…
Outlaw country songwriters and outsider storytellers share music, spoken word and the stage at a little beer bar in Norman
Bloody Ol’ Mule, Doc Slither’s Snake Oil Salvation and Christophe 9 p.m. Saturday Blue Bonnet Bar 321 E. Main, Norman www.myspace.com/bluebonnetbar 447-2480 $5 Certain genres have a timeless appeal, whether it’s the smoky purr of barroom jazz, the high-energy jangle of rockabilly or the earsplitting release of punk. Outlaw country is no different, and two…
One of OKC’s oldest neighborhoods celebrates with its annual fall festival
Mesta Festa Noon-6 p.m. Saturday Mesta Park 1900 N. Shartel Free www.mestapark.org Born to William Skirvin, an 89er-turned-oil tycoon and founder of the Skirvin Hotel, Perle Mesta was known for her elegance, as well as by her widely popular moniker: the “hostess with the mostest.” Mesta did not spend a great deal of her life…
The great teachers are
In the Gazette article Headed to Class (News, Sarah Clough Chamber, Sept. 29), we find, “Those interested in teaching can expect to put in a lot of time and money into getting certified “¦” Any expert in a particular discipline and able to educate a student in that discipline should be allowed to do so…
Feeling ‘cross’
Two articles in the Sept. 1 Oklahoma Gazette call for response. Blair Humphreys (Commentary, “MAPS 3.1”) is looking for ways to save nearly $25 million for possible relocation of an OG&E substation now positioned problematically with respect to Core to Shore, enabled by MAPS 3. If most of that money becomes “saved,” it can be…
OCU offering suicide prevention classes
Two Oklahoma City University employees have become certified to teach a suicide prevention and information class called QPR. QPR-certified instructors Brandi Gibson, director of counseling, and Jonathan Triplett, director of intramural and recreational sports, will present their first “question, persuade and refer” training session Oct. 22. The 90-minute class will cover facts and myths about…
