Buck
Could do without horses? You’re going to love “Buck.” Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary tells the story of Buck Brannaman, Wyoming-based horse whisperer. He travels three-fourths of the year, conducting clinics all over the nation on breaking horses — and sometimes their owners — of bad behavior. What’s…
Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams
An anthology comprised of eight unrelated stories based on Kurosawa’s actual dreams, the 1990 work plays like a love letter not to sleepy time, but to the marvel of the medium of movies. How this was not nominated for Best Foreign Language Film by the Academy Awards is an absolute head-scratcher — nay, a crime. It’s…
Gazette’s Halloween Parade launches window painting contest
“If you can’t make it to the parade, this contest is a way to still be part of the fun and show off your artistic creativity,” said Brody Longest, Gazette marketing coordinator. Longest said the theme for the contest is ghosts, and the rules are as follows:• The design should relate to the theme and…
Celebrity seal
“People will come in and ask about Snoop Dogg’s alcohol,” said Zack Harrison, with Thunderbird Liquors, 1200 12th Ave. S.E. in Norman. “That’s why they do that; it’s all premium alcohol.” Snoop Dogg uses his name to help sell a unique malt liquor called St. Ides, which includes mint- and fruit-flavored beer. Adding his name…
Manhattan cocktail
That Internet thing has so hurt movie attendance that Hollywood’s resorted to gimmicks to lure people back to the ’plex. If it’s not unnecessary 3-D conversion every other week, it’s scratchand-sniff cards for “Spy Kids 4.” What if audience interactivity weren’t an afterthought, but a building block? With Manhattan Short Film Festival, the power to…
Bite Size: 9-28-11
LATE NIGHT DINING David Callaway, the new bar manager at Ingrid’s Kitchen, 3701 N. Youngs Blvd., wrote to tell about My Bar, the name of Ingrid’s new bar space that will serve food until 1:30 a.m. “The menu will also expand late night with new sandwiches and amazing hamburgers,” he said. Ingrid’s will be feature…
Chillin’ at Chelino’s
This is the most recent addition to the locally based Chelino’s chain. Diners were mostly groups of four to six men who filled the tables in the simple, cheerful dining room while inhaling the food from the kitchen. There was no way they were leaving the least bit hungry. The Chelino’s menu takes a bit…
Soundcheck: Beetyman — Underdog
That said, another quality GRP FLY-sporting rapper’s emerged from the fertile Oklahoma City ground that produced Jabee, Josh Sallee and aDDLib. Beetyman hails from the east side, as he informs us on his aptly named debut LP “Underdog,” a record full of optimistic brass samples that surround a genuine, young talent. Per the album title,…
Staying current
No one will ever accuse Electric Six of being too serious. The Detroit sextet’s shimmying dance rock is as lighthearted as it is lively. Their spirit recalls the movie “This Is Spinal Tap” in that singer Dick Valentine delivers the lyrics with macho mock seriousness. In 2003, Madness ringleader Suggs caught an Electric Six gig…
Wade’s world
Wade Bowen stands on the brink of bigger things. After a dozen years solo, the Texas singer/songwriter is among the latest Red Dirt artists to be snatched up by the majors. He’s already doing a radio tour in advance of the first single, “Saturday Night,” from his still-untitled forthcoming Sony debut, due early 2012. In…
Sweet charity
It took but one quick trip home for the guilt racket front man Bobby Reed to realize he wasn’t living right. “My dad, he always did a lot of charity work, the entire time I was growing up and even still. I went home for Christmas about a year ago, and he asked what community…
Great ’grass
Given that Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival aims on being a world-class festival, it only makes sense its acts come from all over the globe. Besides The Gatlin Brothers as headliners, this year sees Fragment flying in from the Czech Republic, the Kruger Brothers making their way from Switzerland, and the Bluegrass Boogiemen taking a long…
Groovin’
Despite their lone, eponymous album release, the churning, heavy rockers known as Caravact boast a surprising wealth of original material. Toss a couple classic covers in with drawnout metallic jams and whatever else the band’s been working on lately, and you’ve got enough music to keep a crowd filled for an afternoon, as bassist/vocalist Nathan…
There will be blood
The University of Oklahoma’s University Theatre opens its season with “Dracula,” a visually stunning and well-acted production of Bram Stoker’s classic novel. The one thing holding the production back is William McNulty’s adaptation, designed to bring a more contemporary horror film sensibility to bare. In this telling, the play opens with the arrival of Dr.…
Holy Warr
Faith and a mutual love of music are the glue that holds together the Oklahoma City-based Warr Acres. This nontraditional Christian rock band is trying to move religious music from a classic gospel stage to something Top 40 fans would enjoy, too. “We are not as much rock as we are pop, which is pretty…
‘Special’ performance
Although he’s known for characters like The Church Lady and “Wayne’s World”’s Garth, there’s one moment in Dana Carvey’s career that cemented his future: “My first 200 shows or so I did for free, but for one gig, I got $50. I said, ‘This is it. Fifty bucks.’ I felt incredibly rich.” Foregoing his backup…
You’re having triptychs!
One newbie to the Oklahoma art scene is displaying his work for the first time. Tom Glover is experimenting with a style of art called triptychs, in which three different paintings form together to be one larger painting if put next to one another. “This is the first time I’ve shown my work anywhere, so…
‘Bally’ who?
A relative youngster among metro theater companies, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre has opened its 10th season with Alfred Uhry’s leaden “The Last Night of Ballyhoo.” The play is an odd choice for a season opener, because it’s not the rip-roaring start that one would like to see. CityRep isn’t exactly breaking new ground. Uhry sets…
What a Rausch
A star of the 20th century’s neo-Dada movement, Robert Rauschenberg worked in many media, but his prints are the focus of a new exhibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman. It opens Friday night with a free, public reception. No matter the medium, the man was a groundbreaker, according to Mark…
A little bit of everything
Those who couldn’t make it to Austin City Limits can go to a free festival closer to home instead. Saturday’s Plaza District Festival will overflow with local artists, musicians and food vendors selling their wares or focusing on keeping crowds entertained. More than 40 artist booths will line the sides of N.W. 16th Street, with…
Down with downward dog
The AYA says it wasn’t until the 1960s that yoga became widespread in America. The practice, which had been primarily thought of as spiritual in nature, benefited from studies showing the medical and psychological benefits. Dr. David Rothwell, an Oklahoma City primary care physician, said he has recommended yoga for patients. “Yoga helps patients in…
To scale
Size matters. For artists participating in the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s annual “12×12” fundraiser, the challenge is to make a grand statement confined to the small space of the show’s title. “The scale is nice, because it allows you to experiment with different ways of presenting your work,” said Norman’s Grace Grothaus. “You have to…
The skin skinny
That stress has manifested itself in what I’m assuming is a budding cutaneous horn on my forehead. Yeah, horn. Like a unicorn, but less sparkly rainbows and more hideous she-beast. Google it, but fair warning: It is a very real, disgusting thing. Or it could just be dry skin. Either or. Whatever it is, my…
Hey, you like giraffes, kid?
Now at the Oklahoma City Zoo, visitors have the opportunity to get their hands covered in giraffe slobber. “This is the first time the zoo has had an actual giraffe feeding opportunity, and it’s very popular with our guests to be able to get up close and personal with animals,” said Tara Henson, director of…
Smag 7: Heard of these guys?
JJ’s Alley212 E. Sheridan 605-4543 Most people heading into Bricktown can’t resist the opportunity to immerse themselves in a slice of pizza. Here’s the deal: Every Tuesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m., JJ’s gives away free pizza, and they are packing them in. People get whatever the chef is cooking that night, with toppers such…
Under the sea
And those goodies? They’re good for you, too. There’s been a lot already said about the health benefits of adding fish to your diet, but consider this from the Mayo Clinic: Eating a couple of servings of fish a week could reduce by a third your risk of keeling over from a heart attack. Considering…
Terrill Trouble, Part We’ve-lost-count
The announcement was made and a press conference held on Sept. 16, a Friday, around 4 p.m., otherwise known in the political world as “bury the story time.” The investigation stems from felony charges in Oklahoma County against Terrill, a Republican, and former Democratic Sen. Debbe Leftwich. Terrill allegedly offered to create a position at…
Nine is enough?
The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents recently gave President David L. Boren the authority to negotiate all alignment options, prompting a largely anticipated move to the Pacific-12 with Oklahoma State University and possible other Big 12 cohorts. But before Pistol Pete loaded up the Sooner Schooner and moved to Beverly — er, Walnut Creek,…
Tackle, hunting gear, camping supplies, and … discrimination?
The suit alleges that Bass Pro stores in Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and Alabama routinely denied positions to qualified blacks and Hispanics, retaliated against employees, and that managers in some of the stores made derogatory racial comments acknowledging the practice, CBS reported. Bass Pro has two stores in Oklahoma — one in Bricktown and another in…
CFN Headline of the Week
“Olivia Munn Really Wants You To See Her Side Boob and Other News” —thesuperficial.com, Sept. 19
SOLD!
Oklahoma Publishing Co., which owns The Oklahoman newspaper, NewsOK and a variety of other assets, announced it was being purchased by the Anschutz Corporation, owned by Colorado-based billionaire Philip Anschutz. All stock of the privately owned OPUBCO is to be sold to Anschutz in early October, Christy Gaylord Everest, chairwoman and CEO of OPUBCO, said…
‘Counterstrike’
“Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda” explores how the lessons learned from the intelligence failures of 9/11 were applied on the battlefield and how the different agencies operate. Shanker, an Oklahoma City native and Pentagon correspondent for The Times, is scheduled to sign copies at 2 p.m. Sunday at Full…
What the cluck?
I grew up in western Woods County in what is considered part of the Prairie Chicken habitat. When I lived on the farm in the 1950s, probably 20-25 percent of the land was under cultivation. We regularly saw a handful of prairie chickens, seldom more than a dozen. During the last 60 years, the habitat…
Soak the rich
The Congressional Budget Office says the top 1 percent pay 27.6 percent of all federal taxes compared to the 35.6 percent of all national wealth they own (the bottom 90 percent owned just 25 percent). Billionaire Warren Buffet pointed out in an Aug. 14 New York Times op-ed that because investment income is taxed at…
Point: ‘An Oklahoma City landmark’
In 1989, it figured as the counterpoint to the Myriad Gardens, setting the anchor for our burgeoning Arts District, and today it still figures as part of that Arts District in Oklahoma City’s Core to Shore plan. In 1990, its colors were faded, ivy was growing on its concrete walls and it again faced demolition.…
Counterpoint: Investing wisely
Especially in these challenging economic times, we must be even more focused on being good stewards of our resources and frugal in our planning. We are now trying to decide what would be the best way forward for Stage Center. Once again damaged by flooding and by subsequent deterioration, this aging facility is in need…
Not horsing around
At the Sept. 13 Oklahoma City Council meeting, a measure was approved giving the green light for Animal Welfare to submit an application for the $10,000 grant from the ASPCA. The request comes following the second straight year of dramatic increases in the number of equines — which includes horses, donkeys and mules — the…
Scream 4
In the decade that has passed since the previous entry, the landscape has changed greatly for horror films. Gone are the sly, self-aware semi-parodies that the original “Scream” birthed; in vogue is the so-called “torture porn” of the “Saw” series. In its opening scenes, “Scream 4” uses this to its advantage, poking fun at the…
The Ledge
Chapman’s just takes things more seriously, tells the story of all that happened before it, and plops a terrific performance right on top. As manager of a hotel, Gavin (Charlie Hunnam, TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”) hires married college student Shana (Liv Tyler, “Super”) for a part-time housekeeping gig. Her husband, Joe (Patrick Wilson, “Insidious”), is…
Dracula: The Vampire and the Voivode
In other words, it’s more than a little dry, and a lot like watching a slideshow. Instead of being a first-class treatment of its undeniably interesting subject, it can’t afford standard doc fare like film clips, so it settles for scrolling over movie posters for anything not in the public domain, leaving us with grainy…
Vampires, Mummies & Monsters
Included in the set are two films I’ve seen twice before, and two films I had never heard of: 1972’s “Lady Frankenstein,” 1982’s “Time Walker,” 1971’s “The Velvet Vampire” and 1988’s “Grotesque.” “Lady Frankenstein” has been available on many a public-domain disc before, but Shout! Factory has included an international cut that’s 12 minutes longer.…
The Others
Nicole Kidman, an actress I usually find unappealing, greatly impresses as a single mother living with her two photosensitive children in an old, dark house at the close of World War II. Soon after the arrival of a new house staff, her kids begin to speak of ghostly “others” in the abode (where shadows are…
Scary Movie 2 / Scary Movie 3
Of its four entries to date, the first half were directed first by Keenen Ivory Wayans, and the second by David Zucker, and both did better on their second turn at bat. You can revisit the best of one man and the worst of another now that second and third chapters make their hi-def debut.…
Sanctuary: The Complete Third Season
When we last left team Sanctuary — always battling the world’s “abnormals” — its members were fighting a giant spider named Big Bertha. In the first of season three’s generous 20 episodes, they’re still trying to undo the arachnid’s anarchy, namely in the form of tidal waves. Once that’s foiled, it’s time for a new…
Houdini
Narrated by Mandy Patinkin, the just-OK doc traces his meteoric rise from immigrant to death-defying superstar to spiritualist exposer. Those who’ve never read a book on Houdini — I highly recommend William Kalush and Larry Sloman’s “The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero” — are sure to learn something, but for current…
Devon celebrates topping out tower
On Sept. 21, Devon officials joined with construction workers who are building the Devon Energy Center for a topping-out ceremony. The ceremonial final steel beam and a small tree were hoisted up to the top of the 50-story structure by one of the large cranes that have been a fixture on the skyline for more…
Upon further review
True, the Pacific-12 Conference already had a dozen members, but media reports indicated that the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and other possible Big 12 schools would join Colorado there. The OU Board of Regents recently gave President David L. Boren the authority to negotiate all alignment options — prompting an anticipated move to…
