The Tillman Story, director Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary about Pat Tillman’s family’s search for the truth about his death, opens in theaters nationwide today. We recently caught up with Bar-Lev to ask a few questions about the film. What compelled you to make The Tillman Story? [Tillman’s death] was a story…
Independent filmmaker Tommy Wiseau is as enigmatic as his movies. Several times during our 20-minute phone interview, he says, “I don’t like to talk about myself.” But one thing Wiseau will discuss at length is his movie The Room, which screens at MADCAP Theaters Friday and Saturday, September 3 and…
The Hotel San Carlos in downtown Phoenix has a long and storied history. In operation since 1928, the hotel hosted numerous Hollywood stars in its heyday, including Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Ingrid Bergman, and Gary Cooper. In 1993, the owners of the Hotel San Carlos, the Melikian family, installed the…
Eight months after vacating the infamous east Valley party house known as Rasputin’s Equestrian Manor (may it rest in peace), the Phoenix nightlife scenesters known as “The Family” have started throwing parties at their new home, a sprawling estate near the Arizona Biltmore called The Chateau.We attended the housewarming party…
The Hell City Tattoo Fest took over the Arizona Biltmore this past weekend, and everything from elaborate, artistic back pieces to crappy nipple tattoos were on display. We found some amazing competition (even in the “worst tattoo” contest on Saturday), along with some great pieces that weren’t entered. A quick…
The Duce, a new shopping and dining compound in Central Phoenix, offers everything from retro cocktails in the bar area to vintage French military fatigues in the shopping center. But one of the coolest components of this hub is a soda stand run by Jeff Guarino, owner of Pop the…
Mill Avenue in Tempe is typically flooded with ASU students, day in and day out. Even on a recent Wednesday night, a few hundred coeds keep the businesses busy — a pack of students smoke hookah on the patio at Crave and a line of 20-somethings streams out of the…
The annual Tempe 12 calendar was released earlier this month, highlighting a dozen of the most attractive female students at Arizona State University. This week, we bring you what we hope will be the first of many blogs focusing on a Tempe 12 calendar girl. In this case, it’s Nicolette…
Thanks to professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, a new, super-slick skate park is coming to Phoenix. Plans for the skate park were announced at Phoenix City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, during a press conference with Dyrdek, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Phoenix Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski, and District 8 Councilman Michael Johnson…
Big, sprawling houses are the norm in the neighborhoods nestled in the mountains around 44th street and Camelback Road. But the house at 5050 East Red Rock Road is unlike any other in the area — in fact, it’s not so much a “house” as it is a big, Moorish…
Last week, we posted a blog series on absinthe that included pointers on how to distill absinthe and how to make absinthe from kits. Some readers expressed kit absinthe is not “real” absinthe, with one reader commenting he’d love to see the looks on our faces if we actually tried…
When it comes to high-octane sodas, few brands can compare to Jolt cola, which generally packs more than twice the caffeine of supercharged pops like Mountain Dew. But one fairly new “energy cola,” X-Drinx, comes pretty darn close to Jolt-power.A 12-ounce bottle of X-Drinx Kosmic Kola contains undisclosed amounts of…
The Tillman Story, a documentary about the death of former Arizona Cardinal and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, opens in Los Angeles and New York City today. The film, directed by Amir Bar-Lev (My Kid Could Paint That), chronicles the Tillman family’s search for the truth about Pat’s death in the…
Since we began covering “herbal incense blends” (a.k.a. spice) that people smoke to get high (check the Buzz Buzz archives for more), we’ve been contacted by various individuals and companies who claim to make the best, most potent blends.But one local company, Peoria-based Dark Side Spice, makes no claim to…
Anthony Jones grabs a pinch of fluffy green herbs and stuffs it into the bowl of his glass pipe. The pipe, decorated with bright orange, wavy lines, is coated on the inside with layers of thick, dark resin. It’s well used. Jones empties the bowl with one long, hard draw…
This week, we’ve shown you how to make absinthe through distillation and with kits. Today, we’re taking the really easy road — just buying it. Feel free to take it easy, we’re going to share which brands of absinthe are the best to buy, where to purchase them, and we’ll…
Yesterday, we blogged about how you can make distilled absinthe, with links to websites that either sell stills or provide directions for creating homemade stills. But since distilling alcohol without a permit is illegal and distillation is a complicated, time-consuming process, today we’re going to show you another option: how…
This week, we’re bringing you a three-part blog series on absinthe, which will cover how to make distilled absinthe, how to make absinthe from kits, and where to buy the best absinthe. Since the 18th century, absinthe, aka the “Green Fairy,” has been a popular and potent drink among Bohemians…
There aren’t many negative things we can say about Unbound Energy. It’s cheap (around two bucks a can), tastes good, and provides a nice energy boost. For years, we’ve been waiting for an energy drink that we liked as much as Monster — and we may have finally found it…
When it comes to horror films, there’s no shortage of fan sites or blogs, but one horror film blog is dedicated solely to critiquing remakes of classic horror movies: stoptheremakes.com.This Phoenix-based blog is run by Levi Yockey, a lifelong horror movie buff. Yockey’s probably seen every horror movie you’ve seen…
Last night, I went to a local goth club expecting to make a bunch of bad Twilight jokes and watch people dance by themselves. Instead, I ran into some wild and crazy friends from “Niki at Nite” years past, met a “famous fetish model,” learned about a new “sex temple,”…
Well, oy vey!, opa!, and oh my gosh!, here’s a world-music collective that plays an enchanting blend of Gypsy music (two of the five members of Fishtank Ensemble actually traveled across Europe in a caravan as Croque Mule) and other exotic styles, including klezmer, polka, punk, flamenco, classical, and rock…
