Nothing says “holiday season” quite like an African-American, pistol-toting gramma with attitude. Or so says Tyler Perry, who’s taken his fictional matriarch, Madea, on the road for the first time in five years. The 40-year-old playwright and filmmaker is reprising the character – whose full name is Mabel Simmons and…
Enticing Jeff Bridges to voice a washed-up surfer dude in the 2007 children’s movie Surf’s Up, the filmmakers sent the actor a video of an animated penguin declaiming a few of his lines from The Big Lebowski. They probably didn’t need to work that hard: An avid surfer, Bridges has…
Only a handful of days remain until the end of the Naughties, which means it’s time to look back on this massively madcap decade. And, frankly, it’s been something of a downer. While sci-fi flicks promised rocket-powered cars and orgasmatrons by now, the past 10 years have wrought the quagmire…
Pocket protectors. Highwater jeans pulled up to the neck. T-shirts with slogans like, “Ethernet (n), something used to catch the etherbunny” and “Got D20?”. Geeks aren’t exactly known for their fashion prowess, but that hasn’t stopped them from inspiring trends that would make any Mean Girl cringe. Here are 5 geeky fashion trends of the 2000s — a…
A little over a month ago, I had a night out at the movies. It was great. Especially because I didn’t have to buy a ticket or endure an annoying shopping center to get to the theater.That’s because I went to the Phoenix Art Museum for my cinema experience.And tonight,…
It’s not too late to get your holiday theatrical fix — Meet Me in St. Louis, the cozy, old-fashioned story that introduced the popular song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and also features a great big turn-of-the-previous-century fancy-dress Christmas Eve ball, has another week to run at the Broadway…
So you may be sick of shopping right now. Or maybe you’re like me and the holiday season just ignited your disgusting desire to continue consuming.I can’t help it. I like to buy stuff.Either way, you should know that the Phoenix Art Museum Gift Shop (The Museum Store) is now…
Some people love Joel McHale for his sarcastic commentary on E!’s weekly tabloid show, The Soup. Some think he’s a great comedian and dramatic actor for his roles on NBC’s Community and this year’s The Informant! And others, like my mom and gaggle of female friends, think Joel McHale is…
The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture wants you!Well, actually, they only want you if you happen to be an artist or poet who hasn’t previously received a City of Phoenix public art commission.If that’s the case, you’re eligible to apply for the 7th Avenue Streetscape project…
The restaurant inside Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho will have its regular dinner menu intact for Christmas Eve plus a “blue plate” that will feature Pork Two Ways, which is roasted loin, crispy pork belly, braised cabbage, and calvados jus, for $26. Thu., Dec. 24, 5:30-10 p.m., 2009…
Is it weird that when we go somewhere to listen to music, we actually want to listen to the music? If you share our dilemma, then you’ll most definitely dig Sundays at The Roosevelt featuring Shane Kennedy. The longtime drummer, producer, and Bikini Lounge music provider plays tunes, at a…
The life of a book is predestined to end badly. It will get printed, en masse, shipped to a bookstore, and bought; after which it’ll be read, passed on to a friend, and eventually dumped at Goodwill — or, in the case of Perez Hilton’s upcoming True Bloggywood Stories: The…
You need a beverage. Now. Doesn’t matter that you and the fam are in the middle of eating Christmas dinner or that your niece is being all cute because, basically, what it boils down is that it’s your one freaking day off. Even if your family rules and you generally…
Phoenicians settled their homes on the parched desert dirt, and then planted grass everywhere. Eight months boast perfect weather, but we insist on staying in our cars. And, when we set up our Christmas trees, we splat fake-snow goop all over them. In keeping with these quirks, Desert Ridge Marketplace…
While James Brown gave up the mantle of “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” long ago (rest his soul), it seems that Valley performer Paisley Yankolovich is eager to be in the running for the title. One visit to his Web site and you’ll see it riddled with show…
Ten years strong and these cats are still finding fresh ways to entertain. At 8 p.m. Saturday, December 26, and Sunday, December 27, the Downtown Chamber Series will be keeping its every-so-often program of classical tunes all new and hip at the Icehouse. For one, the DCS have never performed…
Most folks move here from snow-dominated climes to escape exactly what artist Eileen Marie Ripsin purposely created for her solo show, which is rust. Lots of it. Though it’s a foreign concept for Phoenicians, rust sucks for folks not from the AZ side. But Ripsin, originally from Minnesota, thinks the…
After receiving Aunt Fred’s handmade sweater vest that’s bedazzled with “Born to Die,” we’re hoofing it to Hoodlums New & Used Music the day after Christmas to check out some real art at Spraygraphic’s second annual “B-Sides: Vinyl Art Show.” Besides the affordable, original artwork available for purchase, the exhibition…
It’s not about man-on-man action anymore. In order to truly be gay, it appears, a homosexual man must name a “diva” – a famous female performer – with whom he feels a special connection. Ours is Cher, the 1960s bad girl Cher, with the bangs and the eyeliner, who recorded…
Phoenix artist Mayme Kratz literally finds her inspiration in nature. Kratz encases found objects such as butterfly wings and cactus seeds in resin, effectively protecting them from decay. “I don’t think about preserving the objects for posterity, but I do feel inclined to give them a new life,” says Kratz,…
When we travel, we make sure to schedule an extra day or two off for recovery. The Phoenix Suns weren’t that lucky. With a league schedule that was heavy on road games in the thick of winter, the frequent-flyer miles added up; thus, diluting Steve Nash and company’s perch atop…
Poor Heard Museum staff. There’s nothing worse than hauling to work when you know the rest of the world is lying around like lazy bums. Well, actually, there is something worse: you might show up to work and no one is there. We don’t want to do that to the…
