Despite being the writer/director of the cult blaxploitation spoof Pootie Tang and the long-time, Emmy-winning collaborator of Chris Rock, Louis C.K. has never been widely known. But suddenly, there he was, starring in – and subsequently fuming publicly over the quick cancellation of – HBO’s Lucky Louie. As of October…
It doesn’t take an archaeological genius like Indiana Jones to decipher the messages embedded in the lyrics of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Even the band has admitted that its completely fictional language, Volenska, is a bunch of gibberish that doesn’t quite mean anything, yet seems to “fit perfectly with…
Few artists have gone through more reinventions than this Mexican-born guitarist has, going from his Latin-jam days fueled by his unforgettable appearance in the Woodstock movie to his lackluster days in the 80s (even though his band was still considered a top live act) and his resurgence after his multi-Grammy…
Gigantic, pissed-off chickens with teeth. That’s the impression created by the imposing models on display in the “Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origins of Flight” exhibit. After you check out these dentally impressive fowl, run for your life to Arizona Science Center and marvel at the computer-controlled dino-matrons galore featured in…
The culinary blowout, held in conjunction with the release of New Times’ annual Best of Phoenix issue, showcases 25 past Best of Phoenix restaurant winners. There’ll also be a beer tasting and live entertainment. Proceeds benefit Just for the Kids Foundation. Cocktail attire required. Sat., Sept. 27, 7-11:30 p.m., 2008…
The Pulitzer Prize winner (A Thousand Acres) reads from and signs her books. Sat., Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., 2008…
The autumnal equinox comes tonight, officially bringing the beginning of Fall, and kicking off the countdown to the season’s biggest holiday, Halloween.
By Lilia Menconi For legal purposes, the longest caption ever: James Turrell”Knight Rise,” 2001Venetian plaster, stainless steel, concrete, neonA “skyspace” commissioned by the Scottsdale Public Art Program for the Nancy and Art Schwalm Sculpture Garden, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtPhoto: Florian Holzherr I have a daily early morning ritual that…
It takes a good while for Ricky Gervais to warm up in Ghost Town; it takes even longer for the audience to warm to Ricky Gervais. During the opening minutes of Ghost Town — an occasionally effective mash-up of Ghost, The Sixth Sense, and The Frighteners — Gervais, as Bertram…
Earlier this year, when I was assigned to jury duty on a drug-related trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court, our jury foreman turned out to be a blond, blue-eyed reality-TV producer from the bedroom community of Altadena. During the jury-selection process, when the judge asked if we had any…
This is the year that woodland creatures with explosive diarrhea saved video games. On rare occasion do gamers end up playing a product untouched by outside interests, delivered exactly as the artists intended. For that product to be fantastic, too, is gravy. For the game to include a character called…
Sean Tretta (The Great American Snuff Film, Death Factory: Bloodletting) directed this spooky, low-budget 2007 flick about a ghost chaser who’s hired to determine if a house is truly haunted or not. Fri., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., 2008…
Looking at photographer Ernie Button’s images of masked action figures and plastic soldiers, you might assume he’s a geeky toy collector who still lives in mommy’s basement. Not so, says Button: “For me, it’s more about how the meaning of things changes as we get older.” Button photographed his whimsical…
Our parents, who would’ve been clapped in irons today, took us to see Barbarella when we were 7. All we really remember is a bunch of nasty-ass space dolls gnawing on Jane Fonda’s thighs – and that this freaky shit beat the crap out of Dumbo. Discover – or rediscover…
One recent weekday morning, we checked out Randy Slack’s “Paperless Society” exhibit, which is meant to prompt pure Zen, as every inch of wall space at @Central Gallery is covered in a wallpaper tree forest. Our subconscious-engaged being was violently thrown back to an aggro conscious-awareness when about 100 hormone-icidal…
It’s a shame in a way – but then again, not at all – that most people first come to Dashiell Hammett via Tinseltown translations of his hardboiled prose. The Glass Key. The Thin Man. The Maltese Falcon. The latter book, adapted in letter-perfect fashion for the big screen by…
You may think that knitting and lace-making are for the old and sexually doomed. For you, they conjure up images of Swiss grandmothers knitting socks all day, too comfortable and plain-brained from living on dirty war money all of their lives. Truth is, both crafts have been re-transfigured in the…
The other night, you were taking your dog Sigmund for a stroll when you suddenly fell into a gaping manhole. You plummeted down the dark utility vault, landing on a springy, cushioned surface. In the distance, you could see a group of gymnasts exercising in a frenzy, their clean-shaven bodies…
The music journalist and National Public Radio correspondent discusses his new book, 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Wed., Sept. 24, 7 p.m., 2008…
Junot Diaz lived in the Dominican Republic until he was 7 years old, then emigrated to the United States, where he had a gritty New Jersey childhood. Now he’s written a book in which . . . a Dominican kid has a gritty New Jersey childhood while we learn about…
Yes, it’s visually stunning. Yes, we agree that trained dancers have leg muscles even the fiercest bodybuilder would envy. But unless you’re light in the loafers or you pee sitting down, chances are you’d rather have a spinal tap than sit through two hours of Swan Lake. Ballet Arizona hopes…
Yes, it’s visually stunning. Yes, we agree that trained dancers have leg muscles even the fiercest bodybuilder would envy. But unless you’re light in the loafers or you pee sitting down, chances are you’d rather have a spinal tap than sit through two hours of Swan Lake. Ballet Arizona hopes…
