No Reservations (Warner Bros.) From its cheap, mid-’90s-looking package to its woefully scant extras (one pre-chewed Food Network behind-the-scenes, blech) to its wide-screen/full-screen option, this feels like something dropped right into the discount bins; it probably debuts at half off this week. And this soufflé of a romantic comedy deserves…
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Arizona Theatre Company’s favorite playwright, Jeffrey Hatcher (Turn of the Screw, Tuesdays With Morrie, Ella), has adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story of evil, dual personalities, and grisly murder for another ATC world première. Not to be confused with the wildly…
The Amateurs (First Look) The Beatrix Potter Collection (BBC Warner) Becoming Jane (Miramax) Blade: The Series — The Complete Series (New Line) Blue State (MGM) Charlie Chan: Volume 4 (Fox) Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season (Warner Bros.)Dedication (Weinstein) The Equalizer: Season One (Universal) Family Ties: The Third Season (Paramount) General…
Fleet-footed corpses are, from a physiological point of view, complete bullshit. “If you run that fast, your ankles will snap off,” says Jason Creed (Josh Close) to fellow film student Ridley (Philip Riccio), the gauze-wrapped lead of his no-budget mummy opus The Death of Death. Pausing to regroup, cast and…
No celebrity hairdresser should ever be allowed near Colin Farrell’s eyebrows with a tweezer. Black, fluffy, and gloriously uni, they still aren’t the prettiest things about In Bruges. That honor falls to the Belgian city itself, known for its scenic medieval turrets, bourgeois tedium, and unfavorable comparisons with Amsterdam. Bruges…
Freudians disheartened by the Bearded One’s fall from psychotherapeutic grace may be cheered to learn that ol’ Sigmund lives and prospers at the movies, at least in child-friendly cinema. The Spiderwick Chronicles, an extravagantly oedipal fantasy adventure based on the popular children’s novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, comes…
Can’t get enough of Bill Clinton? Have we got a movie for you. Sandwiched somewhere between the American Spirit commercials and the Clinton campaigning that make up Definitely, Maybe is a surprisingly rewarding romantic comedy — one worth the effort, because some effort’s actually been put into it. Imagine, really,…
When it comes to giving a game a vibe, “awesome” is an easy mark to hit. Explosions, hot chicks, macho one-liners, and salivating mutants are all awesome. And it’s just about impossible to overdo the awesome: More explosions, more hot chicks, more machismo, and more mutants are only more awesome…
About halfway through Act One of Stray Cat Theatre’s super-fashionable Kate Crackernuts, my middle-aged companion leaned over and whispered in my ear, “It’s always nice to see what the youngsters are up to these days.” I’m not sure I agree with him. Because while I found Kate energetically acted and…
Sadly, the roster of revolutionaries from the civil rights era has dwindled significantly over the years. Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, and Dave Dellinger, who once raised their fists to protest injustice during the country-changing 1960s, have left the planet. However, one of the movement’s pioneers who’s still going strong…
The P.F. Chang’s Marathon is a 26.2-mile run for sissies. What say you? Yep, even our creaky bodies could make it through at least part of it, thanks to all of the urban distractions such as bands and cheering fans. But for a no-frills, rustic run through the natural desert…
You think nature’s beautiful and all, but you view its attendant peace and quiet as a bit overrated. You see hiking as fun, but you always thought it was missing something — like drums, perhaps. Damn, if it isn’t your lucky day, because Leslee Jo Klinsky’s Drum Arizona Hiking Group…
Tight-Shirt Guy says, “Dude, the AZ Strong Beer Festival is February 16. Whoa, paaar-tay.” As Beer Purist Guy pontificates about 6.5 percent alcohol content and exotic hops and barleys, Tight-Shirt Guy shrugs and says, “Hey, we’re gonna meet chicks, right?” Jerry Gantt, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild…
Matthew and Gunnar Nelson were never cool, even when their “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” hit No. 1 in 1990, but who would have guessed that the lion-maned twinkies of hair pop would fall so far? How far? Mesa’s ViewPoint RV & Golf Resort, where Ricky Nelson’s boys…
No two ways about it, pal, you screwed the pooch. Bigtime. Your forgetful ass was too busy watching Survivor and Lipstick Jungle to recall that Valentine’s Day was yesterday, fool. Though the situation ain’t as bad as that one V-Day when you proposed a visit to the local swingers’ club,…
The biggest problems facing Americans today? We’re fat and we’re pale. If you want to rub shoulders with folks who are neither, head out to Goodyear Rodeo Days at the fabulously authentic Estrella Mountain Regional Park Rodeo Grounds. There’ll be cowboys up and purty rodeo queens, which should provide some…
It’s Valentine’s Day, and no amount of porn will save you from this feeling of emptiness. Worldwide, people are going at it like beavers at a dam, and all you can do is pick lamely at your chastity belt. Mission Semen Receptacle has just been classified impossible. But instead of…
Valentine’s Day gift ideas: Roses. Candy. Hallmark. Shooter’s World Guns and Roses Range Package. Shooter’s World owner Phil Roux understates the case when he calls his venue’s smokin’ deal “a non-traditional date idea.” For a reasonable $99.99, the facility will provide couples an hour of target time, firearms rentals, a…
Michael Moore’s 2007 film about America’s crumbling health care industry screens during Concerned Citizens Movie Night. Mon., Feb. 18, 6 p.m., 2008…
We’re kind of sad, in a sick kind of way, that there hasn’t been a real mano a mano war in centuries. The downward spiral started with the invention of the gun, then snowballed into fighter jets and nuclear weapons. Fortunately, there are still plenty of pre-1600s enthusiasts who prefer…
Here’s all you need to know about the six-race Winter Challenge: You can bring beer from home and drink in the stands! So pack that cooler with some canned Piss Light and Beer Shit Ice (no bottles allowed, you hooligans) and get ready for some racin’. Saturdays, 1 p.m.; Sun.,…
Need somewhere to take your sweetie for Valentine’s Day? This world-renowned Australian vocal group will present its stunningly unique musical repertoire — ranging from operatic numbers to the classic pop songs of ABBA and Queen — during a pair of shows here in the Valley at the Mesa Arts Center…
