Captain America: Civil War Is Comic-Book Cinema Without the Wonder

If nothing else, Captain America: Civil War stands as something of a corrective to this spring’s other superheroes-bludgeoning-each-other opus, Batman v Superman. While that film was severe and downcast, Civil War is expansive, at times even light. BvS strove to redefine its superheroes to fit newer, darker, borderline-sociopathic molds; Civil…

Your Guide to Independent Bookstore Day 2016 in Metro Phoenix

Comic shops and record stores aren’t the only local businesses that need love. Independent bookstores have plenty to offer in the age of online shopping. And on Saturday, April 30, you can show your local indie book shop some love.  Founded in 2015 after a 2014 campaign in California, Independent…

9 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from April 29 to May 1. Blue Galaxy The powerhouse duo of playwright Kim Porter and director Duane Daniels, which brought us 2011’s Munched, is generating significant buzz for the world première of Porter’s Blue Galaxy, with songs by Roger…

Inside Artist Geoffrey Gersten’s New Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale

During a Thursday night art walk in April, people strolling through the Old Town Scottsdale, just west of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, saw more than the Old West-inspired paintings and sculptures many people associate with the area. Scottsdale artist Geoffrey Gersten, who creates his paintings and other works in…

10 Nerdy Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This May

Every month, there’s plenty for geeks to celebrate in Phoenix, but that’s more the case this May than ever. With Star Wars Day on May 4, Captain America: Civil War on May 6, and Free Comic Book Day on May 7, we may as well call this month Nerd Christmas. And…

A Netflix Doc Digs at the Truth Behind the Foxcatcher Killing

If you thought the billionaire played by Steve Carell in Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher was eerie, please allow me to introduce you to the real John du Pont. A dangerous concoction of lonely and paranoid, du Pont was blessed with money and mobility and cursed with the kind of childhood that…

Mesa Artist Steve Gompf on Punking Gallery-Goers with Televisors

What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a monthly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This month: Steve Gompf, whose work is currently exhibited in…

Jacqueline Finds a Worthy Opponent in Episode Two of Kimmy Schmidt

Each week, we’re recapping the second season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt episode by episode. Pop on your shants and thigh tops. “Kimmy Goes On A Playdate!” opens with Kimmy in full-on eighth-grader mode as she demands a job at a local year-round Christmas store, employing convincing arguments like “I’VE GOT…

Tale of Tales Dares to Bite Into the Tangential Madness of Fairy Stories

Fairy tales were meant to be oral stories. Translating the tangents of old women in far-flung villages (whose chips on their shoulders about, say, their brother’s failed shipping business might inspire long asides about the shipping industry) into written texts doesn’t always make for the most linear, easy read. In…

Prince Movie Tribute Coming to FilmBar in Downtown Phoenix

As fans continue celebrating the legacy of Prince, FilmBar has announced a three-film tribute to the late pop culture icon who died April 21. The downtown Phoenix independent movie theater will screen Purple Rain, a popular choice among local theaters, as both Harkins Theatres and Cult Classics screened or will…

WWE Raw Coming to Talking Stick Resort Arena in June

A major spectacle will invade Talking Stick Resort Arena in June, and it’s at once a maelstrom of bright lights, colorful characters, and a hard-rock soundtrack. Are we referring to some massive arena-style concert? Nope. Think again, jabroni. It’s the WWE, which announced recently that it will return to the…

While Viva Finds Beauty in Cuba, Its Characters Seem Adrift

The lure of everything Cuba is strong. It’s in the news, on top of everyone’s travel list and in our movie theaters. But the recent films about Cuba aren’t exports from the still-embargoed country. Most come from visiting filmmakers. Irish director Paddy Breathnach captures a gorgeous portrait of Cuba with…

7 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times picks the best events in metro Phoenix from April 25 through 29. For more things to do, see our curated online calendar. Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Baseball has many rules, most of them not having anything to do with actual gameplay: Don’t step on the pitcher’s mound. Never mention a…