29 Metro Phoenix Festivals This Fall

Whether you want to shop for holiday goods or maneuver your way through spooky corn mazes, there is plenty to do this fall, and something for everyone. Maybe you’d like to check out some intriguing underground films, or see locals dress up for costumed theme parades? From underground film festivals…

5 Free Things to Do This Week in Metro Phoenix

With so much to do in Phoenix all the time, it can be hard to pick and choose what to do and where to go. We’ll help you narrow done your options to some that are free. This week we’ve got community mixers, drinks and debates, and a series of…

5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

“Scientology’s Dirty Tricks: Then and Now” with Tony Ortega While it’s easy to make Scientology into a punchline, thanks to its celebrity followers and sci-fi roots, what shouldn’t be ignored is the church’s ability to draw in adherents and keep them in its clutches. Journalist Tony Ortega, formerly of New…

99 Homes Actor Michael Shannon Is a Stern Monopoly Player

LA Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson found out first-hand that Michael Shannon is a pretty stern Monopoly player during a recent game with the actor, who portrays a tortured Orlando real-estate baron in the upcoming 99 Homes. Nicholson and Village Voice film editor Alan Scherstuhl open this week’s Voice Film…

10 New Graphic Novels to Read This Fall

It’s almost fall somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall, as in cool temperatures and the beginning of a new school year. As this is being written, it’s monsoon season in the Valley and school has been in session for weeks. When we were kids somewhere else, Labor Day felt like…

7 Best Things to Do in Phoenix This Weekend

Gallery Talk: Ehren Tool and Garth JohnsonEhren Tool found ceramics as a creative outlet after serving as a marine in Operation Desert Storm. The veteran handcrafts cups covered in imagery referencing the effects of military service on veterans and the impact of war on societies. Serving as both social commentary…

The Palms Theatre Closes in Mesa

The Palms Theatre in Mesa has shuttered. A Wednesday, September 9, e-mail announced the closure of the dinner theater located near Brown and and Higley roads formerly known as Broadway Palm.  “It is with our deepest and most sincere regrets that we must announce the closure of The Palms Theatre,…

Here Are All the Reasons Nobody Went to See The Transporter Refueled

Disappointing action reboot The Transporter Refueled is so thoroughly misconceived that it took us a couple of extra days to pinpoint all the ways it leaves audiences disappointed — and possibly pining for the relatively sturdy drive-in/grindhouse-ready exploitation films of yesteryear. Refueled, a reboot of the adequate 2002 Jason Statham…

Wolf Totem Is Gorgeous, but It Holds to Nature-Adventure Formula

The success of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s handsome lupine adventure Wolf Totem relies in large part on the ratio between wolf and totem. There are wolves — those howling, majestic hunters of the Mongolian grasslands — and then there are the many things they stand for: freedom, teamwork, the delicate harmony of…

8 Tips for Night Hiking in Arizona

Whether chasing sunsets or simply trying to escape the sun, night hiking is a great way to hit the Arizona trails year round. With that being said, there are some important safety precautions to take when exploring nature after dark, as the desert does change and come alive in different…

15 Must-See Dance Performances in Metro Phoenix During Fall 2015

The start of the 2015-16 dance season is looking delightfully eclectic, with offering that include not only Phoenix-area traditions such as Scorpius Dance Theatre’s A Vampire Tale, but also some touring productions including modern takes on music by Bizet and Bach. From classic story ballets to contemporary works infused by…

10 Slang Words and Phrases That Need to Die in 2015

Language is a fascinating, sometimes beautiful thing. As a primary mode of expression, it’s constantly changing and evolving, with styles of speaking (ahem, vocal fry) rising to prominence and new terms being deemed worthy of dictionary space. But these 10 slang terms? We are, like, so over them. They’ve been overused,…

5 Free Things to Do This Week in Metro Phoenix

Recovery from a three-day weekend can be brutal on both your energy and your budget. That’s why we found some things to do that will help make the transition back to normalcy as easy as possible. This week there’s flash fiction, a Latin street festival, futuristic art, the scariest exhibit…

5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

“Cactus and Coral” It is a rare moment when one can see the world from someone else’s point of view. Through Each Others Eyes, promotes that concept via cultural exchange, placing photographers in unfamiliar settings to understand how they see things. With the “Cactus and Coral” exhibit, photographers from Australia…