Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker took their supernatural characters seriously, but in more modern history these once scary legends have lent themselves to absurdity (just look at Twilight’s sparkling vamps if you have any doubt). One of the most satirical looks at gothic horror is late playwright Charles Ludlam’s The…
After more than a decade of high-profile Hollywood reboots, the shelves at Marvel and DC are starting to look empty. First came the obvious candidates: comic book vigilantes like Batman and Daredevil transformed seamlessly into action/crime anti-heroes. Then came teen idol Spider-Man, social-pariah super-group the X-Men, righteous rageaholic Hulk, and…
¿Habla Español? You probably still won’t after attending the ginormous Cinco de Mayo Block Party being put on surrounding this Mill Avenue establishment, although there will be plenty of opportunities to learn a phrase or two. Like “No mas!” (“No more”), which you’ll utter after having your share of roasted…
We’ve been living in the age of the mash-up for over a decade, with enterprising, savvy DJs stretching the limits of copyright and pop decency. Occasionally the results are brilliant, as with Dangermouse’s Grey Album. Other times, it’s simply a cut and paste job. Anyone remember Jay-Zeezer, which combined Weezer…
The hardest thing about running actually isn’t the embarrassment of buying nipple tape — it’s the monotony. If running is starting to bore you, we (shamelessly) recommend participating in the New Times Dirty 6 Mud Run on Saturday, May 7. Get rid of the doldrums while getting down and dirty…
The mysterious mind of sci-fi fantasy artist John Picacio is a colorful and fantastical place, if not a little bit unusual. The magnificent and madcap landscape populated by devilish sword-wielding demons, fantastical techno-organic creatures, and rocket-propelled primates is the reason that he’s repeatedly consulted to create vibrant illustrations for novels…
Leon Russell and the Abominable Snowman appear to have a lot in common. Both are legendary. Then too, there’s that physical similarity—Russell’s flowing white hair and massive beard find him a dead ringer for that reclusive creature. More important, sightings of each are relatively rare. Russell’s low profile contrasts with…
Chuck Klosterman once made a convincing argument that pop culture constitutes a more significant art form than the more adventurous, intellectually stimulating creations of those who sacrifice popularity for their original artistic vision. What good is art, he argues, if nobody experiences it? That proposition takes things a bit farther…
There are few bands as grotesquely madcap as Philadelphia’s Man Man. On record, the experimental five-piece band dabbles in jittery jazz dirges and boorish honky-tonk romps. But the band’s boisterous live shows have helped the group gain notoriety among aficionados of freak-out blues in the vein of Captain Beefheart or…
It’s hard to imagine that Coheed and Cambria is celebrating its tenth anniversary as a band this year. During a decade-long stint as one of rock’s only trans-media bands, Coheed and Cambria has managed to release not just a crop of solid albums, but comics and novels as well. While…
In the mood for some gambling? The Talk Cinema film series, a cross-city event that gives advanced screenings of independent and foreign films, will hit the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, May 10. Tickets are available now, but there’s a catch — you won’t know what movie…
Some racers are gonna be running like the wind, while others might just sit still and lick their junk. Although there’s no telling what the pint-sized participants in this year’s edition of Chandler’s annual chihuahua races will wind up doing on the race course during Saturday’s competition, we’re absolutely certain…
Leon Russell and the Abominable Snowman appear to have a lot in common. Both are legendary. Then too, there’s that physical similarity—Russell’s flowing white hair and massive beard find him a dead ringer for that reclusive creature. More important, sightings of each are relatively rare. Russell’s low profile contrasts with…
On any given day, you’ll find Brazilian multi-media artist Rivane Neuenschwander digging through the utterly humdrum details and detritus of daily life in search of ideas for her unusual art, as she has for the past 10 years. Finding the extraordinary in the everyday is a specialty of this internationally…
When it comes to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Phoenix knows what it’s doing. The holiday has particular resonance in the United States, where General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín and his army’s unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 is heralded as an important moment in the…
Folks trot Schrödinger’s cat out of its metaphorical box so often we forget that its alive/dead paradox was meant to mock what it now exemplifies. Perhaps incoherence is the fate of all arresting images, or maybe meaning, duality and interpretation are just slipperier than we think. These are the complex…
When you hear the name Cheech Marin, images of rolling papers and pot smoke probably come to mind. But as the “Chicanitas” exhibit at Mesa Contemporary Arts proves, Marin is more than just a marijuana aficionado — he also has a knack for choosing gorgeous, colorful art. The show features…
Modesty is not one of Crazy Angie’s better virtues. The charmingly foul-mouthed host of the weekly Goldfish Races at Giligin’s, 4251 North Winfield Scott Plaza, is rude, crude and brimming with attitude. Oh, and she’s also smoking hot to boot. Crazy Angie acts as equal parts referee and roastmaster of…
ASU students stripped down to their underwear last night and, well, ran around during the annual Undie Run held on the university’s Tempe campus. (We’ll excuse the corny name, if only because the event is the best chance for ASU students of all cool levels and shades of tan to…
Old Town Scottsdale is about to lose a pop-up gallery.Local artists Emmett Potter and Kristin Bauer say that after this month’s show, they’ll be closing Squeeze Gallery, a space they’ve run since August 2010. “The gallery has been one of the funnest things I’ve done in my life,” says Potter…
John Driggs is in a castle on a hill in the middle of Phoenix. The retired politician and historic preservation champion spends most of his time (or at least part of every day) at Tovrea Castle — the yellow, cake-like estate just off Interstate 202. He’s been checking on it…
Logan Purser at The Vig Uptown is whippin’ up a booze-infused, dessert-like treat that will cost ya … your car keys, that is. Name: Whip Over The Keys Ingredients: Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka, fresh-squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, splash of pineapple, splash of cream, and a graham cracker rim.Flavor: tastes…
