In hindsight, the 1984 hit Footloose — starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Herbert Ross — along with its contemporary, Flashdance, can be seen as the link between the old Hollywood model of a let’s-put-on-a-show musical, based on original songs brought to life in elaborate choreographed numbers, and the later…
One of the main things that differentiated America’s hippies from their counterparts around the world — France, Mexico, Poland, Germany and Ireland were all seething with protest at the time, and the Soviet Union drove its tanks into Czechoslovakia in 1968 to quell the Czech spring — was a zany…
To Kill a Mockingbird is an institution, a revered American novel that’s a must for every high-school curriculum, the inspiration for a well-loved film starring Gregory Peck and scripted by Horton Foote. Mockingbird has influenced discussions of race ever since Harper Lee’s novel first appeared in 1960; idealistic lawyers like…
On Sunday morning in Manitou Springs, early risers were treated to a sight they’re not likely to ever see again: The Manitou Chair Project went down as planned, featuring nearly 700 disparate chairs on loan from the tourist town’s artsy community lined up, one after the other, in a front-to-back…
Street art is usually a fly-by-night phenomena, one that the artists prefer no one — especially the police — witness. Just ask the Knapper twins, the subjects of this week’s Westword cover story. But Denver has recently taken to the idea of live street-art events. And last Friday night, UnseenDenver…
Right on the heels of the really-fucking-big-deal opening of the Don Anema Memorial Skatepark in Northglenn — which rivals (if not outdoes) the Denver Skatepark for biggest park in the state — come two more hot skate spots in the northern suburbs: the Trail Winds Skatepark in Thornton, set to…
My theory for the reason I have no pets, children or serious commitments to other humans: I am free to move and do as I please in the world however I want, whenever I want. The same theory explains my lack of possessions: It is not likely that I will…
Film has inspired popular culture for decades, but some people don’t actually know where the inspiration for their favorite films comes from. Today, Columbus Day, Metropolitan State College of Denver film studies professor Vincent Piturro will celebrate Italian heritage — and in a way that he hopes will change the…
The Conceited Bastards Cooperative Boutique opened over the weekend at 738 Santa Fe Drive, and although the new shop displays its humble beginnings, it has big ambitions. At its core, the boutique is an outlet for hand-made clothing from a variety of designers. “We want to offer a storefront-style opportunity…
Intrepid explorers who chased the storm out to Wolf Creek Ski Area for the first lift-served Colorado shred of the season were rewarded handsomely: In addition to the 36-inch dump we reported on Friday, Wolf Creek has since gotten another 10 inches, including 2 inches last night. The mountain, which…
10. Bloomberg Businessweek On Friday, Bloomberg Businessweek revealed its tribute to Steve Jobs. With a photo essay, an incredibly thorough biography and first-person input from Eric Schmidt, John Sculley and Steve Jurvetson, it’s impressive in scope and quality. But it’s just one of many innovative tributes inspired by the death…
Before the Colorado Symphony Orchestra announced that it was cutting back its fall schedule in an attempt to balance a budget shortfall of $1.2 million, Show and Tell checked in with Barry Fey, the savior of the symphony back in 1989. Fey thinks that the current incarnation of the symphony…
Art by Craft, the Denver Handmade Alliance’s annual member showcase exhibition, opened at RedLine on October 1, and it’s stunning — a spectacle of work by local artisans with a fine-art credibility. But this Sunday, October 9, pieces by craft artists will come off the exhibit floor and into the…
In the future, people will go apeshit for fighting robots. That’s apparently the half-assed premise of Real Steel, producer Steven Spielberg’s latest bid to let technology do the work for him — this time around in a more literal sense than usual — in which Hugh Jackman plays an incredibly…
After a successful summer program, Girls Rock Denver is kicking things into gear with Rocktober, a month-long series of events to help fund its upcoming 2012 camp and hopefully get the group into a permanent space. This evening, art from local musicians like Sonya Decman and Darci Armstrong and images…
While Hazel and Dewey is named after owner Jenna Miles’s great aunt, there’s nothing geriatric about the store. Located on South Broadway, the shop (which opened in June) is William and Sonoma’s spunky, Etsy-ified little sister where juicers have gnome heads, aprons are printed with apple motifs and cake stands…
Corey and Jesse Knapper, a pair of art-school students who were arrested for pasting massive posters on the sides of buildings, are the focus of “Buzz Kill,” this week’s cover story. Some people call their work vandalism, some call it art, some call it both. Their graphic poster art is…
“It would be sad to see this much snow not being skied on at a ski area,” says Elesha Goad, ticket office supervisor at Wolf Creek Ski Area, where they’re opening this weekend to take advantage of the 36 inches of new snow that has fallen in the last 24…
Denver’s Dangerous Theatre has been tickling funny boners and titillating naughty parts since 2007, and its latest play, Here be Dragons, is a tale of Christianity and homosexuality — with a dangerous hint of science and a delicious smidge of naked man-ass. But the theater itself still lurks in the…
Maria Mosina is almost as graceful a speaker as she is a dancer. Almost. A principal ballerina with the Colorado Ballet, Mosina began her career with the Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Company in Russia, and it is with a soft Russian accent that she describes her career as “completely natural” but…
In fourth grade, I wanted glasses more than anything. Well, that’s not true — I wanted braces even more. I also wanted a perm because my best friend had one. Basically, I desired to look as uncool as possible. As it turns out, I got all of those things as…
For the Halloween-phobic, we’ve still got plenty to do this weekend, including a craft event, race watching and dancing. It’s First Friday to boot, so you should have plenty to keep you busy, all for less than $10 per event. For a complete guide to this weekend, go to westword.com/calendar…
