Even Michael Pennington, the acclaimed English actor who’s appeared in dozens of Shakespeare’s plays (as well as Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, in which he portrayed the small role of Imperial officer Moff Jerjerrod) admits that he doesn’t know everything there is to know about the Bard. It seems…
The world of anime (Japanese animation) is far deeper than Dragon Ball Z reruns. From the visionary science fiction of Akira and Ghost in the Shell to the noirish, surreal visions of Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and the perverse sexuality of hentai, anime is a deep and complex medium that…
Directed by John Crowley, Boy A is a brutally soulful film that tells the tale of a young man trying to forge a new life after serving time for a murder committed as a boy. The film’s strengths are many: marvelous performances; a challenging script that makes seamless connections between…
For Bay Area poet-turned-playwright Marisela Treviño Orta, the Latino legend of La Llorona has always been more ghost story than parable: “She is kind of a bogeyman, a scary figure,” Orta says of the woman in white who is damned to roam the earth in search of the children she…
“Orange County: A Personal History is really three books in one,” explains author Gustavo Arellano. “One part is a history of Orange County and the way it’s influenced the United States. I’ve tracked the big trends that have influenced the country, like religion, the horrible television shows, the idea of…
These days, the memoir is arguably a hotter medium than the novel. So why did Chuck Klosterman, who made his name chronicling his experiences in books such as Fargo Rock City, decide to tackle fiction with Downtown Owl, an alternately amusing and grim book he’ll discuss and sign tonight? “I…
Get the dish on more than thirty of your favorite Denver restaurants at Westword’s Menu Affair, featuring complimentary food and wine samplings, seven open bars and live entertainment by the Ron Miles Group. Food Network personality Keegan Gerhard hosts as Goose Sorenson takes on James Mazzio in the Mile High…
Avast, me hearties! Once again, it be time to strap on yer peg leg, dust off yer eye patch an’ practice yer sea walk, for today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the day when landlubbers channel their inner sea scoundrel. And the Sunken Bones Society — who talk…
From the slumping economy to the war in Iraq, there are plenty of reasons to grumble. However, if you live in or near the mountains, pine beetles and their red carnage are probably high on your list. Today starting at 10 a.m. on Main Street in Frisco, BeetleFest is your…
Jim Kunstler keeps a blog called the Clusterfuck Nation Chronicle, and his latest book, The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century, depicts a startling post-cheap-fossil-fuel future in which the American way of life — suburbia — crumbles, along with our economy, as the world endures a…
I love tattoos. I got my first tattoo shortly after I turned eighteen, and I’ve since had it redesigned and re-inked, as well as added another, larger tattoo to my body. The only thing stopping me from getting a half-sleeve — the next ink addition on my wish list —…
Art is about individual vision, about seeing and interpreting similar objects in vastly different ways. It’s a reflection of our humanity that a group of artists can go to a specific location — like the Platte River — and come away with entirely different ideas as to what they witnessed…
Within its dreamy, artsy framework, Patti Smith: Dream of Life is as much a film about the unseen director, Steven Sebring (who first began filming Smith more than ten years ago after meeting her during a Spin photo shoot), as it is about the rock poetess Patti Smith, coming across…
Comedian Martin Short, who steps into the spotlight tonight, makes most of his income from movie and television work. But if Shakespeare’s line about all the world being a stage were true, he’d be thrilled. “I like doing all three mediums, but I think my favorite has always been stage,”…
What’s new at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair? Growth, for one thing: The festival of everything renewable under the sun has become a great green behemoth and will move this year to a new outdoor location on twenty acres at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center in Fort Collins. And…
There’s no denying that roller derby has experienced a revival, which explains why Denver is able to support two roller derby teams, one of which is headed to Colorado Springs today to participate in a double-header bout. The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ 5280 Fight Club will take on the Fort Collins…
Who knew? Talk is powerful stuff, and conservative talk-show host Dennis Prager has a huge and enthusiastic clan of fans here in Colorado, many of whom meet on a regular basis to discuss the radio chatter’s syndicated program (heard locally on KNUS-AM 710). They’re so enthusiastic, in fact, that Colorado…
Join the crew of Starship Troy tonight for the launch of the third and final season of Buntport’s live sci-fi sitcom. The critically lauded show follows the misadventures of the members of a garbage scow crew as they clean up space, one load at a time. Staffed by a motley…
The political conventions are over and I think we can all agree the DNC was more successful than the RNC. Sure, we had fewer police/ protester confrontations and more respectful crowds than the RNC. But more importantly, we had way better celebrities than the Minnesotans had. And though I’m not…
There’s a lot happening in the news these days — the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bailout, the energy/housing crisis, the most exciting presidential race in my lifetime. But, really, there is only one piece of news that I care about — and that’s today’s announcement that IKEA, the Swedish retailer of…
It recently occurred to me that I need to devote some time to talking about how to shop for vintage clothing and not just encouraging our readers to do so or spotlighting stylish individuals who have devoted large portions of their wardrobe to vintage goods. While shopping for used goods…
I have always been fascinated with Goth style. Now, I would never be able to wear black clothing everyday, but I really respect those who do! My best friend is what most would consider Goth, but her style is so much more interesting that just layers of black on black…
