For decades Tony Award-nominated playwright/actor/drag legend Charles Busch has been playing himself by playing other characters, usually in some form of glamorous drag, in a string of campy off-Broadway hits like his Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and the The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, along with choice Hollywood roles: adaptations…
Remakes are almost universally despised, and with good reason — they are almost universally terrible. But from time to time, a remake turns out all right. And once in a blue moon, a remake turns out to be the equal of the film it remakes — or even superior. With…
Host Professor Phelyx and a bevy of the beautiful ladies of Crème de Luxe brought back the classic art of burlesque at the Oriental Theater on May 28, with classy routines, Ziegfeld-worthy costumes, a live jazz band and a good helping of the old bump and grind. All photos by…
As the summer heat rises, remember that a movie theater is your air-conditioned best friend. To celebrate the sunshine — and good air-conditioning — we’ve rounded up ten of the best film events in Denver in June, presented in chronological order. 10) Welcome to the Dahl House Saturdays beginning June…
The Denver Film Society is kicking off June by announcing (just in time for Pride Month) their dates and full schedule for the Cinema Q Film Festival, which goes into full bloom July 21 – 24 at the Sie FilmCenter. Kicking off the four-day fest on Thursday, July 21, is…
There was a time when the summer movie season was a season, sandwiched between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. By the 21st century, the start date drifted back to the first weekend in May. This year, the superhero flicks started arriving with Deadpool’s release on February 12. Only two…
There’s reason for skepticism when you hear that a new documentary plays like a thriller. That suggests that the filmmakers have favored suspense over documenting — that the specifics of real life will be arranged according to the logic of plotting rather than reportage. Will Allen’s sunny gut-punch cult exposé, Holy…
It’s a feat to out-idiot TMZ culture. In achieving that, the fake-doc white-rapper satire Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a breakthrough for studio comedies, which here at last catch up to the metabolism and meaninglessness of the internet age. In its generous, frenetic first hour, Popstar’s jokes and parodies…
Happy First Friday! The sun is out — so you have no excuse not to get out yourself and hit an arty party at one of Denver’s many art districts. On this First Friday, here are nine types of people you’re likely to see: …
History Colorado made more history today when, after a natural search, its board of directors announced that they’d found the ideal executive director right here at home: interim leader Steve Turner. Turner has worked with History Colorado since 2008, and was head of the State Historical Fund and the Office…
When local personality Andrew Novick took over the Denver Art Museum’s monthly Untitled event on May 27, things got a little weird and a lot Japanese, in honor of the current exhibit of ages-old Samurai armor: A mute Hello Kitty led tours through the museum, and while the sound of…
June has arrived, and Denver’s comedy calendar is full of follies ranging from Saturday Night Live alumni and a comedian supergroup to an improv presidential debate and a comedy festival masterminded by local standups. While the entertainment continues all month long, this June is front-loaded with particularly great comedy shows. Here they…
When Timothy Orr, then the assistant director of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, was called on to take over the whole thing following the departure of CSF artistic director Philip Sneed in early 2013, he found himself immersed in what he now calls — in a profound understatement — “a very…
School’s out for summer — or close enough — and that means more opportunities to enjoy all of Denver’s geeky fun times. June is yet another month packed full of top-notch geek entertainment, from our biggest con of the year to underappreciated geek films on the big screen. Here, in…
You don’t expect to see important art shows unveiled at this time of year — but this spring has defied expectations. There are so many important exhibits in town right now, you’d think we were in the middle of the fall, long recognized as the high season for art not…
Comedian Nick Thune is often recognized as the tall, aloof guy who strums a Midsummer Night’s Dream–like tune while tossing out whimsical and deranged notions — so fans may be surprised to learn that he’s abandoned the guitar altogether. In the two years since his Netflix special Folk Hero, Thune has…
It’s the end of an era. On Thursday, June 2, filmmaker and 2008 Westword MasterMind Jason Bosch will present the final screening by ArgusFest, the labor of love (for good, important films that educate audiences, albeit often very small audiences) that he started fifteen years ago. “I’ve decided to finally let…
In Diva Watch, we profile the passionate, diverse and fascinating performers who light up Denver’s drag community, expanding on our Diva Dozen list from 2015 and our new Freshest Faces list for 2016 by asking different queens — from established to ingénue — questions that take a peek beneath the…
This may be a short week, but it will be long on free fun as many summer series get under way. This week you can listen to music, learn about comics or watch a movie — without ever opening your wallet. Here are our favorite three free events this week;…
“Did I want to shoot comedies?” asks Brandon Trost, director of photography on two of this summer’s funniest films, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. “It’s funny — not at all.” But then came MacGruber, Jorma Taccone’s 2010 SNL film.“The director wanted me because I wasn’t…
Today is Memorial Day, and while there will be public fairs and festivals all over the metro area, as well as barbecues and ballgames, one reader noted a glaring omission in our list of the ten best places for food and fun today. Says John: I think you guys forgot Fort…
Springtime in the Rockies: Independence Pass reopened Thursday afternoon — just in time for the reopening of Aspen Mountain for a few more days of skiing. That makes for a perfect, last-second Colorado road trip. See and ski! The resort — with 120 acres of terrain for skiing and riding…
