At the start of Woody Allen’s campus comedy Irrational Man, caddish professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) drives up to a new school that’s already steeled itself for his arrival. “Of course, my reputation — a reputation — preceded me,” admits Abe. Such defensiveness also applies to his tabloid-attacked director, who…
In 2012, documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer made a splash with The Act of Killing, in which he sought out members of Indonesian killing squads, individuals who murdered thousands of innocent citizens accused of being communists after a military takeover in 1965, and invited them to re-enact their crimes in the…
Curious Theatre Company’s catchphrase is “no guts, no story,” and education director Dee Covington — who also directs and acts — has been helping young writers find and tell their own stories for twelve years through Curious New Voices, a summer playwriting festival. During an intense four-week program, students between…
Colorado artist Rick Dula is a local master of contemporary hyperrealist painting who is best known for his magnificent mural “A Place in Time: Here,” which is periodically on view at the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building. The mural functions as an X-ray of sorts of the wall on which…
The night before applications opened for studio apartments at the Artspace Loveland Arts Campus in the remodeled Loveland Feed and Grain building, artists started lining up around the block. “It was midnight and like minus 20 degrees,” recalls Margaret Hunt, director of Colorado Creative Industries in the state’s Office of…
When asked if either the digital revolution in film or the demise of old-school media had affected his career, film critic Howie Movshovitz answers succinctly: “No.” For decades, the award-winning writer, broadcaster, curator, educator and filmmaker has exposed the world of film to several generations in the region. And today…
The heat is getting unbearable (finally) – all the more reason to go inside and have some good, geeky fun. August is full of great options to beat the heat while celebrating the geek, from fantasy legends visiting Denver to a whirlwind of sharks. Here are the month’s ten best…
Cabaret would not be a risky choice for most theater companies. The musical about life in 1930s Berlin has been performed widely on both professional and community stages since its 1966 Broadway premiere. Based on Christopher Isherwood’s writings about a decadent city and a lost young English singer called Sally…
I only braved two of the four days of UMS this year, which is still a lot considering I was able to catch dozens of sets by some incredible musicians. Now in its fifteenth year, the Underground Music Showcase works to bring hundreds of acts to the multi-venue stage that…
How much time would you like to spend in the company of benignly kooky hobbyists? That’s the question to ask before committing to docu-commercial A LEGO Brickumentary, a largely genial but frequently wearying feature-length toy ad. The film’s central conceit is sound enough: LEGO construction kits “unlock [users’] imagination,” in…
It’s been 32 years since the release of National Lampoon’s Vacation, in which Chevy Chase, as dad Clark Griswold, packed his Griswold clan into what looked like the Country Squire from hell and sought the family-bonding experience by driving cross-country to a mythical mega-amusement park known as Walley World. If…
In his debut novel Carnality: Dancing on Red Lake, local author and Westword contributor Josiah Hesse delves into the weird world of the evangelical movement. The first in a planned series of six books that trace the history of the movement in America, Carnality lays the groundwork for this ambitious task…
Like many artists, I’m a bit of a loner. I like being alone in my studio, working — and with the time challenges of this project, I’ve turned into a near-hermit. This condition, of course, will be directly challenged by the Mayday Experiment, since touring with the tiny house will…
Since spring 2009, a singularly dedicated group of theater pros have regularly gathered to stage new, short works by local writers: all at the same time, all sharing a theme, for one night only. And they’ve done it six times a year. This string of bold, entertaining One Night Stands…
Mairead Nye, who wrote and published Where’s My Football? when she was twelve, returns to her hometown for a special reading at BookBar from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 30. But she’s still too young to enjoy one of the spot’s best amenities: Happier Hour. On Thursdays, adults get…
Though most Deverites prefer to while away their hazy August days with poolside day-drinking and late-summer languor, their ventures into the temperate night will reward them with a bounty of belly laughs. Our city’s fine comedy clubs, theaters and breweries have shows to suit every taste and budget. Despite the…
Is it any coincidence that Bridget Foley’s childhood home of Littleton provides the setting for Hugo & Rose, her debut novel of dreams, obsession and suburban ennui? Childhood homes tend to exert a powerful influence on the subconscious, and the subconscious is a powerful force in Hugo & Rose, which…
The Jackalope Craft Fair, a newcomer to the Denver area, gave local artisans a chance to showcase their wares at the Exdo Event Center last weekend. Co-founded by Denver native Melissa Shipley, the national fair featured a wide range of merchandise, from homemade food items to fashion, accessories, home decor, kids’ clothing,…
Author appearances this week bring a dark, surreal dream-weirdness in convenient contrast to our sunny, deep-summer vibe. In Bridget Foley’s Hugo & Rose, a dream-cum-reality comes with obsession and threat, while Josiah Hesse’s Carnality: Dancing on Red Lake follows the subconscious slow leak of a lost man’s childhood trauma. But for…
You can find art all over town — not just on gallery walls. In this series, we’ll be looking at some of the local artists who serve up their work in coffeehouses and other non-gallery businesses around town. “I love the naive, intuitive way children draw,” says Phyllis Ripple, founder…
July was a real flash in the pan. Fortunately, the fun never ends in this city — and if you find yourself strapped for cash at the end of the month, there are still plenty of free entertainment options. This week you can catch inspired bike art, get your mind…
The renovated Union Station opened last July, and for the past year it’s been the hottest spot in town. When we dropped by last week, we spotted local stylist and Pac Sun visual merchandiser Violet Kayaga with a hot look that suited her surroundings. “I’m from the UK originally but…
