John Wojtowicz may be the perfect embodiment of Maslow’s ideal of self-actualization. The inspiration for Al Pacino’s character in Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon and now subject of Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren’s fascinating documentary The Dog, Wojtowicz was many things: soldier, bank robber, libertine, and both “Goldwater Republican” and…
The audience for Ignite Theatre’s Rent is large, boisterous, young, and deeply involved with the action. Throughout the evening, you hear hoots of appreciative laughter, empathetic breath intakes and murmurs, audible sniffles at the sad parts. This enthusiasm is matched by the enthusiasm on stage, the actors singing their hearts…
Michael Paglia has been writing about the art scene in Denver and Front Range for twenty years, following the latest shows, trends and news at museums and galleries. See his latest review, of ID Series, at the Sandra Phillips Gallery, on the Show and Tell blog…
When you put a pair of losers in uniforms, at the end of the day they’re still losers. Best friends and roommates Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Ryan (Jake Johnson) learn that the hard way, but not without finding some joy in the fantasy that you can become the success…
Titles don’t get more ironic than The Expendables 3. The franchise claims to be about death-seeking mercenaries yet stars ’80s action heroes, who refuse to die. Three films in, everyone in the sprawling team is still alive and ass kicking, save for Bruce Willis, whose million-dollar-a-day asking salary has caused…
The Giver is more simple and raw than the rest of today’s teen dystopias that try to cram in unnecessary backstory and love triangles. (Original author Lois Lowry published her novel in 1993, which makes it officially the cool aunt of Katniss and the kids.) The story picks up several…
It takes near-superhuman skills to pull together a group show of works by more than 25 local, national and international artists in a space as small as Plus Gallery. But that’s not why Plus maven Ivar Zeile calls the gallery’s summer portrait exhibition Super Human. The nitty-gritty of the show…
The Hill Flea rolls out its market of wares and wonders today on the Hill, Boulder’s longtime epicenter of coolness and creativity. Resale clothing, upcycled home goods and vintage jewelry will all be on display during the annual community celebration/street fair, but the emphasis, says spokeswoman Maggie Joslyn, is on…
A few years ago, a group of local women filmmakers realized that there weren’t a lot of women like themselves getting the spotlight. “There’s a very large filmmaking community in Denver, and there was a feeling that women filmmakers were underrepresented. We noticed that at screenings, there were a lot…
The Denver Zine Library, which has changed spaces seven times in its eleven-year history, has packed up its 15,000-plus zines and moved yet again. For the uninitiated, “zines are hard to define,” says library co-founder Kelly Shortandqueer. “They’re typically photo-copied, self-published magazines of sorts. Some people just do them in…
In its 27th year, the Colorado AIDS Walk’s goals haven’t changed a bit, though we hear less about AIDS/HIV in the news and, at least in the U.S., fewer people die from the disease. But it hasn’t gone away, says Colorado AIDS Project spokesman Jeff Trujillo. “The biggest thing we…
Various forms of fungus grow in Colorado from the time the snow melts (melting snow creates an ideal environment for certain species) into late fall — which is why Colorado is home to so many mycologists. These mushroom biologists will gather at the 37th annual Colorado Mycological Society Wild Mushroom…
It’s never a ho-hum day at an animal shelter, as Liesl Beckmann of the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley will attest. Though the open-admission shelter mostly sees the usual dogs and cats pass in and out of its doors, that doesn’t mean they don’t also host the occasional…
Even in his last year, at the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and the Rockies down, when Todd Helton came to bat, hope would vibrate through Coors Field. Fans would roar, and everybody knew the team had a fighting chance, because this brawny beast with country swagger cared…
After Jessica Gabrielle and Chanel Karimkhani met and performed together while attending the Parlando School for the Arts in Boulder, the two went their separate ways — Karimkhani on to theater projects in Denver and Gabrielle to Paris, where she worked in the expat theatrical scene. “Jessica and I were…
Even if he’s too mellow for you, at least give him credit for promoting the surfer life as much as the Beach Boys. At this rate, he’s gunning to replace Kenny Chesney as Jimmy Buffet’s heir apparant for the endless summer crowd. He’s at least likable, which is a plus…
“Warriors…come out and play!” It is, after all, your anniversary. Thirty-five years ago, Walter Hill’s outlandish take on New York City’s gang violence hit theaters, and now The Warriors is back with a brand-new digital restoration to please fans old and new as part of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Assemble the…
Roland Emmerich’s 1998 take on the kaiju classic Godzilla is rightfully reviled by both fans of the original and anyone else who hasn’t suffered brain trauma. But among one select audience, it’s been in great demand for years, and when RiffTrax Live: Godzilla> hits theaters, that demand, however inexplicable, will…
When you’re a veteran of the Front Range scene, there’s plenty of “been there, done that” to contend with while continuing to pursue your art. But Matt O’Neill, who just wrapped up a big painting show at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, has learned how to keep things fresh:…
Somewhere between the first time a cave man chiseled an idea into stone and an early adopter tweeted a phrase in 140 characters, the zine was born. Zines are self-published magazines, often hand-drawn, collaged, typed on old-fashioned typewriters or scrawled in Sharpie, pen and pencil. The contents vary: Some are…
You look good, of course, but you could look better. Maybe it’s time to update those skinny jeans to something more flattering, or maybe you’re just tired of rocking vintage grunge flannel and are ready to move on to the next nostalgic revival. Whatever fashion-forward look you see in your…
Codes are the focus of four artists who are showing work at the Sandra Phillips Gallery right now in ID Series. The featured artist is Sue Simon, who is brand-new to Phillips but has been showing in Denver since the 1990s. During that time, she has continuously explored ways to…
