Frederic C. Hamilton — the oil zillionaire whose name adorns the Daniel Libeskind-designed addition to the Denver Art Museum — has been a longtime supporter of that institution. He has given the DAM tens of millions of dollars over the years and is currently Chairman Emeritus of the board, having…
The 108th annual National Western Stock Show had its official kick off on January 9, with a parade through downtown Denver. The show opens tomorrow and runs through January 26 at the National Western Complex, where the fun will include a rodeo, trade show and variety of other special events…
Colorado-based pop star John Denver, who died in a crash while piloting his own plane in 1997 at the age of 53, would have turned seventy on New Year’s Eve. Almost twenty years later, he remains both beloved for writing and singing such songs as “Rocky Mountain High” and “Take…
Interested in making a career out of video and photo journalism? Westword is looking for a good student multimedia intern for spring of 2014. The position is unpaid, and candidates must be able to get college credit for their work. To apply, send a résumé and clips to kristin.bjornsen@voicemediagroup.com…
If you can’t make one of the Denver Zoo’s free days today and tomorrow, not to worry: The Denver Zoo will offer half-off admission to anyone in Bronco wear on Sunday, January 12 (remember, the zoo opens at 10 a.m. and the game isn’t until 2:40 p.m.). And win or…
What a great way to get out in the new year: From Bettie Page burlesque performances to a Charlie Chaplin classic, Denver is full of low-cost entertainment options this weekend. The following events each cost less than a Hamilton — and eight are totally free. Check out the Westword calendar…
If there’s one thing Travis Koenig has learned over fifteen years as a tattoo artist, it’s that persistence is vital to succeed in the industry. Koenig is the tattoo manager at Bound By Design and specializes in large, conceptual pieces. He advocates for education in the tattoo industry and emphasizes…
Two bastions of Denver’s DIY are closing up shop this year. The Festivus Film Festival, which was founded in 2007, and its spin-off the Laugh Track Comedy Festival ceased operation before the end of last year. Aside from providing many local comedians and filmmakers with a valuable opportunity to network and hone their craft for a hip audience, the festivals coalesced our scenes and paved the way for future festivals, like August’s High Plains Comedy Festival. Westword reached out to the founders and organizers of both festivals for their thoughts on the unfortunate conclusion of their passion project. Read on for their quotes and clips of highlights throughout the years.
What are the hundred things everyone should do in Colorado before they die? We posed this question to our writers and editors, and over the next week, we’ll be rolling out their answers across our blogs. Check back on January 16 for the full list. See also: The Westword 2014…
Watch a handful of superhero movies, or read the comics they’re based on, and you realize that all superheroes have an origin story. Geeks are no different. We all have our own origin stories. This is mine. See also: We are geeks; we are stoners…
While the impact of legalizing cannabis will have on Colorado life has been analyzed from economic, political, and demographic standpoints, its influence on our creative community has received much less attention. With films like Tokeasy, however, that may be beginning to change. Heretofore discreet stoners have been coming out of the woodwork and ganjapreneurs are emerging as the area’s most significant patrons of the arts. While as little as 10 years ago, an event like the Tokeasy DVD release party would seem like a literal pipe dream, now it just seems like the most appropriate way to honor a film with a unique perspective on a transformative time in our history. Tokeasy, may have the look and feel of a stoner movie classic, but it has more on its mind than most films from that most ignominious of sub-genres. Above all, the film is “a satire that parallels marijuana today to alcohol during prohibition,” says the film’s co-director, writer, and co-producer Wally Wallace. That the film is finally coming to DVD (no easy feat for a local filmmaker) is a testament to the herculean efforts of all involved. To celebrate those efforts, and to ring a note of victory at the defeat of the very prohibition Tokeasy satirizes, the cast, crew and fans will all be enjoying their freedom saturday night at the Oriental Theater. The event, which is sponsored by Sexy Pizza and High Level Health, will feature performances from comedian Jordan Doll and DJ Deep Rawk followed by a screening of the film.
It’s time to pull out those cowboy hats and boots as the National Western Stock Show begins its 108th year. After a parade through downtown Denver today, the NWSS will start in earnest on Saturday, running through January 26 at the National Western Complex. In addition to professional rodeos, Colorado’s…
New Zealand stuntwoman-turned-actress Zoë Bell is fully aware of her unique position as an action star who also does her own stunts. After working as Lucy Lawless’s stunt double on Xena: Warrior Princess, Bell was discovered by Quentin Tarantino on the set of Kill Bill. After that, Bell has enjoyed…
Without big truth-telling scenes, grand, great-lady, Meryl Streep-type actors would be out of work. Hell, Meryl Streep would be out of work. But for now, at least, August: Osage County, John Wells’s film adaptation of Tracy Letts’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway hit, keeps her out of the bread line. Streep plays…
The setting for Gidion’s Knot is familiar and innocuous — a brightly colored children’s classroom with low tables and plastic chairs, student papers neatly tacked up on one board, another board covered with drawings inspired by mythology. But a psychological whirlwind will soon be let loose in this setting, in…
Rosemary’s Baby notwithstanding, it’s usually only suburban white people who fall prey to movie ghosts and demons — they’re always the ones opening doors to rooms that shouldn’t be entered, stepping witlessly into pentagrams painted on the floor in goat’s blood, and wondering aloud, “You think this is some sort…
Clark Richert. In the few years it’s been in business, Gildar Gallery has mostly showcased young and up-and-coming artists, but with Dimension and Symmetry: Clark Richert, the intimate space on Broadway has moved to Denver’s big time, as Richert is among the best-known artists in the state. The show comes…
So many ideas in our country begin with the best of intentions and end up completely corrupted. From Lindsay Lohan’s acting career to the once-noble filibuster, well-meaning stuff sometimes just gets out of hand here. But has it caught up with Kickstarter, too? Launched in 2009, this crowd-funding platform seemed,…
The terrible reality of modern life is that even beautiful young people on a first date can’t go a whole evening without checking their phones. Just allowing the present to happen has become increasingly foreign. That’s the idea Spike Jonze is scratching at in his futuristic romance Her, in which…
Having written on the Denver art scene for many years, I’ve gained some perspective. The chief revelation I’ve had is that there’s a relatively small number of individuals — perhaps a hundred or so — who substantially shape the scene through their outsized contributions. I bring this up because in…
January! Just the time to snuggle up with a 3-D sword-and-pectoral extravaganza. And although some of its more imaginative plot details would make Edith Hamilton blanch, Renny Harlin’s Legend of Hercules fulfills every silly, flimsy promise that it makes in the first place: There are lots of battles (albeit rather…
The folks at Rock the Earth are adept at aligning two seemingly disparate concepts — fantastic music and the environment, for example — for a great cause. And now the environmental-advocacy organization is using its skills to bring another element into the fold: fine dining. Tonight’s Dine Out for the…
