AltWeeklies Wire
Langhorne Slim Comes to Portland and Makes an Excellent Recordnew
Be Set Free is an intoxicating listen, one that frames Langhorne Slim in a brand-new light and plainly makes the case for Scolnick as one of the best American songwriters currently active.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
09-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Be Set Free, Langhorne Slim
Character Witness: Stephen Elliott Talks S&M and '20/20'new
Elliott's new book, The Adderall Diaries, is a brilliantly executed memoir disguised as a true crime book.
The Portland Mercury |
Kevin Sampsell |
09-18-2009 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Dear 'Diary': Sunny Day Real Estate Returnsnew
Judging from the band's beaming comments, this current reunion -- all original members, all old songs -- feels like a sincere gesture, and while it's hard to ignore the nostalgia and historical revisionism of it all, it's just nice to have Sunny Day Real Estate back in our lives.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
09-18-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Boss Lady: 'The September Issue' Takes You to Worknew
In September, Anna Wintour's legendary iciness seems like the unremarkable product of natural decisiveness and an incredibly heavy schedule. She's irreverent, yes, but someone has to be, even at the highest echelon.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
09-10-2009 |
Reviews
Saving Shaolin: Portland Film Geek Unearths Grindhouse Goldminenew
Dan Halsted started Portland's Grindhouse Film Festival in 2004. Since then, he has developed the festival into a monthly showcase of genre cinema that pits the sordid pulp of films like The Toolbox Murders against the antiseptic blandness of contemporary multiplexes.
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
09-10-2009 |
Movies
'The Hunter' Flawlessly Brings a Crime Novel to Comicsnew
The Hunter quickly becomes a cascade of sex, murder, and international intrigue, and you just have to root for our antihero—he's just so good at what he does.
The Portland Mercury |
Paul Constant |
09-03-2009 |
Fiction
'All About Steve': The Nail in Sandra Bullock's Career's Coffin!new
Poor Sandra Bullock: She's an actress that everyone seems to love to hate, but up until now, she didn't deserve half the flak and sarcasm she's suffered in a world full of far-less-likeable Jennifer Anistons and Renee Zellwegers.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: All About Steve, Phil Traill
The Secret Life of Cass McCombsnew
A whispered recluse content in the shadows, McCombs doesn't want to talk about himself. Ever. The roving folk singer politely requests that listeners focus less on his (alleged) prickly persona and more on his craft.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
09-03-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Catacombs, Cass McCombs
'Cold Souls': Paul Giamatti! Paul Giamatti!new
I'm not exactly sure how to characterize Cold Souls -- maybe as an existential dark comedy that deals with the black market of soul trafficking? -- but I do know it does writer/director Sophie Barthes' film a disservice to compare it to just about anything else.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Sophie Barthes, Cold Souls
Confessions of a Teenage Prostitutenew
Portland has been named the No. 2 city for teenage prostitution. This is the story of how one victim escaped.
The Portland Mercury |
Rachael Marcus |
09-03-2009 |
Sex
Feminists vs. PETA: 'Sexist' Ads Draw Portland Protestnew
The loosely knit Portland Feminist Action League organized the "flash protest" via the internet, criticizing PETA for its "sexist and offensive" animal rights campaigns. PETA's protests have featured nude women in cages, and most recently, the organization produced a billboard that pictured a fat woman in a bikini that read, "Save the whales! Lose the blubber. Go vegetarian."
The Portland Mercury |
Sarah Mirk |
08-28-2009 |
The War on Women
Legendary Brazilian Psychedelic Group Os Mutantes Return With a New Albumnew
Haih or Amortecedor, the band's first new album in 35 years, is willfully weird, and one wouldn't expect anything less from Os Mutantes. But the youthful, wide-eyed psychedelia of the group's classic work has given way to a wiser -- if not older -- outlook.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
08-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Haih or Amortecedor, Os Mutantes
I Have to Wonder: Who Exactly is 'Porn & Pong' Written For?new
Nothing Brown presents in Porn & Pong is going to be a huge revelation if you're already mired in gamer culture, and I just can't see the average person choosing the book over Stephenie Meyer's sparkly vampires.
The Portland Mercury |
Earnest "Nex" Cavalli |
08-28-2009 |
Nonfiction
How the National Death Panel Hysteria Spiraled Out from Little Old Oregonnew
It makes sense that the national "death panel" hysteria has its roots here in Portland. Oregonians have dealt with tricky end-of-life issues in the political arena for over a decade now.
The Portland Mercury |
Sarah Mirk |
08-28-2009 |
Politics
If Nothing Else, 'Inglourious Basterds' Proves That Trailers Lienew
Judging by the trailer, one sees a version of this film that's Tarantino at the top of his game, with Brad Pitt slyly drawling out razor-sharp dialogue and WWII looking and sounding like it never has before. Inglourious Basterds is totally like that sometimes, but not all the time.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
