AltWeeklies Wire
'That Old Cape Magic' is Incrementally Less Magical Than Richard Russo's Previous Worknew
Cape Magic lacks the expansive, roomy quality of Russo's best work, but his trademark warmth makes it a worthwhile read all the same -- after all, it's only 261 pages.
The Portland Mercury |
Allison Hallett |
08-20-2009 |
Fiction
Pissed Jeans Sound Hardcore but Have a Gooey Centernew
It's the sound of '80s hardcore punk all grown up, with a halfway decent job and maybe a kid or two; the anger is gone, but Pissed Jeans are still in love with hardcore's sound and energy, so instead of concocting rage for its own sake, the band sings about regular life without turning down any of the volume.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
08-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: King of Jeans, Pissed Jeans
Just What You Wanted on Vacation: Stabbings!new
"Nothing bad ever happens in Hawaii," one touristy character in A Perfect Getaway naively notes.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
08-06-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: A Perfect Getaway, David Twohy
'Julie & Julia' Will Make Foodies Furiously Masturbatenew
More or less entirely delightful, Julie & Julia has a pretty foolproof formula: It's a movie based on a popular book that's based on a popular blog that, in turn, was inspired by America's most popular chef.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
08-06-2009 |
Reviews
The Shadowy Panels of 'You Have Killed Me'new
You Have Killed Me is a graphic novel in the hyper-stylized tradition of film noir.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
08-06-2009 |
Original Work
Jesse Sandoval Discusses His Forced Exit from the Shinsnew
On May 2, without a formal announcement or press release, the band that "will change your life" performed for the first time without longtime drummer Jesse Sandoval and keyboardist/bassist Marty Crandall.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
08-06-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Different Kinds of People that There Arenew
A complete list.
The Portland Mercury |
Lindy West |
08-06-2009 |
Culture
Tags: personalities, people
Oregon Aims to Become First State Ever to Erase Gender Wage Gapnew
Working without a definite deadline, Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian has tasked the newly formed Oregon Council on Civil Rights to create an action plan for making equal pay for equal work a reality in Oregon.
The Portland Mercury |
Sarah Mirk |
07-24-2009 |
Economy
Japandroids Escape Vancouver and Invade Americanew
It's easy to pin their heavy style as garage rock, but despite the abbreviated guitar-and-drums lineup, Japandroids' sound is anything but minimalist.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Japandroids, Post-Nothing
'Sleep Dealer': Finally, a Science-Fiction Film About Migrant Workers!new
There are moments of goofiness throughout Sleep Dealer, just as there are moments when Alex Rivera's touch -- which serves him well when it's lighter -- gets too heavy-handed. But overall, the visually striking, impressively imagined film has an energy, purpose, and relevance that much film -- and much modern science fiction -- lacks.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-24-2009 |
Reviews
'G-Force' is Less Fun Than a Gerbil Up the Heinienew
It's probably not surprising to learn that G-Force, the new 3D half-animated/half-real-life kids movie from Disney and über-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, isn't very good. It's noisy, crude, and nonsensical -- none of which is bad in and of itself -- but it's also insultingly stupid and not nearly funny enough.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2009 |
Reviews
Food Service! 24 Hours Inside an Industry That Never Sleepsnew
From the front of house, to the back of house, we've crammed ourselves into Portland's sharp, hot kitchens to get the stories of those who make it happen; the ones who "hate people a little less," the ones who keep Portland drunk and fed. We should have bought them all a beer. I bet they'd settle for a generous tip.
The Portland Mercury |
Staff |
07-02-2009 |
Food+Drink
'Public Enemies': Johnny Depp's Got a Tommy Gun!new
For all of Public Enemies' muddled attempts to delve into the history of America's first "war on crime," it works better as a thriller, an action flick, and a character sketch of Dillinger -- and all of those are things which, in its fast-paced, sharply edited second half, Public Enemies becomes.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
The Oscar-Winning 'Departures' Is Good, but Not That Goodnew
While moving and carefully done, Departures is hardly revelatory -- it sticks to tear-jerking iterations on circle-of-life themes. As the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film, the film's greatest profundity reveals more about the questionable decisions being made by the Academy than those of love, death, or life.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
Courting Condi: A Good Example of Why There Aren't a Lot of 'Musical Docu-Tragi-Comedies'new
The comedy wears out its welcome about two minutes in, but the engaging, too-sparse info about Rice suggests there's a truly excellent documentary to be made about our former secretary of state. Unfortunately, Courting Condi isn't it -- this might be the only film in history to include both a fat dude on ice skates falling down and photos from Abu Ghraib.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
06-19-2009 |
Reviews
