AltWeeklies Wire
Real (Scary) World: When Reality Shows Killnew
The tragic story of Ryan Jenkins allegedly murdering a swimsuit model named Jasmine Fiore would have been just another obscure, SoCal, TMZ footnote were it not for the fact that Jenkins was a rising star in the reality show world. That juicy tidbit is now shining an unwelcome light on the sleazy world of reality show one-upmanship.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
09-01-2009 |
Movies
DIY Documentary 'Handmade Nation' Chronicles the Indie Crafts Movementnew

Several years ago, Faythe Levine set out to document the world of DIY art, craft and design. This deeply personal quest led to the creation of a just-released feature documentary called Handmade Nation and a popular companion book of the same name.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
09-01-2009 |
Reviews
Single Payer: A Slow Train Comingnew
Later this year "something" called health care reform will make its way to the president's desk, to much fanfare and with formerly mortal enemies gathered around the president for the signing, warbling about how the process "worked." It'll all be noise, because the only thing that'll have happened is that the greatest progressive opportunity in two generations was completely missed.
Weekly Alibi |
Gene Grant |
09-01-2009 |
Politics
The Simple Drama of 'Lemon Tree' Makes for a Powerful Middle East Parablenew
The story, based on a real incident, reads like a fable. Paying attention strictly to the David vs. Goliath surface of it, viewers will be amply rewarded. But Lemon Tree has a number of subtle stories lurking just under the surface.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
08-25-2009 |
Reviews
The Grownup Noise Continues to Grow Upnew
The jazzy, low-key folk quartet doesn't fit into any of Boston's music scenes. But despite its varied approach to songwriting, fans have been converted, one by one. The task now is doing that to the rest of the country.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
08-25-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Grownup Noise
Ex-Marine Adam Kokesh Runs for Congress in New Mexiconew
Kokesh, who professes a libertarian-leaning agenda, will be seeking to replace the Democratic representative for the 3rd Congressional District, Ben R. Lujan. Because the 3rd Congressional District is strongly democratic, Kokesh will have to exert a novel appeal as he stalks the Nov. 2, 2010 election.
Weekly Alibi |
Alex E. Limkin |
08-25-2009 |
Politics
'Sleep Dealer' Hits Some High Notes Despite its Micro Budgetnew
There are glitches in Sleep Dealer (cheap effects, wobbly acting, an ending that's far more emotionally rewarding than logically satisfying), but most of them are the charming flaws of a homegrown work of art.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
08-18-2009 |
Reviews
Nancy Hollander Defends Guantanamo Prisoners ... and Our Justice Systemnew
The Albuquerque lawyer is one of the nation's leading criminal defense attorneys, but she now faces perhaps her greatest legal challenge yet: Representing two prisoners incarcerated at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
08-11-2009 |
Civil Liberties
The Colony: When Big Brother Met Mad Maxnew
So, in some respects, there's reason to celebrate the arrival of Discovery Channel's new show, The Colony. For starters, it has less to do with "vote somebody off each week" competitions like Survivor and more in common with ongoing social experiments like PBS' Frontier House.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O’Leary |
08-04-2009 |
TV
Being the Average Dudenew

John Bear lives the life of an average American for one week. So what does the average American eat, drink and do during a week?
Weekly Alibi |
John Bear |
08-04-2009 |
Culture
Underground Filmmaker Jon Moritsugu Talks About His Move to New Mexico and His New Projectnew
The do-it-all DIY filmmaker has a body of work that floats somewhere in the artistic ether between the pop art obsessions of Andy Warhol and the trashy aesthetics of John Waters.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
07-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Bud Melvin Mixes Banjo, 8-Bit Nintendo and Karaokenew
Melvin creates a solo novelty using the banjo and chiptunes -- music produced by older video game and computer systems that generate sound in real time. It's both retro digital and pastoral, an unlikely combination that interacts with the dynamism of yin and yang.
Weekly Alibi |
Jessica Cassyle Carr |
07-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Bud Melvin, Popular Music
New Mexico's Transgender Community Unsettled by News Coverage of Murdersnew
"They should have said the word 'victim' in there somehow, because regardless of what these people were doing when they were killed, they still had the right to live," Transgender New Mexico facilitator Janice Devereaux says. "And referring to them as victims, I think, would have been more appropriate."
Weekly Alibi |
Marisa Demarco |
07-28-2009 |
Media
We Crash the Rainbow Gatheringnew

In a desperate attempt to see eye-to-eye with this Rainbow family, I had even broken an eight-year hallucinogen-free run and eaten a mixture of honey and psychedelic mushrooms. But there I was, in the midst of a mellow trip, further from understanding them than I had been when I arrived.
Weekly Alibi |
Maren Tarro |
07-20-2009 |
Culture
Health Care on Life Support: New Mexicans Tell Us What Reform Looks Likenew
Froozan Parwana is one of more than 400,000 New Mexicans without health insurance. Her trip to the emergency room last summer, which cost more than $300, was a harsh introduction to what awaits patients without medical coverage. The hospital bill forced Parwana to take fewer college classes.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
07-20-2009 |
Science