AltWeeklies Wire
Randy Newman: Reinvigorated, Satirical, and Not a Fan of McCainnew
On his most recent release, Harps and Angels, Newman's political satire is filtered through the narration of a plaintive observer, a practice that Newman fans are accustomed to, and something he feels he's improved upon over his 30-plus years as a songwriter and composer.
The Portland Mercury |
Ryan J. Prado |
10-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Harps and Angels, Randy Newman
'Veeps' is an Irreverent Guide to the History of the Vice Presidencynew
There are three people on the blue side of the political spectrum who benefited from the selection of the profoundly terrifying Sarah Palin as a vice-presidential candidate: Tina Fey, Bill Kelter, and Wayne Shellabarger.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
10-24-2008 |
Nonfiction
Haruki Murakami on Runningnew
Murakami's new book, What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, is such a memoir: Murakami here treats long-distance running as both a routine that has physically sustained him for more than 20 years, and a metaphor for his workhorse approach to writing.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-31-2008 |
Nonfiction
A Survey of Milos Forman's Worknew
Orphaned at a young age during World War II, Miloš Forman became one of the prominent directors of the Czech New Wave in the 1960s.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Czech New Wave
Brendan Fraser Ruins Everythingnew
With this week's release of a third Mummy movie following Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, we've been cursed with an unholy attack no other generation has had to endure: Two Brendan Fraser movies in a single month.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-31-2008 |
Movies
Brendan Fraser Meets Another Mummy ... and Some Yetisnew
Based on The Mummy franchise alone, it would be real easy to hate Brendan Fraser ... but, damn if the dude isn't totally harmless and likeable.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
07-31-2008 |
Reviews
The Prids Crash. The Prids Survive.new
"We were driving and a tire blew. I struggled to correct it and the van started fishtailing. I just couldn't get it."
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
07-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Prids
Michael Ian Black Unleashes Some Essaysnew
It's a collection of short essays that often feel like blog posts; some of the pieces—such as "Hey, David Sedaris--Why Don't You Go Ahead and Suck It?" or "A Series of Letters to the First Girl I Ever Fingered"--are vaguely grounded in reality, while others are completely fanciful.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2008 |
Fiction
Integrity Spirits Will Fulfill Your Fantasynew
Trillium Absinthe Superiere, the latest release from small-batch distillery Integrity Spirits, is dominating the company's production these days. Stores can't keep it on the shelves, even at $60 a a bottle.
The Portland Mercury |
Patrick Alan Coleman |
07-24-2008 |
Food+Drink
'Quid Pro Quo' Dabbles in Disabilitynew
A quasi-psychological thriller based around the subculture of "wannabes" who identify as, or wish to be, disabled, it completely sidesteps any real explanation of its own premise in favor of directional switcheroos.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-24-2008 |
Reviews
'Sputnik Mania': The Cold War Heats Upnew
Sputnik Mania looks back at those days with expertly used archival footage, along with contemporary interviews and even-keeled narration from Liev Schreiber.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2008 |
Reviews
1988: The Year in Portland Musicnew
Like most significant moments in any local music scene--the grand occurrences of life-changing music that changed everything--they happen on someone else's watch.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
07-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Ray Davies is a Big Deal, Peoplenew
There's plenty of good pop music out there (too much, perhaps), but there's a very small amount of perfect pop songs--and Raymond Douglas Davies is responsible for about 40 of them.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Leanimal Debuts on Project Runway!new
Great news for Portland fashion: Leanne Marshall, designer of the Leanimal label (leanimal.com) has just returned from New York, where she has secretly been for the past month or so ... filming the fifth season of Project Runway!
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-17-2008 |
TV
Man Registering Minority Voters Excluded from TriMetnew
"I don't want to say it's because I'm black," says David Rush, when asked why he thinks he was issued a 30-day exclusion from TriMet property while registering minority voters at the Beaverton Transit Center late last month. "But honestly--what else am I supposed to think?"
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
07-17-2008 |
Race & Class
