AltWeeklies Wire
'The Grand' Feels Like Inflated Sketch Comedynew
Writer and director Zak Penn's episodic comedy features a huge cast slouching toward and through a poker tournament, with every scene, from the table to the backstory inserts, feeling like an improv session.
Baltimore City Paper |
Bret McCabe |
04-15-2008 |
Reviews
Unpolished Actors Shine in 'The Year My Parents Went on Vacation'new
Director Cao Hamburger's key achievement in this finely crafted, rich, visually appealing, and absorbing story of an extreme latchkey childhood is in the unvarnished behavior of the youngest cast members.
Baltimore City Paper |
Joe MacLeod |
04-15-2008 |
Reviews
Contemporary French Horror Comes of Age with 'Inside''s Female Villainnew
With 2007's Inside, undistributed in the U.S. and out this week on DVD, France has finally made a horror movie of which it can be proud.
Baltimore City Paper |
Steve Erickson |
04-15-2008 |
Reviews
Mr. Wrong: Suggestion Box Lunchnew
I'm a positive person. I always have lots of helpful suggestions all the time for all kinds of people, places, and things, but I mostly just say them in my head, like when I'm at the supermarket in the aisle where they have all the canned macaroni.
Baltimore City Paper |
Joe MacLeod |
04-15-2008 |
Comedy
Tags: humor & satire
Rational Decisions: Inside Baltimore's Mental Health Courtnew
Modeled after drug court, it is considered a "problem-solving court." But unlike its larger and older brother, mental health court has not strained under political pressure or the sheer number of cases, so far avoiding mandatory sentencing and other legislative restrictions.
Baltimore City Paper |
Laura Laing |
04-15-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Emerging Church Movement Brings Postmodern Christian Dialogue to Baltimorenew
Three years ago, the words "emerging church" would likely elicit a blank stare. Now, mention the movement and people might start talking about Shane Claiborne, author of Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals, emerging-church guru Brian McLaren's "Everything Must Change" conference, or Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog.
Baltimore City Paper |
Diane Reynolds |
04-08-2008 |
Religion
Thrushes Let The World's DJs Feel Their Heartbeatsnew
Last spring, the introspective indie-pop outfit rose out the internet ether when "Hearbeats," the lead single off their then just-released debut album, became the No. 1 downloaded song for the week of March 30. In light of this success, the band offered a remix contest, intending to release its favorite version.
Baltimore City Paper |
Raven Baker |
04-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
What's So Crazy About Gnarls Barkley's Second Album?new
Most of The Odd Couple feels like a reheat of St. Elsewhere. But "Crazy" sounded a little thin at first, too; it wasn't till the greater public got its hands on it that the song sounded as major as it was. Maybe that will happen to The Odd Couple and maybe it won't.
Baltimore City Paper |
Michaelangelo Matos |
04-08-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Gnarls Barkley, the odd couple
Bands on the Sidenew
From Dan Deacon to club producer King Tutt, here's what Baltimore's favorite musicians are doing when not making the music you already know.
Baltimore City Paper |
Michael Byrne |
04-08-2008 |
Music
Iain M. Banks' Latest Won't Win Him New Convertsnew
His latest sci-fi epic, Matter, is dense, both in terms of weight and scope.
Baltimore City Paper |
Adrienne Martini |
04-08-2008 |
Fiction
Anonymous Takes On Scientologynew
Project Chanology pits an anarchic, leaderless group of mostly young and tech-savvy activists organized through online forums and chat rooms against a religion formed in the 1950s whose adherents believe a science-fiction writer laid down the course to world salvation.
Baltimore City Paper |
Chris Landers |
04-08-2008 |
Religion
Mark Harris Examines New Hollywoodnew
Think of it as the prequel -- every bit as good -- to Peter Biskind's classic New Hollywood history, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.
Baltimore City Paper |
Michaelangelo Matos |
04-01-2008 |
Nonfiction
Jackie Ormes Draws in a Man's Worldnew
A petite stunner with a 1,000-watt smile, Ormes enjoyed great success despite the twin hurdles of race and gender.
Baltimore City Paper |
Emily Flake |
04-01-2008 |
Nonfiction
Dru Hill Announces New Membernew
A few weeks after the we-re-back-now-we're-not radio debacle, the group held a live audition at local nightclub Suite to pick a fourth member to fill Woody's spot and move on with the comeback as planned.
Baltimore City Paper |
Al Shipley |
04-01-2008 |
Music
Tags: Dru Hill
Dusting off Dusty Springfieldnew
From Lesley Gore to Amy Winehouse, female singers wanting to open the throttle on romantic need and desire have inevitably borrowed more than a little from Springfield -- especially if they were white women who loved black R&B.
Baltimore City Paper |
Geoffrey Himes |
04-01-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Dusty Springfield
