AltWeeklies Wire
Blaxploitation Homage 'Black Dynamite' Had Me Rolling on the Floor
Not only could Scott Sanders' film serve as a textbook DIY how-to primer for what it takes to make Blaxploitation cinema, it may also be the all-time best party film next to Animal House. If this movie doesn't make you laugh, call a doctor.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-14-2009 |
Reviews
Is the Smart and Well-Liked Legislator Paul Thissen Ready to be Minnesota's Governor?new
There hasn't been a Democrat governor of Minnesota since 1986. While the state DFL has seen success in nearly every other public office during that stretch, the last DFL governor was Rudy Perpich, a politician who served before many of today's voters were even born.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Bradley Campbell |
10-14-2009 |
Politics
Johnny Rico's Second Book Uses the Border Reality as its Shticknew
Border Crosser is the account of Rico's attempt to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States in the summer of 2007. Physically and mentally, Rico is woefully unprepared for the task he has assigned himself. Nevertheless, he sets out with testosterone-fueled arrogance and a naive, fetishized view of the border-crossing experience.
The Texas Observer |
Kirk Forrester |
10-14-2009 |
Nonfiction
The Case Against Google Booksnew
How three California librarians led the revolt against the company's plans to archive all earthly knowledge.
East Bay Express |
Chris Thompson |
10-14-2009 |
Books
Did a False Confession and Faulty Arson Science Land Alredo Guardiola in Prison for 19 Years and Counting?new
A six-month Observer investigation of the case -- using new research into arson and false confessions -- shows that he is probably innocent.
The Texas Observer |
Dave Mann |
10-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
A South Florida Muslim Leader Refused to Be a Snitch, So the Feds Tried to Destroy Himnew
The FBI's intense efforts to pressure Imam Foad Farahi into becoming an informant reveal the government's desperation to infiltrate local Muslim communities. His battle with the government is not only daring but also unusual.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Trevor Aaronson |
10-13-2009 |
Crime & Justice
SOLE Food: Eating Organically (and Responsibly) on a Food-Stamp Budgetnew
Given this brave new economy and our financially fragile place within it, when feeding my family do I now have to choose between my beliefs and my budget? Only one way to find out.
Baltimore City Paper |
Michelle Gienow |
10-13-2009 |
Food+Drink
A Mother Finally Got the Help She Needed for Her Troubled Son -- By Having Him Arrestednew
If you have a seriously mentally ill kid, and you can't afford treatment, you can have your kid hauled before a judge. And that judge has the power to get services for your kid -- as long as you're willing to give up custody of your child to the state of Arizona.
Phoenix New Times |
Amy Silverman |
10-13-2009 |
Children & Families
The Flaming Lips' 'Embryonic' is a Surprising, Giddy Rushnew
Small-w weird in the best possible sense, the record cranks back the clock hands a full two decades, reveling in the kind of "whatever the fuck we want" experimentalism it seemed the Lips long ago shucked.
Philadelphia City Paper |
J. Edward Keyes |
10-13-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: The Flaming Lips, Embryonic
Ghost Riders: Bicycling in Houston is a Killernew
According to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Houston is almost always the most dangerous place in Texas to ride a bike. There is also lots of anecdotal evidence.
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
10-13-2009 |
Transportation
Animated Cartoon: Git-Mo Help
President Obama says he can't close Guantanamo because he doesn't know where to send the detainees. How about a free-market solution to this conundrum: the Gitmo Helpers servant service!
Tom Tomorrow Creates a Kids Book! Yay!new
"I love stepping outside the world of politics, that negativity, so I can do something happy," Dan Perkins, aka Tom Tomorrow, says in a phone interview from his New Haven work studio.
New Haven Advocate |
Christopher Arnott |
10-13-2009 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
How One Sword-Swallower Sired a Legion of Philly Freaksnew
Almost single-handedly, Red Stuart, who at 58 is the world's oldest active sword-swallower, has helped bring to Philadelphia one of the country's most up-and-coming sideshow scenes.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Bill Meagher |
10-13-2009 |
Culture
Spike Jonze Sincerely Adapts 'Where the Wild Things Are'
Jonze's no-nonsense movie expands gently on Maurice Sendak's elegant 20-page kids' book to address children, acknowledging their primal impulses -- which they must eventually control.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-12-2009 |
Reviews
Is the Madonna on 'Celebration' Compilation a Material Girl, or a Beautiful Stranger?new
Oh, remember when Madonna promised to lead us through the wilderness with a witty, ambitious combination of disco sex appeal, businesswoman savvy and cardinal danger? Remember when she had her own cheekbones?
C-Ville Weekly |
Cathy Harding |
10-09-2009 |
Reviews
