AltWeeklies Wire
Clint Eastwood Finds Salvation in 'Gran Torino'new

Above all, Gran Torino feels like a summation of everything he represents as a filmmaker and a movie star, and perhaps also a farewell.
L.A. Weekly |
Scott Foundas |
12-12-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
A Handful of Designers Ignite Nashville's Underground Fashion Scenenew
A city where trends arrive two years too late and stick around for three years too long doesn't make anyone's short list of scenes to watch. But Nashville's underground designers are thriving despite that, mainly because they've managed to tap into a niche audience.
Nashville Scene |
Tracy Moore |
12-12-2008 |
Fashion
SantaCon 2008's Rein(deer) of Terrornew
The gathering of the Santas at the boathouse was on a comedy level somewhere closer to the Firesign Theatre, as nearly 300 crowded the park. There were hippie, hipster and biker Santas; Santas in Lucha Libre and green gorilla masks; and some tall St. Nick with a star on his eye like Paul Stanley from KISS. All moved in cheery circles around red-suited and tinsel-daubed ladies, some of them too slinky and sexed-up for lap-sitting shifts at any department store.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Ron Garmon |
12-12-2008 |
Culture
Critic-o-Meter: Grading, or Degrading?new

On Friday, theater critic-mavens Isaac Butler and Rob Weinert-Kendt officially launched their ambitious labor of love, Critic-o-Meter, a blog ratings system inspired directly by Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and philosophically by Zagat.
L.A. Weekly |
Steven Leigh Morris |
12-12-2008 |
Theater
The End of the Hipsternew
Dragged into the daylight, the youth culture that would not be named has finally been named, branded, marketed, and sold. Time to move on? Whatever.
NOW Magazine |
Joshua Errett |
12-12-2008 |
Culture
$35 for Your Thoughts on the Economynew
What justifies a national news story saying the psychic business is booming in these uncertain times?
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
Inside the Deeply Bizarre World of IMDb Movie Suggestionsnew

Let's take a second look at the sometimes incomprehensible "recommendations" feature on the Internet Movie Database website (www.imdb.com). As you'll soon see, some of these recommendations are rather unexpected.
Fast Forward Weekly |
John Tebbutt |
12-11-2008 |
Movies
Gay Marriage in D.C. is Only a Matter of Timenew
Eleanor Holmes Norton thinks undue haste on gay marriage could be Congressionally disastrous, but Councilman David A. Catania is going to introduce a bill anyway.
Washington City Paper |
Mike DeBonis |
12-11-2008 |
LGBT
Fantasy, Firepower and Fretwork for Xmas: A Gift Guide for Gamersnew

It's a great year to be a gamer. I've already written about some of the big games of the fall, including Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band 2, Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2. Here are some other great titles to consider gifting to the gamer on your list.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Blaine Kyllo |
12-11-2008 |
Video Games
There's Still Something About Death Cab for Cutienew

Most bands these days may not know how to record to multi-track cassette tapes, or how to build a fanbase without MySpace or Facebook. Death Cab for Cutie knows all of this well, and the reissue of Something About Airplanes is a sign of the times.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
New Mexico is Not Ready for Digital TVnew
In May, Nielsen Company rated the Albuquerque-Santa Fe media market as the 9th worst prepared for the transition. By October, the ranking had actually worsened: the region's audiences are the 6th worst prepared of the nations top 56 media markets. Nearly 13 percent of households in the area are "completely unready" and 10 percent are "partially unready."
Santa Fe Reporter |
Dave Maass |
12-11-2008 |
Movies
Man Sues Bank Over Debit Card Feesnew
Dennis Charlton is taking one of Greater Cincinnati's largest corporations to court in a legal showdown that potentially could affect thousands of local banking customers.
Cincinnati CityBeat |
Kevin Osborne |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
As Recession Spreads, Santa Feans Buy Gold, Guns and Generatorsnew
Even Barack Obama says the economy will get worse before it gets better. In the meantime, freaked out New Mexicans are putting their money where they can see it: at home, under lock and key. And they're packing heat, just in case.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Corey Pein |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
Pain -- and Possibility -- Arise as the Language of Race Decaysnew
The way out of this -- past notions of racial purity and beyond words like "multi-racial" and "other" -- need not be difficult. It will require us to recognize the faulted language we've inherited and consciously opt to ditch it.
Arkansas Times |
Mara Leveritt |
12-11-2008 |
Race & Class
Kelly Reichardt on Working with Michelle Williams and the Realities of Being Poornew
A relentlessly independent director working far outside the confines of the studio system, Reichardt has fashioned a film that illuminates the ways in which people treat one another, from compassion to indifference, during tough times. She spoke us about her new film.
New York Press |
Christopher Wallenberg |
12-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews