AltWeeklies Wire
Giants Diehard Learns About the Painful Side of Sports in 'Big Fan'new
In Big Fan, Robert Siegel takes another long, hard look at the painful side of sports, much as he did in his screenplay for The Wrestler, the movie that gave Mickey Rourke his career back. But Big Fan really isn't a sports film.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-16-2009 |
Reviews
Some San Diego TV Stations Sell Content to Advertisersnew
As the numbers at the bottom of financial statements go from black to red, there's been increasing pressure on editorial departments in print, television and radio to blur the line between journalism and advertising. The key to remaining on the right side of ethics and the law is identifying the type of content.
San Diego CityBeat |
Eric Wolff |
09-16-2009 |
Media
Robin Williams Does His Best Work in Years in 'World's Greatest Dad'new
It'd be somewhat inaccurate to call Bobcat Goldthwait's new movie a more mature effort than his earlier films, because it contains as much nastiness. But in some ways, it's more mature because it tackles some serious subject matter and actually provides Robin Williams with his best role in years.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-02-2009 |
Reviews
How Jockey Agents Finesse Relationships Among Riders, Trainers and Horsesnew
At its most basic, an agent's job is to convince trainers that they want their best horses ridden by the agent's jockeys. An agent wants to put his riders on a mount in every race of every day and, if at all possible, on the favorite for each race. That means keeping on good terms with every trainer and every owner.
San Diego CityBeat |
Eric Wolff |
09-02-2009 |
Sports
New Report from Human-Rights Group Yields Another Reason to Stop Smokingnew
The Plan International report interviewed 44 Malawian teens about their experiences working full-time on tobacco farms. The kids described work that's too difficult for people their size, 12-hour days (at the least) with few breaks and average pay of 18 cents a day. They also reported being hit, tormented and raped by supervisors.
San Diego CityBeat |
Editorial |
08-26-2009 |
Science
Ang Lee's 'Taking Woodstock' is a Bad Tripnew
You'd expect more from Lee, who is unquestionably a talented director. But his direction here, aside from an impressive sequence or two, is lackluster and flabby, like a loose joint of skanky weed.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
08-26-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Taking Woodstock, Ang Lee
Is Economic Recovery Money Helping San Diego Businesses?new
The combination of tax cuts and direct government spending is supposed make consumers spend and businesses invest, creating a multiplier effect that would boost the economy. Using a database of stimulus spending compiled by the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica, we called businesses receiving stimulus dollars and asked them what they were doing with their money.
San Diego CityBeat |
Eric Wolff |
08-12-2009 |
Economy
Pissed Jeans Shed Office Life With Controlled Aggressionnew
Some people relieve 9-to-5 desperation by smashing the office printer with a baseball bat or, say, blowing up the corporate headquarters of credit-card companies with homemade dynamite. Pissed Jeans plays music -- delirious, fast and loud.
San Diego CityBeat |
Nathan Dinsdale |
08-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: King of Jeans, Pissed Jeans
'District 9' is the Summer Sci-Fi Movie You've Been Waiting Fornew
The movie is exactly what you want in a big Hollywood movie: a solid, intricate story that's not too over-plotted to follow, good acting, terrific special effects, solid humor and even a message to digest. Perhaps that's why Hollywood had very little to do with it.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
08-12-2009 |
Reviews
'Paper Heart': The World's First-ever Notumentarynew
Charlyne Yi and director Nick Jasenovec to make a road-trip documentary, interviewing people across the country about love. the nshe met Michael Cera.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
08-05-2009 |
Reviews
Former Wild Weekender Maren Parusel Shows Off Her Softer Sidenew
If going from punk to piano was a strange transition, Parusel isn’t saying so.
San Diego CityBeat |
Jim Ruland |
08-05-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Funding Blocks to Expedient Supportive Housingnew
The idea of turning older hotels into supportive housing isn’t a new idea: It’s how nonprofits like L.A.’s Skid Row Housing Trust and SRO Housing Corp.—both of which have converted hundreds of units into supportive housing—got their start.
San Diego CityBeat |
Kelly Davis |
08-05-2009 |
Housing & Development
California Budget Cuts Squeeze Inmates Out of Prisonsnew
The budget upon which the governor and the Legislature recently agreed included a $1.2-billion cut in prison funding, and in order to save that much money, thousands of inmates would likely have to be released early.
San Diego CityBeat |
David Rolland |
08-05-2009 |
Crime & Justice
A San Diego Case Sheds Light on the Messy World of DUI Prosecutionnew
In April, San Diego's city attorney declined to file drunk-driving charges against local TV sportscaster Kyle Kraska, despite a police-station breathalyzer test that put Kraska's blood-alcohol content just above California's legal limit. Kraska's attorney said the case was dismissed because of police error, though city officials would say only that prosecutors felt they couldn't prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
San Diego CityBeat |
Kelly Davis |
07-15-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Is '(500) Days of Summer' the Ultimate Date Movie, or Exactly the Opposite?new
(500) Days of Summer is funny and charming and painful and truthful. There are movies I like, movies I love and movies I appreciate. But it's rare that I'm genuinely smitten.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
07-15-2009 |
Reviews
