Hard target
It’s difficult to find fault with Ácenar’s upscale Tex-Mex menu
Life-long love
Mary Denman and Dan Laurence dramatize an early love affair of letters between George Bernard Shaw and Alice Lockett. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) Life-long love By Laurie Dietrich Dan Laurence brings his devotion to George Bernard Shaw to UIW’s stage The “GBS” in Dan Laurence’s reader’s theatre adaptation GBS in Love is George Bernard Shaw.…
Armchair Cinephile
Armchair Cinephile John DeFore on DVD Notes from the peanut gallery From the start, DVD faced design problems unknown to its cousins VHS and CD. Those problems were solved awkwardly, and things haven’t improved much after seven years. In the interest of frustrated fans, we present some of the flaws that make living-room cinephilia frustrating.…
It’s a joke, people
It’s a joke, people By Laurie Dietrich Irma Vep’s Theater of the Ridiculous sails over the audience’s head Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep just might be too smart for its own good. Or at least too smart for San Antonio audiences, if opening weekend’s Sunday matinee is any indication. The production had two…
All Ears
All Ears By John DeFore You can call him Paul With Paul Simon currently reaching both into the past (the incredibly expensive Simon and Garfunkel tour, coming to Houston, Austin, and Dallas but not San Antonio) and into the future (his half-finished next solo album is produced not by himself, as the last few have…
Word on the street
Word on the street News and notes from the San Antonio Literary scene A fine fellow Last year, the Dobie Paisano Fellowship in fiction went to Brownsville luminary Oscar Casares. Winner of the 2004 Dobie in fiction is Austin writer Scott Blackwood, the author of the short story collection, In the Shadow of Our House…
The lowdown
Melissa Rodriguez, Nadia Salazar, Brittany Wise, and Robyn Correa tape a segment of the 411 Show at Time Warner studios. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) The lowdown By Lisa Sorg Teens tackle topics from tattoos to terrorism on the ‘411 Show’ A hard rain is pelting the roof of the Time Warner Cable building where, in…
Underground but not in hiding
From top: Mojados: Through the Night, a documentary by McAllen filmmaker Tommy Davis, follows the attempt of illegal Mexican immigrants to cross into the United States. Stills from a documentary about the legendary Austin nightclub, Antone’s, and Moonlight, both of which will screen this weekend at the San Antonio Underground Film Festival. Underground but not…
New Reviews
New Reviews Gloomy Sunday (Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod) Writ. & dir. Rolf Schübel, based on a novel by Nick Barkow; feat. Erika Mározsan, Joachim Król, Ben Becker, Stefano Dionisi, András Bálint (R) Suffused with the delicate Weltschmerz of 1940s Budapest on the brink of devastation, Gloomy Sunday offers the rich textures of movies…
Special Screenings
The Cockettes appear in fine form in Pearls Over Shanghai. Special Screenings The Cockettes Dir. Bill Weber, David Weissman; feat. John Waters, Anton “Reggie” Dunnigan (NR) Founded by “Hibiscus,” a member of a commune dedicated to distributing free food and creating free art and theater, the Cockettes were a flamboyant ensemble of San Francisco hippies…
Recent Reviews
The Day After Tomorrow Dir. Roland Emmerich; writ. Emmerich and Jeffrey Nachmanoff; feat. Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, Dash Mihok, Sela Ward, Kenneth Welsh (PG-13) Certain people out there are going to feel very silly about trying to make a political event out of The Day After Tomorrow – a film which is not…
Capon accomplices
Mike Casey offers a handful of food to Pecker, a Rhode Island red hen. Casey, a local attorney, raises several chickens and a turkey in the back yard of his King William home. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) Capon accomplices By Josie Seeligson Some chickens abandon their brethren to bond with their SA landlords Most chickens…
Hard target
From front: Chile relleno, a New Mexico chile filled with shrimp, peas, and cashews in a serrano pepper with carrot and ginger broth; pescado Veracruzano, fresh Gulf fish simmered in tomato and olive caper sauce, served with green rice and watercress; a coconut-flavored raspita. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) Hard target By Ron Bechtol It’s difficult…
Too hot to handle
Too hot to handle By Glynis Christine Texas group provides indigent prisoners relief from the heat Although air is circulating through his prison cell, it’s hot. Without a fan, the air can feel suffocating. “There are dozens in here who have vacated their bunks, vying instead to get below some of the heat, and feel…
Skateboard nation
Bad Religion and Go Betty Go represent the extremes of experience and youth on the Vans Warped Tour. Skateboard nation By Gilbert Garcia Vans Warped Tour celebrates its 10th anniversary with a healthy dose of political venom Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker ponders the notion that this summer’s Vans Warped Tour could make for a…
Sound and the Fury
Sound and the Fury a week on the scene Growing Exponentially Exponential, the excellent hip-hop and electronic music label fronted by local DJ/producer Ernest Gonzales, is well on its way to building a considerable catalog. In 2002, Exponential released DJ Jester’s mix-session disc Heavily Booted, and it followed with the debut mix CD from Klassen,…
November general election ballot proposals, Part II
November general election — Ballot proposals, Part II This November, voters could cast their ballot for as many as four proposals during the general election; all the referendum measures call for a slight increase in sales tax to fund them. The sales tax increase would provide additional funding for VIA, allow the City to purchase…
Riddim method
Veteran Austin reggae group, Root 1 Riddim method By Gilbert Garcia Root 1 melds traditional reggae with jazz and Celtic folk Maybe because Jerry Stevens’ roots are in other forms of music, he’s always resented the tendency to place reggae on the margins of most music scenes. “I’ve been upset about the isolation of reggae,”…
Kerry fortune told
Henry Cisneros feels the press of the media as he speaks for Kerry’s presidential bid. (Photos by Michael Cary) Kerry fortune told By Michael Cary Texas state party convention coverage Oracle peeks into Democrat’s tilt at the White House windmill Democrats who attended the party’s state convention in Houston last weekend were upbeat and hopeful…
Mean streets
Mean streets By Gilbert Garcia With his thick Cockney accent, working-class piss-takes, and liberal use of London slang, Mike Skinner – aka The Streets – initially comes off as something of a professional Briton. Kind of like a hip-hop-era version of Michael Caine’s Alfie, minus the weakness for older birds. What seems very broad on…
‘You can’t break me down’
Michelle Melendez has eight children: three of her own and five that she took in after her sister could no longer care for them. Melendez’ son, Mark Anthony, is 21 months. (Photos by Josh Leighton) ‘You can’t break me down’ By Lisa Sorg Former migrant worker Michelle Melendez finished high school 15 years after she…
Jay Hates Michael
Michael Aston of Gene Loves Jezebel Jay Hates Michael By Gilbert Garcia Before there were the Olsen twins, rock ‘n’ roll spawned a sibling cautionary tale of its own: the Aston twins. Preening, emaciated, metrosexual bookends from Wales, the well-coiffed Astons formed a band called Gene Loves Jezebel, and rocketed to rock-footnote status with a…
Paperback writer
Local author Azalea Scott in the back yard of her Hill Country home. Her book, Messiah, is about her son who died in a gang-related shooting. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) Paperback writer By Susan Pagani A little ink goes a long way at PublishAmerica As you read this, thousands of writers hoping to be the…
