Larry McMurtry’s public appearance in San Antonio about a dozen years ago was an exceptionally dismal event. He chose to read only death scenes — from Terms of Endearment, The Last Picture Show, Lonesome Dove, and other novels. The author was of course entitled to select from his work as he pleased. I own copies…
SCARED OF THE DARK?
The newly released Sexy Beast (20th Century Fox) got plenty of press last year – enough we mightn’t mention it here – but it arrived in stores amid a little flurry of films that mine a similar territory, black comedy. I’m not talking about the Ice Cube vehicle Friday – I’m talking about films that…
REVIEWS
Dir. Wych “Kaos” Kaosayananda; writ. Alan McElroy, Peter M. Lenkov; feat. Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Ray Park, Terry Chen, Aidan Drummond (R) I have always enjoyed Lucy Liu’s typecast role as an independent, arrogant bitch – she knows the cold condescension of her stoic stare, and speaks sarcasm fluently. Liu wears her ethnicity like she…
THICKER THAN WATER
Blood is thicker than water … unless you are part of the Williams country-music lineage. A celebrated history of inebriated tears in beers and rowdy friends comin’ over has instilled a shaky-handed ethic of rebellion in the “Family Tradition.” It’s one ethic not lost on its latest spawn, Hank Williams III, who, on the phone…
DEEP ROOTS
The recording industry has done its damnedest to kill roots music: labeled it “Americana,” programmed radio stations in this “format,” held awards ceremonies, and sponsored conferences — all to find ways to market music that needs no other name except Good. Gobs of these Good bands are performing at this weekend’s Austin City Limits Music…
ALL EARS
He was out of action for a while – so low he turned to writing record reviews – but he’s on a major productive streak, prepping a new record, publishing a book of poetry, and writing film music. Until that record drops, though, he’s selling a fantastic live disc, Smofe + Smang, at www.mikedoughty.com. Doughty…
DISCOVERING WILLIE
Stood-up at Verizon and nearly walked-over by TV news stations at the Gruene Hall flood victims’ benefit concert in July, we lowly reporters from the Current made vicious phone calls to publicists and hard-balled venue managers, to little effect. Finally a PR lady from Austin helped us to get an audience with Mr. Willie Nelson…
DROWNING
My sister was saved by our dog once. She was on her way to the pool in our apartment complex and, since she was only 11 months old, certain death no doubt. I was just 3 myself, but I remember that day, as I do the day my parents brought her home after she was…
WAR FOR SALE
The Bush team wants Saddam out, and they want control of Iraq’s oil — period. More importantly, support of the world’s governments — especially U.S. allies and other world powers on the U.N. Security Council — also may not have much to do with what Iraq says or offers. A more telling headline came Monday,…
A CIVIL ACTION
For years, Emil Friesenhahn and August Peñalver and Victoria Valerga and Kim Breedlove had been waiting for the law to catch up with their love. So in August 2000, Vermont’s civil union law had barely cooled on the books before Victoria and Kim, who had been a committed couple for 11 years, and Emil and…
PLAY IT LOUDLY
Being born the offspring of jazz iconry is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you grow up in an environment of brilliance, surrounded by people who are the best in the world at what they do. On the other hand, if you choose to follow in your parents’ path, the expectations are tremendous: the tradition…
THE DEAN’S LIST
In 2000, as Vermont Governor Howard Dean prepared to put pen to paper, to sign a controversial law allowing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, he knew that he was doing something historic and in some camps, highly unpopular. “I knew it was a big deal,” said Dean. “But lots of Democrats and Republicans…
VOTING FOR EQUALITY
A governor’s seat is up for grabs, redistricting has drawn new political boundaries, and attitudes towards gays and lesbians are changing: These ingredients could combine to further the gay-lesbian agenda that won several victories during the last legislative session — or they might set it back 20 years. The Stonewall Democrats, Lavender Greens, and Outright…
BELLOWS & BUTTONS
Valerio Longoria’s accordion smells like sweet leather and is as weathered as an old saddle. On a table, she sits still, silent, inanimate, yet you can sense his soul stirring inside her bellows. Such is the power of the humble accordion: Her mechanics are merely a function of air, bellows, and metal tongues, no more…
