Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2006 > November
November 2006
Belaboring ‘Borat’
Movies: I’m torn on the “Borat” question. On the one hand, I laughed my Borat off during the documentary spoof about a Kazakh TV reporter in the U.S. and A. Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius at maintaining character, improvising and breaking social taboos. I am in awe.
On the other hand, I felt bad for some of his unwitting collaborators. The drunken frat boys and the bigoted rodeo leader were fair game, but not the Pentacostals, who are defined by their lack of pretense, or some of the other people humiliated while trying to be good hosts (or just passersby). And he seems to let some folks in on the joke, while leaving others out on a limb. Not fair.
“Borat” breaks so much new ground, these reservations should not discourage attendance, just warn the viewer that their humanity will be tested.
TV: Three new serials — “Jericho,” “Heroes” and “Day Break” — have won my allegiance. The first, about post-apocalypic Kansas, blends darkness and light well. The second, in which ordinary people wake up to comic-booklike superhuman powers, was confusing at first, but addictive, like the first season of “Lost.” The third, just a couple of weeks old, is, in some ways, the smartest of the serial survivors, blending a detective drama with a “Groundhog Day” structure and glamour-power acting.
Check Diane Holloway’s column Tuesday for a more complete run-down on these shows which survived the serial overkill of the early fall season.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Very early ‘Harry Potter’ news
Media: In my entertainment journalism class, students are encouraged to train a critical eye on nontraditional phenomena. Here, Ryann Matthews reviews a movie trailer for her Austin360.com reader blog:
“In 233 days, Harry Potter will return to the big screen. To Potter fanatics, July cannot come too fast. Believe me, the magic-crazed Muggles will do everything in their power to sneak a glimpse of the fifth installment, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
“This past Friday, the first flashes of ‘Order of the Phoenix’ were revealed in short, epilepsy-inducing flashes. The ‘teaser trailer’ debuted before nation-wide showings of Warner’s“Happy Feet” and an online version emerged on Monday.
“However, for the Internet savvy, YouTube’s hand-held, pirated version filled the void even earlier. Now, fitting an entire plot in a 54-second teaser is asking too much, but why dedicate a fifth of that time to a flying the Warner Bros. logo?
“After initially feeling robbed by the Man, the trailer progresses with flickering scenes of London and sporadic shots of the Hogwart’s crew. In fact, watching the short collection of lights and movement only once will confuse eager viewers. The blasts of action last mere seconds; so to thoroughly catch everything, pause frequently.
“Although the characters do travel to the city in the novel, the trailer presents a false depiction of the film. Most of the included scenes occur during the climatic battle at the end of ‘Order of the Phoenix.’ Naturally, that’s when tension and excitement unfold, but where’s the rest of the movie? Alright, the brief Harry-Cho moment seemed a little charming (but only because I’m quick with the stop button).
“With each movie, concerns regarding the actors’ physical maturation resurface. But the dynamic trio — played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson — measure in between at the ripe ages 16 and 18.
“On another note, someone may want to worry more about Daniel’s over-clipped haircut. Also, I hope the casting director knows something we don’t, because Imelda Staunton, who plays the wickedly saccharine-sweet Dolores Umbridge, fails to exhibit the expected toad-like features associated with her character.
“While Harry’s fifth year revolves around the return of Lord Voldemort, the brooding teenager also struggles with complex emotions, aggravating teachers and budding relationships. With anticipation and enthusiasm, the next trailer should provide more insight into the next chapter of the Potter series.
“To catch the trailer online, visit Mugglenet or Movies for the Masses or the official, not-yet-satisfying Order of the Phoenix Web site”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Another TiVo plus
TV + Movies: Even without premium channels, Time Warner Cable deals out dozens of movies a day. But you can’t see the ones airing during work or sleep hours. And videotape has gone the way of 8-tracks.
TiVo to the rescue. Along with recording new made-for-TV shows and favorites, we’ve started scanning the feature movies in the Show World guide for gems — or trash — we might have missed over the years.
For instance, I recently tried three or four times to watch Mel Gibson’s leering, bullying “Braveheart” and found it unbearable, so formulaic and manipulative to be ridiculous, were Gibson not such an earnest and powerful figure in Hollywood.
On the lighter side, I skimmed through two iterations of “Broadway Melody” — 1936 and ‘38 — gleefuly formulaic backstage musicals. The stories are silly, but with TiVo, you can race right to the gayer-than-gay Busby Berkeley numbers. Triple-jointed Eleanor Powell shines with her odd combination of ballet, tap and novelty dancing (a good master’s thesis in that career).
The big surprise last night was Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun,” which I had avoided because critics felt the novel had been Spielberg-ized with romantic moviemaking shtick. Not so. There’s some powerful stuff in this comic drama about an English boy in Japanese-occupied China during WWII. Christian Bale, as the boy, is a lightning-quick read on emotional responses, one of the best child performances I’ve ever seen.
Look to Friday’s Movies & Life section for critic Chris Garcia’s take on Bale’s recent career.
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
My ‘Bond’ crush
Movies: They say you never forget your first Bond. That will certainly be the case for me.
I spent 40 years basically ignoring the whole 007 franchise, catching only snippets on television, enduring endless spoof lines from fans.
“Casino Royale” has changed all that. This is a Bond for those not already in Bondage.
I counted at least six long, breath-catching action sequences, as well as multiple scenes of gambling suspense (sometimes weirdly edited). The exotic locales — Montenegro, Venice, The Bahamas, Miami Airport (?) — ravished like travel porn.
But the real crush here is for Daniel Craig as Bond … James Bond. He’s a man, to begin with, in a pop cultural world where eternal boys — Matthew McConaughey , Brad Pitt, etc. — are generally considered the world’s sexiest.
With a fully advertised boxer’s build, Craig looks exquisitely fit, running as if he actually could catch a villain. His ice blue eyes under hooded lids lend an inward glow to his slightly battered, lion-colored features. And one could do a whole column on the way he fills out his tailored sportswear. (A billion guys are wearing the same polo shirts without anywhere near the Bond effect.)
Most of all, he’s a human, flawed, duped, a man of appetites. A man is self-confident, that’s almost a defining feature, but he’s also aware of his limitations. May I repeat? Craig is a man.
Only drawback of “Casino” — I’ve been humming the four-note Bond theme all morning. Not good for podmates.
Nightlife: Fabric, one of our favorite upscale gay bars, has closed. It will be replaced, we hear, by a straight joint called — cringe — Crüz. Not exactly a step up. But we will keep an open mind. That leaves on six gay bars downtown, and only seven in the Austin area.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Scuttles of music
Music: OK, this is nutty.
From some reason, I feel required to report on some of the best CDs that cross my path as American-Statesman entertainment editor. (The bigger, newsier titles, I leave to our crack XL critics to review.)
Only thing is, it’s a chore that’s put off and put off, until, like today, I have more than a dozen to recommend. Oh well, hold on for surface-skimming of some recent releases.
Mundi: “The Book & the Flower” (Self-released) — There’s no question that this Austin ensemble, which combines Renaissance, folk and modern music, is among the most intoxicating inventions this music-mad city has distilled. Still, this album, for all its loveliness, does not break new ground.
Norfolk & Western: “The Unsung Colony” (Hush) — Portland’s Adam Selzer weaves tapestries of melodies, orchestrations and lyrics that lead to fantastic meditations.
Future Clouds and Radar: Five songs from 2007 debut album (Apple Star Kingdom) — This double CD is going to be huge. The Cotton Mather remnants, which premiered as a live act earlier this year, powers through with experimental horns and a fully mature pop sound that, like so much else today, harks back to the ’60s.
Steve Cole: “True” (Narada) OK, a little on the smooth side, but there’s a place for true artists such as razzle-dazzle, funky saxophonist Cole in the world. I’ll take him any day over most hardcore jazzists.
Danny Elfman: “Serenada Schizophrana” (Sony Classical) — Creepy, in a good way, like all Elfman’s collaborations with Tim Burton. A little story grows in your imagination.
Regina Spektor: “Begin to Hope” (Sire) — The critics are right: Spektor’s voice is one-of-a-kind. But she’s also a deft lyricist and capable of pulling off a hook or 12.
Renaud Capuçon Gautier Capuçon: “Inventions” (Virgin Classics) — Can violin and cello together make sexy, intellectual music? These brothers convince the listener with classical adornments.
Michele Solberg: “Christopher House Songs” (Hospice Austin) — A singer-songwriter whose bittersweet tang never grows stale. This grouping of songs about loss and connection is especially touching.
Julliard String Quartet: “Shostakovich String Quartets Nos. 3, 14 & 15” (Sony Classical) — Who, in their right mind, could not love this ensemble’s take on the classical composer of the year? Count me in.
Wondernaut: “The Youth Is Wasted” (American Laundromat) — Goofy, tender, absolutely captivating rock. Watch for these guys.
Lisa Palleschi: “Released” (Lightyear) — A singer-songwriter with a harder, smarter edge, stronger, more resilient voice than most of her ilk.
Saosin: Self-titled (Capitol) — Surprised that I would like this streamlined rock band? Well, this debut on Capitol for a rejiggered California act so carefully put together with almost mechanical precision, one longs to hear them anthem-bashing in an arena.
Howard Richards: “With Love to Ireland” (MMC) — Didn’t know this highly likable composer at all. The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra weaves together his unabashed melodicism.
Gloriae Dei Cantores Schola: “Gregorian Requiem” (Paraclete) — How to tell one chant from another? Not easy for a non-specialists like myself. This an unusually rich sampling from several requiem masses.
Simon Rattle: “Szymanowski” (EMI Classics) — Who knew Szymanowski, that is, until Rattle and the City of Birmingham Orchestra comes along to bring the exuberant music of this early 20th-century Polish composer alive.
Zuill Baily and Simone Dinnerstein: “Beethoven Vol. 1” (Delos) — One forgets that the cello and piano are so perfectly matched until hearing an impeccable performance like this one.
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Again with the ‘Vampire’
Books: Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to remind one of a work’s impact on two generations. This is from St. Ed’s student Taylor Roznovsky’s reader blog, a bit edited:
“Anne Rice’s landmark ‘Interview with the Vampire’ entered popular consciousness in 1976, and the pop culture lexicon hasn’t been the same since. The novel, its 1994 film adaptation, and 2002 sequel have done much to establish the cult of the vampire; one can see it everywhere from the sophisticated image of the bloodsucker in such diverse fields as this year’s ‘Underworld: Evolution’ to the faux elegant, all-black dress of Hot Topic.
“Effects aside, is the book itself really worthy, on a literary level, of its pop-culture-phenomenon status? Or is it another ‘Star Wars,’ imbedded in popular consciousness but unworthy of purely cinematic praises?
“Upon inspection, ‘Interview’ definitely lives up to the hype.
For those of you who somehow missed the book or its Tom Cruise-headed adaptation, “Interview” tells the story of fledgling vampire Louis, as he is born into vampirism by his creator, Lestat. The story follows Louis across two continents as he searches for knowledge of his new nature.
The story is a profound commentary on existential longing; putting it in the context of vampirism assures Louis that he is cursed by God at worst, at best forgotten by Him. Faced with a life that will last until the end of the world, Louis reflects on that prospect, without any answers to the questions he seeks. When at last he gains the courage for life on his own, he travels to Europe, seeking “the old country” for his gnostic truth.
“The greatest influence the book has had on contemporary gothic culture is the sheer depth of the suffering Louis experiences without the truth of his nature. Many times throughout the text, three pages or more will be devoted entirely to Louis lamenting his fate with a rich and vivid prose style.
“Another influence is the extent that pansexuality has permeated the book. While the sexuality of the vampires is never directly discussed, many times it is alluded to; Louis in particular seems to be attracted to the sheer sensual overload of other vampires, as opposed to any out-and-out sexual attraction. Indeed, when the vampire Lestat first approaches him with his offer of immortality, Louis remarks that ‘I completely forgot myself!’ and later, ‘When I met Lestat, he was the greatest experience I ever had.’
” ‘Interview with the Vampire’ stands as one of the defining pop culture phenomena in the death throes of the 20th century. Its powerful existential longing and rich style have made it an enduring touchstone.”
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
The beach and the book
Travel: I’m delighted to report that there is little to report: Surfside cast its usual languid spell over the holidays. We followed the fugitive sun down the beach, played games until all hours and feasted on food traditional and non. I didn’t even bother with the fishing, crabbing, bird-watching and other organized outings. Bliss.
Books: Did read a book, though, along with a backlog of New Yorkers, Atlantic Monthlys, Harper’s Magazines, Times Literary Supplements, New York Review of Books and The New Republics — Cormac McCarthy’s “The Orchard Keeper.”
Even early on, McCarthy excelled at evoking nature, dialect and character without allowing the reader to find comfort in any of these elements. His habit of Faulknerian wandering without identifying his subjects (or standard punctuation) can be irritating. This, his first published novel, was set in the Appalachia and is not as bloody as his later, Texas/Mexico border tales, but it’s as powerful as a good poem.
How does any writer have time to come up with description like this: “A warm wind on the mountain and the sky darkening, the clouds looping black underbellies until a huge ulcer folded out of the mass and a crack like the earth’s core rending rattled panes from Winkle Hollow to Bay’s Mountain. And the wind rising and gone colder until the trees bent as if borne forward on some violent acceleration of the earth’s turning and then that too ceased and with a clatter and hiss out of the still air a plague of ice.”
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
We like reader blogs
Media: I’m off to the beach, but, for your delectation, here are a few blog snippets from my entertainment journalism class. Use the “reader blog” interfaces on Austin360.com to find more. I’ll publish more when I return.
On ‘Mash’: This comedic film from 1970 was an influential anti-war movie that broke the ground for the hit TV series with the same name. Influential, maybe; boring, yes. It’s a typical example of the dry humor of ‘70s cinema, and although that might have been enough for the audiences of the ‘70s, seeing it through my younger eyes, which are more accustomed to a newer, more developed style, might have led to the movie’s downfall for me. — Adrienne Pedrotti
On Primus: A giant pacifier. An astronaut waving goodbye to reality. A man in an evil pig mask chanting, “Here come the (expletive),” as his band parades onto the stage. This was the greeting that concertgoers at Houston’s Verizon Wireless Theater received from Les Claypool and his band Primus. The metal monster is notorious for sheer strangeness; their discography includes “Sailing the Seas of Cheese,” “Pork Soda” and “Animals Should Not Try to Act like People.” Claypool, the front man, singer and bass player, hardly seems human. — Alyssa DeCaulp
About Hudson’s on the Bend: I think it was just after reading through the menu of exotic foods and sipping my basil leaf mojito that I came to realize that I really loved eating at Hudson’s on the Bend. Or perhaps it was the garden just outside the doorway, leading around back where they grow their own herbs and spices for their amazing dishes that captured me. Or was it the soothing interior of candle-lighted tables and the colorful art that did it? I find it so hard to concentrate on one particular thing with my taste buds tenderly massaged by glazed venison, flavor coating my palate, eliciting a soft moan of delight as I wash it all down with a refreshing sip of, yes, basil mojito. — Clayton Grant
About Habana:Bananas and okra anyone? Sound gross? Don’t be so quick to judge until you’ve tried the Quimbambo at Habana on South Congress Avenue. Quimbambo ($9.95) is a delicious Cuban dish that combines okra, fried plantains, yellow onion, tomatoes, and green and red bell peppers in a tangy tomato sauce. It creates the perfect blend of sweet and sour, served over a bed of yellow rice and lentils. — Elizabeth Roberts
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Help Wanted: Opera Director
Opera: It’s too late to save the next season, since Austin Lyric Opera plans a concerts-only strategy after the much-anticipated and fully staged American premiere of “Waiting for the Barbarians” at Bass Concert Hall in January.
But before the Long Center opens in 2008, can Austin’s once ambitious opera company hire a stage director? Any stage director worth his or her salt?
Artistic director and conductor Richard Buckley is a master in the pit, wringing the most delicious sounds out of instrumentalists and singers. No complaints there.
The stage direction and design, however, have sagged for years. In some ways, last weekend’s “Madame Butterfly” provides a perfect example.
Take the unadorned sets, which could be mistaken for a high-school production of “The Mikado,” a series of stair units, some overused paper screens and a hideously sketched backdrop placed so close to the screens, David Nancarrow’s lights cast sharp shadows on the night sky. (And, in case you are wondering, no, that never happens naturally.)
All this with an interior set the size of a palace ballroom that’s supposed to stand for the “doll house” of the script. They didn’t even have the decency to smooth out the black masking curtains under the platforms or secure the tape on the stairs.
Then there’s the synthesis of design and performers: David Gately’s direction was flat when it was not weakly processional or fixated on inessential stage business. What logic, for instance, put the honeymooners outside, on the Japanese equivalent of a porch?
Thank goodness for Hee Hyun Lim’s voice and acting, which combined Puccini’s characteristically Italian sounds and graces with the occasional use of facial responses and gestures more familiar to Asian performance traditions. She deserved her instant standing ovation on Monday, while the rest of the cast was serviceable — OK, amiable, too — at best.
With “Butterfly,” one can emphasize the love story or the social context. Recent, fantastic interpretations, such as Francesca Zambello’s, took the social/political route. Yet one can credibly extricate a shuddering tragedy out of Cio-Cio-San’s heartbreak. It didn’t happen here, despite all the star’s efforts.
Why is this blog response — published after the formal review — so emphatic? Because our working critics — Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, David Mead, etc. — have pointed out these shortcomings for years, to little or no avail.
Once, ALO aspired to modest international status. Now, even with potential artistic stand-outs like “Barbarians” and the promise of a crackerjack performance hall in two years, it can barely hold its head high among the regional opera companies in Texas!
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
First look at Moser fashion pics
Fashion: Just for my loyal readers: Deborah Rae Turner’s best shots from the Stephen MacMillan Moser fashion show, benefiting the Long Center for the Performing Arts at Antone’s last Thursday. Look for print versions in Thursday’s Life & Style section.
Patrica Vonne
Anne Elizabeth Wynn
Sarah Swindell
Stephen MacMillan Moser
Deborah Green
Patricia Paredes
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Deep into Cambiaso
Art: Well, if you haven’t seen the Luca Cambiaso exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art, go before it closes in December. Otherwise, you’ll need to book a flight to Genoa to see the second iteration of the first comprehensive showing of works by the late Renaissance master.
Let me say I was gratified to see scores of people milling about the Blanton on a Friday at midday. It proves that the museum has established its presence comfortably on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (the new banners and the rising, complementary Building 2 help).
We spent almost two hours buried in Cambiaso with Blanton curator Jonathan Bober, whose knowledge of the field is encyclopedic, whose powers of elegant exposition are of another age, and whose modesty and kindness in answering questions from nonexperts is astonishing and almost unheard-of in the art world.
There’s no way I can condense that conversation — shared with Kip, film writer Chris Garcia, his cohort John DeFore and DeFore’s wife, Laurie — in a single blog.
Cambiaso revealed his talents with expressive drawing, deep structure and glowing paint as early as his 20s and he continued to experiment throughout his long career, bringing an almost Venetian sensibility to the western Italian port city of Genoa.
His art served the conservative Counter-Reformation movement, but that did not stop Cambiaso from playing with a mixture of naturalism and abstraction that set him apart from his High Renaissance predecessors and his Baroque descendents. (I especially love the light sources in his nocturnes.) His works on paper, all in exquisite condition, help tell the story of his innovation — preparatory drawing as finished works of art.
Please, please spend a few hours with this artist. There is absolutely no local precedent for the depth and rarity of this exhibition, which the Blanton can pull off because 1) it need not stage a blockbuster from a familiar artist with box office appeal and 2) it marshals more resources than almost any other university museum.
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
‘Dreamgirls,’ on screen and off
Movies: Hollywood publicists employ a double standard when it comes to screening movies in advance for critics. Newspaper reviewers are kept away from screenings, often until days before the official opening, and even when they see the movie far in advance, they are required by tradition to sit on their reviews until right before run dates.
Bloggers and Web reviewers are not held to such standards. In fact, publicists depend on them to stoke the fires of hype in advance.
For instance, we saw the advance screening of “Dreamgirls” the other night. (Yes, the time when the Gateway was cleared during a fire alarm just as “I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” began belting.) Tommy O’Malley’s formal review for our publication won’t run until — wait for it — Dec. 25, when the adaptation of the Broadway musical opens in Austin.
Other writers, such as the Ain’t It Cool reviewer, are not constrained to keep their lips buttoned, and their words are already circulating.
This is what I can say: “Dreamgirls” is a fairly effective translation of the stage version to the screen, despite some miscasting and the weak replacement of moving cameras for the tornadic choreography of Michael Bennett in live 3-D. It will be embraced by African American women and musical queens and disdained by hard-bitten movie critics. It, perhaps, will garner a few nominations for ideally cast actors.
Fashion: The worlds of couture and performing arts married to make a shivery evening of entertainment as fashion darling Stephen Moser lit up Antone’s with his runway show last night. I loved his soft, free, richly imprinted women’s wear and appreciated the added male presence (with shirts contributed by Blackmail, I believe). The retro club music in this benefit for the Long Cener hit me where I live.
Among the celebrity models: Ben and Joanie Bentzen, Deborah Green, Carla McDonald, Lance Morgan and a certain Statesman columnist (the willowy Jean Scheidnes, who could model professionally), seen below with sister columnist, Melanie Spencer.
We’ll post more — and better — photos later.
A snarky note: For the umpteenth time, I, like other customers, was treated like a barbarian at the Antone’s door. I arrived at the announced time for general admission, plunked down my $25, and the doormaid barked out “8:30!” several times. Finally, I figured out she meant that the time for general admission had changed from 8 to 8:30 p.m.
You will be pleased to know that I stood my ground, without playing the “press” card. It was just silly. I wasn’t trying to crash the VIP pre-party, and said so. Any way you play it, she could have been 1,000 times more gracious before she finally grunted that it was OK to take my $25.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Out predictions
Out & About: Light preholiday weekend ahead.
Coming later today on this site: Reports on Stephen Moser’s fashion show and the preview screening of “Dreamgirls.”
Friday: “Luca Cambiaso, 1527-1585” at Blanton Museum of Art, “365 Days/365 Plays” project launch on the Austin’s Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.
Saturday: Dinner at Truluck’s, Club Soda Club Crawl of seven downtown gay bars.
Sunday: Brunch at Enoteca Vespaio, TiVo catch-up day.
Monday: Critics Table at Opal Divine’s Penn Field, “Stranger than Fiction” at the Regal Metropolitan.
Tuesday: Coffee at Fresh Cup, Andy Roddick Foundation gala.
Wednesday: Surfside Beach on Follet’s Island for Thanksgiving weekend.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Not the kill room! No!
Movies: “Fast Food Nation” trades in overkill. Austin director Rick Linklater starts with Eric Schlosser’s already potent argument that we don’t know what goes into the cheap eats at the chain restaurant on the freeway access road.
Linklater and Schlosser humanize the rhetoric with three clusters of characters — illegal immigrants who do the hard work of turning cattle into beef, disaffected teens who flip burgers for scant wages and executives who must make moral and economic choices about what actually goes into the meals.
We can tell from Linklater’s tone that all three groups will suffer from the American eco-political system, but, rightly, he concentrates on the migrants, whose actual plight is less well publicized. Theirs is the only storyline brought full circle; the other two are abandoned midstream.
Linklater has drafted Hollywood charisma (Greg Kinnear, Wilmer Valderrama, Kris Kristofferson, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Bruce Willis) as well as Austin actors (Lana Deiterich, Barbara Chisholm, Marco Perella, Helen Merino, etc.) for an always engaging ensemble performance.
Why, then, do we need to see the meatpacking kill room? Linklater and Schlosser make their case carefully, but the emotional impact of the fictional characters muddies the waters rather than amplifying the logic. And, finally, we are exposed to slaughterhouse images that could have been left to the imagination and to memories of documentaries.
Theater: Thanks to reader and Zach Scott managing director Ann Ciccolella for helping to clarify the issue of their campaign for a new building.
Although schematics were used during bond hearings, I don’t recall them ever making it into publication, therefore leaving the taxpayers without a clear idea what they were endorsing.
Also, Ann says that the theater has not raised millions in promised donations.
OK. How much? Double score if we find out before 2007. Triple score if we can publish the most illuminating schematics, at least online, by the end of the year.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Michael Barnes
The Key to lounging
Bars: Instantly among my favorite spots to meet old and new friends (such as publicist and developing developer Robert Nash) is the Key Bar on Sixth Street West. During this mild autumn, the spot’s generous front patio/porch makes for ideal lazing. The decor, including very low lounge chairs, is chic, but the crowd is anything but snooty.
There’s a tiny interior bar in case the weather outside gets frightful, and the vibe, as described in last week’s XL cover story, is conversational, not rollicking or cruisy.
TV: I thought the charms of “Ugly Betty” would fade after a few weeks, but I’m still glued to the carefully unfolding episodes. Much depends on the growth of America Ferrera’s title character, who alternates between social cluelessness and beyond-her-years wisdom.
The telenovela-style secrets are still too mysterious for my tastes, but Vanessa Williams makes a juicy semi-villain (everyone is given moments of humanity) and Salma Hayek charges up the screen in a guest role, as she has done in several televisions series (recall her memorable few moments in “Action”).
Theater: To answer reader Scott: “Plaid Tidings” is fun, but not fantastic. For more in-depth information, including notes about the rest of the cast and the choreography, go to Tommy O’Malley’s formal XL review right here on Austin360. (Would have linked yesterday, but I blogged before his review went up.)
Permalink | | Categories: By Michael Barnes
Where’s the theater?
Theater: “Forever Plaid,” that spoofy salute to the sweet harmonics of the 1950s, was a ironclad hit for Zachary Scott Theatre. Its camp-lite tone fit nicely with other Zach revues, such as “Beehive” and “Nunsense.” While director Dave Steakley did “Beehive” one better with his perennial holiday favorite “Rockin’ Christmas Party,” the sequel to “Nunsense” tumbled over adjustments to the orginal formula.
So it goes with “Plaid Tidings,” now at Zach’s Groton stage (the temporary setup in the former bicycle shop located next door to the Arena Stage). Oh sure, it’s fun and brings back at least two former Plaiders — Kevin Farr and Steven Michael Miller. I’ll leave the formal review — alert to all who want such things in blogs — to Tommy O’Malley, but I found this version choppy and forced.
More disturbing was a conversation before the show with longtime Zach publicist/marketer Jim Reynolds. After I congratulated him on the theater’s success at the polls, winning $10 million from City of Austin bond voters last week, he revealed that the company has had full designs for a structure it plans to begin building in three years. (Also, he said that millions in private donations had already been lined up.)
Did anyone hear about this during the campaign for Prop. 4? Uh, not me. I’ve seen various schematic sketches over the years, but full designs? Already in place? Does anyone else think taxpayers should have seen these before voting to give their good money over to the theater?
I’m afraid I was a little rough on Jim, calling him an “antipublicist.” He’s only doing his job. Who decided, however, that the voters should know as little as possible before the elections?
Movies: Two minutes into “Hate Crime,” you know the whole plot. The gay-themed movie, just out on DVD, telegraphs its motivating incident in the title. The domestic bliss of a gay couple is interrupted by the arrival of a new neighbor, whose poisonous religious fervor is only topped by that of his father, a leading preacher. When one of the gay men dies in a park beating, we know that an elaborate revenge, involving two enabling women and the bereaved husband, is in play.
Once again, it is the script that nearly cripples this conventional gay movie. We loved seeing some Texas talent, however, including Cindy Pickett, whose time in the University of Houston drama department overlapped mine by a few days in the early ’70s.
Books: Close followers of this blog — you know who you are! — may remember I started reading Joseph Conrad’s “Lord Jim,” oh, two months ago. My new duties — going out seven nights a week as entertainment editor — have cut deeply into my reading time. Conrad will never replace Henry James as my favorite late 19th-century novelist, but he is a brilliant writer whose central character is as fascinating and flawed as any in literature. Now, on to some Cormac McCarthy.
Parties: Despite having scratched my eye while clearing brush in our yard, I would not have missed the dinner party at Ann and George Attal’s for the world. George’s legendary Lebanese dinners — he has branched out into other cuisines, giving cooking classes and serving as guest chef at local eateries — have been rightly celebrated for years.
The couple’s art-packed house in Northwest Hills — they own Austin Galleries — glistened with preholiday cheer. Among the guests for the little dinner party were Zarghun and Eddy Dean of Tribeza fame. Kind Ann nursed my badly malfunctioning eye.
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Swept away
Music: The concept of two piano concertos embedded in one evening of symphonic music is no longer novel. Yet to host Yefim Bronfman for, not only a coyly playful Mozart, but also an intoxicatingly vivid Rachmaninoff on the same program was a fresh triumph for the Austin Symphony Orchestra at Bass Concert Hall on Friday.
Bronfman appeared overly concerned with technicalities during the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, while the orchestra — never comfortable with the pre-1800 canon — struggled to find a balanced sound. The relaxed melodies of the second movement and the finger-gnarling rhythms of the third (at least in the keyboard part) redeemed soloist and ensemble alike, leaving the impression of an exchange that finally meshed midway through its tenure.
If the Mozart required constant adjustments, Rachmaninoff’s No. 4 lifted off like a jazzy rocket suffused with the feel of New York City, where the the Russian lived during its composition. Bronfman and Austin Symphony conductor Peter Bay powered the late Romantic and budding Modernist forces in this tumult of the piece, the pianist lunging into his instrument like a mad, inspired beast. The audience responded with deleriously mad cheering.
Two Richard Strauss jewels bookended the concertos. “Dance of the Seven Veils” from “Salome” is Europeanized Orientalism at its most voluptuous and gave the orchestra’s wind section a rare opportunity to shine. The closing “Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche” felt like a throwaway treat, an after-dinner mint, as it were, until the complexities of this comic “Merry Pranks” built to a surprising climax.
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Fun with ‘Dick’
Theater: What if you wrote a jaunty little tune every time something happened in your life? Then, an adventurous theater company produced not one, but two cabaret shows about these everyday songs in your Hyde Park-area apartment (seating capacity: 12 or so)?
You’d be Dick Price of “At Home with Dick 2,” which I belatedly attended last night. It’s one of the least pretentious, most arresting theater experiences I’ve ever encountered. One sits on couches, chairs or beanbags to watch shaky family videos of a Christmas in the 1980s. Then Price appears, dressed in the Austin uniform of shorts and T-shirt, hair carelessly curling around his smooth face, smile authentic.
Then he proceeds to relate, in about 2 dozen songs, his father’s descent into Alzheimer’s disease and death, with no more help than a keyboard and some recorded music. It’s mostly funny, until the weight of his daddy’s final days in a nursing home makes the story permanently sad and affecting.
Last season, the Rubber Repertory won a special award from the Austin Critics Circle for the first edition of “At Home.” More than well-deserved. “2” plays through next weekend.
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Eastwood and out again
Movies: Other than Charlie Chaplin, I can’t think of a major movie actor who also developed into a great director the way that Clint Eastwood has. (I’m sure I’m forgetting someone.) “Flags of Our Fathers” is not “Unforgiven” or even “Million Dollar Baby,” but, like those movies, it serves to debunk romanticized heroism, while managing to respect those who demonstrate actual bravery.
The battle scenes on Iwo Jima employed too much CGI for my tastes, and the interactions among the World War II soldiers was better handled in Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line.” Otherwise, “Flags” is a tremendous movie, closely following the public relations campaign pumping the Marines who raised the flag in that famous battle. The cast is a tightly knit ensemble, so don’t expect a rack of Oscar nominations for acting, but Eastwood and the movies are naturals for nods.
To answer reader Josh’s question, the screening next week of “Dreamgirls” appears to be a sneak, one that will probably be publicized through a local media outlet. It doubles as the critics’ screening. If I hear about passes, I’ll let you know.
Nightlife: We started Wednesday night with a couple of Blue Moons and a tuna melt at Opal Divine’s Penn Field (we missed the whiskey tasting), met Adrienne Dealy at the sleek, roomy Union Park for a relaxing chat (almost therapy), then caught the Band of Heathens at Momo’s. Mayor Will was there, along with philanthropist Nick Fox and a host of musicians.
Can the Heathens soar without Gordy Quist (who was absent from the line-up last night)? Absolutely. This is an evenly talented band and, while Quist adds a dash of charisma, the generous set grooved to a warmly satisfying finale.
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A slightly less frenetic weekend
Out & About: My tentative plans for Nov. 9-15.
Thursday: “At Home with Dick 2” (finally!), Lucky Lounge anniversary party, Future Clouds & Radar at Emo’s.
Friday: Coffee at Dolce Vita (research for “100 Places to Linger Over Coffee”), Austin Symphony Orchestra at Bass Concert Hall.
Saturday: Dinner at Cibo, “Plaid Tidings” at Zachary Scott Theatre.
Sunday: Blanco State Park, TiVo catch-up day.
Monday: Coffee at Metro, “Borat” at Alamo South Lamar.
Tuesday: Austin Farmer’s Market on Congress Avenue, premiere of “Fast Food Nation” at the Paramount Theatre, DJ Doja at Elysium.
Wednesday: Coffee at JPs, advance screening of “Dreamgirls,” Beerland Theater.
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Election night reflections
Politics: We saluted the winners and bid goodbye to the losers during the suspenseful election returns Tuesday.
That the Democrats took back the House during times of soul-sapping corruption and discontent with the war in Iraq was no surprise. That the Senate races — still in contention at 8 a.m. — were so close indicated a deeper disconnection between Republicans and the electorate than most people anticipated.
It’s telling that, in exit polls, even evangelicals, the very core of Republican support, were voting Democratic in many races.
Now, of course, the Democrats must relearn power-sharing. Clinton was good at it. Bush was, too, as governor. Let’s hope everyone puts the country’s good ahead of partisan gains.
We should also note that the tide seems to be turning on the gay-marriage issue, with Arizona rejecting a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, and other states passing such proposals with narrower margins than during the last round. We’ve always said that time was on the side of marriage equality, but it will take a lot to undue the damage done in the past few years by all this constitutional tinkering.
Locally, Democrats increased their elected numbers and the seven City of Austin bond propositions passed easily. Given that arts backers were late and lackluster explaining their proposals for theaters and cultural centers (have you seen a detailed plan for any of these projects?), it came as no shock that Prop. 4 passed by the smallest margin of the seven.
I was most gratified by the turn-out. Voters waited patiently for more than an hour at our polling location — Congress Avenue Baptist Church. Call me old-fashioned, but that made my heart swell with patriotic pride.
Media: If I may say so — since I had absolutely nothing to do with it — I thought the American-Statesman’s coverage of the election was timely (on Statesman.com) and thorough (especially in the home print edition).
On TV, we gravitated to CNN, which turned breathless at times, stodgy at others. Wolf Blitzer struck the best balance among the talking heads, while Paul Begala appeared most alert among the partisan commentators. Most of the time, you just don’t want to hear newscasters go off script. And, please, lose all those distracting graphics.
FoxNews kept up with the breaking stories briskly and Brit Hume projected the necessary gravitas, but the pundits spent most of the evening rationalizing defeat.
For a smaller channel, MSNBC did a fine job keeping up with the results and forecasts, while ensuring that the commentary remained on point. Keith Olbermann asked the most incisive questions and tamped down the over-enthusiasm of some reports.
Locally, News 8 Austin was curiously uninformative deep into the evening. We learned the Central Texas results from the City of Austin channel. accompanied by weirdly somber music.
Jeers to the major broadcast channels and CNN Headline News for ignoring the election until most of the news was stale.
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Touching on gay news
Media: As our friend Sean Massey rightly points out, mainstream media still has a long way to go on gay issues, including covering recently out gay — or near-gay — figures.
For instance, most of the entertainment media did a fairly decent job reporting on three (not very surprising) acknowledgements of gay identification from celebrities:
Lance Bass (‘N Sync)
T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”)
Neil Patrick Harris (“Doogie Howser,” etc.).
Each story came with subtle twists — fear of forced outing, accusations of gay slurs, misreports from publicists — which the media treated gently and, as far as we know, accurately.
What to do, however, with tainted scandals like those involving former Rep. Mark Foley and former evangelical leader Ted Haggard? Both were clearly hypocrites of the first water, posing as protectors of youths, in one case, and leading campaigns against gay rights in the other.
The press was pretty adept at distinguishing Foley’s predatory actions from his closted homosexuality. (The New York Times found, however, that many evangelicals could not separate the two, and blamed the Democrats rather than the Foley-protecting Republican leadership.)
Haggard’s case and his identity are still unraveling — with new revelations every day — but it’s obvious he would not have faced the accusations from Denver escort Mike Jones had he not served anti-gay forces so forcefully.
So the current standards for third-party outing appear to be hypocrisy and criminal or unethical behavior. The press was willing to hold its collective tongue as long as closeted Foley didn’t cross the bright line of predation. Who knows if Haggard’s “immoral” secrets were widely known? (I’m guessing we’ll hear more from other quarters.)
In any case, the media deserves some credit for sorting through the varieties of celebrity outing.
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Giggling with ‘The Queen’
Movies: Like “The Departed,” “The Queen” is a unacknowledged comedy.
In both cases, the humor does not appeal to the entire audience, or at least not at the viewings I attended. In Scorcese’s gangster opera, the laughs come from lavishly transgressed boundaries. In “The Queen,” it’s all about tiny shifts within an extremely rigid social world.
Helen Mirren, as QE2 dealing with the death of Princess Di, turns every microscopic reaction — to people, to television, to objects, to nature — into a comedy of manners.
Michael Sheen is startlingly convincing as Tony Blair. Wisely, Stephen Frears and his artistic team keep the royal boys out of the picture and never bothers to parse Di herself, so we see a layered portrait of a woman without monarchist or anti-monarchist biases.
Theater: Don’t you just love theater people? See commentary string below: “How dare you not blog about theater?” Then, a few days later: “How dare you blog about theater?”
And you wonder why I don’t miss the role of arts reporter?
A blog is a blog. It’s a quick, personal response to a timely event. Noboby — and I mean noboby — depends on them for complete consumer information on whether to see a show or not.
Some people liked the latest Rude Mechs show, others didn’t. Would you rather I lied and say I liked it?
For a more formal review of “Have You Ever Been Assassinated?” go to our Weekend Reviews page, where such things live.
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A play, a series and a game
Theater: In the printed program for “Have You Ever Been Assassinated?”, the Rude Mechanicals reel off reasons why they have not broken up as a company, including the fact they have not yet produced their best or worst plays.
Well, “Assassinated” is not the worst, but it rates among my least favorites. The idea of re-examining ethnic and gender stereotypes through the language of vaudeville is admirable, but the execution is tired unto tiresome.
Vaudeville was entertaining. “Assassinated” is not. Vaudeville showcased virtuosity. Other than another subdued tough-man performance from Doug Taylor, “Assassinated” defies virtuosity.
The stuff about stereotypes would be considered old news by even the least informed audience member, and the Lincoln/Booth theme has been thoroughly reworked by better and more provocative writers. Director Carlos Trevino is capable of molding a whole out of the most disparate creative parts, but not this time. It gives me no pleasure to say so, but this is a Rudes Mech low point.
TV: Good to be back with “Battlestar Galactica.” The best science fiction series of all time (the contemporary one, not the camp edition from the 1970s) is such a rush of good writing, directing, acting, editing and composing that it’s hard to believe a basic cable channel launched it. We’re marathoning Season 2.5, which disappointed some purists with its twist on the President’s illness. Yet even that fudge promises yet another compelling storyline. After this weekend, we can safely watch the current season.
Sports: I haven’t blogged much about the Longhorns since taking the new-new job of entertainment editor, which requires much closer attention to TV and movies. (And faith, if you noticed the newspaper today.) But I’ve followed the football team loyally and always find a way to see or TiVo the game. I’m settling into the Oklahoma State battle just now. A good one to see live, but I’m on the couch instead, which has its advantages, including the Mangia carnivore pizza on its way.
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Not another frivolous night
Parties: Bliss. Maceo Parker flying high between ice-blue peaks of funk and jazz. Austin brain power bristling all around the Austin Music Hall. And almost $350,000 raised for American YouthWorks, the eminently worthy organization that helps high-school drop-outs find their way in life.
Jack and Carla McDonald did a superb job putting together a low-overhead, low-pomp gala that included the big Parker show for those who could not afford a table at the early-evening event. Someday, Jack — or Carla — should run for office. They are both so thoughtful, charismatic and well-spoken. Or maybe they accomplish more through their philanthropic service. (Some people just see them at fundraisers; Jack and Carla actually serve year-round on boring, but essential boards of directors.)
Anyway, I had a grand time and spoke to dozens of sharpies, then swayed to Parker and his high-impact band. And to think, in old Austin, American YouthWorks would be delighted with a $10,000 fundraiser.
Chez Zee’s Sharon Watkins, who helps mastermind as many as three nonprofit events a day.
Eugene Sepulveda, who blogged about the event as well, with Mayor Will Wynn (who buttoned up the Austin City Council meeting early to hear Parker).
Ballet Austin’s Cookie Ruiz and Allyson Paino.
Architect Andrew Hinman, Austin Film Society helmer Rebecca Campbell and most-est hostess Carla McDonald.
I love the expression on the face of architect Dick Clark, here chatting with Karen Mayes.
An overhead view of the silent auction, which contributed to the fundraising total of almost $350,000.
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Carousing Sixth
Nightlife: I can think of no more agile or entertaining companion for a night on Sixth Street than Adrienne Dealy, who keeps her head — and her good temper — even under duress.
We met at Paradise Cafe, which, at night, is less a cafe than a bar-bar these days, with a scary bouncer, skimpy table service, watery drinks and pedestrian tacos and Cajun salad. It’s still a pleasant place to meet, with its ’70s Malibu feel, but Paradise now is a Sixth Street watering hole when the sun goes down.
We toddled past a few new spots, ending up at the Flamingo Cantina. Inspired by XL write-ups by Joe Gross and David Amend, we intende to catch the Shells, but, true to form, they were still not onstage an hour after the announced start time.
Instead, we heard Geoff Reacher, a singer-songwriter of certain promise whose one-man-band approach sometimes undercut his potent song-writing and guitar skills.
After that, it was Athens, Ga.-based Madeline Adams, backed by a discreet drummer. Looking a bit like big-eyed Mary Louise Parker and sounding like a domesticated Bjork — sorry, but these comparisons help set the stage — she yoked lovely lyrics to melodies that fell between jazz and folk.
We also caught a bit of Pink Nasty, but the vocalist could not work out the amplification balance with her guitarists.
The bartender was a gas. Trying to think of an easy Scotch order to fill, I asked for Johnny Walker and water. He laughed and said that was too high-tone for Flamingo. So I went with Dewar’s. When I said: “Whoa, not quite so much water,” he replied, sweetly, “Sorry, we don’t get too many professional drinkers here.” Not exactly how I want to be known, but he sounded sincere and complimentary. Maybe it’s because we tipped.
So into the night we went.
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Cry baby
TV: I cry at commercials. I cry during every episode of “Friday Night Lights.”
But I really let loose the waterworks for a movie I always disdained from a distance. During my 20-year boycott of the pop culture’s worst, I missed the 1990 movie “Ghost.”
Sappy story. Whoopi at her least subtle. And so forth. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore at their most annoying.
Watched it the other night (thank you TiVo) on the deliberate bet to myself that I couldn’t stand 10 minutes of it. Stuck through the whole thing — well, I fast-forwarded through the pottery wheel scene, too straight — and, as the Governator would say, cried like a liddle gurlie.
I’m just a sticky romantic at heart when it comes to the subject of one true love. (Don’t tell Kip.)
Food: New favorite dish at Curra’s Grill, which recently printed colorful new menus: campechana, a spicy, thick seafood cocktail with shrimp, squid and other fruit of the sea. A big bowl is garnished with a lime wedge and green olives, so it’s like eating a bloody Mary, but good for you. Can this place get any better?
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