Oscar-nominated shorts come to the Ken Cinema

Some are better than others, but there's not a bad one in the bunch

Every year, movie nuts do their best to see every nominated film before the Oscars. The ceremony’s been bumped up by a couple of weeks this year, which cuts down the amount of time film fanatics have to get to the theater.

Wednesday, January 30,2013
Film

‘Sound City’ and ‘The New Juarez’

Documentaries from Dave Grohl’s and Charlie Minn lead our coverage of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

I’m old enough to remember when Dave Grohl was overshadowed by Kurt Cobain. But he’s done pretty well for himself since Nirvana ended with Cobain’s 1994 suicide. After 18 years of success with Foo Fighters, Grohl has stepped behind the camera to make his first film.

Wednesday, January 23,2013
Film

‘West of Memphis’ delves deep

Amy Berg’s new documentary shines a spotlight on a new suspect

By Anders Wright

You might be somewhat familiar with the West Memphis Three, the trio of teenagers who, almost 20 years ago, were arrested and accused of murdering three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Ark.

Wednesday, January 23,2013
Film

Dustin Hoffman, director

‘Quartet’ tops our rundown of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

Raised as I was by an Anglophile and theater aficionado, I was given an appreciation of Maggie Smith that dates long before any of the Harry Potter movies, and certainly before Downton Abbey.

Wednesday, January 16,2013
Film

Picking the Oscar winners

Our absolutely brilliant choices for the top awards

By Anders Wright

The Golden Globes are behind us, and the Oscars are just a few weeks away (Feb. 24). I’ve looked at the nominations announced last week and done my best to give you a crib sheet for your Oscar pool.

Wednesday, January 16,2013
Film

Even more Oscar winners

Honored movies of the past top our rundown of flicks screening around town

By Anders Wright

Let’s say you’re like me—kind of meh about this year’s crop of Oscar nominees. The good news is that there’s a slew of past Oscar winners screening around town this week.

Wednesday, January 9,2013
Film

Love doesn’t conquer all in Michael Haneke’s Amour

New human drama is as terrifying as his other movies

By Anders Wright

On the surface, it would seem that Amour, the latest film from 70-year-old auteur Michael Haneke, is a departure from his usual work.

Wednesday, January 9,2013
Film

‘Time Bandits’ is an imagination celebration

Local showing of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film tops our coverage of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

We all have a list of movies that came to us at a certain time in our lives when they’d have the greatest impact. They don’t necessarily have to be the best films of all time, but because of what they’re about or how they were made, and where our head was when we saw them, they’ve left a deep impression.

Wednesday, January 2,2013
Film

Kathryn Bigelow’s 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a masterwork

There’s torture, but even though the movie is almost three hours long, it’s not torturous

By Anders Wright

It seems you can't discuss Kathryn Bigelow's new film, the Best Picture contender Zero Dark Thirty, without discussing the torture scenes.

Wednesday, January 2,2013
Film

Japanese retrospective kicks off 2013

Some classic animation tops our rundown of all the movies screening around town

By Anders Wright

It's safe to say that 2012 wasn't a banner year for animated movies. Sure, lots of people liked Brave, but Pixar's best films were reissues of Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo.

Arts & Culture Features

‘Warehouse 1425’ art show: creativity and controversy

Organizer of May 17 exhibition in East Village fends off criticism

If the event sounds familiar, there’s a reason. Unsolicited emails from people in the local art community have been sent to CityBeat blasting the show as a rip-off of Parachute Factory.

By Alex Zaragoza

Cult of personality

Fiona Maazel’s beguiling new novel about the perils of loneliness

Either Fiona Maazel—named in 2008 to the National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" list—possesses psychic powers or her novels are remarkably prescient.

By Jim Ruland

Simon Pegg goes where some have gone before in ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

Shaun of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ explains what it means to be on the Starship Enterprise

Star Trek Into Darkness is the latest movie to warp its way into the fray, and it's got big shoes to fill.

By Anders Wright

Canvassed

Mike Giant signing in North Park

The graffiti icon stops by Home Mercantile to launch his new book

The name Mike Giant elicits responses like "that dude's sick" in the graffiti world. He's been a fixture in the art, graffiti, tattoo and skateboarding scenes for decades.Giant will stop by Home Merca...

A puppet show for adults, a food-centric literacy fundraiser and more fun stuff to do this week

Our weekly Red List roundup

Digable puppets A few months ago, we talked up Animal Cracker Conspiracy's Adult Puppet Cabaret performance and film screening at the Museum of Photographic Arts. If you tried to go but were turned away (tickets sold out), you've got another chance to see talented puppet masters at a larger venue, Space 4 Art (325 15th St., East Village) on Friday, May 17. As the name suggests, Adult Puppet Cabaret's geared toward grown-ups, meaning sophisticated stories and innovative presentation styles. Friday's performance will feature puppetry by by locals like Max Daily, Van Tran and Jenna Ann MacGillis, and, from Arizona, National Puppet Slam champ, Gwen Bonar. Audience members can make their own puppets, Delicioso Food Truck will have food for purchase and Trio Gadjo will be performing gypsy-jazz. The event happens from 7 to 10 p.m. (outdoors, so bring a sweater if needed). Tickets are $12 pre-sale, $15 at the door. ...