Before we get into the matter of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, we must first address the issue of the man actually playing Jack Reacher. Resolved: Tom Cruise has absolutely nothing in common physically with author Lee Child’s crime-solving ex-military drifter. Cruise is famously diminutive; Reacher is famously tall and…
It seems like everyone you know has a reason to attend Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest this year. Your friends are hoping to get a photo with Eleven from Stranger Things. Meanwhile, your boss is dying to get his copy of Iron Man #128 (featuring infamous “Demon in a Bottle” arc)…
Arnold Myint is no stranger to the spotlight. The 30-something chef and restaurateur runs a handful of successful Nashville-area restaurants, including Suzy Wong’s House of Yum and the now-closed Cha Chah. But Myint, a former professional figure skater, refused to settle in to the chef-owner narrative. He moved from behind-the-scenes…
There are many places to shop local in Phoenix, but the idea behind Local Nomad – a new boutique set in the revamped Uptown Plaza – offers shoppers the ability to buy handmade apparel, accessories, and décor from around the world. Owned by Lauren Danuser, Local Nomad opened on October…
The Arizona State Fair has never been short on astounding spectacles or amazing sights. There are the flashy and glitzy rides that dot the midway each and every year, of course, not to mention all the gonzo thrills of demolition derby and monster truck races in the grandstand and the…
Jersey-born, Pennsylvania-trained, Phoenix-based TV personality Nick Calderone has been a host on Right This Minute – the daily, half-hour television program showcasing adorable and ridiculous viral videos – since its first episode in 2010. Calderone began his career as a cameraman in York, Pennsylvania, moving to Phoenix in 1999 to…
No need to knock on wood, Phoenix. Porter Barn Wood is doing just fine. So well, in fact, that on November 5, the family-owned reclaimed barn wood and lumber purveyor will open a showroom and workshop. Since 2011, Porter Barn Wood has offered wood siding, beams, floorboards, and more in…
There’s no shame in being a cheapskate — especially here in Phoenix. Why? Well, because there’s so much stuff to do. Take a look at New Times’ calendar for proof. Here’s something you might notice while doing so: A lot of the time, said stuff is free, or at least cheap…
Once again, metro Phoenix art galleries are offering up some pretty impressive exhibitions. You’ll have to do at least a bit of planning ahead if you hope to hit them all during Third Friday on October 21. So we’ve got a list of new shows, and tips for making the…
Meet Tara Sharpe, painter, director, and friend to many. Sharpe started her creative career early. She entered art school at 12, attending and graduating from the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. Then, she was accepted to a summer residency for Fine Art at the School of Visual Arts…
Desert Viking is the latest real-estate development firm to stake a claim in downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row, an area that has been named one of the nation’s best neighborhoods and art districts. Desert Viking announced on October 19 plans for a revitalization project called The Blocks of Roosevelt Row. It’s…
I wondered, as I headed to a second-week performance of Black Theatre Troupe’s Rasheeda Speaking, if it would be possible for a production starring Lillie Richardson and Katie McFadzen to be lousy. Could it be in some way lacking if the supporting cast were Joseph Kremer and Pamela Fields? How…
What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a monthly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This month: Katharine Leigh Simpson, whose work blends visual and…
High on my list of Things That Annoy Me is the ongoing trend in “rebranding” stuff. I’m suspicious of the idea of changing the name or the look of something and claiming it’s somehow substantially different. It seems sneaky and disingenuous, like when KISS and Dolly Parton made disco records…
Despite being one of the most versatile storytelling media in modern culture, with roots in the genre stretching further back than superheroes, comic books have had difficulty capturing horror lately. Is it because of changes in sensibilities of the audience? Or maybe the creators? Is it due to limitations of…
Longtime downtown Phoenix arts scene staple Five15 Arts representatives signed an agreement with Phoenix Center for the Arts to use their exhibition space from January through September 2017, according to an October 16 Facebook announcement on Five15’s Facebook page. The collective lost its longtime Roosevelt Row gallery space at the end of…
Phoenix, Halloween’s nearly here. And we’ve already given you plans for that weekend, ways to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, and a guide to some of the Valley’s scariest haunted houses. What more could you possibly want? Plans for this week? Oh… actually, that’s easy. From a Hitchcockian geekout and…
The ninth annual Phoenix Fashion Week graced the pool-adjacent runway at Talking Stick Resort from October 13 through 15, bringing local and international designers to the Valley and showcasing everything from birdlike showgirl costumes and icicle jumpsuits to the botanically inspired collection of a FIDM student and graphic dresses by…
Phoenix Fashion Week 2016 wrapped at Talking Stick Resort on Saturday, October 15, with an evening of presentations billed as couture night. While the French word “couture” translates to dressmaking, in the world of fashion it carries a tremendous weight. It’s used in reference to haute couture, a small industry…
On its second evening, Phoenix Fashion Week 2016 presented contemporary designs at Talking Stick Resort. And following a lengthy and lackluster opening night, you know what? Everything was fine. Well, mostly. Tucson designer Laura Tanzer opened the evening, the first of four emerging designers competing to be named emerging contemporary…
Any way you slice it, 2016 has been one helluva year for AJ Styles. As a matter of fact, it’s been quite phenomenal. In the span of just 10 months, the future hall of famer known as “The Phenomenal One” went from wrestling on the independent circuit and over in…
Have there ever been entertainment-media product tie-ins like the Ouija movies? The shriekingly enjoyable Ouija: Origin of Evil, like its less successful 2014 predecessor Ouija, lays out as its best case that the toy it’s advertising will destroy your life, maybe kill your family and damn your very soul. 30…
