It was that low-speed car chase in the ever-recognizable white Bronco that first introduced us to Los Angeles trial lawyer Johnnie Cochran. Critics claim he was the first attorney who dealt the "race card" when he defended O.J. Simpson. And whether or not you think he's a monster for getting Simpson off, the Shreveport, Louisiana-born big-time lawyer has humbling moments like anyone else. In fact, one Canadian reporter was able to bribe him with ribs--his favorite food--in exchange for an interview with the busy Cochran. And she even managed to get pictures of him noshing on his barbecue-laden feast. Cochran's secret fantasy is to be the quarterback in the Super Bowl who gets to say he's going to Disney World. And did you know he wishes he could sing like The Temptations and that he's a "leg man" who finds a woman's mouth sexy? Maybe that's more than you wanted to know. See the man in person when Cochran gives a lecture titled "Let Your Vision Create New Horizons" at 8 p.m. March 18. The event, which is part of the Eclipse Magazine Lecture Series, will be held at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel. Mistress of ceremonies is Debbie Denmon of WFAA-TV, and Senator Royce West will provide a question-and-answer segment. The lecture benefits St. Anthony Community Center. General admission tickets are $30, and VIP seating is $75. Tickets for Eclipse Magazine paid subscribers and students are $25. Tickets are available at 214-550-1700. --Jenice Johnson
A Stab at Camp Comedy
3/18
The Q Cinema feature presentation 9 Dead Gay Guys may sound like a serious documentary exposing the horrors of homophobia. But it's not; it's just a British comedy with a provocative title. The plot involves two straight Irish lads willing to go gay-for-pay on the bustling (and hustling) streets of London in search of a legendary stash of cash rumored to be tucked in bed with a gay Orthodox Jew. As the quest unfurls, an unintentional body count rises, and wackiness ensues as the adventurers encounter those old stalwarts of British comedy: a dwarf and an electric cattle prod. 9 Dead Gay Guys screens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Rave Motion Pictures Ridgmar 13, 2300 Green Oaks Road, Fort Worth. Admission is $10 or $5 for students. Call 817-566-0021. --Jay Webb
Lady Lit
3/23
Say "midcentury" and a few possible images take shape. Most obvious is dress-wearing Donna Reed preparing dinner, well-behaved kids in saddle oxfords and Dad trading his briefcase for a cardigan and the daily newspaper. Then there's McCarthy and post-World War II paranoia. But Jeffrey Marks has unearthed a lesser-known part of the era: female writers. Not only did these chicks write, they wrote mystery stories, a fairly male genre even today. On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Marks signs and discusses Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s and 1950s, in which he covers authors such as Dorothy Hughes (she-version of noir master Jim Thompson), Mignon Eberhart and five others. Meet and listen to Marks at Barnes & Noble, 801 W. 15th St., Plano. Call 972-422-3372. --Merritt Martin
Creepy Crawlies
3/20
Gordon Douglas' 1954 flick Them! warrants this week's inclusion in Sci-Fi Saturdays at Fair Park by gamely typifying a staple of post-World War II cinema. Rather than shiny alien invaders or Lovecraft-meets-Romper Room monsters, Them! represents the beloved "big pissed-off insect" genre. It has a plot that defines B-matinee splendor, as a team of do-gooders discovers A-bomb-mutated ants in the deserts of New Mexico. Can mankind withstand the onslaught? If not, will the theory about the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards' durability at least prove true? Really, will even a nuclear holocaust kill that man? Regardless, the low-grade nostalgia will charm the kiddies, and an entomologist will be there to teach them about all things ants. The paranoia starts at 3 p.m. at 1121 First Ave. Call 214-428-8700. --Matt Hursh