Iran

River Phoenix's Dark Blood: Not the Epitaph He Deserves

The Presidential Debate-Watching Party at Texas Theatre Was Nuts

These days, it seems like debate watching isn't such a social thing. We sit in living rooms with our family and friends, perhaps, or watch it alone and cast our thoughts out onto Facebook threads and Twitter feeds. So, what would it be like to watch it in a darkened movie theater with a bunch of com ... More >>

Dear Benjamin Netanyahu, Could You do a Mitvah for Dallas?

This is a personal letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dear Prime Minister: My name is Jim Schutze. I am a columnist for the Dallas Observer. I write about local things here. My politics are sort of all over the place, but I have always considered myself a great friend of Israel, ... More >>

Meet the Monsters

From Toronto, a glimpse of this year's most bracing films

So, What's On Mitt Romney's iPod?

Over the last two nights of the Republican National Convention, both Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan and Presidential candidate Mitt Romney have taken the time to mention the music on Romney's iPod, with Ryan, a noted Rage Against the Machine fan, saying, "There are the songs on his iPod whic ... More >>

How to Speak Republican: Decoding the GOP

Tom Leppert and the Young Republicans Solve the World's Problems

If you happened to stumble upstairs at the Londoner last night, you might have wondered just what the hell was going on. Why were so many of these men wearing suits to the bar? Is that a sweater vest in the corner? Everyone's throwing the word "santorum" around with such enthusiasm -- have we stumbl ... More >>

A Separation: An Iranian Breakup is Hard to Do

You are the judge in the high-stakes legal drama.

2012 Oscar Nominations, Complete with Snubs, Surprises, and Mehs

The nominees for the cinematic super bowl, the 2012 Academy Awards, were announced yesterday, and as always there were a few of the year's best pictures and performances that were left warming the bench by the all-powerful Academy. Martin Scorsese's Hugo leads the game with 11 nods, beating out th ... More >>

A Quick Kick at Rick, While He's Still Around

I'm afraid Rick Perry will evaporate soon from the presidential coverage, and I won't get to say my little piece about him. So just in case, here it is. Months ago I was asked by the company I work for to produce a piece about Perry's so-called economic miracle in Texas. My first response was to sa ... More >>

Best Films of 2011: People of the Year

Some of our notables showed great courage this year, others are simply notorious, but all 10 had a big impact in 2011.

There's a Wolf at Rick Perry's Door

​Wolf Blitzer of CNN takes on the Republican candidates tonight for the second foreign policy debate. This is the do-or-die moment for our homeboy: Either Rick Perry repairs his fortunes and escapes the back-bench or he's toast. Perry's people know that, so our governor is going to be all-in tonig ... More >>

Hinojosa Looks On As DISD Trustees Discuss What to Do About Interim Superintendent

Photos by Patrick MichelsOutgoing Superintendent Michael Hinojosa tries to pretend he doesn't know who Carla Ranger is talking about.Whoever set the table before last night's DISD board meeting had to be kicking themselves once the trustees got started, with dead-serious Carla Ranger yet again calli ... More >>

Michael Hinojosa: Why Should We Blame Him for Leaving a Sinking Ship?

​We all need to splash our faces with cold water in this matter of the superintendent of the Dallas school system leaving town for a job as superintendent of schools in Cobb County, Georgia. What the hell do we expect? Governor Rick Perry and the Tea Party are charging ahead with an agenda a ... More >>

Seriously, Has Nobody Seen RoboCop? Dallas Has Been "New Detroit" For Years.

​Apparently a whole lot of people around the country took a look at the very strange campaign advertisement for Debbie Georgatos that Wilonsky posted here Sunday morning -- a video to promote her unsuccessful campaign for chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party. Judging by the comments, ... More >>

Rob Allyn Used to Run Local Politics. Now He's Making Movies in Indonesia.

Rob Allyn​Longtime observers of the local political landscape probably hear the name Rob Allyn and think of the Trinity River Corridor Project (Schutze insists it was Allyn who came up with those solar-powered water taxis), myriad mayoral campaigns, those Dubya ads attacking John McCain's environm ... More >>

Asylum for High-Profile Mexican Police Chief Marisol Valles Is No Sure Thing in Dallas

Via.​Marisol Valles became an instant media star last October, when she took over as police chief of Práxedis G. Guerrero, a town near Juarez. She was just 20 years old, a criminology student and a mother, and the job she was taking only opened up when her predecessor was beheaded. Two weeks ago, ... More >>

Dallas, despite being the Buckle of the Bible Belt, has a rich tradition of gambling, gangsters, boozing and naked ladies.

He's Still the Decider: George W. Bush's Book Report Is Due in Stores November 9

​So, I'm getting some work done just now when I get an e-mail heads-up from Borders: "JUST ANNOUNCED! A New Memoir By George W. Bush. Available Nov. 9. Pre-Order Now!" And, sure enough: Crown Publishers today announced the release date and further details about the ex-president's new book titled D ... More >>

The Daily Show Sends Jason Jones to Get to the Bottom of Dallas Gay Divorce Case

Peter Schulte and the petitioner still known as J.B. on The Daily Show last night ... but what is it about that vase ...?​No doubt you recall the October ruling from Judge Tena Callahan of Dallas County's 302nd Family District Court, who said there was no good reason for the courts not to consider ... More >>

Short Orders: Canary Cafe

​Canary Cafe5100 Belt Line, Addison972-503-7080I seem to remember a time, shortly after engineer-turned-chef Mansour Gorji bought the Canary Cafe space, when he served sushi at lunch.The previous occupant had been a Japanese restaurant and so many of that venue's regulars dropped by hoping for a r ... More >>

The Dubya Center Will Fit Right In at SMU

The front of the the George W. Bush Presidential Center, as designed by Robert A.M. Stern​In advance of a formal presentation today on the SMU campus, USA Today sneak previews architect Robert A.M. Stern's conceptual renderings for the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Yes, but will there be "f ... More >>

Adventureland: Greg Mottola loves the '80s

What No. 1 Songs Tell Us About Inaugurations

History, as predicted by Inauguration Day's No. 1 hits

One Bad Apple, So, Sure, Let's Chop Down the Entire Orchard

What Happens in Iraq Doesn't Stay in Iraq For Some Local Immigrants

Goal(s)!

Banned in his home country, Iranian Jafar Panahi scores with his sports movie as social commentary

Patriot Acts

Far from his Kurdish home, Adnan Kirkuki seeks out soldiers to defend his new one in the United States

The Other Immigrants

House of Saud and Fog

Rescue Them

Buy some art for the IRC

The Poop

That's what I'm supposed to give readers. That's what I got.

Don't Fret

Dallas Guitar Show plays on

Party Bard-y

Shakespeare's greatest guffaws and ha-has

House of Pain

It's Kingsley vs. Connelly in a heart-wrenching real estate battle

Lynyrd Skynyrd |Alan Jackson with Joe Nichols

October 24|October 25

Tasty Diplomacy

The buffet table sings at Dawat

Just Kidding

Plus: Checkup; Ch-ch-changes

Beach Head

At the Winter Music Conference, P. Diddy blows up while the U.S. blows up Iraq

Red Scare

Dallas County is setting up a surveillance system a Commie would love

Foldin' Time

Leland Faulkner welcomes you to his World

Crusaders

In another holy war, the battle plan is to turn Muslims into Bible believers

At Last, Justice

The killer Unicorn is corralled

Arabian Nightmare

A road through hell paved with good intentions points the way to Kandahar

Short takes

Events for the week

Take your time

Cafe Izmir has plenty of Middle Eastern delicacies on tapas

Adventures in dining

Sahara provides a welcome oasis in Dallas' dining desert

Games Grownups Play

Recruiting violations. Cutthroat competion. Big money. Larger egos. It isn't NCAA football. It's kids' soccer, Dallas style.

Joe Bob Briggs

Drive-In Movie Critic of Grapevine, TX