Any fan of quality comedy television will instantly recognize Paul Mooney as the “Ask a Black Dude” sage or “Negrodamus” from the funniest show in decades, Chapelle’s Show, a TV show so dangerously hilarious that it amassed a die-hard cult following the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Twin…
The multi-tasking Mo Rocca has had his fingers in a multitude of comedy pies over the last decade. He accomplished the rare task of representing “real” media like Larry King as well as taking hilarious turns as a correspondent for The Daily Show and guest commentator for VH1’s seemingly endless…
The 1986 science fiction classic Aliens is a rare treat, one of the few sequels that may be as good or even (gasp!) better than the original. We all know that Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, Alien, is an atmospheric work of artistic genius. The film’s set design and nail-biting tension…
You may recognize Brian Posehn from his role as the perpetually stoned, gay friend on The Sarah Silverman Program. Possibly you know him as the mail guy on the occasionally hilarious Just Shoot Me. If you are old like me, then you first noticed his comedic genius on the greatest…
You’ve been following their dreams, struggles and victories for almost a decade. The wacky kids of American Idol always crank it up to 11 and spray high-octane talent juice everywhere. Even through the television screen, they seem like real people. I mean they are real people, of course, but Idol…
While Merle Haggard was in San Quentin for robbery in his early 20s, he saw Johnny Cash’s legendary prison performances. These shows inspired Merle to trade a life of petty crime and jail time for the life of a country singer. In the early ’60s, he was integral to the…
John Williams is the most well-known composer ever. What about Beethoven and Mozart, you say? Just think about it. Ask an average person to hum you a piece by Beethoven and you may get the first four notes of the Fifth Symphony. However, I guarantee that if you ask any…
It’s the tale of a group of starving bohemian-type artists all crashing together and living in the moment, despite the thick smoke of despair that swirls around them. No, it’s not Celebrity Rehab. It’s Puccini’s 1896 opera, La Boheme. More than a century old, this one could have been written…
Are you frightened by the thought of a Democrat in the White House? Do you miss the sweet, sweet days when the Cold War was raging and a kid’s only sanctuary could be found in hard-ass action figures that were ready to kill anytime, anywhere…for their country? Well, taxpayer, here…
The Bible has long been a rich source from which movies, television and the theater have drawn inspiration. From Jesus Christ Superstar to The Last Temptation of Christ to that awful hippie nightmare Godspell. Some of these have been met with criticism, some with reverence and some with an involuntary…
Houston has produced a number of talented musicians: ZZ Top, DJ Screw, Destiny’s Child, The Geto Boys…the list goes on. H-Town’s most enduring musical export, however, is “The Gambler.” That’s right, I’m talking about Kenny Rogers. His career has spanned several decades, swerving from country to pop and back again,…
Nuns. Those enigmatic, mysterious “Brides of Christ.” To some folks, nuns are a quaint throwback to a simpler, much churchier time. To others, nuns are vicious, scowling schoolmarms with knuckle-bruising rulers and itchy trigger fingers. Regardless of your personal opinion, the image of the nun has become an iconic symbol…
When I was in eighth grade, I hung out with a group who did nothing but talk about music. We all had opinions. Some would spend hours arguing about whether Randy Rhoads was better than Eddie Van Halen. Heated discussions arose on the subject of who would win in a…
Most of us have played the game Clue, or at least have seen the movie. You know, “Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with the lead pipe.” It can be a thrilling game, and when you solve the mystery you get to feel a bit like an armchair Hercule Poirot. If…
The Webb Gallery in Waxahachie has been a haven for outsider, folk and just plain strange art for more than two decades. If you make the 30-mile drive south of Dallas to this wonderland of esoterica, you are guaranteed a banquet for the senses. Gallery owners Bruce and Julie Webb…
Many talented people have passed through the television meat-grinding juggernaut that is Saturday Night Live. Some have gone on to bigger, if not always better, things (I’m looking at you, Chevy Chase), while some leave and are never heard from again (I’m looking at you, Brad Hall). When Jimmy Fallon…
The classic 1984 movie Footloose means lots of things to lots of people. It’s an inspiring tale of what one teenager with a dream can accomplish. It made the amazing Kevin Bacon a household name. It gave small town kids the courage to stand up for their right to dance,…
There are as many versions of the story of Little Red Riding Hood as there are matador pants in Prince’s closet. There have been multitudinous attempts to put a fresh spin on this fairy tale. The most famous is by the Brothers Grimm in the 1800s. It has the wolf…
Howie Mandel has had several careers in the entertainment biz. After a few years as a stand-up comic, he became world famous with his role as Dr. Fiscus on the groundbreaking, underrated medical drama, St. Elsewhere. It spawned the careers of a shitload of actors–Mark Harmon, Ed Begley Jr., Denzel…
When I was 13 years old, I used to sneak into the dollar movie theater near our apartment in north Dallas. This was a common occurrence for me back then; my middle-class version of juvenile delinquency. Memories of that time are now mostly vague smudges, but I do remember one…
If I were a billionaire, I would use my first billion to arrange a boxing match between K.D. Lang and Sarah Palin. This may seem like a waste of money to the common American, but I have good reasons. Hear me out: Palin’s from Alaska and Lang is from Canada,…
Ever since her performance on Good Times back in the ’70s, it was obvious that Janet was going to be much more that just another Jackson. Tito could never elicit the pathos and empathy that Janet did as Penny, the abused neighbor girl looking for a way out. She breathed…
