Director Courtney Hunt, accepting the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition from Quentin Tarantino for her film Frozen River PARK CITY, Utah — As the 2008 Sundance Film Festival drew to a close with a bizarrely country-and-western-themed awards ceremony hosted by William H. Macy, a jury headed by…
Jim Bowles, former (and, he hopes, future) Dallas County sheriff In this week’s paper version of Unfair Park, we take a look at former Dallas County Sheriff Jim Bowles’ attempt at getting back his old job. He had plenty to say — too much to squeeze into the pages of…
Two weeks ago I linked to the heartbreaking Clayton Holmes profile, penned for ESPN.com’s Page 2 by Jeff Pearlman, who’s the author of two sports books (about the ’86 New York Mets and Barry Bonds). As Pearlman noted in the article, he uncovered Holmes’ story while working on a book…
Chuck Norris’ KICKSTART has two offices, one in Houston and another on Forest Lane here; its goal, says the KICKSTART Web site, is to “change and save children’s lives.” Apparently, no one told that to KICKSTART’s former Chief Executive Officer James Brasher, who yesterday pleaded guilty to stealing $130,000 from…
Last week, someone posted to the YouTubes the entirety of Elliott Smith’s May 5, 2000, show at Trees; it’s broken up into individual songs, so you can enjoy in small doses. A complete set list’s available here, and seems like most of the show survived the transfer (don’t see “Son…
Two cures for the frigid Friday blahs: the fantasy of next month’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and the reality of this week’s — wouldja believe? — Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Winter 2008 issue. Yes, already. We’ve just begun dipping our toe into Super Bowl XLII, and already we’re supposed to…
You know who else wishes the Dallas Cowboys’ season had last a little longer? The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, most likely. Because here’s some video of the women in a bathroom, and it’s not as awesome as you’d expect — it’s actually part of some Roto-Rooter promotion for a “Pimped Out…
Big or small, whatever show she’s in, M. Denise Lee manages to make it feel like an event. The Dallas theater and cabaret star is known as one of the area’s top “divas,” but only because she can belt a song like nobody’s business. There’s nothing diva-esque about Lee’s personality…
More or less, Paul Burka of Texas Monthly anoints State Rep. Rafael Anchía as governor of Texas … in 2018. But only after he’s served as Dallas mayor. As in, “With the triumph of Dallas mayor Rafael Anchía as the first Hispanic governor, another watershed election has occurred, this one…
Is it me, or does HKS’ new Liverpool stadium look like a flattened Texas Stadium? Now that Tom Hicks and his Canadian partner in Liverpool FC have secured the dough with which to refinance their investment in the storied franchise, it’s on to building that long-promised £300 million Stanley Park…
Untouchable Hodge: Well, crap. Gray January is upon us. We’ve said goodbye to pro football in Dallas, and Hollywood’s writers are still striking, so a bleak horizon stretches ahead. What’s left to entertain us? Oh, you know the answer. Does Buzz really have to say it? Fine, we will: It’s…
Wah! Wah! Wah! I too am totally disgusted with the showing last Sunday by our beloved Cowboys (“Giant Disgust,” by Richie Whitt, January 17). I feel the season was a total waste. So after consecutive NFL seasons ending in disappointment and with the Mavericks’ record-breaking collapse in last year’s first-round…
What have we done to deserve this? I mean, other than subsisting as a shallow, materialistic glob of humanity more obsessed with fake boobs than genuine heart. Other than being soulless, choking off Deep Ellum, tearing down the historic Hard Rock building and orchestrating Trinity River genocide. Other than being…
When former Dallas County Sheriff Jim Bowles made the last-minute decision to get in the race for his old job, it surprised almost everyone. After all, he left office under a cloud of suspicion and has been blamed by his successor for everything going wrong with the jail, and there…
Jorge Diaz spent years working the fields of South Texas, an earnest immigrant kid picking onions or melons alongside his family. Every month or so, the Border Patrol would descend on the fields. The workers without green cards would drop what they were doing and run. But Diaz didn’t have…
Pour some Sugar on me: The Half Nelson follow-up is all great. PARK CITY, Utah — Three-quarters of the way through Sundance 2008, the good news is that the festival lineup has turned out to be one of the strongest in the eight years I’ve been coming to Park City…
Our pal Scott Henson, who serves a mean Grits for Breakfast, sends word of this story from today’s Austin American-Statesman, concerning Austin police chief Art Acevedo’s desire to install security cameras “in pedestrian-heavy and crime-ridden areas.” Cited in the story is Dallas deputy police chief Vincent Golbeck, who insists that…
From a Friend of Unfair Park at Hilton’s Ghostbar get-down Tuesday night, suitable for framing. Or boosting Unfair Park’s page views. –Robert Wilonsky…
If the rest of Erykah Badu’s forthcoming 18-track two-fer Nu AmErykah sounds like this track — “The Healer,” produced by Madlib — it will be a masterpiece. Which is overselling it, sure. But, damn. –Robert Wilonsky…
Ron and son Shawn Springs at a Virginia memorabilia signing appearance in November ’04 Nearly lost in the news of this week’s medical malpractice suit filed by Adriane Springs, wife of former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs, is the forthcoming federal suit that will be the first federal challenge…
Yaser Abdel Said, still on the run three weeks after the murders of his two daughters Megan Feldman’s tied up on a cover story at the moment, but she sends some notes concerning the hunt for Yaser Abdel Said, the 50-year-old Egyptian-born cab driver suspected in the New Year’s Day…
Toothpaste for Dinner As I wrote in this week’s paper version of Unfair Park, something’s going on here. And it ain’t good. Just like that, “Happy New Year” has dissolved into “Same Old Shit.” Our sports rut is deeper and dryer than ever. South Oak Cliff High School has forfeited…
