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Darci Ratliff

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Fight Song

By Darci Ratliff
Feb 28, 2008

It's kind of like a real-life School of Rock. High school rockers have a chance to make a splash at the North Texas Battle of the Bands, courtesy of UNT, Denton Record-Chronicle, the Texas Music Project and Lone Star Attitude Inc. The contest accompanies a visit from the John Lennon...
Black Humor

The Michaels take on Dallas

By Darci Ratliff
Jan 17, 2008

Michael Ian Black has fans of all kinds. There are the die-hard obsessive admirers of his early work with sketch comedy juggernaut The State, and casual fans of his Vh-1's I Love the [decade] commentaries. He is recognized as a lover of Sierra Mist, a celebrity poker enthusiast, and will...
The Piano Man

See (and spell) Zach Galifianakis

By Darci Ratliff
Dec 13, 2007

Zach Galifianakis is an enigma. His onstage persona is shuffling and silly one minute and bold and clever the next. His jokes are well thought out, exquisitely crafted one-liners followed by off-the-cuff self-deprecating remarks, all strung together with soothing piano music and random character impressions. His stand-up is like performance...
Greetings, Campers!

Claim your bunk at the Inwood

By Darci Ratliff
Aug 16, 2007

Just in time for the release of The Ten comes another chance to see director David Wain's first feature, Wet Hot American Summer, on the big screen. You might know Wain and co-writer Michael Showalter from The State, MTV's groundbreaking sketch comedy show of the early nineties. In fact, you...
Fear Is Not A Factor

Mencia's nemesis takes the Improv stage

By Darci Ratliff
Jul 26, 2007

"Warning, Joe Rogan may be considered offensive to many people." That's the first line on the Improv's web bio for Rogan. Frankly, it's a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, a million people get offended by women wearing pants--everything's offensive to someone. Joe Rogan's simply loud and says "dick" and...
Revenge of the Nerd

Friedlander wows the Improv

By Darci Ratliff
Jul 5, 2007

Judah Friedlander wears many hats. In fact, looking for the various trucker hats his character "Frank" wears on the NBC comedy 30 Rock has become a sport. (Favorites include "ESP Tutor" and "Extra Sausage.") Offscreen, Friedlander declares himself to be a comedian, national teen idol, international star of the silver...
Sappy Feet

We thought shoes kept dirt out

By Darci Ratliff
May 10, 2007

Plant a pacemaker for Grandpa. Plant empty vodka bottles for Dad. Plant a boxful of used pornography for your little brother. These sound like useful things you can do for loved ones. So how about planting a shoe for Mom this Mother's Day? You can at Texas Discovery Gardens. To...
Admission to Eviction

Keaton is a landlord's nightmare

By Darci Ratliff
Mar 22, 2007

Is Pacific Heights Michael Keaton's last great movie? He had such a huge head start with Night Shift, Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice. Then he made Batman and things went south. Other than his role of "Doug Kenney #4" (the clone in Multiplicity who carries pizza in his wallet), Keaton hasn't...
Definitely Weezing

Does Shore still have the juice?

By Darci Ratliff
Mar 22, 2007

In his desperation to reclaim his early '90s success, Pauly Shore filmed a movie in which he faked his own death (Pauly Shore Is Dead). His 2005 reality show (Minding the Store) also focused on returning Shore to his former glory, with a different but equally pathetic twist: Viewers who...
What You Say?!

Jamie hits the road...Jack

By Darci Ratliff
Mar 8, 2007

I guess "Totally Not That Un-Unpredictable" was harder to put on a poster. I'm not saying you won't enjoy Jamie Foxx's performance at Nokia Theatre this Saturday. The charismatic Terrell native promises a mixture of comedy and music, and I'm sure he'll bring a lively and energetic performance. What I...
Stack 'Em Up

By Darci Ratliff
Feb 15, 2007

I met this guy in Connecticut who told me about traveling to Greenwich—a fancypants seaside town I happened to live in at the time. As we discussed its multitude of upscale eateries, he said, "I went to this place—it was amazing. It's the International…House of Pancakes?" I laughed and looked...
A Barber's Son

Max Fischer gets expelled at the Inwood

By Darci Ratliff
Jan 25, 2007

Max Fischer has found the secret to happiness: "I guess you've just gotta find something you love to do and then do it for the rest of your life. For me, it's going to Rushmore." And go to Rushmore he does. In the appropriately titled Rushmore, Fischer attends the hell...
Virgin Alarm

Spaceballs goes off at the Inwood

By Darci Ratliff
Dec 28, 2006

If Mel Gibson made Spaceballs today, he’d be up to his tequila-hole in defamation lawsuits. But in 1987 (before political correctness exploded), Mel Brooks was given a little more leeway to take pot shots at the chosen people. And while the movie is filled with stereotypical jabs at the "Druish,"...
Oh, That Schneider

By Darci Ratliff
Dec 21, 2006

Who is Bob Schneider? Is he the spastic B-52's vocalist with the swishy sprechgesang (half singing, half talking)? Nope. That's Fred Schneider. Is Bob Schneider your nosey but lovable mustachioed building superintendent? Sorry, but that's Schneider from the '70s sitcom One Day at a Time. Bob Schneider is a singer-songwriter...
Laughter and Kindness

By Darci Ratliff
Dec 21, 2006

Frank Hejl, aside from having an almost-impossible-to-know-how-to-pronounce-right last name, is poised for comedy success. The 24-year-old is already producing and hosting his own semi-regular comedy showcase, Mix Tapes and Baby Fights, at Denton's Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. As Hejl puts it, "I started Mix Tapes and Baby Fights as a...
The Science Guy?

By Darci Ratliff
Dec 14, 2006

There are things to be learned from Love Actually. First, the title must be pronounced with an upper-class accent (think Thurston Howell III), where "actually" has four syllables instead of three. It's a moral imperative, and should be a required question on the SATs. Second, Hugh Grant is much hotter...
It's Snowing Crap

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 30, 2006

As if Clear Channel wasn't already awesome enough, playing all our favorite hits from Nickelback, Staind and Hilary Duff over and over and over again, they've made our dearest Christmas wishes come true with this year's KISS-FM JingleBall. Our very favorite singer, JoJo, will be joined by a real punk...
Coop in the House

Mark Curry visits Addison

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 30, 2006

It's possible someone at the Addison Improv needs to update their comedian bios. According to their calendar of scheduled performances, "Actor/comedian Mark Curry…is now the host of the new funny game show Don't Forget Your Toothbrush on Comedy Central." That may have been true six years ago but not today...
Scary Cold

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 16, 2006

What's scarier than a monster in your closet? How about an oversized monster prancing around an ice rink on razor-sharp steel blades? I am always the first to doubt that a chilled, choreographed fairy tale redux will entertain the kids, but Disney on Ice continues to prove me wrong. Now...
Cruising the Strip

American Graffiti revs up the Inwood

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 16, 2006

What do you get when you cross Han Solo with Wolfman Jack, drag racing, drive-in diners, Richard Dreyfuss and "Rock Around the Clock"? You get a classic in American film from George Lucas—one without hyper drives, droids or battle stations, making it safe from "fixing" by the technology-obsessed director determined...
But What Am I?

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 9, 2006

There's a lot of things about Pee-Wee Herman that you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand. Most of them happened in an adult movie theater in Florida, but that's a story for another time. In Tim Burton's Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Herman spins yarns long and wide...
Dirty Little Secrets

Handler dishes at the Lakewood

By Darci Ratliff
Nov 2, 2006

If you are intrigued by the concept of a one-night stand but aren't brave enough to engage in one, Chelsea Handler is your go-to girl. She's done enough horizontal living for a hundred of you, and she has a book to prove it. In My Horizontal Life, Handler waxes comedic...