Man, Woman, and Sin
We have all been hopelessly corrupted by generations of facile advertising slogans, so we might as well honor the memory of Oscar Wilde, high priest of divine decadence, who said, “I can resist anything but temptation.” To chant this week’s motto, it would be a sin to forgo Sin. Bad Epitaph Theater Company, founded by…
Mojo’s Workin’
Restaurants like Mojo put the thrill back into dining out. That’s a big claim, I know, but let’s run down the checklist: Concept? Innovative. Food? To die for. Service? Relaxed but unfailingly attentive. Overall execution? Nearly flawless. And all this, despite the fact that Chef/owner Michael Joseph Herschman (“Mojo” being his family-given nickname) wasn’t even…
Side Dish
People travel thousands of miles to eat at Thomas Keller’s tiny Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, home of what has been called the country’s most astonishing and sophisticated cuisine. But now — rejoice! rejoice! — Keller, winner of a 1997 James Beard Foundation Award and recipient of Bon Appétit’s 1998 Chef of the Year…
Pop-Punk Funk
It’s not surprising that the band named after Mr. T, the larger-than-life icon representing the kinetic, opulent, and overstimulated pop culture of the ’80s, would aim to mimic the tense and cocaine-fueled power-pop of that era. But what may surprise new listeners and seasoned fans alike is the Mr. T Experience’s (relatively) mature songwriting and…
Whole Lotta Love Lost
For fans of the classic rock behemoth Led Zeppelin, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones has become somewhat of a mystery. While Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have remained in the limelight with solo projects and reunion tours, Jones could easily be the subject of a VH1 “Where Are They Now?” segment. Almost two decades after drummer…
All-American Grrrl
The secret most sound bites don’t reveal about controversial performance artist Holly Hughes? She’s a star-spangled hoot: a motormouth pixie with a trademark guffaw, who reminds you of that girlfriend from summer camp who kept you in helpless stitches all night with her pranks and smutty mouth. Hughes is an all-American original. Her solo performances…
Livewire
Creed Oleander CSU Convocation Center October 10 Depending on your age, Creed is either the coolest band around singing inspirational songs about issues you can relate to or an obvious grunge rip-off. Both opinions have merit, and last Sunday night’s sold-out show at the Cleveland State Convocation Center provided plenty of evidence to support each…
Miracle Smirkers
They perform miracles nightly, claims Penn Jillette, the more talkative member of the magic/comedy duo Penn and Teller. “We have been doing magic together for 25 years and are so sick of it we could spit,” he says. “So, in the new show, we have moved into the field of religion and are performing real…
Cosmic Warrior
If the thought of Dr. Funkenstein chilling out with his fishing pole and tackle box strikes you as a bit odd, consider George Clinton’s explanation for his recent vacation. “I needed to take some time to get my groove together,” he says. “Fishing is the only way you can collect yourself and start all over…
Revenge of the Nerds
David Fincher needs a hug, the poor bastard. Or possibly a diaper change. Ever since 1992, when he ruined the Alien series with the excrescence of his pointless, senseless third installment, he’s been making the same bratty, obnoxious movie over and over again: gloom, doom, indestructible protagonist, bureaucratic evil, quasi-religious bald (or balding) guys. Ho…
Playback
Various Artists Warp 10+1 Influences, Classics, Remixes (Matador) When it comes to discovering electronica that’s on the cutting edge, Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell, the owners of Warp Records, could give a seminar on the subject. For the past decade, Warp Records, the home of artists like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Plaid, and Plone, has nurtured…
Crooked Smiles
Welcome to Happy, Texas, the town without a frown. Yes, apparently Happy, Texas was named after a real place. No, they didn’t actually shoot the movie there. But director/co-writer Mark Illsley’s feature directorial debut is still a fun, funny way to spend an hour and a half of your time. Steve Zahn (Out of Sight)…
Soundbites
Ed Douglas’s Willoughby Hills apartment looks normal enough. He’s got framed Ansel Adams prints on the walls and pictures from his wedding on the entertainment center. But once you step into the room called “The Lair,” you realize Douglas, who hosts an ’80s metal show on WJCU-FM/88.7 on Friday afternoons and plays in the Goth…
Defacing the Music
Trust Allison Anders and her old running mate Kurt Voss to come up with a piquant, carefully observed movie about tarnished hope, overfed vanity, and half-baked scheming on the treacherous L.A. music scene. They know the territory. In 1988, the ex-UCLA Film School classmates wrote and directed Border Radio, one of the few good movies…
Bold Is Beautiful
Steven Soderbergh may have had some rocky times after his 1989 breakthrough with Sex, Lies, & Videotape, but these days he’s on a roll. Last year he produced Pleasantville and directed Out of Sight, two of the year’s most praised films. This year he has The Limey, a complex, introspective thriller starring Terence Stamp as…
Romp and Circumstance
Am I a traitor to my gender because I didn’t find this unabashed film about female sexuality erotic, brave, or even — can I say it — interesting? The ironically titled Romance, directed by the audacious French filmmaker Catherine Breillat (36 Fillette), has become something of a cause cél&eagrave;bre wherever it has played, due mainly…
Edge
Bring back the Modells! Or at least someone who will return phone calls to the many reporters and publicists frustrated by the brush-off they’ve been getting from the Browns’ misnamed community relations director, Hillary Johnson. Fumbling opportunities for celebrity promos and public service spots, Johnson has earned a reputation for being even more difficult to…
Cut-Rate Killer
Batima Tene Cochran was a 25-year-old actress attending graduate school at New York University when she discovered a lump in her breast. Sadly, her worst suspicions were soon confirmed: She had cancer. Cochran’s mother, Barbara Smith of Cleveland, recalls that her daughter had one negative experience after another with the physicians she visited in New…
Brother ´hood
The small stretch of Detroit Avenue between West 110th and West 112th streets had a big reputation. Located near the western edge of Cleveland, this two-block strip of rundown apartments and neglected storefronts was a notorious open drug market, where dealers dispensed their goods like hot dog vendors on Public Square. Suburbanites from nearby Lakewood…
A Bad, Bad World
In 1916, a French officer at the Battle of Verdun wrote the following in his journal: “Under the storm of machine gun, rifle, and .75 fire, the German columns were plowed into furrows of death. Imagine if you can what it would be like to rake water. Those gaps filled up again at once.” By…
