Food ReviewsHo Chi Mmm City
M.V. MoorheadJune 1, 2018
Looking for an un-pho-gettable meal? Let our dining writer take you on a tour of four new-ish Vietnamese eateries
Visual ArtsFilm Review: “Hippie Family Values” Documents Aging Hippie Community
M.V. MoorheadMay 23, 2018
A running gag in pop culture for the last few decades has been the image of the defeated hippie—cutting his hair, donning a suit and tie and joining the rat race like every other Joe. This may have happened plenty of times, but documentarian and UofA professor Beverly Seckinger’s Hippie Family Values demonstrates that it didn’t happen every time.
For a truly low-budget Mother’s Day outing that you can be reasonably sure Mom’s never been offered before, why not take her to a free, sing-along version of Mamma Mia! at Harkins Camelview at 10 a.m. this Sunday, May 13? The Scottsdale multiplex is one of 25 theaters around the country to show the special version of the 2008 “jukebox musical,” showcasing the songs of ABBA.
Food ReviewsOut With the Old…
M.V. MoorheadMay 1, 2018
Our reviewer revisits four seasoned storefronts in the Valley recently converted into all-new eateries.
For many years, Cindy Wynn was a familiar face on stages around the Valley. More recently, she's turned to writing, without leaving her theatrical background behind: Under the name Cindy Brown, she's authored five mystery novels featuring the wacky actress-sleuth Ivy Meadows, starting with Macdeath in 2015 and continuing with The Sound of Murder, Oliver Twisted, and Ivy Get Your Gun.
Now living in Portland, Oregon, Brown will sign her most recent tome, The Phantom of Oz, on Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre, the setting for the tale. Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of the Orpheum Theatre.
Visual ArtsWhat’s New at this Year’s International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival?
M.V. MoorheadApril 2, 2018
For the 14th year, the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival will run concurrently with the Phoenix Film Festival at Harkins Scottsdale 101. This year, both fests have expanded from 8 to 11 days, starting this Thursday, April 5. PHOENIX magazine had a chance to chat with IHSFF Director Monte Yazzie about what's new this year in the world of the cinematically scary and strange.*
Food ReviewsPatio Upgrades
M.V. MoorheadApril 1, 2018
Satisfy your al fresco food cravings at these new indoor-outdoor Valley restaurants.
Food ReviewsHidden Gems
M.V. MoorheadMarch 1, 2018
How much stock can you put in a Yelp review? Our reviewer visited these lesser-known four- and five-star eateries to find out.
Visual ArtsFilm Review: Saturday Church & Desperado LGBT Film Festival
M.V. MoorheadFebruary 8, 2018
A little awkward, like any 14-year-old's coming-of-age story, Saturday Church is an original, heartfelt musical of Ulysses' odyssey to self acceptance – like many of the films at the ninth annual Desperado Film Festival.
Food ReviewsBreaking Bad
M.V. MoorheadFebruary 1, 2018
Get egg on your face with these recently opened Valley brunch joints.
Food ReviewsNew Year Eats
M.V. MoorheadJanuary 1, 2018
A roundup of interesting new neighborhood spots for your 2018 dining plans.
Food ReviewsUp with Protein!
M.V. MoorheadDecember 1, 2017
A new wave of flesh-forward Valley restaurants will make meat maniacs flip.
Performing ArtsA Dad’s Review: Niall Horan Wasn’t Half Bad at Comerica
M.V. MoorheadNovember 22, 2017
It turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or, at least, you can teach an old dog to like new tricks. That's my thesis after accompanying my daughter to the Niall Horan concert at Comerica Theatre in Downtown Phoenix on Monday. I was skeptical that I wouldn't need ear plugs to survive the show, raised as I was on true rock 'n roll, not the flowery, moody pop that passes for music on the Top 40 stations these days. But, I must admit, the experience was tolerable, even enjoyable in parts (despite the near-constant squeals of joy and adolescent cooing coming from the audience).
Visual ArtsPhoenix OCD Festival Confronts Stereotypes of Mental Illness
M.V. MoorheadNovember 10, 2017
The “OCD” in The OCD Festival stands not for the common mental disorder, but rather for “Outstanding Cinematic Delights.” So, at least, claims organizer Suzanne Steinberg.
The festival’s title, says Steinberg, “is meant to confront negative stereotypes of mental illness. It is taking something negative such as a label and trying to associate it with something positive, such as a great film festival. The hope is that the message behind the festival says that people impacted by mental health are still beautiful, wonderful people who deserve to be a part of and cared for by our society.”
Performing ArtsFor Corny Fun, Check Out Arizona Opera’s “Hercules vs. Vampires”
M.V. MoorheadOctober 20, 2017
The season opener for Arizona Opera, Hercules vs. Vampires, demonstrates just how fine the line between highbrow and lowbrow can be. The mythological Greek hero Hercules ventures into the underworld to fetch a cure for a princess who, thanks to an evil king, has lost her memory. Sure... OK.
There’s nothing about this story that wouldn’t have been taken seriously by generations of grand opera composers. Indeed, it’s arguably a more straightforward narrative than that of many operas.