By Erin Alberty // ealberty@inthisweek.comThe stakes of teaching seem high when you’re shoving your friend down a mountain.This week I taught my first ski lesson. My friend Heidi had never gone before, and I had an extra lift ticket at Solitude.Where to start? Slow down and stop, for sure. But I learned that 7 years ago. How would I re-create the breakthrough for Heidi? Professional instruction is best, but Heidi just got laid off. I couldn’t ask her to drop $50-$...
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Posted 2010-03-09 12:06:14 by
HALO13
I guess it would suck to wake up on a gurney learning that you just died in some auto accident and the only person you could see or talk to is your own funeral director. Such...
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Posted 2010-03-09 11:55:07 by
HALO13
Here comes the fantasy story from the world of Owls, and of an orphan who is raised into become something of the warrior class. He later escapes and decides to help those nob...
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As Salt Lakers are preparing for the fun of spring break, the excitement becomes even greater by the fact that the color green is everywhere, and alcohol tolerance levels throughout the valley will be put to the test on the highly-anticipated arrival of St. Patrick's Day. For most, St. Patty's Day is the one day a year where too much of one color is perfectly acceptable, and bragging rights to an Irish heritage give celebrators a one-up on those who claim a different descent....
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You expect some things when you meet guy named Rocky who grew up on a horse farm in Texas. A tough guy. A bruiser. Or at least a dude with a big cowboy hat who chews tobacco. But Rocky Votolato, uh, not so much.Soft-spoken and gentle-hearted, singer/songwriter Rocky Votolato says he doesn't put a whole lot of weight into names. ''I was named after a horse,'' he says with a laugh. ''People expect you to be doing something different when you're named Rocky. But it's just a name.''H...
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Posted 2010-03-08 12:32:25 by
HALO13
Now that the secret is out about the technology that is owned by Tony Stark, governments,....and our own want that technology for themselves. To ensure that the technology d...
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While I’d like to say that this year’s Academy Awards was
filled with tension and wonder as “The Hurt Locker” stood up and stole the
crown from “Avatar” the truth is less flattering; this year’s ceremony was
decidedly boring. I admit that I wasn’t nearly as invested as I have been in
the past. I was resigned to the idea that “Avatar” was going to win at least
seven Oscars, including Best Director and Best Pi...
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There were so many moments during the Academy Awards that I picked up the remote to change the channel. I don't know what stopped me from doing so — I was bored to tears. Ben Stiller pissed me off, Kristen Stewart appeared as annoyed and bored as I was and the horror tribute, which should have been awesome, was incredibly underwhelming. Don't get me started on Charlize Theron's cinnamon bun-breasted dress. This Academy Awards promo from the cast of 'Modern Family' was...
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To be quite honest, I haven’t cared much for Jenifer Nii’s playwriting until now. Of the three short pieces I’ve seen, I thought one had much jargon, one was too vague, and one took an abstract approach to a topic that I was hoping to see explored in a literal way. So it’s all the more remarkable then, that “Fire,” her half of Plan-B Theatre’s 85-minute play, “Wallace,” is so luminous.
Actor Carleton Bluford ...
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I was excited for the 2010 Olympics with the rest of the world. Then it sunk in that the shows I like to watch on the basic networks would be on hold for two weeks. It was a good break I suppose. “The Biggest Loser” and “The Office” were the two I was most bummed about, but then I noticed the trickle-down effect on my shows on other networks. What the hell “Modern Family?” This week has been a huge relief, plus more shows are are starting...
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Utah Roller Derby: Men and Women Get Tough for Huntsman Cancer Foundation!
Get ready Utah…2 games, 4 halves, 8 wheels and all for 1 charity! The Salt Palace will be...
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Blu-ray » Growing up, my favorite movies were those that went to places I had yet to imagine. Of course, this included the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, ''E.T.'' and ''The Neverending Story.'' This magical tale, adapted from Michael Ende's novel, was a financial bust in theaters, but found a huge amount of success when it was released on VHS and later DVD. Directed by a young Wolfgang Petersen, the film is beloved treasure that shares similarities with Jim Henson's ''The Dar...
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After watching ''Alice in Wonderland,'' I walked away from the theater wishing that I could kick aside my job as a film critic and return to the days when I didn't spend the majority of a film writing the rough draft of its review in my head. Never have I felt so disgusted by the fact that I had to have a reason to justify why I was entranced by a film (as if my enjoyment wasn't justification in itself). Nonetheless, there I was over analyzing everything because I knew that the...
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Posted 2010-03-03 13:09:18 by
HALO13
Personally I have high hopes for this upcoming release. Not a remake but a sequel to the 80's original, ''Wall Street'' then starring Charlie Sheen, and Michael Douglass. ...
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Posted 2010-03-03 11:36:06 by
HALO13
From wax on, wax off, to take off your coat to put it back on. The latest reboot of ''The Karate Kid'' looks to be more upbeat version to the original. I ask th...
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Posted 2010-03-03 10:54:16 by IN Utah This Week
Blu-ray » Assessing where Desmond Davis' ''Clash of the Titans'' belongs in cinematic history is a tricky feat. It suffers from sluggish pacing and awkward performances but also features the amazing stop-motion visual effects from Ray Harryhausen that not only make the film watchable, they make it essential viewing. Sitting down with the new Blu-ray release (leading up to the release of the re-make in April) I was pleased to find that the various monsters might not be pho...
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In many ways the Oscars are just like a high school election. It's not supposed to be a popularity contest but it usually is. That doesn't necessarily mean the winner is undeserving of the award but it tends to leave a large number of people feeling like their favorite was robbed. This year's event is interesting because it feels very reactionary to last year's where The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made a statement by not including ''The Dark Knight'' in any of ...
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DVD » 11 Minutes The winner of the first season of ''Project Runway'' has been documented after his win through a one-hour special on Bravo. In ''11 Minutes,'' we witness Jay McCaroll again, this time finally bringing his collection to New York Fashion Week. The movie title corresponds with the amount of time he will have on the runway -- something he frequently jokes about. His personality is hilarious and raw, which is why the audience fell in love with him on ''Project Ru...
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In some ways, the Salt Lake and Bountiful-based Riverhead has been a well-kept secret for over a decade. While their live shows have been limited to a handful a year and they've never released an album, they nonetheless garnered a passionate group of fans enamored with their polished sound.''It's not just strict synthpop, it's not rock, it's not straight trip hop, it's not straight blues, it's kind of the combination of everything,'' explains singer Kevin Galbraith.He and drumm...
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You can blame it on Ken Sanders.The bookseller was leaving a performance of Debora Threedy's ''The End of the Horizon'' in 2008 when he said to director Jerry Rapier, ''You know who you should think about creating a play about is Wallace Thurman. He's so fascinating.''Like many Utahns, Rapier was unfamiliar with the young, gay black man from Salt Lake City who became the heart of the Harlem Renaissance and was dead from tuberculosis and alcoholism by 32. But once Rapier read an a...
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Posted 2010-03-02 11:17:46 by
HALO13
This movie stars, David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Chris Williams, Lauren Hutton, and Glenne Headly Everyone I suppose has heard the phrase keeping u...
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Every so often, a record comes along that begs to be shared with everyone you know. ''When the Devil's Loose,'' the second release by A.A. (Scott) Bondy, is that record. Stripped down to strummy guitar, subtle bass, and light drums, Bondy's southern twang does all of the heavy lifting. The best moment is the aptly titled ''A Slow Parade,'' where Bondy lulls listeners into a beautiful coma with his gentle verses, '70s rock-inspired chorus, and tremolo guitar. Though it happens ver...
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Cute little 22-year-old Canadian, Lights (born Valerie Poxleitner, not exactly the rockstar-iest of names), makes cute little electro-pop songs in the vein of Owl City. Her debut record is packed with plenty of feel-good tunes that have already topped in the charts in her homeland, America Junior. Though the record is upbeat, it refrains from becoming a dance record. Instead, Lights more often opts for warm and fuzzy ballads. The record is nicely crafted from start to finish ...
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After wandering from coast to coast, Cub Country frontman and former Jets to Brazil bassist Jeremy Chatelain has come back home to Salt Lake City. He's brought with him echoes of former locales. The alt-country of his North Carolina days remain, and the West Coast rock influences are just apparent. The result is a record that feels just as comfortable being strummed on the back porch as blaring out of '90s college rock radio. Chatelain's voice is perfectly unpolished througho...
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Posted 2010-03-02 09:15:59 by IN Utah This Week
For me, the worth of a poet can be measured in how well they perceive and can relate the details; be they mundane, minute or simply oft overlooked. After nearly two hours into Joanna Newsom's new album ''Have One on Me,'' we get the gorgeous and heartbreaking ''Does Not Suffice,'' a song wherein the ordinary details of a breakup become overwhelmingly poignant and incredibly affecting. As the narrator packs her things, ''I will pack all my pretty dresses/I will box up my high-heele...
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There was a time when being called an emo band wasn't a bad thing. Groups like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional beautifully fused punk rock ethics with ultra personal lyrics. And in 2001, Saves the Day found the perfect balance between floating melodies and violently broken hearts on their outstanding third album, ''Stay What You Are.''Saves the Day Singer Chris Conley took the pains of love to the extreme. Here's just a random sampling of the album's lyrics. ''I'd dri...
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Posted 2010-03-01 13:31:36 by IN Utah This Week
Everyone knows that an easy way to judge women is to ask them random questions, then gauge their innocent responses, and then arbitrarily make irrational conclusions about them. Thankfully, I've created a system to help refine this process.Suppose you're a nerd and you just landed that dream date with some broad you've ''had your sights set on.'' You sit across the table staring deep into her breasts, and now you're oafishly asking yourself, ''Will she put out? How can I tell?''T...
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Because you won't be hearing any chart-topping songs in Tim Burton's ''Alice in Wonderland,'' it makes fiscal sense that an ''inspired by the film'' soundtrack gets released alongside the film's score. Sadly, by trying to capture every facet of the Hot Topic market, the results are incredibly uneven as far too many of the bands attempt to sound epic, but just end up sounding overblown while others sound positively generic. The best tracks are the more simple arrangements like Fra...
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When it comes to ''Alice in Wonderland'' (or ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' to the literary minded), my appreciation arrived much later than it did for most. For the majority of my life, I was more apt to connect with Peter Pan. My first visit to Disneyland was highlighted by me refusing to step onto the ''Peter Pan'' ride because I was convinced that Captain Hook had his sights set on me. It was only after my mother suggested that I say ''tick, tock'' over and over, as if I we...
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It is almost impossible to imagine a Tim Burton film without a score provided by Danny Elfman. Since working together on Burton's feature debut ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' in 1985, Elfman has gone on to score all but two of Burton's films (''Ed Wood'' and the Stephen Sondheim musical ''Sweeney Todd''). Many will point to ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' as the signature collaboration between Burton and Elfman, but I've always preferred ''Edward Scissorhands.'' For ''Alice In Wonderlan...
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It was getting close to midnight when I walked into The Urban Lounge last night, and the place was so packed I could barely squish my way through the crowd to get to the bar. What struck me most was how light, happy and warm everything seemed in the midst of this wall-to-wall hipster crowd. ''Salt Lake Cityyy!'' violinist/keyboard player Cathy Lucas kept singing out. ''We weren't sure what to expect, and this is awesome.''
As I made my way up close to the stage, I found myse...
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Posted 2010-02-28 20:25:37 by
V/O
Calling all supporters of the CSE TwentyTen
''Changing this Scene into an Industry'' campaign.
Capital Syndicate Entertainment is extremely proud to
announce the la...
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WALLACECarleton Bluford, ActorSunday, February 28, 2010
Wallace...
The
path to finding Wallace Thurman [the heart of the Harlem Renaissance] has been one of self examinat...
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WALLACECarleton Bluford, ActorSunday, February 28, 2010
Wallace...
The
path to finding Wallace Thurman [the heart of the Harlem Renaissance] has been one of self examinatio...
Read More
Being a fan of George A. Romero's original film (although I must admit that I haven't watched it in 10 or so years) I was afraid that ''The Crazies'' was going to be another ''Dawn of the Dead'' (which taken on its own, is entertaining) that bastardized the general premise by losing all the political commentary. Not that ''The Crazies'' was Romero's best work to begin with. The plot is rather rudimentary; take one dose of military experimentation gone awry, add a small (and expenda...
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We have a ton of Theater and Dance Notes in this week's issue, and even so, I left a few items out of our Arts section that are really cool. These all happen tomorrow.
From noon to 2 p.m., Movement Forum (that's MoFo if you're nasty) is having a “jam.” Movement Forum is an improv dance company founded in 2003 by dancer Graham Brown (who’s also the husband of Ririe-Woodbury company member Lehua Brown). Dancers/movers and ...
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Posted 2010-02-26 08:48:47 by
HALO13
Here now is the full new trailer for this summers upcoming reboot of A nightmare on Elm Street. Seems there is a twist.....micro naps! Starring, Jackie Earle Hale...
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Alkaline TrioIn the VenueFebruary 24, 2010I was not hired as a stripper for last night's Alkaline Trio show, despite what the band may have thought. Going
to concerts is infinitely more difficult once you have kids. Despite
having to make some complicated babysitting arrangements, I thought I
had everything worked out so I could check out Alkaline Trio, one of my
long-time favorite bands. As it got closer to showtime, however, plans
got disrupted a bit and I thought I ...
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You've seen all the movies and now you wait for the big announcement that Avatar is NOT named best picture at the Academy Awards on March 7. While some watch at home in their pajamas, the Utah AIDS Foundation throws Utah's only official party and this year is their 20th annual celebration. We want to send you and a friend to join us on Sunday, March 7 at The Rail Events Center (235 N. 500 West). A delicious dinner by Bambara will be served and a wine service will be provided ...
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On February 17th, Fueled By Ramen officially released the latest Paramore video for their single, ''The Only Exception''. Being that I think Hayley Williams is a badass, I thought that I would check out the new video. Having not heard the song before, I was unsure of what to expect, but I was certain that there would be lots of rocking out and extreme hairstyles. I was definitely wrong. Shortly after hitting the ''play'' button, I discovered that ''The Only Exception'' is a lov...
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FIRE IT UP! Wasatch Roller Derby is ready to bring some heat to this cold February weather as they return to the Salt Palace Convention Center for another Utah derby season...
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Posted 2010-02-24 18:19:36 by
HALO13
A movie that plays on every headline that has gripped newspapers around America today. Infidelity! In this one a married woman hires an escort to follow her husband, who she ...
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For a play with a 31-person cast, Joseph Stein's ''Fiddler on the Roof'' puts disproportionate weight on the shoulders of one person: Tevye, a Russian milkman at the turn of the 20th century. There is plenty of depth to the story's themes, but it's fair to say that as Tevye's performance goes, so goes the play. In Hale Centre Theatre's performance of this classic, actor Bruce Brederson carries the burden with aplomb. And a burden it is. As Tevye and his family endure challenge ...
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Over the course of six albums, Chicago threesome Alkaline Trio morphed from a punk band with dark tendencies into a dark synth band with punk rock flourishes. On ''This Addiction,'' they find a happy middle ground. The band offers up tunes that are more catchy and urgent than anything they've written in years, but the band still remembers to act its age and slow things down here and there. Guitarist Matt Skiba sings on the bulk of the tracks and delivers some of his best work (...
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In a world filled with skinny jeans and '80s keyboards, Salt Lake City's Medicine Circus refuse to be swayed from their hard-rock stance. Thank goodness. On ''Dark Flight,'' the foursome ride the strength of dueling guitars and pounding drums. Despite plenty of heavy low-end, the record never feels sludgy, thanks to singer Christopher Stearman's vocals, which slither around like a ''Purple''-era Scott Weiland. Though the record is rock from start to finish, its greatest strength ...
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