By Nick Cooper Illustration by Shelby Hohl On December 14th KPFT’s open journal program was hosted by the Israeli Consulate of the Southwest Region, in a show they have labeled “The Voice of Peace.” Open Journal is a 5 day a week program that is open to the public to have their say on KPFT’s airwaves. The show was hosted by program director Ernesto Aguilar, who asked consular officials softball questions, and station management has publicly declared their long term commitment to airing this program in the open journal slot. Many people in Houston have been outraged that a listener ... Read More »

Howl burst forth on the screen in the manner of its own free form insanity. Howl tells the story of the obscenity trial surrounding the publication of the titular long form poem by Allen Ginsberg (James Franco). But directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have other fish to fry rather than just presenting a straight-ahead account of the events. Franco certainly balances his nature boy portrayal in 127 Hours with his gay turn as Ginsberg. Much of the dialogue in Howl comes from Franco reciting the poem either in his apartment or performing in a club venue. Other dialogue intensive ... Read More »

Honing down a list of the year’s best films usually requires balancing a slate of movies from the obscure art films that I spend my life in the dark watching to more mainstream fare that you my dear reader are more likely to encounter at the local multiplex. For every person I’ve talked to who thinks Black Swan is brilliant I’ve also met those who hated the experience. I can relate. Whenever I tell whoever wants to listen that I think The Hangover is an unfunny comedy they just look at me with arched eyebrows. For the record, Hangover 2 ... Read More »

True Grit starts out with a biblical quote and just like the source, Charles Portis’ 1968 novel of the same name, the movie remains true to the spirit of the book right down to its narrator, Mattie Ross, recalling the story through the wisdom of age. This is the second version of True Grit and as helmed by the Coen Brothers actually adheres closer to the beginning and end of the novel than the original film, which starred and won John Wayne accolades. Wayne, Glen Campbell and Kim Darby (Google her, she’s a dead ringer for Justin Bieber) played the ... Read More »

Tron: Legacy picks up the pieces from the 1982 Disney film Tron. Jeff Bridges who was the star of the original reprises his role and actually plays two parts: Kevin Flynn and Clu. Bruce Boxlietner, a television star known for the 80s series Scarecrow and Mrs. King, also reprises his role. Bridges has been digitally altered for the Clu character to look 30-years younger. This results in a few shots where he looks like a guy wearing a rubber Jeff Bridges mask. There is a crunk soundtrack throughout by Daft Punk, but you know what? I liked the soundtrack better ... Read More »

Boxing Gym provides a classic Frederick Wiseman fly-on-the-wall perspective of a quaint and functional gym where amateur boxers train to their heart’s content. As in his previous La Danse and in fact going back to his 60s film, Wiseman lets the camera do the talking, merely observing the comings and goings of the participants. The recent documentary Countdown to Zero originally had about a minute of footage from one of Wiseman’s docs about the military personal who handle ICBM missiles although that footage wasn’t cleared for that film’s theatrical rollout. BG takes rhythmic shots of training activity like warming up ... Read More »

The Magnolia release All Good Things follows that company’s strategy of releasing films theatrically in big cities simultaneous with their debut on VOD (a type of internet video streaming on demand). Since the Angelika closed in Houston the only venue for films like this is the three-screen River Oaks as chains like the Edwards or AMC won’t play theatricals that are also available via other streams. But All Good Things is a film that will resonate with Houston audiences since the plot revolves around the Robert Durst murder of his neighbor in Galveston about a decade ago. All Good Things ... Read More »

Today’s Special serves up generous portions of tangy sauces, witty dialogue and pride restored as a young sous chef makes his way in the world of New York restaurants. This is a food movie but not presented like Big Night or Like Water For Chocolate or even the recent Soul Kitchen. The makers of Today’s Special put a personal stamp on their meal by making the story about a guy trying to win the approval of his father and the affections of a girl. Co-writer and star Aasif Mandvi has appeared in recent films like Ghost Town, It’s Kind of ... Read More »

Let’s figure out if God exists. Do you believe in God? With all the holiday reveling, it is important to re-explore this question and bring some grander issues the surface. However, this question is bigger than our own beliefs as to whether or not God exists. No, this questions cuts at the baggage we attach to language, the way our idea of God can change (if we have one at all), and puts us in the peculiar position of articulating our world-view.  So here goes mine: Omar Afra Occupation (Mis)-Managing Editor, Free Press Houston After-life status: 72 Virgins The word ... Read More »

Do you remember how hard it was to see that schooner in those goddamn magic eye pieces? Did the abstraction of what is supposed to be a concrete image interest you beyond the algorhythm used to produce those images? If so, I’ve got something for you. Namely, the works of Magnus Johnstone on Display Domy Books right next to Brasil Café. With content ranging from the abstraction of erotica in acrylics to manga-esque visions of a surreal futurism, one can find anything from dirigible’s reminiscent of a future that never was to  the interplay between militarism and the female form ... Read More »