The Damsels Dance Company takes on heavy local news in Denver on Fire

Between last summer’s devastating wild fires, the Aurora shootings and other high-profile news stories, Colorado has had a rough year. It is difficult to find a way to express the emotions that these events have evoked, but the Damsel Dance Company is trying to do that by communicating Colorado’s fear…

Repertory Cinema Wishlist: Mean Streets

The first film by Martin Scorcese that truly wore his mark, Mean Streets is a small and personal tour de force, held together by a killer jukebox score and the explosive on-screen meeting of Robert De Niro (as the ne’er-do-well gambler, Johnny Boy) and Harvey Keitel (as Charlie, a conflicted…

3 things to do for free in Denver this week, May 20-23

Free fun isn’t hard to find in Denver this week: You can learn about Jewish culture at the Mizel Museum, catch a zany improv show, or serenade a bar crowd at karaoke. Share more free events in our comments section below, and check out the Westword calendar for a full…

Westword Book Club: Ryan Demers on filmmaking, furries and Gone Girl

Ryan Demers, a Denver-based filmmaker, is the co-founder of Gaylord St. Productions, and has managed the impressive feat of helming two independent films without going completely bankrupt and abandoning the dream. The Honey Cooler, a farcical detective story set in the milieu of an economically depressed Denver rife with furries. In this week’s edition of Westword Book Club, Demers discusses his noir influences, politics, primary sources and trying to avoid being derivative.

Comedian Bruce Vilanch on being more than a gay caricature

Comedy writing pioneer Bruce Vilanch is bursting with gayness. One of the first openly gay comedians, he’s known for his continuing role on Hollywood Squares and as a head writer for the Academy Awards show, as well as writing jokes for Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, The Brady Bunch, Donnie and…