Tony Grisoni can always tell when his old friend Terry Gilliam, the visionary who sees too far for his own good, is in pain: He laughs. The worse the pain, the harder the laughter. If that is the case, then the Terry Gilliam seen throughout Lost in La Mancha, Keith…
It was supposed to be make-believe, a disturbing but ultimately uplifting work of science-fiction from a celebrated author of grim futurama and glorious fantasy. The subject matter of Orbiter, a hardback graphic novel about a spaceship that disappears for years and returns sheathed in skin after visits to faraway places…
Rawson Thurber has been so busy the past few days that by the time he finally returns a reporter’s phone call, he does so at 1:30 in the morning–and he doesn’t even realize the late, or early, hour till he hears the groggy croak on the other end. He’s sorry…
Last October, Sue Vertue found herself in a Los Angeles soundstage watching the filming of a pilot for a would-be NBC sitcom. The storyline of this particular episode dealt, more or less, with the horrific (and, of course, capital-H hilarious!) fallout that comes when a man’s girlfriend finds his porn…
As far as he can remember, he always wanted to be an actor. To him, being an actor was better than being president of the United States. Even before he first wandered into the high school auditorium for an after-school audition, he wanted to be one of them. It was…
Notes from a network executive’s forthcoming biography, pilfered from the desk of an editor at a major publishing house. This was hard to read, as it was scribbled in crayon on the back of a copy of Highlights taken from a pediatrician’s office. From page 412: “Last week, I met…
Things you will learn from a forthcoming oral history of Saturday Night Live: Dan Aykroyd slept with, among others, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman and writer Rosie Shuster, the latter of whom was, at the time, married to the show’s producer and creator, Lorne Michaels. To this day, Chevy Chase regrets…
A press pass, reporter-turned-novelist Gregory McDonald once said, is good for one thing: It allows the journalist to ask very smart people very stupid questions. Certainly, that’s how it feels after this 45-minute drive from downtown Dallas to the Allen home of Stan Liebowitz, professor of economics at the University…
At this very moment, members of the Television Critics Association are gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena, California, to preview this fall’s new series, interview those responsible for them and, finally, gorge themselves silly and drink themselves stupid on the networks’ dwindling dime. This event, the so-called “press tour,” takes…
A pal asked last week, “Who you writing about?” Told him, “Art Linson,” which screwed his face into a big ol’ question mark. “He’s a movie producer. He made Heat, Fight Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Untouchables, Car Wash…” Said said friend upon hearing that last one, “Dude…
They stream in and out, all day and all night, one after the other: band members, producers, business associates, friends, family, strangers, hangers-on who stare at the familiar face made infamous long ago. The tour bus, this parked sanctuary where he can roll his joints and drink his bottled Starbucks…
Shouldn’t have said yes, couldn’t say no. The deal was simple, and those who chose to accept it had made their own private pact with the showbiz-journalism devil. “You will spend an hour with Tom Cruise and an hour with Steven Spielberg,” said the publicist, a lovely woman from 20th…
Don’t have any major plans for the summer other than maxing and relaxing in your backyard hammock? Then welcome to Westword’s annual Summer Guide! We’re designating ourselves your social coordinators for the next four months, breaking it down for you day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Okay,…
What could be sillier than adults riding Big Wheels down Vail’s main street? Maybe a bunch of otherwise-sane grownups sailing off a three-foot-high jump at the end of that street. During Vail’s annual Big Wheel ‘N’ Chili Festival, June 22 and 23, you can see both. With a fifty-yard racetrack…
With flamboyant costumes and rollicking floats, Denver PrideFest 2002 will march down Colfax Avenue on June 23, for Denver’s annual celebration of acceptance, camaraderie and gay pride. “I just like being able to be myself,” says Bradley James Hein, who has attended Denver’s PrideFest five times. “It’s the one day…
Harking back to an Elizabethan shire, it’s “all for fun, and fun for all” at the 26th annual Colorado Renaissance Festival, which has borrowed from the Three Musketeers’ call to arms for this year’s slogan. “Good morrow to thee, welcome to our shire,” shouts Michael Shaffer, who plays the Marquiche…
With patriotism at a fever pitch, break out your red, white and blue, because it’s America’s 225th birthday this July 4th — and it’s time to celebrate. So if you’re looking for a cool way to celebrate, head for the hills to Breckenridge’s July 4th Festival. At 9,600 feet, the…
Pack a picnic and grab a blanket, because there is no better way to wrap up a summer weekend than by listening to live jazz under the stars. The City Park Jazz series is already in full gear, celebrating the summer season with ten hot concerts held on Ferril Lake…
With biker babes and lots of leather, the sixteenth annual Ladies Run of Colorado roars into tiny Fairplay July 13-14. The yearly festival celebrates some of the finest scooter ladies around. With a population of about 650 people, Fairplay will be overrun, if not run over, when the 3,000 participants…
If a halftime show is your favorite part of a football game, consider the Drums Along the Rockies your warmup for the fall season. One of the nation’s most recognized drum-corps competitions, the 32nd annual Drums Along the Rockies is hosted by Denver’s own Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps…
If you want to be like James climbing inside his giant peach and finding a magical odyssey, head to 34th annual Palisade Peach Festival. It’s a guaranteed adventure in fuzzy-fruit consumption. “Without a doubt, we’re the biggest peach growers west of the Mississippi,” says Jeannine Opfal, executive director of the…
Legend has it that more than 2,000 years ago, Chu Yuan, a poet, warrior and loyal aide to a Chinese emperor, was banished after the ruler died. Chu Yuan could not win favor in the new court, so one day, in despair, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River…
