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Game the game: Calling out the most common faces we found in Orlando on Tinder
In one of the corniest decisions of the 21st century, the inventors of dating app Tinder decided to make the “quest for Mr. Right” as literal as possible by creating an addictive dating game based purely on impulse and instinct, in which you swipe left to clear the rejects and swipe right to connect with…
Get nasty with Blowfly at Ralphfest
When a tried-and-true hit-maker decides to take on an X-rated alter ego the way Clarence Reid has done since 1971, you know it’s gonna be catchy and funny as hell, and that’s why Blowfly’s cult following has ground along with the filthy-minded rapper for more than 40 years. If you’ve never caught this caped freak…
Stuff your face at the Downtown Food and Wine Festival
Wine and food, what more could you possibly want? With more than 100 menu items and 10 wine stations, seconds are in store. But be sure not to fill up on one menu item – you don’t want to miss out on the wide variety of nibbles and tipples this festival has to offer. Consider…
Meet the Highwaymen at the Orange County Regional History Center
Downtown’s Orange County Regional History Center stays true to its name, currently displaying the work of the historic Highwaymen. A group of self-taught African-American artists, the Highwaymen sold their landscapes straight out of the trunks of their cars in Jim Crow-era Florida. As their popularity increased into the ’90s, paintings by the Highwaymen became prized…
Audubon Park invites you in for a look-see
Voyeur much? Peeping Toms with impeccable taste should be interested in this house tour organized by the Audubon Park Garden District, in which complete strangers are welcomed into well-decorated neighborhood homes. Audubon Park is known for its midcentury bungalows, and that’s what this tour will focus on – “five beautiful homes that range from midcentury…
It’s a canine carnival at Puppy Love
If you made it to last year’s Puppy Love event at the Acre (sponsored by yours truly), you know it wasn’t your typical dog-walk-in-the-park kind of event. In addition to a ton of vendors, we had a photo booth where you could get photos taken with your dogs, a doggie lure-coursing track, contests, games, food…
Orlando Ballet and Cirque du Soleil join forces to form an unstoppable mega-troupe for one night only
Two powerhouses of movement arts, Orlando Ballet and Cirque du Soleil, join forces tonight for a one-night only spectacular, squishing together into one big pirouetting troupe – exactly like that time that Marvel and DC squished their universes together and combined Wolverine and Batman into the slightly more-badass-than-either Dark Claw. This critically acclaimed partnership –…
Atlantic Center for the Arts artist-in-residence Dani Shapiro reads at UCF
Dani Shapiro’s novels have found wide acclaim in the relatively narrow world of so-called literary fiction – but it’s her painstakingly observed, lyrical memoirs that truly connect with her devotees. Shapiro is one of three master artists in residence this month at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, where she’ll work with a group of…
Choose your own Everything Is Terrible! adventure
Every time found footage freakshow Everything Is Terrible! comes to town, their show gets a little more elaborate. The mascot-from-hell costumes of early tours gave way to a full-on puppet extravaganza for their holiday special in 2013. Now they’ve added an interactive element, allowing the audience to choose between categories like “Sex vs. Violence” or…
Lights shines her new-wave pop laser at the Beacham
After a crunchy introduction to the masses on her highly acclaimed sophomore effort, 2011’s Siberia, Lights bounced back in 2014 with a more polished version of her new-wave pop in Little Machines. With a cog literally painted on her face on the album cover, she seems to be openly grinding out more radio-friendly output like…
Orlando Eye will open on May 4
If you’ve been down in the I-Drive area lately, you’ve likely seen the big-ass ferris wheel looming over the area. That’s the Orlando Eye, a 400-foot-tall “observation wheel” with fully enclosed, air-conditioned capsules that you ride in. Horrifying for those of us who do not care for heights, but divine for people who are all…
Tasty Links: Helena Bonham Carter REALLY loves fish, bacon goes to the races, and tiny food videos
Helena Bonham Carter, Fishlover: We awakened this morning to find that one of our favorite wackadoos, Helena Bonham Carter, has posed nude with a 60-pound tuna. Not simply to give us an enchanting start to the day, though she’s capable of that level of perversity; no, Carter did the shoot in her altogether as part…
New Colossal Curl flume ride coming to Adventure Island in Tampa
With water parks rumors running wild right now here in Orlando, it’s easy to forget that Tampa also has one of the best water parks in the state. Adventure Island (owned by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment) is ramping up for the 2015 season with its first new ride since 2006 – Colossal Curl. The new 70-foot-high…
Universal Orlando bans bottled water (for now)
Next time you head to Universal Orlando or City Walk, make sure you’re hydrated before you’re in the gates. According to Click Orlando and Theme Park Insider, the park is now prohibiting guests from bringing bottled water inside when they arrive. The rule apparently went into effect suddenly – a bunch of unhappy visitors to…
Letters to a Satanist: Does Satanism fuel immorality?
Satanism is inherently oppositional and will always attract the disaffected. Don’t you worry Satanism only fuels criminality and justifies immorality? No. If one thing should be painfully obvious by now in regard to morality, it’s that ostentatious declarations of fealty to mainstream religious codes don’t in any way ensure actual moral behavior. Nor, in reality,…
Happy Pancake Day! Restaurants and recipes to help you celebrate
Yes, today is Mardi Gras – laissez les bon temps rouler and all that, gumbo and king cake and hurricanes. But if you wanna break out of that New Orleans take on the day (like maybe if you have to work tomorrow?), there’s a way you can celebrate without destroying your liver. In some cultures…
Pour out a crepe for my homie: Michele Ferrero, inventor of Nutella, dead at 89
Sad news in the world of confectionery today: Michele Ferrero, inventor of the wildly popular chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella, died on Valentine’s Day at the age of 89. Ferrero also invented Tic-Tacs, Kinder Eggs and Pocket Coffee (a personal favorite), so, truly, the candy industry has lost a giant. The Italian billionaire businessman invented the spread…
Fantasy of Flight reopens to the public with limited museum hours
In April, 2014 Polk City-based Fantasy of Flight (you know, the attraction that features the giant airplane on the side of I-4 on the way to Tampa) shut its doors to the general public. While the space did remain a popular location for private events, the award-winning facility mostly got back to its roots by…
CFE Arena ranks fifth in the nation for university venue ticket sales
Every year, Venues Today magazine produces a top University Venues list, compiling the best college venues throughout the world. This year, UCF’s CFE Arena has been recognized as one of the top performing university venues, ranking at fifth in the nation based on gross ticket sales and attendance during the 2014 event season. The CFE…
Orlando Magic’s Victor Oladipo makes history during the NBA All-Star Weekend dunk contest
Between Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, NBA All-Star Weekend and below freezing temperatures, New York City was a zoo this weekend. (Well just a bit more than usual.) In the midst of it all, Orlando left an impact on the court at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Feb. 14, during the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest, courtesy…
Enzian Theater plans two new screens for 2016
The Enzian, the Orlando area’s art-house and independent cinema, hopes to break ground this year on an expansion that will roughly double its size, the theater announced Sunday during its 30th anniversary celebration. Construction is expected to take about a year, Enzian President Henry Maldonado says, with fall 2016 as the completion target. “We want…
Get bloody! Sharknado 3 seeks extras for Orlando filming
UPDATE: We heard from the casting company that we originally linked to that this will not be a SAG shoot (surprise: Florida is not so much a labor-union-friendly state) – but they will be casting the non-union extras, so please follow the guidelines below. We told you it was coming last year, and now the…
Sordid FDLE report outlines alleged relationship between former MBI officer and local prostitute
In mid-January, a high-profile officer with the Orlando Police Department who worked with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation announced that he’d be retiring from the department effective Feb. 1. Lt. Samuel Riggi’s resignation, it was revealed, came at a time when he was also under internal investigation for allegedly violating “policy and procedures.” When WFTV reported on…
Video: Kid goes to Walt Disney World, proposes to six Disney princesses
This kid proposed to five Disney princesses on a recent trip to the parks, and he doesn’t seem to be at all phased by the fact that he received five rejections. Tinkerbell actually accepts his proposal, which is not surprising as she seems to be the least level-headed of all the Disney princesses featured in this…
Florida’s university system takes aim at proposal to allow guns on campus
Florida’s university system wants state lawmakers to holster the idea of allowing guns on campus. A joint statement from the university system’s Board of Governors, university police chiefs and the 12 public universities expresses opposition to a legislative proposal (SB 176 and HB 4005) that would allow people with concealed-firearms licenses to carry guns at…
State Supreme Court rules in favor of Give Kids the World in negligence lawsuit
Earlier this week, the Florida Supreme Court made a decision regarding exculpatory clauses, a topic we reported on in July, when Owen Peterson attempted to appeal a court decision that exonerated Walt Disney World for any responsibilities related to an injury he suffered at an event held at the Wide World of Sports. Peterson…
Disney dining dos and don’ts
The Walt Disney Company reminds me of that old friend from high school that you recently reconnected with on Facebook: cute kid, bad politics. Try as you might to bring that friend back to who they were in 1994, it ain’t happenin’. They very well may have been a racist jerk from the start. Some…
Hearts and flowers and pie pops too: Rifle Paper Co. sidewalk sale today, tomorrow in Hannibal Square
A sidewalk sale isn’t usually the kind of thing we’d blog about, but this one looks to be something special, and it is oh-so-timely. Plus, we have a bit of hometown pride that Anna Bond’s tastemaker company, beloved of design blogs and stylish girls pretty much around the world, is based right here in our…
Amazon in talks with Sid and Marty Krofft to remake classic 70s series “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters”
My response to today’s press release informing the world that Amazon plans to reboot the classic kids’ show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters was very professional. Something along the lines of: “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” Sid and Marty Krofft are best known for their work on the Banana Splits and later, the trippy H.R. Pufnstuf (magical adventures of a boy named…
Bitter cocktails for bitter singles — or anyone who’s sick of Valentine’s Day
Right around now, we hit peak Valentine’s Day media saturation. It’s everywhere, in magazines and TV commercials and every site you visit: blah blah blah, sweetness and light, fancy dinners and chocolate. (And if you’re tired of reading about it, imagine how tired we are of writing about it.) What’s a good old-fashioned cynic to…
This Little Underground: Boyfrndz, Caddywhompus, Crit and Lanterns at Will’s Pub
In case you hadn’t yet noticed, one of the core subtexts of this column is that small shows are the frontier. It’s a point I keep hammering because the amazing train of future names that’s been passing through right under your noses and radars shouldn’t just be the exclusive province of scene insiders. Get on…
Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat at Hollywood Studios is looking pretty steampunk
A month ago, we told you that the Sorcerer’s Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was being demolished – a month later, we saw a post on Theme Park Insider pointing out that, as of Feb. 7, not much was left of the hat but its skeleton – which actually makes it look kind of steampunk.…
Concert pic of the week: The insane crowd at Andrew W.K.
We’ve been waiting and waiting on these Andrew W.K. shots to come in, and they more than delivered on capturing the crazed atmosphere Andrew W.K. reliably incites. You can see more photos from the show, including blood-stained T-shirts, creative crowdsurfing and tons of shots of that ecstatic beast, Andrew W.K. This week’s runner-up is an…
Orlando Wetlands Park is more than just another pretty place
When you flush your toilet or turn your tap, be sure to thank the Orlando Wetlands Park. The 1,650-acre property in Christmas in east Orange County used to be a cattle pasture. Then the city of Orlando purchased the land for $5.1 million in 1986 to help treat wastewater on a larger scale in response…
Savage Love (2/11/15)
My 15-year-old son has been watching sadistic porn – and ONLY sadistic porn – for a couple of years. He also tells us (husband and me) that, although he’s not had sex (which he defines as penetration), he’s had oral sex, handjobs, etc., and that he didn’t “flash on” violent images at those times. But he says…
This Little Underground: Swamburger and the Social join forces
If you’re in the local scene to any meaningful degree, you know Swamburger by name, face or reputation. He’s best known as one of the city’s most visible and accomplished artists in the worlds of both hip-hop and visual art. But he’s always been one of the more community-minded shakers out there, and he’s recently…
Opening in Orlando: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ and more
Fifty Shades of Grey: At last: the movie version of the book that made a nation of foosball moms feel dirrrrrty! And it has all the prerequisites to be just as much of a howl-fest as its source material: The director hasn’t been entrusted with a feature since her first film half a decade ago.…
‘Mr. Turner’ captures spirit of famous painter
The auteur theory suggests that a film reflects the personality and artistic vision of its director. That may be true for most great movies, but directors such as Mike Leigh understand when to surrender their own aesthetic to their subjects’. Mr. Turner, a sublime journey through the life and work of renowned English landscape painter…
Love Your Shorts Film Festival celebrates its fifth year
Showing only movies under 30 minutes, Sanford’s film festival may be short on runtimes, but it’s not short on accomplishments. Beginning in 2011 with screenings in a 100-seat room at the chamber of commerce, the Love Your Shorts Film Festival has grown into arguably one of the top five movie events in Central Florida, drawing…
Strong script, competent performances power Doubt
“Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty,” John Patrick Shanley wrote. He should know, as he not only authored the Tony Award-winning play on the subject but wrote and directed the movie, which garnered Oscar nominations for all four principals. It’s fair to say, therefore, that the quality of Shanley’s writing…
Mills Park craft beer bar Brass Tap is an ideal casual hang
Brass Tap Address/phone/web: 1632 N. Mills Ave., 407-270-9538; brasstapbeerbar.com After work or after hours? Both, but it’s a great weekend afternoon hang Beer/wine or liquor too? Beeeeer Check all that apply: ☐ fancy cocktails ☐ make ’em strong and keep ’em coming ☒ wine list (5 choices or more) ☒ craft beer ☐ beer: the…
Cheap chocolate cheat sheet: Tasting notes on drugstore chocolate
Valentine’s Day: It’s a fake holiday, a commercial sham, a day for singles to wallow in their singleness or couples to nauseate said singles with their lovey-doveyness, but most importantly, it’s a socially acceptable excuse to eat copious chocolate. If expensive artisan truffles for your main squeeze (or yourself) aren’t in the budget this year,…
Dr. Phillips Center launches its own app, Fringe favorite Disenchanted begins open-ended NYC run and more
New York rehearsals begin next month for Disenchanted, the hilarious homegrown show about disgruntled Disney princesses formerly known as Bitches of the Kingdom. Dennis Giacino and Fiely Matias’ mirthful musical was a smash hit in its off-Broadway run at the Theatre at St. Clements; now it moves to the Westside Theatre for an open-ended run.…
Unpretentious Atlantic Beer & Oyster needs to shake off the doldrums
Atlantic Beer & Oyster isn’t destined for longevity. That’s not meant as a statement of blunt provocation, not when you consider that a) AB&O is housed in the most jinxed locale in Winter Park; b) on any given night, the place seems to have no shortage of open tables; c) the food was entirely unremarkable;…
Nine new restaurants open, one closes; plus White Castle Food Truck and Annual Blues B-Q
It’s been a long time coming, but the former Harmoni Market/Wildside BBQ/Hangar Grille space in College Park is getting a restaurant that might actually last. Armando’s Cucina Italiana & Pizzeria will open its second location in the Edgewater Drive space after completing some renovations. Openings: In Mills 50, Propagation, a hybrid beverage and furniture store…
Universal’s second annual Celebration of Harry Potter turned out to be unexpectedly magical
Fandom can be a funny thing. In my day, I’ve dabbled in Disney devotion, experimented with being an anime otaku, been sucked into the Buffy the Vampire Slayer convention circuit, and confessed to being a Rocky Horror cultist. In each of those fan subcultures, I’ve encountered many wonderful people, alongside plenty of cranks and crazies.…
Gov. Scott slimes his way out of repercussions for possibly violating Sunshine laws
Quote of the Week: “Good morning. I want to start the meeting by discussing the departure of Jerry Bailey. While I wanted to bring in new leadership at FDLE as we transitioned into a second term in office, it is clear, in hindsight, that I could have handled it better. The buck stops here, and…
Justin Townes Earle bares his chest about record labels and ‘Absent Fathers’
Everyone knows someone like Justin Townes Earle. Not the musical son of a famous country-rock iconoclast, Steve Earle, but rather the kind of fellow who knows just what to say to cut you to the bone. “I do have an ability I’ve gotten from my father to be rather callous,” says the 33-year-old Earle, who…
Charlotte’s Web gets even more tangled
While we all sit on our shaking hands waiting to see if either the Legislature or the voting public (the ones who’ll be voting in the general election in 2016, at least) come to their senses and actually legalize medicinal marijuana, the wayward weaving of the already approved Charlotte’s Web strain of cannabis – the…
Picks This Week: Diana Ross, Lil Durk, Alice Cooper and more
Diana Ross One of the most glamorous, badass singers to grace this world comes to the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts this week. She’ll stun us with Supremes medleys and powerhouse performances of songs that are ultra-fitting (like her gowns) to this goddess’ pop endurance, like “Endless Love.” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at…
