An open letter to Watermark’s Steve Blanchard
TO: Steve Blanchard, Editor in Chief, Watermark FROM: A concerned reader Dear Mr. Blanchard: I read with great interest your “Editor’s Desk” column of June 6, 2013 , particularly the portion in which you revealed that one of Watermark’s contributing writers had recently appropriated material from another publication without acknowledgement. (I would have responded earlier,…
Orlando’s not the only city trying to figure out what to do with food trucks
By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the city of Orlando’s passage of a temporary use permit pilot program for food trucks. If you’re in the dark, see our story here, and check Wednesday’s issue of the Weekly for an updated piece about where things are at with the new law. Local food truck fans…
And … cue foreboding underscore: Hell’s Kitchen comes to a city near you.
We haven’t gotten our fill (pun intended) after 11 seasons of Sir Gordon Ramsay’s culinary clusterf*ck of a reality television show—but then again, every reality show is a cluter-effer to some degree, and isn’t that the point really? I digress. Everyone needs some good healthy character-building embarrassment every now and again, and there’s no better way…
Forget NKOTB: Eight ’90s pop songs better than “Step By Step”
Holy ’90s flashback, New Kids on the Block is touring again (they play Amway Center Friday, June 21), and I’m sure many of my more nostalgic fellows will turn out in swarms to see “the Package” of this fine aged boy band – plus 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men – performing their old hits.…
Up, up, and oh shit: The curious “logic” of “Man of Steel”
“Well, that’s just nitpicking.” In the Richard Donner Superman (1978), Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane declares her interest in writing a series of articles to be titled “Making Sense of Senseless Violence.” She could earn a Pulitzer making sense of Man of Steel, which, despite having several enjoyable elements, exhibits about as much capacity for logic and reasoning…
Interview: Jamie Benning, Director of “Inside Jaws”
Over the weekend director Jamie Benning released his latest “filmumentary”, unofficial feature length documentaries that traces the production of films like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark by using interviews, deleted scenes, alternate takes and on-screen infographics built around the film itself. It creates a good sketch of how and why certain things made it into…
Punk veteran Kepi Ghoulie wants you to sing along at Will’s Pub
Monday, June 17 – Kepi Ghoulie with Wet Nurse, Dog Party, the Caffiends, the Areolas 8 p.m. Will’s Pub 1042 N. Mills Ave. willspub.org $7-$10 There’s definitely plugged-in potential for pop ruckus as a founding father of California punk plays a live set in one of our humble hometown dives. Punk rock veteran Kepi Ghoulie…
For Reels Sunday Roundup — June 16th, 2013
Earlier this week at a panel at USC, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg read the tea leaves for the future of the cinema and saw a Grim, one of the darkest omens of our world. They see a future of lofty ticket prices (meaning $150 a seat, not the already crazy $10-15 a seat) and…
The mighty Two Gallants surprisingly offer something for everyone at the Social
Monday, June 17 – Two Gallants with Broncho 8 p.m. The Social 54 N. Orange Ave. 407-246-1419 thesocial.org $13-$15 One thing you cannot fault San Francisco’s Two Gallants for is being one-note. Their 2012 release The Bloom and the Blight has the broadest range of stylistic shifts we’ve heard on an album so far this…
Road trip? See Miranda July speak at the University of Tampa 6/15 (plus a new project announcement!)
Sorry if we’re catching you a bit late with all of this, but the email about it just came through about July’s speaking engagement at the University of Tampa on Saturday, June 15th, at the Vaughn Center (9th Floor). The notice says that it is a reading, so one would assume she’ll either be reading from…
Headlines from Kochify the News
A new website called Kochify the News is helping people re-envision newspapers as seen through a Koch Bros. filter. As you’ve no doubt heard, the infamous Koch Brothers have been weighing the purchase of a number of newspapers currently owned by the troubled Tribune Co. The site was created by a climate-change awareness organization called…
‘Man of Steel’ is spectacular but empty
Reboot of Superman story lacks soul and character
The drive-in movie turns 80 and Macy’s keeps you sane
Parents, it’s that time of year again. School is out. It’s barely three weeks into summer, and let’s face it: the kids are already bored as hell, and being home is starting to feel like an episode of Real Housewives mixed with Amanda Bynes’ life – yes, you need to get yourselves and your kids…
Star Wars Land to hit Walt Disney World? They didn’t pay $4b just to make movies
TheForce.Net, one of the largest Star Wars fan sites on the web, is running with a story that expands on Robert Niles’s piece on Theme Park Insider stating that the idea for a Star Wars themed area of the Disney Hollywood Studio in Orlando has moved beyond the “serious consideration” stage and has begun the planning phase.…
Valencia College hosts Central Florida Emerging Artists 2013 opening reception
‘At Least the Light’s On’ by Jon Didier Friday, June 14 – Central Florida Emerging Artists 2013 opening 6:30-8:30 p.m. through Aug. 2 Anita S. Wooten Gallery, Valencia College Eat Campus 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail 407-582-2298 free Despite the show’s nondescript name, and despite the out-of-the-way location, this is an opening you shouldn’t miss. Orlandoans…
Short Film Friday — Golden Girls and Monsters
Girls Season 38 Dir: Gail Lerner Runtime: 8m Even during their off season, it’s still prime time to take (loving?) pot shots at the HBO juggernaut Girls. Writer/director Gail Lerner (Will & Grace) and original SNL star Laraine Newman bring us a look into the future where Hannah still hasn’t gotten her shit together, Marnie still can’t…
WPRK top albums — week ending June 11
For your listening/shopping/playlisting pleasure, here are the top 30 songs played on WPRK (91.5-FM) for the week ending June 11. As always, tune in with an actual radio or at Spinitron.com, where you can stream, chat, check individual show playlists or even buy songs. Video for one of our fave tracks at the end. Kurt…
Not sure what to get dear old Dad? We’ve got your Father’s Day covered!
Hey there, kiddos! Don’t you know we’re always watching out for you? So consider this a friendly reminder: this Sunday, June 16 is Father’s Day. In case you haven’t yet planned/bought anything for dear old Dad, we’ve got you covered with a slew of dining specials, shopping sales and other Father’s Day events. Although, we…
Theatre Review: Better Days (Episode 6)
SAK Comedy Lab closes out the first “season” of John Valines and Tod Kimbro's experimental live-action scripted sitcom with this month's finale of Better Days. (See here for reviews of episodes one, two, three, four, and five.) “Finding Home, Part 2,” concludes the cliffhanger set up in the previous installment, which sending the characters in…
Enjoy three nerdy discussions on human behavior, bacteria and superheroes
Thursday, June 13 – Nerd Nite Orlando 7-9 p.m. Stardust Video & Coffee 1842 E. Winter Park Road 407-623-3393 orlando.nerdnite.com free The root of being nerdy is not pop-culture minutiae cataloged by an encyclopedic mind; it’s the satisfaction of discovering more information about a subject that sincerely intrigues you. And not in a general way…
Gallinippers and five other bugs to squish this summer
via blog.mosquitojoe.com Lock the doors, close the windows, and invest in a seriously huge tennis racket – mosquitos the size of a quarter are invading Central Florida this summer. Straight out of our nightmares comes the notoriously aggressive “gallinipper,” a mosquito that’s 20 times larger than the regular kind. They’re big enough that they could…
Contrarian or Contradictory?: The Sentinel’s auspicious flip-flop on sick time
Things got a little dirty last night when the Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board posted its sand-kicking opinion on Florida House Bill 655, and things also got a little more confusing. The anti-sick-time bill currently rests on Gov. Rick Scott’s desk and is, regardless of logic or compassion or 11,000 petitions delivered in strollers asking for…
Meander along Park Avenue at the Summertime Sip and Stroll
Thursday, June 13 – Summertime Sip and Stroll 5-8 p.m. Park Avenue and Morse Boulevard, Winter Park experienceparkavenue.com $25 The Park Avenue Merchants Association seems to be taking a cue from country singer Kenny Chesney’s “Summertime” lyrics with their annual Summertime Sip and Stroll. Meander down posh Park Avenue and visit participating merchants – Kilwin’s…
In Your Queue: All Your Filez Are Belong to Us
We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks – Alex Gibney (2013) There is a scene in Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs when Dark Helmet and Col. Sanders decide to find Lonestar by watching a copy of Spaceballs: The Movie even though they’re in the middle of making it. It’s one of the best movie bits Brooks ever came up with, and it…
Summer Movie Series returns to Garden Theatre
photo by Chris Garrison Thursday, June 13 – Garden Theatre Summer Movie Series through Aug. 23 Garden Theatre 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden 407-877-4736 gardentheatre.org $5, $55 summer movie pass If you’ve never visited the adorable Main-Street strip of downtown Winter Garden, here’s your chance. Not only does this tiny town make for a…
Burger 21
Semi-prime number of options keeps it manageable
This Little Underground
Our live music columnist visits Timucua White House for the first time and reviews live shows by Ice Cube and the Front Bottoms
Burger time!
Reviews of three new Orlando burger bars, plus 25 notable burgers around town
"Dreamgirls" at Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatre mounts the Motown girl-group classic
Soapboxer: A portrait of Trayvon Martin as a young black thug
On the disgusting, racist ploy to drag a dead kid through the mud
25 notable Orlando burger joints
If you’re a burger aficionado, here are some places you’ll want to check out
'This Is the End'
Crude, tasteless, bloody and funny – a comedy of excess
Justice for Trayvon?
Photos from last year’s rallies in downtown Sanford
Drinking, Nightlife and Parties
Where to drink and party in Orlando this week
That One Spot
Hipster burger joint joins Ocoee’s food renaissance
Opening in Orlando this week
What’s playing in local theaters this week
Album review: Smith Westerns' 'Soft Will'
Sure, it’s pretty, but the punk rock band goes a little too glam
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Irish poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan didn’t confine his lyrical wit to well-crafted poems on the printed page. He used it to say things that would advance his practical ambitions. For example, when he first met the woman who would eventually become his wife, he said to her, “Why don’t you come…
"Tiger Tail" at Theatre Downtown
“Tiger” is a tale not worth chasing
Beth’s Burger Bar
Old-school approach, old-school pricing
Album review: Alison Moyet's 'The Minutes'
Some call it a comeback; we call it a triumph
Magrudergrind brings their wild ire to the Beacham
Turning up the volume with the exceptionally-explosive grindcore vets
Culture 2 Go
Our monthly performing-arts roundup
Happytown: No Florida drivers licenses for Dreamers
Gov. Rick Scott rejects notion that undocumented residents should be allowed to obtain licenses
Savage Love
I’m a 27-year-old bisexual chick who just moved in with my girlfriend of 10 months. I love her very much, and this is a great relationship – hot sex, laughs, good conversation. Here’s the thing: I like to smoke pot, and pot makes her very uncomfortable. We’ve talked about it a lot – you know how dykes…
Happytown: Private health care for Florida prisons
First District Court of appeals quietly approves controversial plan to privatize health care in much of the state
Album Reviews: Album review: Shannon and the Clams' 'Dreams in the Rat House'
The garage-punk band takes us on a decent joy ride with their latest release
Ozz the great and powerless: Black Sabbath brings back despair
I may simply be reading too much into things again, but part of me thinks it wasn’t a coincidence that I noticed Jenny Lawson is hawking mental-health ribbons on the very same day I heard the Black Sabbath reunion album. Lawson, the self-christened Bloggess and author of the screamingly funny Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, is…
Album review: The National’s ‘Trouble Will Find Me’
The National’s new album is the most redeeming success story of indiedom
Theatre Review: Field Guide to the Gays and Pillow Talk
Last month, I saw 50 shows at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, and wrote review of about half of those, but even with the combined efforts of OW's staff we only managed to cover 50% of the 100+ productions available. Thankfully, a few of the shows that slipped under our radar are being remounted…
Win VIP tickets to RumFest
Saturday, June 22nd at Wall St Plaza
Swedish singer-songwriter Tallest Man on Earth imported to the Beacham
Tuesday, June 11 – The Tallest Man on Earth with Strand of Oak 8 p.m. The Beacham 46 N. Orange Ave. 407-246-1419 thebeacham.com $17.50-$25 We wanted to plaster the paper with stories celebrating the spirited songwriting and impressive picking of the Swedish minstrel who goes by the name the Tallest Man on Earth, but it…
On sale this week: Russell Brand at Hard Rock Live
On sale: Friday, June 14 Russell Brand 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Hard Rock Live 6050 Universal Blvd. 407-351-5483 hardrock.com $61.50-$76.50 Down the road: Snow White’s Poison Bite, June 21 at Backbooth New Kids on the Block, June 21 at Amway Center Dru Hill, June 22 at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre Guttermouth, June…
