Cover Story
Sissy Spacek and Mark Duplass to headline this year’s Florida Film Festival
Oscar winner Sissy Spacek will headline the 25th Florida Film Festival next month, appearing at a special screening of Badlands (1973) on April 15 and participating in a Q&A session. The Terrence Malick film will be one of 54 feature films at the 10-day festival, which will run April 8-17. In addition to Spacek, the…
Boy Kong and Marla E debut Art31 installations this Thursday
You already read our feature on Art31, the Art & History Museums – Maitland’s monthlong art extravaganza, last week. (Right?) We focused on the art center’s main show, Material World: Glass, Rubber & Paper, in that article, but wait – there’s more! As part of this year’s emphasis on experimenting with nontraditional materials, they offered three…
Now that the primary’s over, Let’s Talk About Trump
If you’re a Donald Trump supporter, the past few weeks probably have been downright exhilarating. For everybody else (present company included), it has been horrifying. As Trump wins a shocking number of states and delegate votes in the Republican primaries, naturally most everyone who’s not with him has one massively important question: WTF? Local political consulting…
Skip the office and head to Red Bull Wings at Work for an outdoor workspace
Ever walked around Orlando and thought to yourself, “You know what this city needs more of? Offices.” Then you’re in luck; today, workers looking for a change of scenery from the drab cubicles and white walls of their office buildings can grab their laptops, throw on some sunglasses and head on over to Red Bull’s…
Marco Rubio suspends campaign after losing Florida primary to Donald Trump
Floridians killed the presidential aspirations of their own senator on Super Tuesday when Republican voters preferred businessman Donald Trump over U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio by almost 19 points. Rubio suspended his campaign after the humiliating loss in his home state, telling his supporters, “While we are on the right side, this year we will not be…
Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump win Florida primary
Florida has spoken: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton won the state’s Republican and Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday. At his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Trump thanked Florida and added that he was attracting new members to the GOP, the Miami Herald reports. “They’re not angry people, but they want to see the country properly…
Orange elections supervisor asks governor to extend polling hours after ballot shortage
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles is asking Florida’s Secretary of State and Gov. Rick Scott to extend polling hours in six cities after an insufficient number of ballots were printed for voters. The Orlando Sentinel reports the cities affected by the shortage include Apopka, Belle Isle, Maitland, Ocoee, Windermere and Winter Park. In a…
Always a bridesmaid: James Beard Award final nominees announced, no Florida chefs included
Womp-womp. We’re getting used to this: the rush of excitement when the James Beard Foundation announces the long list of chefs being considered as nominees for the annual awards, and it includes talented Orlandoans; and the letdown when the short list comes out, and it … doesn’t. Last month, the JBF announced the Best Chef:…
Universal releases new ride info on Skull Island: Reign of Kong
King Kong is a massive ape, so it makes sense that Universal would have to create a massive new vehicle to transport guests through the new attraction coming to Islands of Adventure. On Tuesday, Universal Orlando’s blog revealed new details about the expedition vehicle guests will board while riding Skull Island: Reign of Kong, the…
The new ‘World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s’ is set to reopen this week
Good news for McFoodies in Orlando. The “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s” is set to reopen sometime this week on 6875 Sand Lake Road off of International Drive. Spokeswoman Kim Hawkins said the new three-story, 19,000-square-foot building will open to the public Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The new 24-hour McDonald’s will allow…
New wine bar SOMM opens at I-Drive 360
Imbibe under the shadow of the Orlando Eye at the new SOMM at I-Drive 360. It’s a DIY wine bar with more than 60 different “boutique and fine wines” available in 3-, 6- and 9-ounce (!) pours. The wine bar is the brainchild of the chef/owners of Slate on Sand Lake Road in Dr. Phillips, and…
Get out and vote today in Florida’s primaries
Floridians will decide Tuesday which Democratic and Republican presidential nominees should keep campaigning and which ones should just pack up and go home. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Orange County residents can vote for their preferred candidate. If you don’t know your polling location, check here. Florida is a closed primary state, which means…
Rising sea levels could affect three times more Americans than projected, study finds
Researchers say rising seas could threaten up to 13 million people in the U.S., three times more people than previously estimated. The study, published in Nature Climate Change on Monday, shows Floridians account for half of the 13 million people who could potentially be affected, especially in the southern half of the state, the Miami…
Daytona Lagoon releases details on new $2 million upgrade
Last year Daytona Lagoon, the aging family entertainment center near the Daytona Beach Pier, was purchased by United Parks, and earlier this month the company unveiled new plans for a $2 million upgrade. The focus of the upgrades will be on the water park rides, which have fallen into disrepair over the years. The broken dump…
Universal Studios Japan will be the first resort to see new Nintendo attractions
Most of the focus at Universal Orlando has been on Kong, which should open by this summer, and Volcano Bay, which will open in 2017. Beyond that, there are plenty of projects in the pipeline, including attractions based around the Fast and the Furious franchise and one focused on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.…
Bill Clinton: ‘It would be a good thing to have a woman president’
Making the case for his wife’s presidential campaign, former President Bill Clinton told a rally at Rollins College that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is the “best changemaker” for the country. “I think it would be a good thing to have a woman president,” he said to a crowd Monday night. Bill Clinton’s visit to the…
Try not to be too shocked by this, but AG Pam Bondi has endorsed Donald Trump
Hold onto your hats – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi endorsed Donald Trump today at his rally in Tampa. Here’s her statement, per the Trump campaign: “People today are looking for leadership, the kind that Mr. Trump offers, that’s unafraid to tell it like it is and will do something about renewing America’s strength and…
Universal releases details on new ‘steampunk-era chocolate factory’ coming to CityWalk
Universal Orlando released details on a “steampunk-era chocolate factory” coming to CityWalk. According to Universal, the Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium will not only carry the longest name of any dining establishment in Orlando, but will also carry “an array of gourmet-level chocolates and desserts – all in a highly themed, unique environment.”…
Disney World eyeing new resort fees for amenities that used to be complimentary
Like all major entertainment companies, Disney is constantly surveying guests. Many of the concepts from these surveys are never realized beyond the simple survey question, but that’s not stopping Disney fans from being outraged over a question posed on a recent survey. Disney recently sent out a survey that inquired about a possible $15 per…
25 Years Later: Stop calling Curve’s ‘Blindfold’ EP ‘shoegaze’
It’s time to talk about shoegaze, folks, because, in the over-memed words of Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Over the years, shoegaze has basically come to be used to identify any post-C86/pre-Britpop indie guitar music from England, and while you could make…
Poll: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton dominating in Florida
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton hold big leads going into Tuesday’s presidential primaries in Florida – a potentially devastating sign for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s bid for the White House, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday. Trump leads Rubio by a margin of 46 percent to 22 percent, with Texas Sen.…
Last Saturday’s Bernie Fest was ‘a party to believe in’
Orlando’s Milk District was the home of a special event dedicated to democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders last Saturday, March 12. Using Sanders’ campaign motto, “A party to believe in,” Bernie Fest was an all-day gathering devoted to bringing people together and providing them with an environment to engage about Sanders, politics, and social causes. “Bernie…
President Bill Clinton will be campaigning at Rollins College Monday night
Former President Bill Clinton will be campaigning for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at Rollins College on Monday. The Clinton campaign says President Clinton will hold a rally at the McKean Gymnasium on 1000 Holt Ave. from 6:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Bill Clinton also plans to attend events in…
The path and potential of rising local musician Laney Jones
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Mt. Dora’s Laney Jones is one of those local music stories I love to see happen. Her album release party last night (Mar. 11, Will’s Pub) had a very different pulse than when she first arrived on the scene a few years ago. Back then, she was a fresh young face sweetening…
Win VIP tickets to United We Brunch by Instagramming your favorite brunch spot this weekend
This weekend we want to actually reward you for Instagramming your food. Gather your brunch squad and enter to win four free VIP tickets to Orlando Weekly’s United We Brunch, March 26, at Orchid Garden. This contest is simple, just snap a photo at your favorite Orlando brunch spot from now till Sunday. Here is…
East End Market now open Mondays, and open later on Friday and Saturday nights
Best news: East End Market is now open on Monday! Also, they’ve extended Friday and Saturday hours, now closing at 9 p.m. Starting tonight, you’ll get two extra hours to hang out at the Local Roots bar, or on the shaded courtyard, or just mill around inside coveting the adorable succulent planters at Porch Therapy.…
Ted Cruz: Nominating Trump would put ‘fox in charge of the hen house’
Florida needs to end Donald Trump’s presidential aspirations, according to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. “For 40 years he’s been part of the corruption, but now suddenly we’re going to elect him,” Cruz tells an Orlando town hall on Friday. “That’s like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.” The latest CNN poll shows…
Mac Sabbath brings rock circus to town, and an open letter to the WWE (The Social)
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Say what you will about a parody band but, really, you could do much worse than channeling Black Sabbath musically and taking aim at the fast-food industrial complex lyrically. Meet L.A.’s Mac Sabbath (Mar. 9, The Social). Unlike the parasitic dress-up hackery of all those touring tribute acts, there’s some actual satire…
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd threatens to lock up Apple CEO
Never a stranger to a good controversy, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd put in his two cents Wednesday regarding the FBI’s legal battle with Apple. During a news conference about the arrests of five people alleged to have brutally beat and burned a man to death, Judd says the investigation was made easier because the…
Iranian pop queen Googoosh playing at the Bob Carr is a pretty big deal
This is a big deal, y’all. Googoosh is one of those titanic stars of non-Western music that typically plays huge concerts to adoring fans in global, cosmopolitan cities, and here she is performing in Orlando. And not only is this the only Florida date on her current tour, it’s one of only five U.S. dates.…
Sarasota Film Festival to honor Sophia Loren on March 31
The Sarasota Film Festival presents screen legend Sophia Loren with the 2016 Legend Award on March 31, one day before the festival officially begins. “An Evening with Sophia Loren” will be held at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota. The 18th annual festival will run through April 10. This is the first year…
Albert Paley gives a free tour of his heavy metal sculptures at the Mennello
This could very well end up being the only metal show in your life that lacks moshing or an influx of obnoxious crowd surfers: a chance to walk around the Mennello Museum of American Art with famed metal sculptor Albert Paley as he leads you through his Forged Works exhibition. Size matters as Paley takes…
Bernie Sanders predicts a large voter turnout in Florida will help him win state
In front of thousands of people at a hot Kissimmee rally, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told an enthusiastic crowd how they could bring a “political revolution” to the state. Sanders is far behind former secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Florida, according to recent polls, but the Vermont senator says his surprise win…
This year’s legislative session in Tallhassee winds down with an eerie quiet
It’s not exactly a wasteland, but the fourth floor of the Capitol is noticeably barren as the clock – slowly – ticks down on the legislative session. In typical years, the terrazzo floors between the House and Senate chambers are a beehive of activity during the final days of the session, with lobbyists scurrying to…
Food Truck Bazaar celebrates five years of meals on wheels Sunday evening
The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar celebrates its fifth birthday Sunday, March 13. It’s hard to believe it’s only been five years since food trucks first took over Orlando, seemingly overnight; what was once a brand-new fad is now a firmly established sight around town – in front of bars, in pods at outdoors events,…
Gov. Rick Scott gets kicked off MSNBC’s Morning Joe for “weak, sniveling political pandering”
This morning, Gov. Rick Scott was a guest on MSNBC show Morning Joe. Hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough tried to get the governor to tell them who he favors in the Republican presidential race, but Scott (who gushed over Donald Trump in a fawning op-ed published in USA Today in January) said he wouldn’t back…
Man arrested for shooting ‘under the skirt’ videos of kids at Baldwin Park Publix
A man was arrested for allegedly placing his phone in his shopping basket and secretly recording explicit videos of underage kids at the Baldwin Park Publix. 27 year-old Scott Wesley was arrested for felony Video Voyeurism charges on two separate occasions. OPD was able to build a case after Wesley was caught through an eyewitness…
Dosti Music Project crosses borders and genres to create a free unique experience at Timucua
The New York-based music collective Found Sound Nation has a simple, but by no means small, mission: to unite people across borders through the making of music. The borders that separate us all can be national, ethnic, gender-based or tradition-based – but FSN, through various innovative initiatives, seeks always to open eyes and ears, not…
Coheed and Cambria put their concept on pause to re-establish themselves at Hard Rock Live
When Coheed and Cambria plays a live show, you expect them to be standing at the apex of a mountain with lava explosions and lightning strikes following their every guitar lick. However, with the release of 2015’s The Color Before the Sun, Coheed took a break from writing about the mythical Kilgannon family and their…
Florida’s first sexually transmitted Zika case is in Polk County
Florida health officials are reporting the state’s first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus is in Polk County, pushing the number of cases in Florida to 52. The Florida Department of Health says in its daily Zika update that the sexual transmission happened to a person who was traveling outside the country. All of the…
Cohabitation ban headed to history books
It soon could be safe to shack up in Florida. The state House on Wednesday approved repealing a law dating to 1868 that makes it a crime for men and women to live together if they are not married. With the Senate passing the bill (SB 498) last week, the measure is ready to go…
Orlando’s Poodle and Pooch Rescue takes in 52 dogs abandoned in infamous dog dumping ground known as Redlands Rock Pit
Imagine if there were a place just outside of downtown Orlando where people went to dump their dogs – a rural area where nobody would notice if a car pulled over, shoved a medium-sized brown dog from the backseat into the weeds and then drove off, leaving the confused animal to fend for itself. Not…
Kylie Jenner will be in Orlando this week for the grand opening of Sugar Factory
Kylie Jenner, a reality star of sorts and the youngest of the Kardashian sisters, will be in Orlando for the grand opening of Sugar Factory Orlando, a restaurant/candy store at I-Drive 360. According to a press release, the free event is open to the public on a firs-come-first-served basis, and will take place from 2…
Get Dixie Longate’s favorite Jell-O shot recipes here
Dixie Longate, the South’s sassiest Tupperware lady, visits the Dr. Phillips Center this week in Dixie’s Tupperware Party (see show info below). You can read our interview with Dixie here; it contains such gems as: Orlando Weekly: What’s your favorite piece of Tupperware? Dixie: I have a Jell-O shot caddy for church in case the sermon…
Florida Legislature passes restrictions on abortion clinics
The Florida Legislature approved a sweeping bill Wednesday that would block abortion clinics from receiving state funding for non-abortion services like cancer screenings and require its doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Approved by the Senate 25-15 and the House 76-40, HB 1411 now heads to Gov. Rick Scott’s office for his signature,…
A herd of escaped miniature ponies led officers on a wild chase along the Florida Turnpike Wednesday morning
Early Wednesday morning, a herd of cute, pint-sized horses escaped and trotted down the Florida Turnpike. The five horses (possibly Shetlands), were loose for more than hour, leading Florida Highway Patrol on a chase near northwest Miami-Dade, between Red Road/57th Avenue and I-75, reports MyFox8. The renegade herd was spotted at approximately 8:45 a.m. At…
Uber goes after Florida Sen. Andy Gardiner for close relationship with local taxi company
The popular ride share company Uber is blasting both outgoing Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner and taxi service provider Mears Transportation in a new direct mail campaign that accuses the two parties of having an unethical and cozy relationship. Essentially, the mailer makes the case that because of Gardiner’s close relationship with Mead Transportation, he…
Two tragedies strike the Orlando performing arts community
Orlando’s theater community lost a loyal friend last month when Matt McGrath passed away from cancer on Feb. 13. He wasn’t the most likely arts patron, with his Pittsburgh-born love of beer, hockey and blue humor, but he was a dedicated member of the Orlando Fringe board of directors for many years, and always seemed…
The actors behind Halloween Horror Nights’ Jack the Clown and Chance step out from behind the makeup at EDF 2016
Orlando’s parks are packed with world-famous characters, but it’s a cruel irony that the actors portraying those princesses and superheroes remain mostly anonymous. Disney performers are famously forced to say they are “friends with Mickey,” rather than admit they spend their days inside a giant mouse head. So it’s worth noting when an event like…
HBO’s Vinyl is a shrug-inducing ersatz epic
Broken record
Opening in Orlando: 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Brothers Grimsby and The Young Messiah
10 Cloverfield Lane A lot of people were disappointed with the original Cloverfield, mostly because they thought it spent not enough time on the monster and too much on the movie’s human cast of scenemaking downtown New Yorkers. Didn’t bother me in the least: You have to fully establish why I should want to see…
This Little Underground: Famed Rolling Stones backup singer Lisa Fischer steps up
The Okeechobee Music Festival (March 4-6) sold out in its debut. That’s a triumph that’s at least threefold: in scale (over 30,000 in attendance), relevancy (good talent curation) and draw (overcoming Florida’s challenging tour geography). So glass up to the rainmaking organizers for this historical feat. Hopefully, it means Florida now has a new, respectable…
Savage Love (3/9/16)
I’m your average straight 42-year-old white guy. Married for a little less than a year. We have an active sex life and are both GGG. My wife wants to be forcibly fucked – held down and raped. Normally I’d be all over this because I do love me some rough sex. My issue: She told…
Free Will Astrology (3/9/16)
ARIES (March 21-April 19) “He in his madness prays for storms, and dreams that storms will bring him peace,” wrote Leo Tolstoy in his novella The Death of Ivan Ilych. The weird thing is that this seemingly crazy strategy might actually work for you in the coming days. The storms you pray for, the tempests…
Gimme Shelter (3/9/16)
If you’re looking for a new addition to your family, Chubbs would make the purrfect pet. Chubbs (Animal ID A341612) is a 2-year-old cat who came to the shelter as a stray. He is very friendly, and he loves being petted and eating kitty treats. Chubbs is playful, but he’d also make a great lap…
Selections: Our picks of the week’s best events, March 9-15
Wednesday, 9 Tru and Nelle [LITERARY] Join award-winning Tampa author Greg Neri as he introduces his new book, Tru and Nelle, a work of fiction based off the very real friendship between Truman Capote and Harper Lee. Although they grew up to be some of the South’s most famous writers, the two started out as…
Lulu Eightball (3/9/16)
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The former Coytown Winn-Dixie is set to become an Asian supermarket, plus more in our weekly food roundup
Restaurant ASH, by Hell’s Kitchen contestant and Funky Monkey (Pointe Orlando) chef de cuisine Ashley Nickell, will open in the former Funky Monkey (Mills Avenue) space this May. “ASH” is an acronym for “Artisanal, Sustainable, Harmonious.” SugarCanes, a Caribbean- and South-American-inspired restaurant and rum bar, will open next weekend on I-Drive. They’ll stock rum varieties…
This Modern World (3/9/16)
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Everyone’s a ‘sweetie’ at Savoy in Ivanhoe Village
Savoy Orlando 1913 N. Orange Ave., 407-270-4685, savoyorlando.com After work or after hours? After hours Beer/wine or liquor too? Beer, wine and liquor Check all that apply: ☒ fancy cocktails ☒ make ’em strong and keep ’em coming ☐ wine list (5 choices or more) ☐ craft beer ☒ beer: the usual suspects ☐ wide…
UCF’s Knights for Bernie brings youthful enthusiasm to an unusual political primary season
Knights of the Bern Table
Picks This Week: Gordon Lightfoot, Mobb Deep, Plastic Pinks and more
Plastic Pinks These bilingual Miami garage punks just dropped their first full-length, Sunnyside Rabbits, and are primed to explode. Don’t expect to be able to see them this cheap forever. 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at Will’s Pub, $7 Gordon Lightfoot A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canadian national treasure Gordon Lightfoot has…
Winter Park residents will be asked next Tuesday to support a new $30 million library and events center
Libraries are fundamental
Dixie’s Tupperware Party delivers plenty of sass and plastic
Don’t tell her to put a lid on it
