Author Profile: Michael O'Brien

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Zen Blockbuster
By Michael O'Brien
Posted in Art, Film, Reviews on 30 November 2009
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Film Review
John Woo’s new epic, Red Cliff, may lack heart, but it succeeds as a thrilling war film.

One Character, One Joke, One-Note
By Michael O'Brien
Posted in Art, Film, Reviews on 15 October 2009
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Film Review
The Informant! feels like Steven Soderbergh is venturing into non-violent Coen Brothers country, only the genre-jumping director’s latest effort surrounds a single fleshed-out character with a cast of flat characterizations.

With Ponyo, Miyazaki is a Little Less Magical
By Michael O'Brien
Posted in Art, Film, Reviews on 1 September 2009
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Film Review
Perhaps the general absence of wonder is because the film looks through Ponyo’s eyes, and the mysterious world is our own and mundane to us if not to her.

Loopy Politics
By Michael O'Brien
Posted in Art, Film, Reviews on 7 August 2009
Stats: and 3 Comments

Film Review
In The Loop is a satiric take on how the invasion of Iraq happened, in this version a concatenation of questionable intelligence, lies and political thuggery. Whether this fits with your own beliefs or not, however, shouldn’t affect your enjoyment of the film – it’s not so much criticism of a side as it is of the entire intercontinental political structure.

Samurais, Gore, and Subtle Drama: Asian Film Fest Does Not Disappoint
By Michael O'Brien
Posted in Art, Film, Reviews on 30 July 2009
Stats: and 3 Comments

Film Review
If you weren’t able to make every film at this year’s Asian Film Festival of Dallas, Michael O’Brien offers his film picks worth finding on DVD.

MEDIA AND DISCUSSION

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Snap Life

This photo was submitted by Guy Reynolds for the Renegade Bus’ flickr project. To view the project click here.

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Zen Blockbuster

By Michael O'Brien

Film Review
John Woo’s new epic, Red Cliff, may lack heart, but it succeeds as a thrilling war film.

A Poetic White Noise

By David Novinski

Theater Review
Port Twilight or the History of Science makes its world premiere at the Undermain Theatre through December 12.

Feminism Minced: Slasher at Kitchen Dog

By David Novinski

Theater Review
If you are going for a popcorn thriller, it’s easier to achieve mindless if you keep it meaningless. But this isn’t what Allison Moore does in Slasher, making its Southwest premier at the Kitchen Dog Theater.

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A Conversation With Mark Nerenhausen

To celebrate the opening of the Dee and Charles Wyly Theater and the Winspear Opera House, Renegade Bus’ Peter Simek talks with AT&T Performing Arts Center CEO Mark Nerenhausen about the Arts District and what its means for Dallas.

On leaving the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after ten years and coming to Dallas.



“A vision for what culture means to a community.”



On the theater-building urge and the identity of place.
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CULTURE CHATTER

Bullets Big In Sweden

If you listen to the much-welcomed, often pretty darn great Music to the Core station (a slogan which sounds to me like a good name for a nostalgic hour-long radio show for KNON that exclusively plays cuts from D.C’s early-80s scene) you’ve likely now heard Dallas’ favorite Brit-pop outfit, the Happy Bullets, co-headed by Oak Cliff’s resident bicycle / urban planning advocate Jason Roberts. KXT is not the only outlet digging the Bullets as of late. One of the group’s songs, “Good Day,” has been picked up by a Swedish ad campaign. You can watch two ads here and here. Via Jason: the band’s royalties so far consist of wooden shoes and IKEA gift cards. (Got the powder but not the gun / got the dog but not the bun, I guess.) So in related news, the Happy Bullets need a manager.

Peter Simek| December 9th 12:06 pm|No Comments

Art On Babble

Boy, it’s been quiet around here lately. I apologize to our regular readers – some changes are afoot and we will fill you in soon. For now, I couldn’t help but break the silence with this little video on Art Babble about photographer Catherine Opie (some of her work was in the Pretty Baby exhibition at the Fort Worth Modern a couple of years back, if you remember). Perhaps you know about Art Babble; I’m just learning about it now. It is a project out of the Indianapolis Museum of Art that aggregates video about art from a variety of sources. As IMA head honcho Max Anderson explains here, there is something about the way video can teach about the visual arts that makes it uniquely engaging and enlightening. Think of Art Babble as a mini-Art 21. Enjoy.

Peter Simek| December 8th 11:23 am|1 Comment

Music Rising

A couple of days ago we mentioned our silent urban spaces. Now comes this via Gorilla vs. Bear: Phoenix’s poetry in the public square. Enjoy.

Peter Simek| December 3rd 12:59 pm|No Comments


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