Review: Metropolis
Metropolis may just be one of the most amazing movies you'll ever see. The only catch is there's a strong possibility it's not the movie you think it is. To clear up any confusion, Metropolis, the movie playing this weekend at Tampa Theatre and the subject of this column, is not the famous 1926 silent…
What’s Left?
At two very different political gatherings, Democrats and grassroots progressives spit venom at Dubya, curse Enron and lament the state of education. One wants to change the system. The other is content to make changes within the system. They both struggle to make the leap from thought into action. Stories by Mitch E. Perry, Rochelle…
Southern Hemisphere Gems
If we were all millionaires, we could guzzle great wine every day. But since most of us fall outside those elusive parameters, we evolve into bargain hunters. To uncover the amazing deals, though, you have to stretch your boundaries and explore unfamiliar territory — like Chile, Argentina and South Africa. Virtually unspoiled by wine snobs…
Much Ado About ranney
Who do you know on the Bay area scene who acts and directs professionally, does performance art and stand-up comedy, writes screenplays, songs and poems and plays piano? One clue: This versatile person is the only local actor tapped for a leading role in The Bomb-itty of Errors, American Stage's recently-opened Shakespeare in the Park…
Taking Us for a Ride
I'm cycling from Gainesville to Lake City on one of the few "safe" roads left in Florida. Suddenly, a red SUV charges at me, the driver blaring her horn and coming within three inches of knocking me off the road and, perhaps, killing me. "Choose Life," her license plate says. My resentment wells. She chooses…
Change of Plan
When advance copies of The Dismemberment Plan's fourth full-length, Change, hit music scribblers' mailboxes last fall, the band had already been deemed indie rock's Cool New Thing. Their previous outing, Emergency & I, sold more than 30,000 copies and landed on just about everyone's best-of-the-year list. Pearl Jam had taken them to Europe. So, really,…
Salad Gold
I used to be one of those who scorned salad. "Bird food," I called it. "Boring," I whined. But I finally got religion, and I hope you'll forgive a tiny hint of proselytizing in honor of outstanding salads. What I discovered is that I like salad under the right circumstances: It has to be crisp…
Freebie of the Week: Piering at Sunsets
Ever wonder why people buy those cheesy paintings of Florida sunsets? They probably visited one of the state's great beaches and came away with a peaceful, grounded feeling, as well as some shells to put in their bathroom, and then later decided they needed a watercolor seascape to go above the toilet. (Apologies for the…
Fooled Ya
The Weekly Planet editorial staff likes to sit around our weekly department meetings, wasting time under the guise of brainstorming. During one such session, as any keen-eyed Planet reader (along with a few naive suckers) could tell you, we decided to have a little April Fool's contest in our print edition ("The Male Swimsuit Issue,"…
