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Jared Rasic

Film critic and author of food, arts and culture stories for the Source Weekly since 2010.

jaredrasic@yahoo.com
Posted inFood & Drink

Latin Cuisine with Soul

Chupacabra Restaurant adds vibrant deliciousness to Central Oregon, from the former Tortilleria Reyes location
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The thing about the Bend restaurant scene is that people opening new spots tend to see what works, and then they do something similar. A lot of safe bets. That’s why Central Oregon has so many breweries, pizza places and Mexican food restaurants. The cynic might say that we have enough of those types of […]

Posted inCulture

In Space, No One Can Hear Your Chest Bursting

"Alien: Romulus" scares up a mixed bag of fun
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Depending on what you think of the “Alien” franchise, the following statement will either sound like a huge compliment or damning with faint praise: “Alien: Romulus” is the third best film of the franchise by a hair. Set between 1979’s seminal sci-fi/horror masterpiece “Alien” and James Cameron’s 1986 action extravaganza “Aliens,” director Fede Álvarez has […]

Posted inCulture

Of Math and Madness

The Greenhouse Cabaret stages another winner with “Proof”
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Can a piece of theater still be considered underrated if it has won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for Best Play? I mean, that’s a pretty serious amount of acclaim, but if it’s not a part of the culture lexicon like “Cats” or “Hamilton,” then what are we even doing here? […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Wings

Fire on the Mountain
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At this point, Bend has so many pubs, breweries and restaurants in general, that it’s almost harder to find a place that doesn’t serve wings than one that does. Upscale bistros, dive bars, Asian fusion kitchens…they all have their own take on the wing, and some do it much, much better than others. When choosing […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Sandwich/Deli

Valentine’s Deli
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Bend has a lot of sandwiches. Several are downright mediocre, some are pretty damn good, but only one or two are genuinely great. For the last several years in a row, Valentine’s Deli has won the award for Best Sandwich and, for anyone who has ever enjoyed a lunch there, it’s easy to understand why: […]

Posted inCulture

The Bad, the Worse and the Horrendous

‘Borderlands,’ ‘Cuckoo’ and ‘Trap’ ruin my day
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As someone who has spent a majority of their life writing, acting, rehearsing and basically doing anything and everything they can to make it into the motion picture industry, I can’t bring myself to be cynical about movies, even while knowing there’s lots of cynicism to spread around. While it’s easier now to make a […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Bookstore

Roundabout Books
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To be a truly remarkable bookstore is to find an alchemical balance that can’t really be explained to someone with only a passing interest in the literary arts. Bookstores have outlasted most CD shops, video stores and video game stops and remained near-sacrosanct spaces for people to search for knowledge, enlightenment and some good old-fashioned […]

Posted inCulture

Underdogs No More

Deadpool and Wolverine vs. cinematic elitism
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You know, it’s funny. I watch everything. Everything. From Slow Cinema masterpieces like “A Ghost Story” and “Memoria” to every new Adam Sandler movie that comes out to all the random art and schlock in between. Comic book movies, South Korean revenge stories, queer Western romances, science fiction slapstick comedies…all movies deserve a chance to […]

Posted inCulture

Halfway Check-In

The best movies and shows of the year so far
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We’re a little more than halfway through 2024, which seems like an appropriate time to look back at some of the best movies and shows of the year that I’ve seen. Usually, the real bangers come in the fourth quarter, but 2024 has been pretty solid so far when it comes to films that are […]

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