The Great Beauty takes a while to take on a structure—and, with true Fellini dreaminess, rarely holds onto a cohesive storyline. The film opens with a seemingly unrelated scene—a lyrical and sun-dappled scene as Japanese tourists explore one of Rome’s hillside chapels, before one man drops dead from a heart attack—and then jumps to a […]
Section Feature
Posted inMusic
Blood is Thicker than Water
Slaughter Daughter’s macabre, nomadic, punkgrass is double take-worthy
The Slaughter Daughters are simultaneously adorable and terrifying. The sister(esque) duo takes the stage in cowboy boots and sundresses with their hair tied up in pinup bandanas and proceed to grind out dark, up-tempo, yet downtrodden murder ballads and melodic but agonizing tales of lonely torment. It is confusing. A curious murmur slinks through the […]
Posted inNews
What’s next? Jet packs?
Proposed face-lift for Bend Central District seeks to change transportation habits
For pedestrians and bicycle commuters, navigating the Third Street corridor is a blood pressure and hair-raising four-lane game of Frogger. The hectic dividing line between east and west Bend is choked with cars and trucks, hardly accommodating those traveling by bike or on foot. But that may be changing. That auto-centricity is exactly what Matt […]
Posted inCulture
Wicked Game
Angel Street (Gaslight) is onstage film noir
From Charlotte Brontë’s monster in the attic in Jane Eyre, to the nail-biting debacle that is Natalie Portman in Black Swan, madwomen are well documented—perfect, paranoid representation of loss of control, and an indictment of feminine weakness. Enter Bella Manningham, the nervous, misty-eyed creation of Patrick Hamilton in his 1938 play, Angel Street, another madwoman […]
Posted inOutside
The Big Slide
Avoid avalanches
with know-how
Last week, about 90 miles west of Denver, a massive avalanche scoured the East Vail Chutes’ steep backcountry terrain. The slide, which occurred on a beautiful day and not one deemed to be particularly hazardous, was described as a couple hundred yards wide, 10 feet deep and reportedly covered nearly 1,000 vertical feet. It buried […]
Posted inCulture
Give This Movie an Oscar
Crash Reel is the best sport documentary in a decade!
Crash Reel is not a film that will be shown by NBC during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The remarkable documentary plainly, candidly and beautifully tells the story about Kevin Pearce, a top snowboarder and probably Shaun White’s biggest (and only?) rival—that is, until his accident. The story is fairly well-known, but even if you don’t […]
Posted inMusic
School of Guitar
Rooted in tradition, Bend Guitar Blast performs and teaches
Seattle’s Experimental Music Project (EMP) includes a museum of historical musical artifacts; among them, an evolutionary chain of instruments leading up to the modern day guitar. Everything from bowl harps to Stratocasters are on display, and placards delineating the instrument’s evolution; all told, a rather flat-noted way to show off one of the most dynamic, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Taco Shack > Love Shack
Mobile taco cart El Sancho builds handmade home at Pakit
Finding El Sancho in the labyrinth of junk at Pakit Liquidators is a treasure hunt. But following the beacon of the cart’s mustached mascot—he resembles a hipster Pacman in a cycling cap—and the wafting scent of roasting meats and spicy salsas, through the cast iron gate, past the parking lot coffee hut, and into what […]
Posted inNews
We Choose You
A Pokemon™ guide to upcoming elections
With the battle cry, “I choose you,” Pokemon characters awaken their strengths and super-abilities, and head into battle. What better proclamation to make when considering our elected officials—and asking them to play out their strengths. In the coming months, leadership in Central Oregon will undergo some significant changes; nothing major, but potential changes in Deschutes […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Lasso the Moon
Silver Moon Brewing’s new menu and beer are a tasty upgrade to downtown
“Same great beer, same sh**ty location,” chimes a choir of (partially bleeped) patrons at the end of Silver Moon’s new radio ad. Oh, Silver Moon: You are too hard on yourselves. With a tap list full of award-winning standards, seasonal selections and even a barrel-aged treat or two, the beer is better than it has […]