Ann Lemons Pollack
-
Princess Kaiulani
Calling it a mish-mash of history and of filmmaking is about the kindest thing that can be said about "Princess Kaiulani," a new film that pretends to relate a story of Hawaiian history, but which provides little more than some nice travelogue shots of Hawaiian scenery and an opportunity for Q'orianka Kilcher to portray another
-
Sanctuaria
Visiting Sanctuaria requires a slightly quirky sense of humor about décor as well as a liking for the flavors and spicing of Latin cuisine. The main dining room is strikingly handsome, but a number of the items placed around the room are Mexican objets d'art (our French is more efficient than our Spanish) for
-
Today’s Wine, May 16, 2010
Dan and Margaret Duckhorn are celebrating the 35th anniversary of their winery this year, and to introduce some of their new releases–and to show off the glories of some older ones–Margaret visited St. Louis for a tasting one recent afternoon. It was a splendid experience; I've been a fan of the various Duckhorn wines since
-
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Call him a street artist, or a graffiti artist, or an underground artist, or even a vandal, but Banksy, the reclusive Englishman who inhabits these titles, is a fascinating man, talented enough to gain a major reputation while hiding both his face and his voice, and to co-opt another director's movie, which he does in
-
See What I’m Saying
"Are you deaf?" seems to be part of the vernacular, used as a jiving joke, when deaf people are conversing. Or maybe it's just among deaf entertainers, or maybe only among deaf entertainers participating in "See What I'm Saying: the Deaf Entertainers Documentary," a moving, sometimes depressing but usually uplifting movie that opens here today.
-
The Square
Mostly well-made and taut in its tension, "The Square" is an Australian crime story that deals in adultery, money and murder. If that sounds like "Double Indemnity," my all-time favorite of similar movies, well, so be it. Nash Edgerton's direction gives the tale proper pacing, but the screenplay, by his brother, Joel and Matthew Dabner,
-
Mazara
Mazara in Clayton hits the sweet spot between a loud singles-favored restaurant and a relatively formal dining experience. A far cry from the usual St. Louis Italian restaurant in terms of a décor that includes good lighting and modern art on the walls, the menu dances with some familiar dishes and some that are quite
-
Young Frankenstein
Theater writers often honor talent by turning names into adjectival descriptions like Shakespearean, Brechtian, Chekhovian. Let's add Brooksian to the list. Define it? That's easy. Wild, wacky, over the top, derivative, rowdy, raunchy, extremely entertaining. There probably are more, but those are good enough to describe "Young Frankenstein," the Mel Brooks musical that opened last
-
The Sinker
"The Sinker," a new play by Jami Brandli, produced by Hot City Theatre, opened its premiere run at the Kranzberg Arts Center last night. The young playwright made an unfortunate choice of title, though the play does involve someone who is unable to swim. A really mean critic easily could have chortled, "Little Billy wasn't