Food stuff
CHOLSTEROL CURE? The happiest day of my life was when a doctor told me "they" – the nutrition gurus – had decided butter was less bad for you than margarine. I was thrilled to get official permission to switch back to butter. Now along come Benecol and Take Control, two new "margarine-like spreads" from McNeil…
Besieged
With epic films like The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky and Little Buddha, it’s easy to forget that Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci is also a master at working on a more intimate scale. In the insular, even claustrophobic Besieged, Bertolucci has gone so far as to strip down to the essentials of silent cinema, relying…
Thumb’s the word
Taco Bell toys and Pepsi collector cans may be the most frequently seen references to Star Wars: Episode 1– The Phantom Menace, but they are far from the most fascinating. The half-hour TV special "Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle," which aired on UPN 50 May 18, the eve of the real movie’s release in theaters,…
Instinct
Dear Mr. Hopkins, No, don’t throw away this piece of paper; don’t dismiss me without hearing what I have to say. Extend me this courtesy. After all, because of this unspeakable act of rebellion, I could be writing my last review. But I’m ready to take my chances and speak without hiding behind the oh-so-eminently-safe…
Bang, clap, beep
Bang! Bang! Bang! Steel pounds steel as a temporary casino goes up. Cool winds raise my hair and carry the scent of spring. Mumbling construction workers stand idle, assessing their work. "Hey, hunny, how you doing?" nods one who smiles. Beep, beep, beep, a crane heading in reverse notifies passersby. Car motors roll, emitting exhaust.…
The King of Masks
Most films that make it to the United States from mainland China touch on three themes: family ties, political upheavals and traditional Chinese arts. The King of Masks deals more with the latter, but through its intimate story of a makeshift family, indicates some of the social changes to come. Set in 1930 in the…
City of night
It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. She’d said to meet her at Talal’s on the west side – and sure enough there she was, wrapped in a tight strapless thing that, along with earrings, mascara and spiked heels, tried hopelessly to cover half of her. But without a car, what was she doing…
Limbo
There’s a brief montage near the beginning of writer-director John Sayles’ new movie during which various denizens of a bar in the small fishing town of Port Henry, Alaska, are shown spinning very similar tall tales. We don’t hear the whole stories, just a series of intercut and crucial punch lines, about fog that can…
Concrete rules
It’s about open spaces. It’s about flat surfaces. It’s about grades that seem to go on forever. It’s about overcoming obstacles. It’s about freedom. It’s about making do with what you’ve got to work with. It’s about taking yourself to the next level. It’s about learning to fly with just your body to make it…
Hump the Grinder
A local favorite, Hump is also the founder of the popular Hair Wars series of hair shows. He was also one of the most popular DJs on the infamous channel 62 dance show, The Scene.
Fun under the sky
Oh, the humanity of it all. Masses and masses of humans. People everywhere. People of all shapes, sizes and colors decked out in every costume imaginable. Strolling, eating, perusing vendors’ wares. It’s the street fair. The great free gathering of joyfulness. The democratizer of entertainment. Because at the street fair, all are welcome, and nobody…
Growing community
Hot concrete or cool greenery? Scorching sun or spreading branches? Automobile exhaust or the sweet fragrance of irises? Some metro Detroiters have decided that, given these choices, they’ll go green every time. Not ones to sit and watch the weeds grow, they’ve taken such landscaping matters into their own garden-gloved hands. Some plant traditional flower-beds…
Outside insiders
Leonard Wilczynski’s world is full of simple rules that are hard to follow. Homeless and jobless, the 51-year-old man frequents Pontiac’s park and sidewalk benches, but is careful to avoid ones next to "no loitering" signs. From this vantage point, he watches the game of life in which he is sidelined. "My mind is preoccupied…
Painted places
Outdoor art is easily ignored. It has no precise exhibition times, no galleries and no promotion. Even so, some local artists make it their project to decorate the city. Some are well known, but more are anonymous. Their work dramatically transforms simple and boring street scenes into colorful and impressive galleries. Some murals occupy huge…
Tough road out
"Can I have a sandwich?" asks Teresa, as she approaches the van. "I’m starving." "Your hair looks cute," says Jeannie, handing her a turkey and cheese on whole wheat. "The back’s not real," Teresa explains, stroking the blond extension. Her short, tight cotton skirt is sprinkled with big blue flowers. Her matching fitted top is…
Walk and whiz
An almost perfect night. Sun just going down, near full moon already high in the clear, darkening eastern sky. Jackson is hyped, straining at the leash. I gently tug back. He strains against my pull. I tug harder until he eases up. Which he does, reluctantly. Jackson doesn’t like the leash. He wants to run.…
EMU meets Y2K
About 300 Eastern Michigan University students had an early brush with the Y2K bug in April and May when reprogramming to head off future computer problems went awry, school officials said. Students temporarily fell behind on tuition payments, and in some cases were left without money for books and living expenses. Special university checks tided…
Green light, almost
The Department of Environmental Quality has offered a Detroit developer a restricted plan for building upscale homes and a golf course at Humbug Marsh, a fragile shore and island ecosystem that environmentalists say represents the last mile of coastal marsh along the Detroit riverfront. The DEQ announced its offer Friday after rejecting Made In Detroit…
That whining buzz
At the corner of our street, there’s an old gas station that must have been built in the 1920s. It’s got cool rounded corners and zingy red and white walls (OK, it could be zingier if it had a fresh coat of paint) that make it look like an old-fashioned Coca-Cola machine. It hasn’t been…
Trying to join the fray
Minority advocacy groups may win a voice in lawsuits challenging affirmative action at the University of Michigan. On May 26, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold the anti-affirmative action lawsuit brought by white plaintiffs against U-M’s undergraduate school, pending the appeal of 17 African-American and Latino high school students who are…
In one ear
LEFT OF THE DIAL Dave Dixon – the Culture Czar – broadcasting from the "Tesla Center in beautiful downtown Southfield" has abdicated this mortal coil. He was found dead in his Royal Oak home over Memorial Day weekend of an apparent heart attack. He was 60. The legacy of his reign: a continuing undercurrent of…
Street Life
In this special issue, Metro Times writers pound the pavement. We’re taking it to the streets with stories that travel from inner city to outer suburb, from uptown to downtown and everywhere in between. We talk to the people who live, work and play on the streets, and examine the role streets themselves play in…
Is this our next mayor?
"Well, what did you expect?" laughed one of my cynical pals when Detroit’s mayor appointed his main man, Freman Hendrix, deputy everything, to chair the reform board charged with jump-starting the rebuilding of the city’s public schools. "That ought to (prove) this is nothing but a puppet board," he said. Days later, said pal was…
A better back yard
A sunny yellow building in northwest Detroit which features a garden of found objects in the front. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The barbecue is delicious, and every dinner comes with cornbread or a biscuit and two sides from the 14 varieties offered, including: candied yams, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, green beans, hand-cut…
