Jul 14-20, 2016

Jul 14-20, 2016 / Vol. 30 / No. 21

Ghostbusters: Raising Spirits

GHOSTBUSTERS *** (out of four) DIRECTED BY Paul Feig STARS Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig The timing is certainly coincidental. In the same week that’s witnessing the release of Ghostbusters, a new scientific study (I believe conducted at Johns Hopkins University, but don’t quote me on that) has conclusively revealed that the brain size of MRAs,…

Matt Brunson

The Infiltrator doesn’t blow

THE INFILTRATOR *** (out of four) DIRECTED BY Brad Furman STARS Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger Moviegoers need another film about the drug trade as much as they need a hole in the head — or, more specifically, a cocaine-caused hole in the nose — but The Infiltrator does just enough right to make it a…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (July 14)

Stripped Tips weren’t enough for one dancer at a local strip club last week, according to a man who had spent an evening there and apparently didn’t spend enough money. The man told police that he was walking out of the club at 2:30 a.m. when a woman walked up to him and asked him…

Ryan Pitkin

Matt Hylom finds home for his sounds in the Cloud

You can learn a lot about someone by walking through his or her home. If you walk into a room that’s filled with guitars, keyboards and music equipment, it’s safe to say that the house is occupied by a musician. If there’s a whiteboard with the artist’s information — personal website and social media: Facebook,…

Anita Overcash

Ancient Cities’ Supermoon Blackout

What started as a foot-stomping acoustic duo between singer/guitarist Stephen Warwick and, bassist Justin Fedor (The New Familiars) has developed into one of Charlotte’s finest psychedelic-tinged rock bands. The band’s self-titled debut album was solid and harkened back to Warwick’s solo and Secondhand Stories days, but the group builds off of that foundation with Supermoon…

Jeff Hahne

Say Namaste to Vir Das

Curry and spice don’t make everything nice. But for Vir Das, a standup comedian hailing from the heart of India, the aroma could be used to entice American readers unfamiliar with his act. Das’ mouth speaks sweetly and sarcastically about random subjects (from relationships and marriage to cross-cultural male/female differences and more), but his act…

Anita Overcash

Dixie Longate returns

It’s been more than seven years since my public humiliation at Dixie’s Tupperware Party, where my sadly deficient filling, stacking and rimming skills were mercilessly exposed in open competition. So yes, there was some wariness when I returned to Booth Playhouse for another Dixie rendezvous, hoping not to be dragged onstage again. Dixie Longate, nee…

Perry Tannenbaum

Three questions for Bernadette Jean-Francois of Island Hub

For former New Yorker Bernadette Jean-Francois, moving to Charlotte was a welcoming change of pace. “I was working full-time, going to school at night, having children. It was getting expensive,” she recalls. “My family said, ‘Let’s explore a different location,’ and we fell in love with Charlotte.” Still, something was missing for Haitian-born Jean-Francois: the…

Madeline Lemieux

Tamaleria Laurita offers a mix of Mexican favorites

Every year, my family eats tamales for Christmas dinner. My mom hails from Dallas, Texas, and in true Texan tradition, serves the corn husked wrapped delicacies alongside our prime rib, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies and other holiday fare. Dating back to the Aztecs in the 15th century and rooted in Mexican culture, tamales have always…

Chrissie Nelson Rotko

Weekly horoscope (July 14-20)

For All Signs: Mercury, ancient messenger god, is unusually busy throughout this week. This suggests that most of us will be preoccupied with communication of one form or another. There may be many phone calls, messages, letters, quick conversations, rapid decisions and/or papers to write. The period is favorable for probing into causes and finding…

Vivian Carol

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