Tantalizing “Annihilation” Fails to Come Together
With two films under his belt, it’s obvious that director Alex Garland has a keen eye, is able to create a slowly developing sense of doom and is eager to tackle intriguing sci-fi material. He also has problems bringing his films to a satisfactory conclusion. His latest, Annihilation, follows the same pattern as his debut…
Pug on a plane
Somewhere over Colorado, a flight attendant drew the line. “Sir,” she told me, not unpleasantly. “Your dog must be in your lap or on the floor.” Snoring atop a computer satchel placed on the middle seat, Peanut was oblivious, as was a passenger on the aisle who boarded with us in Seattle and instantly fell…
The South is rising again
A fresh “Reclaim the South” movement of young African-American populists is emerging, kindling long-suppressed hope in the racially scarred Deep South and offering the possibility of real economic and cultural progress. Guess who’s mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, the state’s capital city? Chokwe Antar Lumumba – a black, 34-year-old lawyer who was raised in Jackson in…
More on Gov. Rauner’s budget proposal
Last year’s state budget caused some real consternation among local government leaders because the General Assembly cut their funding. The budget slashed their share of the state income tax by 10 percent for one year and skimmed two percent off the top of several local sales taxes. Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed that budget. His veto…
Letters to the Editor
HUNTER LAKE COSTSYou need to know that CWLP’s resident and non-resident wholesale water customers are faced with more than $300 million in potential rate hikes, over and above current charges for normal operation and maintenance of the water system. If CWLP gets federal and state permits and the Springfield City Council votes to build Hunter…
Is the Economic Development Corp. paying attention?
The Sangamon County Board has recently formed the Economic Development Corporation(EDC) to attract new businesses to the Springfield area. Several concerns have been raised about the makeup of this group (23 men, 3 women and 1 minority), and the price tag to have a seat on the commission at $25,000-$50,000 per business. This cost leaves…
Top home trends
Hosted annually by the Springfield Area Home Builders Association, the 2018 Home Expo showcases the latest trends and designs in the home building and remodeling industry. The multi-day exposition takes place Feb. 23-25 at the Bank of Springfield Center, offering attendees the opportunity to visit with more than 120 local vendors and exhibitors and take…
Food and wine pairings
Celebrate the wines of winter on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., in the Crowne Plaza Springfield, during the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association’s annual Winter Wine Festival. The festival offers the opportunity to taste the offerings of more than 15 Illinois wineries, features live entertainment by the Debbie Ross Band, and highlights food…
Haunting accident
What do dreams mean? I was dumped 10 months ago. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Now I barely do, but last night I dreamed I broke in to his apartment, found him in bed with this gorgeous girl, and punched her in the face. Does this mean I’m not over him? – Wanna Start…
LBJ meets MLK at the Hoogland
“This ain’t about the Constitution. This is about those who got more, wantin’ to hang on to what they got, at the expense of those who got nothing.’ And feel good about it.” – President Lyndon Baines Johnson, discussing opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, from All the Way by Robert Schenkkan After…
Trouble brews in Democratic Party weeks before the primary
Illinois Democrats are struggling to find their balance following news that Speaker of the House Michael Madigan took three months to fire a staffer following an accusation of sexual harassment from a campaign worker. The accusation, brought forth by Alaina Hampton and supported by inappropriate texts sent by the accused, Kevin Quinn, came in November…
Busted
A longtime local banking executive has been charged with stealing more than $100,000. Nancy S. Richards, who was vice president of commercial lending at First Bankers Trust Co. for more than six years, made her first appearance in Sangamon County Circuit Court last week after being charged with two counts of forgery, one count of…
SANSKRIT IN THE STATEHOUSE
Visiting Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, will deliver invocations from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the Illinois Senate and House on Feb. 27 and 28. He will also read English translations of the prayers. The recitations from the Bhagavad-Gita are intended to urge senators and representatives to keep the welfare…
Aardman’s Early Man flat, unispired
What with computer animation dominating the genre over the past two decades, it’s a bit refreshing to see Aardman Animation still using the charmingly crude claymation that is their stock-in-trade. The herky-jerky, stiff movements of the characters, the layered but hardly meticulous settings, and limited but effective expressions harken to a more labor-intensive aesthetic that…
So long February music
Well, that didn’t take long to wind through the shortest month. Certain parts seemed interminable, but now we look forward (for sure) and back (as needed). For early evening, most excellent Friday night music, don’t miss the Brian Pryor Quartet playing cool jazz as the artist of choice at Robbie’s for our lovely Uptown Friday…
Mike Zabrin’s Funktastic
You fans of funk are in for a treat, as Mike Zabrin, a young, modern master of the bass guitar, brings his entourage known as Funktastic to town. Zabrin, still in his mid-twenties, has toured the country as a bassist for many top names in the Chicago blues biz and has been featured in Bass…
Comfort in a pan
Casseroles mean comfort. Referring to both the type of recipe and the vessel it is cooked in, casseroles can do double duty as a side dish or main course when paired with a simple green salad. Most freeze well, and I usually prepare a pan to enjoy now and a pan to stow away in…
A hilarious, yet heartbreaking tale
Hoogland Productions is proud to present the final three performances of A Little Night Music, directed by Joe-Michael Jackson. A Little Night Music is the four-time Tony Award-winning musical written by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince and Hugh Wheeler, based off Ingmar Bergman’s comedy of manners titled Smiles of a Summer Night. The story, set in…
