Culture

'International' mixes thrills with smarts

"The International" might be the most intelligent, frantically paced thriller ever made. It's got all the action of movies like "Crank" and "Live Free or Die Hard" without the stupidity. Clive Owen is an interesting creature in the acting world. Not every movie he's made has been a critical success, but every movie he's been in has at least been fun to watch, or in the case of "Children of Men," absolutely moving.

Band's Brazilian styles entice listeners, dancers

The band Saudade has a way of drawing people inside the Blackbird Buvette on Thursday nights to hear Brazilian jazz, clarinetist Bob Gusch said. "A lot of people just wander in because they hear us and they'll come in and have a seat," Gusch said. "And we can see people tapping their toes and drumming on the bar.

Artist's Avenue

The joys of musical theater won Michael Carter over last year, and he has plunged headfirst into training and performing. He's performing in "Broadway, Your Way," which wraps up this weekend at Theatre X. The Albuquerque native makes visual poetry films and music videos on the side.

Youths rally for space of their own

How many people can say they've gone snowboarding Downtown? Warehouse 508, a youth-oriented entertainment space, put together Fight for the Right, and the group is trucking in about 10 tons of snow for Albuquerque youth to legally snowboard and skateboard on Civic Plaza today, starting at 6 p.

Andrew Bird rocks, charms crowd

Boy, the man can whistle. Fortune befell Albuquerque when Chicago's Andrew Bird, the violinist rock star, performed at El Rey on Friday night with three backup musicians. The band Loney, Dear opened with an atmospheric cross between shoegaze and head-in-the-clouds music, some Andrew Bird-lite to whet our appetites before the main show, but nothing that moved me to rapture.

Artists make space at a familiar place

About 800 people showed up Saturday for opening night at Cirq, the art space that used to be Sol Arts. Owners Ernest Doty and David Hammond resurrected the space with their life savings and high hopes. "Me and some friends were always finding ourselves going out of town, traveling, looking for something to do, something different than Albuquerque was offering, and I really liked the galleries and the art and the boutiques I would see out in L.

A guilt-free rose (Slideshow)

Fair-trade roses are this year's option for conscientious Valentine's Day shoppers, said Tanya Cole, owner of Tiger Lilly Flowers. Cole moved her business from Central Avenue to her home so she could spend more time with her 19-month-old son. Cole said she found out about fair-trade roses from a friend in the floral business and called the supplier, Fair Trade Certified.

Plays strike balance between rage, laughter

Parking lot fistfights between couples punctuated the production of David Mamet's play Oleanna in New York in 1993. "This play has been known to cause divorces and problems, and it's had a lot of really interesting reactions over its past productions," director Barney Lopez said.

Colin's Collegiate Cooking

With Valentine's Day on Saturday, I want to help you plan a special dinner that is romantic and tastes amazing. And it'll only set you back $13. With the economy in the dumps, a lot of people have cut back on spending. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be expensive; you just need a little time, effort and someone to impress.

Fashion Q&A

Jeffrey Stanke Sophomore Psychology Hat: Fanz, $30 Headphones: Skullcandy, $30 Hoodie: The Hundreds, price unknown Shirt: Armor for Sleep, price unknown Shoes: Nike, $60 "I have too many pairs for my own good." "I just kind of pick out which shoes I want to wear, and I have a bunch of different hats, and I just kind of try to pull it all together somehow," Stanke said.

Flick enlightens women on mysteries of men

In 2004, a phenomenon came out of nowhere and swept the entire nation. Women everywhere dropped what they were doing for one sole purpose: to gather invaluable information about the opposite sex. For years, females have been getting together to discuss the strange mating habits of men, consoling each other with nonsensical explanations as to why he didn't call or why he cheated on you with your favorite cousin.

The Console Wars

Portable gaming has come a long way from the white-and-green screen of the original Game Boy. Today, you can power your portable gaming device by plugging it into the wall. But back then, you had to pop off the cover and slug in four more AA batteries. There was a rechargeable battery pack, but it was bulky - not to mention external - and the pack alone was the size of most modern portables.

Bringing back artistry in cafe (Slideshow)

Activists call for health care reform

There's a renewed hope that the U.S. health care system is ready for change, said Julia Deupree, co-head of the New Mexico chapter of the Health Care for America Now! campaign. The Center for Peace and Justice is hosting a free screening of Michael Moore's film "Sicko" at 7 p.

Tales from the tank (Slideshow)

Jill Reeves and Skylar Whitney knew that when they applied to work at the Albuquerque Aquarium, they would swim alongside 17 sharks, along with various fish, turtles and stingrays, every day. An Albuquerque native, Whitney said he never pictured himself swimming in a display tank to feed and clean the animals.

Talent promoter aims to champion local musicians

Artists get scammed all the time, event producer and talent promoter Danette Lovato Pimentel said, particularly by restaurants. They tell the musicians to play a free two- to three-hour set, she said, and if the customers respond positively, maybe they'll hire the band.

Werewolf-vampire action trumps plot in 'Underworld'

The best thing that can be said about "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" is that it could have been a lot worse. All the elements that make up the pure awesomeness of the first two movies are there - though "awesome" is definitely a relative term. No one saw "Underworld" for the emotional impact, but something is missing from "Rise of the Lycans.

Web sites that will keep you clicking

There's a lot of crap on the Internet. With more than 8 billion Web pages in Google's directory, what's a guy to do? How do you know the sites that are worth your time? I've got your back on this one. After sifting through the ashes for the golden nuggets, I bring you four wonders of the Web.

Finding meaning in impermanence

After Danny Solis won the city's haiku championship Saturday night, he wept. It wasn't first place that made him cry - it was the woman who sang his haiku. He knew the song would last no more than a minute. Then it would end. He would never hear it again.

Center gives gamers high-tech fix

It's not that Stuart Hidalgo played too many video games. He would log maybe two or three hours of "World of Warcraft" every day. But that happened during his spare time, once dinner was out of the way and the kids were off to bed. Either way, Hidalgo's wife wanted answers.