City Weekly January 18, 2024

CITY WEEKLY JANUARY 18, 2024 — VOL. 40 N0. 34

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Sundance Film Festival celebrates four decades of groundbreaking independent film.

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CONTENTS

Cover Story 40 for 40

Sundance Film Festival celebrates four decades of groundbreaking independent film.

By Scott Renshaw

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Cover design by Derek Carlisle

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OPINION A&E CW REWIND DINE CINEMA MUSIC COMMUNITY

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SLC FORECAST Thursday 18 38°/29° Partly cloudy Precipitation: 19%

Friday 19 41°/30° Mostly cloudy Precipitation: 24%

SOURCE: WEATHER.COM Saturday 20 41°/33° Mostly cloudy Precipitation: 15%

Sunday 21 43°/33° PM showers Precipitation: 32%

Monday 22 41°/31° AM snow Precipitation: 39%

Tuesday 23 40°/30° PM rain/snow Precipitation: 41%

Wednesday 24 40°/28° Rain/snow Precipitation: 46%

STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor JERRE WROBLE Music Editor EMILEE ATKINSON Listings Desk WES LONG Executive Editor and Founder JOHN SALTAS

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Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 16,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,000 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

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“Doubling Down” Jan. 11 Small Lake City

Maybe mention that Trax shuts down before the bars close before suggesting a train to another state.

RICHARD RANKIN

Via Facebook I see three-fourths empty trains and buses every single day, burning gas/electricity mile after mile.

TODD MCGARVEY

Via Facebook

“Steady as She Goes,” Jan. 11 Cover Story

Though Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall continues to tout that the homeless situation is the responsibility of the state, the fact of the matter is that things got drastically worse under her watch. Our governmental system allows for local policy and governance.

Mendenhall is not the first mayor to have “partnerships” and won’t be the last.

It’s not historic. I’m sorry, but she is not doing enough.

Between 2019 and 2023 alone, the unsheltered population more than doubled here in our home state. Going from 313 to 980—that’s a 213% increase. For reference, Chicago’s unsheltered population went from 1,260 to 990 between 2019 and 2023. That’s a 21.5% decrease, meaning Chicago is doing better at sheltering the homeless than we are.

I don’t need to state the obvious that the per-capita unsheltered population is significantly more here. Total homeless for Utah in 2023 was 3,687—most of which

were in Salt Lake County—and for Chicago, total homeless ws 6,139.

Unfortunately, they don’t break out Salt Lake City in the [point in time] count, but you get the picture. It seems, since the election, it’s back to the status quo.

LINEYCARR

Via Instagram Mayor Mendenhall should volunteer with Rocky Anderson at the First United Methodist Church for “overnight movie nights.”

You know, get her hands dirty with something other than potting soil for our unsheltered population who are just trying to stay alive this winter.

JHUFF012

Via Instagram

“Unfinished Work” Dec. 14 Private Eye

I thought comparing Mike Lee to a weasel was very unfair—to the weasel. Proof of that has just been made public. Even a weasel would be smart enough to avoid endorsing Trump.

Mike Lee, supposedly a lover of our Constitution, is blind to his idol’s total disregard of that sacred document. Trump was violating the emoluments clause even before he took the oath of office. His lies and rude treatment of others continue to prove his unfitness for any office, much less the presidency.

When he elbowed the official from Montenegro, broke protocol with Queen Elizabeth and called our fallen soldiers “losers,” I was appalled that such a person was representing me and my country to the world. The idea that Trump bears any resemblance to “The Book of Mormon” hero, Captain Moroni, is further proof of Lee’s lack of discernment.

I appreciate your reminders of the shortcomings of our senior senator.

KATHY BOBBERMIN

Salt Lake City Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern?

Write to comments@cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER

COOLER Last year, Gov. Cox had us pray for snow. What should we pray for this year?

Benjamin Wood

We should pray for trains—Lord knows Utah lawmakers ain’t gonna build them.

Bill Frost

A governor who doesn’t lean on an imaginary sky daddy.

Wes Long

For a different governor.

Katharine Biele

I am a person of faith, but I don’t depend on a higher being to do the work we should be doing here on earth.

Scott Renshaw

Public leaders who don’t turn to petitioning God as a policy position.

Eric Granato

An atheist local government

Sofia Cifuentes

Cease-fire around the planet

Bryan Bale

Lots of snow in the mountains to continue our drought recovery, little snow (if any) in the valleys so commuters can get around safely. More food and shelter for people experiencing homelessness, and lower housing costs so fewer people experience homelessness in the first place.

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OPINION

BY CAT PALMER

Clearing the Air

U

tah is a great place to live, and numerous articles tout it as the “best run state.” We’ve all seen out-of-state license plates moving into and traveling through our neighborhoods. We’re proud that Salt Lake is the real mountain city, not that (ahem) other city east of here.

But how often do residents lack a clear view of the beautiful Wasatch Range? Exposure to pollution raises the risk and intensity of problems like asthma, decreased lung function and heart attacks. It can lower resistance to diseases, colds and pneumonia. Families have moved out of Utah due to health issues caused by poor air quality.

How many times have we heard Utah politicians claim they care about children? As if. If they really cared about all children, they would care about the toxins children and pregnant people are breathing, and the long-term health effects this causes.

Dirty air is an issue the Utah Legislature must address this year.

Cars, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles We all hate to admit it, but did you notice the air quality improvement during the pandemic? It was because fewer people were driving.

If you can work remotely—even part time—you should do so. If your company prohibits this, ask them to reconsider and allow it, at least on the worst air days.

Salt Lake City has adopted ordinances aimed to help

mitigate vehicle-related pollution, but due to a lack of enforcement, we’re not moving the needle. I regularly see people parked in front of the signs stating that we are an “Idle-free City” while—you guessed it—their car is idling. The signs are posted at drive-thrus all over town.

Instead of putting up signs that everyone will ignore, the powers-that-be should consider limiting the number of drive-thru windows, like the Salt Lake City Council decided to do in Sugar House earlier this year.

Credit where credit is due: Construction in Salt Lake’s 9th and 9th neighborhood and on 300 West prioritized pedestrians, transit riders and cyclists. Walkable neighborhoods like this exist all over Europe.

Utah needs more of these, but they are unusable for many when the air is at its worst. And when we are planning these areas, we must not forget accessibility for all, by ensuring safety for wheelchair users and people with accessibility needs.

Make UTA work The Utah Legislature must stop treating public transit as an afterthought. Because of poor infrastructure and lack of planning, it is inexplicably more expensive and more time-consuming to take public transit than it is to just get in your car on poor air-quality days.

FrontRunner trains do not run on Sundays. Trax trains don’t run late at night, and their schedules are cut back on weekends—even if there’s a Jazz game or, as we recently learned, even if New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday.

UTA should be more accessible. Life doesn’t stop on weekends, the trains shouldn’t either.

I noticed the bus route on my street on the east side of Salt Lake is using an eco-friendly electric bus. We should have more of these all over, especially on the west side, where we now know the particulate count is higher.

Get Involved There are all sorts of local grassroots organizations out there fighting the good fight. I have been a clean air activist for more than 15 years and part of the SLC Air Protectors almost since Day 1. You may have skills to offer the movement that you aren’t even aware they needed.

Back in the day, Mickelle Weber and I started Utah Artists for Clean Air and would shoot images for anyone to use to spread awareness. I have teamed up with different organizations to get our message out, but still, it is an uphill battle. We once sent an image to the governor depicting Santa in a gas mask surrounded by a bunch of children in gas masks holding a sign that said, “All we want for Christmas is clean air!”

Time for our leaders to lead Unfortunately for Utah politicians, in order to act on air quality, they would have to acknowledge science, step away from election-year identity politics and take a stand. But maybe we can frame the issue in a way the Legislature understands: Cold hard cash.

Poor air quality is costing the state money. Pollution prevents businesses from recruiting employees who want to move here. Our air is often the worst in the nation and sometimes the worst in the world. Who’d want to move their family to a city with so much dirty air to breathe?

I love our state and our city. I believe improvement is possible, but we need politicians who care enough to advocate for our health and well-being.

If they can put walls up on porn, take away parental medical rights and try to dismantle Utah’s amazing, mail-in voting process, surely they can do something about this—before it really is too late. CW Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

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HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE |

@kathybiele

MISS: Just the Facts

We’re pretty sure that someone in Gov. Spencer Cox’s administration subscribes to The Salt Lake Tribune, but we’re here to make sure they’re paying attention. That’s because the Trib, in its effort to make money, keeps the important news behind a paywall. This week it’s the issue of DEI—diversity, equity and inclusion. Columnist Andy Larsen shredded the credibility of a Heritage Foundation report blanketing the nation’s conservative halls. Shall we say that he ripped Cox a new one, too? The claim that DEI programs are ineffective is as good as saying “tall people are bad at basketball,” Larsen wrote. “After all, the San Antonio Spurs have a losing record despite having 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama on the roster.” Larsen points to the reason for DEI programs—to close the graduation and success gap for minorities— and says cutting them without real facts is unwise at least. But the right wing has certain talking points they pass from state to state, and fighting an unhinged belief system is difficult, as Trump has proven. Not that the Trib didn’t try. They did run an editorial that anyone can read telling the Legislature to cut out the culture-war crap.

MISS: Rolling Coal

Utah is nothing if not conflicted. On one hand, we want to save the Great Salt Lake and move to “cleaner” fuels, even nuclear power. But as the Legislature begins, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, says his goal is to keep the coal industry on life support, even without brain activity. The goal, he says, is to “protect” the citizens of Utah. But he means protection from high gas prices but not protection from unbreathable air. Rocky Mountain Power plans to close two coal-burning plants by 2032 as it works to implement alternative power sources, but the Legislature may try to change that. While it’s hard to ignore lawmakers for these 45 days, there is this: Doctors recently sent an open letter urging immediate action on the lake. We need action on transit, too. Presently, mass transit has been pretty dirty, but there’s hope as a test train may show that FrontRunner can move on batteries.

HIT: The Fourth Estate

While our legislative overlords begin their 2024 session, the Utah Media Coalition is introducing the Utah Transparency Project. You might want to rejoin X-Twitter because that’s where the project will be rolling out its realtime ratings on legislation, telling you how it will affect your access to public records and meetings. The media— which is the public in absentia—is often the target of disgruntled people in all walks of life. Most recently a developer sued a small community paper claiming defamation from reports that showed plans for housing units had morphed into a waste facility. Maybe it’s human nature to keep the bad news from the public’s eye. But for a glimpse, you might want to read the Republican manifesto on what they plan to do to you this session. It’s bedtime material—if you like nightmares. CW

BY BRYAN YOUNG

Stop Widening Freeways

I

want to talk to all of you automobile enthusiasts out there. I know you want to get to where you’re going as fast as is humanly possible, and you don’t care one whit for any other modes of transportation.

You hate pedestrians walking in front of you in a crosswalk. You want to gas it through school zones with abandon. Let’s not even start on cyclists.

I get it. You’ve got places to be and you have main character syndrome.

And faced with congestion, you might want the freeway widened to the point where you can go 90 miles an hour from Orem to Ogden without having to tap the brakes once. But can I let you in on a secret?

It won’t work. It’ll never work.

Sure, it might work for a minute after the construction traffic subsides.

More people will be on the road because that’s the infrastructure we’ve built, and it’s the only way to get around. But we’ll soon have the same congestion problem all over again—and all the while the air gets worse and worse.

Might I suggest an alternative? Public transportation. Make it free and make it bigger and better. Double-track FrontRunner. Expand the UTA system.

And yes, make it free for everyone.

I can hear you now. “Nothing’s free!” True—including that highway expansion you want so badly. It’s just that everyone will benefit from a free UTA system. Including you.

“You won’t catch me dead on a train!” you say? I get it. That’s fine, cool even. Maybe we don’t want you on the train with the rest of us.

But here’s the thing … other people will use the train, more than those who can use it now. And that means their cars aren’t on the road, getting in your way. We’ll cut down drastically on all of that poison in the air, too.

People tend to use the infrastructure that’s built for them. If you build more roads without investing in public transportation, all you’re going to get is more congestion. If we stop widening the roads and make public transit easier, there’s bound to be more people choosing the better alternative as often as they can so you don’t have to.

It’s all about freedom, right? Freedom of choice? And it’s all about what’s cheaper, right?

Nothing’s free, as so many are fond of saying. So, why not save some money by investing more in public transportation—which is better in almost every quantifiable way for the majority of Utahns—instead of just building more lanes for congestion and pollution?

It makes sense, saves you money, and benefits you—even those of you who will never abandon driving. So, stop demanding more freeway lanes and start demanding more efficient rail and bus service throughout the valley. Make it free for everyone. We’ll all start to see the long-term benefits almost immediately.

I promise. cw Small Lake City is home to local writers and their opinions.

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A&E

The Indie Spirit A guide for how you can create the film that might be inside you.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net

T

Big Shiny Robot computer. And the quality is amazing. Did you know Martin Scorsese has used insert shots in his movies shot on an iPhone, and no one even noticed?

Yes, we’ve come a long way. But what if you want to get into things a little bit more deeply, and a little bit more professionally? The first thing you want to do is write your short film. There’s software to help with that: Final Draft is sort of the industry standard, but you can just as easily futz with the margins yourself in Google Docs if that’s all you have access to. Write down what you want to see, and what you want actors to say. Then you’re off to the races.

At that point, you’re going to have to convince a bunch of people to be in your short film and help make it. You’ll want to find that friend with a camera—maybe your friend who has their own podcast also has some microphones and a Zoom recorder (not the software Zoom, a little handheld audio recorder just about every

FREEPIK

he return of the Sundance Film Festival is almost as powerful as the Oscars when it comes to inspiring folks to come out of their shells and make art using film—especially here in Utah. I know every time I go to a Sundance screening, I get dreams of diving deeper into the world of filmmaking and making a movie of my own. In fact, I am about to go into production on another short film myself. That’s really the spirit of Sundance—and half the point, right?

Well, if you were trying to get into that spirit yourself, how and where would you start?

For one, it’s easier now than it’s ever been to create a short film like the one you might see at Sundance. Unless you live under a rock or are a Luddite of some sort— not that Luddites were all that bad, when you actually learn more about them—you probably have a smart phone in your pocket. With it, you have more capability to make a short film than a crew of 20 did 100 years ago—or even 50. Start there. It’s not unlike what folks do on video-focused social media. Enlist your friends and family; make them stars of your pocket-size stories. Then, with apps like iMovie and even Adobe Premiere Rush, you can edit your little masterpiece on the same device, and upload it directly to YouTube without even transferring the footage to a

podcaster seems to have) and they can handle audio.

Storyboard your script so you can pick which shots and angles you’re going to need to capture. You can see how this works by watching any number of behindthe-scenes documentaries on all of those DVDs and Blu-rays you still kept (because physical media is king, and trusting big Holly wood studios to keep their content available is for the birds). The documentary on the disc for Taxi Driver is particularly good, and will show you just how barebones a storyboard can be—especially since Scorsese can’t draw worth anything.

Pick your locations, and make sure you have all the right permission you need to shoot. Did you know that in Salt Lake City, you don’t actually need a permit to shoot unless your cast and crew happens to be larger than 3? That’s just enough for you, a camera and a couple of actors any where on public property.

Then you’ll want to get to editing your short film. Adobe Premiere and Final Cut are the two industry standards there (though after Final Cut X, most people seemed to default over to Adobe). Just about any computer these days can run them, and they’re actually quite simple to use. Anything you can think of that you want to do has a YouTube tutorial for it.

Want to add camera shake? Film grain?

Special effects? Just Google it, and some wizard of indie filmmaking will have a step-by-step process for you that’s easy as pie to follow.

When your film is done, that’s when you send it around to film festivals like Sundance. You probably won’t get in … but maybe you will.

It doesn’t matter, though. You don’t need a film festival to tell you that you had a great time telling stories and making your soul grow. That’s a reward all on its own. CW

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theESSENTIALS JANUARY 18-24, 2024

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Pioneer Theatre Co.: Native Gardens

BW PRODUCTIONS

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” poet Robert Frost famously wrote—but based on political realities, you’d have to believe that “something” isn’t “people.” We’re quite fond of defining who should be on one side or another of a border, and creating structures that define the limits of our land. That notion of walls becomes a potent allegory in Karen Zacarías’ 2016 play Native Gardens, currently making its Utah premiere at Pioneer Theatre Co. The story involves next-door neighbors in an upscale Washington D.C. suburb.

Frank and Virginia Butley, an elderly white couple, have lived in their home for years, with Frank devoting most of his time to his carefully manicured garden; Tania and Pablo Del Valle are a younger Latinx couple expecting their first child. When Pablo decides to replace the fence between their two yards, he discovers that their property line extends farther than they initially believed—into Frank’s beloved garden.

As Zacarías said in an interview with Portland Center Stage, “People are constantly making judgments, and sometimes they don’t go on the generous side—they’re assuming the worst of someone. The play ended up becoming a symbol of what’s going on in our country, a way to be able to talk about important topics like entitlement, white privilege, and the border through the lens of horticulture, and make it funny.”

Native Gardens runs at Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) through Jan. 27, with performances Monday-Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., and 2 p.m., Saturday matinee. Tickets are $42-$58; visit pioneertheatre.org for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

UTAH OPERA

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There are many ways to tell that a production has struck a chord with an audience. One such example came in June 2020, as the initial months of the COVID pandemic disrupted life arts performances, and Utah Opera turned to a streaming recorded presentation of its January 2019 production of The Little Prince as a way to keep opera-lovers engaged. “The opera was an immediate hit with our audience and community and is arguably one of the most successful Utah Opera presentations in the company’s history,” Utah Opera artistic director Christopher McBeth said at the time.

Now at last, Utah Opera offers a return in-person presentation of The Little Prince, the 2003 operatic adaptation of the classic 1943 Antoione de Saint-Exupéry book, created by Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman and writer Nicholas Wright. The familiar plot follows the story of a pilot who crashes in the desert, and encounters a young child who offers unique lessons along with the story of his life, as he attempts to find his way back to his beloved rose. Utah Opera’s production featured singers from the Madeline Choir School, director Tara Faircloth returns to oversee the production, and Utah Symphony Associate Conductor Benjamin Manis leads the orchestra.

Utah Opera’s presentation of Rachel Portman and Nicholas Wright’s The Little Prince returns to the J.Q. Lawson Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) for five performances: Jan. 20 and Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.; and Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18.50 - $110; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

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Utah Opera: The Little Prince

theESSENTIALS JANUARY 18-24, 2024

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,

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Modern West Gallery: Lake Effect

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DIANE TUFT

The record low levels reached by the Great Salt Lake in 2022 caused alarm in the environmental community, moving Utah politicians into emergency action.

With the lake facing an existential crisis—one that has ripple effects extending through ecosystems and into our air quality and other human impacts—it’s not surprising that local and national artists have been moved to explore the subject. Modern West Gallery’s new exhibition Lake Effect finds six artists using their work to consider the importance of the lake and the need to save it.

Participating artists include Modern West Gallery represented artists Al Denyer, Tom Judd, Eric Overton and Diane Tuft (her 2022 color pigment print “Journey’s End” is pictured), in addition to local artist Alexandra Fuller, whose new photography series Dissolution includes handmade salt prints. Additionally, Lake Effect will showcase artwork and writing from Terry Tempest Williams. “If we can shift our view of Great Salt Lake from a lake to be avoided to a lake we cherish; from a body of wasted water to an ancient body of wisdom,” writes Williams. “... not to exploit, dam, and dike, but to honor and respect as a sovereign body, our relationship and actions toward the lake will be transformative.”

Lake Effect runs at Modern West Gallery (412 S. 700 West, SLC) Jan. 19-March 2, with an opening reception 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19. In conjunction with the exhibition, Modern West will also host a community panel titled Creative Call to Action to Save Our Great Salt Lake, Saturday, Jan. 20, noon-2 p.m. For regular gallery hours and additional event information, visit modernwestfineart.com. (SR)

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Rewind Vo lu me 2 2 : 2005 t o 20 0 6 years of

salt lake

CITY WEEKLY

BY WES LONG wlong@cityweekly.net

“H

took a look at the burgeoning mixed martial arts scene, and Stephen Dark wrote stories about Huntsville’s now-shuttered Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity as well as the origins of Salt Lake’s modern sewer system.

Life in Utah was indeed “elevated,” to use a word from the state’s new (and maligned) branding slogan. The jury’s still out on whether we should have left that particular annal blank for posterity.

Remembering Vol. 22: In the paper

Director Ang Lee’s award-finning film Brokeback Mountain debuted in late 2005.

But a rather sorry controversy was generated locally when the film was abruptly pulled from scheduled screenings at the Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres in Sandy.

“Miller owns the complex and can show whatever films he chooses,” commented John Saltas on Jan. 12. “But by booking the film in the first place, then canceling the showing at the last minute, he clearly inconvenienced and enraged some people.”

The cancellation was reportedly brought on after Miller learned of the gay cowboy drama’s plot during a radio interview. His decision brought unwelcome publicity to the state and generated a local boycott of Miller-owned businesses. Miller later admitted his “knee-jerk reaction” was a mistake to The Salt Lake Tribune in 2007, adding: “You have to choose your spots to draw your lines, and I didn’t choose a very good one.”

Ben Fulton noted on Jan. 12 that the film hadn’t exactly been suppressed from the public, as it was still playing at other Utah venues. “As it is, Brokeback Mountain leaves the gay community looking desperate and Larry Miller looking silly,” Fulton added.

“The real casualty is the film itself, which needs no one to advocate its many virtues, never mind the fearful who deride it without so much as seeing it. It stands on its own and speaks to anyone who’s grown up or lived in the American West.”

Fulton closed his editorial with this: “It’s a sign of the times that people on the left and right expect so much from a movie. Americans have become so insular we barely react anymore to events or people in other parts of the world, but to the latest sensational movie in our neighborhood, and the opinion our neighbor has about that movie. How very safe. How very boring.”CW

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“These are the shock troops of the virulently anti-immigrant Utah Minuteman Project,” began Ted McDonough’s July 21 cover story of 2005. “They gathered through the magic of talk radio under a ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ banner, grasping Old Glory and handdrawn protest signs: ‘Bush: Close Our Borders Before Iraq.’”

The Minutemen Project—on whose actions McDonough was reporting after they protested local banks serving Mexican immigrants—was finding some success despite their limited numbers. They received media coverage for their armed “guarding”

In the Megaplex?

| CITY WEEKLY |

En la comunidad

thing like it in the City of Salt,” wrote Bob Trujillo in an April 20 letter. “For nearly an hour, I stood on the sidewalk and watched the people march by. From one sidewalk to the other, a sea of brown faces. … It stirred my soul. It still does.”

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City Weekly underwent more changes—and not just because we were now on MySpace.

After a decade of writing a monthly column, Bruce Baird bade farewell in the “Voices” section. Phil Jacobsen, who had contributed a feature called “Grain of Salt” earlier in the decade, returned with a new column on nightclubs and bars called “Temporary Membership.” Nigel Thames, a local metal singer, also began contributing a monthly advice column called “Dear Rockstar.”

“Life in Hell,” “Zippy,” “The City,” and the cartoons of Lynda Barry—all longtime mainstays in the paper—were retired. Elsewhere in the paper, new sections appeared, such as Shane Johnson’s police feature “Blotter Fodder,” the humorous deadpan of the “Ocho” list, short takes from local citizens telling it “The Way It Is” and a new showcase for former missionaries to share insights and adventures of life outside of Utah. This being City Weekly, said showcase was dubbed “The Missionary Position.”

trips down to the Arizona/Mexico border as well as successfully backing legislation to yank driver-license privileges and repeal in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants and their children.

Oscar Faria, speaking to Naomi Zeveloff in a companion piece to McDonough’s article, drew on his faith when he considered the panic over immigration typified by groups like the Minutemen. “There are fabulous things coming for the immigrants,” Faria said. “In their path, there must be opposition. The night for the day, the darkness for the light. We don’t know what good is unless we know what bad is. We can’t know success without failure.”

In a year of stories that often touched upon Utah’s Latino population—capped off

by Mexican President Vicente Fox’s historic visit to Utah—both darkness and light were on display in the Beehive State. Nevertheless, the vibrant humanity of the community at large, like the artworks of such creatives as Pilar Pobil and Guillermo Colmenero—as profiled by Stephen Dark on March 9—was getting public notice and respect.

This was most dramatically seen with the April 9 Dignity March of 2006, which gathered to push for immigration reform granting legal status to undocumented workers.

Students from several Salt Lake County schools had already protested with a walkout days before, and the April 9 march was to register solidarity with the immigrant population on an even grander scale. At approximately 43,000 participants, it was then the largest march in state history.

“Most of those marching were either Hispanic or Latino,” John Saltas reported on April 13. “They were joined by ‘compadres’ of many stripes. Most of those expressing ‘estan de acuerdo’ were not fearful of deportation, though. That cannot be said of many in that march walking publicly with full knowledge that they could be yanked from the street and sent back from whence they came—mostly from areas south of the Rio Grande.”

Minutemen, vastly outnumbered, attended the event as well. Their presence quite literally paled before the joyful and dignified occasion. “I’ve never seen any-

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

appy the People whose Annals are blank in History Books,” mused Thomas Carlyle with an aphorism attributed to the philosopher Montesquieu. Perhaps there are those who find a sufficiently stable and harmonious existence that they have little cause for appearing in the recorded doings of their day. Or maybe the general recordkeeping just sucked.

Neither appeared to be the case for the denizens of our beloved Beehive during City Weekly’s 22nd year. The paper followed comings and goings, advances and setbacks and fights and celebrations of varying sizes.

These were times when Hurricane Katrina evacuees touched down at Camp Williams and President George W. Bush’s visit to Salt Lake was met with a protest in Pioneer Park.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. vetoed a plan to double the size of Envirocare (later EnergySolutions) despite efforts by Draper’s state Sen. Howard Stephenson to remove gubernatorial signoff. And after a costly lawsuit, the Legacy Parkway controversy was settled with a compromise that resulted in a downscaled road and 2,200 acres of wetland preserve.

Then-state Sen. Chris Buttars (1942-2018) was running wild with bills pushing creationism and banning gay-straight alliance clubs; computer pitchman Dell Schanze was speeding through neighborhoods and brandishing weapons; and 90 officers in assault gear raided an event at a Spanish Fork Canyon ranch for not having the Utah County Commission’s permission to operate.

Walmart got its way, placing a store on Sandy’s then-undeveloped gravel pit despite local opposition. The Salt Lake Bees got their original 1915 name back after decades under other monikers. A compromise hate-crimes bill was finally passed after many years of effort. And more than 40 religious leaders—led by Carolyn Tanner Irish (1940-2021), then-Episcopal bishop of Utah—condemned the use of torture on U.S. war prisoners.

On top of which, there were unique stories covered by our writers, such as Ted McDonough’s article on Utah’s Greek-owned burger establishments and Carolyn Campbell’s investigation into violence and abuse against the city’s homeless. Angie Mathews

14 | JANUARY 18, 2024

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Sundance Film Festival celebrates four decades of groundbreaking independent film.

By Scott Renshaw

scottr@cityweekly.net

Hairspray

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1987: River’s Edge

1986: Desert Hearts

1988: Hairspray

The first festival under the Sundance banner hadn’t yet achieved the cachet where it could expect all world-premieres; this nasty little film noir from a pair of first-time filmmaking brothers named Joel and Ethan Coen actually made its debut the previous fall at the New York Film Festival. It did, however, end up winning the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, providing a boost for the Coens as they subsequently built one of the most critically acclaimed bodies of work of the past 40 years.

John Waters was certainly known to some in cult-film circles for his features Pink Flamingos and Polyester, but made his way into the sort-of-mainstream with a lively comedy about 1960s teenagers fighting against racial segregation. Its pop-culture footprint has been a long one, including the subsequent development of a popular stage musical adaptation and a later film version of that musical.

JANUARY 18, 2024 | 15

In the mid-1980s, the idea of a “queer cinema” still wasn’t all that easy to imagine. Director Donna Deitch and screenwriter Natalie Cooper’s adaptation of a 1964 novel—about the romantic relationship between a soon-to-be divorced professor and a Reno casino worker— was one of the first stories about a lesbian relationship that didn’t sensationalize its subject matter, earning a Sundance Special Jury Prize in the process.

Technically, this film launched the previous fall at the Toronto Film Festival, but it certainly exemplified the Sundance spirit in its psychologically complex story of a group of California teens dealing with the revelation that one of their friends has murdered his girlfriend. Director Tim Hunter went on to direct episodes of the legendary Twin Peaks, and the casting provided showcases for then-unfamiliar faces like Keanu Reeves and Ione Skye.

| CITY WEEKLY |

1985: Blood Simple

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They say that 50 is the new 40, and perhaps that notion applies to the Sundance Film Festival: It’s reached a milestone age but still seems pretty frisky—and not remotely over the hill.

The intervening four decades have seen the Utah-based celebration once known as the U.S. Film & Video Festival become a cultural phenomenon, providing a kick-start for the American independent film industry and launching innumerable careers in front of and behind the camera.

As part of our celebration of the 40th Sundance Film Festival—running from Jan. 18 to Jan. 28—we thought it would be fun to look back and pick a film that defined previous festival installments. There are arguments to be made for and against each pick as representative, but if nothing else, it’s a reminder of how much contemporary cinema has been influenced by what happens in Park City every January.

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1989: sex, lies and videotape

We could haggle over when exactly Sundance became a brand name, but I’ll put my money on the emergence of Steven Soderbergh’s debut feature, a psychological drama about … well, what the title says. It rode the buzz out of Sundance to a Palme d’Or win at that year’s Cannes Film Festival, and then an Oscar nomination for Soderbergh’s original screenplay.

40 SUNDANCE

sex, lies, and videotape

1990: Longtime Companion

One of the tougher calls, since this year included feature debuts from the likes of Hal Hartley, Reginald Hudlin and Whit Stillman. But director Norman René’s chronicle of a group of gay men in the 1980s brought the AIDS epidemic to a wider audience, and featured a sensational Oscar-nominated performance by Bruce Davison.

1991: Paris Is Burning

Americans are still apparently unsure how to handle the concept of drag and gender nonconformity. But more than 30 years ago, Jennie Livingston’s groundbreaking documentary film peeked into the world of New York “house” culture, vogueing and an entire subculture of gay people of color most of the world had no idea existed.

Subsequent support from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel helped boost the profile of this fascinating feature.

1992: Reservoir Dogs

The Sundance jury wasn’t quite ready for the combination of jagged tough-guy banter and shocking violence that would turn Quentin Tarantino into a cinematic adjective inspiring dozens of copycats. This story of a bank heist gone wrong still launched the career of one of the most influential filmmakers of the 1990s, setting the stage for the electrifying follow-up of Pulp Fiction.

1993: El Mariachi

Reservoir Dogs

The legend of how writer/director Robert Rodriguez got this film made—getting paid to participate in medical experiments to raise the $7,000 budget—is almost as famous as the film itself, which ultimately made more than $1 million at the box office. Rodgriguez subsequently turned the story of a guitar-case-wielding gunman into a minifranchise, and has built much of his career on innovative, DIY approaches to features like his popular Spy Kids movies.

El Mariachi

1994: Clerks

Before he was a ubiquitous pop-culture personality, Kevin Smith was just a guy from New Jersey looking to make an episodic comedy about feeling lost in a mundane job at a convenience store. Its $27,000 budget turned into $4 million at the U.S. box office, and launched a long life in several sequels for the characters of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith).

1995: The Usual Suspects

Not gonna lie, folks: There are a couple of big reasons why this movie hasn’t aged particularly well, namely the allegations of sexual misconduct that effectively ended the careers of director Bryan Singer and co-star Kevin Spacey. But it’s impossible to deny what a sensation it was at the time as one of those “don’t you dare spoil the ending” indie hits, largely thanks the inventive (and Oscar-winning) screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, who would eventually take over the Mission: Impossible franchise.

1996: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky explored a controversial case involving three young men convicted of murder, perhaps because their conservative community believed they were devil-worshippers. The film itself was fascinating as both procedural and character study, and not only yielded two equally gripping followup films—2000’s Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and 2011’s Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory— but likely lit the fire that ultimately led to the release of the “West Memphis Three.”

1997: In the Company of Men

A Brigham Young University alum playwright named Neil LaBute adapted one of his student films into this psychological drama about a pair of co-workers who form an alliance to seduce (and emotionally destroy) a Deaf female subordinate. The screenplay subsequently won an Indie Spirit Award, and the film also introduced in the lead role a young former BYU classmate of LaBute’s—Aaron Eckhart, who has gone on to a marquee Hollywood career.

Clerks

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1998: Smoke Signals

Sundance’s long history of supporting Indigenous voices includes this winner of a festival Filmmaker’s Trophy, with director Chris Eyre and screenwriter Sherman Alexie adapting Alexie’s short-story collection about life on Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Reservation. It also provided a boost in visibility for young actor Adam Beach, who would subsequently get noteworthy roles in HBO’s Big Love, the film Suicide Squad and more.

40 SUNDANCE

The Blair Witch Project

1999: The Blair Witch Project

The more time passes, the more improbable it seems as a pop-culture phenomenon.

This micro-budget horror film introduced most audiences to the low-tech “found footage” format, with an enigmatic ending that left as many viewers angry as jittery with terror. But by creating a rich mythology around a possible supernatural presence in the Maryland woods, and three student filmmakers whose attempt to chronicle that mythology turns into a nightmare, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez provided a template for “viral marketing” before anyone had ever heard of the term, creating a box-office smash in the process.

2000: You Can Count on Me

Playwright Kenneth Lonergan made his feature film writer/director debut with this unassuming drama about adult siblings Sammy (Laura Linney) and Terry (Mark Ruffalo), orphaned in their childhood, trying to navigate their differing life paths. In addition to landing a couple of Oscar nominations (for Lonergan’s original screenplay and for lead actress Linney), You Can Count on Me also notably provided the first breakout role for Ruffalo as the often-troubled Terry.

Memento

2001: Memento

Sundance wasn’t actually the Park City-based film festival that first showed director Christopher Nolan’s work—that would be Slamdance, which programmed Nolan’s 1999 debut feature Following—but this psychological thriller certainly provided a coming-out party. Its twisty-turny plot involving a man with short-term amnesia (Guy Pearce) underlined the complexity of Nolan’s storytelling, and the original screenplay (written with his brother Jonathan) became his first Oscar nomination. Over the next two decades, he would make some of the most critically and financially successful American movies of their time.

The Station Agent

2002: Better Luck Tomorrow

The studious, straight-arrow stereotype of Asian-American students got a terrific skewering in this edgy thriller about a group of Southern California friends who start dabbling in criminal activity. Director Justin Lin used the critical success of Better Luck Tomorrow as a launching pad onto the Hollywood directing A-list, including several entries in the Fast & Furious series.

2003: The Station Agent

It’s the kind of story that almost feels stereotypically Sundance-y, with its quirky relationships and oddball premise, involving a man with dwarfism heading to an inherited abandoned train depot to escape the world. But it provided an unexpected leading role for Peter Dinklage, who has subsequently become an acclaimed, award-winning actor. And not for nothing, it was also character actor Tom McCarthy’s first feature effort behind the camera—and he would go on to direct the Best Picture-winning Spotlight.

2004: Saw

Twenty years later, they’re still digging into new stories about the moralist serial torturer known as Jigsaw. Director James Wan and co-writer Leigh Whannell fashioned a captivating premise—people set up in elaborate Rube Goldberg contraptions as punishment for their sins, with a killer who technically doesn’t really kill anyone. After multiple sequels, the franchise continues, and Wan has gone on to a successful directing career including entries in the Fast & Furious, The Conjuring and Aquaman franchises.

2005: The Puffy Chair

It’s a bit of an obscure choice, especially in a year that also included Brick (the feature debut of future The Last Jedi/Knives Out auteur Rian Johnson) and Junebug (which marked the first Oscar nomination for Amy Adams). But brothers Mark and Jay Duplass—who had borrowed money from their parents to make their shaggily comedic road movie—staked out their unique sensibility in the “mumblecore” movement, and went on to found a successful production company for both for their own projects and a new generation of indie creators.

Saw

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Little Miss Sunshine

2006: Little Miss Sunshine

If you were there in the audience for the premiere screening of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ comedy—about a dysfunctional family road-tripping cross-country to get their young daughter to the finals of a beauty pageant—you knew it was going to be a hit with audiences. Fox Searchlight’s $10.5 million acquisition deal brought Little Miss Sunshine out into theaters, where it earned more than $100 million worldwide and four Oscar nominations, including wins for Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) and Original Screenplay (Michael Arndt).

2007: Once

It wasn’t the most likely candidate to be a breakout hit, considering it was by a director, John Carney, better known for his career as a musician, and it starred two other musicians, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. But the gentle, Dublin-set story about two lonely souls connecting through song was a revelation, and the centerpiece love ballad “Falling Slowly” went on to earn a Best Original Song Academy Award. The story subsequently became the book for a Broadway musical adaptation, expanding the audience for this wistful drama.

2008: In Bruges

Martin McDonagh took his unique sensibility from stage to screen for this hilariously tart-tongued story of two professional killers (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) laying low in Bruges, Belgium, while their employer tries to clean up the mess of a hit gone wrong. McDonagh’s original screenplay went on to earn an Oscar nomination, and the creative partnership between filmmaker and two co-stars would be re-kindled when they reunited for the critically acclaimed The Banshees of Inisherin.

2009: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire

Funny story: It debuted at Sundance under the title Push, which then had to be changed to avoid confusion with a sci-fi super-power movie of the same name. That didn’t have any effect on the long-term success of director Lee Daniels’ adaptation of the story about a Black teenager trying to overcome poverty, illiteracy and abuse, as it made its way into that year’s Oscar race with four nominations, and it scored wins for the adapted screenplay and for Mo’Nique’s Best Supporting Actress performance.

Once Winter’s Bone

2010: Winter’s Bone

To be clear, Winter’s Bone didn’t technically “introduce” Jennifer Lawrence, who had been building a résumé including a teenage stint on the Bill Engvall Show. But Debra Granik’s terrific adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s novel gave the then-20-year-old Lawrence a showcase role as Ree, who tries to save the family home when her ne’er-do-well father disappears while out on bail. The makings of a star were immediately evident, as Lawrence’s performance landed her the first of many Oscar nominations to come.

2011: Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

You could create an entire list out of Sundance short films that became calling cards for later features, or which otherwise heralded future filmmaking greatness. The stopmotion short film involving a talking googly-eyed shell, created by then-real-life couple Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate, introduced the charming character who would go on to headline an Oscar-nominated 2021 feature—one in which the original short film played a key role as a driver of the plot.

2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild

A singular work that somehow mixed fantasy with edgy realism, this adaptation of a Lucy Alibar play by Alibar and director Benh Zeitlin explored a Louisiana bayou community through the eyes of 6-year-old Hushpuppy, magnificently played by Quvenzhané Wallis.

Wallis went on to become the youngest-ever nominee for a Best Actress Oscar, while the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Fruitvale Station

2013: Fruitvale Station

It’s one of the toughest years to narrow down a single choice, since it also included the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and the debate-setting documentary Blackfish. But an undeniable legacy emerged from this dramatization of the final hours in the life of Oscar Grant III (Michael B. Jordan), who was killed by police in a Bay Area transit station on New Year’s day 2009. Jordan’s charismatic performance brought him to subsequent stardom working with director Ryan Coogler on Black Panther and Creed, and Coogler’s Black Panther remains the biggest box-office hit ever by a Black director.

40 SUNDANCE

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2014: Whiplash

40 SUNDANCE

Here’s one of those “alumni twice over” cases, since the year before, it appeared in the form of an 18-minute short. The feature version of that story—involving a jazz drumming student and his relationship with a brutally strict conductor of the program’s studio band—went on to earn three Academy Awards, including J.K. Simmons’ Supporting Actor Oscar as the teacher. It also marked the feature debut of writer/director Damien Chazelle, who just two years later would become the youngest-ever Best Director Oscar-winner, for La La Land.

2015: Tangerine

Other features from this year might have made more of an impression financially, and the documentary How to Dance in Ohio even inspired a Broadway musical. But Sean Baker’s feature about the life and loves of a transgender sex worker made a splash not just because of its strong performances and the sensitivity with which Baker handled his subject, but for the fact that it was shot entirely on iPhones, marking yet another example of indie film knocking down barriers to entry. Baker subsequently went on to make the acclaimed The Florida Project.

Tangerine Whiplash

2016: The Birth of a Nation

Here’s a rare example in this list of a movie that provides more of a cautionary tale, but it was unquestionably the story that dominated that year’s festival. Co-writer/ director Nate Parker’s dramatization of the 1831 Nat Turner slave rebellion audaciously appropriated the title of D. W. Griffith’s infamous love letter to the KKK, and the film seemed on its way to awards glory after a massive distribution deal. Then stories re-emerged about Parker’s involvement in an alleged sexual assault and alleged harassment of the woman who made the claim, and who ultimately died by suicide. The controversy effectively ended the movie’s hopes for mainstream success.

2017: Call Me by Your Name

Director Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of André Aciman’s novel was likely to be provocative, considering it involves an affair between an adult man and a 17-yearold, as well as a rather memorable consumption of a peach. The melancholy drama did strike a chord, however, earning an Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay by the legendary James Ivory, as well as a Best Actor nomination for its young star, a fellow named Timothée Chalamet who would go on to have some small amount of success in Hollywood.

CODA

2018: Hereditary

Here’s a rare case of a Sundance movie that was also shot in Park City, as director Ari Aster used the mountain environment to add to the atmosphere in his creepy tale of a family dealing with tragedy and a dark family legacy. At the time, it became the most successful theatrical release ever for A24 films, and launched Aster’s career as one of the most original American directors of creepy cinema.

2019: American Factory

Sundance has always been at the forefront of nonfiction film, to the point that seven of the past 11 Academy Award winners for Best Documentary feature have been Sundance premieres. Coming in the middle of that stretch was this fascinating fly-on-the-wall study of a Chinese company opening a factory on the site of a shuttered General Motors plant in Ohio, permitting a remarkable story of culture clash between economic superpowers.

2020: Minari

Lee Isaac Chung’s family drama landed both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award with its sensitive perspective on the immigrant experience of the “American Dream.” Its success extended into Oscar season, with six nominations including Best Picture, and a Supporting Actress win for Youn Yuh-jung as the Korean matriarch adapting to American life.

2021: CODA

Sundance’s first COVID year produced a pair of Oscar-winners: Best Documentary Summer of Soul and this drama, which became the first-ever Sundance premiere to take Best Picture. Writer/director Siân Heder’s story of a young woman navigating her responsibilities to her Deaf parents was a bona fide crowd-pleaser that emerged in a year with little opportunity to play for crowds, and also landed a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Troy Kotsur.

2022: Navalny

Daniel Roher’s documentary profile of the Russian opposition leader took the form of a real-life detective story, exploring not just the life of Alexander Navalny but the circumstances surrounding his near-death from exposure to a nerve agent in 2020. It was one of the year’s most extraordinary movie sequences in which a prank phone call effectively exposed proof of an assassination attempt by a world leader.

2023: 20 Days in Mariupol

In a remarkable example of a documentary capturing a moment we’re still in the middle of, Mstyslav Chernov’s chronicle of the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, focused on the city of Mariupol. Beyond the urgency of the you-are-there wartime footage, it offered direct contradiction of propaganda campaigns, while also yielding evidence for the essential role of battlefield journalism.

2024:

Well now, we don’t know yet what this one will be, do we? That’s why so many of us get excited for it every year: You never know what discovery will change the world of filmmaking forever. CW

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JANUARY 18, 2024 | 23

cators and artists—juggle multiple roles as they meticulously assess and discuss the films. This dedication and multitasking cannot be overlooked; it’s what makes Slamdance the unique and vibrant community that it is.

I’ve made it a priority to respect and uphold the cherished traditions of Slamdance, which have always been at the core of our identity.

However, I’ve also taken the opportunity to add my own touch to our legacy by infusing a renewed commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. By weaving these values into the fabric of our tradition, I aim to honor our past while ushering in a more inclusive and diverse era for independent filmmakers within the Slamdance community.

“The heartbeat of Slamdance undeniably lies within our programmers and filmmakers.

They are the lifeblood of this community.”—Taylor Miller

Slam First-year Slamdance Festival director Taylor Miller discusses her new role.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The Slamdance Film Festival also returns to Park City in 2024, with a new festival director, Taylor Miller. Via email, Miller talked about her new role and this year’s festival program.

CW: Have the COVID years and their aftermath resulted in fundamental shifts in the way Slamdance thinks about how best to serve and support its filmmakers?

TM: The past few years have offered an opportunity for Slamdance to reassess its core mission in light of the challenges posed by the pandemic. The emergence of our online festival during this time was not just a response to necessity, but a reimagining of how we serve and support filmmakers.

It represents a departure from the traditional model, emphasizing accessibility in a new way.

We have decentered our previous notions and embraced a more fluid and interconnected approach to engaging with filmmakers and audiences worldwide. We are willing to keep learning from each other, and ourselves.

City Weekly: With any new job, there are things that shake out the way you’d expect them to, and some surprises that you might not have initially considered as part of the job. What has surprised you most about what you’re called to do in your role?

Taylor Miller: What surprised me most … was the overwhelming support I received from so many people.

In so many ways, it confirmed what I already knew. The unwavering dedication and passion of our team and programmers, as well as the meticulous planning involved, have only reinforced my appreciation for this incredible community. Without fail, each year, I have the privilege of encountering films or collections of films that are truly unparalleled, pushing the boundaries of creativity in ways I could never have anticipated. It’s a constant source of exhilaration and fulfillment in my role as the festival director.

CW: You’re obviously not brandnew to the Slamdance family. In what ways did your previous roles with Slamdance provide you with the foundation for this new role?

TM: My journey within the Slamdance family is deeply rooted in a passion for storytelling, instilled in me and my siblings growing up in Kentucky by both of our parents.

From my earliest days in programming in 2010 to my roles as festival manager of Slamdance Miami and co-founder of Slamdance Unstop-

COURTESY SLAMDANCE

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CINEMA

pable in the challenging year of 2020, this passion has been a guiding force. It’s a testament to the enduring influence of my parents and siblings, which now extends to my role as festival director, where I have the privilege of championing and celebrating the storytelling talents of independent filmmakers all over the world.

CW: A new director could choose varying degrees between staying the course with the way things have

been done vs. wanting to put your personal stamp on things. Where did you decide to place yourself on that spectrum?

TM: The heartbeat of Slamdance undeniably lies within our programmers and filmmakers. They are the lifeblood of this community, and I hold profound respect for their dedication. It’s a deeply personal and committed endeavor, often carried out behind the scenes.

Many of our programmers—brilliant filmmakers themselves, edu-

CW: What stands out for you about the program that Slamdance has put together for 2024?

TM: This program transcends geographical borders, presenting a global resonance through the intimate lens of each filmmaker.

The films cease to be mere representations; they become realities themselves, evoking a profound sense of connection and shared humanity, exemplifying the postmodern fusion of the personal and the universal.

This synthesis allows the audience to connect with individual experiences on a personal level while also recognizing the common threads of humanity that bind us all together, making it a truly inclusive and relatable lineup. CW

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HASH KITCHEN 264 E. 12300 South 385-463-3608 hashkitchen.com

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hen I first read Kitchen Confidential— Anthony Bourdain’s classic memoir about life as a professional chef—I was fascinated by the late chef and author’s take on brunch. If you’ve followed Bourdain’s work at all, you’ll know that Sunday brunch occupied a place of absolute derision in his estimation—and it honestly turned me off of brunch altogether.

In the 23 years since Kitchen Confidential was published, however, brunchspecific restaurants have turned this mid-morning meal into a trendy concept, which makes me think the meal is up for a thorough reexamination. This culinary quest led me to Hash Kitchen, which recently opened in Draper thanks to the Savory Fund, a local investment firm that brought us the likes of Houston Hot Chicken and Via 313. This Arizona-based restaurant represents peak post-millennial brunch culture to a T, so it seemed like a good focal point for this important work of gastronomic anthropology.

I think it’s safe to say that things have changed for brunch since Bourdain’s initial skewering of the concept. His primary criticism was based on non-brunch restaurants that used Sunday brunch to peddle leftovers and break in their second-string staff. Since Hash Kitchen is all brunch, all the time, there’s no concern that they’re using sub-par ingredients or staff. I do sometimes wonder about how

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

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Benedict fans to check out Cristina’s Tamale Cakes ($15) or the Elote ($17). I can’t get enough of a Benedict that swaps the English muffin out for something—anything—else, so this is one area where Hash Kitchen really brings the creativity.

On the sweeter side of things, diners can choose from pillowy Gangster Souffle Cakes, French toast or waffles. I went with the banana split French toast, and was delighted to see two enormously thick slabs of brioche topped with berries and a caramelized banana. It’s quite a sight to behold on its own, but the addition of a waffle cone filled with sweet, creamy mascarpone put the presentation over the edge.

You’ve got to do some serious deconstruction to this monolith of sweetened brioche—the French toast itself tastes like a good cinnamon roll dough—but it’s worth it. A bite with a bit of mascarpone and a bit of that caramelized banana is brunch incarnate. I found myself wanting more of the mascarpone as I devoured my way through this Arc de Triomphe of a dish, as it helped even out the sweetness of the syrup and berries.

While I think Hash Kitchen could use a bit of balance between its style and substance, this Arizona import makes a nice addition to our dining scene. You get a pretty decent bang for your buck, the service is quick and friendly, and it’s got no shortage of baller backdrops for those who enjoy taking pictures of their food.

It’s also one of the only places where you can make a Bloody Mary that looks like a Dale Chihuly sculpture while indulging in a birria fix, so it’s got curing a hangover covered. Isn’t that the true objective of a good brunch, after all? CW

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Draper’s Hash Kitchen is your new brunchtime hotspot.

spectacle and social media-friendliness became integrated with the brunch concept; Hash Kitchen is awash in glittery decor, disco balls and witty catchphrases, which makes for a beautiful (if not somewhat contrived) space.

Spectacle carries over into Hash Kitchen’s menu, which features amenities like build-your-own Bloody Marys—come in after 11 a.m. if you want yours boozy— with more than 50 toppings to choose from and a DIY doughnut bar. This flair for the dramatic also features heavily in each entree, which does make for some pretty tasty Instagram pics. If you’ve read my column with any degree of consistency, you’ll know that bells and whistles like this automatically put my guard up.

I love a place that gushes with style, but only if it tastes as good as it looks.

I was after something from both the sweet and savory sides of Hash Kitchen’s menu, so I started off with the Brunch Birria Bao Buns ($19). Maybe it was the alliteration that got me, or maybe it was the idea of starting my day with some cross-continental fusion. Either way, this is a solid bet for fans of eggs Benedict, as that’s where the foundation of this dish comes from. The soft, pillowy bao dough gets folded over a sizable dose of beef birria, and gets topped with an egg made-to-order, hollandaise and some pickled onion. Naturally, this dish comes with a bowl of beef cosomme, and you’re welcome to try and pick these tasty bao bois up for a dip—just make sure you have your napkins handy. Overall, I liked this dish; it’s a good riff on a traditional Benedict while incorporating a trendy moment like birria and bao into something cohesive and tasty.

Those who want a more traditional Benedict are in luck, as Hash Kitchen’s Friends with Benedicts menu section has plenty of great options. Melina’s ($14) is the most traditional, but I’d encourage

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark Mexican Lager

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Down the Road - West Coast IPA

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: ESB - English Amber

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 So. 300 West #100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: You-Tah Coffee Uncommon

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Dog Tag IPA Third Tour (Vet Blend Hops)

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Golden Sprocket Wit

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale Chappell Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer On Tap: Collaboration with Cupla Coffee.

Tweek - Coffee Pale Ale

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Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord - Dark Lager Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: La Playa-Mexican Style lager Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

BEER + PIZZA = <3

SUN-THU: 11am - 10pm • FRI-SAT: 11am - 11pm

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Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

TWO LOCATIONS

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Orange & Cardamom Resolutions Cider 6.9% Abv Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com On Tap: Salt City Haze Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: Cached Out Hefeweisen -Now available to go!

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com Proper Brewing: SLC Pils - Pilsner Proper Burger: Salted Caramel Porter Porter Brewed with Caramel and Salt

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street, Helper, UT helperbeer.com

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com On Tap: YRJB - Juicy IPA

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Raspberry Gose

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA – the name says it all!

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Deep Dive Series - Rice Lager Draft Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Huldra and Holle: Rum barrel aged Imperial Stout with Chaga Mushroom Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: ETTA PLACE WASSAIL 8.8% ABV Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Pear Pink Peppercorn & Tarragon Cider Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Foggy Goggle Winter Lager Live Music: Thursdays

saltlakebrewingco.com/squatters On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.’s Grandma’s Cookies Nitro Stout Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com On Tap: Tree Beard IPA w Fresh Spruce Tips and Simcone, Citra & Ekeanot Hops Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Wake-Up Call Coffee Stout. Collab with KBER 101 and Kings Peak coffee.

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Bananza Hefeweizen TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Dunkel Lager Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Witches Brew Top of Main Brewing 250 Main, Park City, Utah saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch On Tap: Top of Main’s Warmer Winter Spiced Ale Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Golden Grant 5% ABV. Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale

Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch On Tap: Top of Main’s Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde Ale

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC

Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

JUICY IPA 7.2%

28 | JANUARY 18, 2024

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

550 S. 300 W. SUITE 100 SLC 2496 S. WEST TEMPLE, SLC LEVELCROSSINGBREWING.COM @LEVELCROSSINGBREWING

FAMILY-FRIENDLY BREWPUB • BEER STORE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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Formula Fun Changing things up is always a good thing.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Wednesdays 8-11pm

Mon, Thurs, & Sat

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JANUARY 18, 2024 | 29

more as well, as this was definitely the spiciest of Saltfire’s big, dark beers.

While I absolutely loved this beer and my review shows it, unfathomably this was my least favorite of the three barrel-aged dark beers, probably due to the rum. The other barrel treatments added a touch more complexity in flavor to the beer, while this one seemed to add more booziness first and foremost. Regardless, it’s tasty stuff, and it’s getting me out of my bourbon-barrel comfort zone.

Bewilder - I Love Juicy: This version of Bewilder’s NEIPA is hopped with Cryo-Sultana, Citra and the yetunnamed hop HBC 586. Light gold and glowing with a pastel tone and a matte finish on the glass, the HBC 586/Sultana version floats a creamy white froth and a billowing bouquet of citrus, tropical fruit, melon and herb. A light cereal sweetness kicks off the taste with notions of honeysuckle, angel food cake and vanilla wafer.

As those hops open up, the radiant aromas turn fruit to taste with a zesty tangerine and mandarin orange character and is backed with pink grapefruit and lime. With pineapple, mango, passionfruit and papaya coming in next, the middle palate is rife with fruit cocktail flavor. Trending juicy with honeydew, the late taste comes with a balancing bitterness with hints of coconut, currant, hemp, hay and green tea. Medium bodied and trending malty-dry, the beer’s juicy character is plump until the very end, where it dries with a snappy and spicy hop bite. Finishing with a green tea/fresh herb bite, the ale extends with a medium length lingering of bitter verbena and tropical fruit rind.

Verdict: Easy to drink with well-hidden alcohol and a very pleasantly creamy soft/fluffy mouthfeel, this beer proves enjoyable with nice tropical, citrus, coconut, pine hop flavors and aromas. Very effective use of HBC 586, providing a coconut presence without the suntanlotion aspects.

Your best bet for finding these 16-ounce canned ales will of course be at their individual sources. As always, cheers! CW

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altFire - Huldra And Holle: This Imperial Stout is aged in rum barrels, and has chaga mushrooms added to the mix. A thick, dense, black pour produces a two-finger, tight, dark mocha-colored head after a wonderful cascading effect that looks stunning. The head retains really well, and slowly fades to a good full cap. A jet-black body and minimal carbonation are evident. A fuller wisp and ring remain, showing some beautiful swirl patterns after each sip, and leaves some falling dots of lace down the glass. Much like the base beer, all the adjuncts are still there, with a nice roasted malt and molasses base, along with cocoa, vanilla and a nice bit of earthy chili pepper as well. Rum from the barrels also makes an appearance, but the base holds strong here. I would have expected a little more barrel to come through, but the nose is still wonderful.

The barrels seem to have brought out a greater spice component, somehow accentuating the chili peppers. Rum barrel, lots of pepper and earthy mushrooms emerge up front; some roasted malts and molasses are still there, but the spicy notes and alcohol are more prevalent. A bold and persistent aftertaste is boozy with all the spicy notes, cinnamon, some raisins and a touch of dark chocolate as well—all good stuff. The medium body is oily, with low carbonation. It’s creamy on the palate, going down fine with a slightly oily and mouth-coating finish, and a touch lighter than expected because of the low carb.

Verdict: This was really nice for sure.

The barrel doesn’t dominate, though it adds a nice touch of flavor and booze to the mix. Perhaps the rum barrel helped the spicy elements come to life a bit

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BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER |

@captainspringer

Goldener Hirsch Announces New Executive Chef

The team at Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection recently announced that Chef Senthil Krishnamurthy will be taking over as Executive Chef for the popular Deer Valley resort.

Chef Senthil has been a fixture in Utah restaurants for over two decades, holding positions at High West Distillery and Saloon, One-O-Eight Bistro, The Front Climbing Club and Ashoka Cuisines. These experiences brought him to the Goldener Hirsch Restaurant, where his ability to build strong relationships with local farms and thoughtful use of their products led him to the position of Executive Chef. In addition to his responsibilities at Goldener Hirsch, Chef Senthil is an adjunct professor in Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Arts Department. We’re excited to see what he—ahem—brings to the table.

Quarters Arcade Bar Introduces College Night

The Sugar House location of Quarters Arcade Bar (1045 E. 2100 South) recently announced a weekly College Night event on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. This means that in addition to enjoying a stellar menu of craft cocktails and a nostalgic collection of arcade games and pinball, students can get a $5 personal pizza if they show their ID. Though my college days are far behind me, I can safely say that a five-buck personal pizza at a place as cool as Quarters would definitely get my ass in the door on Thursday nights. For all of you U of U and Westminster students in the area, you’re welcome.

Utah Cheese Awards Goes International

As Jan. 20 is National Cheese Lovers Day, it’s only fitting to reveal that our own Utah Cheese Awards (utahcheeseawards.com) has decided to remove geographical constraints from submissions. That means that this year’s event will see products coming in from all over the world.

Utah Cheese Awards founder Steven R. Jerman has said that one of his goals for the cheese awards was longevity, which has been the impetus to invite more dairies and specialty-food producers to the competition. Jerman has also stated that he wants the competition to be Utah-centric, which is why every Utah company can make one entry for free. Entries for this year’s competition begin on May 1, and this year’s event will definitely be one to keep an eye on.

Quote of the Week: “Life is great. Cheese makes it better.” –Avery Aames

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NOW SERVING BRUNCH EVERY SUNDAY

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SINCE

(801).266.4182 | 5370 S. 900 E. SLC italianvillageslc.com

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coppercommon.com • 111 E. Broadway, Suite 190, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Open 7 days a week at 5pm. Sunday brunch from 10:30am-3:00pm

W

e’re only a few weeks into the new year, and there’s already so much incredible new music out from local artists.

One thing is for sure—there’s no way you’ll be bored this time of year when it comes to music. There’s plenty to go around.

The Alpines, Heading North: Throughout 2023, The Alpines gave us bits of their debut album Heading North here and there.

We got glimpses of what’s to come through their unique blend of Americana, psych, dance, folk and indie vibes. Now, they’ve started out the year with a great gift for listeners in the form of the full album, which tells the story of four weary travelers finding a new home in a post-apocalyptic backdrop. With how the last few years have been, this storyline seems like it was so close to being true for many of us. Knowing this though, it does let you go into the album with a sense of adventure, wondering what will happen and where the characters will go. The album starts with “Maybe,” the first single The Alpines released back in Feb 2023. It’s light and airy, yet completely engulfs you in its sound. It sets a curious tone for the rest of the album, and makes you want to listen in its entirety to see what happens. Things pick up with the second track “Nobody Knows,” which really leans in on the Americana vibes. It gives a feeling of zooming down a long, stretching highway with no particular destination in mind. As the album continues, you get a lot of sounds from the genres mentioned above, melded perfectly together. The band also goes into depth on the writing and production of several of their songs on Instagram, @thealpines-

Homephone

@IZZY.BELLS

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

MUSIC

fect for you. Willow Tree is streaming everywhere now. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/47Yg41WLo4IjZ1E34B9cG0 Dad Bod, “Alcohol”: Dad Bod: You know them, you love them and they’re starting 2024 off hot with a new single that goes down smoothly, like your favorite drink. The song is all about drinking in that specific someone—it’s an amazing idea in the moment, but the next day you may have some regrets. The music is smooth and makes you feel as if you’re drifting off, and the lyrics perfectly encapsulate this idea of a person being so right, yet so wrong at the same time. “At

NEW RELEASE ROUND UP Olivia Rodrigo Sparkle Horse Linda Ronstadt

the edge of the end of the day / She sets a course upon a wave,” the song starts.

“With a sparkle in her eye / Lets you nurse upon her lie.” Hopefully this single is the first of many from Dad Bod this year, but you can listen to “Alcohol” anywhere now. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ album/4ZCVnVbMeLs7DYCM3hRGOl The year is off to an incredible start, and as we venture further into 2024, there’s bound to be plenty more to enjoy from our favorite local musicians. Keep an eye on the socials of your favorite bands because chances are they have something up their sleeves for this year. CW

Ne w &

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New music from The Alpines, Musor, Homephone and Dad Bod

music, so be sure to check out their commentary. Overall, Heading North feels like a journey worth embarking on, and one that you’d want to take over and over to pick up on details you didn’t hear the first time around. Heading North is streaming everywhere now. Spotify: https://open.spotify. com/album/140DsGrn56pVrniJzG1nev Musor, Musor II: You can’t think of psych rock in SLC without thinking of Musor. Since their debut in 2022, they’ve rightfully gained a dedicated fanbase who just can’t get enough of the trio’s signature sound. That classic sensibility finds them dipping their toes into genres of the past, but combining them with elements of their own creation to bring a concoction to life that is equal parts new and comfortable. The four-track EP seems too short at first listen, but leaves plenty of room for multiple playthroughs as you explore each song. This is definitely a collection to press play, slap on your favorite headphones and just let it take you away. You’ll float endlessly on catchy riffs, airy effects and Spanish lyrics that add a whole new depth and beauty to the music. Musor II is streaming everywhere now. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ album/5hEwroiroxbhSYHrD0zIaW Homephone, Willow Tree: There are many who have no memory of, or have never experienced, owning a home phone.

Heck, I was born in 1995, and have only the faintest memories of having one. For many, however, the nostalgia is still there.

SLC’s alt/bedroom pop duo Homephone bring these throwback feelings to life with their newest EP Willow Tree, a five-song collection that will put you at ease while listening to it. Bedroom pop has a way of lulling you into a sense of comfort that’s different from other genres; because it has the vibes of sitting in your room with your laptop recording these songs, it feels like that’s how you should also listen to them—curled up in bed with some great headphones, a snuggly blanket and your favorite PJs. If you’re a fan of electronic beats that mellow you out, this one is per-

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Release Roundup

tues-sat 12-6pm 157 e 900 s 801.532.4413

THURSDAY & SATURDAY

JANUARY 19

POOL TOURNEY HOSTED

BY JARED AND TANNER

COMING JAN 27!

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MONDAYS

REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

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SHARK SUNDAYS

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165 E 200 S SLC 801.746.3334

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34 | JANUARY 18, 2024

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Dirtwire @ The Depot 1/18

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JANUARY 18, 2024 | 35

Any attempt to put a handle on Dirtwire is likely to end in failure. Consistently prone to defying predictability, its members—Evan Fraser, David Satori and Mark Reveley—create a diverse musical palette that’s alternately been referred by the members themselves as “future revival, swamptronica, spaghetti-step, electro-twang, blues n’bass and globe electro.” As if that description wasn’t challenging enough, consider the fact that imagination and exotic instrumentation play an equal part in the proceedings, resulting in a

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Do you want to get dusty, dirty and into dangerous territories of unknown musical soundscapes? Well, if you answered yes, then partner … the Frontiers Of Jazz at Fountain Records is your huckleberry. Adam Michael Terry, founder of the label FOUNTAINavm, has created Utah’s first record collective with Fountain Records, and has brought his weekly Jazz Jam to it. Jam is a vulgar word. However, improvisation in an ensemble setting is a positive thing. Frontiers Of Jazz excels with its spontaneous energy and with culture that many here in the 801 would like to see in every business or public space. These semi-unplanned performances create an informal and dynamic musical environment where one can get involved. Whether it’s mutual respect among musicians, inspiration to explore sweet-sounding ideas together or simply an impulsive decision to team up, this weekly session is becoming one of the hot spots out here in the high desert.

Emphasizing taking turns and pushing diversity within the sit-ins is what keeps it exciting and creating unique memorable moments on the spot. Come on out and introduce yourself to some fellow gunslingers. Jazz is “IN” in Salt Lake City, and Terry has crafted a space that is a must-stop shop for record aficionados and those who wish to create. Catch Frontiers Of Jazz at Fountain Records (202 E. 500 South in downtown SLC) on Thursday, Jan. 18. Music at 8 p.m. Admission for the all-ages show is free, and more info can be found at instagram.com/ fountainrecordsslc (Mark Dago)

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Frontiers Of Jazz @ Fountain Records 1/18

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36 | JANUARY 18, 2024

Anna Beck, Mari Ericksen, Talin Everett @ Kilby Court 1/20

IAN KELLEMS

Anna Beck

sound that’s both worldly and otherworldly in its fluid designs.

That’s appropriate considering how the three musicians met at the California Institute of the Arts, an ideal launching place for any sort of artistic endeavor. With nine albums to their credit and a skillset that finds them incorporating melodicas, guitar, theremin, samples, violin, jaw harps, kalimba, a toy megaphone, resonator guitar, thumb piano, slide banjo and all manner of Third World influences and additives, they aim to create a style that challenges listeners while seducing them at the same time. Their new EP, The Four Directions, reflects the fact they’re one of the most adventurous outfits in today’s musical realms. To borrow from their bio, “Dirtwire sits on the front porch of Americana’s future, conjuring up a whirlwind of sound using traditional instrumentation, world percussion, soundscapes, and electronic beats.” Clearly, any performance from Dirtwire offers the opportunity to partake in a most intriguing encounter. “Dirtwire: The Four Directions Tour” comes to The Depot on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $33.25 and $51.50 at concerts.livenation.com (Lee Zimmerman)

2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years ever, and while we’re all probably sick of talking about it, it probably won’t leave the cultural zeitgeist for a long time. SLC singer/songwriter Anna Beck dropped her first single “Sick of It” in Dec. 2020, and there probably couldn’t have been a more fitting time. While the song is more specifically about a tumultuous relationship, the sentiment of being fed up was perfect timing, and will always be a feeling that brings people together. Three years later, it’s Beck’s most played track, because yes, we all get fed up at times, but it’s an easy song to revisit because of the clear and striking vocals paired with a simple yet impactful guitar that come together to create a perfect storm of emotion and relatability. Beck’s newest single, “Cut,” is another breakup anthem that many can probably find comfort in. Also on the lineup for the evening is Mari Ericksen, well-known around town for her solo work as well as projects like new wave band Pale Dream. Hers and Beck’s music go hand in hand—they share a knack for writing and performing songs that pierce your soul and leave you contemplating everything. Another artist who has been able to do this well is Talin Everett, also on the docket. Their debut single “Goodbye Lullaby” is a beautifully well done yet emotionally taxing song that is perfect for those days when you’re struggling. Let your emotions run free on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emily Atkinson)

Amtrac @ Soundwell 1/20

Kentucky native Caleb Cornett, AKA Amtrac, blends deep house with his own vocals for an addicting indie dance-pop vibe. He has been active in the EDM scene for over a decade, having shared the stage with legendary artists like Diplo, Steve Aoki, LA Riots, and has toured in both the US and Europe with Kygo and Kastle.

Although his original songs stand on their own, he has become most well-known for his remixes, like Kaskade’s “Atmosphere,” Ellie Goulding’s “Without Your Love” and Zhu’s “Faded,” to name a few. Over the years, he has played on festival stages across the

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country, including Movement in Detroit, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Mysteryland USA, EDC Las Vegas and Moonrise Festival.

While EDM can seem like a genre that’s always upbeat, Amtrac lays out some relatively melancholic tracks that will take you by surprise.

He also expertly blends disco and house influences with his incredible vocals and multi-instrumentalist talents. Trained ears will also hear samples from some of the greats like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. His newest album, Extra Time, dives into dreamy feelings and reverb that will be sure to give you goosebumps. Amtrac plays at Soundwell on Jan. 20. Doors open at 9 p.m., general admission costs $20. Go to liveniteevents.com (Arica Roberts)

Doom Lounge @ Twilite Lounge 1/24

It has been nine years since Doom Lounge Experimental Music Nite was conceived. Gandalf-level master musician David Payne originally created the space as a “No Amps” ensemble deconstructed nonconcert-hall setting—a place where loud bands were encouraged to be lounge sensitive (i.e. relatively soft). The hosts of the night are DEMONS and Midnight Jaguars. While Payne moonlights in both, the differences between the two are that DEMONS is an improv group, and the Midnight Jaguars is a sight-reading group (reading musical charts in the jazz tradition). Some of the original jumpingoff points (that still carry on today) are that it is intended as a diverse night/queer space that is open for performance art, dance, film, music, etc. It’s unpaid, with a just for fun vibe that is NOT artcapitalist. It is entry level for artists, and ANYONE can perform there as long as they can adhere to the restrictions. Also, it’s done with permission of the bartenders—currently Mikey of the metal band Bonestorm, and the other two mixologists, Bryce and Brie. They’re the real heroes. The performances from this residency are tied directly to Dave’s weekly radio program on KUAA 99.9 FM, dubbed Salt Lake City Music Reality. It’s common to play Doom Lounge on hump day, and then be on the radio come Monday. If you are an artist looking for this type of thing, send a message on Instagram and get involved. Catch all of this at Twilite Lounge on Wed, Jan. 24. Doors at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m. Admission for the 21+ show is free, and more info can be found here: instagram.com/doom_lounge. (Mark Dago)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Aries chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a trailblazer in creating medicine from plants. He patented over 130 drugs and laid the foundation for the production of cortisone and birth control pills. Julian was also a Black man who had to fight relentlessly to overcome the racism he encountered everywhere. I regard him as an exemplary member of the Aries tribe, since he channeled his robust martial urges toward constructive ends again and again and again. May he inspire you in the coming weeks, dear Aries. Don’t just get angry or riled up. Harness your agitated spirit to win a series of triumphs.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Taurus actor Pierce Brosnan says, “You struggle with money. You struggle without money. You struggle with love.

You struggle without love. But it’s how you manage. You have to keep laughing, you have to be fun to be with and you have to live with style.” Brosnan implies that struggling is a fundamental fact of everyday life, an insistent presence that is never far from our awareness. But if you’re willing to consider the possibility that his theory may sometimes be an exaggeration, I have good news: The coming months could be less filled with struggle than ever before. As you deal with the ease and grace, I hope you will laugh, be fun to be with and live with style—without having to be motivated by ceaseless struggle.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) We all go through phases that feel extra plodding and pedestrian. During these times, the rhythms and melodies of our lives seem drabber than usual. The good news is that I believe you Capricorns will experience fewer of these slowdowns than usual in 2024. The rest of us will be seeing you at your best and brightest on a frequent basis. In fact, the gifts and blessings you offer may flow toward us in abundance. So, it’s no coincidence if you feel exceptionally well-loved during the coming months. PS: The optimal way to respond to the appreciation you receive is to ratchet up your generosity even higher.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) In the fall of 1903, The New York Times published an article that scorned human efforts to develop flying machines. It prophesied that such a revolutionary technology was still at least a million years in the future—possibly 10 million years.

In conclusion, it declared that there were better ways to apply our collective ingenuity than working to create such an unlikely invention. Nine weeks later, Orville and Wilbur Wright disproved that theory, completing a flight with the airplane they had made. I suspect that you, Aquarius, are also primed to refute an expectation or prediction about your supposed limitations. (Afterward, try not to gloat too much.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Your sweat and your tears are being rewarded with sweets and cheers. Your diligent, detailed work is leading to expansive outcomes that provide relief and release. The discipline you’ve been harnessing with such panache is spawning breakthroughs in the form of elegant liberations.

Congrats, dear Pisces! Don’t be shy about welcoming in the fresh privileges flowing your way. You have earned these lush dividends.

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes.

Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Poet Rainer Maria Rilke exalted the physical pleasure that sex brings. He mourned that so many “misuse and squander this experience and apply it as a stimulant to the tired spots of their lives and as a distraction instead of a rallying

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Sagittarian cartoonist Charles M. Schulz wrote, “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet, I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?”

I suspect that in 2024, you may go through a brief phase similar to his: feeling blank, yet quite content. But it won’t last. Eventually, you will be driven to seek a passionate new sense of intense purpose. As you pursue this reinvention, a fresh version of happiness will bloom. For best results, be willing to outgrow your old ideas about what brings you gladness and gratification.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) I regard Leo psychologist Carl Jung (1875–1961) as a genius with a supreme intellect. Here’s a quote from him that I want you to hear: “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.” You may already believe this wisdom in your gut, Leo. But like all of us, you live in a culture filled with authorities who value the intellect above feeling. So it’s essential to be regularly reminded of the bigger truth—especially for you right now. To make righteous decisions, you must respect your feelings as much as your intellect.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Talking about a problem can be healthy. But in most cases, it should be a preliminary stage that leads to practical action; it shouldn’t be a substitute for action. Now and then, however, there are exceptions to this rule. Mere dialogue, if grounded in mutual respect, may be sufficient to dissolve a logjam and make further action unnecessary. The coming days will be such a time for you, Scorpio. I believe you and your allies can talk your way out of difficulties.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22) I want you to fulfill your desires! I want you to get what you want! I don’t think that yearnings are unspiritual indulgences that divert us from enlightenment. On the contrary, I believe our longings are sacred homing signals guiding us to our highest truths. With these thoughts in mind, here are four tips to enhance your quests in the coming months: 1. Some of your desires may be distorted or superficial versions of deeper, holier desires. Do your best to dig down and find their heart source. 2. To help manifest your desires, visualize yourself as having already accomplished them. 3.

Welcome the fact that when you achieve what you want, your life will change in unpredictable ways. You may have to deal with a good kind of stress. 4. Remember that people are more likely to assist you in getting what you yearn for if you’re not greedy and grasping.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Even if you are currently bonded with a spouse or partner, I recommend you consider proposing matrimony to an additional person: yourself. Yes, dear Libra, I believe the coming months will be prime time for you to get married to your own precious soul. If you’re brave enough and crazy enough to carry out this daring move, devote yourself to it with lavish abandon. Get yourself a wedding ring, write your vows, conduct a ceremony and go on a honeymoon.

If you’d like some inspiration, read my piece “I Me Wed”: tinyurl.com/SelfMarriage

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Gemini author and activist William Upski Wimsatt is one of my role models. Why? In part, because he shares my progressive political ideals and works hard to get young people to vote for enlightened candidates who promote social justice. Another reason I love him is that he aspires to have 10,000 role models. Not just a few celebrity heroes, but a wide array of compassionate geniuses working to make the world more like paradise. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gather new role models, dear Gemini. I also suggest you look around for new mentors, teachers and inspiring guides.

toward exalted moments.” At its best, Rilke said, sex gives us “a knowing of the world, the fullness and the glory of all knowing.” It is a sublime prayer, an opportunity to feel sacred communion on every level of our being. That’s the erotic experience I wish for you in the coming weeks, Virgo.

And I believe you will have an expanded potential for making it happen.

© 2024

A WHOLE ‘NOTHER LEVEL

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Chuckling sound 2. Altar agreements 3. Notates hurriedly 4. “The Golden Bachelor” network 5. Got down on the floor?

6. Elevate 7. Double Stuf cookie 8. Feud 9. Win 10. Post-winter river thaw 11. ___ Cynwyd, Penn.

12. “Spamalot” creator Idle

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13. Look for 18. Constantly-wants-to-belong anxiety, for short 22. Swatted insects 23. Tuva’s continent 25. Fast-food chain with carhops on skates 26. “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” musical 27. Ninesome 28. Custard desserts 29. FX series whose fifth season features Jon Hamm 30. Words before Congress or kindness 31. “___ Holmes” (2020 Netflix mystery film) 32. More grounded 33. Make purchases 38. “Forget You” singer Green 39. Ed Sheeran’s debut album 41. Farmer’s place, in a kids’ song 42. Brainy-sounding “Batman” villain 44. Bleep out 45. Finance-related, for short 48. “___ All That” (1999 comedy) 49. Undecided

50. Glow 51. IRS document 52. 1973 Orson Welles docudrama “___ Fake” 53. “___ Makes You Happy” (Sheryl Crow song) 54. Yelp rating unit 55. Annoying animal 56. Greek god of war 59. Org. of Kings and Warriors

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

1. Hair-covering garment 6. Tennis shot 9. Room-reading readings, so to speak 14. Vinegar-heavy marinade 15. Umbrage 16. Empathetic comment 17. Drink that necessitates a sleeve 19. “The Color Purple” protagonist played in 2023 by Fantasia Barrino 20. Stubborn animal 21. Went astray 23. Goal 24. Singer Reed 25. Judicious attribute 34. Egg-shaped 35. Actress Chabert of Hallmark’s “Crossword Mysteries” series 36. Preschool activity 37. Singer Simone 38. Shopping conveniences 39. Southern cornbread 40. Ending for graph or favor 41. Indie rock band Yo La ___ 42. “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Pompeo 43. Startles, maybe 46. Slithery sea creature 47. Posts pics on social media, perhaps 48. Lacking cordiality 54. Hot tub locale 57. Monopoly purchase 58. What all the theme answers are ... or aren’t? (Sorry/not sorry for the confusion!)

60. “The Thin Blue Line” director Morris 61. King, in Cannes 62. Bring down a notch 63. Hair entanglement 64. “Rocky III” costar 65. Fallon Sherrock’s pro sport

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38 | JANUARY 18, 2024

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

h oh, it’s time for the Sundance Film Festival—the largest film festival in the U.S.—with more than 50,000 visitors expected this year.

For several years, I was a volunteer in charge of housing and transportation—back when the festival was so small, there really weren’t any paparazzi to speak of.

Back then, all the housing was donated as was the transportation (provided by a local auto dealer). It didn’t matter if you were Martin Scorsese or Lady Nobody, we threw you into the same Jeep together to schlep you to and from the airport.

The 10 days we spent together in Park City were great, and oh my, the stories I could tell you about the folks I met.

Nowadays, I avoid the festival and the crowds of star seekers wanting selfies with the rich and famous. I hopefully will be able to find a parking place at Gateway—where my office is located—as the Megaplex is hosting many of the movies this year.

When did Utah get into the movie business? The very first motion picture filmed here was a Western/silent film called The Deadwood Coach made in 1923 and 1924. The movie starred the famous cowboy actor Tom Mix and Tony the Wonder Horse.

According to the synopsis on IMDb, the film follows Jimmie Gordon, known as “The Orphan,” after his parents are killed by a brutal bandit named Tex Wilson. Gordon swears vengeance and spends years hunting Wilson and his gang, while along the way, he meets and falls in love with the sheriff’s daughter. On the day of Gordon’s wedding, Wilson returns and interrupts the ceremony, insults Gordon, kidnaps his bride and flees on the Deadwood Coach, with the film culminating in an exciting chase.

The second film ever made in Utah was shot in Ogden and called The Covered Wagon. It starred 750 members of the Idaho Bannock Tribe and was released in 1924.

The Utah State Capitol is hosting a exhibit on 100 years of film shot or produced in Utah. Watch for an upcoming exhibition that will travel throughout Utah called the Utah Historical Film Trail.

It will highlight some of the famous films made in our state. The Covered Wagon film will be shown in Ogden this spring backed up by a Wurlitzer pipe organ, as this would have been how the film was shown/seen by fans of the newfangled moving pictures. ■ Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

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NEWS of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Creme de la Weird

Stick with me here. In 1899 in Peshawar, Pakistan, James Squid, a drunken British officer, arrested a ... tree— because he thought it was a fugitive trying to get away from him. He ordered the tree chained to the ground, Oddity Central reported, and the chains have remained for 125 years, along with a plaque explaining them. While tourists are tickled by the strange restraints, locals see the chains as a symbol of British oppression. “Through this act, the British basically implied to the tribesmen that if they dared act against the Raj, they too would be punished in a similar fashion,” one local man said.

Others call it a living history.

Our Litigious Society n Cynthia Kelly, 18, of Hillsborough County, Florida, has

sued The Hershey Co. for $5 million because the Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins she bought in October didn’t have a jack-o’-lantern face on them as shown on the packaging. ClickOrlando reported on Dec. 29 that Kelly accused the company of “false and deceptive advertising,” and she “would not have purchased the Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins product if she knew that it did not have the detailed carvings of the mouth and/or eyes as pictured on the product label,” the suit reads. She also pointed out that the White Ghost and Football candies were missing their own key details. One reviewer called the pumpkin a “monstrosity.”

Recurring Theme n Authorities are still fishing for a man who entered a

n In Wheat Ridge, Colorado, police caught up

with a burglar on Dec. 28 who had hired an Uber for use as a getaway car, 14News-TV reported. Jose Guadalupe Perez-Gallardo was taken into custody as he approached his hired ride, carrying a backpack with $8,600 worth of stolen Milwaukee-brand tools inside.

“Ordering an Uber as your getaway driver makes it that much easier for us to find you,” the Wheat Ridge Police Department posted online.

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Questionable Judgment

Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is the subject of a malpractice lawsuit filed in late December by his patient Kathleen Wilson, USA Today reported.

Wilson alleges in the suit that Molldrem, during a single visit in July 2020, performed more than 30 procedures on Wilson’s mouth—eight crowns, four root canals and 20 fillings—and that the dental work was done “improperly,” resulting in her disfiguration. The lawsuit also alleges that Molldrem used twice the amount of anesthesia that would normally be allowed and then falsified records to cover that dosage. Wilson is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

Not on My Watch

Vancouver, British Columbia, police revealed that on Dec. 19, a 72-year-old woman successfully chased an intruder from her home with a shovel, Vancouver City News reported. A naked man broke into the victim’s home with a pointed metal rod, which he swung toward her throughout the encounter. She fought back with a shovel, and “chased him out of the house and cornered him until officers arrived,” police said. “Kudos to her, it was pretty badass of her, I would say,” said Constable Tania Visintin. No one was injured during the incident.

News You Can Use

Super Freak

Oops

HOME LOANS MADE BRIZZÉE Julie Bri-ZAY, makes home buying ea-ZAY Loan officer NMLS#243253

Someone missed the “Please secure all loose clothing” safety message. On Jan. 5, on the DC Rivals HyperCoaster at Movie World in Oxenford, Australia, the Mirror reported that a scarf became entangled around the wheel of one of the trains, which caused it to stop at the top of a hill. Dozens of riders were stranded, and each was given a harness and told to walk down the stairs to the load station. “All the guests on-board are safe with the ride vehicle stopped in a designated zone,” Warner Bros. Movie World said in a statement.

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JANUARY 18, 2024 | 39

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

I

Julie Brizzee

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n Authorities were called to the Leeds, Alabama, Bass Pro Shops on Jan. 4 after 42-year-old George Owens of Sterrett drove a vehicle into a pole in the parking lot, then exited the car, stripped off all of his clothes and then ran inside, where he did a cannonball into the aquarium. AL.com reported that Owens yelled at two police officers, then climbed over the edge of the aquarium, where he fell to the concrete floor and knocked himself out. He was charged with public lewdness among other offenses.

We’ve all seen the restaurant notices about automatic gratuities added for parties of more than six or eight people. A 10-person group in South Bend, Indiana, thought they would beat the system at the Wild Crab restaurant by splitting into two groups of five, WSBT-TV reported. A manager said the group was informed that they’d be subject to the 18% gratuity, even though they were seated in different sections of the restaurant. As the party left the restaurant, someone threw crayons at the manager and pepper-sprayed them. Firefighters responded to help the victim of the pepper spray, and a police report was filed.

On Dec. 13, as a family in Arlington, Virginia, sat down to dinner, a Ring doorbell notification alerted them to someone at the door, WUSA-TV reported. The woman told her husband, “There’s this guy, he didn’t ring the doorbell. He’s just standing there, and he’s in a gingerbread man costume.” The husband called the police non-emergency line to report the creepy visit, and about an hour later, another neighbor, Lindsey Churchill, spotted the gingerbread man. “All of a sudden my dogs were going crazy ... and there was a giant blow-up gingerbread man costume out on the sidewalk,” she said.

“We kind of locked eyes and the gingerbread man went on his way. It was not holly jolly.” Police never actually caught up with the subject, who was not identified.

NAMASTE

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Bass Pro Shops store in Fort Myers, Florida, on Dec. 20 and dipped a net into the indoor fishpond, capturing a 50-pound tarpon. USA Today reported that the suspect left the store with the dripping catch, and despite a cash reward and social media posts, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has not been able to identify or find him.

cashing business in Commerce City, Colorado, on Dec. 16 when another thief mucked up their getaway plans, 9News-TV reported. The robbers’ vehicle, which was probably stolen, was outside when a woman jumped in and took off with it, leaving the teenage suspects to try to escape on foot. Police were able to capture two of them, along with loaded firearms, and arrest them. The car thief is still at large.

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n Two years ago, Paul Kerouac stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Winter Park, Florida, where he used the restroom, the New York Post reported. While he was indisposed, the toilet he was occupying exploded, leaving him “covered with debris, including human feces and urine,” according to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 3 in Florida’s 9th Judicial District. Kerouac claims the Dunkin’ workers knew there was a “problem with the toilet” and says he now “requires mental health care and counseling as a direct result of the trauma he experienced in the restroom.”

Getting Away From It All n Three armed suspects were busy robbing a check-

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