The punks are alright

A punk rock arsonist is not the likely lead in a romantic comedy, but love has never been known to follow the rules. Dinner in America cheers for the underdogs and sees people for who they really are. Writer/director Adam Rehmeier’s twist on a boy-meets-girl tale starts with punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) setting a […]

Real to reel: Director Nicole Kassell discusses bringing ‘Watchmen’ to life

HBO’s hit series “Watchmen” presents a universe where high fantasy collides with horrible reality, a world where an alternate world replete with superheroes and interdimensional creatures shifts to a very real American atrocity. Building on the 1985 graphic novel Watchmen, writer/executive producer Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) has crafted a frequently askew viewing experience around the 1921 […]

Films to rally around at the 2020 VAFF

Many of us have found safe, socially distant ways to do the things we considered normal before the pandemic, such as drive-by birthday parties or outdoor, masked haircuts. When and how we might go to the movies like we once did is a tougher issue to resolve, because there’s no getting around the problem of […]

Growing up: Jason Tesauro Talks Virginia Wine for #VAWineMonth

Every October Virginians raise a glass to living in a state with the oldest wine month in the country (it dates back to 1988). We also celebrate the fact that Virginia has become the sixth-largest wine region in the United States, contributing well over $1 billion to the state’s economy, while the industry continues to […]

Souza’s shade: Documentary recalls a world not so long ago

Four years ago, former White House chief photographer Pete Souza wouldn’t have imagined he’d be the subject of a documentary and an Instagram superstar. “We hadn’t elected Donald Trump four years ago,” reminds Souza in a phone interview. Three years and 10 months ago, that had changed. Souza began posting photos of former President Barack […]

PICK: Lost Home, Win Home

For the win: Playwright Shelby Edwards explores the conflicting emotions attached to her native Charlottesville in Lost Home, Win Home. Through the intricate thinking of a chess master, Edwards reconstructs the trauma of the Unite the Right/Neo-Nazi rally that took place here on August 12, 2017. Her expertly delivered solo performance strikes at the heart […]

PICK: Lola Flash

Action shots: Photographer Lola Flash’s art and activism are inextricably connected. For decades her work in genderqueer visual politics has challenged stereotypes and preconceptions about gender, sex, and race. Her exhibition “salt” is part of the Seeing Black: Disrupting the Visual Narrative Speaker Series, and captures women who are over 70 and still thriving in their […]

PICK: Fleabag

Biting humor: If you’ve been binge-watching TV over the last eight months (and really, who hasn’t?), you probably have a “Fleabag” story. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s clever, outrageous, sex comedy-drama had everyone talking about their own relatable experiences when it jumped from an award-winning one-woman play in London to an Emmy-sweeping Amazon Prime series in 2019. See the […]

Now serving Tex-Mex and Turkish

Tacos in the sky As the season turns, the Downtown Mall is also seeing some turnover, starting with Champion Hospitality Group’s just-opened culinary venture, Passiflora, which offers Tex-Mex and Baja Mediterranean cuisine. While we are still mourning the loss of Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar, it’s good to see new openings on the mall. “We put […]