“In lucha libre, the truly important matches, the bouts that make up one’s official record, are not even world championships,” William Finnegan wrote in a 2014 feature for The New Yorker magazine about Saúl Armendáriz, a gay wrestler who revamped the role of the exótico luchadores as Cassandro. “They are, rather, Mask vs. Mask matches, … Read more
Some of the most impactful moments in the documentary, It’s Only Life After All, a comprehensive retrospective on Atlanta-based singer-songwriters Amy Ray and Emily Saliers who continue to perform as the Indigo Girls, appear in the first third of the film. The documentary received its Sundance premiere late last week. There are numerous fascinating clips … Read more
The late Sir Terry Pratchett, whose Discworld books epitomized his literary genius of irony and paradox in the realm of fantasy stories, wrote that Discworld was “relentlessly, solidly logical.” He added, “The reason it is fantasy is that it is logical about the wrong things, about those parts of human experience where, by tacit agreement, … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: Part II summarizes the films and programs from Sundance 2022 that are part of The Utah Review coverage. For Part I which is an overview of the state of the film industry in Utah, see here. An eclectic sampling from this year’s Sundance slate is on The Utah Review radar this year for … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: Part I is an overview of the Utah film industry in the current moment. Part II (tomorrow) will offer a summary preview of the Sundance 2023 feature-length and short films, which The Utah Review will cover. Like nearly 2,400 of their peers who are listed in a directory of Utah film industry professionals, … Read more
This month’s just concluded Outdoor Retailer show, marking the event’s return to Salt Lake City after five years, highlighted a good representation of creative entrepreneurship and collaborations. Even for those who might not be avid outdoor recreation participants, there were plenty of ingenious, artful, elegant product lines and innovations, which suggest that the tent of … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review’s 2023 Sundance Film Festival coverage begins Jan. 18 and will continue through Jan. 29. There are still opportunities for volunteers to assist either in-person or in online roles for the Sundance Film Festival, which opens Jan. 19. Anyone who can commit to at least 32 hours of service during the … Read more
In addition to their performances and extensive schedule of leading dance demonstration and learning for students and the community, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) company members also are expected to develop their skills as a choreographer, to fulfill their contract. Many of the more than 100 RDT alumni have become internationally known choreographers and some have … Read more
This year’s selection in The Utah Review of the top ten moments of the Utah Enlightenment in 2022 was easily the quickest to lock in, considering the possibilities. There were no close calls. The ten selections were a slam dunk. This year, however, presented the opportunity for a twist. While nine of the ten selections … Read more
The 1983 movie A Christmas Story was a definitive sleeper hit. Directed by Bob Clark, the film did reasonably well at the box office, easily recouping its comparatively low production costs ($3.3 million) after opening right before Thanksgiving and it was still in about a hundred theaters on New Year’s Day in 1984. Clark was … Read more