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McConaughey's New Film

Interstellar reaches for movie heights but falls short of the stars

Alex Bentley
Nov 5, 2014 | 3:11 pm

Director Christopher Nolan has never been the type to take it easy on anyone who watches his movies. From his early works like Following and Memento all the way through his Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan has filled his films with complicated ideas and fuzzy moral compasses.

However, his latest, Interstellar, may take the cake when it comes to his brand of hyper-intelligent moviemaking. It is a sprawling, nearly three hour trek filled with complicated ideas about space travel, Einstein’s theory of relativity, food shortages and other things that makes Memento easy to understand by comparison.

While the Nolan brothers do their best to keep the dialogue accessible to non-science geeks, it’ll be the rare moviegoer understands the entire movie the first time around.

At its center is Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA pilot now toiling as a corn farmer in order to help alleviate a worldwide food shortage at an indeterminate point in the future. With the human race threatened by extinction, Cooper is recruited to lead a mission to the farthest reaches of space to find a world that will save the species.

Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, who co-wrote the film, disorient the audience right from the start with things that are familiar yet foreign at the same time. Were it not for the constant dust storms and things like the New York Yankees playing home games in a run-down stadium in the country, the world they put forth could almost be our own.

Once the action goes into space, things really start to get complex. While the Nolan brothers do their best to keep the dialogue accessible to non-science geeks, it’ll be the rare moviegoer who proclaims that they understood the entire movie the first time around. As the crew, which includes Anne Hathaway, has to deal with wormholes, black holes, time slowing down and other factors, there’s a lot of jargon to wade through.

Were this film done by any other director but Nolan, the race to find a new habitable planet would be the overriding plot arc. Even though it’s still arguably the main focus, the film makes plenty of time for other storylines, social commentary and other plot points. The film is less a thriller and more a meditation on human relationships and desires.

The biggest issue is that what is supposed to be the film’s biggest bond, between Cooper and his daughter, Murph, never really gels. The film has so much going on that the heartbreak Murph suffers when Cooper leaves on his voyage doesn’t get a chance to truly register.

From a visual standpoint, Interstellar does make an impression. Although you don’t get the “you are there” feeling of Gravity, Nolan and his crew make sure to give a sense of wonder to traveling through deep space. They also amaze with blocky, sentient robots that move with a grace that is unexpected, and who are as helpful to the cause as any human.

Interstellar is one of those films you will be thinking about long after you leave the theater, but on a purely visceral level, it doesn’t measure up to some of the year’s best. It could be a film that improves on second and third viewings when worrying about the details of the story becomes less important, but few will have the opportunity to do so.

Jessica Chastain tries to solve an unsolvable problem in Interstellar.

Jessica Chastain in Interstellar
Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon
Jessica Chastain tries to solve an unsolvable problem in Interstellar.
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Way out West

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 28, 2022 | 4:28 pm
Big Bend National Park
Photo by Adan Guerrero on Unsplash

Big Bend made National Geographic's Best of the World 2023 list.

The pandemic took a toll on pretty much ever industry, especially food and travel. But some destinations suffered less than others: Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas became a hot spot for road trippers from Texas and beyond. To that end, National Geographic Travel included the vast natural wonder in its recent Best of the World 2023 list.

The annual list rounds up 25 global destinations "under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring," according to the article. National Geographic editors frame the list within five categories: Community, Nature, Culture, Family, and Adventure.

Big Bend landed in the Nature category, "5 wildly underrated natural escapes for 2023," and it's in good company: The list also includes the Azores, Botswana, Slovenia, and the Scottish Highlands.

According to a release, the list is themed around "travel destinations and experiences that leverage the benefits of tourism to strengthen their local communities, natural and built environments, and sense of place." Big Bend fits right into that criteria, attracting tourism to small-town communities near the park such as Marfa, Alpine, Presidio, Marathon, and Fort Davis, which all benefit from the influx of people passing through to Big Bend.

The park itself welcomed over 394,000 visitors in 2020, about 15 percent less than 2019. 2021 more than made up for that deficit, though: Big Bend welcomed a record 581,000 visitors as travelers continued to seek open spaces and natural wonders.

Apart from contributing to the local economy, the National Geographic article touts the park's locale in a "remote and arid part of west Texas," which "nurtures more cactus species than any other national park, as well as birds such as roadrunners and bright yellow Scott’s orioles, and mammals such as javelina."

So pack the car and plan your next trip out west, and don't forget some of our top tips for off-the-grid adventures in the area.

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Concert news

Shania Twain rides into Texas to reclaim her throne on upcoming world tour

Alex Bentley
Oct 28, 2022 | 3:03 pm
Shania Twain
Photo by Louie Banks

Good news: she's coming to Texas. Bad news: you have to go to Dallas or Houston to see her.

Good news for Texans: Shania Twain is coming to the Lone Star State. Bad news for Austinites: you'll have to head to Dallas or Houston to catch her. The country music star's expansive world tour dubbed the Queen of Me Tour will head to Dallas on July 21, 2023, and Houston on July 22, 2023.

The Texas dates are the last of 44 North American concerts currently scheduled on the tour before Twain heads to Europe for five final shows.

This is Twain's first tour in nearly five years; she last played in Dallas in June 2018. She'll be joined on the tour by a variety of well-known current female stars; Arlington native Mickey Guyton will be her special guest in both Dallas and Houston.

The tour was announced in conjunction with the news of the upcoming release of her new album, also called Queen of Me, due out on February 3, 2023. Her first album since 2017, it is also the first with her new record label, Republic Nashville.

The sales of that album will add to her record of being the best-selling female artist in country music history, a record she's achieved despite releasing only five albums in her 30-year career.

Twain has remained a star all these years thanks to three massive albums — 1995's The Woman in Me, 1997's Come On Over, and 2002's Up! — each of which sold over 11 million copies in the U.S. alone. She also has seven No. 1 hits and eight more top 10 hits from those three albums.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale starting 10 am Friday, November 4 at LiveNation.com. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning 10 am Tuesday, November 1 until 10 pm Thursday, November 3 through the Citi Entertainment program.

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News You Can Eat

7 spooky things to know in Austin food right now: Restaurants and bars bite into Halloween

Brianna Caleri
Oct 28, 2022 | 1:47 pm
Macarons by Bakery Lorraine in Austin.
Photo courtesy of Bakery Lorraine

A special Halloween roundup of fun-scary food news in Austin.

Editor’s note: There are so many Halloween weekend events offering delicious snacks to sink your fangs into, and cocktails to drive you to madness, we were spellbound. We have you covered with a special Halloween roundup of fun-scary food news.

Hotel Van Zandt's rooftop bar and restaurant, Geraldine's, has fun things going on every night through Halloween itself. On October 28 and 29 there are regularly scheduled nighttime live music sets, followed by the weekly jazz brunch on October 30. Then on Halloween one of Austin’s truly weirdest bands (fronted by puppets), Fragile Rock, puts on an emo show to remember. Reserve on OpenTable or hope for room at the bar.

We’ve heard of spending Christmas at Chinese restaurants, but how about Halloween? Old Thousand, always ready with holiday spirit, is hosting Goth Night on October 29 at its 11th Street location. The special menu is darkly creative, with black vinegar “Damned Dumplings,” “Sacrificial Lamb Bao,” a restorative-potion themed hot pot; black sesame Crème brûlée, and special on-theme cocktails. Call (737) 222-6637 to reserve.

Wes Anderson fans do not need Halloween as an excuse to dress in costume, but here’s one for inspiration. The Carpenter Hotel is dressing up in the style of the Grand Budapest Hotel — at least, culinarily — on October 29 for a six-course dinner (starting at $160 for two guests). These include unexpected but very friendly flavor combinations like savory apple and cheddar cookies and sausage with white beans, onion, and toast. Reserve on Eventbrite.

Few Halloween frights are as intimidating as trying to find a cool booze-free event, but fear not. Yacht Drops is a new sober cruise line on Lady Bird Lake, debuting October 29 with dancing, bites by Siete, non-alcoholic beers by Athletic Drinks, and zero proof whiskey and tequila by Spiritless. A portion of ticket sales benefits Keep Texas Waterways Clean. A costume contest and pro photographer ensure that your Halloween efforts are appreciated. Tickets ($75) on Eventbrite.

Now that Second Bar + Kitchen has taken over the rooftop bar at East Austin Hotel, the Halloween tradition is theirs to uphold. On October 29 from 4 pm to 12 am, the bar welcomes disguised and casual Austinites for a costume contest, dancing, and scary-delicious drinks: vampire's bite shots, mad eye mules, witch’s brews (“prosecco punch with worms”), and poisoned apples (with spiced rum, caramel, bourbon cream, and sour apple liqueur).

Fareground, the sunken downtown food hall, is hosting an all-ages event on October 30 for low-key vibes and maximum commitment to the theme. A screen outside will show Hocus Pocus for free, with seasonal concessions, popcorn, cotton candy, and $4 happy hour drinks. Vendors inside make this movie much yummier than most theaters, with a lot more variety, and will hand out candy for trick-or-treaters. The movie starts at 7 pm. RSVP on Eventbrite.

Whether you’re looking for luxe treats to wow party guests or delicious sweets to hoard at home, Bakery Lorraine at Domain Northside is ready. Until October 31, the bakery is sending out black cat tarts (chocolate mousse and vanilla filling), mummy tarts (lemon curd topped and meringue), phantom of the opera cake slices (pumpkin spice sponge cake and buttercream with dark chocolate glaze), and other cute, spooky pastries.

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