As the program director of the University of Miami’s motion pictures program, Paul Lazarus is immersed in Coral Gables campus life. In the Seventies, Lazarus worked in Hollywood as a producer, on films like Yul Brynner’s sci-fi/western Westworld, and the James Brolin/OJ Simpson vehicle Capricorn One. But it took a…

As the founder and executive director of the Women’s International Film Festival, there have been moments when Yvonne McCormack-Lyons has questioned her sanity. Putting together a four-day film festival that features over 170 films from seventeen countries must boggle the mind at times. But thanks to her blood, sweat, and…

Spring is here, complete with promises of beautiful breezy weather and ladylike outfits in pleasant pastel shades taking over storefront windows all over town. Meanwhile here in Miami, the sun offers only sweltering summer heat, and pit stains are spreading on your new lemon yellow blouse. Hey, good lookin’! At…

Paella is the Latin dish so ubiquitous that even George Costanza’s mother made it on Seinfeld. But as Jerry Stiller’s memorably explosive reaction revealed (“Again with the pepper? What do you gotta use all this pepper for?”), good paella can be hard to find. The recipe seems simple enough —…

Landscapes have been a part of the artistic repertoire since the days when primitive men used iron oxide to decorate their caves. Capturing the essence of the environment around us isn’t a skill to be sneezed at. Bob Ross might make it look insanely easy, but making a mountainside fir…

Spa Week sounds like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and an early birthday for women who love to be spoiled. Some of South Florida’s finest establishments will be offering their typically pricey services for a reduced rate from April 16 to 22. A mere $50 will get you an Ocean Breeze facial…

Creative inspiration abounds in the Magic City. An uneventful stroll down the street can be a photographer’s dream, complete with lush scenery, quirky and colorful characters, and only-in-Miami details that can take a standard snapshot from good to great. If you’re a photographer who longs to take your creative talents…

If Las Vegas is affectionately known as Sin City, then Miami’s moniker should surely be Skin City. A typical stroll along Ocean Drive will reveal more bared legs, abs, and boobs than a prudish tourist can handle. Miamians just love to soak up the sun, and with solar exposure comes…

Stones Throw Records is home to some of the world’s most renowned and respected DJs and producers. The label’s roster is like a who’s who of beatmasters who have forever changed the hip-hop game. The late, great J Dilla remains the most immediately recognizable name to rap newbies, but trust…

Tapas are a truly Spanish culinary art form. The small plates hail from the south and are a trademark of the Andalusian region. But since the bite-size meal masterpieces crossed into Western territory, every restaurant prides itself on offering tapas fusion this and tapas fusion that. We say it’s time…

Joel Grey is known as one of Broadway’s ultimate stars, having made his name as the Master of Ceremonies in both the original stage and film versions of Cabaret. Fun fact — he is one of only seven actors to have won both a Tony and an Oscar for the…

So you wanna be a writer? Ready to endure editorial heartbreak, stomach agony, and a head full of constipated ideas? To quote Ishmael Reed, “writing is fighting.” It’s about expressing yourself under tremendous internal pressure, and enduring the slings and arrows of critics. If you feel the particular throb in…

It’s kind of hard to believe that anyone in the world is still unfamiliar with the steel pan. The instrument was created in Trinidad and Tobago over seventy years ago. It is the only acoustic instrument to be invented in the Twentieth cCentury. And still pannist Doug Walker gets the…

Even the most obtuse dance hall crasher has at least heard of Paul Oakenfold. The shaggy-haired DJ superstar has been twiddling knobs and remixing tracks for the better part of twenty years. He’s basically responsible for the infamous appeal of the club scene in Ibiza. He’s produced remixes for everyone…

The once-sizzling competition between local hero Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the South Beach Diet, versus the low-carb master Dr. Atkins has gone the way of Eighties-era Madonna/Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson/Prince battles. Clearly, Dr. Agatston’s diet has emerged as the trendy eating plan to live by, thanks to unflagging…

The name Jauretsi Saizarbitoria sure is a mouthful, but for readers of Jane magazine, it’s instantly recognizable. The former editor there gave up what looked like the funnest job ever to take on a project very close to her heart. She visited Cuba’s annual hip-hop festival and began shooting photos…

It’s that magical time of year again, when throngs of excited families load up in their minivans and head to Southwest Miami-Dade. That time of year when one commercial makes us stop our TiVos, mid-fast forward, just to hear the sweetest jingle in local advertising history. “Be there! The Fair……

Bayfront Park was already a great option for a business lunch. Chili’s, Los Ranchos, and a great food court serve your culinary needs inside the waterfront mall. But for a limited time only Bayfront Park is sweetening the deal and offering some real local flavor. The Bayfront Park Farmer’s Market…

Life on Miami Beach already feels like some kind of pretaped performance piece — beautiful babes in hooker-type threads strut with purpose past slicked-back dudes in thousand-dollar sunglasses, who peer over their Ocean Drive-purchased alcoholic slushy drinks. Since South Beach style is about the attitude, you can get the perfect…

Everyone knows that it’s, like, totally difficult to surf on South Beach because of the lack of waves. Surprisingly enough, despite the boat-assisted speed that wakeboarding involves, it’s become even harder to practice that particular water sport in Miami. “They’re closing off a lot of waterways we used, because of…

Critical Mass events in other cities are meant as a powerful statement about the benefits of bicycling, and often, they take their battle to the streets. Literally. “Some other Critical Masses in New York and San Francisco will take the approach aggressively. They’ll go off into traffic at 5:00 p.m…

Robert Burr is the consummate tour guide. Some weeks you’ll find him meandering the streets of Coral Gables leading one of his pedestrian tours, sampling vino and greeting locals. Today you can catch up with the knowledgable and friendly explorer at the first annual Redland Riot Road Rallye, a high-speed,…