Arts & Culture

If you’re seeking a venue to celebrate Halloween that is as cool as the catacombs, think outside the pine box and head straight to the Miami Beach Cinematheque. The ghoulish cineastes have organized a weekend of terror starring the Italian horror masters, whose influence still clutches the throat of all…

Thanks, Lil’ Wayne. The rapper who coined the term bling back in 1999 created slang that has become so ubiquitous even grandmothers use it. The kind of ostentatious jewelry the Cash Money Millionaires were rapping about probably won’t be in proliferation at this year’s Miami Beach Antique Jewelry and Watch…

You’re tired of the annoying glares from your kids as you live out your Halloween costume fantasy through them. “Gene who?” they ask as you stick out your crazy-long tongue and wave your rock and roll devil horns. It’s time to turn your attention to your other child, the one…

Hip-hop legend KRS-One is more than a rapper or a mere entertainer; he’s an “edutainer,” a seminal figure in the genre who uses his skilled flow to teach the head-bobbing masses. In this era of hip-hop ignorance, the rapper who brought us hits like “My Philosophy,” “Sound of da Police,”…

Although the pretentious South Beach Wine & Food Festival is still months away, you can easily score tickets to this family-friendly community munching event: The Taste of South Florida: A Celebration of Food, Music & Wine. Local restaurants, including Brisa de España, Mediterranea, Borinqueya, and Las Delicias, will encourage you…

If you happen to drive by the Miami Children’s Museum tonight and notice Batman cavorting with the Green Arrow in the parking lot, don’t worry: Those “hallucinations” belong to Halloween Miami 2006, SAVE Dade’s annual costume party. (SAVE Dade was formed in 1993 to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender…

For nearly a decade Pablo Cano’s lavish marionette productions at the Museum of Contemporary Art have left adult eyes glued to the stage and pint-size patrons bouncing in their seats like giddy jumping beans. The inventive wizard weaves a spell on his audiences by creating fantastic puppets from refuse salvaged…

Girls have it so easy — literally — when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. We can take any animal or occupation, add some fishnet stockings and a push-up bra, put the word slutty in front it, and voila! – there’s a costume. Slutty kitty, slutty mouse, slutty nurse,…

In a politically divided city like Miami, few among us share the same definitive vision of political terror. Whether it’s four more years of Dubya’s gaffes, a successful campaign by Hillary Clinton, or a night-vision video starring Mark Foley and Dennis Hastert – shudder — the creative minds at the…

Its enzymes contain beta carotene and vitamins that combat oxidation and free-radical damage. The fatty acids in its pulp help to increase moisture in your hair and skin. And it tastes delicious sprinkled with cinnamon and served on your Thanksgiving table. The good people at GBS know why Linus called…

Ubiquitous historian Paul George has an unorthodox Halloween ritual. His birthday falls on the somewhat foreboding day, and instead of handing out fun-size candies to children, every year George finds himself leading a group of Miami macabres around the city cemetery, pointing out the final resting places of some of…

When Erika Morales was a little girl, her grandma warned her that if she swallowed watermelon seeds, vines would sprout from her bellybutton. And her father often recruited her as an assistant when he was tinkering with his inventions in the garage. The wide-eyed nostalgist has dipped into her sack…

First it was your coconut palm. Next it was your mango tree. Then you watched in horror as the final lashing winds of Hurricane Wilma ripped your giant staghorn fern from its perch and blew it down the street. Yes, you are thankful you still have your house, but your…

Once you are out of school, it is difficult to make new friends. Sure, you have your work friends, but when you hang out with them, you just end up complaining about your nagging boss. Maybe it’s time to take your mother’s advice: Get out there and do something. There…

Creative-writing students are often taught that the richest material comes from one’s own experience: childhood, family, hometown growing pains. However, some writers have richer grist for the mill than others. Take for example Augusten Burroughs, the phenomenally successful author of Running with Scissors. Few authors have been able to balance…

If your inner culture vulture is fiending for toe shoes and pirouettes, Miami is a great city to live in this week. Consider checking out the Dance Now! Ensemble at Arts At St. Johns (4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach; 305-613-2325), and any dance fan worth their season tickets should…

This blog item contains two, separate, unrelated (except for being about music) pieces of data. The second is actually more important but the first is of such unparalleled entertainment value that it is presented, well, first: An email from Tito Puente, Jr., himself, bearing the following subject line (repeated in…

Slow Hand Soldiers On My editor made fun of me when I told him we had tickets to the Eric Clapton show last night at the American Airlines Arena. “Jeez, is he gonna come out on stage in a walker?” he asked, chuckling. As it turns out, my editor was…

Astrid Hadad The long lines blocking the sidewalk in front of the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road this past Saturday night had locals and tourists alike asking What show is this for? The diverse crowd — ranging from college students to retirees, but leaning heavily towards Latino — was patiently…

Clowning Around Brian Ruiz had a lot of challenges on Sunday night. The lead dancer in Petrouchka, the Art Ballet Theater of Florida’s production in North Miami Beach, put up with a lousy sound system. The show started 20 minutes late, then there were technical difficulties that delayed it even…

Joann Biondi When journalist Joann Biondi began writing Miami Beach Memories, she knew she had a sprawling, extraordinary project on her hands. Her goal was to depict a full and clear picture of the evolution of Miami Beach into the SoBe we know today, and to reveal the star power…