Grand Larceny

Adventures in Flood Insurance

Art Cars Are Shocking -- To The Folks At Ripley's

Fatale Detraction

Beyond cheap turn-ons, there's nothing to recommend Brian De Palma's latest

Getaway from Me

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger sprout personalities to save an otherwise lackluster thriller

Jack Squat

Nicholson's latest falls far short of Five Easy Pieces

Dripping with Irony

Hard Rain drowns the myth of small-town virtue

Hot Plate

Hard Rain drowns the myth of small-town virtue

The Killing

It’s classic Kubrick in this heist film

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino was already at the top of his game with his debut film

The Lookout

Joseph Gordon-Levitt awes again in this character-driven theft thriller

It's a Crime

Spike Lee's Inside Man plots the heist of your moviegoing dollars

Keira Get Your Gun

Domino chronicles the life of a model-turned-bounty hunter

Singing from the Gut

You never know what'll be spewed at a Heist at Hand show

Faker's Dozen

A rare superior sequel, Ocean's Twelve entertains with cinematic sleight of hand

Redemption Thong

Salma's shorts get top billing in an otherwise unwatchable caper

Dammit, Mamet!

Based on Spartan, it would seem the master of macho dialogue has lost his touch

College Bored

The Perfect Score adds a neat twist to the heist movie, then bungles it

Safe, Cracked

The Italian Job, a remake better than the original, is a steal

The French Conniption

Nick Nolte pulls off a twitchy Gallic heist

Rockin' the Cradle

DMX and Jet Li get down 2 Grave business

Botched Job

David Mamet plots and schemes, then blows his own Heist

As Good As He Gets

Jade Scorpion showcases Woody Allen at his satirical best

Going, Going, Gone

Someone take the wheel, 'cause the filmmakers don't know where they're headed

Funny Money

Still trying to play the leading man, Newman's best - when he's acting his age

The Great East Texas Ten-Ton Oil Pump Heist

​On one hand, you have to tip your John Deere hat and salute this little feat of deep East Texas Redneck ingenuity and derring-do. On the other hand, you just have to wonder WTF they were thinking.The Web site of Jasper radio station KJAS picks up the tale: According to Jasper County Deputy Mike ... More >>

Listology: The American Heist Soundtracks Their Funerals

​ ​Of all the bands to emerge out of the Houston music puppy mill this year, none has been as steadfastly working class and punk rock as the American Heist. Rocks Off first spied the band opening up for Florida's Fake Problems in May. At the time they were still called Born Anchor, but a Seattle ... More >>

Ally Carter: Heist Society

This much fun should be a crime

Distant Early Warning: Billy Idol, Black Crowes, Carrie Underwood, Dax Riggs, Erykah Badu, Goatwhore, The Spits, Etc.

​Stardeath & White Dwarfs, The Besnard Lakes: Wed., May 19. Walter's on Washington. Billy Idol: Wed., Aug. 25. House of Blues. Black Crowes: Sun., Sept. 26. Verizon Wireless Theater. Candlebox, Another Day, Rowe: Sat., May 15. Scout Bar Clear Lake. Carrie Underwood, Billy Currington, Sons Of ... More >>

Some More HPMA Nominee MP3s And A Little Showcase Info

Monica Fuentes​One week from tomorrow, the 2010 Houston Press Music Awards ballot goes live online, so hello this year's nominees, you're running out of time to send us your MP3s so we can post them and show the city (and the rest of the Interwebs) what you sound like. Please send them to chri ... More >>

The American Heist Steal Houston's Punk-Rock Hearts

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Photos by Ms. Blackout/ myspace ... More >>

Joyce Espinosa: The Family That Lifts Together Sticks Together

Photo courtesy GCSOJoyce Espinoza is all about the family​And they say that not enough families are spending time together and sharing family activities...Last week, a 42-year-old Webster mom was arrested along with her two teenaged kids after the threesome walked out of a Friendswood HEB with $70 ... More >>

The American Heist

Photo courtesy GCSOJoyce Espinoza is all about the family​And they say that not enough families are spending time together and sharing family activities...Last week, a 42-year-old Webster mom was arrested along with her two teenaged kids after the threesome walked out of a Friendswood HEB with $70 ... More >>

Dog Day Afternoon

Only the truth could be this strange

Clint Black

Only the truth could be this strange

Linda Rosales and Jessica Rosales: Fail In Scheme To Use Kid's Breath To Fool Breathalyzer

Cameron County SOLinda Rosales: Where's mother's little helper?​We've all been there before: we've driven to a party and gotten shit-faced. And then we've been faced with a dilemma: How best to get you and all your kids home?It's especially hard when the damn law has ordered that your car be fitte ... More >>

Witchy Woman

Weirdo, chola, pop princess, MySpace sensation...La Catrin is Houston's newest goth star.

Ten Houston Neighborhoods: The Crimes They Experience

Paging McGruff the Crime Dog​We've been plotting which neighborhoods in Houston lead in certain crime categories, but doing that doesn't really get you to the more well-known parts of town. So we decided to zero in on a few specific neighborhoods and see what crime's been going down in them. ... More >>

Auto Theft: 10 Best Houston Neighborhoods To Get Your Ride Stolen

​Houston can be a tough place to live without a car. So getting it stolen is a real bummer. And here are the 10 places where it's most likely to happen. We're not saying you need to avoid them, just be careful. The stats are from December, and as always, HPD cautions against comparing raw be ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Fine Print on Crime Stats

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

16 City Employees Nabbed for Stealing City's Copper

HPDArthur Samuel, city employee and alleged copper thief​Sixteen city employees have been charged with stealing copper, because hey, it was there for the taking, we guess. Seven have been arrested so far, HPD says. Investigators got a tip that the workers were selling copper to Latino's Scra ... More >>

Ally Carter: Uncommon Criminals

HPDArthur Samuel, city employee and alleged copper thief​Sixteen city employees have been charged with stealing copper, because hey, it was there for the taking, we guess. Seven have been arrested so far, HPD says. Investigators got a tip that the workers were selling copper to Latino's Scra ... More >>

James Robert Monday's Manic Monday: East Texan Busted For Hauling Off Air-Water Machine from Store Parking Lot

James Robert Monday: Manic indeed​In the latest of our series of "Only in East Texas" crimes, an AARP-aged man by the name of Monday was busted on the day of the same name for -- get this -- stealing a convenience store's coin-operated air and water dispenser. Not the quarters in it, mind yo ... More >>

Matthew Mehdi Rouhani, 61, Bayou Body Count No. 139

A man was found shot to death in his westside business Saturday and his car was stolen, Houston police say. Matthew Mehdi Rouhani, 61, was found dead by employees in the 1600 block of Upland about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, HPD says. "Mr. Rouhani had not been seen since last Tuesday (Aug. 30) and his emp ... More >>

High-rise Robbery

Stealing from the rich to...oh, whatever. Funny is the message in Tower Heist.

What The "Top 10 Stolen Vehicles" List Says About Houston

Stolen, by manly men​Every month Houston police put out a list of the most-often stolen vehicles, a list that defines what are either the most vulnerable or most desirable members of our automotive society. This month's is out....what does it tell us about Houston? 3. Our car thieves want yo ... More >>