John Travolta

2012 Summer Guide: Summer Movie Preview

For President's Day: The Best Movie Portrayals of 15 Presidents

Portraying presidents on screen is always tricky. Crass imitation makes the thing look like a comedy skit, but completely ignoring the mannerisms and voice that people know doesn't work either. There have been some laughingly inept acting jobs when it comes to the 44 people who have been the countr ... More >>

UPDATE: Food Maneuvers That Only Work On Television: Drinking Directly From A Straw Stuck In An Orange

When I blogged last week about five food maneuvers that only work on television, Nicholas L. Hall and Dave Lieberman corrected my assertion that drinking out of a straw stuck directly in an orange couldn't be done in real life. Furthermore, they offered some tips as to how to do so: "The trick ... More >>

RIP Johnny Otis, the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues

Johnny Otis, one of the creators of rock and roll but primarily remembered as the godfather of rhythm and blues, has passed away at 90. Otis died at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena. A consummate band leader and showman who was of Greek descent and changed his actual last name, Veliot ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Gene Simmons Is A Lucky Man -- Our Six Favorite Shannon Tweed VHS Covers (NSFW)

On behalf of all of us here at Art Attack, I'd like to congratulate Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed on the joyous occasion of their marriage. The pair lived together, "happily unmarried," for 28 years before finally deciding to take the plunge. I have no idea what prompted them to tie the knot (I'm ... More >>

Las Puertas: 10 Things You May Not Know About The Doors

"Hey Robby, don't try to look too not-stoned in our press still. Thanks, buddy."​On this day in 1965, The Doors began recording demos together, laying down some songs set to Jim Morrison's freaky poems. Nearly 50 years later, the band is an exalted classic-rock group, firmly implanted in that ... More >>

The 10 Worst Things Texas Has Given To The Modern World

It's not nature's way, it's Houston's​If we were to list all the great, terrific things Texas, Our Texas has given to civilization, we would be here all day. (Two words: Jessica Simpson.) Unfortunately, Texas has also gifted America and the world with some things the world and America would n ... More >>

I'm Gay & 10 More Recent Dubious Rap Album Titles

​Lil B is obviously an outlandish artist, but his most recent blogworthy activity has many hip-hop fans pretty damn upset. This past weekend at Coachella, The Based God announced the title of his next album. He has named it I'm Gay and according to the Based God, it's a major move to demonstra ... More >>

SXSW: Bob Geldof, Master Of The F-Bomb

Photos by Chris Gray​Leave it to Sir Bob Geldof to turn the SXSW keynote address into a 45-plus minute combination elaborate cultural history of the past 60 years with rock and roll at the center, personal narrative of how rock and roll ("pop with a hard-on") shook loose his inner social activ ... More >>

Houston Needs An Urban Cowboy Statue, Y'all

​For the past month, you have no doubt been reading about a group in Detroit lobbying for a Robocop statue in their city to commemorate the fictional (we believe) robotic law enforcement titan created by the evil corporate goons of OCP, using deceased Detroit officer James Murphy. Detroit may ... More >>

Last Night: Boz Scaggs At Stafford Centre

Photos by Bob Ruggiero​Boz Scaggs Stafford Centre February 17, 2011 While mellow modern jazz players have hijacked and ruined the word "smooth" as a synonym for blandness, Thursday night Boz Scaggs helped reclaim the adjective as a positive attribute in a powerful show laden with most of his ... More >>

Houston's Best Gifts To The Music World

Ed. Note: Rocks Off is still in a holiday frame of mind... actually we meant to post this before Christmas, but they're just as true now. No refunds, no exchanges. ​Here is Craig's Hlist point of view: Houston has given so much to the world, from ZZ Top, Jandek, Beyonce Knowles, and everythin ... More >>

Brooklyn's "Fourth-Largest City" Boast Threatened By Us

Brooklyn's boast may be in contention soon​ Way back in the benighted `70s, there was a (terrible) sitcom called Welcome Back, Kotter, starring Gabe Kaplan and a young John Travolta (just to indicate clearly its levels of terribleness).The opening credits each week featured a montage with the abov ... More >>

Died and Gone to Houston

City is ready for another honky-tonk close-up.

Urban Cowboy: How Does It Hold Up In 2010? (SPOILER ALERT)

Hollywood Shuffle can't really explain why we've never seen Urban Cowboy before. The only excuse is that we were born in 1980, the same year the film was released, and by the time we were old enough to appreciate it the line-dancing honky tonk fad that has swept America in the wake of the film had ... More >>

9 Places We'd Send The New York Times

Mark C. AustinJandek (right) and trio at Rudyard's... who says we're not hip?​ As we may have mentioned, Rocks Off was none too pleased when we read The New York Times' most recent article on Houston in this past Sunday's travel section and found exactly zero mentions of anything music-related. Th ... More >>

Yippee Ki Yay, Fils de Putain

Cowboy diplomacy from our man in Paris, John Travolta.

Sweet Carradine: Five Great Moments From His Career

It must be hell out there for a Hollywood actor. Not only is every role dissected by fans and eviscerated by critics, but no aspect of your personal life or fashion sense is left unexamined. And you'd better hope you die in as unexciting a manner as possible, lest your demise generate greater notor ... More >>

Aftermath: Metallica at Toyota Center

Photos by Craig Hlavaty / Click here for more Fandom is a funny thing. It can make the stodgiest businessman a KISS makeup wearing teenager from 1975. It can turn your Mom into a wannabe groupie when she gets a little too close to Steven Tyler. You yourself may wake up one tragic morn and grasp th ... More >>

Leashed Lightning in Bolt

Disney's latest toon is a starry dog story

The Secret Life of Bees Is All Honey, No Sting

Buzz Kill

Introducing…Lonesome Onry and Mean

Buzz Kill

Skinny Is the New Fat in Run Fat Boy Run

Simon Pegg may not have the ideal physique to play hefty, but he's a good fit

The Houston 100: From Scarface to Robert Earl Keen

Simon Pegg may not have the ideal physique to play hefty, but he's a good fit

Miss Pop Rocks: We Need a Patrick Swayze High School…NOW!

Simon Pegg may not have the ideal physique to play hefty, but he's a good fit

Get Inside. It's Summertime!

Your guide to the season's hottest films (and the other ones, too)

A Very Long Run

Your guide to the season's hottest films (and the other ones, too)

Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps

Saturday, September 24, at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar, 1031 East 24th Street, 713-862-8707.

Low-Cost Housing

A home for a buck, with one catch

He's a Maniac

The Nightfly puts his white-boy dance moves to the supreme test at Lizzard's Pub

Method Rocking

Minnie Driver and Juliette Lewis have started bands. Come on, you know you're curious.

Dammit, Mamet!

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

Visitors' Guide

Get Bowled over by the best of the real Bayou City

Steel Strippin'

New setting, new songs, same hook

Destroy All Monsters of Rock!

Please come see Shonen Knife's powerful activity!

Con Heir

In Matchstick Men, a father meets daughter and sets a paper moon ablaze

Eric Hisaw, with Greg Wood

Thursday, August 28

Bursting Bubbles

Someone sabotages a Channel 13 report

Empty Visions

The Caveman believes in things that do not exist. The filmmakers do the same.

Look Who's Losin' It

Amy Heckerling is clueless with her latest teen flick

Mission 2: Successful

With a head full of Notorious thoughts, director John Woo leads the charge in the visceral M:I-2

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Clune's Chicks takes a cheeky look at the '70s

In the Groove

Shallow feels swell in McMillan-inspired Stella

Bullridin' Belles

Shallow feels swell in McMillan-inspired Stella

Press Picks

Shallow feels swell in McMillan-inspired Stella

Press Picks

Shallow feels swell in McMillan-inspired Stella

Blasts from the Past

Geena Davis and Gene Hackman exhume some explosive histories

In Tune

Geena Davis and Gene Hackman exhume some explosive histories

Foreign Affairs

Geena Davis and Gene Hackman exhume some explosive histories

Wordless Wonders

Death Valley does its talking through its playing