The Wire

Films of 2012: Ten Best Films of 2012

Just because you live in Houston doesn't mean you can't see all these films.

Golden Bozos: Your "Official" Live Blog For The 69th Golden Globes

I know, we're all bummed out the Texans lost. But since you've been drinking anyway, you might as well crack open another one and sit through the one awards show even the People's Choice Awards can look down its nose at. I'll be updating this entry throughout the broadcast, so refresh often and try ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Who Else Would Make A Good Bond Villain?

Jeez, when are they going to stop casting ugly actors in these Bond movies?​So it turns out Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristy Barcelona) is going up against 007 in Bond 23: After months of speculation about who would play the villain in the next James Bond installment, we fi ... More >>

Pop Rocks: We Take Our Television Seriously

The TV! The TV!​Hey America, what did you think of the season finale of The Killing? - S U C K S! Not wasting another minute watching or thinking about this show! - I want 13 hours of my life back! - Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me - A cheap, crappy cop-out. Whoa. That ... More >>

Downtown West U Now Sports A Drug Corner, Chain E-mail Warns

Omar comin', yo, to West U​"Body Bag! Got that Body Bag right here!" "Yellow Top! Who wants to get up on that Yellow Top!" "Yo, G, want some o' that Sheed Wallace? Got that Sheed Wallace, yo!" If that sounds like a scene from The Wire to you, if you are so naive that you think such brazen d ... More >>

Pop Rocks: One Of Those "Good News/Bad News" Things

Only this time, no cropped shirts.​Or maybe even "Okay News/Bad News," depending on your feelings regarding San Dimas High School football. That's right, the rumors you've heard may or may not be true in that a third Bill and Ted movie might or might not be getting made: Keanu Reeves has be ... More >>

Rel The Chosen Throws A Beautiful Release Party

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Thomas/Primary Focus Photography​One year ago, a cat named Diamond Dave got at Rocks Off about a fresh new voice in Houston's hip-hop underground, and it was because of that interaction that we wrote a Behind The Lyrics piece on an Alief rapper named Harkore. We' ... More >>

What Is The Best TV Show Of All Time? Martin? Really?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday (that isn't a national holiday) Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Fat Tony, Montana, Kyle Hubbard, Thurogoo ... More >>

Ghetto Fabulous

Bow Wow strikes it rich in Lottery Ticket.

The Week In TV: Louis C.K. vs. Mississippi

The same face we made when trying to comprehend why people would voluntarily live in Mississippi.​The weather's terrible, I'm living off DVR'd episodes of Community, and it's possible this is all just a dream. This was the week in TV Land: • AT&T reached a deal with Rainbow Media last week ... More >>

Steve Earle Emmy-Nominated For Treme Song

​Steve Earle, one of Houston's favorite musical sons, was nominated for an Emmy today for his song "This City," featured in the recent season finale of the HBO series Treme. Earle, who recently touted Houston's rich history and musical assets on an episode of NPR's World Cafe, wrote "This Ci ... More >>

Kermit Ruffins

Kermit Ruffins, New Orleans' Beaming Musical Ambassador

​Many people say that going to New Orleans feels like being in another time. In fact, the city's current slogan for its tourism TV spots, which Rocks Off caught just this morning, is "you're different here." Listening to Kermit Ruffins, who plays House of Blues Friday night, has that effect t ... More >>

Treme: We're Your Neighbors

​We're halfway through the first season of Treme, and it was clear in last night's episode, "Shame, Shame, Shame," that creator David Simon and his crew have some very clear ideas about where to go from here. The halfway point acted like a turning point of sort for the season, offering a narra ... More >>

Treme: We're Your Neighbors

​We're halfway through the first season of Treme, and it was clear in last night's episode, "Shame, Shame, Shame," that creator David Simon and his crew have some very clear ideas about where to go from here. The halfway point acted like a turning point of sort for the season, offering a narra ... More >>

Treme: Getting The Tribe Back Together

Hamsterdam: Treme gets a few Wire shoutouts.​This was the most Wire-heavy episode of Treme yet. We've already got Wendell Pierce and Clarke Peters in major roles, but this ep was packed with shout-outs to David Simon's former series. One of Sonny's buddies mispronounced Amsterdam as "Hamsterda ... More >>

Treme: Getting The Tribe Back Together

Hamsterdam: Treme gets a few Wire shoutouts.​This was the most Wire-heavy episode of Treme yet. We've already got Wendell Pierce and Clarke Peters in major roles, but this ep was packed with shout-outs to David Simon's former series. One of Sonny's buddies mispronounced Amsterdam as "Hamsterda ... More >>

The Week In TV: Oh, How The Mighty [Simpsons] Have Fallen

I wash myself with a rag on a stick.​What the hell, let's jump right in: • Conan O'Brien's exit deal with NBC included a number of stipulations about when he could appear on TV again and when he could resume his late-night hosting duties for another outlet. Well, after a few months away, ... More >>

Treme: The Battlefield

​It became clear with this week's Treme, "Meet De Boys on the Battlefront," that creator David Simon has taken the fierce territorial pride that urged him to chronicle Baltimore in The Wire and grafted it onto New Orleans. If the earlier show was about seeing a city in decline in the aftermath ... More >>

The Treme Files: The Battlefield

​It became clear with this week's Treme, "Meet De Boys on the Battlefront," that creator David Simon has taken the fierce territorial pride that urged him to chronicle Baltimore in The Wire and grafted it onto New Orleans. If the earlier show was about seeing a city in decline in the aftermath ... More >>

In Honor Of Billy Joe Shaver's Epic Courtroom Performance: Five Great Trial Scenes From The Movies

If he was only a honky-tonk legend before last week, today Billy Joe Shaver is a true Texas immortal. His testimony at his own aggravated assault trial in Waco saw to that.Three years ago, Shaver shot a fellow drinker in the face in the parking lot of a Waco bar. That much is beyond dispute. Whether ... More >>

The Week In TV: So Long, Julia Sugarbaker

Even with my dependable shows in reruns, it feels good to be back in the stern embrace of David Simon. This was the week in TV Land: • Thank God for Hulu, you know? The video site is the only reason I actually keep up with Saturday Night Live most weeks. The show's had a real hard-on for tweens ... More >>

Treme: Do You Know What It Means?

​The anticipation for HBO's Treme is high among that certain sliver of TV viewers who worship at the altar of David Simon and consider his epic, five-season The Wire to be the best series ever made. (Consider me one of the faithful.) Yes, he also oversaw Generation Kill, but that one felt a li ... More >>

The Treme Files: Do You Know What It Means To Recover, New Orleans?

www.hbo.com/#/treme​ The anticipation for HBO's Treme is high among that certain sliver of TV viewers who worship at the altar of David Simon and consider his epic, five-season The Wire to be the best series ever made. (Consider me one of the faithful.) Yes, he also oversaw Generation Kill, but th ... More >>

Telling New Orleans

The Wire's creator moves south in Treme on HBO.

The Week In TV: New Cable Shows Worth Watching

​I'm confused by the weather, recovered from South By Southwest, and forbidden from re-enacting Ghost. This was the week in TV Land: • I'm a week behind on HBO's The Pacific. This is my own fault; between this show and others, sometimes things get put on the back burner. The good news is t ... More >>

Wild on Washington

The three-mile stretch of avenue is Houston's place to be if you're young, white, single and ready to party. At least for now.

Blind Boys of Alabama

Richard Price

The author of Lush Life constructs a guilty-until-proven-innocent story

5th Annual Historically Black Colleges & Universities Film Festival

Web exclusive!