Arts & Entertainment

Tucson Taco Madness: The last taco face-off
Arts & Entertainment, Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: The last taco face-off

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post This March, we had a tournament for the books. We witnessed upsets, future stars shining and legends coming up short. The 2022 Tucson Taco Tournament has now concluded, and a new champion has been crowned. Last night’s battle went down to the wire and culminated in a grueling journey for everyone who played. Tacos del Rancho and El Tacoson had to reach deep and put together their best tacos on the plate for one last time. It took a hard-fought and complete effort from both, but there could only be one winner. El Tacoson represented the South Central Conference with an al pastor taco, which is most emblematic of Mexico City. While Tacos del Rancho came out from the North Conference with a carne asada taco — the signature taco of the state of...
Robert Fieseler comes to PCC virtually 
Arts & Entertainment, Events, Pima News

Robert Fieseler comes to PCC virtually 

By EMILY GASTELUM Pima Community College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office is welcoming author/journalist Robert W. Fieseler virtually on Thursday, April 7. The New Orleans resident wrote “Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation,” a book about a tragedy that claimed the lives of 32 gay people on June 24, 1973. He will discuss that event in a talk titled “Reclaiming the Fire: The Lost History of New Orleans’ 1973 Upstairs Lounge Arson.” Fieseler won the 2020 Columbia University Journalism School First Decade award as well as the 2019 NLGJA (National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association) Journalist of the Year.  For anyone interested in joining the free virtual talk, it will start at 1 p.m. Thursday via Zoo...
Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Mexico City is the Washington, D.C., of Mexico. It is also a standalone district outside of the other states, and it’s the capital of the country.  Perhaps equally important, it is arguably the home of the best al pastor tacos.  It is a taco rooted in history and cultural heritage. Its original conception was introduced by Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Mexico. It was a remix of a homeland dish — with the traditional anatomy substituted with ingredients found in the region. Pita bread was switched for a corn tortilla and lamb for pork. The meat was seasoned with chiles and spices from the region, and voila … the al pastor taco, as we know it today, was born. An al pastor taco is made with cuts of layered and seasoned pork m...
A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “Strawberry Mansion”Directed by: Kentucker Audley and Albert BirneyRating: RRun time: 1 hour, 31 minutes “Strawberry Mansion” is a sci-fi romantic comedy set in 2035. It’s a future where our dreams are taxed and recorded on iPad-like devices hooked to beds. The movie isn’t as dystopian as it seems, though. It is a hazy and whimsical story about a tax auditor that is tasked with going over the dreams of an eccentric older woman for dream auditing. Upon finding out that she didn’t switch over to the new technology, and all her dreams are in VHS tapes, our protagonist has to stay longer than he anticipated to complete the job.  Of course, hijinks and a time-traveling romance ensue. When I saw the trailer, I was excited to see this movi...
‘The Worst’ is one of the best
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

‘The Worst’ is one of the best

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “The Worst Person in the World”Directed by: Joachim TrierRating: RRun time: 2 hours, 8 minutesNow playing at The Loft Cinema “The Worst Person in the World” is one of the most ambitious movies of the year. Not because it’s abstract or over the top, but because it’s inventive and original. Almost every movie nowadays is based on a comic book, it’s a remake or a biopic — and every now and then we get a completely original movie that resonates with audiences and critics. This is that movie. It feels refreshing even if the plot is something we’ve seen before: it’s a highbrow mix between “A Lot Like Love” and “One Day.” But Joachim Trier directed and co-wrote this movie with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt in a way that it feels like it lives on...
Audiences absorb ‘Spongebob Musical’
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion, Pima News, Reviews

Audiences absorb ‘Spongebob Musical’

What: “The Spongebob Musical”Where: Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam RoadWhen: 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 1 p.m. Sunday.ASL interpreters will be at the March 3 show. Cost: $12-$24Information: 520-206-6986 and online By EMILY GASTELUMPima Post  “The Spongebob Musical” makes you feel like a kid again. It was a chance to see your favorite characters come to life. Spongebob, who was played by Samantha Beamer, brilliantly brought the water sponge to life.  It seemed like Spongebob was actually there and that the audience was in Bikini Bottom trying to save the town from an active volcano. The rest of the cast also took their characters and brought them to life. It was exciting to see how the cast and director Chris Will portrayed the characters. “Spongebob...
Preview: ‘The Spongebob Musical’
Arts & Entertainment, Features, News, Pima News

Preview: ‘The Spongebob Musical’

By EMILY GASTELUMPima Post What: “The Spongebob Musical”Where: Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam RoadWhen: 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 1 p.m. Sundays Feb. 24 to March 6. ASL interpreters will be at the March 3 show. Cost: $12-$24520-206-6986Website Things are about to get wet at the Center for the Arts.  “The Spongebob Musical” is coming to the Proscenium Theatre Feb. 24 to March 6. Pima Community College Theater is excited to take its audience along on this journey with these classical sea friends. Spongebob and his friends would like you to join them in the adventure to their beloved hometown. The adventure of a talking yellow sea sponge who lives under the sea in his town of Bikini Bottom will take his underwater friends on a new adventure. They will test...
‘Flee’ is a story worth telling
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion, Reviews

‘Flee’ is a story worth telling

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “Flee”Directed by: Jonas Poher RasmussenRating: PG-13Run time: 1 hours, 29 minutesNow streaming on Hulu Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” is a unicorn of a film.  We haven’t seen anything like it before, and we probably never will.  Some films in the animated documentary genre have been nominated for an Oscar or have received critical acclaim, but none to the extent and success of “Flee.” Movies in this genre tend to be overly ambitious or too niche with their storytelling and animation. However, this animated docudrama has been a heralded success because of its simplicity in style. The reception from critics, audiences and the academy resulted in three Oscar nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best Animated Feature Film and...
2022 Oscar nomination takeaways
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

2022 Oscar nomination takeaways

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Now that the dust has settled from the media and fan reactions to the 2022 Oscar nominations, it’s time to do the uncool thing and look at the list with nuance and hindsight. For the most part, the nominations ended up being what many prediction models anticipated, and there was only one reproachable snub (it was not Lady Gaga). Although, the argument for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” receiving a Best Picture nomination could be made because it was a highly critically acclaimed movie and a massive commercial success. It demolished “Titanic” in the box office during an era when no one goes to theaters anymore because of streaming and the pandemic. The Oscars are on an annual slide in ratings, and adding one or two of these movies might give ...
‘Gem and Jam’ rocks Tucson for 14th year
Arts & Entertainment, Events, Opinion, Reviews

‘Gem and Jam’ rocks Tucson for 14th year

Tripp St. on the Onyx Stage Story and photos by JOSHUA BAILEYPima Post Pima Gem & Jam: Friday Roundup This weekend marked the 14th annual Pima Gem and Jam Festival in Tucson.  The fairgrounds held a whopping 5,000 guest capacity for the music fest and hosted a variety of artists and DJs playing an eclectic mix of jams ranging from EDM to folk-country.  Stars like Rising Appalachia, STS9 and Simon Posford were scheduled to appear over the weekend. The first year back from the pandemic made Pima Gem & Jam hit the ground running with a dazzling lineup of artists, entertainers and music-weavers. Tripp St., known for his unique style of electronic music reminiscent of action-packed sci-fi media, made an appearance at the Onyx Stage on Friday to an enthusiast...