Sam Crutsinger

Milk is actually bucking the usual trend of a big opening with a long tail of declining income. It's making more money now than ever. It opened on 34 screens and then went to 36 to 99 to 328 theaters screening the film. It's gaining momentum and getting broader distribution. This movie will do quite well by the looks of things, not to mention that it's a damn good movie.

And yes, I saw it at the Angelika.

Sundance is getting screwed over because it's in Utah, Mormon central, and the whole state is being punished.

I just hope he's tried as the war criminal that he is and then maybe SMU will realize their mistake.

Now the San Francisco proposal to name a sewage treatment plant after him? That I completely support.

"...the parking lot in between."? I'm pretty damn sure that between Curtain Club and Liquid Lounge is a wall, unless they've moved.

Yeah, that's not me. I was the editor and posted it to YouTube, but the interviewer is Joe Huang. Of course the interview belongs to AFI Dallas, but they let me post it.

Yes. Deep Ellum is for adults who want to do adult things, which involves intoxication and activities that generally don't top any sort of WWJD list.

Personally I think this venue has a short live expectancy. Their location is outside of the central core of Deep Ellum. They don't serve booze. Their typical content isn't "indie," it's christian metal/rap/rock which even christians usually find revolting. Calling it "indie" makes me laugh every time I hear it. Sure, technically they are independent bands, but this place doesn't pursue indie acts. It's just that nobody can sell the kind of music they support which means they stay "indie." The venue is a multifaceted conflict of interest with the local community.

They scored a few non-christian acts for NXSW, but many of us who currently live in Deep Ellum are here because this area is a hole in the bible belt. Typically, when a church throws a party, people in Deep Ellum don't usually come running.

But take my ranting with a grain of salt. I'm biased. I live on the same block as them and have to listen to their concerts whether I want to or not. Well, not for NXSW. During that I was in Austin at the SXSW Film Festival which I've got to say is crowed everywhere you look. Hmmmm... I may have another theory about why people didn't come....

I can't afford to live in that!

Wait, look in the middle of the picture, just above one of the intersections... Does it say "HELL" in reversed type (so it would look normal to traffic coming towards you) in giant lettering that spans the street? Hell in deed.

I just made a Deep Ellum discussion mailing list. Anybody who wants to join can do so at http://groups.google.com/group/deep-e...

It's a Google Group called simply called "Deep Ellum."

OK, Jump in and let's get some dialog going. This neighborhood is turning into a soap opera.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Google Groups probably isn't the best tool since it has all those ads, but it's free and I don't have a Mailman server handy.

I think the Deep Ellum Association needs to have a local residents' email mailing list or forum where locals can be directed to openly discuss the matters that effect the neighborhood. If more people knew that DART was planning to fill in the tunnel, I bet they would have gotten involved.

I mean, let's be perfectly clear, the Baylor Station is right behind what was Sweet Endings. THAT is the right place for a rail station. Building one HALF A MILE AWAY and destroying the gateway into Deep Ellum is BS. That station will bring ZERO extra business to Deep Ellum that the Baylor Station wouldn't have already provided. It's a waste of money to begin with and they're wasting another $1.5 million to bribe the neighborhood with an art project to replace TunnelVisions. Guess what. The coolness of TunnelVisions was that it was old, that you descended into a baptism of graffiti and art and then popped up into Deep Ellum on the other side. Putting up an archway won't give you the same feeling.

See? I want a place where I can discuss this sort of thing at 3am on a Tuesday. I'm not a big fan of traditional meetings and presentations. I prefer a 21st century solution.

Oops, got a typo in there.

If _it_ manages to rebuild, it will be rebuilt into....