Glenn Close in ALBERT NOBBS

Glenn Close has long been perceived as an intimidating woman, which likely stems from a number of factors. Maybe it’s because of her unhinged work in the iconic role of Alex Forrest, the psychotically unstable mistress who will not be ignored, in the ’80s landmark Fatal Attraction. It could be due to her impossibly imperious turn as the scheming, vicious Marquise de Merteuil in Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liaisons. The under-21 set likely grew up cowering from her scenery-chewing Cruella De Vil in the live-action 101 Dalmations. Not even the small screen has been safe from Close’s fire-breathing intensity, whether it be her hugely acclaimed work on The Shield, or her two-time Emmy-winning turn on Damages as Patty Hewes, the ferocious litigator who will stop at nothing — nothing — to win a case. So even though Close is currently promoting what is arguably the least threatening character she has ever played, this does not necessarily make her more comfortable to be around. At least not when she turns the tables during our interview and begins grilling me about my thoughts on her Oscar-nominated new film, Albert Nobbs.

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Tickets to see this guy go on sale Friday morning, but his pants are opening for Wilco all throughout the Bay Area this week.

The brain of Dakin Hardwick, our managing editor, looks like this right now: Sketchfest, Sketchfest, Sketchfest. So when he sat down to write our weekly guide to Bay Area Concerts, he just wrote “Sketchfest” next to everything.  Now, I’m going to deny that you should be going to lots of Sketchfest events (and then reading about them here on Spinning Platters), but there are a few concerts worth mentioning this week. And if I mention a Sketchfest event, too, well …

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Dark Room Theater

by Larry Rivera

People teemed into the Dark Room Theater, a black box in one of the City’s most colorful neighborhoods (i.e. a paradoxical place of real and fictitious danger). The lobby was littered with nonsensical paraphernalia (manikins, fake chickens, etc.). A one-eyed French Bulldog, Maggie, basked in the attention from adoring strangers. Sketchfest in the Mission, the largest focus of the festival’s freshest talent, was set to begin.

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Moshe Kasher and Jessi Klein

“The Price is Right Theme” played over the PA and the lights dimmed. It was 10:15 p.m. and the second half of the Sketchfest Dozen double feature was about to begin, this time featuring Moshe Kasher and Jessi Klein.

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The SF Sketchfest Dozen is a noble and novel concept. Twelve vetted new headliners from across the country perform over three weeks at the Punch Line, one of the most revered comedy clubs in the country. [read the whole post]

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During Sketchfest, it’s interesting how one could make show decisions. There are the headliners, and there are the special guests. No matter what, you will find something new. I stumbled across Superego because of the advertised guests. Paul F Thomkins is a genius, and I really enjoyed Erinn Hayes in Parenthood. So, I stumbled out of bed at 11:30 in order to go see comedy on a Saturday early afternoon. Which really isn’t a time that comedy should happen.

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Sketchfest Review: Pretty Good Friends at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 1/20/12

January 22, 2012

Eugene Mirman’s show Pretty Good Friends turned out to be a great start to my SF Sketchfest experience, in spite of the grim start to the evening.  At 10:20 it was pouring rain and the line to get in to Cobb’s Comedy Club was around the block.  I was umbrella-less, water dripping off my nose and [...]

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Sketchfest Review: The Thrilling Adventure Hour at Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 1/21/2012

January 22, 2012

I admit it. When I took my seat in the Marines’ Memorial Theatre last night, I didn’t really know what to expect. I requested this show because I wanted to be a part of SF Sketchfest (last year I saw Maximum Volume with Greg Behrendt and Matt Nathanson with a friend, and there met Gordon [...]

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10 Quick Questions with Ann Magnuson

January 20, 2012

Ann Magnuson is a cult hero that has been involved in nearly every artistic movement of the last 30 years. She has been a part of the punk world, the rave movement, starred in network sitcoms, and has done pretty much everything. She is debuting her latest show,  The Drawing Room Apocalypse at Yoshi’s in [...]

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Spinning Platters Predicts the 2012 Oscar Nominations: What Should — and Will — Be Nominated

January 20, 2012

The Academy Awards are commonly referred to as the gay Super Bowl, and for good reason: they each represent the culmination of months of grueling, bone-crunching competition, tend to feature misguided musical numbers, and are ultimately about impossibly wealthy people fighting over trophies while the rest of us cheer from the breadlines. In short: it’s [...]

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