DCist's highly subjective and hardly comprehensive guide to the most interesting movies playing around town in the coming week. Indie: Sunshine A group of astronauts are on a suicide mission to save a dying Sun, lest the earth perish as well. While it may sound like a plot suitable for Michael Bay's Armageddon 2: Bigger and Hotter, in the hands of director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) and his 28 Days Later screenwriter, Alex Garland, it may... more ›

The early part of the week is looking a little light for shows, but after the Fourth things really get rolling through Sunday night. MONDAY >> After coming down with a case of "David Letterman throat" last week, Morrissey was forced to reschedule three shows, including his gig at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Right now it looks like NYC's loss is our gain, as we just recieved an email from the staff at Wolf... more ›

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on. In Gothamist's neck of the woods, they found out that many things are possible: A man caught a 40+ pound fish off the Rockaways and took it home on the subway. Graffiti... more ›

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The owner of Backwards Bush says he uses the clock as "a coping mechanism," and doesn't mean any disrespect. The trinkets have been appearing in the hands of Democrats all over the country. Stephen Colbert has the $9 item. This week Sen. Barak Obama pimped them on "The Late Show with David Letterman". Democratic Congressmen passed them out. Even the ultimate Washington power couple, Bill and Hillary Clinton, have one. more ›

If you didn’t muster the courage to apply for the D.C. Comedy Fest back in January, then at the very least, watch the people who did. Starting tonight, the fest will feature three night’s worth of shows, including an ode to what Bush did right, finalists in a short comedy film fest and auditions for Leno and Lettermen where big-deal bookers like Bob Read of Last Comic Standing will hover in the audience, sniffing out... more ›

When Peter Gelb took over as the new general director of New York's Metropolitan Opera, he promised several initiatives to bring opera to broader audiences. The leading American opera company opened its season last September, and New Yorkers were able to watch the celebrity-studded performance of Madama Butterfly on large screens in the plaza of Lincoln Center and the chaos of Times Square. The Met even brought a brief scene from its production of... more ›

While the rest of the country was at home on their couches watching Beck Hansen perform on the David Letterman show, around 150 people were getting loose with him live and in person in the tiny Backstage area of the Black Cat. Yes, the internet rumors that popped up yesterday were true. Beck, who played the Patriot Center last time he came through town, treated a small, enthusiastic and increasingly sweaty audience to a one-of-a-kind, intimate performance not likely to be seen again for quite some time. Fans queued up for hours in the Red Room waiting for the show, which cost only $12. more ›

FRIDAY: >> Here at DCist we like to pimp scrappy locals and industrious indies who are charging hard against the establishment. When it comes to stand-up comedy however, sometimes we have to make an exception. This isn't to say you shouldn't support up-and-coming local comedic talent. You should. But we'd be the first to admit that there's something particularly distasteful about amateur stand-up done badly -- when a comic punts on stage, you just have... more ›

Renée Fleming has been called America's diva, which means primarily that her profile as a celebrity is greater than that of most opera singers. In other words, she gets called to do things like sing the national anthem at the first Nationals game, sing at the memorial service at Ground Zero in Manhattan, lead holiday carols at the White House, get interviewed on Letterman, and sing on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Lots of... more ›

It would be incorrect, albeit tempting, to say that documentary film rode the wave of "reality" obsession to its current level of popularity. If anything, documentary has succeeded, as both a critics’ darling and a profitmaker, despite the reality television craze. People enjoy reality shows because their own voyeurism happily confirms that the narrative arcs of scripted television are present in "real" life, as well. The documentary’s success as a genre, though, thrives on its... more ›

The folks at Gothamist recently dropped us a line urging us to check out New York comedian Todd Barry who will be performing at the D.C. Improv tomorrow through Sunday. To get to know Mr. Barry a bit better, check out his Gothamist interview, where you can read about an experience he had with a psycho cabbie and how he once saw Monica Lewinsky in Bed, Bath, and Beyond. more ›

DCist has been hearing some disturbing rumors again. Is Nightline host and news vetern Ted Koppel on his way out? While taking the Metro in to work this morning, we noticed an article in the Express via the LA Times, mentioning the resignation of Nightline executive producer Leroy Sievers. The LA Times quoted the departing producers resignation letter, which hints at some uncertainty surrounding the show's future:The company has made it clear that it is... more ›

Popular culture and politics are, indeed, strange bedfellows. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry appeared last night on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman and treated viewers by reading the Top Ten List. Kerry has also appeared on NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Comedy Central's Daily Show with Jon Stewart. According to AP reports, candidate Kerry wasn't all laughs last night: The Massachusetts senator spent much of his appearance discussing serious topics ranging from... more ›