Orlando (Florida)

Ramin Bahrani Searches for America's Soul in 'At Any Price'

The director says bigger films demand bigger targets

[UPDATED with Victim Reported a New Mom:] Newport Beach Police Seek Answers in "Suspicious Death" of Prostitute Tina Hoang

See the Update No. 3 at the end of page 2 with a friend and lawyer of the victim reportedly saying she had a baby in January and was trying to leave prostitution behind. See Update No. 2 on page 2 with the victim's multiple prostitution arrests and Update No. 1 on the next page with the victim's I.D ... More >>

Ray Elbe, MMA Fighter Who Trained in Irvine, Looks Forward to Life After Broken Penis

All you may have wanted for Christmas was your two front teeth, but all MMA fighter Ray Elbe wanted was an unbroken penis.As Navel Gazing launches an investigation into how the hell we missed this one last month, you should know the "Ultimate Fighter 9" combatant, who lived in Irvine while training ... More >>

Is Long Beach Biketown USA?

The seaside city reinvents itself (again) by hitching its civic reputation to cycling culture

Sylvia Melkonian, Anti-Drug Crusader Whose Late Son Inspired Film Festival Movie, Accused in $4.2 Million Real Estate Scam

The mother of a popular South County high school student whose prescription drug overdose death helped inspire an anti-drug documentary making its world premiere at the upcoming Newport Beach Film Festival has been arrested for participating in a $4.2 million real estate "flipping" scheme that inclu ... More >>

Downtown Disney to Get an Earl of Sandwich

​Everyone knows the tale of the sandwich being invented as a way to eat during a card game, but it turns out the descendants of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, still have skin in that game. Fastforward 250 years, and the 11th Earl of Sandwich and family own a stake in the fast-food chain E ... More >>

Five Things Disneyland Has Over Disney World

​When Walt Disney World opened its gates in Florida in 1971, Disneyland started taking the proverbial backseat to its younger (and much larger) sibling.Disneyland was just a theme park. Disney World was a destination.Of course, since then Disneyland has made great strides in making its resort a va ... More >>

Q&A: Gay Days Anaheim Co-Founder/Event Producer Eddie Shapiro

​Gay Days Anaheim returns to the Disneyland Resort next weekend (Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2), and co-founder/event producer Eddie Shapiro couldn't be more excited.In 1998, after Disneyland canceled their annual one-night private party for gays and lesbians, Shapiro organized th ... More >>

Disney Develops "Avatar" Theme Park Attractions

​ You: "Uhhh... what?"Me: "Exactly."Disney announced plans today to develop numerous theme park attractions inspired by James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar.I know, I don't get it either.Check out details after the jump, then read on as I list the Top Five Overrated Movies That Disney Could Adapt Into ... More >>

5 Things to Look Forward to After Harry Potter

​It is evident that few series (books or movies) will ever be able to achieve the popularity and esteem that the Harry Potter novels attained in the past years, and most certainly, none will be able to enchant readers quite like these novels did. But fret not, HP fans, after the jump are 5 Things ... More >>

Top Five Warnings for Disney World "Revelers" About the Florida Family Association

​ Disney love gays. Who doesn't? The Florida Family Association (FFA), that's who. But it's not enough for the FFA to merely hate gays. They also want to hate anyone who accepts gays. This especially includes anyone (straight or otherwise) who supports Disney World's week-long event known as "Gay ... More >>

Sade and John Legend Team Up for Tour Concluding at Honda Center

​R&B singer/songwriter Sade announced that she will be joined by John Legend for her "Once and a Lifetime" tour. Yes, he will be at every single concert. The Live Nation-produced tour hits the Staples Center in L.A.  Aug. 19 and 20. Since the demand was so high, they slated their last dat ... More >>

Union Blasted for Distributing Flier Warning of Pedophiles at Disneyland

​The union that represents Anaheim Disney Resort motel workers is being criticized for a flier being distributed to guests of the theme parks that warns, "Keep Your Children Close! Places Like Disneyland are a Magnet for 'Pedophiles.'""Has Local 11 gone too far?" begins a thread on Mouse Planet, a ... More >>

Now Headlining a Fall Tour: Avi Buffalo! Plus, Free MP3s

Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly​Maybe Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg and co. will take a tip from opening for a whole slew of bands (My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse and Japandroids) this summer; Sub Pop just announced that Avi Buffalo is going on a 17-date headlining tour in early October. Check out the compl ... More >>

This Weekend: Mini Gay Days at Disneyland! (And Knott's)

Flickr user samlavi​Who says you've got to wait another whole year for Gay Days at Disneyland?

[UPDATED:] Lt. Dan Choi of Tustin Arrested for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Stunt at White House

UPDATE: Details released for protest in Irvine in support of Lt. Dan Choi and other activists (see below) . . . Clockwork is no expert on military jurisprudence, so does anyone know if getting arrested for chaining oneself to a White House gate--while in uniform, mind you--makes one just as likely t ... More >>

Road Sores: More From Thrice's Ed Breckenridge

Welcome to Road Sores, Heard Mentality's newest feature, where bands on tour will guest blog about life on the road, photos, videos, what that smell is coming from the corner of the van, what they're listening to, or whatever the hell it is they feel like talking about that day. Thrice's Ed Breckenr ... More >>

Dishney: California Adventure Dreamin' With Bob Weis

The concept art of the Carthay Circle TheatreWith recent announcements of the complete re-vamping of that other park, Disney's California Adventure seem to have a bright future ahead, abandoning its current concept of a California-themed theme park in uh, California, and replacing it with something ... More >>

OC Cities Fail to Crack 10 Meanest List, Must Try Harder

Photo by HulagwayBoxed in.No Orange County cities cracked the top 10 Meanest Cities list included in a report released today by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless. But Laguna Beach, Santa Ana (by way of Dana Point) and just-beyond-our-re ... More >>

Disneyland Urged to Bring Back Michael Jackson's Captain EO

On various Internet sites, including the "Captain EO @ Disneyland" Facebook page, Disneyland is being urged to bring back the Captain EO attraction to honor Michael Jackson.Captain EO, which debuted at Disneyland on Sept. 18, 1986 (six days after its world premiere at Walt Disney World's Epcot C ... More >>

Disneyland Women's Triathlon Lacks Water

Photo by Rick Kent An Amy Poehler look-alike crosses the finish line at the Trek Women Triathlon in Austin, Texas, where she had to get wet first.The caps are their's as the Trek Women Triathlon Series bills itself as "the ONLY women's triathlon series CREATED BY WOMEN, RUN BY WOMEN, EXCLUSIV ... More >>

Richard Christy's new metal band

No, that's new nu-metal, but new, as in not old. Anyway, Richard Christy, famed metal drummer and the dude who does all sorts of gay shit on the Howard Stern Show, has put together an all-star metal group. I'd tell you all about it, but just read this. "Metal Blade Records is proud to announ ... More >>

Cirque du Soleil Confirms 2010 Tour Stop in Great Park

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil"The Trickster" of Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza."There's not much to the park yet, but the Orange County Great Park in Irvine has been confirmed as a 2010 tour stop for the freaky French-Canadian circus Cirque du Soleil, OCGP chairman Larry Agran announced today.Montre ... More >>

Warped Tour to Launch in Pomona This Year, Lineup Announced

For the third straight year, the Vans Warped Tour--46 dates in 2009-will be kicking off at the Pomona Fairplex, this time on June 26. Pre-sales for tickets start April 1 (not a prank), with the "regular" on-sale date being April 18. They've also announced the list of bands performing, though we don' ... More >>

Cirque du Great Park?

The Orange County Great Park Corp. board today unanimously recommended that the Irvine City Council authorize the board's CEO Michael Ellzey to enter formal negotiations with Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil to bring its winter 2010 touring production to the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station ba ... More >>

Yes to Complexly Rock Honda Center Aug. 20

Set aside your negative bias toward Yes—and while you're at it, lose your knee-jerk hatred of prog rock. Yes fuckin' rock—albeit in a long-winded, redonkulously complex manner. And Chris Squire's bass playing? Completely slaughters Les Claypool's. Ask Squarepusher. He'll vouch for me. As thos ... More >>

Sprawl of Sound

Heavenly Beats, Demonic Metal, Slack Clergy: Absorbing Seattle’s Decibel Festival, Assessing Disney’s HOB Flub, Heeding Lazy Preacher

Diva Divinity

Bootyliciousness and divadom

The Closet and the Cross

Three decades ago, Michael Bussee helped found the mammoth ex-gay ministry Exodus International. Now, he’s one of the movement's biggest critics

Goofy: Why Are the Feds Giving Disneyland Special Anti-Terrorism Protection?

KNBC's Chuck Henry recently scooped everyone with this: Oddly, the only two commercial properties in the U.S. that have gained federal no-fly-zone status after 9/11 are Disneyland in Anaheim and Disneyworld in Orlando. The play parks won the favor just days after President George W. Bush invaded Ira ... More >>

Diary of a Mad County

Dec. 13-Dec. 19

Can Do

Wayne Brady, doing it all

Kill Mike

SaveDisney works to eradicate Eisner

Bitter Harvest

Four Huntington Beach kids have died of a rare disease. Officials say theres no pattern. The parents say the answer could be underground

Thats Our Bush!

The presidents re-election campaign kicks off with a shameless 9-11 docudrama

How to Stuff a Lettuce Bikini

To the Costa Mesa thugs who used to beat up Dan Mathews: The fat gay punk kid grew up to save lives and jet set with Pam Anderson. Howzabout you?

In Praise of. . .Disneyland?

It may not be the happiest place on Earth, but its damn close

Ask Cannibal Corpse!

Questions for the gods of death metal

Barrels of Fun!

Register engages in reckless gunplay

Diary of a mad county

Orange County, California: 2001

White Dopes on Punk

Mommy Dearest

Oedipal dreams in The Deep End and The Others

Bush 2000 Shocker!

Candidate mum as his old mans foundation hassles OC patron saint

California Misadventure

When it opens early next year, Disneys California Adventure is likely to be a lot like the crowded, strip-malled state for which it is named

Vacation, Baby

The Shaq Trap

The Lakers are not going to win with Shaquille ONeal

Thou Shalt Be Rich

Selling your soul-at a profit-with TBN's divine guidance

For Whom the Tolls Rose

Toll-road bosses want big raises--and they want you to keep your big mouth shut