North Korea

Godzilla and Flowers: The Films of Kim Jong Il

Google Exec to Visit World's Other Mysterious, Totalitarian Empire

Google's Eric Schmidt is headed to the anti-Google country of North Korea where the American Internet guru is going to conduct mysterious business in the world's most mysterious country. His travel partner, New Mexico's former Gov. Bill Richardson has told media outlets (vaguely) that the trip is ... More >>

"Red Dawn": North Korea (and Audiences) Go Home Unhappy

Google's Eric Schmidt is headed to the anti-Google country of North Korea where the American Internet guru is going to conduct mysterious business in the world's most mysterious country. His travel partner, New Mexico's former Gov. Bill Richardson has told media outlets (vaguely) that the trip is ... More >>

Café des Carbs: Wherein I Brunch Like I am About to Run a Zombie Apocalypse Marathon

There are several places in San Francisco sane people try to avoid when darkness falls, like the blocks surrounding 16th and Mission, the area near 6th and Market, the intersection of Eddy and Leavenworth, and The Marina. Luckily, if you are doing it right, brunch comes during the daylight hours, so ... More >>

Worst New Song of the Week: Trace Adkins Does Right-Wing Nonsense

If you were masochistic enough to sit through the coverage of the Republican National Convention in its entirety, then you'd have heard good ol' country boy Trace Adkins doing a heartfelt rendition of a song titled "Tough People Do" (which is ironic given that Mitt Romney hasn't had a tough day in h ... More >>

"The Ambassador": Prankish Doc Exposes the Heart of Darkness

If you were masochistic enough to sit through the coverage of the Republican National Convention in its entirety, then you'd have heard good ol' country boy Trace Adkins doing a heartfelt rendition of a song titled "Tough People Do" (which is ironic given that Mitt Romney hasn't had a tough day in h ... More >>

Bouncer Finds Old-Fashioned Gratitude at Blush

If you were masochistic enough to sit through the coverage of the Republican National Convention in its entirety, then you'd have heard good ol' country boy Trace Adkins doing a heartfelt rendition of a song titled "Tough People Do" (which is ironic given that Mitt Romney hasn't had a tough day in h ... More >>

A Hole in the Iron Curtain

If you were masochistic enough to sit through the coverage of the Republican National Convention in its entirety, then you'd have heard good ol' country boy Trace Adkins doing a heartfelt rendition of a song titled "Tough People Do" (which is ironic given that Mitt Romney hasn't had a tough day in h ... More >>

Dictatorial Fiction

If you were masochistic enough to sit through the coverage of the Republican National Convention in its entirety, then you'd have heard good ol' country boy Trace Adkins doing a heartfelt rendition of a song titled "Tough People Do" (which is ironic given that Mitt Romney hasn't had a tough day in h ... More >>

Company Fined for Releasing 10,000 Red Balloons in San Francisco

There's more where that came from​Remember that peaceful anti-North Korea protest that turned into a not-so-peaceful environmental panic earlier this year after a marketing company foolishly released 10,000 red balloons into the air near the city's Moscone Center?The company -- TrashTalkFCM --&nbs ... More >>

A Hole in the Iron Curtain

There's more where that came from​Remember that peaceful anti-North Korea protest that turned into a not-so-peaceful environmental panic earlier this year after a marketing company foolishly released 10,000 red balloons into the air near the city's Moscone Center?The company -- TrashTalkFCM --&nbs ... More >>

Saturday Night: Henry Rollins, Now 50, Imparts Punk-Rock Wisdom at the Independent

​ Henry RollinsApril 9, 2011@ The IndependentEvery 25 minutes or so, Henry Rollins hacks into the mic to clear his throat, like he's about to cough something up, right there on the largely empty stage of the Independent. But it's impossible to get mad -- or even grossed out -- by it when ... More >>

'Homefront' Video Game Company Launches 10,000 Balloons, Creates Environmental Scare

One balloon is one too many ​A peaceful anti-North Korea protest turned into an environmental panic after the video game company, THQ, released 10,000 balloons in the air today near Moscone Center. The balloon launch was supposed to draw attention to Homefront, it's new video game that simulates A ... More >>

Anti-North Korea Rally, Inspired by 'Homefront' Video Game, Planned for SF

Coming Wednesday to Yerba Buena Gardens​This really is a case of life imitating art -- so long as you're willing to permit the "art" classification to be applied to video games. It seems that a rally against North Korea has been orchestrated to take place in San Francisco Wednesday by video-game c ... More >>

Turns Out Apocalyptic Korean Tacos Aren't Bad

John BirdsallDon't get this one, get the other one.​What are the odds? What should park outside the immaculately tended offices of SF Weekly today but Pyongyang Express, the taco truck hired ― like a motorized cable car facilitating a bachelorette booze crawl ― to drive around the city. Oh ... More >>

Pyongyang Express: Food Truck Handing Out Free Korean Tacos for the Next Month

John BirdsallWho wants free Korean tacos ― anybody?​A sister truck launched in L.A. last week, and now it's San Francisco's turn. Starting tonight and through March 21, a pop-up food truck named the Pyongyang Express ― created to pimp a new video game ― will make near-daily appearances a ... More >>

Bouncer: Probing the Origins of Mao Worship and MacBooks at Red's Place

John BirdsallWho wants free Korean tacos ― anybody?​A sister truck launched in L.A. last week, and now it's San Francisco's turn. Starting tonight and through March 21, a pop-up food truck named the Pyongyang Express ― created to pimp a new video game ― will make near-daily appearances a ... More >>

Bouncer Ponders Mao and MacBooks at Red's Place

​One thing that has always puzzled me about Chinatown is the preponderance of Chairman Mao-related things that are for sale: busts, paintings, photos, tea towels -- he is second only to Hello Kitty in ubiquity. Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't most Chinese people who made it to the U.S. hat ... More >>

Karina Longworth's Top 10 Films of 2010

​One thing that has always puzzled me about Chinatown is the preponderance of Chairman Mao-related things that are for sale: busts, paintings, photos, tea towels -- he is second only to Hello Kitty in ubiquity. Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't most Chinese people who made it to the U.S. hat ... More >>

J. Hoberman's Top 10 Movies of 2010

​One thing that has always puzzled me about Chinatown is the preponderance of Chairman Mao-related things that are for sale: busts, paintings, photos, tea towels -- he is second only to Hello Kitty in ubiquity. Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't most Chinese people who made it to the U.S. hat ... More >>

Old 97's Perform For FREE Thursday at Justin Herman Plaza: A Reminder

​Start working up a cough, schedule a (fake) dentist appointment, ready the tire-piercing nails, or do whatever you have to do, San Franciscans, to leave the office a bit early on Thursday and present yourself in front of Old 97's (aka Stewart Ransom Miller and his longtime band), who are chirping ... More >>

Soccer Fans Show Up at Civic Center for U.S.-Ghana Match -- Get Gay Pride Instead

When worlds collide...​Those hoping to find a large, elaborately costumed, and liquored-up Civic Center crowd on Saturday were not disappointed. And balls were prominently involved -- but not soccer balls. The ongoing free presentation of World Cup soccer games on a billboard-sized screen was abru ... More >>

Who Should Progressives Root for In World Cup?

If you were a true progressive, you'd pull for a World Cup outcome that'd help Lula hold onto power. You know this to be true. ​Last week we wrote about how the U.S. World Cup team's thrilling, last-minute victory over Algeria wasn't due to any kind innately American traits hard-wired into players ... More >>

What to Have for Lunch: Nachos and Sports Lust at Pete's Tavern

John BirdsallChicken and chorizo nachos ($10).​Wednesday, June 16, 2010 WILLIAM B./Yelp​Yesterday's lunchtime jersey mob at Pete's horseshoe bar generated noise approaching that of a stadium bristling with vuvuzelas, as Brazil put the final touches on its Dear Leader-shaming win over No ... More >>

The Lies Have It

John BirdsallChicken and chorizo nachos ($10).​Wednesday, June 16, 2010 WILLIAM B./Yelp​Yesterday's lunchtime jersey mob at Pete's horseshoe bar generated noise approaching that of a stadium bristling with vuvuzelas, as Brazil put the final touches on its Dear Leader-shaming win over No ... More >>

"And This Is Our Minder"

John BirdsallChicken and chorizo nachos ($10).​Wednesday, June 16, 2010 WILLIAM B./Yelp​Yesterday's lunchtime jersey mob at Pete's horseshoe bar generated noise approaching that of a stadium bristling with vuvuzelas, as Brazil put the final touches on its Dear Leader-shaming win over No ... More >>

While Signs Look Good for Current TV Journalists in North Korea, Current TV Continues to Give North Korea Treatment to Journalists Here

Homeward bound? You won't learn about it on Current TV.​Bill Clinton's surprise trip to Pyongyang could be a monumental achievement for all parties involved: San Francisco's Current TV could finally see the return of its two imprisoned journalists, Kim Jong-il could get that much-needed infusion o ... More >>

NPR: Rap as Geopolitics

Il(l) like Kim Jong: Lil' Wayne National Public Radio has an interesting take  on beef in the rap world: it's essentially a mirror of global politics, according to Marc Lynch, a professor at George Washington University and the director of the Institute of Middle East Studies. ""The way that ... More >>

S.F.-Based Current TV Censoring Stories About Its Jailed Reporters

Euna Lee (left) and Laura LingTwo American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporting in censor-happy North Korea, are now being censored in America -- by their own San Francisco-based media outlet.  After Ling and Lee were sentenced on Monday to 12 years of hard labor in a North Korean pr ... More >>

Current TV, Al Gore's 'Media Outlet,' Adopts State Department Policy of Giving No Information Whatsoever on Detained Journalists

Current TV hired this guy to keep the media out.When Jill Carroll was kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq in 2006, the editor of the Christian Science Monitor quickly released a statement: "Jill's' ability to help others understand the issues facing all groups in Iraq has been invaluabl ... More >>

Cannonball Gum

Current TV hired this guy to keep the media out.When Jill Carroll was kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq in 2006, the editor of the Christian Science Monitor quickly released a statement: "Jill's' ability to help others understand the issues facing all groups in Iraq has been invaluabl ... More >>

On Comics: Peering Behind the Curtain

Current TV hired this guy to keep the media out.When Jill Carroll was kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq in 2006, the editor of the Christian Science Monitor quickly released a statement: "Jill's' ability to help others understand the issues facing all groups in Iraq has been invaluabl ... More >>

Let's Go to Prison

Harold and Kumar get shipped to Gitmo in this forced act two.

Noise Pop Preview: Mountain Goats Delve into Divine Dread

Harold and Kumar get shipped to Gitmo in this forced act two.

Cold War Fever

Harold and Kumar get shipped to Gitmo in this forced act two.

Typhoon in a Teacup

Asian action movies don't get much less significant than this one

Repertory Film Listings

Asian action movies don't get much less significant than this one

Reps Etc.

Asian action movies don't get much less significant than this one

Reps Etc.

Asian action movies don't get much less significant than this one

Resident Evil

Chanwook Park's Sympathy is hideously grim, and also oddly beautiful

Bombs & Bikinis

Stealth aims low but hits its mark

Student of Concern

Will we be more secure -- or just less competitive -- if the government forces hundreds of thousands of international science students to get export licenses simply to look through a microscope?

Reps Etc.

Will we be more secure -- or just less competitive -- if the government forces hundreds of thousands of international science students to get export licenses simply to look through a microscope?

OK Then

A dozen local musicians find a silver lining in the election results. Seriously.

Of Asterisks and Small Pols

When the city government tries to play satire police with the press, everyone with a sense of humor -- and a belief in the Constitution -- should be concerned

Unreality Show

The 9-11 Commission is a nutty distraction from the dangers we face

Boom Boom Room

Taiko's big, bad sound

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Taiko's big, bad sound

Class Action

A peek at the future of higher political education