September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Political Mercury
Pie is a stand-in for Iowa itself in many ways in a feature-length documentary from director Beth M. Howard, an Iowa filmmaker who is now on a national tour with “Pieowa: A Piece Of America” The film shows one of the iconic Iowa restaurants that serves pie — The Canteen
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Film Review
In the sun-bleached, conservative community of Bakersfield, California, a Pontiac Firebird cuts through the dust and heat. Behind the wheel is Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private investigator with a husky voice, a quick wit and a low tolerance for nonsense. Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “Honey Don’t!” is a
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Food Dude
Masao is Des Moines’ greatest application yet of the miracle of overnight air freight. It is also dramatic evidence that technology shrunk the world more than anything else did. When I graduated from high school here in 1965, I had never seen an avocado, a mango nor cilantro. The only
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Des Moines Forgotten
One of the bills that passed in this year’s legislative session was Iowa Bill SF657, the Economic Development Bill that includes tax credits and incentives. One of the programs that finally made it through during the DOGE era was a new Iowa Film Tax Incentive program. I never thought I
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Joe's Neighborhood
The Irish lilt is a thing of beauty. It moves up and down the vocal scale like a soaring and diving bird rather than the flat and plodding groundhog of American English. It wouldn’t surprise me if Irish was the dialect spoken in the Garden of Eden. Angelic and holy.
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Center Stage
As summer slips into fall, central Iowa will be offering two distinctly different, yet delightfully appealing, shows set back in time. The 1920s and the 1940s America are the settings for “Bright Star” while the late 1930s provides the historic backdrop for “Blithe Spirit.” This one-two theatrical punch of a
Read More →“Caught Stealing” R | 107 minutes Director: Darren Aronofsky Writer: Charlie Huston Stars: Austin Butler, Carol Kane, Bad Bunny Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going OK. He has got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Belly Up To...
“Saturday Night Live.” “Jaws.” “All In the Family.” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It was 1975 when these shows and movies were popular. Meanwhile, one other 50-year landmark is still going strong. Charlie’s Filling Station, located at 305 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines, was created from an old
Read More →‘Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language’ Every generation gathers its own stew of slang to scandalize their parents and, eventually, grows up to be those scandalized parents. Endless concern and overblown reactions to the evolution of expression is as old as humanity. Just ask the ancient
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September 03, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Your Neighbors
Patrons of the Des Moines Farmers Market might have noticed a wild-looking mascot during this season’s farmers market, courtesy of Jennifer Hess, owner of Psycho Sweets. Like many, Hess learned to bake from her mother. While her mom perhaps didn’t show her the wild side of what treats can be,
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