KC Confidential

Let’s see if I can surprise some of you and write something largely positive about David Cook today on his 31st birthday…

Staring with that Cooks says his move to Nashville should not be seen as a sign that he’s trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Missourian Sheryl Crow and go country.

In fact, Cook has been touring clubs and debuting a slate new rock oriented songs that he hopes to string together for an album next year.

And to pretty positive acclaim. Continue reading →

Kathe Kaul models Charlie Wheeler’s Mink Skull Cap

Helping to hustle Blues Cruise vacations aboard ocean liners for KC Blues Society founder Roger Naber. Pretty normal sounding, huh? Think again.

“The cruises have always been wild, they’re basically blues festivals at sea with people from all over the world having a blast,” Kaul muses. “And doing anything conceivable they thought they could get away with.”

While Kaul’s current gig at Kathe Kaul Estate Sales no longer entails stumbling across triple X-rated activities on the high seas, it can still get pretty intense between Black Friday like showdowns between competing customers battling and embarrassing discoveries while sifting through people’s belongings.

“Let’s just say my client’s secrets stay with me,” Kaul says. “That’s my business; people trust me. But it’s actually crazier now.” Continue reading →

The dramatic death of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker continues to spark controversy…

But setting aside for a moment that police say speed was a contributing factor in his death – not exactly an admirable thing given Walker and his race car driver pal were on city streets – there’s been a flood of rumors, news and additional information to sort through.

Starting with the unfortunate report that Walker basically burned to death – albeit rapidly – and that at present, we’re about a third of the way through the up to 90 day time frame it may take to learn the exact cause of the crash. Continue reading →

The battle lines are being drawn…

Kansas City-based AMC Theatres squaring off against newcomer Cinetopia in a Hollywood-esque fight to the finish for suburban supremacy at the movies.

KC Confidential‘s Jack Poessiger set the stage for a potential showdown by carefully measuring the distance between AMC’s Town Center and Cinetopia’s coming soon Overland Park 17. Just under two miles, the odometer of Poessiger’s trusty Mercedes indicated.

More than close enough to spark a showdown between the two theaters over something in the trade known as “playing day and date.”

Meaning both complexes get to play hot new releases like X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Hunger Games Mockingjay – Part 1 at the same time when they are released.

“That’ll be something to watch,” Poessiger says. “Whether AMC says to the film companies that they won’t play a movie if it plays at Cinetopia.”

Could happen. Continue reading →

Spinach Salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese and Chocolate Lava cake are among the offerings in the living room theaters at Cinetopia.
Photo by Steven Lane

How many failed efforts, how much mediocre movie cuisine must this Cowtown endure?

You know, before somebody gets the picture that upscale, dine-in movie theater food is not a viable proposition in Kansas City.

Because no less than six (count ’em) theaters have tried it, with disappointing (at best) results.

The two in Zona Rosa promptly went toes up. Cinemark on the Plaza has been in the game for more than 10 years, but its single, small auditorium is so tiny it feels like a rich guy in Hallbrook’s home theater. And who even remembers it exists in the grand scheme of things anymore.

AMC lost its you-know-what at the Mainstreet downtown before passing the baton to Alamo Drafthouse last year. But sources say that neither did enough biz to wad a popgun, and as a frequent flyer at both theaters, I can tell you the food was and remains, mediocre at best. Ditto for AMC’s Fork & Screen and Cinema Screens at its 30-plex in Olathe. Continue reading →

Let the record show KC Confidential has been home-sweet-home to some of the most ridiculous, stupid, boring, obscene comments imaginable…

It’s also given birth to some of the best, funniest, quirkiest and informative comments. And unlike some sites, almost all of the commenters here use either real names or a recognizable nom de plume. That enables readers to develop a familiarity and to get to know and form opinions about the people behind the anonymous comments.

Like who doesn’t have a pretty strong opinion about Harley, whoever he or she may be. There’s the dude, balbonis, Mysterious J – the list goes on. They come and they go and you love them and/or you hate them.

But I think most of you will agree, it beats the heck out of  just “anonymous.”

With the odd exception, “anonymous” is mostly boring to me. It’s kinda like an out of date fashion that someone who doesn’t know any better still wears. I mean, it’s better than nothing and can be entertaining or informative, but… Continue reading →