Urban Diary

Urban Diary: Jim Edwards' Top 5 Ways to Unwind in Berkeley

Ace tennis instructor Jim Edwards stepped off the court to share his top 5 ways unwind after work.

Jim Edwards, a tennis instructor with the City of Berkeley, who has taught young and old alike for the last 32 years, knows a thing or two about staying in step and playing your best game. Helping his students learn the fundamentals of tennis, Edwards also helps them cultivate the self-discipline and confidence necessary to succeed in any endeavor. Part of that success, Edwards contends, is knowing how to relax and rejuvenate. He dropped the ball just long enough to disclose his top five ways to unwind in Berkeley. High on Edwards’ list is a good game of golf. There’s nothing for him that quite matches the satisfaction — the rhythm, skill, and enjoyment — that comes from a long afternoon on the golf course. For years, Edwards patronized …

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Cheap Thrills

Cheap Thrills: Flashback Features at the UA Berkeley Theater

Enjoy classic movies as they were meant to be seen — on the big screen — every Thursday night.

Remember the anticipatory pleasure of entering a darkened theater, with a bucket of buttery popcorn cradled in the crook of your arm, a coke in one hand and a box of Red Vines in the other? Sounds nostalgic in this age of Netflix and live streaming, doesn't it? Well, if you hanker for the good old days — at good old prices — come check out the UA Theater’s Flashback Features. Every Thursday night at 8 p.m., the UA Berkeley7 Theater on Shattuck Avenue is offering audiences a rare treat: a trip back in time, which allows viewers to watch classic movies on the big screen. For a mere 5 bucks a ticket, you can revisit classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Godfather, or Monty Python & The Holy Grail, and watch them as they were …

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Berkeley Brushes Up on Harry Potter Lore

Harry Potter mania is upon us. The final movie is released Friday, and Berkeley is Prepping hard.

Which spell summons objects? Who were the founders of Hogwarts? How many horcruxes are there? (Bonus points if you can name them all.) The world of Harry Potter spans seven books, eight movies and more than 60 languages. That's a lot of lore for Berkeley Potter-heads to catch up on before the big release Friday. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two hits screens July 15. Midnight screenings Thursday night at Berkeley's UA 7 Cinema are long sold out... unless you can handle the added 3 a.m. show. At the emotional movie premier in London, J.K. Rowling joked that the outpouring of support was enough to make her want to write another book. Until that magical day, the writer — who is richer than the Queen — still has hundreds of pages …

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Weekend Highlights

Weekend Highlights: Belly Dance, Free Yoga and the Gospel According to Robert Mitchum

Practitioners of the ancient art of Ras Sharki hold not one but two summits of shimmy this weekend. You're invited!

When: Film opens Friday 4:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.; Saturday's showing includes a Q&A with director Harry Shearer at 4:30 p.m. Where: Elmwood Theatre, 2966 College Ave, Berkeley Why go: Spinal Tap "mockumentarian" Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”) gets serious in his first nonfiction film. The Big Uneasy follows three remarkable people -- the leaders of two scientific investigation teams, and one whistleblower -- as they reveal why New Orleans flooded and why it could happen in other cities across America. It's the inside story of a disaster that could have been prevented, told by the people who were there.  When: Friday, July 8, 2011, 7:00pm–9:30pm Where: All Souls Episcopal Parish, 2220 Cedar St, Berkeley Why go: "What woman having ten pieces …

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