CultureMap Countdown

Porcupine Tree, Jim Parsons and history of 420 make the list of CultureMap'smost-read stories

Who knew Porcupine Tree is so popular?
Photoby Diana Nitschke
Should marijuana have its own holiday?
Photo courtesy of WebMD
Jim Parsons has a lot of new fans.

CultureMap is getting around.This past week, The Alaska Dispatch cited Shelby Hodge's scoop that Sarah Palin had pulled out of the "Barbara Bush Celebration of Reading" and The Huffington Post provided a link to Caroline Gallay's story about director Joe Ballarini's interview with Michael Huffington. (The Houston oilman was an investor in Ballarini's movie, Father vs. Son, which recently won the best premiere at the Houston International Film Festival. Huffington also had a bit role in the film.)

Readers also heavily debated two columns on either end of the spectrum in our Green Living series: Evan O'Neil's piece on how some Houston companies are cozying up to eco-friendly organizations to burnish their image — a practice known as "greenwashing" — and Larry Bell's belief that global warming is a hoax. Our series ends April 30, so a wide range of green living stories will be showcased in CultureMap this week.

But the most read stories for the week of April 18-24 covered an eclectic range of subjects, including:

1. Waldo's, treasure maps, and plenty of weed: The history of 420

2. Forget Kate: Dancing with the Stars' wardrobe malfunctions the real hot story

3. Apple's secret police fall to arrogance in top secret iPhone caper

4. Don't let Europe's secret Porcupine Tree pass you by

5. Houston parking lot theater: Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons looks back at his humble, local start

in addition to the green series stories, editors's picks of the week include:

1. Continental merger: Is our hometown airline taking off for the Second City? — Sarah Rufca is incredulous that if Continental and United merge, Houston will likely no longer be home to the new airline's headquarters.

2. My hairdresser left me for another man — How one Houston woman handled the news that she was losing her stylist, with tips on how to find the perfect hairdresser.

3. Tony Vallone makes a move on Montrose with new Italian eatery — CultureMap was the first to learn the famed Houston restaurateur's plans for a new casual but hip place in the old La Strada lower Westheimer location.

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deep in the heart

Film icon Ethan Hawke narrates documentary sequel about Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Austin film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born an Austinite and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

nature ecology animals wildlife texas ethan hawke film movies documentaries