Authors: Alton Barnhart

King of the (Micro) Nation
After lots of searching, SLUG Editorial Assistant Alton Barnhart found the perfect spot for his new nation, with zero contact from the outside world. … read more

Local Music Singles Roundup: March 2025
Lend your ears to the high reigns of this month’s Local Music Singles Roundup! Lay down your crown and spearhead your way through a fair share of metal, grunge, R&B and… gorecore? … read more

A Brief Historia and Uncertain Odyssey of the Salt Lake...
This article is dedicated to JR Ruppel, the flannel-clad trailblazer who put ink to paper, and an absolute bastard to track down. Thank you for starting it all! … read more

The Sexy, Surreal Spanish Soap Opera of Rains Over Babel
So throw back your “elixir of life” and let the music take you as you’re dragged down into the blacklight purgatory of Rains Over Babel. … read more

Sundance Film Review: Animated Short Film Program
Just because it was hand-drawn, digitized or molded by clay doesn’t mean the final product is elementary. Here’s how Sundance’s Animated Short Film Program went down! … read more

Pee-wee as Himself: The Posthumous Rise of the Larger-Than-Life Persona
With somber interjections from Paul Reubens himself, the audience discovers the muddier side to fame as he struggles with his lonely, closeted sexuality. … read more

The Contemporary Not-So-Love Story of One to One: John &...
One to One: John & Yoko might’ve been all over the place, but so was that generation. … read more

Didn’t Die: Those Tormented Groans Are Coming From The Audience
I give director Meera Menon some credit for providing a unique perspective on the end of the world, but Didn’t Die would’ve had to tear me limb from limb to get my attention. … read more

God Never Spoke, Only Beast: The Biblical Desperation of Beast...
Join me as I sit down in a crowded theatre of disqualified contestants as we boggle at the multi-fixed dangling-key spectacle that is Beast Games. … read more

The Saltiest Pseudo-Saints of Secondhand Screenings
There have to be more features with Utahn cultural significance that fly under the radar. Well, if there’s anything I’ve learned when uncovering forgotten cinema: When in doubt, book a trip to Deseret Industries. … read more