moment - INsite Magazine

7
Februaroy. 52F0R0EE
Vol. 15, N
ntertainment Monthly
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tlanta.com
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Beyoncé
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Our Spring Break Guide
Also Jennifer Hudson, Jeremy Piven,
Jennifer Garner, Justin Timberlake
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CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2007 VOL. 11.5
INTERVIEWS
12 BEYONCÉ KNOWLES
12
14 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
15 JEREMY PIVEN
23 JENNIFER HUDSON
25 TAKE ACTION TOUR
26 BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
28 JENNIFER GARNER
29 RENO 911
14
34 DEERHOOF
35 WESTBOUND TRAIN
FEATURES
10 VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE
Do you know who Valentine’s Day is
named after? Or the best places in the
ATL to celebrate with your sweetie?
Find out in our annual feature.
22 WE GOT NEXT
15
This month featuring Until June, a
piano-driven alt-pop trio led by
brothers Josh and Dan Ballard.
30 SPRING BREAK GUIDE
From Panama City and Daytona Beach
to more exotic locales such as Cancun
and Jamaica, our annual guide will tell
you where the party’s at, and help find
affordable ways to get there.
36 RACISM IN THE NFL?
Yes, Baltimore’s Tony Dungy and
23
Chicago’s Lovie Smith happen to be
black, but should a coach’s race really
be as important as their skill? Our
sports columnist offers her 2¢.
COLUMNS
6 ON TAP
7 UNDER THE LIGHTS
8 AROUND TOWN
13 WANTON DISTRACTION
28
16 MOVIE REVIEWS
20 CONCERT CALENDAR
22 ROAD WARRIORS
24 ALBUM REVIEWS
26 VIDIOTS
27 BOOKS
37 FANATIC
38 HOROSCOPES
PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
29
www.insiteatlanta.com
The Arts
The Local Scene
Spamalot
Monty Python takes the stage
BY RAV MANSFIELD
M
onty Python lives! The british comedy troupe has always been a odd
mix of wit and low comedy. That
description would also apply to "Monty
Python's Spamalot.", the slightly off kilter
Broadway musical that was -- as its creator
happily acknowledges -- ``lovingly ripped off
from the
motion picture
Monty Python
and the Holy
Grail.''
Telling the legendary tale of
King Arthur
and the Knights
of the Round
Table, and their
quest for the
Holy Grail,
Monty Python's
Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas and
knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits
and one legless knight. The production the
winner of three 2005 Tony Awards including
Best Musical and Best Director (Mike
Nichols), as well as the Drama Desk and
Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Musical.
Directed by Mike Nichols, "Monty Python's
Spamalot." features a book by Eric Idle,
based on the screenplay of Monty Python and
the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry
Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael
Palin, with music and lyrics by the Grammy
Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du
Prez. Casey Nicholaw is the choreographer.
Robert Petkoff, who plays brave (in his own
mind) Sir Robin, and Brother Maynard in the
travelling production, considers Monty
Python the the original sketch comedy
troupe. "The group was Saturday Night Live
before there was a Saturday Night Live," said
Petkoff by phone last week as the tour was
heading to Florida for a week of shows.
Before being cast in “Spamalot”, the actor
worked on Broadway in "Fiddler on the
Roof" and
"London’s West
End: The Royal
Family” with Judi
Dench. Despite his
weighty credentials,
Robert relished the
chance to take on
Python’s wacky
characters.
"Everyone reacts
so readily to the
material. From the
minute we appear
on stage until the
final bow; the
crowd is into it. A lot of people are seeing
this material for the 1st time. Most audiences
start out strong and level off. That doesn’t
happen with Monty Python. The energy
never wavers. So it’s immediately rewarding
for the cast,” explains Petkoff.
“Monty Python's Spamalot” is truly a rare
beast. A stage show that is better than the
original source material. So whether you are
a life-long Python fan or unfamiliar with
their work, this production is not to be
missed.
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of
2005, “Monty Python's Spamalot”, will debut
in Atlanta at The Fox Theatre for a special
two-week engagement on February 20 –
March 4, 2007. For ticket info, head to:
www.ticketmaster.com.
On Tap for February
Email events to [email protected]
February 9: Kansas
Wild Bills welcomes one time MEGE band, Kansas, to
their stage. Fusing the complexity of British prog rock
with an American heartland sound representative of their
name, Kansas were among the most popular bands of the
late '70s; though typically dismissed by critics, many of
the group's hits remain staples of AOR radio play lists to
this day. Formed in Topeka in 1970, the founding members of the group -- guitarist Kerry Livgren, bassist Dave
Hope, and drummer Phil Ehart -- first played together
while in high school. For more info, head to:
http://www.wildbillsatlanta.com
February 9: Big Head Todd
and the Monsters
Big Head Todd & the Monsters is a rock band formed
in 1986 in Colorado. They make their 2007 Atlanta
debut at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre. The band has
released a number of albums since 1989 with their
1993 album Sister Sweetly going platinum in the
United States. The band has developed a sizeable live
following especially in the Mountain States of the
United States. In 2005, the group joined the throng of
internet based music sales by releasing the single "Blue
Sky" exclusively on iTunes. For ticket info, head to:
www.ticketmaster.com
February 17: Guster
Guster comes to the Tabernacle in February. The group
is an alternative rock band (sometimes classified as
jangle pop), originally formed in the Boston,
Massachusetts area by members Ryan Miller (vocals,
guitar, bass, keyboards), Adam Gardner (guitar, vocals,
bass, keyboards), and Brian Rosenworcel (drums/percussion). Joe Pisapia (bass, guitar, keyboards, banjo,
vocals) has since joined. Guster released their fifth full
length studio album, Ganging Up on the Sun, on June
20, 2006. The single "Manifest Destiny/Sorority Tears"
was released in November 2005 on the Internet. For
ticket info, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.
February 14 - February 19: Ringling
Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The best circus in the world is coming to Philips Arena. In a
bold move designed to create an entirely contemporary and
interactive circus experience, Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey has assembled a team of television, film and stage veterans to redefine The Greatest Show On Earth. The creative
team - completely new to producing any type of circus production - is putting audiences closer to the action than ever
before. Come out and see the new version of an American
classic. For more info, head to: http://www.ringling.com
February 23 - 24: 2007 Cycle World
International Motorcycle Show
Hundreds of 2007-model street bikes, dirt bikes, cruisers,
concept bikes and vintage bikes from more than 17 manufacturers will roll into the Georgia World Congress Center
for the 2007 Cycle World International Motorcycle Show®
presented by Toyota. From cool custom choppers and
tricked out sport bikes to everything off-road, this show
offers something for everyone. For more info, head to:
www.motorcycleshows.com.
February 24 - 25: Oysterfest
Each year in February Buckhead Village is transformed into a fisherman’s cove. Oysterfest
(brought to you by the Steamhouse Lounge)
draws thousands of partygoers looking for live
music, good eats, cold beer and good old-fashioned fun. In-the-know veterans flock to their
doors for fresh roasted oysters, "Atlanta's Best"
Lobster Bisque and their signature Goombay Smash! Every year, they bring in over 40,000
pounds of oysters ready for roasting! Buckets of oysters (approx. 3 dozen) are served with cocktail sauce and crackers. For more info, head to: www.steamhouselounge.com
PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
PG • insiteatlanta.com • April 2005
February 2007
Volume 15.5
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Contributing Writers / Interns
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© Copyright 2007, Be Bop Publishing, Inc.
LITTLE HANDS...BIG DIFFERENCE
MY LEFT BREAST
T h r u Fe b r u a r y 2 5
Imagine It! Children's Museum
Making its Atlanta premiere, this Obie
Award-winning play is a true tale of survival. It charts activist/playwright Susan
Miller's battle with breast cancer, restaged as a 3-person production in order
to portray the individuals who most
impacted her life. With a mixture of wit,
spirit and gratitude for life's many blessings, the show recounts Miller's journey
as a divorced single parent, conflicted lesbian and famous playwright fighting for
life at the height of her career. Offstage, 7
Stages Theatre will be offering the following supplementary activities to raise
awareness of breast cancer: 7 Stages
Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave, Little 5 Points
404-523-7647 www.7Stages.org
Currently occupying the Children's Museum
of Atlanta's ever-changing Morph Gallery,
"Little Hands... Big Difference" is an interactive exhibit extolling the virtues of family
volunteerism. Presented in partnership with
Hands On Atlanta, the exhibit gives youngsters a chance to participate in service projects ranging from feeding the hungry and
housing the homeless to working to improve
the environment, laying a strong foundation
for the city's future civic-minded citizens. At
11AM and 1PM daily the museum will also
feature a mini-musical, "Helping Hands,
Happy Heart," in which an animated storyteller and members from the Hands On
Atlanta community take kids on an imaginary journey through the city, teaching the
age-appropriate lesson that helping out and
having fun are not mutually exclusive concepts.
275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr.,Atlanta.
404-659-KIDS. www.imagineit-cma.org.
Fe b r u a r y 1 - 2 6
7 Stages Theatre
All Rights Reserved
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EL HAJJ MALIK:
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOM X
Fe b r u a r y 2 1 - 2 5
Oglethorpe, Lupton Auditorium
The Civil Rights movement's firebrand night
to Martin Luther King Jr.'s more peace-loving day, Malcolm X was a potent sociopolitical leader who believed that racial equality
should be achieved by any means necessary.
This production, written by N.R. Davidson
and opening on the 42nd anniversary of his
assassination, does for the stage what Spike
Lee's biopic did for film, taking audiences on
a journey through Malcolm X's dramatic
childhood, wild young adult life, enlightened
last days and untimely death. The show takes
an unusual approach, featuring 10 actors
(male and female) who act, sing and dance to
bring the story to life, with every actor portraying Malcolm X at some point during the
production. The result should give audiences
a broader, more informed perspective on this
controversial icon. Oglethorpe, Lupton
Auditorium, 4484 Peachtree Road, Atlanta
404-508-4612 www.ikamproductions.com
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SPAM is a registered trademark of Hormel Foods, LLC, used with permission here.
Give someone you love a knight to remember!
Grammy®-winning cast album on
www.MontyPythonsSpamalot.com
FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 4, 2007 • THE FOX THEATRE
all Ticketmaster outlets • ticketmaster.com • 404.817.8700
Groups of 20 or more call now! 404.881.2000
PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Local Events
Valentine’s Day in Atlanta
GREAT WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST FROM THE HOLIDAY
BY MARGO AARON
V
alentines has long been accused of being the world's
greatest "Hallmark Holiday" causing much angst and
heartache to those who feel forced to partake in celebrations. Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of expressing admiration for your loved one(s) is a custom that dates
back centuries to a certain Saint Valentine.
Who this man actually was is slightly controversial seeing as there is documented
evidence that more than one Saint V existed. The consensus, however, agrees that
our beloved Valentine was a priest during
the Roman Empire living under the regime
of an evil and oppressive emperor. In his
brilliance, the emperor decided that single
men made better soldiers than those with
wives and/or a family and thus made the
executive decision to outlaw marriage for young men.
Valentine was staunchly against the big scary Emperor and
rebelliously continued to perform marriage ceremonies until
he was discovered, sentenced to death, and proclaimed a Saint.
Valentines Day was born in commemoration of his memory
and to celebrate love and marriage.
Regretfully, the "Hallmark Holiday" rep exists today, stripping the holiday of its intended goal of honoring love and
replacing that often with disgust and cheesiness. Instead of
holding love to its highest reverence, thousands find themselves strapped for ideas and pressured to partake in potentially awkward situations. So, how to go about expressing
the love, devotion, and appreciation you have for that special
someone (or that not-so-special someone)? In case you are
one of the many who come up empty handed at the idea of
putting together plans for a night, break into hives when it
comes to being creative, or simply do not have the time, here
is a list of ideas as to how to commemorate this joyous festivity and resurrect its original purpose, without the stress.
Valentine’s Day dining
This choice is fool-proof.
Perfect for both a new couple looking to have a nice, but not
intrusive time, and the adorable couple that has been dating
for years and still has not exhausted conversation topics.
The Sun Dial Restaurant & Bar
Westin Peachtree Plaza
VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER
Call for Details
If you are looking for a more intimate setting then look no
further then Café Intermezzo. This quaint bistro is the perfect date place. The lighting is dim and the room feels like it
was stolen straight from a European street corner. The pages
long drink menu is full of creative and fun options, but only
falls second to dessert. Several shelves of cakes are displayed openly in a giant case for your viewing and tasting
pleasure. Ask a dessert "tour guide" for help in decision
making as there are far too many options to choose from, and
none of them are wrong. Open till the wee hours of the morning, Café Intermezzo is a wonderful way to continue your
night and bring it to a perfect close.
NOW OPEN
Hookah & Belly Dancing
on Weekends
Zagat Rated 5 years in a Row • Atlanta Magazine Top 100
2751 cavista Rd. • Decatur, GA 30033
404.633.8833 • www.mezzabistro.com
PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
In the heart of Buckhead, The Tavern at Phipps is a great
place to go this year after a day of shopping with your special
someone. Dark stained wood walls, imaginative cuisine and
an inviting atmosphere set the tone for a romantic dining
experience. The Tavern has recently been voted “Best
Looking Waitstaff” and “Best Bartender” in local publications.
Café Intermezzo-
Expanded Dining Room
Mezza, a traditional way of dinning in which all menu items
are served in small portions allowing couples to share from a
large variety of dishes. This Zagat rated restaurant is one of
Atlanta Magazine’s “Top 100 Restaurants in Atlanta” and has
made the AJC’s list for top 50 restaurants. Mezza serves a
wide variety of wines and offers traditional Labanese coffee
or better know in the west as Turkish coffee along with a
variety of unique desserts.
3500 Peachtree Rd. Phipps Plaza, 404-814-9640
Atlanta’s revolving restaurant in the
sky offering unparalleled views of
the city, has always been a
Valentine’s Day favorite. This year
they are offering a special Valentines
Day menu priced at $65+ per person.
“One of the most characteristic elements of
lebanese cuisine is the offering of an unlimited
array of small hot and cold appetizers...
we call them mezza”
2751 Lavista Rd., Decatur 404-633-8833
The Tavern at Phipps
210 Peachtree St. 404-589-7506
1845 Peachtree Rd NE 404-355-0411
Mezza A Lebanese Bistro & Wine Bar
Agave
242 Boulevard SE 404-588-0006
One of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants, Agave offers two
romantically lit dining rooms as well as an enclosed patio
with private fireplace. With over 85 different tequilas on the
menu, it is sure to get you in the mood.
Sweet Devil Moon
980 Piedmont Ave. Midtown, 404-347-3600
With it’s proximity to the Fox Theatre and midtown
nightlife, Sweet Devil Moon is a great place to start out a
romantic evening. They offer great Puruvian tapas that is
perfect for sharing in a cozy romantic setting.
VOTED BEST CAJUN - 2006 Insite Magazine
VOTED BEST NEW RESTAURANT & BEST NEW CAJUN
- 2006 Creative Loafing
Valentine’s Day Events in Atlanta
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Valentine’s in the Garden
February 14th 6 - 10pm
1345 Piedmont Ave. 404-876-5859
Romance blooms big at the Atlanta
Botanical Garden. To kick off the event,
sweethearts will be welcomed with a complimentary glass of champagne at the beautiful
Cox Courtyard fountain and
then find their way to live
music and dancing in Day
Hall. Plentiful hors d’oeuvres
from one of Atlanta’s top
caterers and decadent cocktails from the cash bars will
also be available in Day Hall
and Exhibit Hall.
Guests next stroll candlelit
paths to the Gardens Under Glass to experience the beauty of exquisite orchids and glittering Fräbel glass sculptures (part of the current exhibit Orchid Daze with Fräbel: Glass
Impressions.) Guests round out the evening
with fabulous gourmet desserts.
Tickets are available for purchase at
Ticketmaster.com and in person at the Garden
Gift Shop. $45 per member/$55 non-member.
Whole World Theatre
Valentine’s Day Party - Feb. 14 9PM
1216 Spring St., 404-817-PLAY
Atlanta’s favorite theatre company is putting
on a special evening of Improv Comedy this
Valentine’s Day. The evening includes a live
Improv show by Whole World
Theatre’s Main Stage Performers,
bottle of wine, audience prizes,
and delicious desserts. Go to
www.wholeworldtheatre.com
for more details.
Valentine’s Day Web sites
The most incredible
Valentine’s Day site
there is
RedEnvelope.com.
They have every kind
of thoughtful, funny or
sexy gift imaginable.
Shop from a array of
chocolates, jewelry,
perfums, and lingerie. Check out theholidayspot.com/valentine for everything
from cheesy romantic gifts your mother-inlaw would appreciate, like a "time for love
heart clock" that would make a perfect desk
paperweight, to teddy bears perfect for your
boy or girlfriend and fink leather flasks for
your friends. There are links to tons more
ideas and gifts, but be sure to order with time
for the gifts to arrive by the 14th!
So you want to get him or her chocolate, but
think that's too conventional? Worry no
more. Visit mymms.com for a thousand
ways to make personalized m&ms. From
color to bag to message actually written on
the candy, you are in charge of it all. And if
you are a male, while these chocolate candy
covered morsels will make any gal swoon,
add a bouquet of flowers and you are set.
Personalize your Valentine’s Day message
on anything from picture frames, jewelry,
pajamas, champagne glasses, T-shirts, and
more at ThingsToRemember.com
If all else fails, however, there is nothing better
or more romantic then
the handwritten card,
otherwise known as a
love letter. Everyone
loves being told how
amazing and wonderful
and beautiful and handsome and smart and
talented they are and how they affected the
life of that other person to such a great degree
and how happy they are you are in their life.
So, what reason is there not to let that person
know through a card or letter? Oh, you aren't
a good writer? www.love-letterromance.com/romantic.html has prewritten letter samples, templates, and tips for
writing your own love letter. It helps you
based on your relationship time-line status
from "In the very beginning" to "That first I
love you" to "I want you back" and more.
Even if you are not planning on writing anything, the site is fun to check out.
Valentine’s Day Specialty Stores
Starship
20 Locations
ShopStarship.com
The official home of “MOREgasm”,
Starship has put out all the stops for the sexiest day of the year. Find everything from
adult movies, body oils & lubes, bondage/
fetish gear, erotic lingerie, candles & incense,
lover’s gift cards and much more. Check out
their Completely Cupid SALE offering 50%
off select merchandise.
Inserection
404-888-0878 www.inserection.com
The home of the Sexual Revolution.
Inserection has multiple stores in Atlanta
chocked full of merchandise to enhance your
holiday. Chose from a wide assortment of
XXX movies, party & gag gifts, lubricants/
massage oils, fetish accessories as well as
many items specifically for couples and other
adult novelties.
Love Shack
770-556-LOVE www.LoveShackOnline.com
There are currently five Love Shack’s in
metro Atlanta but if you don’t have one near
you, visit them online. They offer a great
website allowing you to do your shopping
from home.
Valentine’s Day Intangibles
The classic clichés, despite what anyone
says, never get old. Most people who scoff at
them never had the opportunity to experience
a cliché in its element before. Strawberries
and whipped cream dessert, candle-lit room,
Boys II Men Romantic Love Mix CD playing
in the background, bouquets of red roses, a
bubble bath running, Ghirardelli chocolate
boxes or truffles, jewelry,
a room floor
covered in
rose petals,
cheesy?
Maybe. But
the efficacy
rate for the
cliché evening is 100% and your boy or girlfriend is guaranteed to blush and fall right
back in love. Here are some local places in
town to get what you need.
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PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
T
his is Beyoncé's moment. It's as if
everything in her 14-year career has
been leading to this.
“Listen,” she sings, pleadingly at
first, then gradually growing more insistent, and finally downright fierce. “Listen
to the song here in my heart, a melody I
start but can't complete. Listen to the sound
from deep within. It's only beginning to find
release. Oh, the time has come for my
dreams to be heard. They will not be
pushed aside and turned into your own. All
'cause you won't listen.”
Though hers is a career that has
already been filled with many highlights,
this is the moment in her third major film,
Dreamgirls, in which Beyoncé Knowles
evolves from mere bootylicious pop star
into something bigger, something infinitely
more significant. It is a moment that will
give you chills. It is a moment that will
make you root for her character, and the
young woman playing her. And it is a
moment that will definitely make you
reconsider the way you perceive the former
Destiny's Child frontwoman.
“No,” she says of her character in the
film, “Deena Jones is not me. But I have a
lot of similarities.”
And indeed she does. Deena is 16
when she and her two friends sneak out to
perform at a talent show that lands them a
manager, Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx),
and a tour as backup singers for soul man
James “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy);
Beyoncé was a mere 11 years old when
Destiny's Child appeared on Star Search,
and 16 when they were offered a contract
with Columbia Records. Shy Deena gradually emerges as the leader of worldrenowned R&B trio The Dreams (originally modeled after The Supremes, with
Deena their Diana Ross); Beyoncé, who
freely admits that she's quiet and likes to
blend in when she's not onstage, became
the star of Destiny's Child early on, and by
their third album had assumed co-writing
and co-producing duties. Deena's best
friend Effie (former American Idol finalist
Jennifer Hudson, in a breakout turn virtually guaranteed to win her the Oscar) leaves
the group after Curtis focuses the spotlight
squarely on Deena, who eventually
becomes his wife; original Destiny's Child
member LaTavia Roberson and longtime
member LeToya Luckett filed a joint lawsuit against Beyoncé's father Matthew in
1999, charging that he kept a disproportionate share of the band's profits, attempted to exert too much control, and unfairly
favored his daughter. Perhaps most importantly, Deena eventually breaks off from
her controlling svengali husband and
becomes her own woman, asserting her
independence and resolve with the showstopping “Listen” (a new song Knowles cowrote specifically for the film); Beyoncé,
inspired by the four-month shoot on
Dreamgirls, cut her short her planned
Miami vacation in April of 2006 in order to
record a critically-acclaimed album
(B'Day, which was released on her 25th
birthday) that nobody– not her father, not
her mother, not even her record label–
knew about. In short, after 14 years of
allowing others to call the shots, Beyoncé
took control.
The funny thing is, although Deena
Jones seems in retrospect like the part
Beyoncé Knowles was born to play, she
almost never got the opportunity to play it.
“I'm so excited I can't even talk about
it because my voice will start shaking,” she
says during an interview at the Beverly
Hills Four Seasons, her chestnut brown
eyes clearly full of emotion. “I've been
hearing about Dreamgirls since I was 15.
I've never seen it because I was born the
year it was on Broadway (1981), but I've
seen a bootleg tape of it and I've been hearing everything about Deena because my
choreographer is obsessed with her. They
told me they were doing this movie and I
PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Just Listen
Beyoncé Knowles is
Having a Moment
said, 'Oh my God, I have to have this!' At
first they weren't sure if I could play the
part because I hadn't done anything like it
on film, but I knew I could do it.”
It was precisely that sort of determination and work ethic that ultimately won
over writer-director Bill Condon, who won
the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for
1998's Gods and Monsters and was nominated again in 2003 for his adaptation of
Chicago. Though Knowles had made a fine
impression in supporting roles in crowdpleasing comedies such as Austin Powers
in Goldmember and The Pink Panther,
Dreamgirls demanded an actress with
broad range, who was capable of capturing
the difficult 20-year evolution of a character who begins her journey as a naïve
ingénue and winds up a powerful sista fully
capable of doing it for herself. During their
initial meeting, Condon expressed concern
that the pop star appeared larger than life,
and was too famous for audiences to accept
her as a normal young lady like Deena.
So, despite her multi-platinum
albums and Grammy Awards and international celebrity, Knowles did what every
other hungry young actress in the world has
to do as they begin their slow climb up the
Hollywood ladder to fame: She agreed to a
screen test, smack dab in the middle of
Destiny's Child's farewell world tour. And
she ultimately won the initially skeptical
Condon over, bringing a fresh, Marilyn
Monroe-style sex kitten quality to the character and nailing the original Broadway
choreography for the “Dreamgirls” theme
song.
“I've never wanted a part so much,”
Knowles admits. “I felt so much better that
I had to prove myself. I get to play a character with brains. I have dramatic scenes
and emotional scenes and very funny
scenes. I had to be subtle and graceful, but
still ambitious and manipulative without
being obvious. I'm so excited because people are going to get to see me act.”
Of course, getting the part was merely the beginning. Condon put his All-Star
cast (which also includes Tony winner
Anika Noni Rose as the third Dream,
Lorrell, and Danny Glover as Early's manager) through a grueling preproduction
boot camp that included hours of singing,
dancing and learning four new songs written for the film by Henry Kreiger, who also
composed the original musical. According
to Condon, the R&B diva rose to the challenge and proved a dedicated workhouse,
putting in one 15-hour day after another.
And Knowles has nothing but praise for the
director.
“Bill Condon knows so much and is
so detail-oriented,” she gushes. “We had
two months to rehearse, which I've never
experienced anything like that. It allowed
me and the other ladies to really bond. We
had such a great chemistry together, onand offscreen. We did crazy things together
that friends do. We were all so excited to be
there that we were all like, 'Is this real? Are
we really in this film?!'”
Now that she's nailed her first dramatic role, Knowles seems to have
emerged with an even greater sense of confidence than ever before. By most
accounts, B'Day is the finest album of her
career, recorded in less than a month on a
relatively economical budget with A-list
producers such as Rich Harrison (who cowrote her hit “Crazy In Love”), Swizz
Beats and Rodney Jerkins, all of whom she
hand picked herself. But, according to
Knowles, the decision to leave her fellow
Destiny's Child divas behind was the most
difficult decision she's ever made.
“It's easy to stay in a group,” she reasons, “and hard to leave a group when you
love each other and there's nothing [negative] going on. It's easy when you hate each
other and you can't stand to be in the same
room, but not when you still share dressing
rooms and a tour bus, still love each other
and still selling millions of records. We
were still successful, but I took that risk
and it was very scary."
From embarking on a solo journey
and defying her father to tackling the most
challenging role of her burgeoning acting
career, Beyoncé has been all about taking
risks lately. But this beautiful butterfly is
also smart enough to test her wings before
attempting to take flight. Hundreds of
singers and rappers have attempted to make
the transition to a successful career in
Hollywood, but few possess the sage wisdom to take it slow, start small and gradually learn the craft before tackling a major
dramatic role.
“I just want to challenge myself and
learn,” Knowles says. “Every movie I do, I
learn a little bit more. After going on auditions, getting some movies, not getting
other movies, taking a couple of acting
classes and having more life experiences, I
realized that I am an actor and I can really
do this right. I admire people like Barbra
Streisand and Diana Ross, who took that
risk and are really good at it."
Diana Ross. The woman on whose
life the character of Deena was based. The
pop star whose breakthrough role in the
1972 Billie Holliday biopic Lady Sings The
Blues (made when she 28) found her blazing the very same trail on which Beyoncé
Knowles now finds herself. No matter how
you add up all the facts, it leads to one conclusion: This is Beyoncé's moment.
–Alex S. Morrison
Sp
The Arts
Wanton Distraction
WI
Kee
Skewed Views On Entertainment News
• Video of Saddam Hussein’s execution was
taken with a camera phone and quickly
uploaded onto popular video-sharing websites like YouTube and Google Video. The
footage produced shock and outrage, but both
were quickly soothed by the more popular
video of the monkey that tries to drink its
own urine.
• The Dead Zone star Anthony Michael Hall
proved that it still isn't okay to use the nword, even when the epithet is not directed at
an African-American and is used in a friendly manner. As he took a picture with a
Hispanic fan, he joked, "I am scared of this
nigger right here," adding, "What up, nigger?" to another fan seconds later.” A spectator claims, “There was no malice involved.
The guy was just trying to be cool.” Making
him seem just
as cool as the
parts he played
in
The
Breakfast Club
and
Sixteen
Candles over
twenty years
ago.
Kevin G
Pheoni
I
• Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were
recently named
Worst Celebrity
Role Models of
2006 by a joint
AP-AOL poll.
Others making
the list were
Mel Gibson,
Tom Cruise,
K e v i n
• Paula Abdul
Federline,
brought
her
L i n d s a y
incredible gravLohan, Nicole
itas and crediR i t c h i e ,
bility to a variAngelina Jolie
ety of morning
(for bringing
talk shows earattention
to
lier this month,
third-world
poverty
and
as she looked
Babs + Rosie = BFF!
completely
adopting kids…
drugged out of her mind. Publicists quickly
that bitch) and Michael Richards. Wait,
Michael Richards?! I know what he did was
scrambled to explain that the American Idol
wrong, but who was treating him like a role
judge was tired, though they left out the part
model in the first place? Were kids everyabout her being tired from drinking too much
where opening doors in a kooky manner, but
and promoting a show on which absolutely
now when they do it, they spew racial slurs?
no one likes her.
• The highly publicized feud between The
View co-host Rosie O'Donnell and Donald
Trump continues after Barbara Walters
firmly came down on the side of O'Donnell
and called Trump a “poor, pathetic man.”
Many agree that this feud is far more exciting
than
Alien
vs.
Predator, Freddy vs.
Jason or Kramer vs.
Kramer.
• In a related story,
O'Donnell took aim at
American Idol judge
Simon Cowell for
making
negative
remarks about the
appearance of various
contestants during the
season premiere show
in Seattle. Cowell
said that since her
feud with Trump is
dying down, she
needs a new target.
I'm going to have to
agree with Cowell
here seeing as calling
him out for being a
dick is a lot like calling the Sun out for
being bright.
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• Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have moved
to New Orleans to escape the constant media
attention of Hollywood. It also helps that
New Orleans provides all the horrors of a
third-world country without ever having to
actually leave the United States.
• Paris Hilton and
porn star Jenna
Jameson are in talks
to join a reality show
called
Virgin
Territory. The premise will have “a group
of the uninitiated
[finding] their way to
the promised land."
Who ever would have
guessed that, in the
Promised Land, your
dick burns when you
pee, then falls off?
• Although it received
the most nominations
of any picture (a total
of 8), the Motown
musical Dreamgirls
did not receive a
nomination for Best
We just ran this Jenna
Jameson pic to make up for Picture or Best
Director, proving that
the hideous pic above.
the Academy of
• Basic Instinct 2 and
Motion Picture Arts
Little Man led the annual Razzie Awards,
and Sciences (like Bush) does not care about
which select the worst films of the year. As
black people. Receiving six nominations was
avid filmgoers, we all owe a great debt of
director Guillermo del Toro’s dark fairy tale,
gratitude to the Razzies, because these films
Pan's Labyrinth, but it too did not receive any
needed to be taken down a peg after flopping
attention in the two major categories, proving
at the box office and receiving absolutely no
that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
critical acclaim. I think the guys that run the
Sciences does not care about fauns either.
Razzies must spend the rest of their year
However, Babel received seven nominations
(including Best Picture), so the Academy
pointing out that Paris Hilton has no talent,
Lindsay Lohan is a fire-crotch, and the war
must enjoy seeing that the entire world is
in Iraq isn't going so well. You know... real
linked together by tragedy, misery and the
cutting-edge remarks.
world's dumbest nanny.
A blood
the left
PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007
PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
J
ustin Timberlake has been a busy fella of
late. Between stealing tabloid headlines
away from his ex (Britney Spears, for those
who've been hiding out in a cave) by dumping
Cameron Diaz in favor of Scarlett Johansson,
starting high-profile beefs with Prince and
doing his damnedest to bring sexy back, it's a
wonder the former N*Sync pretty boy found
time to make a crossover move into Hollywood.
Funny thing is, the kid's thespian chops ain't
bad, and he's earned glowing reviews on the festival circuit as part of the ensemble cast in
Alpha Dog.
Inspired by real-life events, the film follows three fateful days in the lives of a group of
Southern California teens. Johnny Truelove
(Emile Hirsch) controls the drugs on the wellmanicured streets of his suburban 'hood, and
wherever he goes, the party follows. When he's
double-crossed over missing money by raging
hothead Jake (Ben Foster), Johnny and his gang
kidnap Jake's little brother, holding him as a
marker and heading to Palm Springs. The guys
grow used to having the kid around, and he
enjoys an illicit summer filled with drinking,
girls and new experiences. But as the days tick
by, they start to run out of options for getting
themselves out of their situation cleanly and the
good times turn bad, leading them toward a
shocking, unexpected conclusion.
We recently sat down with the singerturned-actor to talk about the project:
These characters are morally repulsive. What
was the attraction to do this film?
First of all, thank you for pointing that out. We
didn't really plan out the characters, so we didn't intend them to be repulsive. The point was to
reveal the truth of what was happening in the
story. We had all laid so much groundwork as
actors. There was so much information on the
characters, and I think all of us felt morally
responsible for portraying that. This is a tough
movie to watch. This is as close to what happened as we could make it. As far as the repulsiveness goes, you'll have to talk to the director
about that. He definitely wanted to push that.
Did you think it was a risk? Most people want
to play sympathetic characters.
My only stipulation for the movie was that I
wanted to crack a couple of jokes here and
there.
To prepare for the role, did you have to talk to
people that experienced this? Did you know
people who were actually like this?
I don't know that I knew anyone growing up
who was specifically like this. But I think as an
actor, it's your job to find the relative to play a
character. I think you can latch onto some things
that might have happened. I think all of us can.
Kids are cruel. I actually went with [director]
Nick Cassavetes and we traveled to upstate Cali
to go to prison to visit the guy that my character
was based off of. When we signed up for the
project, we literally all got a stack of files, like,
this thick. I mean, literally like a novel of files
of all the police reports and all the newspaper
reports about what had happened. I know that
Nick was really able to get a lot of information,
and we really just trusted him with all the information. We all signed up, you know, to portray
the truth of what happened. And we followed
Nick's lead on that.
There are so many people that witnessed this.
One of the brilliant parts of the movie is the
on-screen labels of "witness" and "suspect".
What was it like to meet the actual characters
and their actual families who let this happen
before their eyes?
You know, interestingly enough, when we
screened at Sundance we all saw the film. When
you see it without an audience, you don't see
things like that coming, but literally for the first
half of the film, whenever the witness credit
would come up, people at Sundance would giggle. You watch it happen as those kids, as those
characters watched it happen. That's what I
think is special about the film is that you literally watch it through their eyes. No one saw that
happening, and I think that's sort of the point.
Did you meet any of the witnesses?
This movie created... In California, [the story]
became like almost like a legend. It was really
PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
ALPHA
MALE
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE GOES
TO THE DOGS
“What I like about Alpha Dog is that it
doesn't treat you like a dumbass.
It lets you feel what really happened.
What I took away from it is that this
shows how just a little perspective
on things can change a humongous
outcome in someone's life.”
interesting because I found- just around Los
Angeles and outside of it- people would literally come up to me and say, “Hey you're doing
that movie on the Jesse James and Nick
Markowitz thing, right?” They would always
label it like that. I would always say, “Yeah,
sure.” And [they would say], “Yeah, I knew
Jesse James Hollywood.” It seemed like everybody knew somebody that knew him, so it
became this interesting thing. It actually helped
when we were making the film to hear those
kinds of things, because you realize how young
people converse with each other. You could tell
immediately that half of the people that would
came up to you and tell you about it knew nothing about it. All they knew was that he was kidnapped and murdered, but they would always be
like, “Yeah, I knew him.” And I found it interesting that, through his infamy, he became this
weird sort of tall tale to these young people who
are in some way wanting to be involved with it.
Have you considered that you have a role in
this mythmaking by virtue of the fact that you
are an entertainer?
Yeah, I find that every conversation I have with
anyone after they've seen this film is sort of like
this group therapy discussion, and rightfully so.
I think it's all in there, but I think what this film
does is that it doesn't [preach]. You know? It's
fun, it's fun, it's fun, and then all of a sudden it's
not fun anymore. That's the way it ends, and
that's how this story ended. That was the
responsibility of us. Yes, we are entertainers,
but this is sort of a different theme. What I like
about the film is that it doesn't treat you like a
dumbass, so to speak. It lets you feel what really happened. I find that 100 percent of the people that I know- like friends that I've brought to
screenings- they have to speak about the film.
They have to talk about it. They have to talk it
through. You're right, it's not all just rap. What I
took away from the film is that this shows how
just a little perspective on things can change a
humongous outcome in someone's life. I think
it's short-changing the film to say that rap music
created this situation. That's not what happened.
This is an emotionally charged film. Can you
talk about which scenes or parts were the most
emotionally challenging for you?
I found that for me personally the hilltop scene
wasn't the most challenging, because I could
relate it to so many times when you might have
been intoxicated or whatever and something
happens and all of a sudden you're not in control
of the situation. The reaction to that I didn't find
difficult. The most difficult scene for me was
with Shawn [Hatosy] and I, when we were sitting at the hotel on the steps and he's talking me
through why this should happen. I think that for
me to get through that scene I just had to accept
that his decision was based solely on fear. When
you are afraid at the moment, you either don't
take control of the situation and therefore don't
do the right thing, or you let the wrong thing
happen and by doing that you don't do the right
thing. That was probably the toughest scene for
me to wrap my mind around.
What's the main difference in process from
acting to making music?
There are lots of differences. In creating music
you're the writer, the director, the producer...
you create it all from scratch. Obviously in
playing a role in a film, you take guidance and
put your trust into the director and the writer. I
find it even more collaborative with an ensemble project like this. You come into it and you
really trust the people you're in front of the camera with, which was very easy. I can't say
enough about how amazing the other four lead
actors were here. I was like a sponge the whole
film, just watching all of them. Well, except for
Emile! (Laughs) I was just kidding. It's sort of
like you're playing a position on the team.
You're like, okay, today we need you to play
small forward- we don't need you to play point
guard. That's probably the closest analogy I can
think of. It's probably a really crappy analogy,
but that's the closet one I can think of off the top
of my head. You play a role and you're part of a
collaborative movement. Obviously, with music
you're solely responsible for the creation of it.
So to wrap your mind around those things, you
definitely approach it differently. –B. Love
GOOD AS GOLD
JEREMY PIVEN HITS THE BIG
SCREEN IN SMOKIN’ ACES
I
am waiting for Ari Gold. It may not be
fair to refer to Jeremy Piven by that character’s name, since he's been in the film
business for over 20 years and his scenestealer on HBO's Entourage has only been
around for three. Yet Ari has made a major
impression, earning Piven three Golden
Globe nominations, one Emmy nomination
and one Emmy win for a character that
effortlessly spews lines like, “If you see a
used condom, an executioner's mask, and a
spiked-paddle, don't think. Just pack that
shit!” and “If all of this is not taken care of,
I will choke you out with a strap-on!” I know
it's acting, but how much of a stretch is it?
Where does Piven end and Ari begin?
I am waiting for Ari Gold, and frankly
I am terrified.
However, once Piven enters the room
with a big smile on his face and a two-and-ahalf-day beard surrounding that smile, I
breathe a sigh of relief as I realize that Ari
Gold won't be joining us today. Still, the
super-agent hasn't left my mind completely,
especially after Piven played the role in
Keeping Up With the Steins and as a cameo
in Cars. Though he's here to discuss his role
as a magician-turned-mob-snitch with a million-dollar bounty on his head in Smokin'
Aces, I have to ask if he's worried about
being typecast as the fast-talking sleezeball
that's earned him so much recognition.
He calmly responds, “I'm not worried
about that, because we all have free will.
Cars came about because The Incredibles
was an amazing movie and I just thought, I
want to be involved with [Pixar]. I wouldn't
have done it for anyone else, but I wanted to
mix it up with these guys. And Keeping Up
With the Steins was actually shot before
Entourage, so that's a different strain of the
agent. I feel like I've really explored The
Agent and, as you can see, I can go to other
places. Joe [Carnahan, writer/director of
Smokin' Aces] and I were walking out of a
screening and I heard, ‘Wow, I thought Ari
Gold was my favorite character, but now it's
Buddy Israel.’ Which is music to my ears.
I've spent my life on stage, and one hopefully develops a range.”
Fans of Entourage will certainly see
traces of Gold in Buddy's first big scene, in
which he chastises one of his bodyguards for
sullying one of his outfits. But that quickly
disappears as Buddy becomes more strungout and worried, and begins to completely
self-destruct as his chances for immunity
from both the government and the reaper
diminish with each passing minute. How did
he let it show on his body?
“El coca!” He jokes. “I dropped 20
pounds because my frame was the wrong
frame for the character. Someone without
nutrients and with that much Columbian
marching powder in their system is going to
be the consistency of veal. So I just lost
weight and ate raw foods. Then I just shoved
a bunch of pure Vitamin C up my nose
because I wanted to get that feel of snorting
things in my nose. Otherwise, why do it?
Like my parents told me, ‘If you're gonna
climb up on stage, you gotta respect the
space you occupy.’”
Piven has had to occupy a wide range
of character-actor roles over the course of a
lengthy career as a guy you could always
recognize, but never name. He openly admits
to this with pride, stating, “There are certain
moments when you can finally launch into
something instead of just keeping it simple.
Before that, you have to make something out
of nothing, and that's what I've been doing
for my career.”
In addition to scrapping and making
the most out of his roles, Piven's been able to
deal with the whole Hollywood celebrity
nonsense with a bit of an outsider’s take. At
last year's Emmys, Access Hollywood host
Billy Bush proved that he came from the
shallow end of the already-drained gene pool
of our President (he's Dubya's first cousin)
by asking Piven on the red carpet what he
thought of Suri Cruise. Piven calmly
responded, “You need another job. You have
potential as a human being.”
As for how he deals with fame in gen-
eral, Piven says, “I grew up in Chicago and
had friends who were famous, so I got to see
first-hand how to walk through that. Not a lot
of people get that opportunity, so I was lucky
in that way. The thing is, I can go out and
connect with a guy like [Entourage co-star]
Kevin Conway and have a real conversation
with him. I'm not a pretty girl, so I don't need
the publicity. I'm just trying to have that real
moment if I can. It's not my first rodeo, in a
way, so I've been around for a while. I'm not
going to let my fame make me bitter, jaded,
and bloated… except why the fuck didn't I
get Red Dragon?!” Everyone at the table
laughs, although it's clear that not everyone
knows that Piven was in contention for the
juicy role of serial killer Dolarhyde, which
eventually went to Ralph Fiennes.
Still, perhaps we should all be a little
glad he didn't get that role, because Piven
certainly knows how to commit to a part.
When asked about Buddy's marvelous dexterity and slight-of-hand, it turns out that
Piven wasn't letting the FX guys do the
heavy lifting. “That's all real.” He says with
a smile. “I worked with this guy, and I'm
pretty nimble and coordinated, so I took pretty fast to the tricks. If it wasn't real, people
would figure it out pretty fast.”
But did he want more time to show off
his new tricks? “You're asking the wrong
guy, because all actors want more. But at the
same time I do understand the totality of a
piece, and Joe [Carnahan] has so many balls
in the air on this one. Everyone needs their
time, but there's something about Buddy's
story that I think is worth telling. I would’ve
liked to see more, but that's what prequels
and sequels are for!”
Speaking of everyone who needs their
time, a lot of the characters in Smokin’ Aces
use their time plotting to kill his character.
While he may have wanted more time, Piven
didn't mind betting on certain players to
smoke Aces. “I was rooting for Alicia
[Keys], Common, Ryan [Reynolds] and Ray
[Liotta]. That's the interesting thing about
this movie: I think if you pin too much violence or tack it on, you're not seeing it for
what it is. It's a dark comedy and it's a beautiful romp, and it is what it is. It's an homage
to the Coen Brothers– an essay about bad
information.”
As the interview winds down, it's clear
that where Jeremy Piven and Ari Gold truly
meet is at the point of honesty. But where
Gold wields his honestly like a cudgel, Piven
uses it to illustrate his understanding of his
work and his career. He's earned the truth by
working hard for two decades, learning from
his parents, his friends, his co-stars, and his
films. Walking out of the room, I feel a
tremendous respect for Piven... as well as a
tremendous sense of relief that he didn't
respond to any of my questions with a barrage of hateful epithets. –Matt Goldberg
PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Entertainment
Movie Reviews
ALPHA DOG- How can over 30 people witness a
crime, yet its alleged organizer manages to flee
the country? Research the case of Jesse James
Hollywood and you'll learn... or simply go see
Alpha Dog. Thinly veiling an active FBI case,
director Nick Cassavetes’ latest follows Johnny
Truelove (Emile Hirsch), a 90210 drug dealer.
When frequent customer Jake Mazursky (Ben
Foster) stiffs him for $1200, Truelove and his
equally overprivileged crew of wannabe gangstas
(including Justin Timberlake and Shawn Hatosy)
kidnap Zack Mazursky (Anton Yelchin), hoping
to scare his brother into paying up. Distracted
with partying non-stop, the kidnappers basically
let Zack hang with them, and the victim turns into
just another hedonist along for the ride. Three
days pass, and the once-funny prank turns into an
all-out police search. Sensing the seriousness of
the charges, Johnny decides Zack “must be dealt
with.” One murder and four arrests later, Truelove
dodges police by fleeing the country, becoming
one of the youngest people ever on the FBI's Most
Wanted list. Many believe that Johnny's father,
Sonny (Bruce Willis), helped him escape, but
inquiring minds still want to know the truth.
Despite loads of talent both new (Yelchin) and
veteran (Willis and Sharon Stone), it's hard to
believe this film is based on true events. At no
point do any of the witnesses get concerned when
they find out Zack was kidnapped, nor do you see
any real parent/child interaction. The film’s most
chilling message concerns the disassociation of
parents, as it shows what can happen when teens
are left unsupervised and unaware of the consequences of their actions. (B-) –Zena Scott
BLOOD DIAMOND- The latest in this year's string
of politically-themed dramas set in Africa (which
also included Catch A Fire and The Last King of
Scotland), Blood Diamond has divided critics
with its dogged determination to not just tell a
story, but to actually make a difference. Your
enjoyment of it will therefore likely be based in
part on whether you believe great art should
aspire to effect change in the world, or prefer popcorn entertainment that doesn't weigh down your
conscience as you exit the theater. In his second
award-worthy performance of the year, Leonardo
DiCaprio chews up the scenery as Danny Archer,
a Rhodesia-born smuggler of “blood diamonds,”
whose profits fund brutal battles in war-torn
countries such as Sierra Leone. Djimon Hounsou
capably matches DiCaprio's dynamic intensity as
Solomon Vandy, a proud fisherman whose family
is torn apart when he's captured by warlords and
sent to work in the diamond mines, where he
stumbles upon a massive rock he manages to hide
as military forces invade the slave encampment.
When the scheming Archer learns of Vandy's hidden diamond, he promises to help the man reunite
with his family in exchange for half the profits
from the sale of the multi-million dollar stone,
and the two hook up with a feisty, idealistic journalist (Jennifer Connelly) looking to blow the
cover of companies who deal in blood diamonds.
It's not hard to imagine this story as a direct-tovideo B-movie starring, say, Steven Seagal. But
what in lesser hands might come off as thinly
drawn caricatures are rendered full 3D characters
by the talented cast and director Edward Zwick,
who established a similar balance of explosive
action and sociopolitical relevance in Glory and
Courage Under Fire. Few mainstream Hollywood
directors are better at making a point, and few
actors could wrench every last drop of honest
human emotion from the occasionally melodramatic script. This is a political story disguised as
an action-adventure, and it makes one hell of an
impact despite its flaws. (B) -B. Love
BECAUSE I SAID SO- On the brink of her 60th birthday, Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) decides it's
time for her daughter to find a responsible man.
Armed with two deadly weapons– a computer and
a credit card– she takes out a personal ad looking
for a suitable mate for her love-cursed daughter,
Milly (Mandy Moore). Showing clear signs of
Empty Nest Syndrome, she invites herself into
Milly's personal life, never realizing that she
could very well be kicking herself out of it. Like
most well-intentioned mothers, Daphne dreads the
PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
idea of her precious baby making the mistakes she
made, and is determined not to let that happen
even if her boundless love crosses all bondaries.
After an evening of 15 or more hopeful suitors,
finally arrives Jason, a dapper architect who earns
her mom’s stamp of approval. Meanwhile, Johnny
(Gabriel Macht)– a tattooed musician and single
father– swipes one of Milly's business cards from
Daphne before being dismissed. Just when things
seem to be working out with Jason, Johnny starts
sweeping Milly off her feet, pushing her into a
corner of decision-making. Who will she choose?
Mom's perfect choice, or the bohemian single
dad? The film has a few gut-busting laughs, but
you’ll predict the ending about 25 minutes into it.
Diane Keaton needs to switch up her maternal
roles, while Mandy Moore is average... a major
compliment considering her performances in
American Dreamz and A Walk to Remember. All
in all, not enough content, not enough character
and very predictable. (C-) -Zena Scott
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA- Brought to us by Walden
Media, the family-friendly Disney subsidiary
behind Charlotte’s Web and The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,
Bridge to Terabithia is the latest classic children's
novel to jump from the page to the silver screen.
Novelist Katherine Paterson wrote the book 30
years ago for her son David, who in turn produced
the film version. With the help of Emmy Awardwinning director Gabor Csupo (The Simpsons,
The Wild Thornberries), Paterson invites us into
an enchanted kingdom where anything is possible
if you use your imagination. Both Leslie (Annasophia Robb) and Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) appear
to be average middle school children, until you
take a look into their lives outside of school.
Leslie is a rich city girl who's just moved to the
area, while Jesse is poor farm boy who doesn't fit
in anywhere, including his home. Leslie's an only
child, while Jesse is the middle of 5 and happens
to be the only boy. While it seems that the two are
total opposites, their love of foot racing both
unites and divides them as Leslie embarrasses
him (and all the other boys) by winning at school
one day. What first starts off as a bitter relationship buds into a lasting friendship as Leslie and
Jesse discover a magical place where bullies are
replaced by ogres, chores are replaced by treasure
hunts and reality is fused with imagination. Audiences of all ages should enjoy this movie.
Although the film evolves around the lives of
tweens, there are very real events and situations
that the two encounter both together and separately that provide an emotional attachment to the
film. The visual effects are impressive and the
originality of the creatures encountered in Terabithia is impeccable. Kudos Disney. If nothing
should be learned from this film, everyone should
take away knowing that people, animals and even
plants will die but friendships and your imagination doesn't. (B) -Zena Scott
CATCH AND RELEASE- This film is an imitation of
life. It's like going to a wax museum: Despite the
stunning likeness, up close and over time you
realize that this figure is dull, lifeless and will
melt if some joker messes with the thermostat.
Gray (Jennifer Garner) has just lost her fiancée,
Grady. His death prompts a re-evaluation of her
life and the lives of her friends as secrets about
Grady's life come to the surface, and everyone is
richer for the experience. At least, that seems to
be the idea. Unfortunately, Catch and Release
works on general emotions. It’s a concept that
might work as an Everwood-like drama on a netlet, but the constraints of a feature film shine a
bright, hot, melty light that leaves only warm,
messy goop. Gray strikes up a romantic relationship with Grady's sleazy-charming friend Francis
(Timothy Olyphant). We know it's a romantic
relationship because they sleep together and smile
coyly at one another. Things like chemistry,
establishing scenes and working at building an
actual romance didn't seem to make the final cut
(or the script). By failing to sell the relationship
between Gray and Francis, their affair seems like
nothing more than a short-lived rebound that will
end soon after the credits roll. There are also
kooky friends Sam (Kevin Smith) and Dennis
Xbox, drugs and rap ‘n’ roll: It’s all in the name of summertime
fun for the wayward teens in Alpha Dog.
(Sam Jaeger). If you've seen An Evening with
Kevin Smith, you know that Smith is playing himself. If you only know him as Silent Bob, then
you'll probably recognize him as the heart of the
picture and appreciate his comic cadence. Dennis
has a crush on Gray, but only shows it a couple
times. The rest of the time, he's either quarreling
with Sam (unfortunately, Smith doesn't realize
he's devouring each scene, leaving Jaeger to twist
in the wind) or trying to act cutesy with Grady's
secret mistress (Juliette Lewis, playing ditzy...
shock, shock) and her four-year-old spawn. On a
longer timeline, characters like these could get the
development they sorely need. But constrained by
a two-hour run time and a script that doesn't have
the economy to say a lot with just a little, all these
characters feel broad and obvious in a film that
desperately needs them to be real and relatable.
(C-) –Matt Goldberg
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER- Director Zhang
Yimou's (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) latest
is like a Fabergé egg. Its exterior is beautifully
adorned and meticulously detailed. But Fabergé
eggs don't contain Fabergé chicks, or even smaller
Fabergé eggs. The eggs are hollow, and so is this
film. The story reads like it came from someone
who skimmed Hamlet. The Empress (Gong Li) is
planning to usurp the throne from her husband
(Chow-Yun Fat), who is poisioning her daily
medicine with a substance that will make her go
insane. But she might have been nutty to begin
with since she continues to pine for the affections
of her stepson (ewww!) while he romances the
daughter of a mysterious woman who looks
remarkable similar to a giant painting the Emperor keeps in his throne room. This all leads to a
Helm's Deep-sized battle featuring CGI characters
dressed in gold armor fighting CGI characters
dressed in silver armor. For all of its historical
accuracy, the film might as well be set in MiddleEarth. If it sounds like Curse gets laughably bad,
then it sounds correct. Unlike Hero or Daggers,
Curse lacks a compelling story and interesting
characters. While the film does possess intrigue
and it's interesting to see as a power struggle, the
way these characters behave and the progession
of their story just seems like a tale of trailer trash
with too much money and power set in late 10th
century China. While the film is Yimou's most
visually compelling to date, it's also one of his
worst stories. I'd much rather just see an episode
of Jerry Springer in which the guests did wire-fu.
(D+) –Matt Goldberg
DREAMGIRLS- Turning Broadway hits into blockbuster movie musicals is a notoriously risky business, but few filmmakers are as qualified to give
it a go as Bill Condon, whose adaptation of
Chicago earned him a Best Screenplay Oscar
nomination back in 2003. To start with, he enlisted a knockout cast that includes Oscar-winner
Jamie Foxx, Grammy-winner Beyoncé and Eddie
Murphy, in what is arguably the most remarkable
performance of his career as waning soul legend
James “Thunder” Early. He's also got a sizzling,
gospel-influenced R&B score that includes several new songs by composer Henry Kreiger (who
co-wrote the original with the late Tom Eyen), not
to mention a sensational story about the pitfalls of
selling one's soul in the name of greed. That story,
for those weak on music history, is loosely based
on the rise and fall of The Supremes, whose original lead singer Florence Ballard was replaced by
Diana Ross, whom Motown founder Berry Gordy
found prettier, skinnier and more likely to cross
over to white audiences. In Dreamgirls, ambitious
car salesman-turned-talent manager Curtis Taylor
Jr. (Foxx) replaces sassy, brassy belter Effie
White (Jennifer Hudson) as lead singer of the
Dreams with her childhood pal and backup singer
Deena Jones (Beyoncé), for essentially the same
reasons. Set in Detroit against the backdrop of the
Civil Rights movement, the story follows the
group's struggle for equality in a music industry
that allows white artists to co-opt black music and
water it down until it's deemed fit for mainstream
consumption. But the only color Curtis sees is
green, and with Deena as his malleable wife he
begins to drain the color from the Dreams so they
can play white clubs, top pop charts and live Hollywood's champagne wishes and caviar dreams.
From the flashy costumes and lively music to the
performances themselves, the group's razzle-dazzle rise is truly a wonder to behold, with audiences literally cheering the musical numbers as if
it were still the '80s, and Jennifer Holliday was
still tearing the roof off the sucker on Broadway.
Which brings us to Hudson, making her big
screen debut in the role that earned Holliday a
Tony Award. As Effie, the former American Idol
contestant grabs you by the balls and rips your
heart in two, delivering a gutsy performance that
will likely win her an Oscar and an emotionally
devastating take on “And I Am Telling You I'm
Not Going” that dares you not to feel every last
word in your bones. She's arguably the brightest
light in a mesmerizing film in which every single
member of the cast and crew gets their moment to
shine.. (A) -B. Love
THE HITCHER- Just when you thought the horror
film remake era had passed, along comes The
Hitcher. Directed by music video vet Dave Meyers, this is the latest in a long string of reheated
versions of horror films that ultimately prove
pointless. When Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush)
and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) hit the road
for spring break, they never thought their trip to
remember would quickly turn into one they’d
wish they could forget. So it's a dark and stormy
night, and the all-too-cute couple is driving on
what seems to be the darkest, longest and emptiest highway in America (go figure) when they
almost hit a pedestrian. Of course, this isn't just
any ordinary pedestrian crossing the street at a
green light; it's a man standing in a monsoon-like
storm in the middle of the night, in the middle of
the highway with no umbrella. The decision not to
assist the hitchhiker the first time turns out to be a
bad move as the couple meets up with the nowvengeful John Ryder (Sean Bean) at a gas station.
Trying to right his previous wrong of leaving the
man stranded, Jim obliges on giving Ryder a lift to
the nearest motel... bad decision #2. Within five
minutes of his “lift,” Ryder reveals himself and his
fascination with hearing one phrase: “I want to
die.” After narrowly escaping his vengeance, Jim
and Grace think the worse is over and continue on
their road trip, blissfully unaware that the road
ahead will be filled with blood and twisted metal.
The Hitcher is a non-stop, action-packed whale of
a ride, but there are definitely more than a few
loose ends. To make any of this story even slightly
believable, you have to suspend all rational
thought. Like, how can Ryder know the intended
destination of two people who are traveling ahead
of him? Where does he get his unlimited supply of
firepower? Where do his uncanny abilities of both
marksmanship and navigation come from? Not
even Sophia Bush's damsel in distress beauty, as
she sashays in an up-to-there mini, can distract us
from wondering. The 1986 Rutger Hauer original
will remain a classic long after the 2007 remake
runs out of gas... which will be VERY soon. (C+)
-Zena Scott
THE HOST- Monster movies can be a lot of fun.
Sadly, there just aren't enough of them in modern
cinema. Now, the nation of South Korea offers a
film that initially seems as classic and fun as the
king of monsters, Godzilla. Unfortunately, what
begins as an old-fashioned creature feature soon
becomes undone by an honorable but misguided
attempt to inject realism into the proceedings.
Rather than tell the story of saving the world or
trying to kill the big bad monster, The Host focuses on one family's attempt to rescue their youngest
member, Hyun-Seo, from the lair of the beast.
Despite an opening in which we learn that the
creature was created by man's carelessness (in this
case, it's pouring old formaldehyde into the Han
River) and a great set piece of mayhem in which
the creature runs amok, from the moment HyunSeo is abducted, the film decides to go for realism
and show her family struggling to come together
in grief and their efforts to rescue her. I appreciate
what the film is trying to do. However, there is a
reason that most of the great monster movies stop
at subtext rather than try and introduce gravitas
into the proceedings. A serious bent in a monster
movie is virtually impossible... because it's a monster movie. As grotesque as the creature's rampage
may be, it’s still fanciful, and the realm of the real
just cannot exist without being colored by the
ridiculous proceedings. So when the family
grieves over Hyun-Seo's supposed death or when
the film tries to subvert your expectations, the
result is an odd mix of hilarity and confusion. I
respect co-writer/director Bong Joon-ho for trying
a unique approach, and there is potential for a film
like this to succeed. Unfortunately, his skills just
aren't up to the task, and the fun monster movie
competing with the realism of family drama leads
to a muddled tonality and a film that's constantly
undercutting itself. (C+) –Matt Goldberg
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA- After making what some
critics deemed his directorial misstep earlier this
year with the WWII epic Flags of Our Fathers,
Warner Bros. wisely bumped up the release date
of this companion film, which tells the same story
from the Japanese perspective. Led by Ken
Watanabe as the understaffed general charged
with the impossible mission of fortifying the
island against the impending American invasion,
the noble but fearful Japanese troops bond over
memories of home, grinding grunt work and the
dawning realization that no reinforcements are
coming to their rescue. Eastwood’s classic, starkly
beautiful images look like something that might
have been filmed in Howard Hawks’ heyday, capturing the grim realities of war ranging from the
most mundane (see: leaving the cave in which
troops are holed up to empty out the pot they piss
in) to the most horrific (see: an entire unit committing suicide rather than be killed by Americans or
taken captive). In the end, the film serves as a
striking reminder us that our enemies are often
very much like ourselves, and that war is one
game in which everyone loses, no matter which
side emerges victorious. (A-) –B. Love
NOTES ON A SCANDAL- With Closer and now Notes
on a Scandal, I'm convinced that no one writes
about the desperate struggles of human relationships better than Patrick Marber. His characters
always act realistically and, in the hands of even a
half-decent actor, their actions are always compelling. Thankfully, Marber and director Richard
Eyre have two of the best actresses working today
leading this film. Dame Judi Dench plays Barbara
Covett, an uptight schoolmarm who’s too busy
judging everyone else's life to reconcile her own
desires for love and companionship. But when the
naïve Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) enters her life
as a fellow teacher, Covett begins an infatuation
which only deepens as she stumbles upon Hart's
salacious affair with a 15-year-old student. Lesser
storytellers might be drawn more to the rippedfrom-the-headlines story of a female teacher's
affair with one of her students, but Marber sticks
to the more universal and harsher themes of what
people will do out of what they think is love. Hart
doesn't love the boy, but she loves the feeling and
feels entitled to her affair. An even deeper character study is required of Dench's Oscar-worthy performance as a woman wrestling with concepts of
love, obsession, and control… if only she wasn't
so busy trying to control others. While Marber has
definitely staked out his own territory and style
with this follow-up, Notes on a Scandal is certainly not Closer 2. It possesses the same essential
understanding of human relationships, but in place
of Closer's charming mean streak, Notes on a
Scandal features the sadness and desperation of
solitude with a dash of resentment, anger and
humor thrown in for good measure. Half-decent
actors might fumble this confusing concoction of
human pathos, but Dench and Blanchett manage
to weave it into some of the finest performances of
their respective careers. (B+) -Matt Goldberg
PAN'S LABYRINTH- “Beautiful” and “Grotesque.”
“Heartfelt” and “Heartbreaking.” “Magical” and
“Genuine.” Lesser directors would find their film
torn asunder trying to work with these opposing
themes. At best, they could only frame these concepts as dualities and recenter the story to avoid a
thematically jarring experience. Only the confident hand of one of today's best directors could
not only embrace all these concepts, but mix them
all together in a fairy tale that is both ancient and
modern. Guillermo Del Toro does not hide from
complicated worlds of moral or even existential
ambiguity. He masters them and, in doing so, he's
created one of the year's best films in Pan's
Labyrinth. The story presents us with a brief prologue about a princess who will one day return to
her kingdom in the Underworld. The story then
seamlessly shifts to the tale of Ofelia (Ivana
Baquero) and her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil)
who must live with her new stepfather Vidal
(Sergi López), a captain in the Spanish Civil War
who is as dogmatic as he is cruel. While her mother strugles with an increasingly difficult pregnancy and Captain Vidal attempts to wipe out the
guilleras surrounding the camp, Ofelia wanders
into an old stone labyrinth outside the camp where
she meets a faun (Doug Jones). The faun tells her
that she may be the Lost Princess of the Underworld, but she must prove herself by accomplishing three tasks. From there, Del Toro weaves his
plotlines effortlessly. Despite the surface distance
for stories about coming-of-age, the suffering presented in the Spanish Civil War and a lost princess
seeking to return to her kingdom, nothing seems
out of place. The confidence and precision of
Guillemo Navarro's cinematography makes everything from the alternate dimension of the Pale
Man (a creature truly made from nightmares) to
the storehouse of the camp all seem drawn from
the same world, while Javier Navarrete's melodic
and haunting score blends perfeclty with Del
Toro's world. Those expecting a work similar to
Del Toro's previous film, the comic book romp
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Hellboy, should go further back in his filmography to his previous foreign language film, The
Devil's Backbone, a story about a ghost who
haunts an orphanege in 1939 Spain. Pan's
Labyrinth is an amalgam of the two films, taking
Hellboy's Lovecraftian creatures and bringing
them into the magic and tragedy of mid-20th
Century Spain as seen from a child's perspective.
And yet such a description sells the film short
because Del Toro goes far beyond a simple
reworking of his previous accomplishments. He
takes various elements and transmogrifies them
into something familiar, yet entierly new. Some
may find Pan's Labyrinth to be a frustrating film
because it lacks a clear thematic organization
where they can feed at any particular idea trough
and ignore the others. But Del Toro demands
more of his audience, and we should thank him
for delivering a film that cannot be understood
morally or psychologically or aesthtically without understanding it holistically. Del Toro has
embraced the fantastic and the real, the universal
and the unique, and a whole host of other ideas
to create a cinematic classic. He challenges us to
join him in this embrace, and film-lovers everywhere should find this monster of a masterpiece
a worthy challenge. (A) -Matt Goldberg
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS- It's just adorable
that people still believe in the American Dream,
and want to make you believe it as well. That
beautiful Horatio Alger rags to riches story suggests that, if you just work hard enough, then
goshdarn it, you're gonna make it in this beautiful country of ours! And if you don't? Well, then
you're probably just lazy. After books like Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel & Dimed and other
framings of The American Dream as The American Delusion, how does Chris Gardner's story of
triumph work? If you've seen a commercial for
this film, I doubt anything in the plot will surprise you. Gardner (Will Smith) becomes a single dad after his wife (Thandie Newton) leaves
him because she's the worst person in the world.
Okay, that's stretching it, but she is a dreamcrusher. Granted, she offers to take their son
(played by Smith’s son, Jaden) when she leaves,
which is more than that bitch Meryl Streep ever
did in Kramer vs. Kramer, but other than that?
Crusher of dreams. Gardner has a crap job selling a useless piece of medical equipment, but he
takes a chance on an internship at a brokerage
firm. See, Chris is tenacious and smart, and
though it's going to take a lot of hard work and
sacrifice for him and his son, you know he’s
gonna make it in the end. While the film may be
trying to tell me the origin story of the one black
guy at every Republican National Convention, it
still allows for Will Smith to give his best performance since Ali. I applaud screenwriter Steve
Conrad for making the relationship between
Chris and his son authentic, rather than a hagiography. It would be too easy if Chris were mostly
upbeat, and just had a good cry now and then.
Instead, he shows that even the best parents lose
their tempers. Chris Jr. is adorable, but he
could’ve been the perfect kid, never giving his
father a reason to snap. But sometimes Chris Jr.
gets obnoxious, and you can see his dad instantly
regretting the decision to let his child have sugar.
If there's a reason to see this film, it's the moving
relationship between a father and son. It's wellwritten and well-performed, and that's where
credit is due. The father-son story is where the
film shines, but because it brings nothing unique
to that narrative, the more divisive economic
story subverts the personal into propaganda. (B-)
-Matt Goldberg
THE QUEEN- Unless you’ve been living under a
rock for the past couple of months, chances are
you’ve already heard the hype surrounding
Helen Mirren’s stunning portrayal of Queen
Elizabeth II, which pundits predict will earn her
a Best Actress Oscar. Fortunately, this is one
instance in which the hullabaloo is warranted, as
Mirren is the brightest light in this brilliant
behind-the-scenes look at Britain’s Royal Family
in the days following Princess Diana’s death.
Her performance captures the subtle blend of
stoic regality and a repressed resentment that
bubbles beneath the surface as she is urged first
by new PM Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), then
her son Prince Charles, and finally the entire
British commonwealth to address her nation and
publicly grieve the death of “The People’s
Princess.” Director Stephen Frears’ latest film is
not a pretty portrait of monarchy, but it is a
provocative look at an empire teetering on the
threshold of crisis, and the dysfunctional royal
family at the center of it all. (A) –B. Love
RENO 911!: MIAMI- Despite higher ticket prices in
theatres and the majority of film studio revenues
coming from DVD sales, Fox and Paramount
decided to make a feature-length film about a
cult-favorite comedy from basic cable. Why? My
theory is that Fox predicted the popularity of the
largely improvised Borat, and hoped that Reno
911!: Miami would do the same. I wouldn't
expect the same explosive box office or critical
acclaim, but the film debut of the world's worst
cops will certainly satisfy fans of the Comedy
Central show. The story follows the highly inept
Reno Sheriff's Department when they’re invited
to a Law Enforcement convention in Miami.
After arriving via a cross-country bus ride and
discovering they're not registered, they decide to
stay at a nearby ratty motel. Luckily for them, a
bio-terror quarantines off the entire convention
hotel, leaving the city in desperate need of anyone with a gun and a badge. From there, the film
is basically the show writ-large, set in Miami and
allowing for the raunchy humor basic cable
won’t allow. Fans of the show are already sold
on the film; the best recommendation I can make
for non-fans is to catch a couple episodes and see
if the humor works for you. Personally, I thought
the film was hilarious. There's a bit of a missed
opportunity to parody action films instead of
merely making a big-screen parody of COPS, but
I was laughing my ass off most of the time, so
it's hard to complainuch. Reno 911!: Miami may
not be as satirical, biting and ultimately popular
as Borat, but fans of the show will be more than
pleased with the Reno Sheriff's Dept’s motion
picture adventure. (B) -Matt Goldberg
SMOKIN' ACES- This isn't the film you expect.
The ads provide a hint of the insanity, but the
film is full of actors shattering their previous best
work and scenes that make this movie more than
a stylish bloodbath. Joe Carnahan's (Narc)
uneven script and direction constantly has the
film on the brink of failure. But just before he
falls off into oblivion, you realize that, while's
he's certainly crazy, he's also in control. The film
revels in its ludicrous plot: Buddy “Aces” Israel
(Jeremy Piven), a Vegas entertainer/wannabe
mobster, is about to self-destruct, leading him to
rat out the Cosa Nostra mob boss to the FBI. A
million dollar hit is contracted against him, and
the world’s most dangerous hitmen (and women)
descend on his hideout in Lake Tahoe to see who
can cut out his heart and claim the Bin Ladensized bounty. Along with the colorful menagerie
of murderers, two FBI agents are racing to take
Israel into custody, while three bondsmen want
$50,000 for returning the bail-skipping Buddy.
Not only does every member of the massive cast
pull their weight, expect to join the fan club of
some previously underestimated actors. Chris
Pine (whose last role was opposite Lindsay
Lohan in Just My Luck) and Martin Henderson
(of Torque) are just a couple of the surprises.
But even actors like Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy
Piven, who have become predictably great playing fast-talking, scene-stealing smart-asses, subvert expectations by playing the meaty dramatic
roles of this ridiculous rampage. I don't agree
with all of Carnahan's choices: I think the film's
opening exposition and character introductions
are a little too dry, and even if you can figure out
who's who, you still have to process the backstory explaining the relationship between Buddy
and the FBI. And while I rarely advocate more
violence and gore, the film's insane tone and
crazy visuals make the kills seem relatively tame
when compared to the surrounding action. Aces
will certainly divide audiences. If the film's constant rollercoaster of motives and tonality throw
you for a loop, you'll find yourself wanting to get
off this ride as soon as possible. However, if you
can keep up with Carnahan's bizarre pacing and
storytelling, you'll find an ultimately enjoyable
piece of action insanity. (B+) -Matt Goldberg
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2-8: 7 Sharp Nine
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PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
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Friday, Feb. 2
WRONG WAY (SUBLIME TRIBUTE)
New Grassroots (311 Tribute)
Saturday, Feb. 3
SAM THACKER
Zero Chance
Friday, Feb. 9
REMEDIAL BLEND
Turtle Folk
Saturday, Feb. 10
COY BOWLES & THE FELLOWSHIP
Blair Lott Band • Adam James Band
Friday, Feb. 16
CRANE
Wes Charlton • David McCoy
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Saturday, Feb. 17
POOLSTICK
Sam Thacker
Friday, Feb. 23
ROULETTA
Walcott • Moses Jones
Saturday, Feb. 24
ILLBREAK
Sam Thacker
949
Peachtree
Street
404.888.0200
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Every Wednesday
GARETH ASHER
Friday, Feb. 2
ROBBIE LEVIN & ERIC
Saturday, Feb. 3
THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND
Thursday, Feb. 8
PETE WHITFIELD BAND
Friday, Feb. 9
SCOTT LITTLE &
SHAWN ARNOLD
Saturday, Feb. 10
THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND
Thurs. & Fri., Feb. 15 & 16 & 22
GARETH ASHER
& NAKED
Saturday, Feb. 17
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NO COVER Tuesday –Thursday
THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND
Friday, Feb. 23
MATT MAUTZ &
JOHN THRASHER
Saturday, Feb. 24
THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND
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PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Road
Warriors
Nicks. She's never become a star, having settled
for a slow climb to popularity in hopes of an
actual career. Her recent tour document, North
American Ghost Music, is a good indicator of
her live prowess.
This Month’s
Hottest Shows
YO LA TENGO (Variety Playhouse, 2/3) Other than
maybe Sonic Youth, no other band enjoys more
long-term critical bulletproofing than Yo La
Tengo. Comprised of a former critic on guitar/
vocals, his wife on drums and a bass-playing
friend, the band recently passed the two-decade
mark. Thing is, they're still pretty good live, and
last year's I Am Not Afraid of You & I Will Beat
Your Ass was an invigorated return to fuzzy pop.
SHANNON MCNALLY (Smith's Olde Bar, 2/8)
McNally started her career a decade ago with
quite a bit of buzz– her distinctive, charming
voice gives a pleasant nod to country and roots
rock– and ended up touring with acts such as Son
Volt, Ryan Adams, John Mellencamp and Stevie
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR (Ferst Center, 2/9) If
you've ever heard Paul Simon's classic album,
Graceland, on which he was accompanied by
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, you already have
some grasp of the immense power of South
African vocal ensembles. Even if you haven't,
you owe it to yourself to check out the soulful
spirit of the Soweto Gospel Choir, which features the best voices from churches and communities in and around the famed South African
city. Clad in the vivid colors of their native land,
these awe-inspiring voices make a joyful noise,
performing songs ranging from traditional
African gospel to more contemporary Westerninfluenced sounds and reminding us of the
immense richness of African culture.
DONNA THE BUFFALO (Variety Playhouse, 2/9)
Like so many bands that play the jam circuit,
Donna the Buffalo doesn't stray far from
Americana or rootsy blues. Their calling card is
their female/male vocals, which alternate from
Tara Nevins’ girly come-hither to Jeb Puryear's
graceful country bend. They make for some really swell harmonies, which the genre could stand
a lot more of. –Michael Faber
THE DEVIL STOLE THE BEAT (The Loft and Smith's
Olde Bar, 2-14-16) Now in its sixth year, The
Devil Stole the Beat has gradually grown from a
little-known underground music gathering into a
respectable 3-day festival sponsored by prominent songwriting organizations BMI and
ASCAP. Beginning with an Opening Night
Launch Party at the Loft on February 14, this
year's festival will feature more than 15 bands
and singer-songwriters playing multiple venues,
with an expanded web presence focused on indepth online resource forums. Bands from
throughout the Southeast will be performing, as
well as Atlanta-based acts Nathan Angelo, Sonia
Leigh, Warren Ullom, The Less, Rouletta, Dead
Confederate and Right Away, Great Captain! For
a full schedule of events, check their website at
www.thedevilstolethebeat.com.
JONATHAN RICHMAN (The EARL, 2/17) This guy
has been around the block for a quarter century,
having endured just about every musical fad the
industry could come up with. Yet he still defies
categorization. In fact, most of today's kids didn't even know who he was until he showed up as
that singer with a guitar in There's Something
About Mary. A musical treasure for sure, his
variety of pop-rock is in line with Elvis Costello,
only not so embittered.
DEERHOOF (40 Watt Club, 2/21) The weird rock
coming out of Deerhoof never ceases to compel
or repel. The drummer is totally kickass (check
various YouTube clips for evidence of that), and
if you hate the Bjork-ish accent of lead singer
Satomi Matsuzaki, please don't blame her
Japanese accent or lyrics. But as arty as the band
is, they cling to the fringe of a melody like a vine
in a jungle. It's worth the ride to Athens.
THE BLACK LIPS (Whirlyball Atlanta, 2/23)
Atlanta's hottest rock act is kicking off the
release of their new live disc at one of this city's
more unique venues. Roswell’s Whirlyball is a
mixture of basketball, lacrosse and whiffle ball
played on bumper cars, and it's hard to describe
the surreal stage setup that allows the band to
watch Whirlyball competitions through the glass
during the show. The hottest concert ticket of the
month, no doubt.
MASTODON(Center Stage, 2/24) The heaviest
metal band in Atlanta has always threatened to
be one of the heaviest in the world, and last
year's Blood Mountain set out to prove it.
Roaring with passion, doom and speed,
Mastodon isn't afraid to indulge in some proglike moments, either. Be prepared to take the
heat if you step into their kitchen.
WHAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS (The EARL,
2/24) The little band with the long name finds
itself getting more and more recognition, showing up in magazines and quite a few year-end
lists in 2006. Their eclectic blend of rock and
pop recalls the stronger moments of the Flaming
Lips with a dose of Ben Folds sarcasm, and this
tour aims to capitalize on all the good press.
–by John Davidson, except where
otherwise noted
WE GOT NEXT
ARTISTS ON THE VERGE OF MAKING IT BIG
Y
ou've heard about those bands that get signed to
record labels having never played before an audience, or the group that builds a following of millions on MySpace after playing together for less than a
year? Until June is not one of those bands. The trio,
founded by brothers Josh and Dan Ballard, have been on
the verge of making it big for nearly five years now.
Initial interest from a record label lured them from
Arizona to Los Angeles in 2001, and they've been chasing the dream ever since.
On the eve of their national debut, the brothers
Ballard and drummer Daniel Dempsey are about to realize if their stubborn dedication will pay off. Josh, who
plays piano and sings, took some time recently to discuss
the band's early beginnings and share insight into what
keeps a band motivated through the frustrating years.
How did the band first get started?
My brother and I had been playing in bands together forever. We were both going to Arizona State University at
the time, playing out in clubs in Tempe, and we had gotten a phone call from Java Records. They were interest ed in us, but nothing actually came out of it. Dan and I
said, “This is not happening for us in Arizona, so let's
pack out bags and move to L.A.”
How did the name Until June come about?
My brother and I had a couple of other guys who were
playing with us, and they decided to can it. They said,
“We've been at this for a few years and we're going back
to school.” Dan and I were like, “Let's give it until June,
and if nothing happens we'll go back.” We ended up
finding a drummer, signing a producer agreement, then
we signed a deal, right before our deadline.
So how excited where your folks when you and Dan
decided to ditch school to move to LA to play rock?
You know, they wouldn't have been cool about it five
years prior, but I think we had developed into getting
some interest from some labels at the time. So when we
PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
UNTIL JUNE
CURRENT PROJECT: Until June (Flicker/Sony)
FOR FANS OF: Keane, Ben Folds, Sunny Day Real Estate
& Snow Patrol
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE: Their much-delayed debut
sounds refreshing original, yet oddly familiar.
RANDOM QUOTE: “When you’re out there for a certain
period of time and you don't see the kind of progress
that you'd like, it's easy to lose sight of your goals
and start thinking that your part-time job is really
what you're supposed to be doing.”
told them we were going to can it and move out to LA
there was concern, but they were really supportive.
We're pretty lucky.
What is it like to be an unsigned band touring? I'm
assuming it's a lot of booking your own shows.
It seems like you have to be a really good sales guy. You
kind of think like Tommy Boy, where you are going from
one place to the next and you have to get shut down so
many times. Before MySpace, it was hard to get your
name out there, so we were hustling colleges and handing out flyers, jumping the fence at Capitol Records and
trying to put our stuff on record executives' cars. We
were trying to do everything we could. But it's extremely difficult, and it gets discouraging. I think one of the
hardest things for us, when you’re out there for a certain
period of time and you don't see the kind of progress that
you'd like, it's easy to lose sight of your goals and start
thinking that your part-time job is really what you're
supposed to be doing.
As a band, was there something in particular you were
looking for in a label?
I don't think we really knew what to expect. You really
don't know what you're going to get until you see it.
Somebody told me a long time ago that I'm competing
with a million other bands that want a record deal, but
you're really only competing with the one percent that
actually wants it bad enough to be smart about it and
work for it.
So how did you first get together with your producer,
Brian Garcia?
I actually met him at Starbucks, where I was working.
He’d come in all the time and we got to talking, and after
a few months I ended up giving him a CD. I don't think
he was too impressed at first. He actually even came out
to see us play, and we stayed in contact because I made
his latte every day. Over the course of about a year and a
half I think is when we got his attention, because we
finally got good enough. –John B. Moore
FROM COUNTRY
TO DIVA
JENNIFER HUDSON
BECOMES THE ULTIMATE
“DREAM” GIRL
T
his is a rags-to-riches story more dramatic than anything Hollywood could
ever concoct: Humble country girl
rises to minor acclaim after being humiliated
by one of the nation's harshest reality TV
show critics (i.e. Simon Cowell), subsequently gets reduced to singing on cruise ships
while her peers go on to Broadway roles and
platinum-selling albums, only to be cast in a
major holiday blockbuster that earns her an
Oscar nomination right outta the gate.
Make no mistake, Hollywood is talking
about Jennifer Hudson, and the rest of
America will be, too, once they get a gander
at her emotionally wrenching turn as Effie
White in the star-studded Dreamgirls, the
film adaptation of the Tony award-winning
musical that follows the rise and fall of a
Supremes-style girl group in the '60s. In a
cast filled with heavy hitters such as Beyoncé
Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and
Danny Glover, Hudson more than holds her
own as overweight Dreamgirl Effie White,
dominating nearly every scene with a fiery
tempestuousness that couldn't be further from
her offscreen personality.
Here, the novice actress talks about her
work on the film and the exhaustive audition
process she underwent to get the role, which
critics predict will win her a Best Supporting
Actress Oscar.
Were any of the American Idol girls jealous?
Why? [Laughs] I don't run into too many of
them. I did see Latoya London, and she's
doing a great job and has her own great
career. I don't know what Frenchie is doing,
but she's great as well. And Fantasia... well,
that's Fantasia, baby. She's on her road as
well. Everybody's extremely supportive. I
recently got a call from Jasmine from my season, and she left me a beautiful message on
my phone. Everybody is so supportive.
Was this the first time Simon Cowell has
apologized to anyone in his whole life?
Probably. [Laughs] I don't know, but that was
a moment in time for me, to see that.
Jamie Foxx has said that whole experience,
where Simon criticized you so harshly in
front of America, prepared you for this.
Definitely. I give that experience credit, and I
feel everything prepares you for the next. It
helped make Effie and my stories parallel. I
definitely see similarities in it.
You knew you could sing. But did you know
you could be the emotional anchor of a film?
I did not know that! I was learning it as I went
along. I didn't even realize that was what I
was doing. I just felt like I needed to be that
voice for Florence Ballard, who Effie is based
on. That was part of my motivation.
You said that when you watched old clips of
The Supremes, you would see how Florence
would be aloof from the others...
Yeah. I mean, just her disposition, and the
way she would separate herself from the rest
of The Supremes. The look on her face of not
being happy with being there... but knowing
from the research and the background... you
can only imagine what she was feeling. I felt
like that's what "And I Am Telling You" is
about, and what Effie storming out is about.
It's how her fans felt she should have reacted,
because if you go look at a picture or even a
clip of one of their performances, you would
say, 'What's wrong with her?' without knowing the story. And that, I think, is Effie
screaming out.
"And I Am Telling You" is an incredibly
powerful moment. When you're doing a
show, you'll sing a song like that once a
night. When you're making a movie, you're
probably singing that song again and again
all day. What kind of emotional place do you
get to?
You get to a desperate emotional place! I
actually ended up doing "And I Am Telling
You," "I'm Changing" and "One Night Only"
all in one week. Like I say, it was a bit of
everything. And, of course, "And I Am
Telling You" is all led by emotion, and that's
what I sing by. It's what I'm trained to sing by.
I need to understand it and know what I'm
saying and know what I'm trying to get
across, and I just found the emotion for that.
Who called you with the good news that you
got the role?
Bill Condon. I knew that if he was calling it
was good news. I got so many different calls
throughout the process of auditioning, from
“You're by far the best” to “You're not being
considered anymore, we're going in a different direction.” By the time it was time for the
call, I didn't know what to expect. But I knew
that if it was Bill calling it would be good
news.
How did you react?
I jumped up and down and shouted, “Thank
you, Jesus!” I fell to the ground and had Bill
repeat it again and again. “Just say it again,
Bill!” The first person I called was my mother.
Jamie said that you're country. He said
you're “nice country,” and that you had to
get to a place where you could be a little bit
of a diva.
Bill said I was just a little too sweet and softspoken, and wanted me to be more aggressive. They wanted me to be more demanding,
like Effie- to take charge and be that diva that
she is. I had to go through Diva 101, rehearse
having that attitude, walking in when I felt
like it, walking out when I felt like it, saying
what I wanted to say. Stuff like that.
You went from a size 10/12 to a 14/16?
Jennifer's a very healthy eater. I only eat
chicken, fish and turkey. No fried foods. I
don't even drink soda. But for Effie I had to
change it a little bit and eat cookies and cakes
and pies at all wee hours of the night, and I
got away with it, because I had to gain and
maintain the weight. I found the biggest challenge, more than gaining or losing weight,
was to maintain the weight. Anytime I lost an
inch, [wardrobe] was like, “Nope, you gotta
go back up.” It was hard because of all the
choreography and the busy schedule.
Whose decision was it for how big she
should be?
You just needed to be able to perceive the difference between Effie's image and the other
girl's image. I don't think it was so much
about, “Effie needs to be a size 16/18 and 200
pounds.” It was just so you could show the
difference..
What was your favorite time period and look
for Effie?
I liked Effie when she went through her trying
times, because it was really real. Of course,
we love the glamour and the glitz, but I loved
the realness, getting stripped down to the lowest of the low. That was one of my favorites.
You’re up for an Oscar now. Are you ready
for that? You were just performing on cruise
ships a couple of years ago.
I'll never get used to it. Every time I'm like,
“Really? Are you serious?!” All I wanted was
the role... although it would be the biggest
honor. And I would get up there and accept!
But I haven't got used to hearing it yet. I have
to cross that bridge when I get to it.
There's controversy about how Paramount
is pushing you for Best Supporting Actress,
but Effie is the center of the story. Do you
feel you should’ve been pushed as Best
Actress?
I don't know... I don't really count the minutes
and seconds we're on the screen to determine
who should be lead. Again, I'm just grateful to
be part of the project.
Was this role a tribute to any of the bigvoiced women who came before you?
In researching Effie, the first thing that came
to mind was Aretha Franklin. I feel like the
idea for this voice came from Aretha, and
when Jennifer Holliday got a hold of it she
took it to a whole other place. But I
patterned and dedicated each
of the songs to my favorite
female artists. “Move,”
if you listen to it, is
Aretha style and has
an Aretha feel. I used
some of the licks
she
would
throw into a
song.
“I'm
Changing,”
it's Jennifer
H o l l i d a y.
And
“One
Night Only” is
my dedication to
Whitney.
Have more film
offers been coming
in yet?
Yes, the scripts have been coming in. But I'm taking my time to
make the next move. I want to make the
right decision.
Is it movies for you next, or is it the stage?
Next for me is recording my album, and
then after that I want to do more movies.
Later down the line I would love to do
theater.
What kind of music is the album
going to be?
I don't know. I want to go mainstream. I don't believe in limiting
myself. We haven't had that creative meeting yet to determine
what direction I'm going to
go in, but I definitely want
it to be something that
everyone can like.
You're making your big screen debut against
some very talented actors. What does someone like Danny Glover or Jamie Foxx tell
you? What sort of hints or advice do they
give?
With Eddie and Danny, I just pretty much sat
back and watched them, and watched how
they worked. I took from Danny how to build
a character. When we would read through the
script, the first time I read was with Jamie,
and he was very calm. Then I read with
Beyonce, and she was just as calm. Then I
read with Danny and he was very intense and
dramatic and beating the table and hopping
around the room, and I was like, “Please tell
me I don't have to do that!” And then watching Eddie go in and out of character- to sit
here and see him just leave the room and have
James “Thunder” Early come across stage.
The advice I got came more from Beyoncé
and Jamie. Beyoncé told me to make sure you
be smart and make the right decisions and
take your time with things. Jamie told me to
always make sure you give 100%. One time
the camera was over there [gestures far away]
and I was like, “Do I really have to put it
out?” He said, “You always give 100%.
Whether the camera is across the room, across
the street or in your face, you always give it
your all.” –B. Love
PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Music
Album Reviews
by B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Davidson, John Moore, Tom DeFreytas & Andrea Hatter
The Dean’s List
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS- GOODNIGHT (SelfReleased)
Spreading creative
wings.
BL On his second
self-produced CD,
this Pennsylvaniabased singer-songwriter continues to
trod an Iron & Wineinfluenced musical
path, with the familiar
formula of deeply personal lyrics and hushed
vocals layered over largely acoustic backdrops.
But this time around he seems intent on experimenting with more lush sonic textures, augmenting his guitar-based compositions with everything
from banjo and bouzouki to strings, woodwinds
and brass. The result is a more complex sound
that comes across like a mellower Damien Rice
or a folksier Sufjan Stevens, and simply begs for
inclusion on the soundtrack to some future Zack
Braff project.
“It's Not True” opens the album with a finger-picked acoustic guitar groove, gradually
building up layers of reverberating background
vocals and static-laden programmed beats to create a dream-like sound that evokes images of
ever-shifting clouds framing a sun-lit sky.
“Everything Has Changed” uses echoing piano
accents to lend a haunting quality to Fitzsimmons'
evocative style of storytelling. The minimalist
“Leave Me By Myself,” a chilling tale of loneliness and regret, initially eschews guitar altogether
for a stripped-down piano groove that slowly
builds into a thing of melancholy beauty that
sounds like something Jon Brion might have produced.
Perhaps the most welcome development on
Goodnight is the way Fitzsimmons appears to be
progressing as a songwriter and producer, capably moving away from his stripped-down folk
roots to craft a song like “Please Don't Go,”
whose danceable beats wouldn't sound out of
place on a Depeche Mode or Bjork album. Occasionally there's a bit of an everything-and-thekitchen-sink aesthetic at work here (the layered
guitars, banjos, melodica, clarinet and keyboards
on “Hold On With My Open Hands” veer dangerously close to drowning in reverberating cacophony), but for a self-produced release it's pretty
damn remarkable. And with his recent inclusion
on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, hopefully
some indie label will snatch this prize prospect
from the jaws of obscurity and give him a budget
so he can use a name producer (Brion, perhaps?)
next time.
THE EARLY YEARS- SELF-TITLED (Beggars Banquet)
Epic space rock with a dose of thunder.
JD There was a time
when U2 reached
beyond their means,
beyond their simple
guitar arpeggios and
majestic
lyrics
towards something
decidedly modern.
The
late
‘90s
(Zooropa and Pop, to
be precise) showed a band floundering in order to
stay relevant, proving that even the biggest band
in the world has limitations. And sometimes
searching for your limits creates the best art.
The Early Years travel long and wide on their
debut, and in the process discover great songwriting prowess without turning inside-out. The band
cleverly creates layered, atmospheric, moody
rock songs that ooze with the Velvet Underground's curiosity and pair it with the simple,
space-aware grandeur of U2. If egos hadn't
destroyed the Verve and drugs distracted Spiritualized, maybe they'd have the succinct currency
of The Early Years. But probably not.
PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
The band doesn't have a cultural touchstone
or obvious hit such as “Bittersweet Symphony”
lying in wait, which will doom this album to the
fringes of the pop market instead of making a
play for something like a TV show soundtrack.
What it does have is a suite of ten gems with no
spot to fast-forward– an album in the truest sense,
and one that will end up on a lot of year-end lists.
SEAN PRICE- JESUS PRICE SUPASTAR (Duck Down)
Boot Camp sick!
DM Remember Sean
Price? As one-half of
the uproarious Heltah
Skeltah, Price helped
put New York's Timberland footprint on
hip-hop in the ‘90s.
Yeah, we know, it's
2007. But listening to
the ambitiously-titled
Jesus Price Supastar, the rap vet clearly hasn't lost
a boot step.
From the door, Price's words are aggressive
and his beats are agitated, like they've been bottled up, impatiently waiting for their release. The
producers who bless SP with the most heat are
9th Wonder and Khryss. The two combine for
eight smoldering tracks (Heltah Skeltah fans will
love the 9th-concocted reunion track, “P-Body”),
and every one of them is some splendid mesh of
soul and that braggadocious temperament that
made Price's crew, the Boot Camp Click, so popular. On the Khryss masterpiece, “One,” Sean is
at his self-assured best. With the help of many
BCC members, Sadat X and Little Brother's
Phonte, Jesus Price Supastar easily proves the
best hip-hop offering of the year thus far.
MATT & KIM- SELF-TITLED (Iheartcomix)
Cute indie couple rocks out.
TD You know that
cutesy couple you're
friends with? The
ones who always
seem to be up to productive, relationshipenhancing activities
drenched with loving
adoration that makes
random passers-by
throw up just a little in their mouth? Now imagine that couple decided to form a band, just to
have some fun and play around with drums and
synths. Throw all these hypothetical elements
together in the world of reality and you have Matt
& Kim.
Another product of NYC’s ever-growing
indie scene, Matt & Kim's self-titled debut has a
fun, effervescent style which bubbles over on
each track. The album opens with infectious electro-pop that conjures images of a robot gypsy circus with electronic sounds which feel full of
innocent entertainment. They may only be a duo,
but their heavy use of synth noises easily masks
the band's minimalist style.
In the same way hanging out with the aforementioned cutesy couple is fun and entertaining
so long as you maintain short bursts of exposure,
Matt & Kim's album is comprised of quick-paced,
upbeat songs which stay sprightly after multiple
listens. The songs are fairly simple, but entertaining. The repetitive choruses are catchy, while
always stopping short of annoying monotony.
This probably explains why the longest song only
clocks in at 3 minutes, 42 seconds.
While Matt & Kim relies solely on drums
and electronic sounds, the band surprisingly
avoids an artificial feeling. The rhythms are created and maintained by the drum beat and Matt's
singing voice, which subtly fluctuates up and
down like an ocean wave. The songs are fast and
fun, which imbues them with a feeling of authentic enjoyment from the duo.
CALLA- STRENGTH IN NUMBERS (Beggars Banquet)
Worn out... and down.
JD Calla has never
been a happy band.
Brooding and foreboding, the band's
affinity for minor
keys and washout
bass borrows heavily
from goth and even
emo. While recent
years have seen this
New York act move the tempo out of Low territory, their best efforts tend to smolder and add
layers of dysfunctional guitar until epiphany
erupts. Making such deflated music has always
limited Calla's appeal.
Strength In Numbers finds Calla working the
same corner of the yard, to predictable effect:
Aurelio Valle is still singing with his hushed, onthe-verge-of-breaking-down voice and ushering
in tales of embittered revenge. The guitars ring
and chime and build and die like they did on
2005's Collisions. Drums continue to be an afterthought, used only on a few songs. The Interpol
comparisons are probably gone forever, but not
the ones to Joy Division.
Because the music is ultimately sparse, the
vocals and guitar lines carry most of the songwriting weight. The result is an evenly emotional
album that clamors for either variety or inspiration. By the time “Dancers In the Dust” closes
out Strength In Numbers with a winsome melody
and gauzy white noise, the train of interesting
ideas has already left the station. (C+)
DUSTIN KENSRUE- PLEASE COME HOME (Equal
Vision) & JESSE MALIN- GLITTER IN THE GUTTER
(Adeline)
Former frontmen try solo careers.
JM I'll be the first to admit that I never really
understood the hype around post-hardcore rockers Thrice. They had a decent track or two over
the years, but I'm at a loss as to why rock critics
stumbled over each other to praise the group. It's
surprising, then, to be so impressed with the first
solo release by Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue.
Stepped heavily in the folk and alt-country of
bands like Wilco and the Old 97's, Please Come
Home is eight solid tracks of acoustic rock with
the occasional backing harmonica. Without having to compete with the distortion-heavy guitars
of his day job, Kensrue's voice is remarkable.
The slow flow of songs like “Pistol” and his
heartfelt delivery on a track like “Please Come
Home” are enough to give Ryan Adams notice
that his role of the indie nation’s favorite troubled
troubadour might soon be in jeopardy.
Like Kensrue, Jesse Malin– former frontman
for glam-rockers D Generation– is using a solo
record to distance himself from his musical past.
Malin's results are a bit mixed, however. He's
managed to excise just about all traces of glam
from Glitter in the Gutter, in favor of a rustic altrock sound. The album was produced by Ryan
Adams, and the two pooled together their contacts to get help from Bruce Springsteen, Jakob
Dylan, the Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett and
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.
Despite the crowded studio, the record still feels
underwhelming. There are only a handful of
standout tracks (including a brave take on The
Replacements’ “Bastards of Young” that oddly
sounds like Malin's channeling Neil Young), but
these songs are few and far between. Kensrue
(A-); Malin (C+)
THE SHINS- WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY (SubPop)
This band could be your indie life.
JD Natalie Portman's character in the movie
Garden State famously declared that a Shins song
could “change your life” a few years ago, but
we’ve been preaching that gospel since the band's
debut album, 2001's Oh, Inverted World. The
Shins are a great pop act whose songs easily resonate, both in melody and in lyric, to even the
most jaded music geek. But as they move from
the underground to
the
overground
(remember, this is a
band who sold a song
to McDonald's to be
used in a commercial), can they live up
to the hype... or our
expectations?
By now, we're accustomed to the accessible
melodies, ace harmonies and ping-pong vocals of
singer James Mercer. We're delighted by his
weary lyrics and cynical details of unclaimed
love. We're drawn to the nooks and crannies
where the Shins have hidden details like treasures
for the patient to discover. We even ignore the
rhythms that occasionally try too hard. We see
the Shins on the edge of national consciousness,
not in Garden State but somehow in a blockbuster that will make even our parents know their
songs.
But we know the truth after a few listens: We
wish Wincing the Night Away was better. We
like the songs okay– they're more accomplished
than before, just as we knew they would be– and
we won't get sick of them like we would if they
were on the radio all the time. And yet we can't
think of any songs that will change your life,
either. (A-)
BAYSIDE- THE WALKING WOUNDED (Victory)
Triumphant returns.
JM The guys in
Bayside would’ve
been forgiven if
they’d decided to
clock out after a tragic 2005 van accident
that killed their
drummer and put
their bassist in the
hospital for months.
Amazingly, guitarist
Jack O'Shea and singer Anthony Raneri came
back a week later to join their aborted tour, playing as an acoustic duo.
Less than 18 months later, the band is back
with a new release, the aptly-titled Walking
Wounded. Produced by Shep Goodman and
Kenny Gioia– a duo known more for guiding pop
stars like Mandy Moore than tattooed punks like
Bayside– the dozen tracks here are among the
group’s best to date. From the opening title
track, complete with brass section, to the subtle
strings on “Dear Your Holiness,” the band still
has a steady hard-rock foundation. But it's willing
to experiment a bit with its sound, which is a
refreshing distinction from many in the genre.
Sounding like the second coming of the
Smoking Popes (another tragically underrated
band that markets in dark, literate pop songs),
Walking Wounded represents the resurrection of
a decent band that has moved their sound from
good to great. (A-)
MIHO HATORI- ECDYSIS (Speedstar International)
Musically diverse.
AH Miho Hitori is
the ex-frontwoman
for Cibo Matto, the
voice of Noodle from
Gorillaz, and also
collaborated with the
Beastie Boys. The
word ecdysis is the
moulting of the
cuticula in arthropods and related groups. Thus, Hatori's album
title is her way of saying that she's growing as a
performer and as a person... shedding her skin, if
you will.
This album, her first solo effort, was released
in Japan in 2005, but didn't make it to America
until 2006. It's a nice transition from the food
songs of her former group, allowing us to see a
romantic side that wasn't obvious before. In “In
Your Arms,” she sings to her lover about being
so enamored with them that she loses sight of
who and where she is whenever they hold her. In
“Walking City,” she tells a poetic story about
insects and how they relate to human beings.
You might think she's what Bjork would sound
like, if Bjork was Japanese.
The most resonant piece, “A Song for Kids,”
is a whimsical aria sung completely in Japanese.
While I have no earthly idea what she's talking
Music
about, the music is strong and percussion-heavy,
and the melody is filled in with electronic bass.
Honestly, you don't need to understand her to
enjoy it. “Barracuda,” on thte other hand, is an
attempt at the Bossa Nova style that falls a little
short of its mark.
All in all, if you were a fan of her efforts
with Cibo Matto and Handsome Boy Modeling
School, you shouldn't be disappointed. It's a
solid piece for Hatori fans. (B)
ULTRAMAGNETIC MC'S- THE BEST KEPT SECRET
(Dmaft Records)
Disappointing returns.
BL It's been 14 long
years since Ultramagnetic MC's last
studio album, so the
title of their latest
effort isn't a complete misnomer. In
the here-today-gonetomorrow world of
hip-hop,
where
trends come and go quicker than a premature
ejaculator visiting a $20 crack whore, Kool Keith
and Co. seem like the genre's Rip Van Winkles.
But for hardcore hip-hop heads, Ultramag's
influential legacy is no secret at all. Emerging
from the Boogie Down Bronx in the mid-'80s,
the group never quite achieved the international
acclaim of their peers. But they are widely recognized for several hip-hop firsts: They were the
first group to employ a sampler as an instrument,
the first to feature extensive use of live instrumentation and the first to prominently feature a
former psychiatric patient (Keith). The group
released one classic, 1988's Critical Beatdown,
and a couple of poorly received follow-ups
before disbanding to pursue solo projects.
In truth, they'd probably remain largely forgotten were it not for the fact that Kool Keith is
one seriously fucked-up dude, rapping about
everything from twisted gynecologists and pornobsessed perverts to alien invasion conspiracy
theories on projects like Dr. Octagon and Mr.
Nogatco. An eccentric icon on the underground
scene, it's quite likely Keith's clout that scored
the group a new record deal, as it's difficult to
imagine thousands of Ultramag fans clamoring
to hear The Best Kept Secret.
As for those that are? Suffice it to say that
the group's 2007 version is more likely to receive
a critical beatdown than they are to match the
singular vision of their groundbreaking debut. In
truth, the album almost sounds more like Keith's
uneven solo work, with production that could
easily be mistaken for that of Kutmaster Kurt.
“The Plaques” opens the album on a promising
note, with a simple boom-bap beat backing Keith
and Ced Gee's sharp lyrical attacks on the current state of the game. But too many tracks here
sound more like the kind of underdeveloped,
oversexed shit Keith could do in his sleep.
Which only makes tracks like “Mechanism Nice
(Born Twice),” “Nottz,” “War” and “Vibrato”which recall the bizarre brilliance of the band's
glory days- all the more frustrating. These tracks
prove that Ultramagnetic MC's still have greatness in them, but the reality is that The Best Kept
Secret is not a great album. (C-)
AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEADSO DIVIDED (Interscope)
The second coming.
JD …Trail of Dead
has never given
much of a shit what
you think. They
started out, after all,
with an unbearably
long band name
either built on irony
or brass balls. Their
legend ascended
with innumerable tales of equipment destruction,
onstage fighting and a perfect 10 rating on Pitchfork for 2002's Source Tag and Codes. Their
songs are pompus, loud and bellicose, with a
penchant for overwrought drama. If a band can
be measured by its detractors, then you will surely know this one by its trail of them.
Maybe the haters had a point, given that
2005's iffy, prog-fueled Worlds Apart put the
band on life support. But So Divided presents
itself as a comeback of sorts, or at least a retreat
to snappier songwriting. “Stand In Silence” huffs
and puffs with the best of the catalogue, complete with a minute-long respite of regal
pageantry between hellfire choruses. The title
track rushes forward and then staggers to the finish line with a burst of adrenaline and epic
vocals, just like the Trail of Dead you've always
loved. Even the cover of Guided By Voices'
“Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory”
kind of works.
An otherwise solid album is broken up by
several indulgences. For example, the inane intro
track consists of nearly two minutes of background chatter– a rock cliché that was already
weak several albums ago. The same can be said
for the superfluous “Segue.” The spoken word
stuff that comes near the end of So Divided
doesn't empower “Sunken Dreams” all that
much, either. But if you've made it that far,
you're probably a fan and are just happy they
didn't make Worlds Apart, Volume II. (B+)
BROTHER ALI- THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH
(Rhymesayers)
The Midwest shows off its rapping chops.
DW The Rhymesayers camp is filled
with MCs (Eyedea,
Atmosphere’s Slug
and MF Doom, to
name three) who'll
likely never meet a
platinum plaque, but
at the same time will
never be referred to
as sounding wack, either. College kids love ‘em.
Backpackers appreciate ‘em. Most of the label's
releases are solid, well-written projects that
occasionally land on the experimental side.
Brother Ali's second release, The Undisputed
Truth, is more on the lines of straight-up hiphop, yet it still has its own individual sound.
Some of Ali’s draw lies in his voice. (Think:
Eminem when he isn't being silly.) The other
gravitating thing about the Minnesotan is his
lyrical content. As a young man who's dealt with
physical differences (albinism) and emotional
struggles (divorce, single fatherhood), Ali's
diary-opening Truth would be worth a turn in the
CD player even if the polished beats weren't as
prevalent as they are. The island-swaying “Freedom Ain't Free” and unflinching “Letter From
The Government” shine brightest. But there are
several spots here in which Brother Ali shows
exactly why the underground loves him, and
why the Rhymesayers family wouldn't be the
same without him. (B+)
JESSE SYKES & THE SWEET HEREAFTER- LIKE, LOVE,
LUST & THE OPEN HALLS OF THE SOUL (Barsuk)
No longer just a country gal.
JD Jesse Sykes got
a leg up on the competition– it's not a
rarity anymore for a
sultry female voice
to be singing alternative country– when
she added former
Whiskeytown mate
Phil Wandscher to
her band nearly a decade ago. But her past couple of albums seemed focused on making her the
next Neko Case. It was only a matter of time
before Wandscher's guitar got to push the tempo
and the genre forward, and like, love, lust & the
open halls of the soul appears to be it.
Naturally, Sykes isn't going to abandon her
voice entirely. A mix of Lucinda Williams and
Cat Power, she starts off the album with some
smoldering torches before picking up the pace
with “You Might Walk Away.” Her eccentric
musings continue through “Hard Not To
Believe” and “Aftermath” before Wandscher's
amiable lines once again pick up on “I Like the
Sound” and the waltz on “Morning It Comes.”
Sykes’ unique vocals command attention and
purpose, and it's up to the band to make the most
of them.
Still, her ghostly phrasing and quavering lilt
remain her signature. Sykes doesn't have the
homespun charm of a chart star, or even a critical
favorite. Her ace in the whole is her eccentricity,
a sort of Victoria Williams-like distinction that
both pegs her and limits her in the same move.
Like, love, lust & the open halls of the soul
makes the case that Sykes is more well-rounded
than previously thought. (B)
THE TAKE ACTION TOUR
PUNK BANDS UNITE FOR A CHARITABLE CAUSE.
F
or years, Hopeless Records spin-off Subcity has donated a portion of proceeds
from every CD sold to charities. Seven
years ago, founder Louis Posen decided to road
test the concept with the Take Action Tour.
The multi-band bill has grown in popularity over the years, drawing in some of punk
and emo's biggest names, including Matchbook Romance, The Plain White T's,
Hawthorn Heights and Sugarcult. In less than a
decade, the tour has gone from a club curiosity
to a must-see show. The accompanying compilation Subcity puts out around this time
every year has grown as well, now boasting
over 50 bands, spread out over two CDs and a
DVD.
Launching its sixth jaunt this month
(there was a one-year break in 2000), the latest
version of the Take Action Tour is headlined
by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Emery, Kaddisfly, Scary Kids Scaring Kids and A Static
Lullaby. Posen recentlty took a few minutes to
talk to us about the tour's evolution.
How did the Take Action Tour get started?
Hopeless and Subcity Records, our record
labels, started the tour in 1999 as a way to take
the Subcity concept of raising funds and
awareness of non-profit organizations to the
road. Our idea behind Take Action was to create a better world, one voice and one action at
a time by bringing it to the fans directly. And
our main mission is to empower people to
know that their activism and their work in their
community makes a difference.
A lot of people associate the Take Action
Tour with the National Hopeline Network (a
suicide hotline). Is that the main focus of the
tour, or just one of the non-profits that benefits from the tour?
It’s part of the different charitable aspects that
Take Action and Subcity are involved with, but
it is the primary benefiting charity of the Take
Action Tour.
You've got a lot of bands on the tour, so how
exactly is the money raised? Is it through
ticket sales or the tour CD that's sold... the
merchandising?
There are several different ways that we are
raising money for the charities First is 10 percent of the gross door receipts go to the Kristen
Brooks Hope Center that runs the (Hopeline
Network) hotline. The second is the Take
Action Vol. 6 compilation (album). Five percent of the suggested retail list price will be
donated to Kristen Brooks Hope Center,
regardless of its profitability. And we then
have other fundraising efforts, like we are
doing a charity t-shirt with Red Jumpsuit
Apparatus that will be sold at Hot Topic and
on the road, and $2 of the sale of each shirt
will go to the Kristen Brooks Hope Center.
Was it difficult the first year to get the bands
on board?
It actually was, and that's why two-thirds of the
bands that year were from our label. Different
shows had different bands, but The Weakerthans, Dillinger Four, Fifteen and Scared of
Chaka were all bands from our label that did
the tour. Then there were a few other bands
that joined in on different parts of the tour.
Now that the tour is much better known, I
assume it's easier to get bands involved?
It is. We're fortunate that now people know its
coming around each year and we get a lot of
requests, starting now, for next year's tour and
for next year's compilation. It's always challenging to get the headliner, but there's definitely a lot of bands in the supporting slot area
that are looking forward to participating in it.
A lot of bands feel connected to what the tour
is about and that's great. We're always looking
for that along with bands that can fill up the
room and raise as much awareness for us as
possible.
With the Federal government making substantial cuts to funding of suicide hotlines, do
you think there's a need, now more than ever,
for tours like Take Action that raise money
for these non-profits?
I think there's always a need for this tour, as
long as there are 13 12-to-24 year olds committing suicide every day in this country.
That's a ridiculous number of people losing
their life that shouldn't have to. Whether it's
needed more now because of what the federal
government is or is not doing, I'm not sure.
But I'm feeling very optimistic with the new
Congress that things are going to get passed
that were bottlenecked in the past, and more
funds will hopefully get allocated to suicide
prevention.
How have you seen the tour evolve?
It's gone in a lot of different directions. The
nice part is it keeps growing. We keep getting
more and more interest from the bands and
more interest from the other partners in the
industry, the sponsors and things, and the fans
seem to love it. It's so weird to hear things like
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, when they
signed up this year they said, “Oh we've been
going to Take Action since we were kids.”
That just amazed me. Now it's becoming a staple part of a young person's upbringing to go
every year and to be a part of it. That's a great
feeling. –John B. Moore
PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Vidiots
This month’s DVD
& VHS releases
HALF NELSON- By day, Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a passionate history teacher at an inner-city junior high school. By night, he's a clubhopping crack addict. His life is irrevocably altered when his secret
is discovered by one of his students (Shareeka Epps), with whom he
forms an unlikely friendship. As downbeat as writer/director Ryan
Flick's film is, its message is ultimately a hopeful one. Gosling and
Epps deliver award-worthy performances, making this gritty, compelling indie one of the most riveting films of 2006. (A-) -B. Love
HOLLYWOODLAND- You can understand attention-starved Toni Mannix
(Diane Lane), wife of MGM VP Eddie Mannix, (Bob Hoskins),
approaching George Reeves (Ben Affleck) at a party. In return for the
actor’s affections, Mannix finds him work as TV's Superman. But he
ultimately falls into a depression some say led to his 1959 suicide.
Others feel his death was foul play. But who’d want the Man of Steel
dead? More folks than you'd think. Director Allen Coultersets up the
potentials in this noir-ish whodunit, with Louis Simo (Adrien Brody)
the detective hired to dig up the truth. It's insinuated who Simo feels
pulled the trigger, but the film suggests Hollywood is the most
heinous offender. (B-) -DeMarco Williams
MAN OF THE YEAR- With writer/director Barry Levinson's latest film,
you get Robin Williams in manic mode as Tom Dobbs, a Jon Stewartlike talk show host who becomes President. Though off to an entertaining start with the promise of sharp satire, the movie takes an
abrupt turn toward a thriller early on, and never gets back on track.
The movie makes good use of Lewis Black and Christopher Walken,
but you can't help wonder how good it could’ve been if they’d followed through on the promise of smart political satire and if Williams
wasn't distracting with his ad libs. (C+) -John Moore
SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS- Todd Phillips’ latest film could very easily
have turned into a dud, but with smart writing and great casting, he
made School for Scoundrels one of the best comedies released last
year. Billie Bob Thornton is fantastic as Dr. P, a teacher who uses
tough love to turn weak doormats into dangerous chick magnets. Jon
Heder plays one of his top pupils, a meter maid with a crush on his
neighbor, showing promise that he can leave Napolean Dynamite
behind. Though the jokes are sophomoric at times, the movie has
* * * PICKS OF THE MONTH * * *
BABEL- Like last year’s surprise Best
Picture Oscar-winner, Crash, director
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s latest film
follows numerous disparate storylines
that ultimately intersect (much like his
previous films, 21 Grams and Amores
Perros). But where Paul Haggis’ film
was a fairly pedestrian meditation on race
relations, Babel’s multicultural tales
tackle tough topics ranging from cultural
differences and the pain of personal loss
to the interconnectedness of humanity
and the often cruel randomness of fate. Brad Pitt and Cate
Blanchett headline as a distant American couple brought
together by tragedy, but the stories about a family of Moroccan
shepherds, a nanny heading to her son’s wedding in her native
Mexico and a troubled deaf Tokyo teen (excellent Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi) are equally potent. As many critics have
noted, the film is far from perfect– Iñárritu’s penchant for nonlinear storytelling at times proves frustratingly confusing,
while the upbeat ending feels somewhat forced– but it’s still
remarkably compelling filmmaking from a master of the craft.
–B. Love
THE DEPARTED- This Bill Monahanpenned, Martin Scorsese-directed take on
the 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal
Affairs reimagines the cop drama set
among the Irish mob-run streets of South
Boston. Matt Damon's Colin Sullivan
becomes a part of this criminal underworld at an early age, but never breaks
from it... not even after joining the police
academy. Leonardo DiCaprio's Billy
Costigan is part of the same graduating
class, only his transcripts are less exemplary. So when the two interview with their new superiors
(Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg), they're sent on different
routes: Sullivan's fast-tracked up the force's ladder; Costigan is
offered a deep undercover assignment infiltrating gangster
Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) criminal outfit. But the two
don't know each other's identities, meaning the whole time the
guys are wearing their façades, they're also trying to figure out
who's tipping the other side off. This movie plays out a lil' like
Heat, with some Face-Off and Hard Boiled tossed in for good
measure, andshould finally earn Scorsese the Best Director
honors he’s deserved for decades. -DeMarco Williams
enough sharp, dark humor filling out the scenes to convert even the
highbrow comedy crowd. (B+) -John Moore
THE PRESTIGE- Director Christopher Nolan’s latest follows the relationship between magicians Rupert Angier and Alfred Borden, whose
friendship dissolves when Borden accidentally kills Angier's wife
during a show. Unfortunately, this break-up between friends occurs
too early in the film and all the tragedy and fighting that follows loses
some edge. Even playing characters as despicable as these, Hugh
Jackman and Christian Bale manage to color their performances and
imbue these men with sympathy. “Are you watching closely?” is the
first line of the film. To truly enjoy it, you'll have to remember that
opening bit of rhetoric and not fall into the artful distraction of the
strong performances and skillful direction. (B+) -Matt Goldberg
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS- With an ailing marriage and delusions of
being a literary great, Deirdre Burroughs (Annette Bening) seeks the
help of unconventional shrink, Dr. Finch (Brian Cox). Norman
Burroughs (Alec Baldwin) is a pessimistic drunk. After Norman
leaves, Deirdre follows Dr. Finch's advice to leave their son Augusten
(Jospeh Cross) with him while she goes through extensive treatment.
Left in the care of dog kibble-eating Mrs. Finch (Jill Clayburgh),
Augusten finds that dysfunction has many levels at the Finch residence, from Bible-toting Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow) to touchy-feely
adopted son Neil (Joseph Fiennes). There are too many characters
and not enough time to explore each one, which makes it seems like
a bunch of scenes glued together, but the mostly true story will leave
you grateful for your childhood. (C+) –Zena Scott
STRANGER THAN FICTION- Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) brushes his teeth
and a counter appears on the screen to go along with the dry, matterof-fact tone of the narrator, Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson). They
both follow Harold as he catches the bus, does calculations in his
head and fills out forms at his dreary job as an IRS auditor. Director
Marc Forster (Finding Neverland) grabs us from the very beginning
and sets the film as offbeat and witty, with just a pinch of melancholy.
Once Harold begins to hear the narration, it terrifies him by letting
him know that he will die soon, pushing him to seek guidance from a
literary professor (Dustin Hoffman) and to better his life, most
notably by starting a romantic relationship with Ana, a free-spirit
baker he's auditing (Maggie Gyllenhaal). What's strange about
Stranger Than Fiction is that, as the film progresses, it takes its most
unique feature– the interaction between narrator and main character–
and puts it aside to focus on the plot and character interactions. And
without that special element, the film becomes more of the sort of
“Live Your Life Like You Were Dying” motivational movie we've
seen hundreds of times before. In the end, this a witty and charming
rental, but not quite the quotable classic hinted at by the whimsical
introduction. (B) -Matt Goldberg
K
atherine Paterson's Bridge to
Terabithia has been one of the most
popular young adult novels for over 20
years now, so it's only natural that it should be
adapted to film, right? Not exactly.
“It actually took 17 years to make!” says
David Paterson, son of the author. Published in
1977, Bridge to Terabithia won the Newberry
Medal in 1978. Taking on issues ranging from
bullies at school to tragic death, the book tells
a timeless tale of undying friendship and
imagination. Loosely based on real events, the
story has a universal appeal to children and
adults.
After an advance screening of the film, I
got a chance to sit down with director Gabor
Csupo, producer David Paterson and actors
AnnaSophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson to discuss the film's evolution from page to film.
Mr. Paterson, tell us about what bringing
Bridge to Terabithia to film means to you?
DP: As you already may know, my mother,
Katherine Paterson, wrote the book. But what
you may not know is that she wrote it for me.
When I was about 8, my best friend Lisa was
tragically killed by lighting, and my mother's
way of aiding me through the process was by
writing Bridge to Terabithia. She didn't want
to publish it without my approval, go figure.
She wanted an 8-year olds opinion!
Eight-year-olds can be brutally honest
though. What did you say about the book?
DP: My mother said that as soon as I finished
the book, I had one word for it– “tough.” I also
had one request, and that was for the dedication page to pay respect to Lisa.
Why did it take 17 years to get this film made,
and are you satisfied with the result?
DP: Well, I'm Scottish Presbyterian, so I can
find something wrong with almost anything,
but with this I absolutely love it. It took 17
years because it was and is such a precious
story to me and my family, and we wanted it
done right. My mother is happy with the adapPG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
BRINGING A KID-LIT CLASSIC TO LIFE
tation, and that's all that really matters.
Since so many readers of the book had imagined how this world looked, how did the film’s
Terabithia take form?
DP: The funniest thing is that, in the book,
Terabithia only takes up about 11 pages! I get
people from all over who specifically remember those pages, and they come up with the
most vivid memories when, in fact, there is no
physical description of it. This area was actually my mother's biggest concern because to
date there hadn't been a detailed description.
She had left that up to the individual reader.
We didn't want a bunch of people saying,
“Hey, I don't remember that from the book,” so
we made Terabithia look like the enchanted
kingdom that Leslie and Jesse imagined. The
detailed look was from there imagination.
Mr. Csupo, this is your live-action animation
debut. How was it different from working on
The Simpsons? Was there anything challenging in the process?
GC: Yes, this is my live-action debut! Well,
first off I 'm working with real people. Doing
strictly animation, there are no directions to
give or real emotions, versus this project,
where there was loads of human emotion and
improvisation. I encouraged the actors to
improvise and focus on conveying natural
emotion, and they did it beautifully. I honestly
thought the entire project would be challenging, but it turned out to be relatively easy.
DP: The child actors were so great that I was
hoping the adult actors could keep up! As far
as the process of the movie, we shot in New
Zealand and it took about 60 days to shoot,
about 10 weeks for director's cuts and a few
months in post-production. So it went very
smoothly.
AnnaSophia and Josh, tell me a little about
your process on getting involved with the film
and playing your characters?
AR: Well, I initially wrote Mr. Csupo a long
letter telling him that this was the role for me.
As soon as I heard the movie was gonna be
made, I jumped at the chance. I was familiar
with the book, and it is still one of my
favorites. I felt that the story was worth telling
because bad things do happen in life and children are equally affected. Playing Leslie was a
pleasure for me. I learned so many things from
her. Although she's picked on and very different from the others at her school, she accepts
everyone for who they are. The only thing that
was challenging was that Leslie is always so
happy and upbeat. I mean, who is really that
happy all the time?
JH: For me, since I hadn't read the book previously, when I heard about the part I went and
got it. From page one, I was hooked.
AnnaSophia had a little bit of an easier process
than me! (Chuckling) I went through a long,
grueling audition process with numerous
reads, but it all worked out because here we
are today! As far as the character, Jesse, I
learned a lot for him, mainly to appreciate my
family. His family is very hardworking and
has little time for him, and he's the only boy
with 4 sisters! I really enjoyed being Jesse
because we have both similarities. Although
we're both artists, we come from different
backgrounds, and that challenged me to get
into character.
Was there one thing you wanted your audience to take away from this movie?
JH: I would be happy if the adults could walk
away and reflect on their past relationships
and the importance of friendships throughout
their lives. In life it really doesn't matter if
you're rich or poor, because if you don't have
friends then you don't have anything.
AR: I agree with Josh, but I would just add
that I would encourage everyone to use their
imagination more, basically to keep their
minds wide open. –Zena Scott
Book Reviews
Technology
Podcasts
A closer look at the popular technology
BY RAV MANSFIELD
odcasts are everywhere. From NPR to
ESPN, your favorite personalities are
now reaching out to the public using this
great internet technology. What began as a
grass roots way for internet voices to reach a
large audience has now morphed into a new
type of media outlet.
A podcast is a media file that is distributed
by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the
Internet using syndication feeds, for playback
on mobile devices and
personal computers.
Like 'radio', it can
mean both the content
and the method of syndication. The latter may
also be termed podcasting. The host or author
of a podcast is often
called a podcaster.
The term "podcast" is
derived from Apple's
portable music player,
the iPod. However, known synonyms for the
word pod are capsule, case, container, hull,
husk, shell, and vessel. A pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod correctly describes
the process of podcasting.
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer
direct download or streaming of their content,
a podcast is distinguished from other digital
audio formats by its ability to be downloaded
automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
The concept of podcasting was suggested as
early as 2000 and its technical components
were available by 2001, then implemented in
the program Radio Userland. In 2003 regular
podcasts started showing up on well-known
Web sites and software support spread.
The publish/subscribe model of netcasting is
a version of push technology, in that the
information provider chooses which files to
offer in a feed and the subscriber chooses
among available feed channels. While the
user is not "pulling" individual files from the
Web, there is a strong "pull" aspect in that the
receiver is free to subscribe to (or unsubscribe
from) a vast array of channels. Earlier
Internet "push" services (e.g., PointCast)
allowed a much more limited selection of
content.
Netcasting is an automatic mechanism
whereby multimedia computer files are transferred from a server to a client, which pulls
down XML files containing the Internet
addresses of the media files. In general, these
files contain audio or video, but also could be
images, text, PDF, or any file type.
The content provider begins by making a
file (for example, an MP3 audio file) available on the Internet. This is usually done by
posting the file on a publicly available web-
P
server; however, BitTorrent trackers also have
been used, and it is not technically necessary
that the file be publicly accessible. The only
requirement is that the file be accessible
through some known URI (a general-purpose
Internet address). This file is often referred to
as one episode of a netcast.
The content provider then acknowledges the
existence of that file by referencing it in
another file known as the feed. The feed is a
list of the URLs by which episodes of the
show may be accessed.
This list is usually
published in RSS format (although Atom
can also be used),
which provides other
information, such as
publish date, titles, and
accompanying text
descriptions of the
series and each of its
episodes.
The feed may contain
entries for all episodes
in the series, but is typically limited to a short
list of the most recent episodes, as is the case
with many news feeds. Standard netcasts consist of a feed from one author. More recently
multiple authors have been able to contribute
episodes to a single netcast feed using concepts such as public netcasting and social netcasting.
The content provider posts the feed on a
webserver. The location at which the feed is
posted is expected to be permanent. This
location is known as the feed URI (or, perhaps more often, feed URL). The content
provider makes this feed URI known to the
intended audience.
A netcast specific aggregator is usually an
always-on program which starts when the
computer is started and runs in the background. They work exactly like any newsreader someone would use to manage other
web subscriptions. If the feed data has substantively changed from when it was previously checked (or if the feed was just added
to the application's list), the program determines the location of the most recent item and
automatically downloads it to the user's computer.
Interestingly, it is estimated that perhaps
only 20% of netcasts are actually consumed
on portable media players; 80% are consumed
on the PC onto which they are downloaded,
or deleted from the PC without being listened
to. Some applications, such as iTunes, also
automatically make the newly downloaded
episodes available to a user's portable media
player.
The downloaded episodes can then be
played, replayed, or archived as with any
other computer file. Podcasts have truly
become the “radio” of a new connected generation.
WORLD WAR Z: AN ORAL HISTORY OF
THE ZOMBIE WAR
by Max Brooks
Given the glut
of zombie movies
that have come out
over the past couple
of years, it was
almost a given that
zombie fiction was
right around the corner. A follow-up of
sorts to author Max
Brooks’
satirical
2003 book, The
Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z takes a
look back at how individuals, governments
and armies across the globe discovered,
waged and ultimately won a war against the
undead that takes place in the not-too-distant
future. Told primarily through fairly straightfaced interviews and dusted with a few subtle satirical jabs, Brooks’ latest tome takes an
almost scholarly look at how the good guys
ultimately won.
The writing here is so dryly matter-offact that it's almost believable to conceive of
a worldwide war against the ghastly braineaters. Brooks’ early entries about government officials in China and Russia refusing to
share information about the zombies with
their citizens and lower-level soldiers are just
as believable.
Stretched out over more than 300
pages, the clever premise does grow a bit thin
after a few dozen or so journal interviews
about man's battle against the undead. For
true horror fans though, this book is a nice
treat to tide you over as you wait for Danny
Boyles’ 28 Days Later sequel to come out.
(B) –John B. Moore
ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND
by Daria Snadowsky
In the interest
of full disclosure, it
should be noted that
Daria
Snadowsky
began her career in
the halls of INsite,
where she once
served as an editor
and freelance writer.
So it’s fair to say that
what follows is not a
completely unbiased
view of her debut novel, which follows a
teenage girl’s sexual awakening.
Dominique is a parent’s dream– a
straight-A private school student and aspiring
doctor who seems more interested in her
geeky academic team than she is in boys. Or
at least she is until she falls for Wes, a handsome track star senior from the public school
across town. Suddenly, Dominique seems
less interested in playing Operation with her
parents than she is in playing doctor with
Wes, and she begins exploring parts of his
(and her) body she’d previously only read
about in Grey’s Anatomy.
Fleshed out via journal entries, emails
and IM sessions, Snadowsky’s debut is a
remarkably honest portrayal of a teenage
girls’ sexual discovery that has earned favorable comparisons to the Judy Blume classic,
Forever. But what’s different about
Boyfriend is the way it explores the subject
with a disarming frankness that never comes
off as sensational. From the couple’s first
meeting and awkward initial fumblings to
their painful breakup, every word rings true,
presenting a candid view of love and sex
teens will respond to. (A) –B. Love
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PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
J
ennifer Garner enters the room and
radiates the persona of The Girl Next
Door. It's almost hard to believe that
she broke out as an ass-kicking secret
agent in J.J. Abrams’ Alias and has taken
that action to the big screen with
Daredevil, Elektra and Peter Berg's
(Friday Night Lights) forthcoming film,
The Kingdom. While it would seem as if
her career destiny should be more along
the lines of quirky romantic comedies like
13 Going On 30, her new film, Catch and
Release, has her playing a woman struggling with not only the death of her
fiancée, but also the secrets he left behind.
What about this film appealed to you?
There are always hooks, but Susanna
Grant's writing is so beautiful. The first
time I read it, I knew I had to do it. She
asked me to do it, I was beyond excited
and something happened where I had to
wait a year. I said, “I can't let anyone else
play this role. It's my role. Please wait for
me.” And she said okay! The writing is
just so beautiful and speakable and
playable and real. It's something you just
don't get to do. You either are doing a
comedy where you're really pushing for
the comedy, or you're doing a drama where
everything is really maudlin. This [story]
is the balance that follows our own life
patterns; it felt like something that was
true. The things that attracted me were the
ideas of black and white, and that she only
saw good in [her husband] and she didn't
want to see the bad. And in this film she
grows up and becomes able to see the gray.
Is there a female sensibility to this film,
as it has a female director, as opposed to
the classic Hollywood woman-centric
PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Jennifer Garner
The (Gorgeous) Girl Next Door
films that were directed by gay men like
George Cukor?
Well, J.J. Abrams isn't gay, but he can
write women like nobody's business!
There are just people who get the female
vibe. Susanna would be able to take scenes
that were difficult and, in the time it takes
to go to the bathroom, she would have
come back and reworded it so it was more
clear. It's kind of magical to have someone
with that ability. With her warmth and
calmness and stillness– usually on sets
there's a blow up at some point, but that
never happened with her– it was just very
zen and chill.
How hard was it to leave Alias’ Sydney
Bristow behind, and how hard has it been
to find other characters as tough and
diverse as she?
Well, I was ready [to leave her behind]
because, after five years of doing something, I think we all felt the way we were
supposed to at the end of Alias. We were
all heartbroken. You've never seen a closer
cast or crew, and it really was the best
place to work. We all still say that when
we see each other. But at the same time,
we really felt like we told the story and
had done it justice. I still get emotional
about it. J.J. gave all of us for Christmas
this huge leatherbound book of pictures,
starting with the pilot. I can't look at it
without crying. But the lucky thing is that
there are great writers out there, and you
just have to find the character that fits you.
This was definitely a character I felt as
strongly about as I felt about Sydney.
Have you been contacted to work with
J.J. in the near future, like maybe for
Star Trek?
(Laughs) J.J. is contacted by me every day,
saying, “What you wanna do next? What
you wanna do? It's me!” I'm outside his
house with coffee every morning: “Hi
J.J.!” No, I haven't been contacted by him,
but he's one of those great guys that will
have a core group of actors. Look at Keri
Russell in Mission: Impossible 3. Anyone
that works with him, he's just a favorite.
Do you miss the action stuff?
I do like it. It satisfies this part of me that
I didn't even know was there, and I like the
physicality of it as well. I like roles that
are physical. I like physical comedy. But
action, per se? Not necessarily. Roles that
tend to have action in them, if they're well
done, I like my stunt double so much that
I'm always seduced by it.
Does motherhood weigh-in on your project choices now?
It will determine what I do, timing-wise. I
don't think I could do two huge back-toback things or a lead on an hour-long
drama, so just on a practical level I really
have to love something a lot to not be with
my little girl every day. I will have had six
months straight with her before I go back
to work, and that is heaven on earth. I
have it so good right now, and I'm afraid if
I tell you [about it] it will get screwed up.
I get filled up with her and I'm definitely
the primary caregiver, but I have enough
meetings with my production company
that I find really fun and fascinating. They
make me use my mind in a different way.
You and Ben [Affleck] have worked
together before. Now that you're married,
is there a tendency to create a work-life
separation?
A big part of it is that someone has to raise
the kid, so if we're both at work, that's a
big bummer. But there's no rush, and
we're not looking for anything to do
together.
How do you manage to keep Hollywood
out of your daily home life?
We have a rule. “No! Don't tell me about
your day! Stop!” It's easy when there's a
baby. You basically talk about the baby.
Was there a defining moment when you
first realized you were famous?
This was a while ago. It was the first year
Alias had come out, and I hadn't really
been out in the world since July. I went
Christmas shopping in December, and it
was freaky. In July I could have gone
shopping and it wouldn't have been a big
deal. But in December, I couldn't even
take a step without someone stopping me.
That had never happened to me before.
How have you coped with fame?
I've kept my knickers on! I have a strange
relationship with it. It's not a comfortable
way to live. There are some great things
about it and some difficult things, but my
life is really great so I find it hard to complain. -Matt Goldberg
L
t. Jim Dangle is wearing his trademark
booty-shorts and Deputy Travis Junior is
wearing his bulletproof vest even though
we're sitting in the Wine Bar of the Ritz-Carelton
Hotel in Buckhead. They’re dressed for business
and ready to stop crime at a moment's notice.
But for the current moment, they're ready to start
talking about how it's hard out there for a cop,
especially high-profile cops appearing in a feature length film, Reno 911!: Miami.
Somehow we barely talked about the film
and instead discussed getting slathered in olive
oil, Halliburton's finely-made turkeys, the lack of
Orientals in the Reno Sheriff's Department, and
other topics no other law enforcement office in
the world would discuss...
One member of the screening audience asked
who was patrolling Reno while you all were in
Miami. I believe, Deputy Junior, your response
was, “Oh, fuck!” What was the state of affairs
when you got home?
Junior: You'd be surprised. Reno with a heavy
police force and without any police force at all is
remarkably similar.
Dangle: We're more like window dressing. We
are a door-stop that keeps Pure Evil from slamming shut on someone's face. We are underfunded, undertrained. We're working mostly on two
hours of sleep and a little bit of trucker speed.
But look at me: To anyone within a 300-yard
radius, they see me and they feel safer. I can tell
because I see people smile when I'm in their
premise. Young children, in particular. They
point, and I can't always hear what they're saying, but I can see joy coming across their faces.
Lt. Dangle, your shorts have become your
trademark. While they may give you “cheetahlike speed,” do you think they might also diminish your authority?
Junior: It does, when he calls for backup and we
don't want to go. I don't mind when he backs me
up, but I don't like to be behind him in situations,
just because of the view.
Dangle: Here's the thing: I do not wear these for
fashion. I don't wear them to overtly express the
unbridled sexuality coursing through me. They
give me the speed of Mercury. You familiar with
Mercury?
Mercury: God of Speed. Hermes.
Junior: Herpes?
Hermes is the God of Speed in the Greek
mythology.
Junior: Ooh, Junior College boy!
Dangle: So they give me the speed of Mercury,
the pounce ability of a cheetah and also... do you
Dangle: Police-Tek! The good people at Policenot find it slightly disarming?
Tek have been very good to us. Are they creatA little bit, yes.
ing the finest product out there? No.
Dangle: I want you off-guard. If I could, I'd like
Junior: Everything we use went to the low-bidto be completely nude and slathered down in
der, pretty much.
olive oil like the great olympians. One, I think it
Dangle: That's government policy. If you work
would be kind of fun to be like the great olypmiin the government, anything you want to buy,
ans. And two, that's real combat. The only
they open it up as a bid. And then whoever comes in lowest, it's always
way to experience true combat is you
Mexicans.
and another man, covered in
olive oil.
Or Halliburton.
“I want you
The major industry in
Dangle: Oh my God! I wish
off-guard. If I
Nevada is marriage.
we had Halliburton!
could, I'd like to be
Dangle: Actually, the
Junior: You see them
major
indusry
in
turkeys they sent over
completely nude and
there? You can't tear
Nevada is handjobs.
slathered down in olive oil
up them turkeys.
Depends which part
like the great olympians.
Dangle: You can't eat
you're in.
Junior:
Followed
them, either.
One, I think it would be kind
closely by crystal
Junior: No, but that's
of fun to be like the great
a good-looking turkey.
meth.
olypmians. And two, the
I'm just wondering
But do they make as
good a rape-shield as
why Nevada hasn't
only way to experience
legalized same-sex marPolice-Tek?
true combat is you and
riage?
Dangle: Those undergaranother man, covered
Dangle: I have no idea
ments, I stand behind them.
why.
If you haven't tried them, you
in olive oil.”
wouldn't know but… they will
Junior: You’d think they
would do that because they'd not
lock up on you. If you're going to
only get more money from the chaplins
wear them out for a long night and you
down in Vegas, they'd get more money from the
don't want to get roofied, make sure you make
divorces up in Reno.
a 1 and a 2 before you slip into them. Also, if
Dangle: We got deep pockets. Obviously I don't
you do get roofied and can't find the controller,
have deep pockets in this [gestures to his shorts].
you're going to be in them for a while. But once
I don't have any pockets, and I don't have any
you've been not-raped twice, they pay for themunderwear on because it would create weird
selves. I don't say this just because we're their
lines. But we have deep pockets as community.
spokespeople. It's a guarantee. I believe if you
Are you frustrated that the Sheriff's Dept does
get raped three times…
not receive as much money as it should?
Junior: You get a free one.
Dangle: It's incredibly frustrating. We're
Dangle: I believe you do.
embarassingly underfunded. We're trying to get
Junior: A free undergarment, not a free rape.
sponsorship deals to stay in the black.
Dangle: That would be totally inappropriate.
Junior: He sent photos to the people at Nair
Does your department actively recruit gays and
many, many years ago.
lesbians?
Dangle: We were trying to get them, Rockstar
Dangle: I am trying my goddamnedest. There's
Energy Drink, we went out to Crunk Juice, to
some really strapping young fellas in the “comWal-Mart, to Boost Mobile. They said we
munity.” Well, we have Kimble.
Junior: She only half-counts.
weren't “urban” enough for them.
The only real sponsor I guess is Police-Tek.
Dangle: I think she's a lesbian, and that's won-
derful. But I wouldn't mind someone who's a little easier on the eyes. Not that you should hire
people based on looks, but it doesn't hurt because
you do have to look at them. My type is more
Pacific Islanders and Samoans. And I love black
guys who speak French, like the daddy of the
black baby that Madonna swiped.
Does the rest of the department have to do these
sort of interviews?
Dangle: We're not the brightest people– we don't
test that high, we may not be that good at our job
and we’re clouded in our work by our sexual
desires– but the two of us are the functional ones.
The rest of these fuckers are real dumb.
Junior: They're absolute retards.
Who would you say is the biggest retard?
Dangle: Do you know Deputy Trudy Weigel?
Trudy was apparently raised badly, and I don’t
just mean with manners. She was chained to a
stove by her “uncle,” who turned out to be just a
neighbor, and I guess she would chip away at the
linoleum flooring. A lot of things used to be
made out of toxic stuff, and she ate a lot of
linoleum as a girl.
Junior: It settled in all the wrong places.
So she had late-onset retardation?
Dangle: I believe that's what they call it.
Deputy Weigel seems clueless in regards to her
relationship with you, Lt. Dangle.
Dangle: I don't know what signal she thinks I'm
sending her. I think it's my animal magnatism.
When your sexual advances are answered with
jujitsu, get the fuckin' point!
Junior: I don't know what's wrong with her. She
keeps trying to put her vagina on me.
You have a pretty diverse staff...
Dangle: We had to– there was quotas.
Is there any underlying racism?
Junior: It's not really under anything. It's overlying.
Dangle: Our racial tension is at least cut with
genuine rage and sexual tension. So in a weird
way, it creates a perfect storm where the racial
tension is just one of the aspects you deal with.
Junior: It's like the morning coffee. You just
expect it.
Dangle: We are low on Asians. We should get
some sort of Oriental. This is going to sound
weird, but they're very organized...
Junior: Good at math, and smart as a whip.
Dangle: And they can fight.
Junior: It's good that there's quotas because the
honkies are the dumbest ones on this team.
Dangle: I don't know how many of us they
would allow. –Matt Goldberg
PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
T ravel
Spring Break 2007
PCB’s hottest Spring Break Destination this year is the
Sandpiper Beacon Resort. This resort features 1000 feet of
beach, outdoor pools, heated indoor pool, a Lazy River Ride
and much more. March is the time when the Sandpiper Beacon
Beach Resort goes into over-drive! Bringing in sponsors such
as Stuff Magazine, Corona Extra, Red Bull, Classmate USA,
One Room Unit
King Size Beds Available
Refrigerator / microwave only
Up to 4 persons
One Room Unit Plus
King Size Beds Available
Full Kitchen facilities incl micro
Up to 6 Persons
Two Room Unit
S
Full Kitchen facilities incl micro
1 bathroom
Two in room set-up
Rooms up to 10 persons
Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
pring Break is the most momentous week of a student's
year. An incredible time with great friends that will be
remembered forever. But in order to have those lifetime
memories, you have to be in the right place. INsite serves as
your guide to some of the most popular Spring Break destinations from Atlanta in 2007.
Panama City Beach
More than a quarter of a million college students likely will
celebrate Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida this
year. With 27 miles of pearly-white award-winning beaches, a
gorgeous subtropical climate, and some of the largest and the
hottest clubs, you can see why PCB is the Spring Break Capital
of the World.
Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida is what it' s supposed to be; good times on a beautiful beach, great entertainment from the hottest new bands in the nation, being surrounded by your peers from all over the USA looking to meet and
greet, and of course there are the parties and making the memories that make the college years the best years of your life.
Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
www.sandpiperbeacon.com/springbreak 800.488.8828
Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
Australian Gold, One Model Place and many others, the
Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort makes sure that all of the party
revelers go home with memories & a few keepsake reminders!
Here is also where you will find top names in live entertainment such as The Wailers from Bob Marley Fame and DJ
Scribble. Make sure you stay
tuned to find out what's in store
for Spring Break 2007!
In the mood for a Keg Party?
You give the bartender $65.00
(tax included) and you can have
all the draft beer you want, all
week long (see website for
details). T-Shirts and souvenir
cups are also available!
Rooms - There are six different
room packages offered at the
Sandpiper Beacon Resort. Many
provide options for multiple people to a room.
Quality Inn
Gulf-front
Full Kitchen facilities incl micro
1 bathroom
Rooms up to 12 persons
Two in room set-up
Beachfront Villas
2 Bedrooms
2 1/2 Baths
2 Private Balconies
Up to 10 Persons
Large Beach Front
60 Feet of Gulf View
2 Bedroom
2 Bath
Private Balconies
springbreakfla.com
The Quality Inn Gulffront is your perfect
choice to party with
friends this Spring
Break! Sharing the
acres of choice beach
Quality Inn Gulf-front
property is Sharky's
Gulf-front Restaurant and Beach Club and America’s Best
Value Inn. All rooms are Gulf-Front with private balconies.
They have a large outdoor pool, with a sunning and picnic area.
All rooms have cable with HBO and new 25" color TVs.
Sharky's Gulf-front Restaurant and Beach Club features great
entertainment starting every day at 5pm!
You are also within walking distance to gift shops, Gulf
World, the fishing pier, motor scooter rentals, Go Cart rentals
and great shopping. Of course, they offer all the beach amenties, like parasail rides, Jet Skiis, beach chairs & umbrellas, and
beach volleyball--all on their private beach.
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PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Three Room Unit
America’s Best Value Inn
www.springbreakfla.com
Guess what? They’re also right next
door to Sharky's Beach Club...! On
the other side of Sharky's is the Best
Value Inn, same rooms as the Quality
Inn just discounted a little. Either way
you don't have to have a designated
driver. Here again all you have to do is walk next door from
Sharky's Beach Club. All Rooms are Gulf front with private
balconies or patios. Large outdoor pool with a large sunning
area and picnic area. All rooms have cable with HBO. You'll
agree that Best Value Inn is a great value - and your perfect
choice for you and your friends for Spring Break 2007.
Spinnaker
www.spinnakerbeachclub.com
The club
that started it
all! Panama
City Beach’s
largest party
this Spring
Break will be
at Spinnaker.
Here you will
find twenty
bars in one
giant club
complex!
This is the
home of huge
daytime parties in the club and beachside. There are nightly
drink specials, daily bikini pageants and best leg contests, great
concerts, awesome food from the Paradise Grill... Spinnaker's
is going to have something for every single Spring Breaker on
the Beach. Spinnaker also hosts Panama City Beach’s best concerts at their Rock Arena.
If you love funky music that will keep you movin', check out
The Groove Room - pumping out over 100,000 watts of pure
sonic vibes... from the 70's,
80's and 90's... retro, funk
and disco to the hottest Top
40 Dance hits. Every night,
Spinnaker's DJs slip back in
time to the 70s, 80s and 90s
and spin the tunes that kept
the whole world shakin' their
money-makers.
Past Spring Breaks have
seen the WB's hot young
stars from Dawson's Creek
and other hit shows goofing
on Spinnaker's beach, while
the girls of Playboy's
Extreme Team tempted the
guys, and our female Spring
Breakers went wild over
Travis, the new face of
Calvin Klein.
Club La Vela
www.clublavela.com
Club La Vela is billed as the largest nightclub in the USA.
Who are we to argue. As such, Club La Vela has to continuously reinvent itself to stay on the cutting edge of entertainment and club life. By doing so Club La Vela adds new theme
rooms on a yearly basis to its already huge arsenal of onsite
clubs all of which are located under one roof! Each theme
room has its own atmosphere, ambience, feel, and audience.
You'll find Hip-Hop, Bootie, and High-Energy Dance fans in
the Thunderdome, Club La Vela's largest multi-story theme
room featuring a sound system you can feel in your chest, and
a lightshow like no other in North America!
If you're into
techno-music, the
Undergound, &
Galaxy Room are
for you. Live
Music fans feast
their appetite for
some incredible
live Rock in the
Rock Arena where
the country's
hottest touring
bands tear up the stage. Upstairs, check out their newest theme
room, Posh Ultralounge. Posh was conceived as a concept club
featuring a Super VIP environment with minimalist South
Beach Decor. Intelligent LED lighting and premium sound
enhance the atmosphere while plush, intimate seating areas create the perfect atmosphere for an elegant night out on the town
or beach. Club La Vela hosts the biggest and hottest contests on
the beach. Be there as the most beautiful people on the beach
compete in The Panama Jack Miss La Vela Bikini Contests,
The Wet N Wild Wet T-Shirt Contests, or The Muscle & Fitness
Male Hardbody Contests.
PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Daytona Beach
Jamaica
Spring Break in Daytona Beach is a
tradition that dates back to... well, a
long time. With 23 miles of sandy
beaches filled with Spring Break activity, pool deck parties and lots of hot
Daytona Beach Clubs like the Ocean
Deck, Razzles, and 600 North ready to
rock, Daytona Beach is a great choice
for your Spring Break.
Daytona Beach is easy on the budget.
With nearly a hundred affordable, "student-friendly" Spring
Break hotels in the heart of the action, the’ve got the perfect
choice for your Spring Break vacation.
Montego Bay and
Negril are the two
hottest areas for Spring
Beak. Most flights into
Jamaica fly into
Montego Bay, so if you
don’t want to drive, you
should plan your vacation here. Aside from the breathtaking
beaches, Mo’ Bay offers a jumping nightlife from bars with live
reggae bands to Margaritaville, a three story party spot where inthe-water fun can be found with the giant water slide and floating trampoline.
If you’re looking for fun in the sun, you’ll find it in Negril. The
first thing you’ll want to do--indeed, you’ll feel compelled--is to
hit the beach. The bow-shaped town hugs Seven Mile Beach, the
longest continuous stretch of powdery shore in Jamaica--and one
of the Caribbean’s most magnificent. After the sun sets in a spectacular splash of color, spend a relaxing evening at a restaurant
or party down at a calypso beach barbecue. There’s even allnight dancing at local clubs. Reggae is beloved in Negril, as it is
throughout the island. In fact, from time to time, Ziggy Marley
comes to town, along with a host of other international entertainers. For vacation information contact Air Jamaica 800-568-3247
Inn on the Beach
www.innonthebeach.com
This is a full-service resort
offering Daytona Beach Spring
Breakers to a first class vacation experience. It is conveniently located just south of
the boardwalk and area nightclubs. The Inn on the Beach
features 195 spacious guest
rooms, efficiencies, suites & spa suites, situated on the
“World’s Most Famous beach”. This outstanding resort has
been designed to offer the utmost in luxury, comfort, value and
an endless variety of recreational activities. Recipient of the
Daytona Beach Beautification Award, this resort hotel is surrounded by the beauty of tropical landscaping, exotic flowers
and majestic palms. They boast an olympic size outdoor pool
overlooking the ocean, along with Jacuzzi, Fitness Center and
Suana. This is the home of “On the Rocks” pool bar and
lounge, one of Daytona Beach’s most happening sites. Rooms
offer private balconies and free continental breakfast.
Razzle's Nightclub
Located on Seabreeze Boulevard near A1A, it's just a few
steps from the heart of Daytona's beachside. It's in front of the
Plaza Resort and next to The Oyster Pub. Razzle's has over
15,000 square feet with great nighttime entertainment. Razzle's
has been catering to Spring Breakers for over ten years with
wild contests every night and big cash prizes. Look for the
nightly free drink specials and party into tomorrow with the
best mix of music, a huge
dance floor, great drinks and
drink specials and the most
outrageous party atmosphere
on the beach.
600 North
Daytona's newest and most
technologically advanced
night club is the heartbeat of
Spring Break– 600 North
offers the best sound, light
and video show in Central
Florida. With a 50,000 watt
soundsystem, matrix wall on
the coast. 600 North and the
Plaza Resort are the only live
indoor/outdoor concert venue
featuring world renown DJ's,
bands and live entertainment.
They have the largest pooldeck in Daytona and they party
all day with the most outrageous cash contests for guys
and gals including our famous
bikini and wet t-shirt contests.
SPRING
BREAK
GUIDE
2007
The Oyster Pub
Located on Seabreeze Boulevard next to Razzle's, The Oyster
Pub is the number one sports bar and is located in the heart of
the Spring Break party district. Catch all the sports action you
can handle on 30 TV screens including NCAA March Madness
games. Cash in on 20-ounce superdraft specials. The Oyster
Pub is just a block from the beach and offers a full menu with
everything from lunch, dinner and everything in between. The
seafood is the best in the area at Daytona's largest Oyster Bar.
For great food and drink and all the sports action all the time,
head to The Oyster Pub on Seabreeze.
Ocean Deck Beach Club
Just a half block from the Pier and directly on the beach at 127
Ocean Avenue. The Ocean Deck offers great food and great fun.
Enjoy volleyball on the beach. Reggae music. When the sun sets,
grab some dinner and get set for a wild reggae beach party...on
the beach! The Ocean Deck has Florida's hottest island dance
band and jams. Nightly drink specials and special promotions.
Negril Point Village
Situated on 14 acres along
Jamaica's northwestern coast in
the town of Negril, Point Village
is an hour drive from Montego
Bay's Sangster International
Airport. On a rugged promontory
bordered by wo white sand
beachfronts are the 150 air-conditioned apartments (comprised
of studios, junior suites, one-,
two- and three-bedroom units).
Rose Hall Resort
Rose Hall Resort & Country Club stands above other
Montego Bay Jamaica resorts. This deluxe oceanfront hotel
was once a legendary 18th-century sugar plantation, and to this
day evokes the
island's historic charm
and hospitality. Indulge in
cool ocean
breezes, a private beach, the
Caribbean's
largest water
park, and a championship golf course . Their philosophy is "be
yourself" - so come to our enchanting property , and leave the
world behind. Just 15 miles from dazzling Montego Bay - and
only 15 minutes from the airport - this all-inclusive Jamaica
hotel and resort offers spacious, luxurious accommodations and
a breathtaking setting.
Sandals Negril
Located on the best stretch of Negril's 7-mile beach, Sandals
Negril epitomizes everything a Caribbean resort should be -every room is steps from the sea and no building rises higher
than the highest palm tree. At Sandals Negril, kicking back and
doing nothing is considered a native art form...and doing everything is "no problem."
Breezes Runaway Bay
Located on Jamaica’s famed
north coast, Breeze’s Runaway
Bay is coming off a $50 million
expansion and renovation. Now
with 264 rooms set on more
than twenty-two lush oceanfront
acres, Breezes Runaway Bay Resort feels worlds away from
reality. Here everything is included. Come and enjoy deluxe
accommodations, sumptuous food, premium drinks, land and
water sports including Scuba diving, entertainment and much
more. In Runaway Bay you're free to be yourself, in a hammock beneath a swaying palm or re-invent yourself with videoassisted golf & tennis schools.
Cancun
Warm white sand
beaches, crystal indigo seas, world- class
hotels, restaurants
and nightlife make
Cancun a perennial
Spring Break
favorite. A resort
where you could
keep busy 24 hours a
day just participating in the many activities and tours available,
and yet it remains a tranquil retreat where you could relax to
your hearts content. In Cancun you can literally choose a pace
and lifestyle to suit any frame of mind. Cancun is a resort for
everybody, from college students on a strict budget to the rich
and famous from all over the world. Cancun caters to all who
visit and everyone should experience Cancun at least once.
This is one of the reasons that Cancun is Mexico's most popular resort.
Foam parties, bikini contests and beer splash pools are as
common as sunburns in Cancún in late-March and early-April.
To be sure, this Yucatán hotspot seems ready-made for tropical
treats and hedonistic fun fit for newly-minted adults still
primed to have a rip-roarin’ adolescent good time. With more
than 25,000 hotel rooms and annual revenue of $4 billion
Cancún stands alone. It draws more visitors to Mexico than any
other city, and ranks as one of the biggest resort towns in the
world.
Cancun Night Clubs
Coco Bongo
LaBoom
Dady Rock
Dady 'O
The City
Glass
Pat O'Briens
Margaritaville
Bull Dog
Fat Tuesday
Hard Rock
The Oasis Palm Beach
The Oasis Palm Beach is a relaxed
all-inclusive beachfront hotel located
on a tranquil beach with familyfriendly waves and direct access to
the Oasis water sports marina. The
hotel, close to Cancun's famous
shopping, dining and nightlife, features an expansive pool with children's section, a spa and fitness facility and four restaurants and three bars. Enjoy Mexican
and Caribbean shows two days per week, and a host of daily
and nightly organized activities and entertainment options.
Gran Caribe
The all-inclusive Gran
Caribe embraces a quarter
mile of beachfront in the
center of Cancun's famed
hotel zone. This beautiful Mediterranean-style resort is popular
with couples looking for a fun, informal vacation atmosphere.
Special features include spacious junior suite and villa accommodations, three pools, four restaurants, a variety of bars and
lounges, a spa, and exclusive 24-hour all-inclusive club. Guests
will delight in a host of day and nighttime activities including
theme parties and live entertainment.
are offered to several put-in sites, and day tours and overnight
tours with experienced guides are available as well. Don’t wait
for the heat to enjoy the Golden Isles and Georgia’s mightiest
river, the Altamaha.
South Padre Island
Crown Paradise
The beachfront Crown
Paradise Club AllInclusive Resort in Cancun
offers an exceptional array
of amenities and activities.
In addition to the glorious
beachfront location, you'll
find four distinctive pool
areas, buffet and a la carte dining and a schedule of entertaining day and nighttime fun. All rooms offer an ocean view, and
the Crown Club rooms are reserved for adults seeking a more
private, exclusive escape.
Altamaha River Bioreserve
Spring Break in Georgia!
A jewel in the crown of Georgia's wild lands, spring comes
early to the Altamaha River. Leaving Atlanta’s freezing temperatures and arriving along the banks of the lower Altamaha near
Darien Georgia, with 70 degree temperatures it is a pleasant
contrast. Designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of only
75 last great places in the world, the Altamaha River provides
year round conditions for kayaking and canoeing. Flowing for
137 miles through cypress swamps to the abandoned rice fields
and salt marshes near Darien, bald eagles and wood storks can
be seen foraging along the high bluffs, sandy beaches, and vast
expanses of marsh.
You 'll see as many
alligators and local
birds as well as the
migratory ones using
the 'Atlantic Flyway'.
Manatee are rare this
time of year, but then
so are the mosquitoes.
February and early
March is the perfect
time for camping with
warm days and clear winter skies at night. Buffalo Swamp
Natural Area, adjacent to the town of Darien, offers paddlers a
rare tidal forest containing among other trees, large bald
cypress, live oak and red cedar. While exploring its abandoned
rice fields, over grown with fresh water vegetation, you’ll see
abundant wildlife such as night herons and river otters along
with mink and Swallow Tailed Kits. Plus the best fishing in the
state with fresh, brackish and salt water species all within a few
miles of each other.
Thirteen miles from Darien the Altamaha flows into the
Atlantic Ocean. Ride the tide through the marshes of McIntosh
County to the remote beaches. Explore the maritime forest,
fresh water wetlands and
the bone-yard beaches
of Blackbeard Island.
Altamaha Coastal Tours
(912-437-6010) or
Altamaha.com is a complete outfitter with sea
kayaks, recreational
kayaks, canoes and
bicycle rentals. Shuttles
South Padre is just 30 miles north of the Mexico border, making it the only destination to party at 2 nations with one vacation! Padre is famous for hosting some of the hottest spring
break parties, concerts and acts including; MTV, 50 Cent,
Ludacris, D-12, Fat Joe, Hawaiian Tropic and Girls Gone Wild!
Padre is located on the Gulf of Mexico, at the southernmost tip
of Texas. Padre is fun, inexpensive and offers something for
everyone!
South Padre Island Texas is the southernmost U.S. spring break
destination, offering lots of sun, clear blue waters and white sand
beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. All beaches are publicly owned
and the consumption of alcohol is legally allowed on the beach
(kegs included!). Students can BYOB. Wide variety of nightlife.
Nearly everything is walking distance in South Padre. There are
taxis everywhere for just a few bucks, and running free shuttles.
Drinking age in Texas is 21, in Mexico it is 18. It is illegal to
drink in public on areas of the main drag on Padre Blvd, but it is
legal to drink on the beach. Most of the daily beach events are
held in front of the Radisson, and this year Coca Cola is doing a
huge beach concert area with many other beach activities. South
Padre Island is the cleanest and safest beach in Texas, only 3
blocks wide and a few miles long but loaded with entertainment,
night life, restaurants, and endless watersports and activities during spring break.
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Advertising in
INsite sounds
great to her!
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
CALL STEVE TODAY!
404-315-8485
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PG 33 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
Opportunity Knocks
I n d i e - r o c k e r s D e e r h o o f R e l e a s e T h e i r B e s t C D Ye t
D
eerhoof has always been a little bit too weird for
most folks, what with the way they flit from pop to
jazz to avante-garde to punk. Their semi-controlled
chaos went largely unnoticed despite putting out seven
albums on the Kill Rock Stars record label, home to luminaries such as Sleater-Kinney. But then along came The
Runner's Four in 2005, which put the decade-old band in the
pages of the New York Times and earned nearly universal
We've always thought that
praise.
Deerhoof was more accessible than their fans have given
them credit for. On the eve of the release of their latest and
greatest album, Friend Opportunity, guitarist John Dieterich
gave us the scoop on what makes this little indie band so
keen.
How did the dynamics of the band change after Chris
Cohen left?
The first time we practiced without Chris, we were all
struck by how empty things sounded. We didn't necessarily
mind having it empty, and [realized] that a fun thing to try
with the trio lineup would be to keep emptying it out and
finish the job that Chris started by leaving. Of course, Chris'
musical language had a big impact on the band, but I feel
like he's still here because I think we all have incorporated
parts of him into our own ways of thinking about and playing music. Sometimes I’ll be playing a part and imagining
in my mind the way he would’ve played it.
How much does personality play into the varying lineup
changes over the years?
On some level or another, it probably all comes down to
personality. Chris left because he had a burning desire to
complete another dream that had been deferred too many
times for him (The Curtains). Everyone in the band has had
other bands happening at one time or another, and we’ve
always thought that it’s possible to have those while still
keeping Deerhoof going. But we became so busy at a certain
point that it seemed ludicrous for all of us to even try to
keep something else going, except in the most skeletal state.
How would you describe the process of writing songs for
this album in comparison to others?
The actual process of writing the songs wasn't that different
on its surface. We brought in what we each thought of as
finished or semi-finished songs, then we all went through
them together and decided how we wanted them to sound
and came up with arrangements for them and kind of reconstructed them from the ground up. The main difference was
PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
that we’d given ourselves a deadline of when we wanted the
album to be done, so we ended up having to work really
fast, to the point where we were mixing while we were on
the road.
The Runners Four was allegedly reworked quite a bit
before the final version. How does the band decide when
songs are ready for release?
When everyone in the band is happy with them. With The
Runners Four, we thought that we’d finished the album,
then we went on tour and listened to it in the car and realized that we weren't happy with the way it sounded. We
changed a lot of things, removing as much as we could
stand– the first version was too full and too muddy sounding– and also just trying to come up with better mixes and a
clearer sound. We ended up going through about a million
different [song] orders, which is pretty common for us.
Deerhoof has been performing for a lot longer than people
think. Is this the career you imagined yourself having?
I didn't imagine any career. That word even connotes a certain amount of seriousness that seems completely foreign to
me. I just feel like somebody who gets to play guitar and
write music all the time, and I feel really lucky. I never
expected to be that person. As for my muse changing, it's
hard for me to say, but I don't think that it has. The place
that I go within myself to search for ideas or energy or whatever feels like it's probably the same place as it's always
been. It's just slightly aged.
What’s exciting for you about making music at this phase
of your career?
I feel more excited than ever about making music, but one
thing that I have really been enjoying of late has been getting to tour with lots of other bands and getting to peek into
other musicians' musical worlds in a really intimate way.
Do you yearn for larger commercial success as a band?
“I'm happy where we are,
and am glad that we've grown
so slowly in terms of popularity.
I think bands that get popular very
quickly can combust very quickly,
and that was never
something I wanted to emulate.”
What would significantly larger popularity do to or for the
band?
I'm happy where we are, and am glad that we've grown so
slowly in terms of popularity or whatever. I think bands that
get popular very quickly can combust very quickly, and that
was never something I wanted to emulate.
Your music is often described at avant-garde. Do you consciously avoid more accessible or "popular" musical elements when writing? In other words, do you have an internal identification of what Deerhoof sounds like, and
aspire towards that when making music?
I’d say we’re just as often called "candy-coated pop" as we
are "avant-garde," to be honest. And no, we don't avoid any
kind of musical elements when we're writing. My hope is to
get my original idea out as clearly as possible and then
attempt to reconcile that idea with the aesthetics of the
band, which are always shifting. We have no one focal point
that we're shooting for, or from. There are no limits, and it
would be painfully boring if there were.
Prior to working on a new album, what preconceived
ideas do you have about the artistic direction it will go in?
It's different for every album, and it seems like it just follows from the process of communicating with the other people in the band in a very off-hand way, day in, day out,
whenever we’re together. Things come up, people have
changes in their lives, and all of that gets wrapped into our
understanding of what we're trying to communicate together. Of course, in addition to that, we all have plenty going
on in our own private worlds that we then have to try and
communicate to each other if it's something we want to
express.
How is the arranging done on songs? Do you ever switch
instruments?
Oh, we switch instruments all the time! I usually write on
guitar, but I really enjoy writing on other instruments as
well, and it can help me develop ideas. When we were
recording this album, we really were not concerned with
who's playing what for most of it. We were just trying to get
the ideas down, so it's kind of a jumble.
How much writing do you do on tour?
Not as much as I'd like! I'm a person that craves company,
but needs to be able to remove myself and have privacy in
order to be creative. Touring is not that great in the privacy
department. I do get some writing done, though, and I think
I'm just going to have to develop that skill!
–John Davidson
FRIENDS
IN HIGH
PLACES
WESTBOUND TRAIN
GETS BY WITH
A LITTLE HELP
FROM RANCID’S
TIM ARMSTRONG
W
estbound Train frontman Obi Fernandez bleeds twotone. For the better part of a decade, his Boston-based
band has been consistently churning out their brilliant
take on traditional ska, regardless of what happened to be selling big at the time. The band released two indie records before
catching the attention of Tim Armstrong (Rancid, The
Transplants), who quickly became a fan and signed them to his
label. Promoting the release of their first record for Hellcat, the
aptly titled Transitions, lead vocalist and trombone player
Fernandez talked about his band, Mr. Rancid and rockin' the
stage with Reel Big Fish.
When most kids today think of ska, they tend to think more of
the third wave sound. Why did you decide to go the more traditional route?
That's just the style I happened to fall in love with. When I first
learned about ska, the bands I was introduced to were bands like
the Bosstones and Reel Big Fish. But one day King Django gave
me this tape that had Prince Buster on one side and The
Skatalites on the other. I was hooked! I dug deeper into the
music and saw how close old R&B and early ska and reggae
were tied into one another, and I wanted to start a band that emulated those styles.
Did you always listen to bands like the Toasters and Skatalites
growing up, or were you all over the place in terms of influences?
I love the Toasters and the Skatalites, but I listened to everything
growing up. My favorite bands are the Bouncing Souls, the
Slackers, Alkaline Trio... But I’m also really into Marvin Gaye,
Otis Redding, Sam Cooke. I love it all. If it has soul, I’m into
it.
How did you first get the attention Tim Armstrong?
I met him at a Transplants show in Boston. He is a really sweet
dude, and we just got to talking about music. He had heard of
the band already and wanted to use our horn section on some of
his projects. We just kept in touch after that, and tried to coordinate schedules so that we could work together. He is super-talented and someone I always wanted to work with. It was definitely a dream come true.
He's been a pretty vocal fan of the band, getting you to guest
on a Transplants record and eventually bringing you to
Hellcat. What is that relationship like?
He’s great, and we’re completely grateful for him bringing us to
the label. He is a super-busy dude, and a lot of the label relationships are with other people at the label. Everyone at Hellcat
is awesome, and has been extremely helpful to us.
Let's talk about Boston for a minute. The city has a great reputation for breeding punk and ska bands. Why is that?
Boston just has tons of talented people. It makes sense that it
has given us what it has. Also, it's a blue-collar city that's really
into hard work. People in Boston live and die for what they
believe in, you know? It's got a great underground scene, which
“Westbound Train has overcome
many obstacles in its short existence,
and I just wanted to write a song that
gave people insight into some of my
personal struggles, as well as the band’s.
I wanted to send people the message
that no matter what we face, we’re going
to keep doing what we’re doing. We
believe in it, love it and we'll fight for it.”
is why I think it tends to flourish more than other cities. We got
a lot of help from the Bosstones when we were first starting out.
Those guys will always rule.
Cory Williams left the band shortly after Transitions was
recorded. Did that come as a surprise, or was it somewhat
expected?
He was out before we made the record. He just did some tours
and made the record so that our schedule wouldn't get messed up
until we brought someone new up to speed.
Ska has ebbed and flowed in popularity over the years. Ever
thought about ditching the horns and going for an easy buck
as a pop/punk band?
Never! If I wanted to be in a pop band, I would’ve started a pop
band. We enjoy the challenges that come along with playing reggae and ska. Everyone has their own taste, you know. We’re just
happy doing what we love.
Transitions is bookended by two great tracks. Can you talk a
little bit about the closing song "Travel On"?
Westbound Train has overcome many obstacles in its short existence, and I just wanted to write a song that gave people insight
into some of my personal struggles, as well as the band’s. I
wanted to send people the message that no matter what we face,
we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. We believe in it,
love it and we'll fight for it.
Can you tell me a little about the Fall of Ska Tour? How did
that come about?
Vince (Reel Big Fish's manager) and Aaron from Reel Big Fish
offered us the tour. After we saw them in Vegas, we wanted to
tour with them really bad. They’re wonderful people, and amazing to watch every night. We’ve toured with Suburban Legends
before and they’re our bros. We’ve never toured with Streetlight
before, and it's been really awesome getting to know them and
seeing them every night. They get the crowd so pumped. This
tour just rules in every way possible. –John B. Moore
LONG-FORM
IMPROV COMEDY
SATURDAYS
8:00 & 9:30PM
$5 TICKETS!
JACKPIE THEATRE
380 14th Street N.W. Atlanta, GA 30318
WWW.JACKPIE.COM / [email protected]
PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
racism
in the
nfl?
the truth
in black
and white
A
t a time like this, when any other NFL coach
would get some soft-and-cuddly treatment
about how he grew up speaking the language o’
pigskin, interviews with his mom, and hours of conjecture about what strategy he'll use against his opponent,
the Colts’ Tony Dungy and the Bears’ Lovie Smith are
merely “black coaches.” You have to specifically look
up bios for the coaches to find out details about them,
Google
because nobody's writing about that.
Belichick, though, and you'll get at least two stories
with information about his hard-nosed demeanor and
no-nonsense way of coaching. What is this?
I suppose, as a brown woman, I should be proud
to see 1) this obvious jump forward for people of color,
and 2) the righting of a long history of wrongs in my
nation's consciousness; but - I dunno - maybe I'm just
impatient for people to see past silliness like skin
color? But then Denzel wins an Oscar or “black coaches” make it to the Super Bowl, and it hits me like a
brick: you're in the first generation to grow up with the
benefits of your parents' struggles.
American sports didn't integrate until 1947.
Baseball had Jackie Robinson, the NBA had JapaneseAmerican Wataru Misaka on the NY Knicks, but didn't
accept black players until three years later when Chuck
Cooper joined the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater"
Clifton got with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd
with the Washington Capitols. The same for major college basketball, when William Garrett broke the gentlemen's agreement that barred black players from the
Big Ten Conference by playing for Indiana University.
In context, that was merely one person ago. My
father's birth year.
Likewise, it wasn't until 1961 that Loyola
University of Chicago broke the longstanding rule to
not play more than three black players at any given
time by instead putting as many as four black players
on the court at every game. Loyola also became the
first team in NCAA Division I history to play an allblack lineup. That was only '61. Kids nowadays still
listen to music from that year.
Ergo, there are still a lot of hurdles to jump and
barriers to break. We just had the first woman installed
as Speaker of the House, which shouldn't be a big deal
here in 2007, except so many years have been spent
keeping women and people of color out of the respective good ole boys' clubs in this country, that now
every little first is somehow a “feat.”
Would you believe that the NFL actually had a
black head coach way back in the 1920s? His name was
Frederick Douglass 'Fritz' Pollard, and as the first
black football player and coach, he beat both MLB and
the NBA for the “first black” position in American
sports.
He first garnered fame as an All-American running back in the 1915 Rose Bowl, then went on to join
an NFL team called the Akron Pros. Back then the
NFL was an “upstart” league in the Midwest. His team
won the first 19 games Pollard played (15-0-4),
outscoring the opposition, 236 to 7. His following
years proved just as successful, leading the Pros to an
PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
undefeated season. Subsequently, he was a first-team
choice for an all-pro team by Bruce Copeland.
The next year he was installed as the Pros' head
coach - a player coach at that, because back then the
NFL didn't allow bench coaches. In a 1942 letter to the
Amsterdam News Herschel 'Rip' Day wrote, “I still say
that Fritz Pollard did more to advance the idea of the
best-against-the-best-regardless-of-color than any single man in the business.” Yet, try as he might, Pollard
saw the numbers of “colored” (or was it “negro”?)
players shrink to zero.
In fact, there weren't any black players from 1934
to 1946, possibly longer. And there wasn't another
black - err, African-American - head coach until 1990
when the Oakland Raiders hired Art Shell. As of 2004,
when the NFL had to actually mandate minority interviewing, there were merely eight black head coaches in
NFL history: Fritz Pollard, Art Shell, Dennis Green,
Ray Rhodes, Tony Dungy, Herman Edwards, Marvin
Lewis, and Terry Robiskie. Even worse, we still have
to wait for the first Asian head coach, the first Samoan
head coach, and otherwise. Now that's just a damn
shame.
In the year two thousand anything there should be
no more firsts for people of color, yet, in the last six
years, we've seen the first ever black woman to win an
Oscar as Lead Actress, and the first black man to win
for the lead since Sidney Poitier in the 60s. The first
Chinese actress to win a Golden Globe, the first Latino
sports franchise owner, and now the first (two!) black
coaches in the Super Bowl. Forgive my romanticism,
but I wish this wasn't an issue. It shouldn't have to be.
Tony Dungy has a long history with football. At
the University of Minnesota, he was the starting QB
his freshman year in college.
He finished as
Minnesota's career leader with 274 pass completions,
25 touchdown passes, and 3,577 passing yards. He was
named Minnesota's MVP twice.
After college, he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers
as a free agent during their famous “Steel Curtain
Dynasty.” In their Super Bowl season of '78, he was
bumped up from backup safety to start, and nabbed six
interceptions. In three years of NFL, Dungy had nine
interceptions for 132 yards, recovered nine fumbles
and returned eight punts for 52 yards.
His coaching career started in 1980, coaching
defensive backs for his alma mater. A year later, Hall
of Famer Chuck Noll hired him as an assistant over the
defensive backfield making him the youngest asst.
coach in the NFL at 28, and subsequently promoted
Dungy to defensive coordinator in 1982.
Hmmm... so he must be a hard worker, and possibly knows what he's doing.
Seven years later, he left Pittsburgh and spent
some time with the Kansas City Chiefs, then the
Minnesota Vikings in 1992, and finally took the headcoaching job at Tampa Bay, where most people came to
know him. There, he assembled a team of now notables: Lovie Smith - his Super Bowl opponent - was his
linebackers coach, Herman Edwards (now with the
Kansas City Chiefs) coached the secondary, Rod
Marinelli (now leading Detroit) was Dungy's defensive
line coach, Mike Shula (son of legendary Don Shula
and QB coach for the Dolphins) was the quarterbacks
coach, and Monte Kiffin (who semi-recently had the
chance to head at the 49ers) was his defensive coordinator.
With them, he installed the defense that he's come
to be known for: a Cover 2 zone, with specific tweeking that has now earned it the nickname “Tampa 2.” It
got them a winning record, the Bucs' first since the
80s, and filled the stands, although not quite making
“the big dance.” So they cut him in 2002 and
Indianapolis picked him up soon after, where he left
Jim Mora's offensive system in tact, but changed the
defense to his standard strategy. So far, he has a .644
career winning percentage - not quite George Allen's
third best at .681, but well over Curly Lambeau's .595
record. But hey, it's not like he's retired yet. Screw a
winning percentage: He's going to the Super Bowl.
Put in context, Tony Dungy deserves to be at the
big dance based on merit, but so many stories about his
ethnicity makes it seem as if the league is somehow
giving him a pass. An argument can be made that people who think in racial terms will always bring it up as
a reason that someone succeeded or didn't, so it's moot.
My point is that we shouldn't add fuel to the fire.
The truth is, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are
both extremely capable coaches. Let's just leave it at
that. –Andrea M. Hatter
Sports
FANATIC
A Monthly Sports
Wrap-Up
by DeMarco Williams
• “I would love to see how Mora would do on the
Wunderlick test.” –an Atlanta Journal Constitution reader, wondering how ex-Falcons head coach/current
Seattle Seahawks assistant Jim Mora Jr. might do on the
NFL's
intelligence
test
• Even after David
Beckham signed a
landmark 5-year/$250
million deal with the
MLS' L.A. Galaxy,
67%
of
20,545
SportsIllustrated.com
voters
said
they
“couldn't care less”
about the American
soccer league.
• "I was thinking if he
came back, we might
make a run at the
national
championship. I would like to
have him back, but the
big guy has got to go.
It's time." –Georgia
Tech running back
Tashard Choice, on
teammate
(and
arguably the NFL’s
best football prospect)
WR Calvin Johnson
• “The file has become too thick. Vick should be trying
to impress a new coach, Bobby Petrino. Given the way
the last two seasons unraveled, he should be more worried about how to evolve, not how to escape. Taken separately, incidents can be minimized. Collectively, they're
like falling bricks.” –The AJC's Jeff Schultz, a couple of
days after Michael Vick allegedly attempted to smuggle
some weed through an airport
• If you ever wonder onto the Versus network (only
672,000 of you did for last month's All-Star game) and
the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing, we're begging you
to watch Sidney Crosby in action. Just 19, the sensational center leads the NHL in scoring and, honestly, may
already be the best player in the NHL.
• "In some ways it's become like a sporting event," he
said. "There's baseball season, basketball season, football season and American Idol season." –Preston
Beckman, Fox's Executive VP for Strategic Planning,
after some 74 million
viewers watched the
new season's first two
episodes
• “On the occasion of
Barbaro's passing,
let's think of all the
animals that die with
no human hand to
soothe them; the dogs
and cats whose final
moments are preceded
by days and months of
hunger, exposure, disease,
injury
and
abuse.” –Lexington
Herald-Leader editorial, after the 2006
Kentucky Derby-winning horse was euthanized
Must-See TV
Top 5 Games this Month
1
SUPER BOWL
2
UNC AT DUKE
3
DUKE AT UNC
4
DALLAS AT HOUSTON/CLEVELAND AT L.A.
5
DENVER AT SAN ANTONIO/CLEVELAND
AT CLIPPERS
February 4 (6PM, CBS) The Midwest is in
heaven as two of its teams, the Bears and Colts,
duke it out in Miami. Like the rest of the country,
I don't really care who wins. I just don't wanna
see Prince lose any clothes at halftime.
February 7 (9PM, ESPN) Records and poll
positions never matter much in this hardwood
match-up, but seeing as how both ACC teams are
in the Top 10, it's safe to say Cameron Indoor
will be extra loud this night.
February 8 (7PM, ESPN 2) Catching up quickly
to the guys' heated rivalry is this fiery women's
clash in Chapel Hill. If all goes well in games
leading up to this, the Lady Devils and Heels
will be No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings.
February 15 (8 and 10:30PM, TNT) Four of the
league's most exciting players– Dirk Nowitzki,
T-Mac, LeBron and Kobe– in your living room
on one night!
February 20 (8 and 10:30PM, TNT) Carmelo and
A.I. vs. Tim Duncan sounds appetizing enough,
but throw in Steve Nash's Suns against Elton
Brand's Clips and you'll think you're at a feast.
Grand Slammer Roger Federer, so
dominant he should play in S&M gear
• Roger Federer, who recently won his 10th Grand Slam
event at the Australian Open, is winning matches at an
unreal 94.3% clip over the past three years.
Unbelievable! Putting that ridiculous number into some
perspective, that's like your favorite football team going
15-1 back-to-back-to-back seasons; or your hometown
baseball squad going 148-14, 154-8 and 154-8 for three
straight campaigns!
• “To win seven in a row, I'd cut my arm off to win another one. I'm a huge Tiger Woods fan. But damn, I'd love
to have beaten him." –Charles Howell III, who has nine
second-place finishes since his lone PGA Tour victory in
'02, after the Federer of the fairway, Tiger Woods, won
the Buick Invitational
And finally…
• According to CBS
Tony
Sportsline's
Meija, these are the
five NBA players that are the most invaluable to their
respected teams: Dwyane Wade (Miami), Paul Pierce
(Boston), Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Tracy McGrady
(Houston) and Michael Redd (Milwaukee)… NASCAR
fans, remember this name: Juan Pablo Montoya… With
the Buick win, Woods is just the third golfer to win three
tournaments (The Bridgestone Invitational and American
Express Championship are the other two) at least five
times… Steve Nash, who many say is on his way to a
third straight NBA MVP, has had two games this season
of 15+ assists and no turnovers… Fanatic's midseason
MVP: Gilbert “Hibachi” Arenas… Kinda neat that all
of the Colts franchises' three Super Bowls have been in
Miami… Of the past seven Super Bowls prior to this
year's, only one MVP (Baltimore's Ray Lewis) was a
first-round draft pick… Of the Lakers' 106 overtime
points through January, Kobe Bryant had 50 of them.
COMING IN MARCH
Our
March
Madness
Issue
HELP WANTED!
Ad deadline Feb. 24
Street Date Mar. 3
To Advertise Contact Steve @ 404-315-8485
[email protected]
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CAPRICORN
TAURUS
VIRGO
Finances (or other things of
value) come to the fore this month. You
may feel obliged to help a friend in
need, but be careful not to endanger
your own sense of security.
It’s all about your career this
month. If you’ve been feeling uneasy
about a boss (or other authority figure),
expect a situation that encourages you to
make a decision about your future.
There’s the lifestyle you want,
and the lifestyle you have. This isn’t the
time for radical moves to achieve your
dreams, but it is a good time to accept
that changes WILL have to be made.
AQUARIUS
GEMINI
May 22nd thru June 21s
Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd
This month may bring potent
feelings of fear disillusionment or powerlessness. Don’t give up, but be careful
how you take a stand. Humility and
magnanimity will get you through it.
Your ruler, Mercury, is in retrograde mid-month, so try to schedule any
important meetings or trips before then
to avoid the feelings of frustration and
confusion that often result.
Your ruler, Venus, joining forces
with Uranus could make romantic sparks
fly early this month. New love affairs can
be great, but don’t be surprised if you
become the subject of wagging tongues.
PISCES
CANCER
Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th
Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th
Apr. 21st thru May 21th
Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd
LIBRA
SCORPIO
June 22nd thru July 23rd
Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd
Whether it’s finances or feelings, your values will likely be tested this
month. You may ultimately have to
choose between the safe route and the
uncertainty of the road less traveled.
This month’s Saturn-Neptune
opposition may heighten your
dilemma of home vs. career. The planets
aren’t against you; they’re showing that
you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
ARIES
LEO
SAGITTARIUS
Has pleasure seemed in
short supply of late? This month
the Sun urges you to stop moping, get out, mingle and embrace
your inner social butterfly!
With the Moon in Leo, you may
find relationships at a crossroads, with
final straws close to being broken. If
issues of reality vs. illusion arise, late
Feb. is a good time to air grievances.
It’s a rough month for other
signs, but Archers should be happy as
clams with Jupiter in their sign. Even if
there seem to be clouds on the horizon,
look closely for their silver lining.
Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th
Pisces are famously generous,
but this month you need to examine the
real reason behind any failures or
disappointments. It could be that a small
shift in mindset is all you need.
Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20
July 24th thru Aug. 23rd
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PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • February 2007
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