July/August 2014 - The South Roanoke Circle

centered
on
community.
family.
you.
july/august 2014
Final Fling: A Fond Farewell to Two Seasoned Carriers
a6
th grader by M
ary
P ho
to
Photo by Marissa Yi, Bella Muse Photography
What are your favorites now?
Food: sushi
Vacation spot: The German Alps
Hobby: Music
Sport: “Forensics”…it’s not a sport but my
high school thinks it is
Song: NOT Freebird
Movie: Say Anything
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a rx
Kian, in a “Carrier of the Month”
piece The Circle did on you in 2007, you
indicated some of your favorite things.
Your favorite food was sushi, your preferred
vacation spot was the Jersey shore, rock collecting
was your hobby, your favorite sport was soccer,
Freebird was a song you loved, and your favorite
movie was Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix.
An
n
M
of
Ki
an
as
e
Two of The South Roanoke Circle’s long-time paper carriers will end their
tenure with us this issue. Joe Jamison and Kian Khalilian began working for the
paper seven years ago when they were both in sixth grade. They graduated
from Patrick Henry High School this year and before long will be
Joe, what can
leaving our fair neighborhood for the next big thing: college.
you do now that
To mark this momentous occasion, we asked Joe and Kian to
you could not do
when
you began
share their thoughts on their careers as carriers, how things have
this job?
changed for them over the years, and what the future brings.
I can now speak
Where did your paper route take you?
Spanish and touch net
on a basketball hoop.
Joe: Southwood and Peakwood
Kian: Jefferson and Wycliffe
How has the
What was your favorite portion of your route?
neighborhood changed
over the past 7 years?
Joe: the long downhill stretch on Peakwood
The soccer goals at Crystal
Kian: the apartments on Jefferson
Spring were removed and now
Your least favorite?
all the kids play lacrosse!
Joe: coming back up Peakwood!
Got any carrier
Kian: all of Wycliffe (note: I delivered Kian’s route once;
stories to tell?
Wycliffe is a lot longer than it seems!)
When I am in a hurry, I
drive while my sister leans
Where are you headed when the school year
out of the passenger
begins?
window and tosses my
papers for me.
Joe: Davidson College
Kian: James Madison University
What will you miss most about the neighborhood
while you’re away?
Joe: I will miss the pickup sports games at Crystal Spring
and all my neighbors and friends.
Kian: Everything is within walking distance.
Photo by Marissa Yi, Bella Muse Photography
by Lillian King Meidlinger
AreYouWithValley Yet?
She Said...
Lillian King Meidlinger
editor, right brain
[email protected]
761.0728
Lisa Boschen Bowers
advertising executive, left brain
[email protected]
353.2380
Amy Takacs, Creative Outlet
graphic designer
[email protected]
Johnny Meidlinger
internet kung fu
Jill Hufnagel & Brent Stevens
founders, creative consultants
The South Roanoke Circle
2517 S. Jefferson Street
Roanoke VA 24014
540.353.2380
southroanokecircle.com
Our intent is to provide a
neighborhood publication
that celebrates community
and fosters connection
among neighbors. In so doing,
we seek to strengthen the
neighborhood bond, to encourage our children to share their
voices, and to nurture a future of
collective growth. Finally, we wish
to share in the discovery of the
people and places that make this
neighborhood thrive.
~
We reserve the right to refuse
publication of any material we
deem unsuitable for this venue
and/or our readership.
A few weeks ago, a friend shared a humor piece with me that had me laughing so hard I
had big, fat tears rolling down my cheeks. I am not a big forwarder of e-mail, nor much of a
poster on Facebook (call me a lurker), but even I had to send this one out to say 30 or 40 of my
closest friends. The bit was titled “Top 10 Ways to Give Your Kid a 1970’s Summer” and was
written by Melissa Fenton, a mother of four boys who has a blog called “4boysmother: Musings
of Life Mothering Men.” It was probably particularly well-timed for me and my kind – children
of the 70’s who are now parents in the throes of summer.
Basically, the post was a run down of things kids did to entertain themselves in the 70’s that
you see less often in our current culture for a variety of reasons (among them safety and legality
– pish posh!). For example, the writer suggests letting kids dine on bologna sandwiches, chips,
and kool-aid (“This will be the summer of Frito-Lay and Red Dye #5.”); going to the movies all
day and sneaking from theater to theater (“I will drop you off at around 11 and pick you up
for dinner”), and watching lots of TV (“But only the TV Land channel”).
All of these had me convulsing but there were other things Melissa listed that not only made
me cackle but also pause and think, “we are so doing this.” In this age of instant gratification,
ready-made entertainment, and abundant air conditioning, I think my kids need a taste of the
1970’s. So I intend to borrow from Melissa’s’s awesome list. Specifically, I want my kids to:
• put on a talent show (maybe my mom can dig up the ol’ Super 8 so we can film it!)
• make something cool from things they find (not from a ready-made “craft kit”)
• go outside all day (the faux agoraphobia going on in my house is on my last nerve)
• while outside, build a fort without adult help or supervision (even a lean-to would be fine)
My husband is completely on board and suggested we have “70’s Day” to break the kids
in to their new summer lifestyle. I love a theme, so I am all fired up to make things authentic. I
am particularly fixated on making or getting a 70’s halter top for
my daughter–you know, the kind that is basically an odd
trapezoid of fabric with 4 ties that allow you to secure
it behind the neck and around the back. I had a stack
of these polyester beauties when I was her age and
they not only befit the era, they are also cool and
comfortable on hot sticky days. I am not sure what
to make my son wear–shirtless is the most obvious
option. If he’s not up for that, our old family photos show
the 10-and-under boy uniform of shorts and t-shirt hasn’t
changed all that much (formal wear is a different story; some of
those collars could put an eye out). I’m thinking I’ll wear a Mrs. Roper-style muumuu. Comfy.
Also on Melissa’s list is playing the electronic memory game Simon “until you want to throw
it against the wall.” There’s one in my amazon.com shopping cart right now, waiting to be sent
to aunts and uncles in California who also were children of the 70’s. I hope they don’t open it
until we get there. Not fair for them to get any practice in.
Even though it’s not as side-splittingly funny, the best entry in Melissa’s list is probably the
last one: “Learn to find the amazing in the ordinary.” Frankly, it’s not just the kids who need to
take that one to heart. So, if my kids can bask in the glory of the wind on their cheeks as they
bike or roller skate around the neighborhood for a while, then I will sit on the stoop and marvel
at their lightning bug catching skills for as long as they like.
If you’d like to read Melissa Fenton’s original post, you can visit:
4boysmother.blogspot.com. — LKM
Che bella vista!
copyright 2014
The South Roanoke Circle, LLC
all rights reserved.
SoRo took Tuscany by storm when South Roanoke residents (l-r)
Hans Heerens, Ann Heerens, April Zachmann, and Greg Zachmann visited San
Gimignano, Italy (among other places) in June.
Photo courtesy of April Zachmann
2
It’s Always Sunny on Lockridge
by Katie McKernan
The Peepers Have Come Home to Roost
My husband Tim loves to read about urban homesteading.
Sometimes this research leads to container gardening on the deck.
Mmmm, organic arugula. Other times it leads us to owning a flock
of chickens. He and our daughter Morrigan cooked up this idea a
while back and part of their sales pitch was, “It will be great. And
if we don’t like it, we can kill them and eat them!” Really, with that
kind of plan, how could things possibly go wrong?
Soon we were the proud owners of six chicks. As luck would have
it, both Morrigan and Tim were gone when they arrived, leaving me
to stress about their brooder and its heater. The whole chicks-in-thefamily-room situation was quite unsightly, involving a stepladder, a
large plastic box, and never-ending dust. But by the time Tim and
Morrigan arrived home a week later, the rest of us were in love with
the chicks. These babies were never going to be dinner.
As they grew over the next few weeks, I found out I really
knew nothing about chickens. They all had little personalities, the
strongest of which belonged to the bird we named Putin, as she was
the bully of the bunch. They would play games, stealing a feather
from another bird and then leading a chase around their box. And
there was the constant, soothing, peeping chatter, which led to their
group name, The Peepers.
Just when the dust and mess were reaching critical mass, the
weather turned warm and all the birds were fully feathered, meaning
it was time to move them into their coop. Being nervous new fowl
parents, we checked on them often and worried the transition would
go poorly. But they took to their fenced free-range life easily and
were a happy bunch.
Until tragedy struck.
After running errands one morning, I came home to find only
five birds. They were all huddled in the coop, which was unusual
for daytime, and had what appeared to be blood on their beaks.
We never found any remains of the vanished bird, ironically named
Lunch, and had to come up with theories about what had become
of her. My official party line was that some predator took her while
the other birds valiantly defended her, injuring the guilty party in the
process.
But in the dark recesses of my mind, I always worried that the
flock had turned on poor Lunch and had killed or maimed her. It
seemed we would never know the truth.
A month passed and we had no further attrition. We convinced
ourselves that the
disappearance
of Lunch was an
anomaly. But then
came what we refer
Photo by Katie McKernan
to as “The Hawk
Incident.” I was with the birds in the backyard, cleaning out the
coop, when they seemed to all be in a noisy scuffle. They sometimes
have little tiffs establishing their pecking order, so I thought little of
it but admonished them saying, “Ladies, let’s all get along.” But the
noise level rose and the interaction suddenly seemed quite violent.
I yelled much louder and to my surprise, a hawk emerged from the
sea of moving feathers and flew away. Four chickens dispersed and
one limped back to the coop, bleeding.
Over the next few days while she recovered, the uninjured
Peepers became her caretakers. Putin would walk slowly with her
across the yard in the morning, rather than be a part of the coop
exodus (always a flurry of flapping and run-flying). If you approached
the hurt bird, the others would all position themselves between you
and her, dishing out some stink eye to boot.
I felt terrible ever having even contemplated that they could have
hurt their own. Here were some birds who, in the face of mortal
danger, banded together to try to save their sister. I tell you, it makes
a Mom’s heart ache. As silly as it sounds, we were so proud of our
chickens.
Birds of prey are protected, so we had to stick with non-lethal
deterrents. Since The Hawk Incident, we’ve added some very
menacing looking plastic owls to our deck, hoping they will scare the
hawks away. [Daughter Maggie’s cynical response was “Really?”]
Reflections also, according to the chicken blogs, tend to freak out
hawks. So I hung several old cds under the deck to let them know
I really meant business. [To which Maggie then added, “Really?”]
Admittedly, I did go a bit overboard – several in this case really
means about 30. Thank goodness no one can see my backyard. It
looks like some kind of low-rent homemade disco down there.
It has been over a week and we’ve had no further hawk attacks.
Clearly my ferocious maternal instinct and hawk repellent system
are having an impact. Or luck is with us. We’re just enjoying our
flock, so much so that we added a new flock to the mix. But that’s
another story.
3
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5
Still Writing: Shields Jarrett’s Next Phase
by Brent Stevens
At first glance, selling manufacturing coatings would seem a
strange start for a budding novelist. And yet, this is the path forged
by Allendale resident Shields Jarrett whose first novel, Still Fighting,
was recently published. For years, Shields burned up the miles
selling coatings from Miami to Philadelphia. But when the family
business he worked for out of Des Moines, Iowa changed hands,
Shields found himself in need of a change. Aptitude tests suggested
two careers: “They said I was ideally suited to be a writer or a
fireman, and I was long past being able to pass the physical part.”
His time on the road had given him a good sense of dialogue, and a
wealth of personalities to draw upon for character construction. And
the breadth of his travels helped with settings. Still Fighting takes the
reader on a journey from Vietnam
to Colorado to our very own
Southwest Virginia.
Another facet of Shields’ career
change meant a move home
to Roanoke. His good friend,
Broaddus Fitzpatrick, threw him
a welcome home party. There,
by mounds of delectable food,
Shields met Vietnam veteran,
Staff Sergeant Michael G. Stahl,
a green beret who served in the
innocuous sounding Studies and
Observation Group. But the unit
was anything but harmless. Small
groups of men would spend
long days in Cambodia and
Laos without insignia and with
the serial numbers filed off their
First-time novelist Shields Jarrett
weapons. Loaded down with
combines a wide variety of
settings and characters to a tale
ordinance, their diet consisted
of intrigue in Still Fighting.
of raisins and whatever they
could forage. Stahl’s service was
Photo by Marissa Yi, Bella
Muse Photography
distinguished to say the least; he
earned two Purple Hearts, two
Bronze Stars, and two Silver Stars. And, unlike most veterans, Stahl
was willing to talk about his stint in the war. These conversations
helped sow the seeds for Shields’ novel.
6
So after inspiration came the daily sessions in his office at a
prescribed time with his favorite pen, right? Not exactly. Shields
wrote whenever it hit him—at the beach, in the mountains, morning,
night, wherever and whenever. And he kept quiet about it. In fact,
one of the most gratifying parts of the experience has been popping
the finished book into people’s hands and hearing them say, “I didn’t
know you could write.” That’s not to say he didn’t have feedback
along the way. When in an initial draft he killed off the hero’s dog,
Cooper, friends and family members were outraged. He’s now
writing a sequel, which is in the outline stage. He knows one thing
for sure: Cooper has a free pass.
In the end, writing the book was not about money, as Shields
explains: “My gig with this is just to tell a good story. Hopefully,
I did my best.” See what you think: you can find Still Fighting at
amazon.com.
The Paces’ Journey to Steger Creek
by Noelle Milam
In 2004, with two grown sons and a full career in the retail and the largest collection of Department 56 villages I have ever
and manufacturing sectors that had brought them through Chicago, seen. There is so much to see in the Christmas department at Steger
Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco, Michael and Alex Pace started Creek that it is almost as much a museum as it is a store. Michael
to think about returning home to Virginia. After an exhaustive search explained that they have virtually everything for holiday decorating.
for just the right retail niche to suit their experience, the couple found And though Christmas sounds far away in the grips of a summer
and purchased the store called Salem Creek on Starkey Road and heat wave, we’re in luck because perhaps the best-known event at
renamed it Steger Creek after Michael’s family’s farm in Fluvanna Steger Creek is its “Christmas in July” sale, held this year from July
County. “It just made sense,” Michael laughs, “Salem Creek to 25 to August 3. There are actually regular visitors to the Roanoke
Steger Creek. The ‘SC’ logo could
Valley who time their trips each year
remain unchanged!”
to coincide with Christmas in July!
Next, Michael and Alex searched
Michael says that the Christmas in
for a home to suit this new stage of
July event has been a decades-long
their lives. They were drawn to South
tradition, begun by his predecessors
Roanoke because of the beauty
when the store was still Salem Creek.
and charm of its older homes, but
“It is a fun and rewarding event for
also due to its location near the
not only our loyal customers but for
Blue Ridge Parkway with its trails
all the Steger Creek associates as
and campground, not to mention
well,” says Michael. He notes that
the proximity to their new business.
there are people lined up at the door
During their very first house-hunting
on opening day.
foray, they spotted a For Sale By
Acknowledging the home that
Owner home with gorgeous views up
on Peakwood Drive. The house and
the neighborhood captivated them
and eventually the Paces made the
purchase and moved in, completing
a large renovation that would enable Michael and Alex Pace, Peakwood residents
them to better enjoy the view and and owners of Steger Creek, enjoy hosting their
store’s longstanding Christmas in July event.
their hobbies.
Photo courtesy of Michael Pace
Steger Creek has made its mark
on Roanoke in the ten years since the
Paces made it their own. Michael describes the store as five stores
in one and a little research backs this up. Indeed, Steger Creek is
in parts a rug and furniture store, an artificial floral design center,
a women’s accessories (jewelry and handbags) and bath shop, a
Christmas store, and a gourmet food shop (after a personal foray
into this area of the store, I can unreservedly recommend Wind he and Alex
Willow’s White Chocolate Cherry Cheeseball and Dessert Mix). In have made here
2006, the Paces added another store to the Steger Creek family, this in
Roanoke,
one in Forest, Virginia.
Michael has added
Most of Michael and Alex’s original staff are still part of the a few unique products to
now 35 people employed, which speaks volumes. They are service- Steger Creek’s stock, notably a
oriented, knowledgeable, and helpful, whether you are looking for brass Roanoke Christmas ornament and a Roanoke mug. Roanoke
a specific scented lotion, need help with designing a wreath, or just has obviously carved out a place in the Paces’ hearts despite their
want to browse on a hot afternoon. Refuting a common misconception many years in larger, more cosmopolitan places. “We moved to
that Steger Creek is exclusively a “high end” shopping experience, Roanoke because that was where the business was,” says Michael,
Michael says that his goal is to make Steger Creek a shop that “but we have been overwhelmed with the many friendships we
can meet the needs of his clientele with regards to occasion, price, have established and the ongoing relationships with our wonderful
gender, and age.
customers, and we have the best staff anyone could ask for!”
Steger Creek has become beloved for its specialized collections
So from the Golden Gate to Peakwood Drive, the Paces and
of Christmas décor. Some of the yuletide treasures they stock include Steger Creek are another piece of what makes living in this beautiful
hand-blown German ornaments, Italian Fontanini crèche figurines, corner of our state such a pleasure.
See for yourself:
Steger Creek Fine Gifts
and Collectibles
4631 Starkey Rd
Christmas in July Event:
July 25August 3, 2014
Stop by Tinnell’s and
ask about our rapidly
growing Wine of the
Month Club! For
that matter ask your
neighbor - they are
probably already a
member!
2205 Crystal Spring Ave
(540) 345-7334
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Ruby
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1919 Westover Ave., SW, Grandin Village
Roanoke
Wine and Cheese tasting
every Friday 4-7 p.m.
www.fgeoffreyltd.com
540.345.8881
Open Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am-5:30pm
For Drop-ins and Deliveries
Other days request appointment: 345-8881 or e-mail [email protected]
7
8
Not Yer Mama’s Page
These Blooms Will Soon Uproot
For myself I
hold no preferences
among flowers, so long
as they are wild, free,
spontaneous.
~Edward Abbey
Earth laughs
in flowers.
~Ralph Waldo
Emerson,
“Hamatreya”
I like to think a
flower opens itself
to outgrow its
plantedness. That it
yearns to be carried
away. ~Author
Unknown
During a block party celebrating their graduation from Patrick Henry High School, these neighborhood graduates were presented with a fun
photo op. Flower pots were decorated to match the next destination of each bloom, that is, they were painted with various university colors.
One sported a tutu for the graduate headed for work as a professional dancer. Left to right, the graduates are Carrington Bailey, William
Merten, Joe Jamison, Clayton Willis, Isaac Anderson, Kian Khalilian, Emily Knopf, Sabel Fink, Sam McGhee, Sara Cate Bingham, Sam Roller
(holding Katie Leivy’s face), Katie Leivy (holding Sam Roller’s face), Jamie Swanson, and Annie B. Agee
Photo by Meredith Roller
“Lone Survivor”
by Abby Kepley (age 10)
9
Blockbuster, Classic, or Hidden Gem:
Are you in between vacations, trips to the pool, hiking excursions, visits to the farmer’s market, summer camps,
etc.? Thunderstorms keeping you inside? Just need to escape the heat and sit in a cool, dark room for a while? Or
maybe you’re looking for the perfect flick to project on that sheet in your backyard? We’ve polled your neighbors
on all things cinematic, so have a seat, take some notes, and get the popcorn popping…
(An asterisk indicates multiple voters had the same response.)
What movie(s) are on your summer
2014 must-see list?
How to Train Your Dragon 2*
Maleficent*
X-Men Days of Future Past*
The Lunch Box
Guardians of the Galaxy
Lucy
The Trip to Italy
Belle
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
The Other Woman (if I hear that others liked it)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Fault in Our Stars
anything from the Marvel franchise
New releases you mean? No idea. I haven’t
gone to a real, live movie theater in years. Too
many old movies to catch up on, and until we
get through all 120 episodes of Lost I’m not
making any progress.
Name a movie classic that you think is
overrated.
The entire Star Wars series
Star Wars (1st, or 4th, depending upon how
they are counted)
Gone With the Wind
Citizen Kane*
Sideways
Titanic
Casablanca
West Side Story
Frozen
Name a movie you’ve been meaning
to see for ages, but haven’t.
Memento
Lincoln
Midnight in Paris
The King’s Speech
Enough Said
About Time
the original Manchurian Candidate
Apocalypse Now
X-men: Days of Future Past
Annie Hall
What are some of the movies on your
Netflix queue right now?
Raging Bull, Hot Tub Time Machine
20 Feet from Stardom, Good Old Frieda, Joss
Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing
French Films
The Tempest, The World’s End, The Wolverine
Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, The Internship
New York, I Love You; Mansfield Park
Husband is in charge of our Netflix acct. Don’t
even know our login...
Who is your favorite actor/actress?
Meryl Streep*
Robert DeNiro*
Sandra Bullock*
Jennifer Lawrence*
Robert Downey, Jr.*
George Clooney*
Marlon Brando
Harry Dean Stanton
Robert Mitchum
Steve Martin
Kate Winslet
Cary Grant
Cate Blanchett
Morgan Freeman
Judi Dench
Leonardo DiCaprio
Anthony Hopkins
Jack (as in Nicholson)
Tina Fey
Tom Hanks
Denzel Washington
Matt Damon
Liam Neeson
Bill Murray
Maggie Smith
Owen Wilson
Ben Stiller
Bradley Cooper
Amy Adams
Colin Firth
Emily Blunt
Anne Hathaway
Currently George Clooney and Meryl Streep.
From ancient times Rock Hudson and
Doris Day.
Overtime, these have been my crushes:
Elizabeth Shue (teen years)
Marisa Tomei (twenties)
Tea Leoni (thirties)
Helen Mirren (forties)
Do you have a favorite director?
Alfred Hitchcock*
David Lynch
Francis Ford Coppola
Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen
Richard Curtis
Wes Anderson
Joss Whedon
What movie(s) do you and your kids
love to watch together?
Lost. Not sure it counts, since it’s a TV show.
Shrek
all of the superhero movies
X-men movies
Disney tween movies
A Christmas Story
It’s Complicated
The Holiday
The Parent Trap (the one with Hayley Mills)
Ever After
anything Disney
The Marvel stuff.
Old home movies, starring them!
Harry Potter movies
Pirates of the Caribbean movies
Bad cheesy Sci-fi movies with my youngest,
Offbeat independent comedies with my middle
child, and underappreciated, non-US action
adventure films with my oldest
42 is excellent family pick. Such a resonant
reminder of the deep racial tensions in our
recent history. The baseball backdrop opened
lots of conversation.
Children of God is another sparse, but powerful
family pick.
Wadja is a recent favorite–a snapshot of Saudi
life through the eyes of a young girl who simply
wants to ride a bike.
What movies were you all fired up
for your kids to see that they had no
interest in?
Edward Scissorhands
The Last Starfighter (only my oldest hung in
there with me to watch it all the way through)
Pete’s Dragon
Candleshoe
Freaky Friday (the one with Jodie Foster)
10
What movie do you know almost
line for line?
Blazing Saddles*
Animal House
Caddyshack
Casablanca
Love Actually
Princess Bride
A Coal Miner’s Daughter
The Holiday
Predator (“What’s the matter, Billy?”)
Ferris Bueller’s Day off
When Harry Met Sally
Steel Magnolias
Iron Man 3
Raising Arizona (“Y’all hear that? We’re using
code names.”)
What is your favorite
movie-watching snack?
Popcorn (one specified buttered, of course!;
another prefers the Grandin’s)
M&Ms (plain, dark chocolate)
Twizzlers
Edamame and wine
popcorn and M&Ms
IPA
Chocolate covered raisins (don’t have to share
because nobody else likes them).
M&Ms
Popcorn+plain m&m’s in a particular proportion
and Coke Zero to drink
Is there a movie your friends would be
shocked to discover you liked?
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Princess Diaries
Titanic
A Coal Miner’s Daughter
Dead Calm
Drive Angry (Nic Cage at his finest)
Bye Bye Birdie
Not really–most of my friends know I’m easy to
entertain
What movie genre do you most enjoy?
Comedy*
Chick flick*
Foreign*
Mystery
Period
Romance
action/adventure
Science Fiction
Musicals
Usually genre bender/blenders, actually.
Just about every one of them
What is the best ever
laugh-out-loud movie?
Wedding Crashers*
Bridesmaids*
Young Frankenstein
Harvey
Raising Arizona
Scrooged (“Have you tried stapling them?”)
Wayne’s World
Tropic Thunder
9 to 5
A Fish Called Wanda
The Hangover (but only the first one)
Anything with Steve Martin or Will Ferrell
Old-school pick: Vacation! Neither my dad nor
I can get through that movie without laughing to
the point of tears.
What Should We Watch Tonight?
What’s the best place to watch a movie?
There were basically two answers here. The
far and away most popular place to watch is
at home. However, the Grandin Theatre made
a decent showing as second most loved spot.
Sweetest response?
“Sitting between my wife and daughters.”
What is your favorite tearjerker?
Steel Magnolias*
Field of Dreams
Sophie’s Choice
My Dog Skip
Terms of Endearment
Troll 2
Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
(“He was old, it was too far…Oh Peter, I was
so worried about you.”)
What movie is so scary it left you
unable to sleep at night?
The Ring*
Silence of the Lambs*
The Blair Witch Project
Nightmare on Elm Street
Seven
Schindler’s List
Friday the 13th, can’t remember which #
Halloween (I was 10 or 11 at the time, it’s not
so scary these days)
Can’t think of any, but I remember as a kid
being scared of the wicked queen from Snow
White
I don’t do scary ordinarily but somehow I got
talked into seeing Silence of the Lambs. Big
mistake!
Hasn’t happened yet
What movie has the best surprise
ending?
The Sixth Sense*
The Usual Suspects*
Sands of Iwo Jima
Malice
Memento
Thelma and Louise
The LEGO Movie
The Village
Dark City (The movie had me off balance the
whole time and then WHAMO!) (Honorable
mentions: The Sixth Sense, Source Code)
What are 5-10 of your all time
`favorite movies?
Love Actually*
Die Hard*
The Godfather*
Apocalypse Now
Once Upon a Time in the West
Blue Velvet
2001: A Space Odyssey
Field of Dreams
The Night of the Hunter
Casablanca
Sophie’s Choice
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Psycho
Notting Hill
People Will Talk
Girl in the Café
Match Point
Manhattan
Bye Bye Birdie
West Side Story
Jules and Jim
Purple Rose of Cairo
Harvey
Sixteen Candles
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Elf
The Princess Bride
Shawshank Redemption
A Christmas Story
The Breakfast Club
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
The Usual Suspects
The Departed
Finding Nemo
Pulp Fiction
A Fish Called Wanda
Shawshank Redemption
A Room with a View
Amélie
Gosford Park
Groundhog Day
Overboard
The Wrath of Khan
Lars and the Real Girl
Slumdog Millionaire
Chariots of Fire
Grease
Children of a Lesser God
Total Recall
When Harry Met Sally
Big Trouble in Little China
Repo Man
My Name is Nobody
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Stalag 17
The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer
Snatch
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Raintree County
Gone with the Wind
The Sound of Music
Steel Magnolias
The Devil wears Prada
Oh, Brother Where Art Thou
The Italian Job
9 to 5
Entrapment
Iron Man 3
The Avengers
The LEGO Movie
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix
Silver Linings Playbook
La Vie en Rose
Jesus Christ Superstar
A Fish Called Wanda
Strictly Ballroom
Heathers
Raising Arizona
Chicago
Julie & Julia
both Bridget Jones movies
all the Doris Day movies
11
Director’s
Notes
Summer Viewing: An annotated list by our
in-house movie critic, Seth Childers
Must see new releases: The Amazing SpiderMan 2, Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of
the Planet of the Apes, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Overrated classic: I think that the movie Gladiator
is overrated. I do not think this is a bad film, but I do not
think it is worthy of being called Best Picture. Take away
the admittedly impressive costumes and sets and I just
find the story too cliché and the action too poorly shot to
succeed on both an emotional and visceral level.
Never seen but intend to: Casablanca. I have
heard so many great things about this movie, but I have
not gotten around to seeing it (yet).
Favorite actor: Tough choice, but I think I would
have to pick Andy Serkis. His work with CG motioncapture creations is phenomenal and he is a terrific
actor who is often overlooked by award shows.
Favorite director: Wes Anderson. There are few
directors where you can take a still shot of a movie
and immediately recognize the filmmaker behind it, but
Anderson is one of them. All of his movies are filled with
great wry humor that is complimented by a distinctive
and gorgeous visual style that appears to be crafted by
a more lighthearted Stanley Kubrick.
Best place to watch a movie: While there is
a nice comfort to being able to watch a movie from
the comfort of your couch–i.e., not having to sit through
constant ads and being able to take bathroom breaks–
there is an immersive quality to a movie theater screen
that you cannot quite get out of a TV.
Memorized movie: The Dark Knight. I have
watched this movie so many times that I can recount
entire conversations from the film off the top off my head.
Movie that no one would suspect you liked:
Crazy, Stupid Love. I am usually not into romantic
comedies, but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet
and funny this movie is.
Favorite genre: I would have to say fantasy
because I love to see imaginary creatures and worlds
come to life that are not bound by the restrictions of
having to be grounded in a more realistic and modern
setting. I just find fantasy much more fascinating and
beautiful to look at.
Best Comedy: I do not think there has been a
comedy that has managed to make me both laugh out
loud and almost constantly throughout the entire film as
The Lego Movie did. Jokes are abundant in this movie,
and just about every one of them hits the bull’s-eye.
Tearjerker: Toy Story 3. I was a kid when the first
two movies came out and on the verge of college by
the time the third one was released, making me about
the same age as the boy character, Andy. These movies
could not have been timed better for me, and I thought
ending was very powerful and emotionally fulfilling.
Scariest: While I have not seen the whole movie, I
saw a few clips of Insidious, and the atmosphere and
imagery was so creepy that it had me watching the
corner of my bedroom at night for three days because of
it.
Best surprise ending: Memento. This whole movie
is a wild brain-scratcher, and like any good Christopher
Nolan movie, the ending of Memento completely
changes how you watch the movie a second time. It has
a brilliant twist ending.
All time favorite movies: 12 Angry Men, The
Dark Knight, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Hugo, The Lion King, The
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, No Country for
Old Men, Toy Story 3, Up, and WALL-E.