Gwinnett Daily Post Friday, Jan. 14, 2011 — Page 6
Mar 11, 2016
Gwinnett Daily Post
Friday,Jan. 14,
2011
— Page 6
PAGE 2 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
what to do, hear, see, watch, read, listen to, visit and eat in Gwinnett and Atlanta
week end
Local Event ..............................................................Pg.6
Art Beat ....................................................................Pg. 7
Movies...................................................................Pg. 9-17
Showtimes ............................................................Pg. 12
Metro Calendar ....................................................Pg. 18
Gwinnett Calendar ............................................Pg. 19The “Weekend” arts and entertainment guide includes select events inthe coming week.To be considered for a listing, send a fact sheet to:Weekend, Features Department, Gwinnett Daily Post, 725 Old Nor-cross Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045; or call 770-963-9205, e-mail [email protected] or fax 770-339-8081.
The Dish: Mango Cuban Restaurant is a laid-back, family-operated venture ......Pg. 4
Weekend Cover: Nicole Puckett Weekend Design: Kristen Ralph
Staff Photos: Josh GreenMango is located at 315 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Suwanee.
INSIDE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 3
• 5 nights in a cabin at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park
• Bicycling for four, Admission to theBoatright Barn Museum and BirdWatching in the Spirit of SuwanneeBird Sanctuary, Hiking, CanoeingKayaking, Disc and Miniature Golf,Tubing, and much, much more!
• Lunch or dinner for four at the Dixie Grill
You could win a Kidsville Fitness & Adventuretrip of a lifetime to Florida’s Suwannee River
Valley - Where it’s Springtime Year round!
Child’s Name _____________________________________School ______________________________ Grade ______Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________Phone ________________ Email _____________________Parent’s Signature (required) ______________________
I agree to contest rules (required)
Yes! Send me more information onFlorida and Suwannee River Valley!
Mail completed entry to Kidsville News!/Vacation P.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 or visit
kidsville.com/gwinnett to enter at ENTER BY JANUARY 31, 2011!
Rules: No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years old or older to enter. Sponsors and theirfamilies are not eligible. All entries must be completely filled out to be eligible. Trip winneris responsible for any and all taxes and/or liabilities associated with the value of the trip
package which is estimated at $2000 and which must be claimed as income in the 2011tax year. The Gwinnett Daily Post is required by law to furnish a federal form 1099 to theInternal revenue Service and this form will state the $2000 value of the trip package. Tripcertificate is valid for one year and black out dates apply. Winner’s acceptance of prizealso grants permission to publish the winning entry information in future Kidsville News!
and/or Gwinnett Daily Post publications. Once winner is notified, they have three days toaccept the trip. If confirmation of acceptance is not made, a new winner will be drawn.
You could win a Kidsville Fitness & Adventuretrip of a lifetime to Florida’s Suwannee River
Valley - Where it’s Springtime Year round!
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO ENTER!
DID YOU KNOW?
The University ofFlorida was originally located in Lake City before it moved to
Gainesville in 1905!
GRAND PRIZE TRIP FOR FOUR INCLUDES:• 5 nights in a cabin at the Spirit
of Suwannee Music Park
• Bicycling for four, Admission to theBoatright Barn Museum and BirdWatching in the Spirit of SuwanneeBird Sanctuary, Hiking, CanoeingKayaking, Disc and Miniature Golf,Tubing, and much, much more!
• Lunch or dinner for four at the Dixie Grill
GRAND PRIZE TRIP FOR FOUR INCLUDES:
PAGE 4 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
BY JOSH GREENSTAFF WRITER
• Open since: 2008
• Location: The SummitPlaza shopping center, justnorth of Suwanee DamRoad.
• Hours: Lunch featuring$4.99 specials is served 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays toFridays, and Saturdays noonto 2 p.m. Dinner hours are 6to 9 p.m. Thursdays to Satur-days. Closed Sundays andMondays.
• Owner: Danny Villegasoperates the restaurant withhis father, Ivan, and brother,Roberto. The family hopes toopen additional locations nearLake Lanier and HamiltonMill.
• Atmosphere: Set in anondescript Suwanee shop-ping center, Mango CubanRestaurant is a laid-back,family operated venture withan emphasis on authenticity,hospitality and affordability.The no-frills interior feels likea beachside bar, with a hugeFlorida Keys mural, tropicalhues and salsa music creatingan overall calypso vibe. Therestaurant’s creed — “OurFood Takes You To Paradise”— could explain its stronglocal following and enthusi-astic regulars.
• Menu: Inspired by tradi-tional Cuban and Spanishfare, all items are made fromscratch and served on a first-
come, first-served basis. Mostdishes are accompanied bytraditional yellow rice andblack beans and can be com-plimented with appetizers,like the popular sweet plan-tains and fried yuca. Theroasted pork dishes resultfrom a painstaking, slow-cook process that reachesback in owner Danny Ville-gas’ancestry. “It’s comfortfood,” Villegas enthused. “It’sexactly what my grandmaand parents used to make.”
• Things you might not
know: Villegas, whose back-ground is in computer engi-neering and commercial realestate, became a restauranteurwhen the recession tripped uphis previous career. His fami-ly uprooted to Suwanee,attracted by the low cost ofliving and schools, when theirMiami neighborhood grewtoo overpriced and dicey fortheir tastes, he said. “We wantto provide affordable, family,home-cooking style meals,especially with the bad econ-omy,” he said. “Only a coupledishes go above $9.99.”
THE DISH
Appetizers• Sweet plantain: $3• Mango’s Special Quesadilla (pork or chicken): $6.99
Lunch(all dishes served with
black beans and yellow rice or fries) • Cuban Sandwich: Ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese,Mango’s special mustard sauce, hot-pressed in Cubanbread: $5.99• Mango’s Tropical Cheeseburger: Grilled Angus beefwith a unique blend of herbs and spices, topped withSwiss cheese: $5.99
Dinner• Cuban Styler Steak and Onions (Bistec Palomilla):Sauteed and blanketed in onions: $9.99• Shredded Chicken (Pollo Desmenuzado): $8.99 • Churrasco: Grilled, marinated Cuban-style steaktopped with authentic Chimichurri sauce: $12.99
ONTHEMENU
Mango Cuban Restaurant770-831-6664315 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suwanee
Staff Photos: Josh GreenMango Cuban Restaurant in Suwanee serves its signature dish, CubanStyler Steak and Onions (Bistec Palomilla), among others. Mango is locatedat 315 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Suwanee.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 5
A selection of local eateriesrecently featured in the Gwin-nett Daily Post:
• Gimme Some Suga Bakery BarGimme Some Suga’s brightcontemporary design fea-tures a walk-up bar display-ing the nine cupcake flavorsthey bake fresh daily along-side a case with the six differ-ent mini-cheesecake flavorsavailable to customers.Thebakery bar specializes incupcakes and 4-inch “mini”cheesecakes.There aremore than 17 available fla-vors of cupcakes, such asGeorgia Carrot Cake andKey Lime, and 13 differentcheesecake flavors, includingSweet Potato and CaramelCorn.The bakery can alsoinfuse adult flavors into itscheesecakes, like Bailey’s
Irish Cream or PeachSchnapps.320 Town Center Ave.,Suwanee, 678-482-4555
• Adam’s Restaurant andPiano BarAdam’s Restaurant andPiano Bar brings a fine din-ing experience at an afford-able price. Everything that isserved is made in therestaurant — including thebutter. The menu beginswith soups, salads andappetizers with delicaciessuch as Oysters Rockefeller,baked stuffed quail anddeep-fried lobster. Entreesinclude Calf’s LiverAnglaise, lemon saffronchicken and Beef TenderloinShoulder. For dessert, cooksprepare apple tart with vanil-la ice cream, almond andchocolate mouse cake,
tiramisu and creme brulee.15 E. Main St., Buford, 678-745-0379
• Italy’s Pizza and PastaCompanyItaly’s Pizza and Pasta Com-pany churns out more than1,200 New York-style pizzason any given week, making itits No. 1 seller.That said, themenu offers much more,from bruschetta to more thana dozen pasta dishes and ahealthy handful of subs, allprepared authentically Italian.Salads, calzones, strombolis,specialty pizzas likemargherita and white chickenbroccoli and by-the-sliceordering are also available.Children’s pasta plates are$5.2590 Hamilton Mill Road,Suite 106, Buford, 770-932-7121
GWINNETTTASTES
PAGE 6 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
LOCAL EVENT
BY HEATHERDARENBERGSTAFF WRITER
LAWRENCEVILLE —Less than a year afterreceiving top billing atlast year’s prestigiousHumana Festival of NewAmerican Plays, “Sirens”is coming to the AuroraTheatre in Lawrenceville.
The show openedThursday at the Aurora,and performances arescheduled through Feb. 6.
The comedy, written byDeborah Zoe Laufer, isthe story of a couple, Samand Rose, who find thepassion in their 25-yearmarriage has ebbed. Thecure is a romantic cruiseto the mythical GreekIsles — that is, untilwashed-up songwriterSam hears his siren call-ing and chucks himselfoverboard.
“(Sam) is desperatelytrying to find that feelingthat he had when he firstfell in love with his wife,”Laufer said. “He’s doingthat by going on the Inter-net and going on Face-book and looking for anold girlfriend. (Sam andRose) go on a cruise fortheir 25th weddinganniversary, and he hearsthe most beautiful songand winds up on an islandwith a siren. His wife ispretty furious that hejumped.”
Laufer said the play is acomedy, “hopefully withsome meat on its bones.”Aurora officials said see-
ing the show is a greatway to fight the winterdoldrums with the healingpower of laughter.
“This play speaks to ahuge slice of our popula-tion, from young peoplerelating to Facebook, tomiddle-aged couplesstruggling with a tiredcareer or suffering mar-riage,” said AnthonyRodriguez, the Aurora’sproducing artistic direc-tor. “I invite everyone to
set sail on a mini-vacationof love and laughter.”
While this is Laufer’sfirst play at the Aurora,her work has appeared inother Atlanta area the-aters. In recent seasons,her plays have been laud-ed by Atlanta audiencesand critics alike withHorizon Theatre’s pro-duction of “End Days”and Jewish Theatre of theSouth’s production of“The Last Schwartz.”
“End Days” was award-ed The American TheatreCritics Association Stein-berg citation and is listedin the Burns Mantle Year-book as one of the bestregional plays of 2008.“The Last Schwartz” waspublished in Women Play-wrights, the Best Plays of2003. It premiered atFlorida Stage, where itwas nominated for a Car-bonell Award for BestNew Work.
“This is the third playof mine that’s been inAtlanta in the past twoyears,” said Laufer, wholives in New York. “Thatfeels really great. To findan area that likes mywork, it’s a really goodfeeling.”
Laufer said music gother interested in writing“Sirens.” She said sheknew a couple who livedoff a song that the hus-band wrote. The song was
covered by several record-ing artists, including TheBeatles. Their whole mar-ried life, he never wroteanother big, hit song.
“Being a writer, that’sthe terror is that it’s goingto dry up,” Laufer said.“There’s the pain of notbeing able to find yournext work or being stuck.”
Additionally, Laufersaid Facebook — particu-larly how it has changedthe way people interact —played a role in her writing.
“Sirens” features MaryLynn Owen as RoseAdelle Abrams, SteveCoulter as Sam Abrams,Kate Donadio as the Sirenand Lowrey Brown asRichard Miller.
Performances arescheduled for 8 p.m.Thursday through Satur-day and 2:30 p.m. Satur-day and Sunday throughFeb. 6. Tickets cost $16 to$30.
A note to families: Theshow contains some spicylanguage and content.
For more informationor to purchase tickets,visit www.auroratheatre.com.
Aurora opens new play,will run through Feb. 6
Special PhotoKate Donadio stars as the Siren in “Sirens” at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville through Feb. 6.
Call of the ‘Sirens’• What: “Sirens”• When: 8 p.m. Thurs-day through Saturdayand 2:30 p.m. Satur-day and Sunday nowthrough Feb. 6• Where: Aurora The-atre, 128 Pike St.,Lawrenceville• Cost: $16 to $30
IFYOUGO
Anita’s Artscool and Stu-dio 8 are teaming up onceagain, offering young artistsa contest that can lead to artscholarships and more. Chil-dren in kindergarten throughgrade 12 are eligible bybringing in their artwork toAnita’s Artscool in Bufordon or before Feb. 4. Anita’sArtscool is located at 179 DMoreno St. in Buford.
This is the second art con-test that Anita’s Artscool andStudio 8 have producedtogether. The last one, in2009, was initiated by AnnaBanguilan in memory of hermother. Banguilan, a graph-ic artist, is the owner of Stu-dio 8, a company that pro-duces T-shirts. She is also
known for her enthusiasmfor childrens participation inart. The 2009 contest askedchildren to create art basedon a theme titled “Art for theBirds,” and Anita’s Artscoolreceived 200 entries. Manyentries came from bothBuford and Gwinnett Coun-
ty schools as well as home-schoolers.
This time, the theme is“Art from the Heart” whichwill offer a wide range ofsubjects for kids to contem-plate. Anita’s Artscoolowner Anita Stewart said,“This theme asks youngartists to show us what isspecial, important, wonder-ful and exciting to them.”
Studio 8 has alreadydonated six scholarships forchildren to win. The scholar-ships will provide free artlessons at Anita’s Artscoolfor a month. Anita’sArtscool has been teachingart classes in Buford for thepast 12 years.
Guidelines for the contest
are easy for kids to follow.Artwork will be judged oncreativity, artistic skills,
composition, clarity of mes-sage, and an overall flow,attraction to viewers, and
presentation.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 7
Enjoy fine wine and delicious dining in an intimate atmosphereat Olive Bistro before the show!3 2 3 0 C O B B P A R K W A Y
770.272.8900 • www.olivebistro.com
DO YOU HAVE COURAGE?DO YOU HAVE COURAGE?presents
FEBRUARY 3-6, 2011 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!Call 800-745-3000 • Ticketmaster.com or visit the Centre’s Box Office.
Visit www.cobbenergycentre.com/broadway for more informattion
Mail your story & entry to GDP/Wiz P.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 or visit gwinnettdailypost.com
to enter at No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years old or older to enter.
Void where prohibited and restricted by law. Sponsor’s employees and their dependents are ineligible. Entries must be received by 1/28/11.
Name ____________________ Phone ______________Address_________________________________________________________________________________________Email ___________________________________________
Tell us in 50 words or less about a courageous person
in your life for a chance to win four tickets to see the show and a $50 Gift
Certificate to Olive Bistro!
Mail your completed entry to GDP/SecretariatP.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
or visit gwinnettdailypost.com to enter at
No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years old or older to enter. Void where prohibited and restricted by law. Sponsor’s employees and their dependents are ineligible. Entries must be received by 1/28/11. Winners will be notified.
Name ____________________________ Phone _________________________Address __________________________________________________________Email ____________________________________________________________
Available on Blu-RayTM Combo Pack January 25!
ARTSAnita’s Artscool offers scholarships through contest
ART BEATHOLLEY CALMES • See Art Beat, Page 8
PAGE 8 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
Artwork can be two orthree dimensional. Twodimensional art can beeither 8.5” by 11” or 18” by24” and can be ink, coloredpencil, fabric paint, pastels,tempera, oil, or watercolorpaints.
The only restriction forthree-dimensional work isthat it must be able to standby itself, not be more thanfive pounds, and anythingadhered to it must stickproperly. Materials used areup to the creativity of theyoung artist.
Be sure to put the artist’sname, age, school and gradeon the back of the piecesubmitted. If teachers aresubmitting multiple works,Stewart is happy to go pickthem up if the school islocated within a 15- to 20-
minute drive from down-town Buford and there are atleast 10 pieces to collectfrom each school. If submis-sions are from individuals,please be sure to put thename of the artist, addressand contact information onthe artwork.
All artwork submitted forthis contest will be on dis-play at Studio 8 which isopen Mondays through Fri-days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.The artwork will be up byFeb. 11, and there is a recep-tion on Feb. 12. The artworkwill be on view at Studio 8through March 31. Studio 8is located at 355 BrogdonRoad, Suite 101 in Suwa-nee.
Anita’s Artscool has awide variety of art classesfor all ages. Be sure tocheck out the website atwww.anitasartscool.com.
Both Anita Stewart andAnna Banguilan encouragepotential contest participantsto contact them with ques-tions. Stewart’s e-mailaddress is [email protected] or call her at 678-230-4937. Banguilan’sphone number is 770-614-3660, or you can reach herthrough her website atwww.justanna.com.
Anyone interested inmaking a donation toincrease the number ofscholarships is encouragedto call either Stewart orBanguilan. They are ask-ing for $100 per scholar-ship that will cover a win-ner’s art classes for onemonth.
Holley Calmes is a free-lance writer and public rela-tions consultant specializingin the arts. E-mail her [email protected].
• From Page 7
Gwinnett’s First Choice for Theatrical Entertainment
Sponsored byJANUJANUARARY 13 – FEBRY 13 – FEBRUUARARY 7Y 7There is trouble in a 25-year marriage!
The cure? A mythical Siren.
678.226.6222 | www.auroratheatre.comOrder Online
Pict
ured
: Kat
e Do
nadi
o. P
hoto
by
Chris
Bar
tels
ki
a quirky comedyby Deborah Zoe Laufer
a quirky comedyby Deborah Zoe Laufer
Art Beat
EDITOR’S NOTE: FilmFans features local residentsreviewing the film of theweek: “Country Strong.”Want to be a film fan? E-mail [email protected].
“Country Strong”explores whether fameand love can co-existthrough two love stories:The established marriageof Kelly and James Can-ter (Gwyneth Paltrow andTim McGraw) and theromance between up-and-
coming singers ChilesStanton and Beau Hutton(Garret Hedlund andLeighton Meester).
The acting is excellentall around especiallyMcGraw. Paltrow does aknockout job portraying awashed-up country staron a comeback tour. Shesings her own songs anddoes a surprisingly goodjob for a non-singer. Thismovie is not predictableand will keep you guess-ing to the end. There areadult themes so this isnot for children.
— Stephanie Kilroe,Lawrenceville
“Country Strong” is amishmash of all the badcliches from every movieever made about countrymusic. The story is poorlydeveloped and it seems likeimportant scenes were cut.Gwyneth Paltrow’s charac-ter is completely one-dimen-sional and, as a result, Inever connected with her.By the end of the movie Ididn’t care what happenedto her. The only characterwho was halfway interestingwas the up-and-comingmale country singer, Beau.
Maybe if the movie hadbeen more about him itwould have been more inter-esting.
All I know is I am sorry Iwasted my Saturday nighton it. I hope this keeps youfrom wasting yours.
— Laurel Grams,Lawrenceville
You don’t have to be acountry music fan to enjoythis movie, although thestory is familiar, it’s stillpretty good without themusic. When you add themusic it becomes that much
more enjoyable. With veteran actors like
Gwyneth Paltrow and Gar-rett Hedlund, who can alsoactually sing, and singers thecaliber of Tim McGraw whocan also act, their perfor-mances become that muchmore entertaining.
Paltrow is excellent in herrole as a recovering alco-holic country music icon,but it’s Garrett Hedlund whosteals the show. Previouslyseen in “Friday NightLights” with McGraw, and“Four Brothers” with MarkWahlberg, among others,Hedlund brings a trackrecord of excellent perfor-
mances to the role of Kelly’s(Paltrow) rehab sponsor,who gets a little too close inhis effort to help her withher recovery and becomespart of the opening act forher recovery tour. He singsall of his own songs, and notonly can he sing, he cansing so well that McGrawhas said that he could have acareer in country music if hewanted it.
Good movie that deservesthe PG-13 rating. Greatsoundtrack to boot with alloriginal songs, mostly sungby the cast themselves.
— Steve Kalberg,Lawrenceville
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 9
FILM FANS
Film Fans mixed over ‘Country Strong’
★★★★★
★★★★★★★
★★★★★
PAGE 10 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
BY MICHAEL CLARKMovie Critic
Rarely are movie loversand/or political junkiesafforded this kind of plumopportunity, so if you’reone or both, take note.
Option one: For the costof coffee and a doughnut,you could rent the docu-mentary “Casino Jack andthe United States ofMoney” and be enlight-ened, educated and highlyentertained in the comfortof your own living room.Option two: Leave yourhome in the dead of win-ter and pick one of only
two theaters showing“Casino Jack,” plunkdown $10 per head andthen experience one of themost squandered cinemat-ic offerings of 2010.
Cutting his teeth duringthe Reagan administration,Jack Abramoff (KevinSpacey) connected himselfwith every key lawmakerin Washington and by theturn of the century wasarguably the most influen-tial lobbyist in the nation’shistory. Like many a manbefore him drunk withpower and convinced ofhis own invincibility,Abramoff eventually tooktoo many stupid chancesand stepped on too manyimportant peoples’ toes.
In Abramoff, recentlydeceased director GeorgeHickenlooper, his screen-
writer Norman Snider andtheir 14 producers had themost potently tragic andmineable political figuresince Richard Nixon andthey completely missed themark. Instead of straight-ahead drama or deep blackcomedy, the filmmakersmix melodrama, slapstickand farce into what is littlemore than a series ofmoronic “Saturday NightLive” skits. The miscastingof former “SNL” castmember Jon Lovitz in akey role only adds to thisfeeling.
Usually able to com-pletely disappear into hischaracters, the two-timeOscar-winner Spacey mis-takenly seizes onAbramoff’s penchant forcelebrity impersonationsand makes it his principal
focus. Himself a notedmimic, Spacey riffs onnearly two dozen actorsand famous scenes frommovies and every time heopens his mouth he takesthe audience completelyout of the moment. On topof that he bears littleresemblance to the muchlarger Abramoff and neveronce do we get theimpression that he’s eventrying. The film is a defac-to Spacey audition/clip/outtake reel and his per-formance here is the lazi-est of his career.
While Snider concen-trates heavily the twohigh-profile scams thateventually broughtAbramoff down, he failsto include a single sliverof data regarding hisunique Hollywood
upbringing or his laser-focused, unflinching riseto power. Watching amighty man like Abramofffall isn’t all that engagingunless we’re also madeaware of his relativelyhumble, determined ori-gins. We are never givenany opportunity to developany empathy or a reasonto like or respect him, ifonly temporarily.
The only portion of themovie the filmmakers getright is Abramoff’s quasi-sinister relationship withformer House MajorityLeader Tom DeLay, hismain congressional con-tact and “business part-ner.” Played with unerringrestraint by Spencer Gar-rett, DeLay and his ownfall in some ways wasmore tragic and telling
than Abramoff’s and itdeserves a movie of itsown. DeLay was sen-tenced just this past Mon-day to three years inprison for his crimes.
In the great scheme ofthings what Abramoff didwasn’t quite as slimy ordespicable as the conorchestrated by BernieMadoff but it comes close.The difference was Mad-off knew he was in thewrong and Abramoff wastotally convinced he wasdoing the right thing. Heentered politics with thefervor and dedication of apatriot and left a total dis-grace. It’s the true modernversion of an age-oldhuman tragedy that you’llnever glean or recognizeby anything seen this film.(ATO)
Spacey gives the laziest performance of his entire careerSpecial Photo: ATO
Kevin Spacey, left, and Barry Pepper star in “Casino Jack.”
JACKED
Casino Jack(R)
★★★★★★
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 11
BY MICHAEL CLARKMovie Critic
After almost singlehandedlysabotaging her father Francis’“The Godfather III” while playingMichael Corleone’s teen daughter,Sofia Coppola wisely assumed alower profile then returned adecade a later as a writer/director.
Nearly rivaling Ben Affleck inthe career makeover department,Coppola has an interesting film-making style that in no wayresembles her dad’s but can’tquite be defined as exceptional orunique either.
Echoing (some may say aping)the French New Wave of the ’50sand ’60s, Coppola’s movies are
largely devoid of plot and aresteeped heavily in ambience, atti-tude and atmosphere. She alsoleaves audiences little room forambivalence; you either love orhate her movies, which probablysuits her just fine. Any seriousfilmmaker would rather be dis-liked than ignored.
“Somewhere” is essentially anextension of “Lost in Translation,”the 2003 mood piece that deliv-ered Coppola her only Oscar (forscreenwriting) to date. Not muchhappens here, and when it’s overmost viewers will feel that thesum parts don’t quite equal theslightly more telling whole.
Having grown up in the movieindustry, Coppola is as qualifiedas anyone to offer an informedinsider’s commentary on it. Mostmovies about the business of film,or more specifically on-screen tal-ent, depend largely on sensation-
alism and tabloid exaggeration. InCoppola’s opinion, the off-screenlife of an actor is not only boringand vacuous, it’s likely to leaveone spiritually unfulfilled anddrained of their soul.
Despite being unimpressedwith his own career and feelinglike an empty shell, achievingaction superstardom has madeJohnny Marco (Atlanta nativeStephen Dorff) rich, famous andmiserable. After breaking his armduring his latest shoot, Johnnytakes up residency in the ChateauMarmont, the infamous L.A.bungalow where John Belushidied.
With time to kill before an Ital-ian junket to promote his movie,Johnny installs dancer’s poles inhis room where twin blondescome every night to entertain him.Johnny is so jaded and spent hefalls asleep before their perfor-
mances are done. He hires strip-pers not so much because likeswatching them; he does sobecause he feels its expectedbehavior from a male celebrity.
Johnny’s routine gets a slightjolt when his ex-wife informs himthat he’s going to have to care fortheir daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning)full time for the foreseeablefuture. Johnny and Cleo haven’thad the ideal parent-child relation-ship but do share an unspoken,kindred understanding. Sheknows he’s a big deal but doesn’tmilk it or behave like a spoiledrich girl, and for that he’s deeplyappreciative.
In accentuating the tedium ofJohnny’s existence, Coppola takesit too literally by giving the audi-ence nothing in the way of sub-stantive drama. Watching Johnnywatching Cleo ice-skate isn’tengaging and neither is watching
both of them play a guitar-basedvideo game. Witnessing a manand his preteen child do nothingall day gets old fast, but that maybe part of Coppola’s point.
The “action” picks up a tadwhen Johnny and Cleo land inItaly, where fawning hotel work-ers, vapid reporters and a bizarrelystaged awards program under-scores the often silly dog andpony show events celebrities mustendure while hawking their latestprojects. This too-brief sectionmarks the high point of the film,and if Coppola stayed in Italy theentire time, everyone — the audi-ence especially — would have farbetter served.
Although its title might indicateotherwise, “Somewhere” basicallygoes nowhere. A movie aboutboredom and malaise shouldn’tresemble its subject matter thisclosely. (Focus Features)
Somewhere (PG-13)★★★★★★
Special Photo: Focus FeaturesStephen Dorff, left, and Elle Fanning star in Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere.”
Laid-back ‘Somewhere’ leaves audiences bored
PAGE 12 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
SHOWTIMESSHOWTIMESMOVIE TIMES FOR FRIDAY, JAN. 14
BUFORDREGAL CINEMAS,MALL OF GEORGIA 203333 Buford Drive678-482-9263www.regalcinemas.com
Black Swan (R)1:25, 4:05, 7:25, 10:05The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader (PG)12:00, 2:35, 5:15, 7:50, 10:25Country Strong (PG-13)3:15, 4:45, 9:15, 10:10, 11:55The Dilemma (PG-13)12:00, 12:30, 2:35, 3:05, 5:10, 5:40, 7:45, 8:15,10:20, 10:50The Fighter (R)12:40, 3:50, 7:10, 9:55The Green Hornet 3-D (PG-13)12:20, 2:00, 3:10, 4:50, 7:00, 7:40, 10:00, 10:30The Green Hornet (PG-13)1:00, 3:50, 6:40, 9:30, 12:10Gulliver’s Travels 3-D (PG)1:10, 3:15, 5:30, 7:55, 10:15The Heart Specialist (NR)12:05, 2:25, 4:55, 7:20, 9:45, 12:05The King's Speech (R)1:20, 4:10, 7:20, 10:25Little Fockers (PG-13)12:10, 2:25, 4:45, 7:10, 9:30, 11:50Season of the Witch (PG-13)12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:05Tangled (PG)12:05, 2:30, 7:30The Tourist (PG-13)11:50, 2:15, 4:55, 7:25, 10:10Tron: Legacy: An IMAX 3-D Experience (PG)1:10, 4:05, 7:00, 9:55Tron: Legacy (PG)12:05, 6:20Tron: Legacy 3-D (PG)1:55, 4:40, 7:35, 10:30True Grit (PG-13)11:50, 2:30, 4:50, 5:05, 7:45, 10:00, 10:20Yogi Bear 3-D (PG)12:50, 2:55, 5:25, 7:55, 10:15
DACULAGREAT ESCAPE THEATERS:HAMILTON MILL 142160 Hamilton Creek ParkwayDacula, GA 30019678-482-0624www.greatescapetheaters.com
Black Swan (R)11:20, 2:00, 4:40, 7:30, 10:20Country Strong (PG-13)11:05, 1:45, 4:25, 7:05, 9:45The Dilemma (PG-13)11:35, 2:15, 4:55, 7:35, 9:20, 10:15The Fighter (R)11:50, 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:30Green Hornet 3D (PG-13)
11:00, 11:25, 1:40, 2:05, 4:20, 4:45, 6:30, 7:00,7:25, 9:10, 9:40, 10:05Gulliver’s Travels 3-D (PG)12:00, 2:10, 4:20The King’s Speech (R)11:45, 2:25, 5:05, 7:45, 10:25Little Fockers (PG-13)12:10, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:30Season of the Witch (PG-13)12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:40, 10:00Tangled (PG)11:10, 1:50, 4:15, 6:45The Tourist (PG-13)9:00Tron: Legacy 3-D (PG)1:20, 4:10, 7:05, 9:55True Grit (PG-13)11:15, 1:55, 4:35, 7:15, 9:50Yogi Bear (PG)12:15, 2:20, 4:30, 6:50
DULUTHREGAL CINEMAS,MEDLOCK CROSSING 189700 Medlock Bridge Road, Suite 170770-814-8437www.regalcinemas.com
Black Swan (R)11:45, 2:20, 5:15, 8:05, 10:55The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader (PG)11:35, 2:15, 4:55, 7:45, 10:35Country Strong (PG-13)12:20, 3:45, 7:35, 10:25The Dilemma (PG-13)12:45, 1:15, 4:15, 4:45, 7:25, 7:50, 10:05, 10:40The Fighter (R)12:35, 4:20, 8:15, 11:00The Green Hornet 3-D (PG-13)12:30, 1:00, 4:30, 5:00, 7:40, 8:10, 10:30, 11:00The Green Hornet (PG-13)12:00, 4:00, 7:10, 10:00Gulliver's Travels (PG)11:55, 2:10, 5:05, 7:15, 9:40Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (PG-13)12:05, 7:05
The Heart Specialist (NR)11:40, 2:05, 4:35, 7:00, 9:35The King's Speech (R)11:50, 3:55, 7:30, 10:20Little Fockers (PG-13)11:30, 2:00, 4:25, 7:15, 9:50Season of the Witch (PG-13)12:10, 2:30, 5:10, 8:00, 10:45Tangled (PG)4:50, 7:20, 9:45Tron: Legacy 3-D (PG)12:25, 4:05, 7:55, 10:50True Grit (PG-13)12:40, 3:40, 7:35, 10:10The Tourist (PG-13)3:50, 10:15Yogi Bear (PG)12:15, 2:25
LAWRENCEVILLECOLONIAL 18 THEATRES825 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road770-237-0744www.amctheatres.com
127 Hours (R)12:50, 9:50 Black Swan (R)10:55 1:45, 4:35, 7:25, 10:05 Country Strong (PG-13)9:50, 12:40, 3:30, 6:20, 9:10 The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader (PG)11:20 2:10, 5:20, 8:10 The Dilemma (PG-13)9:45 10:40 12:25, 1:25, 3:10, 4:10, 5:55, 7:00,8:30, 9:40 The Fighter (R)10:50 1:40, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 The Green Hornet (PG-13)11:55 2:15, 5:10, 8:05, 10:25 The Green Hornet 3-D (PG-13)1:00, 3:55, 6:50, 9:45 Gulliver’s Travels (PG)11:30 1:50 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (PG-13)11:10 2:20, 5:45, 9:00 The King’s Speech (R)
11:40 2:45, 5:40, 8:35 Little Fockers (PG-13)11:45 2:25, 5:05, 7:40, 10:10 Megamind (PG)1:20, 3:50 Season of the Witch (PG-13)10:30 1:10, 3:50, 6:30, 9:20 Tangled (PG)10:45 1:20, 4:05, 6:35, 9:05 The Tourist (PG-13)11:00 1:35, 4:15, 6:55, 9:30 Tron: Legacy (PG)9:55 3:45, 6:45 True Grit (PG-13)10:00, 12:35, 3:20, 6:05, 8:45 Unstoppable (PG-13)1:55, 4:35Yogi Bear (PG)2:55, 5:25Yogi Bear 3-D (PG)1:55, 4:10
AMC DISCOVER MILLS 18THEATRES5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 415678-847-9265www.amctheatres.com
Black Swan (R)11:05, 1:55, 4:45, 7:40, 10:30 Country Strong (PG-13)10:40, 1:25, 4:10, 7:20, 10:20 The Dilemma (PG-13)11:20, 12:15, 2:05, 3:15, 5:00, 6:00, 7:50, 8:50,10:40, 11:40,The Green Hornet (PG-13)12:10, 3:10, 6:10, 9:10, 12:00 a.m.The Green Hornet 3-D (PG-13)10:30, 11:10 1:30, 2:10, 4:30, 5:10, 7:30, 8:10,10:30, 11:10 Gulliver’s Travels (PG)11:45, 2:15, 4:35, 6:55, 9:20 The Heart Specialist (NR)11:25, 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:45, 12:15amThe King's Speech (R)10:50, 1:45, 4:50, 7:45, 10:45 Little Fockers (PG-13)11:30, 2:10, 4:40, 7:25, 9:55 Season of the Witch (PG-13)11:15, 1:50, 4:25, 7:00, 9:40, 12:05
Tangled (PG)11:55, 2:30, 5:05, 7:35, 10:05 The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader 3-D(PG)10:35, 1:30, 4:20 The Fighter (R)10:55, 1:35, 4:15, 7:05, 9:50 The Tourist (PG-13)7:10, 9:50 Tron: Legacy 3-D (PG)10:45, 1:40, 4:55, 8:00, 11:00 True Grit (PG-13)11:00, 1:40, 4:30, 7:15, 10:15Yogi Bear (PG)11:25, 1:45, 3:55, 6:15, 8:40
GEORGIA THEATRE CO.,TOWN CENTER VALUE700 Gwinnett Drive, No. 216678-985-2222www.georgiatheatrecompany.com
Burlesque (PG-13)5:15, 8:15Despicable Me (PG)5:15, 7:40, 9:55Due Date (R)5:25, 7:50, 10:05Faster (R)5:35, 7:55, 10:10For Colored Girls (R)5:30, 8:30Legend of the Guardians:The Owl of Ga’Hoole (PG)4:00Life As We Know It (PG-13)7:00, 9:30Megamind (PG)5:20, 7:45, 10:00Nowhere Boy (R)4:10Red (PG-13)4:05, 7:05, 9:35Secretariat (PG)5:00, 8:00The Social Network (PG-13)7:10, 9:45
SNELLVILLECARMIKE 12 SNELLVILLE1905 Scenic HighwayPresidential Market Center770-979-1519www.carmike.com
Black Swan (R)1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45The Green Hornet 3-D (PG-13)1:35, 4:30, 7:10, 9:45Gulliver’s Travels (PG)2:50, 5:05, 7:20, 9:35Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (PG-13)1:00, 4:10, 7:20How Do You Know (PG-13)1:30, 4:15, 7:10, 9:50The King’s Speech (R)1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:45LIttle Fockers (PG-13)1:00, 3:00, 3:20, 5:20, 5:40, 7:40, 8:00Season of the Witch (PG-13)1:20, 4:15, 7:00, 9:30Tangled (PG)1:00, 3:20, 5:40, 8:00True Grit (PG13)1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:30
REGAL SNELLVILLE OAKS 142125 E. Main St., Snellville770-972-7469www.regalcinemas.com
Burlesque (PG-13)1:45, 4:25, 7:20, 10:00The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader 3-D(PG)3:20, 5:45, 8:10, 10:35The Chronicles of Narnia: TheVoyage of the Dawn Treader (PG)2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25Country Strong (PG-13)2:00, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15The Dilemma (PG-13)2:40, 5:30, 8:15, 10:45Due Date (R)1:50, 4:10, 6:20, 8:30, 10:50The Fighter (R)2:55, 5:35, 8:15, 10:55Love and Other Drugs (R)2:15, 4:45, 7:15, 9:40Megamind (PG)2:35, 4:50, 7:10, 9:15The Tourist (PG-13)2:20, 4:40, 6:55, 9:20Tron: Legacy 3-D (PG)2:55, 5:40, 8:20, 11:00Tron: Legacy (PG)1:45, 4:25, 7:05, 9:45Yogi Bear (PG)2:45, 4:45, 6:45, 8:45, 10:45Yogi Bear 3-D (PG)1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45, 9:45
For movie showtimes for Saturday and Sunday, visit the theater websites.
Recently reviewed filmsnow playing in theaters:
• Blue Valentine (R) Co-leadsRyan Gosling and MichelleWilliams rightfully earned mul-tiple awards nominations fortheir roles as husband andwife in this ultra-depressingdrama that ingenuously chron-icles the slow descent of atumultuous, ill-advised mar-riage. 3 stars — Michael Clark
• Gulliver’s Travels (PG) Pro-ducer Jack Black plays him-self as the title character inthis modern day butchering ofthe Jonathan Swift classicsatire. Adding insult to injury,Black surrounds himself withmostly talented British thespi-ans called on to look and actlike fools. 11⁄2 stars — MC
• Little Fockers (PG-13)Maybe not the worst movie of2010, but certainly a travestyon every level.The entire origi-nal cast returns — every oneof them solely for a paycheck— and none is more pathetic,grating, unfunny and unlike-able as co-producer Robert
De Niro. 1⁄2 of a star — MC
• Made In Dagenham (PG-13) Competent and pretty ifnot altogether memorable, thisartsy comedic drama about
striking female auto workers in1960s Britain is little morethan a watered down “NormaRae” with a better soundtrackand higher-end productionvalues. 21⁄2 stars — MC
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 13
A UNIVERSAL PICTURE© 2010 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH SPYGLASS ENTERTAINMENTA BRIAN GRAZER / WILD WEST PICTURE SHOW PRODUCTION VINCE VAUGHN KEVIN JAMES “THE DILEMMA” JENNIFER CONNELLY WINONA RYDERCHANNING TATUM AND QUEEN LATIFAH LORNE BALFEHANS ZIMMERMUSIC
BY KATHLEEN MCGILL WILLIAM M. CONNORLOUISA VELISASSOCIATEPRODUCERS
VICTORIA VAUGHN KIM ROTHEXECUTIVEPRODUCERS TODD HALLOWELL RON HOWARDDIRECTED
BYALLAN LOEBWRITTEN BYRON HOWARD VINCE VAUGHNBRIAN GRAZERPRODUCED
BY
SOUNDTRACK ON CHOP SHOP/ATLANTIC RECORDS
FROM DIRECTOR RON HOWARD
MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes - Text DILEMMA with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)!
STARTS TODAYCHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
IN THEATERS IN AND .
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FORTHEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM PRODUCTION
EXECUTIVEPRODUCERS SETH ROGEN EVAN GOLDBERG MICHAEL GRILLO ORI MARMUR GEORGE W. TRENDLE, JR.
A FILM BY MICHEL GONDRY “THE GREEN HORNET” EDWARD JAMES OLMOSAND TOM WILKINSONDAVID HARBOUR MUSIC
BY JAMES NEWTON HOWARD
BASED UPON “THE GREEN HORNET”RADIO SERIES CREATED BY GEORGE W. TRENDLE WRITTEN
BY SETH ROGEN & EVAN GOLDBERGPRODUCED
BY NEAL H. MORITZ DIRECTEDBY MICHEL GONDRY
“An Amazing 3D Experience.Hilarious, action packed and outrageously entertaining.”
Jeff Craig, SIXTY SECOND PREVIEW
“The most fun you ’ll have at the movies this season.”Mark S. Allen, CBS-CW
STARTS TODAY
MOVIESNOWSHOWING
PAGE 14 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
Enter for a chance to WIN a Family 4-Pack of tickets to RinglingBros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Barnum’s FUNUNDRUM™.A new winner will be announced every 10 minutes!
Enter for your chance to WIN 1 of 2 Grand Prizes, including aDigital Camera or Nintendo DSi - PLUS - 4 VIP Tickets to RinglingBros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Barnum’s FUNUNDRUM™.
See Ambassador of Laughter Michael Richter perform amazingoptical illusions, balancing acts and fun social silliness.
Enjoy free popcorn, clown noses and other fun activities!
SPONSORED IN PART BY:
JANUARY 29 • 3-5pm BrandsMart U.S.A. Mall of Georgia
SAVE up to $8 on tickets!*
Special ticket offer from BrandsMart U.S.A.! Save up to $8 on tickets! Use discount code “BrandsMart”
at ticketmaster.com , Arena Box Office or when you call 1-800-745-3000.*Valid for select performances ony. Excludes Circus CelebritySM, Front Row, VIP and Club Seats
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Complete rules are available on CONTEST CENTRAL at www.gwinnettdailypost.com.
invites you to bring the family, bring the kids, bringgrandma to experience the FUN of the Circus!
JANUARY 29 • 3-5pm BrandsMart U.S.A. Mall of Georgia
is coming to Philips Arenaand The Arena at Gwinnett
Center in Februarybut the fun and excitement
begins in January!
~ ONLY AT ~
presents
FEB. 17-21 FEB. 24-27
DISC SPOTLIGHT
MICHAEL CLARK
The Social Network 2-disc Blu-ray
(PG-13) Disc:Movie: ★★★★★
The early favorite to win this year’s OscarFor Best Picture, director David Fincher’smovie about the founding of Facebook getsquite a bit right and is never less than rivetingbut also carries with it copious amounts of sen-sory overload. The rapid fire, overlapping dia-logue and technical/computer geek minutiaadds nothing to the superb dramatic mysteryangle and is more of a distraction than anenhancement. The lengthy second disc ofbonus materials is indispensable, especially fordedicated Fincher fans.
Technical specs: aspect ratio: Widescreen(2.40:1, 1080p), audio: English (DTS-HD MA5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0). subtitles:English SDH, French and Spanish.
Special features include:
• Cast and filmmaker commentaries• Four-part feature-length documentary• Six making-of featurettes• BD Live
(Sony, $34.95)
MOVIES
★★★★
BY RYAN PEARSONThe Associated Press
CULVER CITY, Calif. —Seth Rogen took a very non-superhero approach to earlycritics of his plan to reinvent“The Green Hornet”: Hewaited them out.
Rogen stars as the maskedLos Ange-les crime-fighter inthe 3-Da c t i o n -comedy, setfor releaseFriday aftera series of
delays and cast and crewchanges. He began work onthe script in 2007 with writingpartner Evan Goldberg whilefilming “Pineapple Express,”before the success of “Super-bad” and “Knocked Up.”
The duo talked up theirvision at Comic-Con in SanDiego each summer for thepast three years. But they
struggled to win over even thegeek fan base. Could thisschlubby stoner from Canadado justice to a 75-year-oldfranchise? And were BrittReid and sidekick Kato (onceplayed by Bruce Lee) evenrelevant anymore?
“It was interesting to be apart of something that therewas so much focus onbecause we hadn’t beforeever in our lives,” Rogen, 28,said in an interview on a SonyStudios soundstage. “It wasjust kind of shocking to seehow much everyone fell intothe idea of ‘Oh my gosh, thisis insane. How could they dothis?’ We were pretty confi-dent that once people saw themovie, if we were ever able tomake it, that they would likeit.”
Hong Kong filmmakerStephen Chow (“Kung FuHustle”) was initially set todirect, but dropped out.Nicholas Cage was consid-ered for the villain before
dropping out. Michel Gondry,fresh off the lo-fi whimsy of“Be Kind Rewind,” eventual-ly stepped behind the camera,with Christoph Waltz(“Inglourious Basterds”) asthe insecure-yet-deadly villain.
A planned 2010 releasewas scrapped by the studio,Sony, to allow time for 3-Dpost-conversion. And the bud-get climbed to over $100 mil-lion, eclipsing any of Rogenor Gondry’s previous films.
“It was an ambitious ideato make kind of a new-style,
big, huge comic-book actionmovie. It’s not something thatpeople generally want to do,is spend a ton of money to dosomething that’s kind of dif-ferent,” Rogen said. “So itwas a long road, but ulti-mately the idea was alwaysthe same. And I think that’swhy it stuck around. Thisidea about a hero and a side-kick who don’t get alongvery well, that was alwayssuch a simple, funny idea tous and everyone at the studiothat it just kind of hungaround.”
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 15
1321 Atlanta HighwayCumming, GA 30040
Fri: 9–5 • Sat: 9–6 • Sun: 10–5
770.889.3400www.lakewoodantiques.com
Directions: GA 400 toexit 13, go west,
next right on GA 9(Atlanta Hwy)
THIS WEEKENDJANUARY 14,15,16
ANTIQUESCOLLECTIBLESHOME DECOR
EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT STARTS TODAY
WINNER BEST PICTURE2010 VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Academy Award®
winner for LOST IN TRANSLATION
Stephen Dorff Elle Fanning
Check out iTunes.com/FocusFeaturesfor an exclusive playlist from
SOFIA COPPOLAfeaturing music from the film
– and more!
“INTENSELY EMOTIONAL. A STORY OF FATHERAND DAUGHTER THAT EVOKES A RARE DELIGHT.
One of the year’s best pictures.”Richard Brody,
“PERFECT. ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST PICTURES.”A.O. Scott,
“MOVING, MAGICAL, PROFOUNDAND VERY FUNNY.”
Scott Mantz,
“★★★★.”Roger Ebert,
Landmark Theatres MIDTOWN ART CINEMA 931 Monroe Drive 678/495-1424SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY OR CALL FOR SOUND INFORMATION AND SHOWTIMES
MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes – Text SOMEWHERE with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
SCREEN GEMS PRESENTS A MATERIAL PICTURES PRODUCTION “COUNTRY STRONG” MUSICSUPERVISION BY RANDALL POSTER
WRITTEN ANDDIRECTED BY SHANA FESTEPRODUCED
BY JENNO TOPPING & TOBEY MAGUIREEXECUTIVEPRODUCER MEREDITH ZAMSKYMUSIC
BY MICHAEL BROOK
TRACE ADKINS RONNIE DUNN TIM McGRAW & GWYNETH PALTROWCAST ALBUM COMING SOON
SOUNDTRACK INCLUDES NEW RECORDINGS BY
G O L D E N G L O B E N O M I N E EB E S T O R I G I N A L S O N G
®
“‘COUNTRY STRONG’ IS A MUST-SEE for any country music fan!”
Tony Thomas – KMPS-FM
MOVIESRogen waits out doubtersfor his turn as superhero
Seth Rogen
PAGE 16 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
A REVIEW BYCHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic
Someday — somedaysoon, hopefully — 3-D willbe exposed for the shamthat it is.
We will all realize that,for the vast majority offilms, shooting in or con-verting to 3-D offersabsolutely nothing from anarrative standpoint, andvery little visually; all thisgimmick really adds is
money at the box officethrough higher ticket prices.And, perhaps, the sanctityof the art form might berestored once more.
This is probably justwishful thinking, of course.But until that blessed daycomes, we will continue tobe bombarded withmediocre action pictureslike “The Green Hornet.”
It didn’t have to be thisway. There was reason forhope.
“The Green Hornet”comes from director MichelGondry, who’s known fortelling imaginative storieswith inspired visuals.Gondry’s previous filmsinclude “Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind” and“The Science of Sleep,” and— like so many featurefilmmakers these days —he made his name withstriking music videos. (Hiswork with The WhiteStripes alone is legendary.)
Hearing his nameattached to a big, studiosuperhero movie — starringSeth Rogen, of all people— may have soundedincongruent, but at least itwas intriguing, and it heldthe promise of ingenuityand artistry. We might havebeen in for something freshand daring. Instead, Gondryhas come up with a surpris-ingly generic, bombasticaction movie. Except for a
few sequences that carry abit of his flair, this couldhave been made by anyone.
That the script came fromRogen and Evan Goldberg— who also co-wrote theraunchy-but-sweet “Super-bad,” inspired by their long-time friendship — also sug-gested a different kind ofsuperhero. And indeed, thefirst half seems as if it wereintended to play like a JuddApatow-style bromance,only with elaborate gad-getry. But as the film wearson, it devolves into a numb-ing onslaught of automaticweapon fire, shattered glassand explosions. Just as itshould be reaching anengrossing climax, it grows
more repellant.Based on the 1930s radio
show, “The Green Hornet”stars Rogen as Britt Reid,playboy heir to the LosAngeles publishing empirebuilt by his father (TomWilkinson, relegated to aone-note role in just a cou-ple of scenes). But when hisfather dies suddenly, Brittrealizes he has a chance touse his fortune for good,and makes the impetuousdecision to become a vigi-lante crime fighter by night.With the help of his father’smechanic, the soft-spokenbut ever-resourceful Kato(Taiwanese pop star JayChou), Britt devises a per-sona, costumes, a whole
secret, adventurous life.Truthfully, Kato comes
up with all this stuff,although Britt repeatedlyclaims he’s the star of theoperation and dismissesKato as merely the sidekick.The dynamic between thetwo should be giddily infec-tious, or at least endearing;we should be itching to goalong for the ride in one oftheir many tricked-out cars.Instead, a slimmed-downRogen is just playing a ver-sion of the good-natured,wisecracking slacker heplays in everything, whichnever feels like a comfort-able fit alongside the coollyefficient Chou. (ColumbiaPictures)
MOVIES
The Green Hornet(PG-13)
★★★★★★
SethRogen, left,
and JayChou star
in “TheGreen
Hornet.”
‘Green Hornet’ an uncomfortable fit for Seth RogenSpecial Photo: Columbia
So, you think you’re goodat movie trivia? Every week,we give readers the opportu-nity to flex their movie mus-cles by answering five triviaquestions from our moviecritic, Michael Clark.
Congratulations to lastweek’s winner, FlorrieBumpers of Lawrenceville.
Here are last week’s ques-tions again and the answers:
1. Who provided thespeaking voice for the cow-girl toy character in “ToyStory 2”?
A: Joan Cusack2. Name the last person to
win an Oscar for actingwhose character died in thefilm.
A: Sean Penn in “Milk”3. Name the last year
where the winners of boththe Best Lead Male andBest Lead Female Oscarsplayed nonfictional heads ofstate.
A: 2006 (Helen Mirrenas Queen Elizabeth II andForrest Whitaker as Idi
Amin)4. In what English city
was “The Full Monty” set?A: Sheffield5. What was the occupa-
tion of Jack Nicholson’scharacter in “As Good As ItGets”?
A: Novelist
Now, for this week’squestions:
1. Name the last two peo-ple who were nominated foracting Oscars in the samefilm while playing parentand child.
2. What classic film’soriginal theatrical releasedate was canceled becauseof the assassination of JohnF. Kennedy?
3. What biblical figure didJohn Travolta play in amovie?
4. Name the last moviewhere Martin Scorsesedirected himself in a speak-ing role.
5. Name the Oscar-win-ning movie that opens withthis line of dialogue: “Ibelieve in America.”
The first person torespond with all the correctanswers receives a prizepackage of movie-relatedgoodies, which couldinclude promotional T-shirts, hats, posters, DVDs,video games and more. Thewinner also gets their namepublished in the next Week-end section. Please e-mailyour answers, along withyour name to clark-
[email protected] “Gwinnett DailyPost Trivia Contest” in thesubject line. In the event noone answers all of the ques-tions correctly, the personwith the most correctanswers submitted by 6 p.m.the Monday after the contestis posted will be the winner.Only one winner per house-hold is eligible each 30-dayperiod.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 17
MOVIE TRIVIA CONTEST
Commentsfrom the audience welcome.
Love movies? Want to tell everyone
what you think?Become a Film Fan.
The Post will pay for the movie and a
light snack.
E-mail [email protected].
SaturdayAuthor Steve Berry will
appear at 7 p.m. Saturday atthe Norcross Cultural Artsand Community Center, 10College St. in Norcross. Formore information, call 770-978-5154 or visit www.gwin-nettpl.org.
SundayThe Lipizzaner Stallions
will hold their presentationof “Dancing White Stal-lions” at 2 and 6 p.m. Sun-day at The Arena at Gwin-nett Center, 6400 SugarloafParkway in Duluth. Formore information, visitwww.gwinnettcenter.com orcall 770-813-7500.
ThursdayThe “Lunch with Listen”
event featuring authorsMary Jane Clark, LynnCullen and Karen Whitewill be held at noon Thurs-
day at Garden Plaza inLawrenceville, 230 CollinsIndustrial Way. The event isfree but reservations arerequired. Call 770-978-5154to make reservations.
Ongoing eventsThe Buford Artists’ Group
will present an exhibit of artwork titled VisionaryReflections — Studies inAesthetics through Febru-ary at the George PiercePark Community CenterGallery, 55 Buford Highwayin Suwanee. For more infor-mation, call 770-831-4173 orvisit www.gwinnettparks.com.
The Gwinnett HistoricCourthouse will host theart show, “Walk Like aGwinnettian,” Mondaythrough Friday from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m., and Saturday from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdaythrough April 25. For more
information, call 770-822-5450.
St. Edward’s EpiscopalChurch will be holding anart gallery from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Fridayand from 8 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. on Sundays throughFeb. 18. It is located at 737Moon Road in Lawrenceville.For more information, call770-963-6128.
The Hudgens Center forthe Arts will present the
Finalists Exhibit for theHudgens Prize throughFeb. 19. The center is at6400 Sugarloaf Parkway,Building 300, in Duluth.Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to5 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday and admission is$5 for adults, $3 for seniorsand students and free forchildren younger than 2. Formore information, call 770-623-6002 or visit www.the-hudgens.org.
PAGE 18 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
GRAND PRIZE TRIP FOR FOUR INCLUDES:
• 5 nights in a cabin at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park
• Bicycling for four,Admission to the Boatright Barn Museum and BirdWatching in theSpirit of Suwannee Bird Sanctuary, Hiking,Canoeing, Kayaking,Disc and Miniature Golf, Tubing, and much, much more!
• Lunch or dinner for four at the Dixie Grill
Win a Fitness & Adventure trip of alifetime to Florida’s Suwannee River
Valley, - Where it’s Springtime Year round!Check out Kidsville News! or atgwinnettdailypost.com for your chance to enter!
GWINNETT CALENDAR
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • PAGE 19
METRO CALENDAR
Saturday, February 5, 201110am-5pm at Discover Mills
Look for details in theHealthSource Special Section
published on Sunday, January30th. Also available at Simon
Guest Services at Discover Mills,starting Friday, January 28th.
ATTENTION EXHIBITORS!Wellness Expo’s will also be held
at Discover Mills on these dates:Saturday, April 30, 2011Saturday, July 23, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011Call today to participate!
770.963.9205 ext. 1218
wellnessEXPOwellnessEXPOwellnessEXPObringing local health to youbringing local health to you
For more information, contact Valerie Greenat 770.963.9205 ext. 1201 or email [email protected]
Join these sponsors in supporting Kidsville News!
www.kidsvillenews.com/gwinnett
gwinnettcounty parks & recreation
FRIDAYFEB. 25 peterpantheshow.com/atlanta
Ringling.com
lipizzaner.com
cobbenergycentre.com/broadway
Real time. Real people. Real Florida : Florida Live at VISITFLORIDA.COM
Find out what’s up. Read Weekend.
Feb. 5The Smithgall Arts Center
will present Kevin Bales Trioat 8 p.m. Feb. 5 at The ArtsCouncil Inc., 331 Spring St. inGainesville. For more informa-tion, visit www.theartscouncil.net.
Feb. 17The Smithgall Arts Center
will present the independentfilm,“Do No Harm,” at 7:30p.m. Feb. 17 at The ArtsCouncil Inc., 331 Spring St. inGainesville. For more informa-tion, visitwww.theartscouncil.net.
Ongoing events Bobcat Goldthwait will
perform at the LaughingSkull in Atlanta, 878Peachtree St. in Atlanta at 8and 10:30 p.m.Thursdaythrough Saturday and 7 and9:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27through 30. For more informa-
tion, call 877-523-3288 or visitwww.vortexcomedy.com.
Georgia Ensemble The-atre will present the roman-tic comedy “Tokens ofAffections” through Jan. 23 atthe Roswell Cultural Arts Cen-ter, 950 Forrest St. in Roswell.For showtimes, ticket pricesand more information, call770-641-1260 or visitwww.get.org.
The High Museum of Artwill present “Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends:TheIrene and Howard Stein Col-lection” from Jan. 29 throughMay 1 at 1280 Peachtree St.N.E., Atlanta. For more infor-mation, call 404-733-4437.
The High Museum of Artwill present “Fifty Works forFifty States:The Dorothyand Herb Vogel Collection”from Jan. 29 through June 5at 1280 Peachtree St. N.E.,Atlanta. For more information,call 404-733-4437.
The High Museum of Art
will present Iranian FilmToday, Film Festival throughJan. 22 at 1280 Peachtree St.N.E., Atlanta. For more infor-mation, call 404-733-4437.Kenny Leon’s True ColorsTheatre Company will presentBlack Nativity by LangsonHughes from Nov. 23 to Dec.30 at 659 Auburn Ave. Suite25, Atlanta. For more informa-tion, call 877-725-8849.
The Booth Museum willhost Ansel Adams: A Lega-cy, an exhibit of work by thelandscape photographer,through Feb. 20. Museumhours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fri-days and Saturdays and 10a.m. to 8 p.m.Thursdays.Admission is $10 for adults, $8for seniors 65 and older, $7 forstudents and free for children12 and younger.The museumis at 501 Museum Drive inCartersville. For more informa-tion, call 770-387-1300 or visitwww.boothmuseum.org.
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMESSTARTS TO DAYIN THEATERS IN AND .
COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM PRODUCTION A FILM BY MICHEL GONDRY EDWARD JAMES OLMOS“THE GREEN HORNET”MUSIC
BY JAMES NEWTON HOWARDAND TOM WILKINSONDAVID HARBOUR EXECUTIVEPRODUCERS SETH ROGEN EVAN GOLDBERG MICHAEL GRILLO ORI MARMUR GEORGE W. TRENDLE, JR.
BASED UPON “THE GREEN HORNET”RADIO SERIES CREATED BY GEORGE W. TRENDLE WRITTEN
BY SETH ROGEN & EVAN GOLDBERG PRODUCEDBY NEAL H. MORITZ DIRECTED
BY MICHEL GONDRY
“An Amazing 3D Experience.”Jeff Craig, SIXTY SECOND PREVIEW
PAGE 20 • WWW.GWINNETTDAILYPOST.COM • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011