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300 (R) A rock and roll historical epic
engaging lo the modern teenage sensi
bility, the titular 300 are the hulked out
citizen-soldiers led by King Leonidas
(Gerard Butler), who smash and grab
glory Irom defeat at the arrowheads of
the million-man Persian army lorded
over by god-king Xerxes (Rodrigo
Santoro) Stunning to behold. 300 not
only claims itself king of the stylistic
mountain, it carves its own mountain
from solid stone as director Zack
Snyder painstakingly renders Frank
Miller's bold panels in three dimen
sions. Such an imposing refinement of
Sparta's monumental sacrifice, one of
history's great last stands, could not be
achieved anywhere save the big screen.
(Beechwood, Carmike. Highway 17
Theatres)
> ARE WE DONE YET? (PG) The
sequel to last winter's surprise smash.
Are We There Yet?, remodels Mr
Blendings Builds His Dream House
Ice Cube, Nia Long. Aleisha Allen and
Philip Bolden reprise their roles. Not
even the presence of John C “Dr. Cox"
McGinley can better prepare me for this
needless schlock. (Carmike)
BECAUSE I SAID SO (PG-13) Diane
Keaton is 60-year-old single mom
Daphne, who wants so badly to see her
youngest, Milly (Mandy Moore), find
happiness Because I Said So's wasting
of Keaton's immense talents is more
than disappointing; it’s heartbreaking.
(Georgia Square 5)
BLADES OF GLORY (PG-13) See
Movie Pick. (Beechwood, Carmike)
BLOOD DIAMOND (R) This action
movie with a conscience directed by
Edward Zwick takes place during the
civil war in Sierra Leone. Diamond
smuggler Danny Archer (Leonardo
DiCaprio) and fisherman Solomon
(Djimon Hounsou), journalist Maddy
Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) in tow.
struggle across the war-torn country in
search of a huge diamond. An engag
ing, topical action film that reinvigo
rates the genre. (Georgia Square 5)
BORAT (R) 2006 Armed to the teeth
with uncomfortable malapropisms and
anti-Semitism. Kazakhstan television
personality Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha
Baron Cohen) travels across the United
States, unmasking inner bigotry wher
ever he goes With Borat. Cohen isn't
laughing with the U S He's laughing
at the U S. a distinction too fine for
an America as stupid as the one he
exposes to make Shows Thursday, 4/5
(Georgia Theatre)
BREACH (PG-13) Based on the true
story of the greatest security breach
in U S history, the film traces the
career of young FBI agent-wannabe
Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe) after he
is handpicked to clerk for uber-agent
Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper).
Breach is a compefent, engaging (only
because it is a true story) character
study-cum-spy movie, that neverthe
less seems dated by its musty Cold
War-aroma [Margaret Moore) (Georgia
Square 5)
DEAD POETS SOCIETY (PG) 1989
The best film ever made about a prep
school poetry class was also Robin
Williams' dramatic coming out party,
as rebellious teacher John Keating.
His young charges—including Ethan
Hawke—acquit themselves nicely,
all looking and acting like actual high
school students. Nominated for five
Academy Awards and winner of Best
Original Screenplay. Shows Thursday.
4/5 (Tate)
FIREHOUSE DOG (PG) Hollywood's
top canine, Rexxx. gets lost and winds
up in the care of a firehouse run by
Connor Fahey (Bruce Greenwood)
and his son. Shane (Josh Hutcherson.
Bridge *o Terabithia) Hopefully,
successful television vet Todd
Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle,"
“Wonderfalls," “My So-Called Life")
can do something with this cringe-in
ducing material (Carmike)
GREEN HAND/CORDELE/
SWAINSBORO (NR) From the UGA
Libraries' Media Archives comes three
local gems from the 1930s and 1940s
The Green Hand, filmed in Athens in
1939, attempts to up the membership
of the FFA with "this tale of a juvenile
delinquent mentored into joining the
FFA where he makes a success of
himself, saves his mother's farm from
foreclosure and gets the girl." Made by
itinerant filmmakers, the 1936 Cordele
film and the 1947 Swainsboro film
provide a moving picture glimpse into
Georgia's past. Shows Saturday, 4/7
(ACC Library)
GRINDHOUSE (R) A lo* of swell films
are coming out in the soon-to-be sum
mer months ahead, but Grindhouse.
Quentin Tarantino and Robert
Rodriguez's double feature about
zombies and killer cars, might just be
tops on my list Starring Kurt Russell.
Rose McGowan. Bruce Willis. Rosario
Dawson, and more, the two Grindhouse
features are connected by fake trailers
by the likes of genre faves Rob Zombie
and Eli Roth Opens Friday (Carmike)
HAPPY FEET (PG) Mumble the
penguin (voiced by Elijah Wood) takes
an eye-popping, breathtaking journey
from dropped egg to societal savior.
Happy Feet lags out a fresh rhythm
to which you can dance when it's not
delivering pat lessons on religious
intolerance and environmental destruc
tion. (Georgia Square 5)
THE HILLS HAVE EYES II (R) See
Flick Skinny Wes Craven's done this
before, stepping in to write a sequel to
one of his creations, but all he's done
with HHEII is muck it up worse than
the first time. HHEII starts out nasty
enough, but within 15 minutes of the
arrival of a squad of whiny National
Guard trainees. I was already pray
ing for their gory deaths HHEII is all
about boring death selection and rote
plotting The Hills may have eyes, but
I do, too And mine don't appreciate
what they saw one bit. (Beechwood.
Carmike)
INLAND EMPIRE (NR) 2006 David
Lynch's latest trip into the dark recess
es of his own mind stars Laura Dern
See story on p 15. Starts Friday (Cine)
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS (NR) 2006
Shot over two years in Iraq with a
handheld Panasonic HD camcorder,
Iraq in Fragments is a three-part opus
documenting the varying responses of
ordinary Iraqis to the American inva
sion and occupation. Narrated in part
by the very people it depicts, the film
presents such a vivid portrait of the
successes and monumental failures of
Iraqi society under the constant threat
of American and insurgent guns that it
was nominated for an Oscar in 2006.
Senain Kheshgi will introduce the film
at both screenings and guide discus
sion of the film after the early showing.
[Brandon Waddell] Shows Thursday,
4/5 (Cin6)
LAND IN ANGUISH (NR) 1967 This
Brazilian film from Glauber Rocha, an
explosive political work of art, traces
an election in the fictional country of
Eldorado, where poet/ journalist Paulo
lives to oppose both corrupt candi
dates Part of the Latin American film
series sponsored by the UGA Libraries
Media Department Visit www titletk
com/latmamericanfilm for more infor
mation Shows Tuesday. 4/10 (UGA
SLC171)
THE LAST MIMZY (PG) The Last
Mimzy left me more clueless than en
thralled, though the sci fi flick directed
by New Line honcho Robert Shaye
is better than its woeful ad campaign
would lead you to believe. Two kids.
Noah and Emma Wilder (Chris O'Neil
and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn), become
geniuses after discovering a box of
toys, including stuffed rabbit Mimzy
Shaye's smartest move may have been
casting Rainn Wilson of “The Office,"
a rising comedic star if ever there
were one whose presence entertains
no matter what he is called on to do
(Beechwood, Highway 17 Theatres)
THE LOOKOUT (R) See Movie Pick
(Beechwood)
LOST HIGHWAY (R) 1997 Replete
with porn-peddling gangsters, vicious
knifeplay, sudden plunges into hell
ish netherworlds, and not-quite-dead
bodies in car trunks, Lost Highway is
akin to classic B-movie noir—written,
filmed, and viewed on a dirty speedball
Director David Lynch spins out a deliri
ously incantatory story of a jazz sax
player caught in a web of erotic obses
sion with a pair of interconnected but
equally seedy identities Renee/ Alice
(Patricia Arquette). [Brandon Waddell)
Shows Friday. 4/6 & Saturday. 4/7
(Cin6)
MEET THE ROBINSONS (G) After
Chicken Little. Disney may not be in
need of a box office hit. but they could
sure use a creative shot in the arm.
When orphan Lewis' newest experiment
blows up in his face, he runs to his
rooftop hideaway where he is whisked
to the future by Wilbur Robinson,
eldest son of the future's first family,
extended to include every oddball nut-
job and his uncle Unfortunately, Lewis
is being sought by the Bowler Hat Guy,
a melodramatic Snidely Whiplash-type
of surprising incompetence. Despite its
visual wow factor (especially the 3-D
version). Robinsons is obnoxiously
madcap, hyperactively zany and quite
tedious With Angela Bassett and
Laurie Metcalf heading the voice cast.
I was hoping Robinsons would prove
that the size of the talent, not the size
of the name, matters Unfoitunately,
I might have had more fun if I couid
at least have played 'name that voice
actor" Meet the Robinsons needs to
go back to the future and stay there
(Beechwood, Carmike)
MY MAN GODFREY NR 1936
William Powell stars as the title va
grant. hired by a dizzy socialite (Carole
Lombard) to play the family butler
Based on the book by Eric Hatch. My
Man Godfrey ms nominated for six
Academy Awards, including all four
acting Oscars Part of the ACC Library's
Cinema Classics series, this film in
cludes a narration track for the visually
impaired. Shows Thursday, 4/5 (ACC
Library)
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (PG) A
barely amusing romp due in large part
to everyone but its star (Ben Stiller),
showcases the comedian in all his
childish unlikability. After taking a job
as a night guard at the Museum of
Natural History, he discovers the dis
plays come to life when the sun goes
down. (Georgia Square 5)
NORBIT PG-13) Nice guy Norbit
(Eddie Murphy) is married to Rasputia
(Murphy again), a large woman as hid
eous on the outside as she is within
When Norbit's soulmate, Kate (Thandie
Newton), returns, he must find a back
bone and fight for his and Kate's happi
ness It’s sad to see Murphy slumming
again. (Highway 17 Theatres)
NOTES ON A SCANDAL (R) The
scandal involves new art teacher Sheba
Hart (Cate Blanchett). whose affair with
a 15-year-old student is meticulously
detailed in the notes kept by ancient
history teacher Barbara Covett (Judi
Dench). Barbara, whose obsession is at
once Sapphic, platonic and dangerous,
is like a desiccated Tom Ripley. So
Notes provides us with no one to pull
for. With an Oscar-nominated score
by Philip Glass (The Hours). Notes is
a mesmerizing, creepy thriller Shows
Friday, 4/6-Sunday. 4/8 (Tate)
OPEN SEASON (PG) 2006 Movies
By Moonlight returns to Athens with
the screening of Open Season, a wild
animal romp featuring Martin Lawrence
as a grizzly bear and Ashton Kutcher as
an obnoxious, exiled mule deer Open
Season, with its paranoid nutter of a
hunter (v Gary Sinise) and anthropo-
morphically emotive animals, is rabidly
anti-hunting Shows Saturday. 4/7
(Southeast Clarke Park)
OUR DAILY BREAD (NR) 2005
In this eerily stunning film, director
Nikolas Geryhalter allows the stark
dramaturgy of deviously efficient killing
machines' lurching rhythms, sterile,
fluorescent production laboratories,
and oddly detached monotony of the
workers who spend their shifts in the
slaughterhouses and packaging plants
of European agro-business to convey
the story Rendered in a coolly aston
ishing, scientifically methodical cin
ematic technique, the film is. above all
else, a portrait of the awful.‘stupefying
technology that keeps the world's tables
crowned with relatively cheap and plen
tiful food Yet the political implications
of the film are never nagging or overt
and the depictions are deliberately
devoid of inherent bias, audiences can
only watch in troubled fascination and
draw their own conclusions [Brandon
Waddell) Starts Friday (Cin6)
PEACEFUL WARRIOR (PG-13) The
film of the inspirational bestseller.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan
Millman. is a mystical, esoteric, self-
important waste of time. After suffer
ing a horrific motorcycle accident, a
college gymnast (Scott Mechlowicz,
EuroTnp) rehabs. mentally and physi
cally, with a maybe real-maybe not
mechanic, Socrates (Nick Noite). who
expounds like Yoda with better gram
mar Try as I might. I cannot separate
director Victor Salva's professional
work [Ponder Jeepers Creepers) from
his personal life Convicted of child
molestation after an inciden’ on the
set of his first feature Clonnhouse.
Salva s fascination with young men
overwhelms every aspect of his pic
tures Throughoi* Peaceful Warrior, the
shirtless shots of his twentysomething
leads add up to a subtext that becomes
text Even without Salva’s past, Peaceful
Warrior is vague, opaque. New Agey
bull that cannot even be clarified by '
another solid mentorship from Noite
Ends Thursday (Carmike)
THE PLAYER (R) 1992 Though
he was nominated for five Academy
Awards, the only award Robert Altman
ever received from the Academy was
the honorary Oscar he took home
shortly before his death in 2006 One
of those nominations was for The
Player, a needling but wickedly funny
satire of the Hollywood movie busi
ness. Adapted by Edgar Award-winner
Michael Tolkin from his novel of the
same name. The Player tells the story
of a somehow not entirely repugnant
movie executive by the name of Griffin
Mill (Tim Robbins) who, in addition to
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
The Green Hand/ Cordele/ Swainsboro 2:00 (NR)
(Sa. 4/7)
My Man Godfrey (NR) 2:00 (Th. 4/5)
Sentenced Home (NR) 7:00 (Th. 4/5)
BEECHWOOD (706-546-1011)
Beechwood's new schedule was unavailable at press time.
Listings may no longer be accurate Please visit www flag-
pole.com tor updated information
1 300 (R) 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Blades of Glory (PG-13) 4:40, 7:10, 9:25
The Hills Have Eyes II (R) 4:15, 7:20. 9:30
The Last Mimzy (PG) 4:25, 7:25, 9:45
The Lookout (R) 4:30. 7:25, 9:55
Meet the Robinsons (G) 4:15, 7:00, 9:30
Premonition (PG-13) 4:25, 7:15, 9:40
Reign Over Me (R) 3:55, 6:50, 9:45
Shooter (R) 3:55, 6:50, 9:45
TMNT (PG) 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Wild Hogs (PG-13) 4:20, 7:10, 9:35
CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016)
300 (R) 1:00. 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Are We Done Yet (PG) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00
Blades of Glory (PG-13) 1:10, 1:45, 3:20, 4:05, 5:30,
7:00, 7:40, 9:50 (new times F. 4/6: 12:30, 1:00, 2:45,
3:10, 5:00, 5:20, 7:15, 7:30, 9:30, 9:55)
Firehouse Dog (PG) 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:30
Grindhouse (R) 12:30, 4:10, 7:45 (opens F. 4/6)
The Hills Have Eyes II (R) 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:30,
9:40
Meet the Robinsons (PG) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45,
10:00 (new times F. 4/6: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30,
9:45)
Peaceful Warrior (PG-13) 1:15, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 (ends
Th. 4/5)
Pride (PG) 1:30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:35 (ends W. 4/4 )
The Reaping (R) 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:40, 10:00
(opens Th. 4/5) *
Shooter (R) 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00
TMNT (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Wild Hogs (PG-13) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00
CINE (706-353-7377)
Inland Empire (NR) 4:30, 8:00 (starts F. 4/6) (add'l
times F. 4/6: 11:30) (add'l times Sa. 4/7: 1:00, 11:30)
(add'l times Su. 4/8: 1:00)
Iraq In Fragments (NR) 6:30, 8:45 (Th. 4/5)
Lost Highway (R) Midnight (F. 4/6 & Sa. 4/7)
Our Daily Bread (NR) 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 (starts F. 4/6)
(add'l times Sa. 4/7 & Su. 4/8: 2:00)
The Player (R) 6:30. 9:30 (W. 4/4)
GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706 548 3426)
Georgia Square Five's new schedule was unavailable at
press time. Listings are only accurate through Th 4/5.
Please visit www flagpoiecom fo r updated information
Because I Said So (PG-13) 4:05, 7:05. 9:40
Blood Diamond (P 7:00
Breach (PG-13) 4:10. 7:10, 9:50
Happy Feet (PG) 4:20, 7:20, 9:55
A Night At the Museum (PG) 4:15, 7:15. 9:45
Pursuit of Happyness (PG-13) 4:00, 10:00
GEORGIA THEATRE (706-549-9918)
Borat (R) 8:00, 11:00 (Th. 4/5)
HWY 17 DRIVE-IN THEATERS (706-213-7693)
300 (R) 8:00
The Last Mimzy (PG) 8:00
Norbit (PG-13) 8:00
SOUTHEAST CLARKE PARK (706-613-3871)
Open Season (PG) 8:15 (Sa. 4/7)
TATE CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
Dead Poets Society (PG) 8:00 (Th. 4/5)
Notes on a Scandal (R) 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 (F.
4/6-Su. 4/8)
UGA STUDENT LEARNING CTR. (706-542-7000)
Land in Anguish (NR) 7:30 (Tu. 4/10, Room 171)
Remember when you were a rapper and people were scared of you?
NEWS & FEATURES I ARTS & EVENTS I MOVIES I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
16 FLAGPOLE.COM-APRIL 4.2007