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51 BIRCH STREET (NR) 2005
Filmmaker Doug Block thought he
knew his parents. But when Doug's
lather. Mike, moves in with his former
secretary only months after the death
of Doug’s mother, questions about
the past surface. 51 Birch Street ms
lauded as one of the year's 10 best
films by The New York Times and
Siskel & Ebert, and as one of the year's
best documentaries by the National
Board of Review.
88 MINUTES (R) Nine years earlier.
Dr. Jack Gramm (a distractingly coiffed
Al Pacino), a forensic psychiatrist and
college professor, gave the damning
evidence that sent Jon Forster (Neil
McDonough) to death row. On the eve
of his execution, one of Jack's students
is murdered using Forster's exact M.O..
and jack receives a phone call declar
ing the gruff prof has 88 minutes to
live, and must solve the mystery before
time runs out.
92 IN THE SHADE (R) 1975. Peter
Fonda and Warren Oates followed up
the awesome slice of 70s horror, Race
with the Devil, with more B-grade
fun. As soon as Tom Skelton (Fonda)
starts a fishing charter business in
the Everglades, he runs afoul o< his
veteran competition (Oates). The two
wage vengeful, violent war over the
overheated Florida landscape.
ATHENS, GA—INSIDE/OUT (NR)
1987. Presented in association with
AthFest2008. Athens, GA—Inside/
Out chronicles the Classic City's rise to
national prominence as one of the most
happening, vibrant musical scenes of
the mid-'80s. Tony Gayton's documen
tary features live performances and
interviews with R.E.M., The B-52s.
Pylon. The B-B-Que Killers, Time
Toy, Jim Herbert, Flat Duo Jets, Love
Tractor, Kilkenny Cats, The Squalls,
folk artist Reverend Howard Finster and
others. The screening will be followed
by live performances and a discussion
with Paul Butchart. Ort Carlton, Bob
and Vanessa Hay, Michael Lachowski.
Dexter Romweber and more.
ATHENS PICTURE SHOW (NR) This
RockDoc is a showcase of highlights
and previews tor new productions
by Athens filmmakers followed by a
colorful collection of vintage footage
and rare performances from Athens’
music past. Films include TheB-52s:
Live at the Downtown Cat61978., Love
Tractor: 1983 Live at the Mad Hatter
with Members of R.E.M., and R.E.M.:
Live at Stitchcraft. Part of AthFest 2008.
BABY MAMA (PG-13) "SNL" play
ers Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have
reteamed for a seriously funny movie
about infertility and surrogacy, not
exactly two subjects naturally associ
ated with yuks. Fey and Poehler finally
put to rest the sexist assumption that
men are funnier than women.
BRICK LANE (PG-13) Monica Ali's
debut novel was a bestseller and was
shortlisted for the Booker Prize when
it was released in 2003; now the
immigrant drama is a feature film, fresh
from the festival circuit. In the 1980s,
Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee)
came to London from Bangladesh to
participate in an arranged marriage
with middle-aged businessman. Chanu
Ahmed (Satish Kaushik). Years later,
Nazneen, now a mother of two, is
trapped in a loveless marriage until a
Muslim radical (Christopher Simpson)
comes knocking at her door.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
PRINCE CASPIAN (PG)The return
trip to Narnia is not nearly as magical
as the first, 2005's The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe. All 144 minutes of
Prince Caspian are either preparation
for a massive battle or the bloodless,
kid-friendly conflict.
COLLEGE ROAD TRIP (G) Martin
Lawrence is Chief James Porter, the
overprotective policeman father who
decides to accompany—and mortify—
his daughter, high school senior Rachel
(Raven-Symon6), on a cross-country
trip to pick a college.
DRILLBIT TAYLOR (PG-13) This
Judd Apatow production may lack the
raunch of its older siblings, Knocked
Up and Superbad, but the flick still
packs its share of juvenile laughs.
Three newly minted high schoolers hire
a homeless veteran (Owen Wilson),
who goes by the nom de guerre Drillbit
Taylor, to protect them from a bully. So
long as one goes into Drillbit Taylor
realizing that it's Superbadlot the
preteens whose parents wouldn't let
them see Superbad, one shouldn't be
disappointed.
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
(R) Nothing special can be said about
Nicholas Stoller’s direction, but the cast,
and Segel’s script, balancing lowbrow
sex gags with a heartfelt tale of heart
break and woe, are darn near perfect. I
haven't laughed so hard with a theater
full of strangers since Superbad.
GET SMART (PG-13) Maxwell Smart
(Steve Carell), CONTROL'S newest
agent, must battle KAOS with his more
competent partner, Agent 99 (Anne
Hathaway). I used to love watching "Get
Smart" on Nick at Nite, but I am less
than thrilled by a feature film directed
by the guy behind the awful Nutty
Professor //and written by the duo
behind Failure to Launch. Props should
be given to the casting director, who
may have saved this comedy. Carell.
Alan Arkin, The Rock and Terence
Stamp were all inspired choices. If
the trailer can be believed, the laughs
could be as huge as the box office.
THE HAPPENING (R) The Happening
sheds the pounds of pretention
Shyamalan's films have been gaining
and harnesses the power of corny dia
logue and silly acting to nostalgically
travel back to the sci-fi silliness of the
1950s while playing in the backyard
of those pissed off nature movies that
so intrigued the 70s. The Man Who
Would Be Auteur proves he can have
fun—with himself, his characters and
the audience.
HAPPY FEET (PG) Mumble the pen
guin (voiced by Elijah Wood) takes an
eye-popping, breathtaking journey from
dropped egg to societal savior. Happy
Feet taps out a fresh rhythm to which
you can dance when it's not delivering
pat lessons on religious intolerance
and environmental destruction
HEIMA: A FILM BY SIGUR ROS
(NR) 2007. Iceland's Sigur R6s can be
seen in all its live glory in this filming
of an unannounced tour of the group's
native soil (heima means either “at
home" or "homeland"). In Heima,
Sigur Rbs plays shows both large (the
Reykjavik homecoming was the coun
try's largest ever) and small, songs
both released (all four albums, includ
ing the latest. Takk. ) and unreleased
("Gitardjamm").
HORTON HEARS A WHO! (G) The
1954 children's classic about Horton
the elephant (v. Jim Carrey), whose
giant ears allow him to communicate
with the tiny speck that is the town of
Whoville is one of the good doctor's
most beloved tales, right behind Green
Eggs and Ham. The laughs in Horton
are never cheap or juvenile, yet they are
perfectly pitched for little ones' ears.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (PG-13)
See Movie Pick.
INDIANA JONES AND THE
KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL
SKULL (PG-13) Crystal Skull \s a
cinematic rollercoaster ride that only
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas
could build, delivering the most con
stant amusement of the year.
IRON MAN (PG-13) When Stan Lee
created billionaire industrialist/playboy
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in
1963, the comic book legend could not
have imagined how relevant he would
remain in 2008. One of Marvel’s great
est heroes, Iron Man lacks the celebrity
quotient of Spider-Man, and Iron Man
director Jon Favreau (£//) takes shrewd
advantage of that relative anonymity.
Downey makes the most of a screen
play that never takes itself too seriously
without ever making its metal-clad
superhero a joke. Iron Man opens the
summer season with the ideal bang of
effects, brawn and brains.
JEREMIAH JOHNSON (PG) 1972
Recently deceased director Sydney
Pollack received his only Palme d’Or
nomination for this western starring
Robert Redford A soldier seeking to
escape the Mexican War, Jeremiah
Johnson becomes entangled in a ven
detta with the Crow Indians that costs
him his wife, his adopted child, and his
idyllic frontier life. Cowritten by John
Milius, Jeremiah Johnson also won
a Bronze Wrangler from the Western
Heritage Awards. Discussion and per
formance by singer/songwriter Bobby
Bridger following the screening Part of
AthFest 2008.
KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN
GIRL (G) Young Kit Kittredge (Abigail
Breslin) has written a story of life
in the Great Depression and wants
Cincinnati's major daily newspaper to
publish it. Three American Girl mov
ies, based on the popular line of dolls,
have already been made; they all went
straight to TV.
KUNG FU PANDA (PG) Jack Black
fans may not be too pleased with
Kung Fu Panda, but I 'was. JB keeps
himself pretty well in check as the
out-of-shape panda, Po. who comes
off like “Lost"s Hurley, a lovable couch
potato thrust into an unlikely hero's
role when his wildest dreams come
true. Dreamworks, the home of Shrek.
may just be milking the family film
cash cow again, but the awesomeness
of Kung Fu Panda ensures that you will
not care.
LET'S GET LOST (NR) 1988. Filmed
during the final years of singer-
trumpeter Chet Baker's life, Let's Get
Lost records the toll hard living—and
an addiction to speedballs—will take.
Filmmaker Bruce Weber interviews
Baker, his numerous ex-wives, and his
abandoned children to paint a beautiful
black and white portrait of one of the
kings of West Coast cool jazz. Part of
AthFest 2008
THE LOVE GURU (PG-13) I'm pretty
much over Mike Myers, and I doubt
You Don't Mess with the Zoharis only
real competition for summer's most
offensive comedy will change my mind
Pitka (Myers) is an American raised by
gurus. When he returns to the U S. to
break into the self-help industry, Pitka
is hired to refocus a star NHL player
(Romany Malco), whose wife left him
for a rival (Justin Timberlake), before
the Stanley Cup finals.
MEET THE BROWNS (PG-13)
Perry’s last faith-driven dramedy is
especially atonal—screeching gospel
one moment, giant drippy ballad the
next, and silly novelty song the next.
These'flrownsaren't worth meeting.
THE PIRATES WHO DON’T DO
ANYTHING: A VEGGIE TALES
MOVIE (G) Larry the Cucumber, Mr.
Lunt and Pa Grape leave the Pirate
Times Dinner Theater to have morally-
correct. biblically-based adventures
on the high seas of the 17th century.
Nuf said.
SEMI-PRO (R) Semi-Pro, stealing
shamelessly from the annals of sports
cinema as it does, may be the clos
est we get to a new Slap Shot, minus
the Paul Newman classic's dramatic
depression.
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
51 Birch Street (NR) 7:00 (Th. 6/19)
Spy Kids (PG) 3:30 (Tu. 6/24)
BEECHWOOD (706-546-1011)
Due to production deadlines. Beechwood movie times are
only accurate through June 19. Visit www.Flagpole.com for
updated times.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince of Caspian (PG)
12:45
The Happening (R) 12:55. 3:05, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Happy Feet (PG) 1G:00 a.m. (Th. 6/19)
The Incredible Hulk (PG-13) 1:00, 2:00, 4:00, 5:00,
7:00, 8:00, 10:00
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(PG-13) 1:05, 4:10, 7:05. 9:55
Iron Man (PG-13) 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:45
Kung Fu Panda (PG) 12:30, 1:15, 2:45, 3:45, 5:00,
6:30, 7:15. 8:45, 9:30
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggie Tales
Movie (G) 10:00 a.m. (Th. 6/19)
Sex and the City: The Movie (R) 12:35, 3:40, 6:45,
9:50
The Strangers (R) 4:05, 7:25, 9:35
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (PG-13) 1:30, 2:15,
4:20, 5:05, 7:20, 8:15, 10:05
CARMINE 12 (706-354-0016)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince of Caspian (PG)
1:00, 4:30, 8:00
Get Smart (PG-13) 1:30, 1:45, 4:15, 4:30, 7:15, 9:50
(opens F. 6/20)
The Happening (R) 1:00, 1:30, 3:15, 4:15, 5:30, 7:00,
7:45, 9:30, 10:00 (new times F. 6/20: 1:00, 3:15,
5:30, 7:45, 10:00)
The Incredible Hulk (PG-13) 1:00, 1:45, 4:00, 4:30,
7:00, 7:15, 9:45, 10:00 (new times F. 6/20: 1:00,
1:45, 4:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:45)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(PG-13) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Iron Man (PG-13) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:50 (new times F.
6/20: 1:00, 4:00)
Kung Fu Panda (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45
The Love Guru (PG-13) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:00, 7:30,
9:20, 9:40 (opens F. 6/20)
Sex and the City: The Movie (R) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00,
10:00 (new times F. 6/20: 7:00, 10:00)
Son of Rambow (PG-13) 1:15, 4:15, 7:00, 10:00
(opens F 6/20)
The Strangers (R) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 (new
times F. 6/20: 7:30, 9:45)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (PG-13) 1:30, 1:45,
4:15. 4:30. 7:00, 7:15, 9:35, 9:50 (new times F. 6/20:
1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:35)
CINE (706-353-3343)
Athens, GA—Inside/Out (NR) 8:00 (W. 6/18)
Athens Picture Show (NR) 7:00, 10:30 (W. 6/18)
Heima: A Film By Sigur Ros (NR) 11:30 p.m. (F.
6/20-Sa. 6/21)
Jeremiah Johnson (PG) 4:45 (Th. 6/19)
Let's Get Lost (NR) 4:15 (W. 6/18) 7:15, 9:30 (Th.
6/19)
Shine a Light (NR) 4:30. 7:30, 9:45 (starts F. 6/20)
(add'l time F. 6/20-Sa. 6/21: midnight) (add'l time
Sa. 6/21-Su. 6/22: 2:15)
Sprockets Music Video Show (NR) 7:00, 9:00 (W.
6/18)
TeenScreen FilmFest (NR) 2:30, 5:00 (Sa. 6/21-Su.
6/22)
The Visitor (PG-13) 4:30, 7:30, 9:45 (ends Th. 6/19)
Young @ Heart (PG) 4:15, 7:15, 9:30 (starts F. 6/20)
(add'l time Sa. 6/21-Su. 6/22: 2:00)
GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426)
Due to production deadlines, Georgia Square Five movie
times are only accurate through June 19. Visit www.Flagpole.
com for updated times.
88 Minutes (R) 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45
Baby Mama (PG-13) 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50
College Road Trip (G) 1:05, 3:10, 5:15, 7:30, 9:35
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R) 4:00, 9:30
Horton Hears a Who! (G) 1:00, 7:25
Meet the Browns (PG-13) 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 9:40
HWY 17 DRIVE-IN THEATERS (706-213-7693)
Sex and the City: The Movie (R) 9:00
What Happens in Vegas... (PG-13) 9:00
TATE CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
Drillbit Taylor (PG-13) 8:00, 10:00 (M. 6/23 & W.
6/25)
Semi-Pro (R) 8:00, 10:00 (W. 6/18)
FLICKER THEATRE & BAR (706-546-0039) ,
92 in the Shade (R) 8:30 (M. 6/23)
SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE
(R) Sex and the City The Movie has
everything for which fans of the popu
lar, Emmy-winning HBO series have
been 'waiting and dreaming these last
four years. Their fairy tale lives have
moved on in our absence, but the four
ladies remain as true to each other
as the day the show began in 1998
Writer/director Michael Patrick King
does a wonderful job enlarging the
show for its big screen debut. The writ
ing is snappy, and the direction breezy.
SHINE A LIGHT (NR) Academy
Award-winning filmmaker Martin
Scorsese and The Rolling Stones unite
in this engaging rock concert movie
Part of AthFest 2008
SON OF RAMBOW (PG-13) This
British flick was a hit at Sundance and
could be a small summer charmer A
shy boy (Bill Milner) and his tough
neighbor (Will Poulter) collaborate to
make a shot-for-shot home version of
the first Rambo movie. First Blood.
SPROCKETS MUSIC VIDEO SHOW
(NR) Encore screening in the CINELAB
SPY KIDS (PG) 2001. Spy Kids
creatively blends Mission: Impossible
and James Bond into appealing fun for
the whole family. Two siblings (Alexa
Vega and Daryl Sahara) must save their
parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla
Gugino). two of the world’s greatest
spies. The Special Needs Library pres
ents this family friendly movie featur
ing a non-intrusive track for visually
impaired viewers.
THE STRANGERS (R) The
Strangers—a shotgun blast of genuine
domestic terror, delivered to the gut.
then the chest, and finally the face—is
the scariest film I’ve seen in years and,
quite possibly, the most frightening
film I've ever seen in a theater. First
time writer/director Bryan Bertino pulls
no punches, and he knows how—and
where—to land them most effectively.
The Strangers is not a fun horror
movie, but it is a cathartic one.
TEENSCREEN FILMFEST (NR)
Encore screening in the CINELAB
THE VISITOR (PG-13) If you were
enamored with The Station Agent.
you'll probably be interested to know
writer/director Thomas McCarthy has
finally crafted a follow-up When col
lege professor Walter Vale (Richard
Jenkins) walks into his NYC apartment,
he is surprised to find two illegal
immigrants (Haaz Sleiman and Danai
Gurira) living there, imagine how much
more surprised Walter is when the
three become friends.
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...
(PG-13) How funny you find Vegas
will depend greatly on how well you
tolerate selfishness in others and how
entertaining/cute you find the two mis
matched stars Kutcher spends much of
the film being nauseatingly obnoxious
(and this after he'd started to grow on
me). Diaz shows little of her own comic
spark
YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE
ZOHAN (PG-13) Though You Don't
Mess with the Zohan starts out explo
sively unfunny, the latest Adam Sandler
comedy actually improves over its
112-minute running time. The open
ing sequence establishing Zohan as
an Israeli James Bond, a curly-haired,
macho man who loves hummus, hacky
sack and hairdressing, comes off like .
another in the noxious (insert genre)
Movie franchise. Rather than fighting
terrorism, the former Mossad man is
tasked with keeping peace amongst his
new Arab and Israeli neighbors. You
don't mess with the Zohan, but you can
laugh at him; he's actually pretty funny.
YOUNG @ HEART (PG) Young @
Heart documents the Young at Heart
Chorus, a group of New England senior
citizens that rock out to contemporary
tunes and classic rock hits by everyone
from The Clash to Coldpiay.
Drew Wheeler
24 FLAGPOLE.COM • JUNE 18, 2008
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