Newspaper Page Text
everyone, especially the two man-
children. Director Wain (Wet Hot
American Summer, The Ten) sets the
perfect tone for each scene, allowing
Rudd, Scott, and the other undervalued
supporting players to do what they do
best: make people laugh. Role Models
is so laugh out loud tunny you'll have
to see it twice to hear all the jokes you
missed from laughing too loud, too
hard and too long.
SAW V (R) Saw y commits the cardi
nal sin of horror sequels. It lives in the
past, rehashing moments from previ
ous flicks as opposed to creating new
ones. Frankly, the 90-minute movie
bores for long stretches of its flabby
middle.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (PG-
13) The filmed adaptation of Sue Monk
Kidd's popular novel is laudable if
not astounding. Lily Owens (Conyers
native Dakota Fanning) and her
caregiver, Rosaleeri Daise (Academy
Award winner Jennifer Hudson), run
away from Lily’s abusive father, T.
Ray (Paul Bettany), and take retuge at
the pink utopia of the honey-making
Boatwright sisters—August (Queen
Latifah), June (Alicia Keys), and May
(Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda).
But Lily's past and the racist reality of
the Deep South circa 1964 intrudes
in the Boatwright's paradise. I also
missed the familiar ‘60s hits that fuel
audience nostalgia and sell millions
of soundtracks. Nonetheless, fans of
the novel and similar Southern period
pieces featuring strong female-driven
stories will find much to like in Love &
Basketball writer-director Gina Prince-
Bythewood’s film.
SOUL MEN (R) Bernie Mac deserved
better. In one of his final roles, the
hilarious Mac sings, dances, and
sasses as Floyd Henderson, one half
of the Real Deal, a popular soul group
from back in the day. After former band
leader, Marcus Hooks (John Legend,
briefly), dies, Henderson and his
estranged partner, felon Lewis Hinds
(Samuel L. Jackson), reunite for a
tribute show at the Apollo Theater, but
the road trip from L A. to New York
takes some legal and familial detours
in Memphis and Tulsa. The song and
dance numbers, performed admirably
by Mac and Jackson, are another high
light. However, the blues set in during
the several scripted potholes littering
this foul-mouthed, buddy road comedy.
These angry old men are good for
some laughs, but they've got no soul.
SUPER HIGH ME (R) Taking a cue
from Morgan Spurlock's documen
tary Super Size Me. comedian Doug
Benson chronicles 30 days of non
stop marijuana consumption. This
free screening is presented by UGA
NORML.
TRAITOR (PG-13) A former Special
Forces operative, Samir Horn (Don
Cheadle), has infiltrated the network of
an uber-terrorist. Nathir (Raad Rawi,
The Kingdom). However, only an intel
ligence contractor, Carter (Jell Daniels),
knows Samir’s really a good guy. The
strong-willed, level-headed FBI Special
Agent, Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce), in
charge of finding out what Nathir plans
to do next hasn't a clue about Samir's
real agenda. When the ingenious
plan to undermine American trust in
Greyhound is revealed, Samir has to
reconcile keeping his cover with killing
innocent civilians. Kinetically shot like
every post-tone actioner, Traitor
can't quite decide if it’s straight-up
action or more Syriana potboiler, and
ends up in limbo between both.
< TWILIGHT (PG-13) With Harry
Potter vacating the season, Twilight has
become the box office giant to bank
on after James Bond. Thirteen director
Catherine Hardwicke's adaptation of
Stephenie Meyer’s mega-selling first
novel could break records, but will it
please the series’s diehard fans? After
moving to Forks, WA, Bella (Kristen
Stewart) meets Edward Cullen (Robert
Pattinson, Harry Potter 4s Cedric
Diggory), her soulmate and a vampire.
Fans have had time to get used to the
casting, and Pattinson's popularity
has yet to peak. The trailer still leaves
me, an admitted fan, excited but
underwhelmed.
W. (PG-13) Like pop psychologists,
Oliver Stone and writer Stanley Weiser
delve into the psyche of our 43rd
president, cherry-picking the events
tney believe led him to become the
most powerful man in the world (for
eight years). Stone and Weiser flit back
and forth in time, revealing layer after
layer of Dubya the failure, the son, the
husband, the politician, the president.
Bush zealots already assume the film
to be scathing, hate-filled and fictional;
those decrying 43 as the worst presi
dent in history will find the film too
accommodating. Stone asks us to con
sider W. as a man, flawed as any other.
WALL*E (PG) Leave it to Finding
" Nemo writer/director^ndrew Stanton
‘ to rocket Pixar back to the animated
heavens. With WALL»E, a deeply
human story with only minimal human
interaction and maximum entertain
ment value, Pixar again pulls off tlieir
most stunning feat, making the rare
creation of an animated masterpiece
look so easy.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
(R) Kevin Smith fans won't be disap
pointed by the Clerks filmmaker's latest
comedy. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
is exactly as smutty and as funny as
its title—and the View Askew brand—
implies. Lifelong friends, Zack (Seth
Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), are
in debt. To stave off homelessness,
Zack, Miri and a cast of friends and
local losers (Craig Robinson, Jason
“Jay" Mewes, porn star Katie Morgan,
former porn star Traci Lords, and
Randall Graves himself. Jeff Anderson)
decide to make a porno.
Drew Wheeler
Quantum of Solace * FLictcstciNNY -«*.*
1WYy5
Little.
Arwv'dL heirt-.
Njfctt owa\i'z£
k tLou)K^3-
EXPENSES
Ov\ alleys Wl S.D p of a Camfry by
\ic\t is Gofr&irHy PWvWv of Go\driceJ‘ Ba.«l
faAitficloa! (KcMotfl Stances, -ty>- nothin, bof pkf
\\ Wolj CcYvPosiHg. IKe. C-r.A. ai/4 Gceemfe/xce 6y\sp(ViV?5
I Cubas HufougboOb 9>ot&\ AjMwiCa? Z'O u)Ua4 w", bOf
oil ^
^ guess
po$eA-V> pUK) avu)
b-y plofWolcS. £ PO
\AcaT, OvsiAm^ J
irvorAy, josb UuO WcM
Cm -to
i>onAf> Collateral PaiAage. bills)
J
OP€N 7 DAYS A WBBK
IN AHORJW
CALL AHEAD FOR PICK-OP
DAfc-V SPECIALS
HBO AAACON NWY>
(Old Knucklehends/Parsons) • 706~5H c )~2Ho
FREE EXAM with 5 Canned Goods for Food Drive!
5-7PM
FREE
WINGS
with
purchase'
OP A PITCHER
OR IH CKET
SUNDAYS
SERVICE INDUSTRY
NIGHT
| NFL DIRECT TICKET
BUD LIGHT
j O PITCHERS
SUNDAY & MONDAY
m QQ ALL YOU
|l] CAN EAT'
[1. WINGS
430 Clayton Street • 706-543-7591
JOT ‘EM DOWN
STORES BBQ
B8Q. • PI8<>
HOT BOH-ED PEANOT-S
LAWSON FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
Meg Ann Lawson, D.C.
775 Gaines School Rd.
706-546-4488
Beat the carpal tunnel monster.
IN SEARCH OF A
ANNE HATHAWAY in
WWW.ATHENSCINE.COM 706.353.3343
234 W. HANCOCK AVE DOWNTOWN ATHENS
Haiu Settling
jiiieng jae'd ceUee • feai caaaa
hiu££ed tide* • UetdmC, tea& • ceUee dunks
www.mercurgathens.com
"Wh«n I'm in
iwn, V* **
place I »hop.
- Ion St. Pe
(Block Up»)
MUSIC GORQUND
TONS OF COOL
USED GEAR!!
WWW.MUSICGOROUND.com
BRING TRADES!
NOVEMBER 19,2008 • FLAGPOLE.COM 13