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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER (PG-13)
Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is
a boy. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) *
is a girl. The films narrator lets you
know from the get-go their story does
not come from the happy ending
department. Boy meets girl; girl breaks
boy’s heart into tiny pieces. (500) Days
of Summer brilliantly shows us their
entire relationship, from cute beginning
(an office romance ignited by karaoke
and alcohol) to whiskey-drowned end.
AWAY WE GO (R) Burt and Verona
(John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph)
are searching for a place to raise their
yet-to-be-born child after Burt's selfish
parents (Catherine O'Hara and Athens-
born Jeff Daniels) announce their
plan to move to Belgium. Away We
Go, written by novelists Dave Eggers
{A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering
Genius) and his wife, Vendela Vida (co
founder and co-editor of The Believe/),
reads like a quirky, literarily humorous
National Book Award finalist.
BANDSLAM (PG-13) Outcast Will
Burton (Gaelan Connell) woos the
school's popular loner, Sa5m (High
School Musicafs Vanessa Hudgens)
with music. They form a rock band with
blond Charlotte (Aly Michalka) and
enter the biqgest battle of the bands in
the country. Distributor Summit is try
ing to sell tickets by promising a sneak
peek at fall's The Twilight Saga: New
Moon. Such a move cannot bode well
for Bandslam. Director Todd Graff also
helmed the musically similar Camp.
With Lisa Kudrow.
BRUNO (R) Like a modern day *
Rabelais, Sacha Baron Cohen, creator
of the infamous Borat, unleashes
his latest satirical persona, flamboy
ant Austrian fashionista Bruno, on
Gallardo (Patricia Llaca), fails to get the
role, the competition between the four
wannabe stars heats up. Written and
directed by Issa Ldpez.
DISTRICT 9 (R) See Movie Pick.
FOOD, INC. (PG) Fast Food Natioris
Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan,
author of The Omnivore!? Dilemma,
peek inside the pantry of America's
corporate kitchen, analyzing the effects
of a corporate-controlled food industry
on the country^ farmers and the health
of its citizens.
FUNNY PEOPLE (R) The dramatic-
comic collaboration of former college
roommates, superstar Adam Sandler
America. BrOno is as clueless and self-
unaware as Borat, and like Borat, BrOno
is as shockingly, graphically hilarious
and feels fresh, not reheated. After
being blacklisted by the fashion world
for a brilliant, Velcro-clad stunt, BrOno
flees to the United States, specifically
Los Angeles, to become famous. Self-
detonating his every move (see Paula
Abdul awkwardly answer questions
while perched on a Mexican man), the
typically underdressed Austrian emis
sary takes a swing at the tried-and-true
methods for attaining ill-gotten fame:
sex tapes, going straight, an African -
adoption, and the Middle East peace
process. Nothing works until BrOno '
stumbles upon celebrity in Arkansas,
with a concluding feat so stunningly
brilliant, cunning and courageous
it equals, if not surpasses, Borats
national anthem farce. With his comic
slingshot, he assails Christianity,
especially the fervent fundamental
variety in which this region specializes,
its hypocrisy and intolerance like a
juvenile Beligulous. Flaunting homo
sexuality in the faces of those who
fear and hate it most, SBC literally and
figuratively proves how big a pair he’s
got. Only the brilliantly talented, even
clad in a shiny mesh tee and butt-less
iederiiusen, could dream up farcical It literally cost an arm. Sorry, son.
garbage like this.
CASI DIVAS (PG-13) A big hit in
2008 in Mexico, Casi Divas finally
reaches the States. Four women
(Daniela Schmidt, Ana Layevska, Maya
Zapata and Diana Garcia) from differ
ent corners of Mexico converge at the
open casting call for the next film from
esteemed producer Alejandro Mateos.
(Julio Bracho). When Mateos’ on-
again-off-again lover, movie star Eva
wannabe stand-up comic Ira Wright
(Seth Rogen), and his true love is
married with two kids. But impending
mortality frees George to amend the
mistakes of his past and he reconnects
with Laura. While no one was looking.
Apatow became the new James Brooks
and Funny People is his penis-joke-
filled Terms of Endearment.
G.l. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
(PG-13) Knowing G.l. Joe: The Rise of
Cobra doesn’t suck is half the battle.
In the not too distant future, G.l. Joe
is no longer merely a real American
hero; he's now a real global hero led
by General Hawk (an appropriately
and Knocked Up writer-director Judd
Apatow, Funny People is a strange
animal. As raunchy and immature as
The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked
Up, Apatov/s third film is maturely
depressing. Laughs are prolific but
tempered by death's looming vis
age. A devastating diagnosis leaves
George pondering bis life choices. His
only friend is a newly hired assistant,
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
The Window (NR) 7:00 (Th. 8/20)
Toy Story (G) 3:00 (Tu. 8/25)
BliCHWOOD (706-546-1011)
Due to production deadlines, Beechwood movie times are
only accurate through Aug. 20. Visit www.Flagpole.com for
updated times.
500 Days of Summer (PG-13) 5:15, 7:25, 9:40
Bandslam (PG) 4:15, 7:20, 9:55
District 9 (R) 4:10, 7:10, 10:00
G-Force (3D) 5:05, 7:15, 9:25
G.l. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (PG-13) 7:05, 9:55
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (R) 5:20, 7:35, 9:45
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (PG) 4:30,
8:00
Julie 8. Julia (PG-13) 4:05, 7:00, 9:45
A Perfect Getaway (R) 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
RiffTrax LIVE: Plan 9 from Outer Space (NR) 8:00
(Th. 8/20)
The Time Traveler's Wife (PG-13) 4:25, 7:25, 10:05
Ugly Truth (R) 5:15, 7:30, 9:55
C/IRMIKi 12 (706-354-0016)
Sandslam (PG) 12:15, 4:30, 7:30, 9:30 (ends Th. 8/20)
District 9 (R) 1:45, 4:20, 7:10, 9:45
Funny People (R) 10:00 (ends Th. 8/20)
G.l. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (PG-13) 1:30, 4:15, 7:05,
9:45
G-Force (3D) (PG) 12:20, 2:35, 4:50, 7:05, 9:20
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (R) 12:30, 2:45,
5:00, 7:50, 10:15 (new times F. 8/21: 12:30, 2:45,
5:00, 7:15, 9:30)
The Hangover (R) 1:30, 7:10 (ends Th. 8/20)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (PG) 12:30,
3:45, 7:00, 10:15 (new times F. 8/21: 1:00, 4:15,
7:30)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (3D) (PG) 12:40,
2:50, 5:00, 7:3a 9:45 (new times F. 8/21: 12:40,
2:50,5:00) •
Inglourious Basterds (R) 12:00, 3:15, 6:30, 9:50
(starts F. 8/21)
Julie & Julia (PG-13) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, JU:00
Orphan (R) 4:20, 10:00 (ends Th. 8/20)
A Perfect Getaway (R) 12:30, 3:00, 5:25, 7:50, 10:15
Post Grad (PG-13) 12:40, 2:55, 5:10, 7:25, 9:40
(starts F. 8/21)
Shorts (PG) 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 (starts F.
8/21)
The Time Traveler's Wife (PG-13) 12:15, 2:45,' 5:15,
7:40, 10:10
The Ugly Truth (R) 12:25, 2:40, 4:55, 7:10, 9:25 (new
times F. 3/21: 7:10, 9:25)
X Games 3D: The Movie (PG) 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00,
9:20
CINE (706-353-3343)
Away We Go (R) 5:15, 9:30 (new times F. 8/21: 5:00,
9:30) (no show Su. 8/23)
Food, INC (NR) 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 (add'l time Sa.
8/22-Su. 8/23: 3:00) (no 9:45 show Su. 8/23)
(starts F. 8/21)
The Pink Panther (NR) 7:30 (ends Th 8/20)
Rudo y Cursi (R) 7:15 (ends Th. 8/20)
SFA Potlikker Film Fest (NR) 6:00 (Sa. 8/22)
Tetro (NR) 5:00, 9:45 (new time F. 8/21: 7:00) (add!
time Sa. 8/22-Su. 8/23: 2:30)
GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426)
Due to production deadlines, Georgia Square Five movie
times are only accurate through Aug. 20. Visit www.Flagpole.
com for updated times.
Bruno (R) 5:20, 7:25, 9:55
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
(PG) 5:25, 7:50, 10:15
Public Enemies (R) 4:00, 7:00, 10:00
Star Trek (PG-13) 4:10, 7:15, 10:10
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (R) 4:05, 7:20, 10:05
stiff-jawed Dennis Quaid) and backed
by the most talented soldiers from
the world's top militaries. The lineup
includes popular characters like Snake
Eyes, Scarlett, the lesser-known Heavy
Duty and Breaker, recruited to battle
a new threat: the world's largest arms
dealer. Where Transformers is clearly
a blockbuster of the 2000s, G.l. Joe
remains boxed in its original packag
ing from the late 1980s, to which my
inner eight-year-old bellows a hearty,
‘Yo, Joe!’ ’
G-FORCE (PG) G-Force is being
touted as uber-producer Jerry
Bruckheimer's first 3-D and family film.
The heroes may be furry, well-animated
guinea pigs voiced by Sam Rockwell,
Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan and
Nicolas Cage, but the loud, busy
action movie definitely hails from
Bruckheimer’s gated Hollywood neigh
borhood. It's as good—or as bad—as
anv old Bruckheimer production.
THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL
HARD (R) The Goods, from producers
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, neither
lives nor sells hard, and you won't
laugh hard. The ‘comedy’ fails to bring
said goods. Jeremy Piven stars as
Don “The Goods’ Ready, a traveling
car salesman come to Temecula to
save a local car dealership. The Goods
soundly proves it doesn't matter how
many funny people you hire if the writ
ing is bad. No amount of Piven (who,
we learned in the 1990s, should stick
to supporting work), Ving Rhames,
David Koechner, Ed Helms, Craig
Robinson, Tony “Buster Bluth’ Hale,
Ken Jeong (every big comedy since .
Knocked Up), Alan Thicke or James
Brolin can make up for the lack of
witty stupidity expected from a Ferrell
and McKay-approved movie. In his
brief scenes, Ferrell goes for and gets
the biggest guffaws. Even fans of the
dumbest, 'owest common denomina
tor comedy (i.e., those friends who'll
laugh at anything) should wait for DVD
or cable.
THE HANGOVER (R) The summer's
most relentlessly funny comedy may
have arrived. When three buddies—
married schoolteacher Phil (Bradley
Cooper), emasculated dentist Stu
(Ed Helms) and strange Alan (Zack
Galifianakis)—take their pal, Doug
(Justin Bartha), to Las Vegas for his
bachelor party, all hell breaks loose.
Too bad none of these guys can
remember one moment of it. Peppered
with familiar funny faces, The Hangover
is a perfect comedic convergence that's
funnier than it deserves to be.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-
BLOOD PRINCE (PG) In his sixth
year at Hogwarts, young wizard Harry
Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals,
Ron and Hermione (Rupert Grint and
Emma Watson), must contend with
Death Eaters, a puffed-up new Potions
prof and love potions. In his second
Potter film, director David Yates gets
what makes the books so special and
translates that quality to the big screen
unlike any of his predecessors; five
time screenwriter Steve Kloves has
perfected extracting only the essentials
from Rowling’s doorstops. Half-Blood
Prince is the prettiest Potter film as
well.
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE
DINOSAURS (PG) Don't expect any
surprises in the third installment of the
mammoth animated franchise that isn't
Shrek oi produced by Pixar. Ice Age:
DolD is just for the kiddies. If you've
got to see it, be sure to pay a little extra
for the 3D version. It’s worth it.
I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN
HELL (R) Based on Tucker Max's
New York Times bestseller, I Hope
They Serve Beer in Hell sounds like
The Post-Hangover. Narcissistic
Tucker Max (Matt Czuchry, “Gilmore
Girls") surprises his best pal, Dan •
(Geoff Stults, ‘7th Heaven’ and The
Break-Up), with a bachelor party. But
after leaving Dan bloody and bruised,
Tucker is disinvited from the wedding.
Can he get back in Dan’s good graces
before the big day? Author Max and
the film’s co-writer Nils Parker will be
doing a Q&A after the screening.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (R)
Love him or hate him. auteur Quentin
Tarantino returns with another epic
explosion of stylized violence and love
of everything pulp. An American killing
squad known as “The Basterds," ter
rorize Nazis under the leadership of Lt.
Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). I cannot wait.
With Eli Roth, B.J. Novak (Ryan from
“The Office’), Samm Levine (“Freaks
and Geeks’) and Paul Rust (/ Love You,
Beth Cooper) as a few of The Basterds.
JULIE & JULIA (PG-13) As I watched
Streep gloriously honk her way through
Nora Ephron’s delicious new film as
the famous TV chef Julia Child, i was
pleasantly entertained; much of the
decidedly older crowd was in hyster
ics. Julie & Julia is the twin culinary
tales of Julia Child and Julie Powell
(the delightful, cute Amy Adams), a
lowly government employee who finds
meaning—and a book deal—in cook
ing all 524 of the recipes in Child's
Mastering the Ad of French Cooking
in 365 days and blogging about it. You
might think the Sleepless in Seattle
auteur is breaking up with her longtime
partner, the romcom, but J&J is still
about couples—three to be exact:
Julia and Paul Child (Stanley Tucci);
Julie and Eric Powell (Chris Messina);
and Julia and Julie—in love. Julie &
Julia isn't a fancy French delicacy; it's
Hollywood comfort food prepared with
love and laughter.
MY ONE AND ONLY (PG-13) I am at
a loss for words after learning that'Wy
One and Only is based on the life of
the tan one, George Hamilton. I wasn’t
expecting that. Ren6e Zellweger stars
as Anne Deveraux, a glamorous '50s
vixen who cruises the eastern seaboard
seeking a new husband and daddy for
her two boys, George (Logan Lerman,
set to hit it big in 2010’s first Percy
Jackson & the Olympians flick) and
Robbie (Mark Rendall). With Chris
Noth, Kevin Bacon, David Koechner,
Eric McCormack and Steven Weber.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE
OF THE SMITHSONIAN (PG)
Everything about NalM.BotS improves
on the lifeless original, especially the
thankful lack of monkey antics of which
there are a mere toned down few.
ORPHAN (R) Orphan is an above-
average horror flick in the children-
who-kill subgenre. The currently,
amusingly named parenting duo, John
and Kate (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera
Farmiga), wish to adopt. After a single
visit to an orphanage, John and Kate
decide to take home Esther (Isabelle
Fuhrman), a 19th-century Russian
orphan with ribbons tied around her
neck and wrists. Suddenly, Kate begins
to wonder, “What’s Esther’s deal?"
Esther's deal, my friends, is one of the
best twists in the itchily incessant rash
cf twist endings audiences continue to
scratch. The revelation in Orphan actu
ally redeems the movie, turning this
imitative flick into something half-way
original.
A PERFECT GETAWAY (R) Paradise
is lost when two couples, Cliff &
Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla
Jovovich) and Nick and Gina (Timothy
Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez, the infa
mous Nikki of “Lost"’s despised Nikki
and Pauiu), discover a killer couple is
stalking the Hawaiian islands, murder
ing newlyweds. Pitch Black writer-
director David Twohy holds a fun,
informative screenwriting camp in this
meta-thriller. The second act twist won't
blindside you, but it may lead you to
cry, “Bullshit!” Still, the unkillable,
off-his-rocker (or is he?), macho man,
Nick, is Twohy's first home-run char
acter since Riddick, and lets a winking,
twinkling Olyphant, of whom I've
been a fan since "Deadwood," finally
shine. Thriller fans may have traveled
this twisty path before, but A Perfect
Getaway is a trip worth taking.
THE PINK PANTHER (NR) 1963.
The classic comedy stars Peter Sellers
as bumbling Inspector Clouseau, on
the hunt for a jewel thief, and features
HenryrMancini's Oscar-nominated
score. Anyone who has only seen the
Steve Martin desecration—and its
even worse sequel—needs to get to
Cin6 forthwith. Also starring David
Niven and Robert Wagner.
A POST GRAD (PG-13) Alexis
Bledel, billed as “the star of The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pant? but
known and loved as Rory Gilmore,
takes the solo reins in Post Grad.
Recent college graduate Ryden Malby
(Bledel) can't find a job, so she moves
back in with her parents (Michael
Keaton and Jane Lynch). Ryden also
has to choose the right guy between the
reliable friend (Zach Gilford of “Friday
Night Lights") and the bespectacled
neighbor (Rodrigo Santoro). With Carol
Burnett as the grandmother.
PUBLIC ENEMIES (R) Filmmaker
Michael Mann’s latest crime drama,
Public Enemies, is the biggest cin
ematic disappointment of 2009 to date.
Starring Johnny Depp as infamous
bank robber John Dillinger and
Christian Bale as pioneering G-Man
Melvin Purvis, this film musters less
intrigue about a fascinating period
of American history than a History
C lannel documentary. The film isn't
14 FLAGPOLE.COM • AUGUST 19,2009