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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
ASTRO BOY (PG) Osamu TezukaS
comic series comes to life. In Metro
City, young robot Astro Boy (v. Freddie
Highmore. Finding Neverlandj, is
built by brilliant scientist Or. Tenma
(v. Nicolas Cage) in the image of his
dead son. My only knowledge of Astro
Boy comes from a superior Gameboy
Advance game. Featuring the voices of
Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Samuel
L. Jackson. Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy
and Nathan Lane. From the director of
Flushed Away.
BRIGHT STAR (PG) Jane Campion,
the Oscar-winning writer-director
of The Piano, returns with a period
romantic drama about the short-lived
relationship between poet John Keats
(Ben Whishaw. one of the Dylans in
I'm Not There), who died at 25, and
Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish, Stop-
Loss). Nominated for the Palme d'Or
3t Cannes
CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (R)
Documentary firebrand Michael Moore
returns with a film sure to be more
controversial than his nearly bipartisan
Sicko. Could his new doc be Moore's
biggest hit since Fahrenheit 9/117 He's
already picked up a Little Golden Lion
and an Open Prize from the Venice Film
Festival, where he was also nominated
for the coveted Golden Lion.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF
MEATBALLS (PG) When inven
tor Flint Lockwood (v. Bill Hader)
devises a machine that delivers food,
on order, from the heavens, the town
of Chewandswallow rejoices. Kids
will too, as Judi and Ron Barrett’s
1978 children's classic comes to life
on the big screen. Parents won’t be
disappointed either. Cloudy gets a
little gross towards the end—a giant
meatball expelling gaseous clouds of
all-you-can-eat buffet—and overuses
clich&j complications to pad its
already short (81 minutes) running
time. But the movie's easily entertained
demographic won’t mind, and neither
will most adult chaperones.
COCO BEFORE CHANEL (PG-13)
Before Coco Chanel was Coco Chanel,
she was Gabrielle Chanel. Amelie star
Audrey Tautou is drawing raves—
and Oscar buzz—for this biopic of
the famous French designer, who
started out in an orphanage. Coco *
Before Chanel is writer-director Anne
Fontaine’s second buzzy release of the
year. (The Girl from Monaco garnered
some nice pub back in July.) With
Benoit Poelvoorde (MarrBites Dogl),
Alessandro Nivola (Junebug/), Marie
Gillain and Emmanuelle Devos (A
Christmas Tald).
COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS (NR)
Codirectors Benjamin Franzen and
Kembrew McLeod’s sampling docu
mentary feature everybody who is any
body in the biz. We’re talking George
Clinton, Chuck D„ Humpty Hump, Mix
Master Mike, Harry Allen. Matt Black,
De La Soul, Don Joyce, DJ Obert,
Pam the Funkstress, Eclectic Method,
El-P, Eyedea & Abilities, Sage Francis.
Bobbito Garcia. Miho Hatori, Mark
Hosier, Richard McGuire. Paul Miller
(AKA DJ Spooky). Mr. Len, Prefuse 73.
RJD2, Aesop Rock, Pete Rock, Shock
G, Hank Shocklee, Clyde Stubblefield
and Saul Williams. It’S a list long
enough to make you wonder who didn’t
make the cut. Part of the ACC Library's
iFilms series.
COUPLES RETREAT (PG-13) Four
couples (Vince Vaughn and Malin
Ackerman, Jon Favreau and Kristin
Davis. Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell,
and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk) ven
ture to a tropical island resort to work
out their relationship issues. The trail
ers have been hard to crack. Is Couples
Retreat as funny as its cast, or as tired
as its concept? With Jean Reno and
Carlos Ponce. Written by Favreau and
Vaughn and directed by their bud, Peter
Billingsley (Ralphie from A Christmas
Story).
THE COVE (PG-13) Director Louie
Psihoyos used sitate-of-the-art tech
nology to capture the injustice and
abuse an activist group led by dolphin
trainer Richard O’Barry (he worked on
“Flipper'* until one of the dolphins,
Kathy, died in his arms) find in a hid
den cove near Taijii, Japan. The website
describes the film as “an intelligent/
action/adventure/Ocea/rt /Mike hor
ror film.’ Nominated for the Sundance
Grand Jury Prize, The Cove won the
Audience Award for best documentary.
You’ll best remember producer Fisher
Stevens from his Short Circuit days.
EARTH DAYS (NR) Oscar-nominated
writer-producer-director Robert Stone
(Radio Bikini) charts the rise of the
modem environmental movement
from'Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
to the crying Indian to Apr. 22 (Earth
Day since 1970). Honored as the
Closing Night Film at the Sundance
Film Festival. Part of the second annual
EcoFocus Film Festival presented by
the Odum School of Ecology.
A AN EDUCATION (PG-13)
Teenaged Jenny (Carey Mulligan)
comes of age in the ‘60s suburban
London upon the arrival of David (Peter
Sarsgaard). a playboy nearly twice her
age. Mulligan is winning raves and
positioning herself on the shortlist of
potential Oscar dark horses. Director
Lone Scherfig also helmed Italian for
Beginners and bestselling novelist
Nick Hornby (High Fidelity and About a
Bo/) adapted the Lynn Barber memoir.
Winner of the Dramatic World Cinema
Audience Award, Cinematography
Award, as well as a Grand Jury Prize
nomination from Sundance.
END OF THE LINE (NR) This major
documentary investigating the impact
of overfishing on our oceans had its
premier at Sundance this year and runs
this week as a part of the EcoFocus
Film Festival.
EXAMINEO LIFE (NR) Astra Taylor,
the director of 2i?ek!, hits the streets
with some of today’s premier think
ers—K. Anthony Appiah, Judith Butler,
Michael Hardt, Martha Nussbaum,
Avital Ronell, Peter Singer, Sunaura
Taylor, Cornel West and Slavoj ZiZek.
From Fifth Avenue. San Fran's Mission
District and a garbage dump, these
great minds wax philosophical while
visiting places of great personal reso
nance. A Q&A with Taylor follows the
7:30 screening on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
FAME (PG) Fame really does live
forever. This remake of the popular
1980s musical centers on a new batch
of talented students going broke for
their dream at the New York City High
School of Performing Arts.
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS
VEGAS (R) 1998. Terry Gilliam
turns his twisted vision to Hunter S.
Thompson’s gonzo story of oddball
journalist Raoul Duke's (Johnny Depp)
search for the American Dream. v
THE FINAL DESTINATION 30 (R)
The Final Destination 3D is too silly
to be scary. After another bland, pretty
teen (Bobby Campo, the poor man's
James Franco) saves his pals from'
Death’s masterplan, said bland, pretty
teens must figure out a way to stop
the unstoppable, unseen Grim Reaper.
The 30 performs as advertised. It adds '•*
another dimension to deaths that are
still creative in a half-assed sort of
way. Death used up his most inventive
kills in Final Destination 2and 3. This
direct-to-DVD cast is also the weakest:
Mykelti “Bubba Gump“ Williamson
is the big name. The rest of the pretty
dead babes are either CW castoffs or
potential CW castoffs. The casting
director of “One Tree Hill’ must love
movies like FD4, which totally cut their
work load in half.
GOOD HAIR (PG-13) Chris Rock
executive produced, co-wrote and stars
in this documentary about African-
American hairstyles. Rock talks with
hair-care pros, beauty shop devotees
and celebrities like Ice-T, Nia Long,
Paul Moony, Raven Symorfe, Maya
Angelou, Salt n Pepa, Eve and the
Reverend Al Sharpton. Winner of a
Special Jury Prize and a Grand Jury
Prize nomination from the Sundance
Film Festival. Directed by two-time
Emmy winner Jeff Stilson (“The
Osbournes’ and “The Chris Rock
. Show’).
THE HANGOVER (R)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.
The fifth feature from Todd Phillips,
The Hangover is a perfect comedic
convergence that’s funnier than it
deserves to be.
THE HOLIDAY (PG-13) Writer/direc
tor Nancy Meyers (What Women Want,
Somethings Gotta Give!) comes down
the cinematic chimney with just about
the best present a gal could hope for
on a cold winter’s night. I have no dif
ficulty seeing how people could find
The Holiday insulting and obnoxious.
Affluent, brokenhearted beauties
bemoaning their unluckiness in love
while waltzing through a 3D maga
zine layout for Town & Country has
been known to induce vomiting. The
Holida/s denouement holds no sur
prises, but underneath all the urbane
trappings beats a strong heart.
I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN
HELL (R) Based on Tucker Max’s
New York Times bestseller, / 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?
I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF
(PG-13) With his latest, / Can Do Bad
All by Myself, Tyler Perry continues
preaching to the choir. The unconverted
will be as unimpressed and uninter
ested in the latest faith-based, tonally
bipolar dramedy starring himself in
drag as mad matron Madea as they
were the previous four features. Perry’s
cast, outside of the leads and the
appealing kids, is awful. Big-voiced
divas Gladys Knight and Mary J. Blige
shouldn't give up the mic for the mov
ies. Perry excels at broad humor; the
scene where Madea “teaches" Jennifer
about prayer and the Bible is as funny
as Ricky Bobby's prayer in Talladega
Nights. It's the trite, message-driven
dramatics that fail the super successful *
Gber-hyphenate.
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
Copyright Criminals (NR) 7:00 (Th. 10/8)
BEICHWOOD (706-546-1011)
Due to production deadlines, Beechwood movie times are
only accurate through Oct. 8. Visit www.flagpole.com for
updated times. r
Capitalism: A Loye Story (R) 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3D (PG) 5:05,
7:25, 9:35
Fame (PG) 4:40, 7:15, 9:45
I Can Do Bad All By Myself (PG-13) 4:20, 7:05, 9:40
The Informant! (R) 4:10, 7:10, 9:50
The Invention of Lying (PG-13) 5:10, 7:35, 9:55
Love Happens (PG-13) 7:10
Pandorum (R) 4:05, 9:35
Surrogates (PG-13) 4:30, 7:30, 9:50
Toy Story 1 and 2 (G) 4:00, 8:00
Whip It (PG-13) 4:15, 7:00, 9:30
Zombieland (R) 5:15, 7:25, 9:35
CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016)
Due to production deadlines, Carmike 12 movie times are
only accurate through Oct. 8. Visit www.flagpole.com for
updated times.
Bright Star (PG) 1:25, 4:10, 7:05, 9:j5
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (PG) 1:00, 3:15,
5:30, 7:40, 9:50
Fame (PG) 1:45, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40
The Final Destination (3D) (R) 1:45, 4:15, 7:05, 9:35
I Can Do Bad All By Myself (PG-13) 1:30, 4:10, 7:00,
9:45
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (R) 1:50, 4:25, 7:10,
9:45
The Informant! (R) 4:20, 9:30
Love Happens (PG-13) 1:40, 4:20, 7:05, 9:40
My One and Only (PG) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:40, 9:50
Pandorum (R) 1:30, 7:00
Spookley the Square Pumpkin (G)12:00
Surrogates (PG-13) 1:15, 3:25, 5:35, 7:45, 9:55
Toy Story 1 and 2 (3D) (G) 12:15, 3:55, 7:35
Zombieland (R) 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:40, 9:50
CINt (706-353-3343)
The Ecofocus Film Festival continues through Oct. 30.
Complete film and event schedule online at www.ecofocus-
fiimfest.org.
The Cove (NR) 5:00, 7:00, 9:30 (starts F. 10/9) (add’t
times Sa. 10/10-Su. 10/11:1:15 and 3:00) (no 9:30
show Su. 10/11)
Earth Days (NR) 7:30, 9:45 (Tu! 10/6 and Th. 10/8)
End of the Line (NR) 5:30 (F. 10/9 and Sa. 10/10)
7:30 (Tu. 10/13 and W. 10/14)
Examined Life (NR) 7:30 (F. 10/9-M. 10/12) (addT
times Tu. 10/13: 9:45)
Loma's Silence (R) 8:00 (ends Th. 10/8)
Milking the Rhino (NR) 5:30 (Th. 10/8)
Ponyo (G) 5:45 (Tu. 10/6-Th. 10/8) 3:15 (F. 10/9)
1:00 (Sa. 10/10-Su. 10/11)
The Room (R) 10:00 (add! times F. 10/9: midnight)
(no show Tu. 10/13)
The Soloist (PG-13) 6:00, 8:15, 10:15 (W. 10/7)
Tapped (NR) 2:00 (F. 10/9) 5:30 (Su. 10/11 and W.
10/14)
GEORGIA SQUARE 5 ( 706-548-3426)
• Due to production deadlines, Georgia Square movie times
are only accurate through Oct. 8. Visit www.flagpole.com for
updated times.
The Hangover (R) 5:25, 7:55, 10:15
Ice Age 3 (PG) 5:15, 7:45, 10:00'
The Proposal (PG-13) 4:25, 7:35, 10:05
The Ugly Truth (R) 5:25, 7:50.10:15
Up (PG) 5:20, 7:40,10:10
TATE CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (R) 8:00 (Th. 10/8)
The Hangover (R) 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 (F. 10/9-Su.
10/11)
No Impact Man (NR) 8:00 (W. 10/7)
Want to see what I learned in sex education?
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 Of produced by Pixar. Ice Age:
DotD is just for the kiddies.
THE INFORMANT! (R) In Steven
Soderbergh’s newest film, Mark
Whitacre, a higher up in agribusiness
giant Archer Daniels Midland, reports
corporate conspiracy to the FBI.
becoming the first person ever to will
ingly step forward and cooperate in a
price-fixing investigation. But Whitacre
has some secrets of his own. From
the trailers, The Informant!appears to
be a riotous shakedown of corporate
scandal and sputtering federal agents,
all of whom are at the mercy of a naive,
childish liar.
THE INVENTION OF LYING (PG-13)
See Movie Pick.
IT MIGHT GET LOUD (PG) An
Inconvenient Truth Oscar winner Davis
Guggenheim's new documentary
tackles the electric guitar through the
points of view of three pretty big names
in rock and roll: Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy
Page, LIZ’S The Edge (n6 Dave Evans),
and The White Stripes' Jack White. Any
self-respecting rock doc fan is drooling
at the thought, whether or not they like
any or all of these guitar gods.
LORNA'S SILENCE (R) 2008 A
band of Eastern Europeans scheme
to make money and achieve citizen
ship in the new film from the two-time
Palme d’Or winning Dardenne broth
ers, Jean-Pierre and Luc (Rosetta,
Le Fils, and LEnfant). Winner of the
Best Screenplay Award and a Palme
d'Or nomination from Cannes and the
Best French Language Film from the
Lumiere Awards.
LOVE HAPPENS (PG-13) While
watching “Mad Men" the other day, I
saw a preview for the newest romantic
dramedy starring Jennifer Aniston and
Aaron Eckhart and wondered how I’d
missed this late-'90s/ early-'OOs flick.
Then I realized it was new. With Judy
Greer, Dan Fogler and Martin Sheen.
MILKING THE RHINO (NR) 2008 An
exploration of community-based con
servation in Africa, this documentary
distinguishes itself from so many wild
life documentaries and their forecasts
of doom by focusing the lens on rural
Africans and their roles as poachers
turned protectors. Part of the EcoFocus
Film Fest.
MY ONE AND ONLY (PG-13) I am at
a loss for words after learning that My
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 tor
her two boys. George (Logan Lerman,
set to hit it big in 2010’s first Percy
Jackson & the Olympians flick) and
Robbie (Mark Rendall).
NO IMPACT MAN: THE
DOCUMENTARY (NR) Watch as one
Manhattan family tries not to impact
the environment for a year. No soda
cans, no bottled water, no magazines,
no newspapers, no airplanes, no
subways, no taxis, no elevators! Will
• Colin Beavan sacrifice his family to
the gods of green? An official selection
at Sundance. Silverdocs and the Los
Angeles Film Festivals. .
PANDORUM (R) With Paul W S.
Anderson producing, comparisons to
his much better horror sci-fi hybrid,
Event Horizon, are inevitable and
deserved. Loud, cacophonous, jit-
teringly shot and edited, and nearly
impenetrable (take onf guess whether
that's due to design or incompetence),
Pandorum made me wistful for the ter
rible Hellraiser: Bloodline, but I'd prefer
to spend time playing EA’s spook-tac-
ular, haunted ghost ship video game,
“Dead Space."
PONYO (G) Goldfish Ponyo wishes to
become a real girl after falling in love
12 FLAGPOLE.COM OCTOBER 7,2009