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THE ART OF GETTING BY (PG-
13) Having gotten to his senior year
without ever doing his schoolwork,
George Zinavoy (Freddie Highmore, the
Finding Neverlandtid is all grown up),
is befriended by a popular girl, Sally
Howe (Emma Roberts), who proves
to be similarly complicated. This
indie romance is the feature writing
directing debut of Gavin Wiesen. With
Michael Angarano. Sasha Spielberg
(of the blockbuster Spielbergs), Blair
Underwood, Rita ‘Mrs. Tom Hanks’
Wilson and Alicia Sitverstone as Ms.
Herman, the English teacher.
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (PG-13)
I still don't quite get how Battle: Los
Angeles was inspired by true events.
In February 1942, over 1,400 rounds
of anti-aircraft ammunition were
unleashed over the skies of LA, at
what was thought to be Japanese
aircraft. This real-life event somehow
led to this science fiction/war movie
about the battle fought over Los
Angeles during an alien invasion. A
group of mixed military personnel (led
by Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez
and Ne-Yo) try to get back to the F08
(Forward Operating Base) before
bombs are dropped that will hopefully
wipe out the invading extraterrestrials.
BEST WORST MOVIE (NR) 2009
Michael Stephenson, the once-
disgraced child star of 19891s Troll 2,
revisits the creation of the cult classic
many revere as the worst movie ever
made, (ttls not like Troll was much
better than its disastrous sequel.) See
George Hardy, an Alabama dentist who
has become an unwitting cult icon, and
his Italian director,Claudio Fragasso,
come to grips with creating an eternal
piece of genuine cinematic trash.
BRIDESMAIDS (R) Considering its
competition, calling Bridesmaids toe
funniest movie of 2011 may be as
much an insult as a compliment to this
hilarious comedy, written by and star
ring Kristen Wiig. This female-driven
flick needs to be judged and compared
to its raunchy, hearty brothers, all
raised under the banner of the House
of Apatow. These bridesmaids prove
to be just as funny and dirty as the
groomsmen of The 40 Year Old Virgin,
Knocked Up. tic.
BUCK (PG) Real horse whisperer
Buck Brannaman gets the documentary
treatment in this film from Cindy
Meehl. Even the cinematic horse whis
perer, Robert Redford, appears to talk
about this Zen cowboy with a way with
equine animals. The film has been a hit
with festival audiences at the Sundance
Film Festival and the Full Frame
Documentary Film Festival, where
Meehl’s doc won Audience Awards. An
official selection of SXSW, Suck also
won the Heartland Truly Moving Picture
Award
FAST FIVE (PG-13) As the •plot-
goes, Dorn (Vin Diesel). Brian (Paul
Walker) and Dorn's sister/ Brian's
squeeze, Mia (Jordana Brewster), are
on the lam after a daring, non-fatal
prison break. In Rio. the trio runs afoul
of super drug lord, Reyes (Joaquim
de Almeida, doing what Joaquim de
Almeida does best, intimidate in a
bespoke suit). They also have to outwit
federal bounty hunter Hobbs (a more
gigantic than usual Dwayne Johnson).
Other stuff goes on to set up the
’Oceans 11 on wheels’ heist that cre
ates the climax.
GREEN LANTERN (PG-13) Before I
saw the trailer. I believed Green Lantern
had some serious Batman/Superman/
Spider-Man potential; now I'm not
so sure. Test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan
Reynolds) is given a mystical green
ring and becomes the first human
to join an intergaiactic peacekeep
ing organization. With his new ring,
capable of bringing anything Jordan
thinks of to life so long as it isn't yel
low, the Green Lantern must battle
Parallax before he can destroy the uni
verse. Director Martin Campbell twice
breathed life back into James Bond in
GoidenEye and Casino Royale. With
Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark
Strong. Michael Clarke Duncan and
Geoffrey Rush.
HALL PASS (R) The Farrelly Brothers
peaked in 1998. Hall Pass is one of
their weakest, i.e., least funny, movies
yet. Two bumbling suburbanites—Rick
(a miscast Owen Wilson) and Fred
(Jason Sudeikis, who needs to get
out of TV more)—are granted a week
off of marriage from their gorgeous
wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina
Applegate) Unfortunately, hilarity does
not ensue. In its place, we are treated
to another unnatural, demo-spanning
group of friends’—how are these
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC UNARY (706-613-3650)
test Worst Movie (NR) 7:00 (Th. 6/16)
CIMi (706-353-3343)
13 Assasins (R) 4:30. 7:00 (starts F. 6/17)
Meek's Cutoff (PG) 4:45. 7:00 (W. 6/15 & Th. 6/16)
Midnight in Pads (PG-13) 5:00. 7:15, 9:30 (no 9:30 show Su. 6/19).
2:45 (Sa. 6/18 & Su. 6/19)
The Room (R) 12:00 midnight (F. 6/17)
Rubber (R) 9:15 (W. 6/15 & Th. 6/16), 9:45 (starts F. 6/17) (no 9:45
show Su. 6/19), 2:30 (Sa. 6/18 & Su. 6/19)
UGA TATI CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
Halt Pass (R) 8:00, 10:00 (M. 6/20 & W. 6/22)
Accurate movie times for the CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016),
REICNWOOD 5TADIUM 11 (706-546-1011) and GEORGIA
SQUARE 5 ( 706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit www.flagpole.com for updated times.
guys pals with Richard Jenkins?—and
sad attempts at adding lo the society's
sexual lexicon.
THE HANGOVER PART II (R) The
Hangover Pari //sidesteps the land
mines that blow away the humorous
limbs from most comedy sequels.
Lobbing critical grenades at the movie's
lack of creativity ignores the ingenuity
that fashioned a funny facsimile with
out simply recycling wholesale gags
from the 2009 blockbuster. This Todd
Phillips directed comedy works hard,
delivering the laughs necessary to
make up lor its lack of surprises.
HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS.
EVIL (PG) As noted in this magazine's
very pages. I really enjoyed the original
Hoodwinked. I even own the DVD and
the soundtrack. Yet I had no interest
in seeing a sequel lo that tiny, creative
animated jewel, and Hoodwinked Too!
Hood KS. fw/is every reason why.
JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT
BUMMER SUMMER (PG) This
energetic third-grader escapes from
the pages of Megan McDonald’s
best-selling kid-lit series tor a big
screen, summer adventure. When Judy
Moody's (Jordana Beatty) parents take
a trip to California sans Judy and her
little brother, Stink (Parris Mosteller),
the rails nest redhead creates a series
of summer dares to entertain herself
and her friends Fortunately, the sum
mer sitter, Aunt Opal (Heather Graham),
is way cool.
KUNG FU PANOA 2 (PG) The cute,
gravity-less Kung Fu Panda universe
renders the drama so light it floats
away. With the story no match for
KFP2s furious, fist-ftying computer
animation (and PoS lovely hand-drawn
memories), the sound effects take on
a role of near-heroic importance. Yet
the animated features childish target
audience will never notice how far
back Kung Fu Panda 2 retreats from
its stellar predecessor, as the animated
bells and auditory whistles are that
pleasantly distracting.
MEEK’S CUTOFF (PG) Whether
you love her or have never heard of
her, writer-director Kelly Reichardt
returns.with a new feature—a period
piece at that!—to join her impressive
filmography ot River ot Grass, Old Joy
and Wendy and Lucy. In 1845 Oregon,
female settler Emily Tetherow (Michelle
Williams) begins to question whether
or not bold guide Stephen Meek (Bruce
Greenwood) has led her astray. Meek's
Cutoff has already picked up a couple
ol awards from the Independent Spirit
Awards
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (PG-13)
Woody Allen's still in Europe, and the
buzz says MidnigN is one of his recent
best In the Woodster's latest, an entire
family family takes a business trip to
Paris The cast—Owen Wilson, Rachel
McAdams. Kathy Bates, Michael
Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody,
Alison Pill and Tom Hiddlestoo—is
good, but not as sharp as most put
together by Allen. I hope ills better than
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.
Extra cool points for the use of Van
Gogh's "Starry Night' on the poster
MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS (PG)
Businessman Tom Popper (Jim Carrey)
gets a penguin as a gift and soon
becomes the caretaker of live more of
the formally clad seabirds With six
penguins to care lor, Mr Popper’s life
and home must change drastically.
Director Mark Waters' filmography has
been hit or miss. Sure, Mean Girls was
great (more thanks to Tina Fey), but
Ghosl of Girlfriends Past was terrible.
Waters’ last family friendly project, The
Spiderwick Chronicles, wasn't too bad.
With Carla Gugino, Angela lansbury
and Philip Baker Hall.
PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW
YORK TIMES (R) Filmed over the
course of one year al The New York
Times' newly created Media Desk,
Page One: Inside the New York Times
examines the peril and opportunity of
the ever-changing media landscape.
The unprecedented access given film
maker Andrew Rossi (Le Cirque: A
Table in Heaven, Fat This New York)
allows the unique opportunity to watch
a once stable industry transform itself
lor a new era.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
ON STRANGER TIDES (PG-13) You
would think Johnny Depp's Captain
Jack Sparrow would soar to the surface
now that he’s shed of the dead weight
that was Will Turner (Orlando Bloom)
and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).
Instead, the fourth adventure ol Captain
Jack is terribly unexciting and, worst
of all, boring, as he canters frantically
about for no reason more dramatically
pressing than box office booty.
PROM (PG) Prom isn’t a movie made
for anyone who has actually ever
been to a prom. Even then, gaggles of
middle school girts giggled their way
through the trials and tribulations ot
high schoolers (led by ’Friday Night
Lights” Aimee Teegarden) struggling
to find dates and dresses (or the "most
magical night ol their lives’ until the
rest of their life actually happens.
RANGO (PG) Boasting a cute trailer,
this animated feature from Pirates of
the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski
stars his lead pirate, Johnny Depp, as
the voice of a chameleon that wants to
be a gunslinging hero. Rango must put
his skills, if he has any, to the test to
protect a Western town from bandits.
RIO (G) Another week, another aver
age animated children's movie that
wont quite pain the adults forced to
accompany them. After Rango, 2011’s
animated output has some minor big,
quirky boots to fill. Rio isn't quirky. It
mashes together several popular car
toon plotlines.
RUBBER (R) When a tire named
Robert comes to life and discovers it
has the telekinetic power to kill, it rolls
around a desert town (the motel looks
straight out of The Devil's Rejects)
looking for victims. Robert is particu
larly intrigued by a mysterious woman
named Sheila (Roxane Mesquida).
Writer-director Quentin Dupieux,
AKA French techno artist Mr. Oizo,
has crafted a very self-aware horror/
comedy hybrid that works better when
it sticks to straight-faced terror.
• SUPER 8 (PG-13) In JJ. Abrams'
new summer crowdpleaser, a group
of junior Spielbergs witness a train
crash that unleashes some mysterious
and destructive events on their small
Ohio town. The film's dramatic core
and primary means of propulsion are
its dual mysteries: one fantastical,
one tragically mundane. Without giv
ing too much away, but to establish
a point ol reference. Super 8 is a
Close Encounter w\\h Jaws and F. T.
Stylistically and narratively, Abrams
references Spielberg's greatest hits.
Yet Spielberg's mastery of the creature
reveal is not a gift shared by Abrams,
as the first couple of acts, a perfect
Polaroid of a simpler, more innocent
time, is shelled to death by its tank-
filled finale. For a solid hour-and-a-
half. the Star Trek director provides
the exact product the all-grown-up
Spielberg has not in almost 20 years.
It is only in the climax of his retro
vision that it rings untrue; being able
to explicitly depict whatever you want
is not necessarily the boon Hollywood
believes it to be.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (NR)
Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson)
hops a train carrying the Benzini
Brothers Most Spectacular Show on
Earth to its next stop. Soon, he con
vinces ringmaster August Rosenbluth
(Christoph Waltz) to hire him as the
circus' vet. And when Benzini Brothers
gets a new star attraction. Rosie the
elephant. Jacob becomes the all-
important bull man (i.e., elephant
trainer).
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (PG-13) With
Kick-Ass filmmaker Matthew Vaughn in
charge, X-Men: First Class is what the
third X-movie should have been. A pre
quel to the preceding cinematic issues.
X-Men Zero explains how Professor
Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and
Erik Lehnsherr, AKA Magneto (Michael
Fasshender), came to be friends and
then mortal enemies. With its earty-
'60s style and Cold War tensions,
X-Zero exceeds its predecessors in
energy, style and fun.
Drew Wheeler
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10 FLAGPOLE.COM JUNE 15,2011
