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NEWS OF ATHENS’ CINEMA SCENE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
Cute Girl Less Fun When Nice: A while back,
when I first decided to devote the opening
segment of this column to a brief (or not so
much) discussion of the last movie I'd seen,
whatever it was, I think I mentioned that that
might sometimes prove an embarrassing prop
osition. This is one of those times. See, what
happened was, I was in the kitchen work
ing on something, as I am now, on a recent
weekend afternoon, while Mrs. Film Notebook
was watching something on the big TV in
the adjacent room, or dozing there, maybe.
I kept catching bits and pieces of what was
on; it sounded like a romantic comedy with
extremely frank sexual dialogue between the
leads, laced with some unambiguously R-rated
vulgarities.
Naturally, I was intrigued. I stumbled
across it later that evening and watched it.
Turns out the film I'd been half-enjoying
from the other room was Love and Other
Drugs, a "funny/dramatic" romance with Jake
Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway (and Oliver
Platt! And Hank Azaria!), set, oddly, amid the
healthcare economic sector at the mid-90s
dawn of Viagra (it was tough to know whether
Pfizer had paid a boat
load for "promotional
considerations": the
drug company has a
pervasive presence,
but it's not shown in
a very good light).
Turns out he's an
unscrupulous young
hotshot drug rep, and
she's got early-onset
Parkinsons—and the
emotional pain associ
ated with that is mak
ing her mean. Turns
out she's not as much
fun once you get to
know her, kind of like
the movie, which, it
turns out, was co
written and directed by
Edward Zwick, which
is never a good thing.
Needless to say, Annie and Jake are both, it
turns out, really nice people once they grow
to accept their mutual love. The less said
about it, the better.
Sad News: Word came down last week that
Video Link, a mainstay of local, independent
DVD rental, is closing its doors. Its propri
etor, Link Souter, has spent decades supply
ing Athenian film lovers with a well chosen
and always interesting selection of films on
home video, first as the longtime manager of
Video Library, and for the past several years
at his own store, which is now selling off all
its stock at bargain prices. The closing of
Link's shop is just another illustration of how
strange, difficult and unpredictable a time this
is in all areas of film viewership (see below
item), and especially for independent video
stores. All the more reason to make it a point
to support the ones we have left, which basi
cally amounts to Vision Video now. Good luck.
Link—we'll miss you.
Hail Mary Pickford?: Speaking of the radi
cally shifting landscape of film viewing, Julia
Marchese of L.A.'s New Beverly Cinema, a
revival house that screens a new double fea
ture of classic movies pretty much every other
day, has started an online petition urging the
major film studios not to cease distribution
of archival 35mm prints. Because 35mm
films are difficult and expensive to store and
ship, major studios are discontinuing rent
als, which will make repertory screenings just
about obsolete. That's an absolute disaster for
the many, many people who understand that
watching a projected film print in a theater
with an audience is the way movies are truly
meant to be seen; if you're one of those (and
if you're reading this column, you should
be), go online and sign the petition at www.
thepetitionsite.eom/l/fight-for-35mm. I don't
know if it'll do any good, but the chances of
it getting somebody's attention improve with
each signature.
Y Cine Action: One of the things being put
together by Cine's programming committee
(which I'm on) is a film noir festival projected
entirely from 35mm prints, hopefully in early
2012. Obviously, given the circumstances
described above, that will be an opportunity
not to miss; in the meantime, though, there's
plenty coming down the pipe to get excited
about. Opening Nov. 25 is Pedro Almodovar's
The Skin I Live In, which reunites the direc
tor with Antonio Banderas and sounds like a
cross between Eyes Without a Face and, urn,
an Almodovar film... On Dec. 2 comes Lars
Von Trier's Melancholia, which despite the
director's amazing behavior upon its debut
at Cannes earlier this year sounds like it may
be his best film. That will serve as the next
installment in the Director Spotlight Series,
with my fellow programming committee mem
ber and UGA Film Studies grad Matt Noller
introducing it Tuesday, Nov. 6... Margin Call,
which looks fantastic, is scheduled to open
Dec. 9, then in January we get Polanski's
Carnage, Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method
and Aki Kaurismaki's Le Havre, for which the
critical praise has been as enthusiastic and as
unanimous as any film I can remember in the
past year or so... It bears mentioning that
Cine is still in the midst of a membership
drive as it prepares for its transition to full
nonprofit status in January. So, if you're not
a member and think you should be, go ahead
and sign up now. You can find details on the
new membership packages (along with trailers
and more info on the films listed above, plus
some cool upcoming special events) at www.
athenscine.com.
Dave Marr film@flagpole.com
Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya in Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In. open
ing Friday, Nov. 25 at Cine.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. You'll hear
this from all sides this week, but it's true: look
around at all you have to be thankful for and
then be thankful for it. Even if you think you
have nothing that qualifies, I guarantee you
someone else thinks you do. So, with that,
let's get into this week's music news and be
thankful that my Dr. Seuss moment is over...
Hey Hey, My My: If you're wanting to catch
a glimpse of the next generation of Athens
music, then get yourself over to the Melting
Point on Thursday, Dec. 1 and see The Second
Sons. The band has been working steadily
for the past year or so, and has racked up
an impressive list of opening slots, includ
ing Bloodkin and Drive-By Truckers. This
warmest invitations get the special atten
tion, so be sincere and make sure you can
handle having such an event. Then drop a
line to musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com
and let him know you're able and willing. I've
attended these shows every year since they
started, and they are truly something special.
Don't miss out.
Good Tidings: Athens studio legend John
Keane has made a special holiday record
with his two daughters, Paige and Rachel.
Performing as We Three Keanes, the album
is titled 0 Christmas, Where Art Thou? and it's
a quite pleasant listen. The three do faithful
renditions of Christmas classics such as "God
Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "0 Holy Night,"
The Second Sons
night they'll be playing with Athens band
The Woodgrains. Both bands, actually, were
nominated for the award of "Upstart Band of
the Year" by this very publication, so maybe
there's something to that. Both bands play
tunes in the vein of Americana-ish rock, with
Woodgrains being the slicker one. Doors open
at 6 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m.
For more information, please see www.face-
book.com/the2ndsons.
Tuning In: Congratulations go out to
WUGA-TV, which has just passed the mile
stone of producing its 150th television
broadcast of the popular WUGA-FM show "It's
Friday." WUGA-TV is a partnership between
UGA and Georgia Public Television and can
be viewed locally via Charter Cable Television
on channel six. "It's Friday" features per
formances by local and out-of-town artists
playing acoustic or otherwise stripped-down
versions of their songs in an intimate setting
each Friday at 3 p.m. WUGA-FM is available at
91.7 and 97.9 on your FM radio dial. For more
information, please see www.wuga.uga.edu.
This One Thing I Know: In what has already
become an annual tradition, Julian Roster
(Music Tapes) will take his Christmas tour
around the nation again this season. Seeking
to play homes across the country Nov.
28-Dec. 12, Roster is accepting invitations
now. The way it works is: you decide if you
want Roster and his crew to come set up in
your house, then you drop him a line, and he
decides if it's the right type of situation and
whether it could work. Only the kindest and
"The First Noel," "Good King Wenceslas" and
more. The album is available on CD and via
digital download over at www.johnkeanestu-
dios.com.
What We Do Is Secret: The Secret Record
Swap is happening again Saturday, Dec. 3 at
the 40 Watt. Organized by Chris Razz and Low
Yo Yo Stuff Records, the event is open to
dealers of all types of musical wares (records,
videos, CDs, tapes, etc.). If you're interested
in selling stuff, you better get on it and con
tact Razz via chris@chrisrazz.com or call 706-
206-0766. Don't you want to be a part of it?
Sure you do. For all other information, please
see www.facebook.com/secretrecordswap.
Pay Attention to This: I put this news last
because I think people tend to read the first
and last paragraphs immediately before div
ing into the center. Anyway, Null's Space is
working to help provide low-cost health care
for Athens' creative community, but they've
got to have input from y'all! So musicians, art
ists, performers and support staff, please take
the time to fill out their online survey located
at www.tinyurl.com/7awgl37 and encourage
others to do the same. Basically, they need to
know what the community's needs are before
they can fashion a program that suits those
needs. So, take a few minutes and let 'em
know. If you've got any questions or com
ments, you can drop a line to nucis-space-
community-health-project@googlegroups.
com.
Gordon Lamb threalsandpromsies@flagpole.com
12 FLAGPOLE.COM • NOVEMBER 23, 2011
