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False Hope: I can't say I'm much of a fan of
Steven Spielberg. I get that he's working in
an idiom (which he's played a huge role in
developing) that doesn't exactly prioritize
minute shadings of character and tone. But
even allowing for that his moves are usually
just too blatant and aggressive for me to be
taken in by. Still I sure liked War Horse. In
that film, Spielberg mostly backed off of his
usual huckstering, oversold spectacle and con-
centrated on the sentimentality and nostalgia
that are equally his stock-in-trade, with an
uncharacteristic Sensitivity to the qualities,
both superficial and interior, that distinguish,
say, a John Ford film from anything that's .
been produced in the last half-century. What •
he got was a deeply understanding, unforced
pastiche that legitimately looks like The Quiet
Man and has an emotional directness that's a
lot more How Green Was My Valley than War of
the Worlds. It's a hell of a surprising piece of
work by a guy from whom I thought I knew
exactly what to expect every time.
So, when I finally got around to seeing his
The Adventures of Tintin, which was released
almost simultaneously with War Horse late last
year, I guess I hadn't property adjusted my
expectations for what was, after all, a motion-
capture CGI Steven Spielberg adaptation of
an early-1940s installment in the Belgian
writer-artist Herge's sublime comic series,
much of the charm of which depended on its
author's wryly objective presentation of his
characters' outrageous adventures and impos
sible slapstick.
“Wryly objective" isn't what Spielberg does
best* he has considerable trouble approaching
“vaguely restrained." And given the literally
unlimited freedom the full-CGI format allows
him to indulge in the elaborately designed but
curiously impactless action set pieces—in the
essence of which he has improperly assumed ;
"Innocence" and "timelessness" as givens—
that have defined his work since Raiders of the
Lost Ark, no one should have hoped for any
thing from his Tintin that would be remotely
satisfying on the original's terms.
"Now ya tells me," says last week's me to
this week's me. I know, I know. Of course,
moments like the playful wrestling match
between Tintin's brilliant terrier Snowy and a
supposedly vicious Rottweiler play out far too
infrequently in the background, and are buried
under an endless avalanche of expensively
but lazily virtual scenes that are meant to be
thrilling, but only serve to prove the awful
dullness of Spielberg's default style of film-
making: one that prioritizes the appearance
of eagerness to please an audience over an
actually serious effort to engage with one.
Cinfe Safari: One of the priorities for Cin§ in
its new, nonprofit incarnation is to increase •
membership, and to that end the folks over
there are going to start coming up with some
cool members-only events as perks. One of
JkoDmms of Sushi is playing at Cin£
those will be a series of "behind the scenes"
tours with Gabe Wardell, Cin6's executive -
director. The tours, which began last week
and will continue to be held every Friday at
noon through May 18, are free to members
and should be of interest to anyone who's ever
wondered, for instance, what a 35mm film
projector looks like up dose. If you're already
a member, great! If not, it's time: sign up at
www.athensdne.com and join the fun.
A Front of House: Meanwhile, there's plenty
happening in the arthouse that's 100 per
cent open to the public. Salmon Fishing in
the Yemen (see Movie Pick, j). 15) and Jim
Dreams of Sushi are both major indie releases
that you've probably heard about; they're play
ing at least through this week. Cin£'s Fifth
Anniversary Series is still screening Thursday
evenings, with Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious
Basterds Apr. 26 and Terrence Davies' The
Long Day Closes on May 3. Perhaps not
coincidentally, Davies' new film, The Deep
Blue Sea, opens the next day. Adapted from
Terrence Rattigan's play, it returns Davies to
his favorite milieu of post-WWII England, and
looks wonderful. Mark it down.
One More Thing: The late entry deadline for
the Sprockets Music Video Competition is
Monday, Apr. 30, and as they did with the
early deadline last week, the FilmAthens folks
will be hosting a "happy hour drop-off' at
Ricker Theatre and Bar from 6-7 that evening.
Submitting your film in person over a nice *
drink is a lot more fun than mailing it, so
head on down there. Come to think of it, you
should probably stop by whether you're sub
mitting a film or not just to check in. Get the
details at www.filmathens.net.
Dave MtrMi’mOflagpole.com
You
Enjoy the Race from Our Beer Garden Out Front!
Monday
$10 One Topping
16" Pizza and
$7 Pitchers
All DAY
( T\taaday )
2 for*22
Get any two entrees (one
combination of past*,
sandwiches or a 1 -topping mini
or calzone), two side salads and
two beverages for $22
jMnswtojr J | Q Thursday )
PINT NIGHT
All Draft Pints
are $2 starting
at 3pm
WING SPECIALS
ALL DAY
50* Wings
& $7 Pitchers
ANY 16 PIZZA FOR THE
PRICE OF A 14 ‘
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APRIL 25,2012 RAGP0LE.COM 17