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IN THE RUBBER ROOM
JOHN DIES AT THE END (R) A video-store
slacker, David Wong (Chase Williamson), meets
up with a jaded journalist, Arnie Blondestone
(Paul Giamatti), and tells him twisted stories
about a cosmic, hallucinogenic drug, interdi-
mensional creatures, psychics and a monster
made out of freezer meat.
Director/writer Don Coscarelli knows a
little something about cult movies. He first
came to prominence in
the late 1970s with the
imaginative, low-budget,
dark fantasy Phantasm,
a feature that stood out
among the glut of slasher
movies then flooding
theaters. A few years
later, Coscarelli directed
the sword and sorcery
movie Beastmaster, which
bedazzled many a teenage
boy with its garish fantasy
world, owing to co-star
Tanya Roberts' skimpy
clothes and because much of the movie looked
like a Frank Frazetta van painting come to life.
It was cheesy, but its heavy rotation on cable
TV nevertheless built up a loyal cult audience.
Coscarelli's movie output over the subseguent
decades was mostly devoted to Phantasm
sequels, but his career got a boost in 2002
with the release of Bubba Ho-Tep, starring
genre vet Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley and
Ossie Davis as a man who believes he's John
F. Kennedy. Old and decrepit, the two men sit
out life in a retirement home, until one day
they encounter an ancient Egyptian mummy
that has miraculously come to life and ram
pages through the retirement center. Bubba
Ho-Tep was inspired lunacy and felt like a late
creative peak for Coscarelli.
John Dies at the End (available VOD) is
stuffed with the same kind of Jabberwocky
energy running through Bubba Ho-Tep, but it
sadly lacks the unexpected
moments of depth that
oozed out of the earlier
movie. That's not to sug
gest this latest one is
without its crazed charm,
however. There's plenty of
outrageous gore, inspired
comedy and a gonzo sense
of narrative here, but after
a great start, the movie
eventually loses itself
within its own convoluted
insanity. In a world where
anything can happen,
nothing is shocking or really bizarre. Even the
most fantastical world needs to be governed
by some trace of internal logic. Otherwise, it
all starts to come out like the increasingly
mad ravings of your conspiracy-obsessed
stoner roommate. Nevertheless, John Dies at
the End makes for an entertaining excursion
into the cinematic weird. Watch it at mid
night; watch it with like-minded fiends.
Derek Hill
Chase Williamson
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STUDIO GHIBLI SERIES
JANUARY 17 7EIRUARY 10
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THIS WEEK:
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TOIOKO
THE IMPOSSIBLE
WWW.ATHENSCIHE.COM 706.353.3343
234 W. HANCOCK AVE DOWNTOWN ATHENS
FACEiOOK.COM/ATHENSCIHI TWITTEK.COM/ATHENSCIHE
PIEDMONT COLLEGE
& CITIZENSHIP
Religion & The Liberal Arts Conference 2013
Religion in the Public Square
February 22-23, 2013
At the Classic Center &
Piedmont College in Athens, Georgia
While the presidential election served to focus issues of public debate, the debates do not end once
votes are cast. This year???s conference will explore the role of faith in the public square, with special
attention to the ethics of political engagement.
Featured Speakers
Barbara Brown Taylor
Piedmont College
Workshop Presenters
Thomas G. Camp
Spiritual Director, Samaritan Counseling
Center of Northeast Georgia
Plemon T. El-Amin
Imam Emeritus, Atlanta Masjid of Al-lslam
Jeffery Selman
Atlanta Chapter President, Americans United for
the Separation of Church and State
Rep. Stacey Abrams
89th House District, House Minority Leader
Dr. David P. Gushee
Center for Theology and Public Life Mercer University
John Blake
Writer/producer at CNN Digital, specializing in
religion and politics
Jessica Ravitz
Writer/producer at CNN Digital and has written
extensively about religion and women's issues
Musical Guest:
Julie Powell Caldwell of Athens
To Register go to www.piedmont.edu/RC
JANUARY 30, 2013 ??? FLAGPOLE.COM 13