Screen Grab, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Epic Ring Cycle broadcast comes to a close with G�tterd�mmerung

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:59:35 -0500

Every journey must come to an end (promise!), and so it is with the broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera's Ring Cycle. For those of us who have been following the live broadcasts from the beginning, this particular journey started way back in the fall of 2010 with the broadcast of Das Rheingold.…

Celebrate Dickens' birthday by watching instantly

Curt Holman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:27:33 -0500

I think I can say without controversy that if you really want to celebrate Charles Dickens' 200th birthday, the best way is to read one of his actual books. Recognizing that might require more time than most people can commit to in one evening, you could alternatively watch a movie adaptation.…

Crispin Glover is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE

JEFFREY BUTZER — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:50:00 -0500

Crispin Glover is perhaps best known for his roles in blockbusters such as Charlie’s Angles, Alice in Wonderland and of course, Back to the Future. But his scene-stealing characters in films like David Lynch’s Wild at Heart and Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man hew slightly closer to the kind of experience he brings to the Plaza Theatre this week.…

Oscar Prediction Countdown: Sound mixing & editing

Curt Holman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:29 -0500

In advance of the Academy Award ceremony on Feb. 26, Screen Grab will predict the winners in all categories over the next three weeks.

Sound Editing: Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse.…

Oscar Prediction Countdown: Song & Score

Curt Holman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:33:00 -0500

In advance of the Academy Award ceremony on Feb. 26, Screen Grab will predict the winners in all categories over the next three weeks.

Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet"' from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie; "Real in Rio" from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett.…

The Televangelist: "Luck," Season 1, Ep. 2

Allison Keene — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:18:00 -0500

I want to rename this series "Mumble, Grumble, Whisper, Moan." I don't know how you guys watching it live are doing it - last week a commenter brought up the difficulty of understanding the dialogue, and a co-worker mentioned closed captioning.…

The Televangelist: 'Downton Abbey,' Season 2, Ep. 5

Allison Keene — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:40:00 -0500

I think Robert, Earl of Grantham summed this episode up the best: "the whole situation is certainly odd. That I freely admit."…

Film Clips: Big Chronicle of Rampling in Black

Henry Samuels — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:06:13 -0500

OPENING TODAY

BIG MIRACLE (PG) When a family of gray whales become trapped under ice shelf in the Arctic Circle, a small town in Alaska rallies behind a young boy's attempts to save them. A feel-good film starring The Office's Josh Krasinski and Drew Barrymore.…

ATLwood: Georgia Gives John Travolta's Film a Tax Break, He Gives Us a Plane

Allison Keene — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:10:00 -0500

— John Travolta, here shooting "Killing Season" in Rabun County at Talullah Gorge with co-star Robert De Niro, plans to donate a jet to the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins in honor of his late son.

— For a more in-depth look at the filming of "Killing Season" (and a gorgeous shot of the gorge), the LA Times Blog has done a short feature focusing on Georgia filmmaking, and that tax break that made it all happen!

— Fashion blogger Bryan Boy was in ATL briefly scoping out soldiers at the airport and loving on our accents and food on Thursday.…

Bueller? Bueller? Studio Movie Grill announces $1 classics

Curt Holman — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:45:32 -0500

I can't bring myself to watch that Ferris Bueller-inspired Honda ad starring Matthew Broderick. Rather than risk ruining a pleasant movie memory, the Roswell's Studio Movie Grill goes back to the source by presenting the original Ferris Bueller's Day Off as part of its monthly $1 Classics Series on March 15.…

'The Bachelor,' Ep. 5: Play balls

Gwynedd Stuart — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:00 -0500

WHAT A RELIEF (says Blakely as she untapes her dick from her inner thigh). No, but, seriously.…

"Justified," Season 3, Episode 3

Curt Holman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:09:02 -0500

“Justified” switches focus away from law enforcement and toward outlaw enforcement this week, as we see various extralegal factions flex their muscles and find their limits. Compared to “Boardwalk Empire” or “Game of Thrones,” the various crimelords rule their fiefdoms from deceptively modest seats of power, like Mags’ general store last season.…

Today is 2/1/12: Rush fans unite! #2112

Gabe Wardell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:49:31 -0500

A power trio of live performances of "2112: Overture/The Temples of Syrinx" by Canadian power trio Rush:

A recent performance: tight:

"Show of Hands" era (1989), the guys goof off:

Old school (1976) from the closed circuit feed:

"Spirit of Radio" Bonus: K106.3, An Ontario radio station is playing the album in its entirey at 9:12 PM, that is to say, they'll play 2112, at 21:12 on 2/1/12

K106.3FM - Great Classics & The Best New Rock
Enjoy 2112 on Wednesday! (2-1-12).…

A look back at some of Oscar's funniest live-action shorts

Curt Holman — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:22:10 -0500

In the dark ages before the internet, Oscar-nominated short films could take on a nearly mythic quality: you'd hear about work starring the likes of Peter Sellers, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin and Steven Wright, but almost never found opportunities to see them. Animated shorts often had touring programs, but the live-action ones would be orphaned.…

'Walking Dead,' 'Game of Thrones' tease returns

Curt Holman — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:32 -0500

You can — and will — complain all you want about AMC's handling of "The Walking Dead," but the cable channel does an undeniably effective job of teasing the show's returning episodes. AMC posted a preview a couple of weeks ago, and now presents the first three minutes of the mid-season premiere, debuting Feb. 12.…

'The Bachelor': We need to talk about Ben

Gwynedd Stuart — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:41:00 -0500

You might have noticed that for the past couple weeks, I've neglected to post a recap of 'The Bachelor.' It's not that I haven't been watching.…

The Televangelist: 'The Good Wife' Season 3, Ep. 14

Allison Keene — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:55:36 -0500

"Ham Sandwich" was a turning-point episode in Season Two, where Kalinda (dutifully pleading the fifth) was let off in case questioning her "investigative" methods. At the end of the episode, Blake (one of the worst characters the show has ever trotted out) tells Kalinda that he gets it - her former "Lela" life was erased thanks to Peter Florrick ... who she slept with as a favor.…

The Televangelist: 'Downton Abbey' Season 2, Ep. 4

Allison Keene — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:26:00 -0500

Pacing, pacing, pacing. Last week Matthew and William returned home from their woodland adventure unscathed, and this week (between which at least eight or months have passed, since Ethel has given birth to a rather large baby) both are terribly wounded in one of those "alright lads ... for England" scenes where scores of soldiers dutifully rush out of the foxhole and into machine gun fire.…

Spoiler questions, now that we've seen 'The Grey'

Curt Holman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:03:00 -0500

The downbeat survival thriller The Grey is not a film of Inception-like complexity and doesn't leave the audience with many loose threads or plot holes afterward. My queries could be considered the same basic question in multiple parts.…

The Televangelist: 'Luck' Season 1, Episode 1

Allison Keene — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:38:00 -0500

In December, "Luck" creator David Milch described his conception of his new show as "the [horse] track is what the river was to Mark Twain. Where you see the most life and interesting people, go there.…

Is this the best pre-Super Bowl Commercial Ever?

Gabe Wardell — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:44:25 -0500

Here's the teaser: "A canine chorus barks a familiar tune. Keep an eye out for our 2012 Game Day commercial—it will all make sense.…

'Billy's Balloon' savagely spoofs 'Red Balloon'

Curt Holman — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:11:15 -0500

Theatre du Reve, Atlanta's French-language theater company, stages a remount of its family-friendly production of The Red Balloon beginning this weekend. On one level, "The Red Balloon's" charming tale has been forever altered for me by the animated short "Billy's Balloon" by the great Don Hertzfeldt.…

Film Clips: Grey Albert on a Ledge for the Money

Henry Samuels — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:14:54 -0500

OPENING TODAY

ALBERT NOBBS 2 stars (R ) Glenn Close has earned an Academy Award Best Actress nomination for playing the title character, a woman passing as male hotel waiter in 19th century Ireland. Close’s 30-year dedication to bring the character to the big screen doesn’t quite transfer to an engrossing story, although Janet McTeer genuinely earns her supporting actress nomination as another cross-dressing woman who brings masculine swagger to her masquerade.…

Oscars & Race: Spike Lee, James McBride and Tyler Perry Chime In (and Why Red Tails Matters)

Gabe Wardell — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:43:43 -0500

Sandwiched between the Golden Globes and the Oscars, folks are starting to ask the age old question: "Sal, how come you ain't got no brothers up on the wall here?" (Our own Curt Holman noted the awards season "Whiteout" in early December.

While Morgan Freeman was honored at the Globes with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award (for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment"), a look at the montage surveying his career underscores the challenges unique to a black actor in Hollywood:

Freeman's career spans the gamut from pimps, hustlers, servants, and side-kicks to a handful of strong leading man alpha leads (and a strong character roles as the President of the U.S.) He is also the archtype for the "magical negro."

Spike Lee is at Sundance in Park City, UT with a sort-of follow-up to Do the Right Thing called Redhook Summer.…

ATLwood: Robert DeNiro and John Travolta Begin a "Killing Season" in North Georgia

Allison Keene — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:31:00 -0500

— John Travolta is in town, and has been spotted in Buckhead at The Palm - not surprising, given that ...

— Robert DeNiro and John Travolta are set to begin filming the suspense movie Killing Season this week in Rabun County at Tallulah Gorge State Park and Black Rock Mountain State Park (site of filming for Deliverance which we will never recover from as a state … and is one of the big reasons they're filming there again, apparently.…