Mobile
Friday, September 25, 2009
Arts / News Comedian Brian Regan visits Q.C.
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Laughter is in the air during performances by comedian Brian Regan, who often blends simple, everyday occurrences into off-the-wall, humorous flashbacks and rants. A regular on late night TV shows Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Regan has released a number of CDs (like his 1997 breakthrough, Brian Regan Live) and DVDs (which recorded recent shenanigans on 2007’s Brian Regan Standing Up and 2008’s The Epitome of Hyperbole). You can catch him when he performs at Ovens Auditorium on Sat., Sept. 26 (or just watch a quick video clip of him in action, at a past gig, below). Tickets are $34.50. Show starts at 8 p.m. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.
Film / Film Reviews / News Bright Star a luminous experience
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:24 PM
By Matt Brunson
BRIGHT STAR
***1/2
DIRECTED BY Jane Campion
STARS Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw
Eroticism is a state of mind rather than a state of undress, and in that regard, it's not much different from romanticism, its partner-in-sublime. On the silver screen, it can be presented to us in the most subtle of ways, particularly when the film's protagonists exist in a society or period known for its repressive airs.
Film / Film Reviews / News Jennifer's Body not so hot
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:23 PM
By Matt Brunson
JENNIFER'S BODY
*1/2
DIRECTED BY Karyn Kusama
STARS Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
When Diablo Cody won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the delightful Juno, I'm assuming it was less for her hip-today-gone-tomorrow dialogue and more for her creation of several ingratiating yet recognizably flawed characters as well as her deftness in telling a story with numerous emotional peaks. With her sophomore — and sophomoric — script, Cody has retained the hipster-speak but left out everything else. In Jennifer's Body, the warmth and wit have been replaced with cruelty and denseness, and what might have been a penetrating high school comedy — a new Heathers or Mean Girls — turns out to be nothing more than a cheap horror flick packed with lowbrow titillation.
Arts / News Save the day at "Save The Hooters"
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 1:39 PM
An event like “Save The Hooters!” is clearly going to get most folks thinking about one thing: boobs. But don’t forget the “save” part. The fundraiser - happening on Sat., Sept. 26 at The Tavern on Park - aims to raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (which goes down in October). "Save The Hooters!" will feature live music from the blues rock act Roadside Attraction and a raffle. Come out and support this good cause. Tickets are $10. (The first 200 guests will receive two free drink tickets for beer or wine and two free raffle tickets. All other guests will receive four free raffle tickets. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased during the event.) Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The Tavern on Park, 1600 E. Woodlawn Rd. 704-519-4740.
Boomer with Attitude / News Stupid, or Silly, Thing of the Week
Posted By John Grooms on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 11:52 AM
This may not be the stupidest thing of the week, but it’s by far the stupidest-looking, or at least silliest looking, thing in a long time. A couple of days ago, my wife was reading the paper when she suddenly exclaimed, “Hey, look, a whole parade of Gilly’s.” At least, that’s what I thought she had said, and I tried to imagine a parade featuring multiple marching characters dressed like Gilly, one of my favorite SNL characters played by Kristen Wiig.
That would have been silly enough, but what mi esposa had actually said — “ghillies” — was even sillier. Ghillie, it turns out, is the name given to Iranian army snipers, as well as the name of the outfits they wear, which make them look like walking bushes, or clumps of vegetation and twigs and, um, some other, spaghetti-looking stuff. Or abominable weed-men, or creatures from a hair-clogged sewer. Anyway, have a look.
Film / Film News / News Charlotte Film Festival Winners
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 11:46 AM
This year's selections were announced at a ceremony held last night at Whiskey River. Following is the list of winners.
Indie Truth Award for Best Documentary: 9500 Liberty (Annabel Park and Eric Byler)
Indie Film Force Award for Best Narrative Feature: In/Significant Others (John Schwert)
Arts / Today's Top Five / News Today's Top 5: Friday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Sept. 25, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Man of La Mancha at CPCC's Halton Theater
• Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives at Neighborhood Theatre
• Decade exhibition reception at McColl Center for Visual Arts
• Stand-Up Comedy at Alive
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Arts / See & Do: The Weekender / News Weekender
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, Sept. 25
Queens University’s Dana Auditorium
Charlotte Pop Fest continues tonight with acts like The Spongetones, Jill Sobule, gogoPilot, Transmission Fields and more at Queens University’s Dana Auditorium.
• Art Tonight is the reception for the Decade exhibition at McColl Center for Visual Arts. more...
• Film The Charlotte Film Festival continues this weekend with more flicks that will have your eyes glued to the big screen. more...
Saturday, Sept. 26
Visulite Theatre
Nasty Promotions' latest shindig, righteously dubbed the "Funk You! 70s Theme Party," is set to bring its own flashback of the disco era into Visulite Theatre tonight. And to add to the groovy times, the event will feature DJs spinning '70s favorites, as well as live music from Iron Cordoba, dancing from The Bad Mamma Jamma dancers, a costume contest and more.
• Benefit Help “Save The Hooters!” at The Tavern on Park tonight. The fundraiser aims to raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and will feature a raffle and live music from the blues-rock act Roadside Attraction. more...
• Festival It’s time for UNC-Charlotte’s annual International Festival, and you know what that means: an explosion of cultural goodness. The free (yes!) fest is known for its displays of a number of countries, as well as arts and crafts, dancing, music performances, and lots of authentic food. more...
Sunday, Sept. 27
Freedom Park
Don’t miss Festival in the Park at Freedom Park. The event offers plenty to keep you occupied, including entertainment, from music to comedy performances, family-friendly activities, and vendors with arts, crafts, and other merchandise for sale.
• Theater Man of La Mancha, a play-within-a-play, is based on Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” and tells the story of a dying old man whose dreams take over his mind. Check out performances at CPCC’s Halton Theater. more...
• Music The Philadelphia-based jam band Disco Biscuits will fill The Fillmore with its trippy electronic beats tonight. more...
News No more nukes
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Is world peace possible? It's difficult to say, but ridding the world of nukes is one huge step in that direction.
With President Barack Obama presiding over a historic session, the Security Council unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution Thursday aimed at ridding the world of nuclear weapons.Russia, China and developing nations supported the U.S.-sponsored measure, giving it global clout and strong political backing. The resolution calls for stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote disarmament and "reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism."
It was only the fifth time the Security Council met at summit level since the U.N. was founded in 1945. And Obama was the first American president to preside over a Security Council summit, gaveling the meeting into session and announcing that "the draft resolution has been adopted unanimously."
Just one nuclear weapon set off in a major city could cause major destruction, Obama said.
He said the global effort would seek to "lock down all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years."
"This is not about singling out an individual nation," he said. "International law is not an empty promise, and treaties must be enforced."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that "our main shared goal is to untie the problem knots" among nations seeking nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.
In its opening paragraph, the draft reaffirms the council's commitment "to seek a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons."
Arms control advocates say those elements are interconnected. Some nations might eventually reject the limitations of the Nonproliferation Treaty, for example, if the United States and other nuclear powers don't abide by that treaty's requirement to move toward disarmament by reducing their arsenals, or if they reject the test ban.
All five permanent Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — have atom bombs.
Read the entire article at MSNBC.com.
Watch these first-hand accounts from Hiroshima:
Remembering the aftermath:
Boomer with Attitude / News Corruption and idiocy: it’s a bipartisan thing
Posted By John Grooms on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 2:15 PM
It’s a cliché of political commentary to say that members of Congress are corrupt idiots. In fact, it’s an American tradition; just ask Mark Twain. But it’s rare that one single day brings to light as much congressional corruption and idiocy, from both parties, as was on display yesterday. Here are three examples, with links to stories about each one.
1. During a Senate Finance Committee meeting, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) spoke in favor of holding up work on a health care reform bill for 72 hours so health industry lobbyists would have time to read it and give their impressions. They don't usually just come right out and say, "I need to know what the lobbyists want me to do," but there you have it. Excuse me? Who, exactly, is running the Senate – senators or lobbyists? I guess we know the answer to that one.
2. At the same committee meeting, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said America doesn’t need to have a public option as part of health care reform because – get this – France doesn’t have one. Conrad read The Healing of America by T.R. Reid, and somehow concluded (I’ve read the book, too) that the French government isn’t involved in health care. I prescribe remedial reading classes for Sen. Conrad. Why? France has had a public insurance system, which covers all French citizens, since 1945. The French can also buy supplementary insurance if they wish, but the insurers’ premiums are strictly regulated, and they can't deny, nor cancel, coverage. And, by the way, this horribly intrusive, socialist nightmare of a system was rated by the World Health Organization as the best in the world.
3. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), whom we wrote about last week when he defended Rep. Joe Wilson’s fervor for flying the Confederate battleflag, told listeners on a WorldNetDaily radio show that same-sex marriage is “a purely socialist concept,” which probably would come as a surprise to all the gay men who were sent to gulags by the Soviet government, or persecuted by Mao’s underlings, or imprisoned by East European communist states. King’s statement is breathtaking in its idiocy and twisted logic. If you’re a fan of lunatic reasoning, it’s a must-read.
-
Question the Queen City: The story of Nellie Freeman, aka 'Razor Girl' 2
She decapitated her husband, was declared innocent, and never hurt another soul.
-
Marilyn Chambers found dead
Porn star Marilyn Chambers found dead at age 56.
-
Bank errors continue to cause wrongful foreclosures
Charlotte's Bank of America is all mixed up in this mess.
