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Saturday, June 23, 2012
Arts Purgatory welcomes superheroes and villains
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Super heroes and sexy seem to go hand in hand. Would you really want to stare at a Spider/Super/Batman who didn't have muscular abs and stretchy attire? That's not to forget busty female dazzlers like Superwoman and Catwoman. It's this train of thought, as well as the annual Heroes Convention (at Charlotte Convention Center June 22-24) that has Single Cell Productions' upcoming Purgatory sporting a "S&M Superheroes" theme.
At the fetish-centered nightlife event, folks are encouraged to dress in slinky superhero or villain gear inspired by books, movies and cartoons. There will be also be contests for the sexiest superhero or villain. DJ Spider spins the vibes. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.singlecell.us. $10-$15. June 23, 8 p.m. Amos' Southend, 1423 S. Tryon St. 704-377-6874. www.amossouthend.com.
Arts Come hungry to the Charlotte Bayou Festival
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 9:00 AM
Forget about eating healthy during the Charlotte Bayou Festival. Even if you succeed in avoiding the fatty, fried stuff, you'll still be lured into a feeding frenzy by the vast assortment of edibles. A celebration of Cajun and Creole cuisine, the fest features usual suspects jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, po' boys, alligator, frog legs and king cake, along with other Southern-styled comforts.
Music, beer and live entertainment are also offered. Leave your muck boots at home. $25. 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Independence Park, 300 Hawthorne Lane. For more information, visit www.charlottebayoufestival.com.
Film / Arts Hold the Lifeboat
Posted By Matt Brunson on Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 8:30 AM
The Main Library film series Ships Ahoy!! 8 Classic Seafaring Films continues with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 Lifeboat. There are many reasons to watch this minor WWII classic, but chief among them is the opportunity to catch a rare film appearance by Tallulah Bankhead. A legendary stage star whose movie career never took off, she was handed her meatiest screen role by Hitchcock and didn't let him down. She plays a self-centered writer who finds herself stranded on the title vessel after the ship on which she's traveling gets torpedoed by a German sub.
Among the other passengers are seamen of varying dispositions, a millionaire industrialist, and, most troublesome, the duplicitous captain of the U-Boat that shelled their ship in the first place. Working from a story concocted by no less than John Steinbeck, Hitchcock and his crew insure that the movie never feels constrictive, even though it was all filmed on a single set (a feat he would repeat four years later with Rope). Incidentally, if you're wondering how Hitchcock managed to include his customary cameo when all the action takes place on the ocean, check out the "before" and "after" weight loss ad in a newspaper floating by in the water! Free admission. June 23, 2 p.m. ImaginOn's Wells Fargo Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. 704-416-4600.
Arts Go Incognito at Uptown Charlotte Jazz Fest
Posted By Anita Overcash on Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 8:00 AM
For the third year, Uptown Charlotte Jazz Festival brings more smooth R&B- and pop-based acts than actual jazz to Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre. But at least one of the acts stands out. Fronted by guitarist and producer Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, the U.K.-based acid jazz ensemble Incognito has released a string of compelling, jazz-based dance albums since its beginnings in the early '80s, when smooth jazz first began colliding with hip-hop and funk.
The group's most recent CD is Surreal, released earlier this year. Other performers on the festival roster include Boney James, Pieces of a Dream, Joey Sommerville, Soul of Summer (featuring Warren Hill, Maysa, and Jonathan Butler), and Innertwyned. $45.35 and up. 7 p.m. Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. 704-549-5555. www.livenation.com.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Film / Film Reviews Weekend Film Reviews: Brave; Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; Rock of Ages; That's My Boy
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 3:45 PM
- Disney & Pixar
- Brave
Click on the title to be taken directly to the review.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Friday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 22, 2012 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* Songs of the Fisherman at UNC Charlotte's Center City Building
* Ace in the Hole at Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte
* Brian Regan at The Comedy Zone Charlotte
* Marx in SoHo at Roux
* Earth, Wind & Fire at Ovens Auditorium
Thursday, June 21, 2012
News / Democratic National Convention 2012 DNC 2012 Notebook: Group questions transparency on contracts
Posted By Mary C. Curtis on Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Even before its meeting this week, the Carolina Regional Minority Partnership Coalition released a statement asking for additional details and transparency on the contracts awarded for convention-related work. "Show me the money," it said.
"What does a goal of one-third aggregate spending with diverse businesses look like? What is that figure? CRMPC wants to know so we can tell minority business owners and Charlotte business owners what revenues can possibly help keep their business afloat, mortgages paid and lights on in this tough economy."
This is part of the push and pull since the convention location was announced and regional businesses realized the opportunities that could come with it. The convention and host committees have publicized its vendor directory, and the North Carolina businesses that have so far been a part of the awarded contracts - in areas from transportation to event planning. Every major contract is announced through the convention vendor directory; local businesses are encouraged to register and to take advantage of networking and outreach meetings.
News / Opinion Eugenics victims must wait even longer for compensation
Posted By Ana McKenzie on Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 4:04 PM
There were glimmers of hope earlier this year for victims of North Carolina's forced sterilization programs of the early to mid-20th century. The General Assembly had finally decided to give money - $50,000 - to each of the 1,300 to 1,800 victims who were still alive.
But on Wednesday, the assembly regressed to uglier times when it didn't provide the funding for compensation in its budget. The House had approved the compensation, however it failed after Republican Senators questioned whether it was the right time, considering the state's weak budget. House Speak Thom Tillis, a Republican, told reporters he considered it a personal failure.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
In a 1950 pamphlet, the Human Betterment League of North Carolina said the board was protecting "the children of future generations and the community at large," adding that "you wouldn't expect a moron to run a train or a feeble-minded woman to teach school.''Nearly 85% of those sterilized were women or girls, some as young as 10.
I say we sterilize the wives and children of the senators who fought against compensation. I bet they'll change their minds.
- Wikipedia
- Lady Justice was not served on Wednesday.
Arts Squawks finally crosses the line
Posted By Perry Tannenbaum on Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Calendars and fingers aren't strictly necessary for calculating the number of annual editions of Charlotte Squawks that have been presented uptown at various Blumenthal Performing Arts Center venues - including the current production at Booth Playhouse. Eight Misbehavin', the show's subtitle, handles that chore for us and helps describe the topical musical revue's evolution from the Dark Ages of its tender, tenuously naughty beginnings when the satire was qualified with such descriptions as With Luv and Pleads the Fifth. The break with timidity probably occurred with Six Degrees of Desecration when I thought it was still charitable to steer clear of reviewing the production.
The series had certainly taken a hairpin turn when I checked out Seven Year Bit©# last year, though the euphemistic typography sent me a warning signal. Misbehavin' is the bravest, most challenging, most eclectic Squawks yet, building on Bit©# while borrowing from it. "Greenway," based on Paul Anka's "My Way," "They Will Screw Ya," based on Leonard Cohen's "Halleluja," and "Hey, Big Lender" are effective repeats that have remained relevant, while "We're Chiquita Banana" sounds rushed into service without the benefit of Squawks writer Brian Kahn's top parody form.
On the other hand, "Why Not Wed Gays," based on the Village People's "YMCA," and "Convention," parodying "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof, have all the currency and bite you could ask for. "I Will Govern You," a parody of Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" targets Mayor Pat McCrory's second run at the governor's office — the best of a series of political salvos aimed at Bev Purdue, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Barack Obama, Jennifer Roberts, and somebody named Harold.
Film / Film News Opening Friday
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 10:00 AM
- Focus Features
- Patton Oswalt and Steve Carell in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Benjamin Walker, Anthony Mackie
Brave - Animated; voices of Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly
Lola Versus - Greta Gerwig, Debra Winger
Moonrise Kingdom - Bill Murray, Bruce Willis
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Steve Carell, Keira Knightley
