Reviews: This is It, Cirque Du Freak, Amelia
This Is It ***1/2 A sadness permeates the opening moments in the behind-the-scenes piece This Is It, but it has nothing to do with Michael Jackson’s death. Instead, the sequence – filmed, like the rest of the movie, while Jackson was very much alive – centers on the talented young dancers and singers who auditioned…
Who let the dogs out?
A woman called police to report that her neighbor was threatening to her with a shovel. The responding officer was met by the complainant who, according to the officer, “was also an obvious mental patient.” The woman said that earlier in the day several of her dogs ventured into her neighbors’ yards, whereupon two of…
The shot seen around the world
Most of us have seen the iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning black and white photo of a Vietcong prisoner about to be shot in the head by a South Vietnamese police chief. Today we see that sort of extreme violence portrayed all the time, whether on cable TV or in dozens of video games. But in 1968,…
Ossabaw optics
A mere fifteen-minute boat ride from Savannah, Ossabaw Island is one of the most magical places on earth. Once the stomping ground of plantation owners — the island features the oldest continuously used road in America — the moss-drenched, marsh-encircled island later became the happy hunting ground of Northern millionaires. One such tycoon, Henry Norton…
Extreme closeup: Ben Foster
Since his breakout role on HBO’s Six Feet Under, Ben Foster has appeared in one high–profile feature film after another. He played the mutant Angel in X–Men: The Last Stand, drug–addled teen Jake Mazursky in the crime drama Alpha Dog, and psychotic cowboy Charlie Prince in the western remake 3:10 to Yuma. Foster’s new film…
Noteworthy: Willie Nelson
Singer, songwriter, legend, icon. What is there to say about Willie Nelson that you don’t already know? Willie and Family – essentially the same band he’s toured with since the mid-’70s – return to Savannah for a concert in the Johnny Mercer Theatre. At 76, Willie’s probably country music’s hardest–working geezer – bear in mind,…
Breaking up is hard to do
A woman was sitting on a bench overlooking Bay Street when her ex-boyfriend drove by, saw her, and stopped in the middle of the street heading westbound to shout threats at her. He yelled “I’ll destroy you and I’ll make you lose your child.” She ignored him and called the police, then he drove off.…
Savannah Film Festival screening schedule
The 2009 Savannah Film Festival Oct. 31–Nov. 7 Locations: Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St.; Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St. Judges: Actress Patti D’Arbanville (“Rescue Me”), actress/producer Rita Gam, writer/director Ingrid Rockefeller, writer/director Michael Sucsy (“Grey Gardens”) and writer/director David Twohy (“Pitch Black”) Awards ceremony: At 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, Trustees Theater Tickets: Morning…
Get your Geek on!
Welcome an interesting new member to the pantheon of festivals and cultural events hosted by our fair city: Geekend. Although the name might connote a gathering of Trekkies or some similarly notorious nerdy subculture, there will be a noticeable absence of pocket protectors, glasses held together with tape, and painful memories of wedgies. What the…
Extreme closeup: Patricia Clarkson
Today’s movies are full of big–name actors whose faces — and box–office draw — are certified commodities. Then there are the journeyman thespians, whose presence and skill often turn good films into great ones. They don’t appear on a lot of magazine covers, but Hollywood would be bereft without their considerable contributions. Such an actor…
Savannah Film Festival: Panel, workshop schedule
The Art of Filmmaking. At 11:30 a.m. Nov. 2. Workshop. Follow the creative process of filmmaking from concept to distribution. Hear industry veterans talk about the financial and creative opportunities that arise from making a motion picture. Pitching the Next Big Thing. At 2:30 p.m. Nov. 2. Workshop. Have you ever had an idea that…
What’s Next: Pete Yorn
Singer/songwriter Pete Yorn, who’s been a favorite on the indie scene since the early part of this millennial decade, will appear at Hilton Head’s Shoreline Ballroom Saturday, Nov. 7. Yorn’s best–known songs include “Strange Condition” and “Just Another,” which have been used as soundtrack tracks for numerous movies and TV shows, and “Life on a…
Life, Liberty ships and the pursuit of history
In a city that goes to such length and expense to maintain, celebrate and market its rich history, it comes as a surprise when someone uncovers an event that has gone overlooked for decades. But in his new book, On the Swing Shift, Savannah-native Tony Cope does just that, re-discovering the World War II era…
Student films showcase young SCAD talent
The best film festivals try for much more than a couple of big movies and some stars. They are a showcase for not only the established, but the promising. Short film subjects have been a mainstay of the Savannah Film Festival since its inception — most notably, short films from the students of SCAD. Six…
Tastes from Tuscany
In January, I traveled to Atlanta for a wine dinner hosted by Alessia Antinori, the youngest of a trio of sisters who are learning the ropes of the family winemaking business — one with a history that spans more than 600 years and 26 generations. The wines were pleasing enough, classic Italian Sangiovese and an…
McDonough’s, Noodle Bowl
McDonough’s Restaurant and Tavern Every town has its legendary hamburger joint. Some are roadside stands; others praise chains that make an exemplary burger. For me, Savannah’s legendary burger has to be the eight-ouncer served by McDonough’s. I didn’t even mean to eat a burger there. I stopped in for a beer and the kick-off of…
Extreme closeup: Woody Harrelson
In The Messenger, Woody Harrelson plays Captain Tony Stone, a veteran of the Iraq war who handles casualty notifications back home — a job he both relishes and despises. It’s another tour de force from this charismatic actor, whose portrayals of tightly–wound, envelope–pushing characters have singled him out as one of moviedom’s most eminently watchable…
Bomber’s quiet explosion
Don’t let the title fool you. Director Paul Cotter’s debut feature film Bomber — ostensibly about an elderly English man who wants to apologize for his role in levelling a German village during World War II — is less about ambiguous wartime morals than it is about the dynamics between a slacker and his aging…
