■ moviereview Dead men walking AMC launches a TV landmark. n Things are pretty slow at the theaters this weekend, what with the umpteenth version of the rusty “Saw” franchise taking over for Halloween. Given that, we thought we might take a look at something that has been every bit as anticipated as a summer blockbuster, at least in the world of comic book fanboys: director Frank Darabont’s television version of “The Walking Dead.” Based on the groundbreaking comic book series by Robert Kirkman, the series follows the fortunes of a group of humans struggling to survive in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. One nip from the living dead, and you come back hungry for flesh and eager to spread the disease that spawned you. And so on, and so forth, until the end of the world. The first episode of the six-part “Walking Dead” miniseries, titled “Days Gone By,” premiered on Halloween night, and will undoubtedly run every day leading up to next Sunday night’s part two. Check local listings to catch it. And whatever you do, if you’re a horror or zombie film fan, be sure to catch it. The first episode is pretty much destined to go down in history as a landmark of how far you can push the envelope on cable, and will hopefully spawn a whole new wave of high-concept horror on TV. Cut that in with more than this series’ fair share of fine acting, all delivered with the same deft touch Darabont brought to
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Music
Ben Kweller, Julia Nunes. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $15 adv., $17 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Chooglin’, Jonathan Wilkins and the Reparations. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 120 Ottenheimer. 501-244-9550. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Tequila Tuesdays with DJ Hy-C. Bill St. Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-353-1724. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.
Dance
“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. www.revroom.com.
films like “The Green Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” and you’ve got something special. Darabont said that he planned to take the violence as far as AMC would let him. How far does he take it? In the first scene of “Days Gone By,” the lead character, Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is out scavenging gasoline for his patrol car while headed to Atlanta to search for his wife and son. He enters a field where cars sit stacked together, abandoned by their drivers. Lying flat on his belly to check a gas tank, he sees the feet of a little girl, wearing bunny slippers no less, shuffle past. He stands, and calls after her. When the girl turns — all of seven years old, with flowing blond hair over a dirty white robe — she is a horror, one of the walking dead, with pale gray skin, milky eyes, and a hole in her cheek that looks like something chewed its way in. She puts out her arms and starts coming for him. When he realizes he has no other choice, he pulls out his pistol and shoots the little girl in the head. It is a testament to Darabont’s commitment to going further that he doesn’t allow the camera to look away while the bullet does its awful work. The back of the girl’s head literally vaporizes in a spray of tooreal CGI, and she goes down like a sack of potatoes — bunnies over teakettle, as it were. Even for a seasoned horror fan, it is a terrible, brutal moment, and leaves
Events
Farmers Market. River Market Pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. March Of Dimes’ “Signature Chefs Auction.” The state’s leading chefs prepare their signature dishes and auction off special dinners for charity. For more information or to register, call 501-663-3100 or visit marchofdimes.com. Statehouse Convention Center, 6 p.m., $150. 7 Statehouse Plaza.
Film
“The Godfather.” Market Street Cinema, 7 p.m., $5, kids free. 1521 Merrill Drive. 501-312-8900. www.marketstreetcinema.net.
Lectures
Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann. The UALR historian and specialist in Mexican Colonial History discusses the public memory of the Mexican Independence Movement. For more information, visit arkansasmexico2010.com. Historic Arkansas Museum, 7 p.m., free. 200 E. Third St. 501-324-9351. www. historicarkansas.org. Mike Ford. The founding director of the Center for the Study of the American Dream delivers his lecture, “The State of the American Dream.” Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@ clintonschool.uasys.edu, or calling 683-5239. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.
Books
C.D. Wright. The experimental poet and Mountain Home native gives a public reading in the College of Business building. For more information, call 450-3293. University of Central Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.
‘WALKING DEAD’: AMC does zombies. you a little shocked. It’s hard to think of an R-rated feature film where a child (even a monstrous child) has been so openly killed, much less a television show. But Darabont makes us bear witness to the horror, the same way that his character must bear witness to it, and that is the moment when he writes the Bible of the series: hyper-realistic special effects, pull-no-punches plotting and a camera that never looks away just to spare our delicate sensibilities. It all adds up to a living dead film that raises the bar, and maybe even surpasses those of the acknowledged masters of the genre like George A. Romero. And Darabont is doing all this on TELEVISION. This is not to say that “Days Gone By” is just shock. There are some scenes of heartbreaking human anguish as well, such as when Duane (Adrian Kali Turner), the young son of Deputy Grimes’ new friend Morgan (Lennie Jones) runs sobbing from the window after he sees his recentlyzombified mother walking around with the flesh-hungry horde outside. Or when
Morgan himself climbs to the second floor of the house where they’ve sought shelter, puts the crosshairs of a high-powered rifle on his wife’s forehead, and, weeping, tries to will himself to put her out of her misery. Darabont does scenes like this exceedingly well, infusing what could be melodrama in lesser hands with a brilliant, everyman sensibility that makes your heart absolutely shatter. Though it’s often difficult and depressing to watch, “The Walking Dead: Days Gone By” is threaded through with scenes of such tender and amazing emotion, and that makes it all bearable. It’s understandable, given that Darabont knows that country inside and out — how resilient the human spirit is, especially when our too-frail bodies and minds are pushed to the limit of what we can endure. It’s a brilliant beginning to what promises to be an amazing series. The next episode, “Guts,” airs Sunday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. on AMC. —David Koon
201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. www.uca.edu.
$40.50-$80.50. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Nuclear Power Pants, Cold Mold. ACAC, 9 p.m., $5. 608 Main St. 501-244-2974. School Boy Humor, outRAGEous, Score 24. Revolution, 8 p.m., $8. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Music
Acoustic Open Mic with Kat Hood. The Afterthought, 8 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Bolly Open Mic Hype Night with Osyrus Bolly and DJ Messiah. All American Wings, 9 p.m. 215 W. Capitol Ave. 501-376-4000. allamericanwings.com/. Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Evans Blue, Rains. Juanita’s, 8:30 p.m., $5 adv., $8 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com. The Holy Ghost Revival with Monkhouse. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m. 2500 W. 7th. 501-3758400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Lucious Spiller Band. Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com. Mare Carmody and Courtney Sheppard. Capi’s, 8:30 p.m., free. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. 501-225-9600. www.capisrestaurant.com. Merle Haggard. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m.,
Events
“Brides Across America.” A Fitting Image participates in the nationwide program to donate designer bridal gowns to military brides. For more information, visit bridesacrossamerica.com. A Fitting Image, Nov. 10-11. 9816 N. Rodney Parham Rd., NLR. Riedel Wine Tasting. An evening wine tasting to benefit Arkansas’s Stonewall Democrats. For reservations and additional information, e-mail eggshellskitchencompany@gmail.com or call 664-6900. Eggshells Kitchen Co., 7 p.m., $100. 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.
Film
“Independent for Governor: An Idealist’s Grueling Run.” A screening of Huixia Lu’s film about Rod Bryan’s 2006 campaign for governor. University of Central Arkansas - Reynolds Performance Hall, 7 p.m., free. 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. “Los Albaniles.” A screening of the 1976 Jorge Fonz conspiracy thriller as part of the UALR Mexican Film Festival. For more information, visit arkansasmexico2010.com or call 372-4000. Arkansas Arts Center, 6:30 p.m. MacArthur Park. 501-372-4000.
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