CALENDAR
Continued from page 25 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com.
EVENTS
Arkansas Poker Championship. See Aug. 10. Director for play sought. See Aug. 10. Savor the City. See Aug. 10.
LECTURES
‘RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES’: James Franco stars.
■ moviereview When apes ruled the world ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ is surprisingly subtle. n Even the name “Planet of the Apes” today rings with the kitschy echo of that first, 1968 sci-fi classic that, woe unto the successful, now evokes nothing as strongly as Charlton Heston on a beach weeping at the sight of the Statue of Liberty in ruins. It has been spoofed endlessly and famously since — the nod at the end of “Spaceballs” and the “Simpsons” musical starring Troy McClure both were devastating, if hilarious — and has suffered similarly to “Soylent Green,” oddly enough another dystopian Heston artifact of the era. Maybe it’s a pitfall of powerful writing or a knock on the depth of the movies themselves, but it’s of no help to a film’s place in history if it can be summarized in a single line, whether that’s “Soylent Green is people!” or “You maniacs! You blew it up!” What propelled those lines was their significance to the key twist in the plot. In the original “Planet,” that was, obviously, that the apparent alien world the astronauts had found was actually Earth. (That sounds quaint now, but if you saw it at age 10, not expecting the reveal, it was a damn spooky concept.) There’s not much in the way of catchy lines during “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” a clunky title that would have done just fine as “Rise of the Apes” if the franchise hadn’t demanded the hat-tip. What “Rise” does well, though, is set in motion a series of plausible (as these things go, anyway) events that we’re told, with admirable subtlety, will explain the simian world of the original “Planet.” It also will have you wondering whether an entire planet of these apes wouldn’t represent at least a marginal upgrade from this planet of the humans. To get from the apes who fling feces at school children to the apes who speak in continental accents and run everything, you have to make them very smart indeed. Fortunately, in San Francisco, a lab-coated 28 AUGUST 10, 2011 • ARKANSAS TIMES
James Franco is concocting a viral treatment that helps the brain regenerate cells, in his post at a major pharma outfit that intends to get stinking rich by curing Alzheimer’s. When the test-chimp for this project has to be put down, the good doctor adopts her newborn, who soon exhibits incredible intelligence. With his father (John Lithgow) struck by dementia, the doctor is soon testing the treatment on him, and finds that it shows explosive results, but fades. When he develops a “more aggressive” version of the stuff, and resumes trials with new chimps, we soon see super-smart chimps quite upset with their surroundings. And the now-grown baby, Ceasar, is able to rally his primate brethren in what amounts to a prison movie inside a medical thriller. PETA apparently put its stamp of approval on “Rise,” as the film offers a fairly bleak view of animal testing and animal imprisonment. That arises mainly from the empathetic performance as Caesar by Andy Serkis, who has made a brilliant career, truly, from running around in monochrome suits and having characters digitally superimposed on his form, from his “Lord of the Rings” turn as Golem to Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” (he was Kong) to, now, a hyper-intelligent ape who must carry the emotional heft of the story without dialogue. Rupert Wyatt’s direction favors a tighter, more intimate story than you might be expecting, and in the end, you might be let down if you’re expecting widespread CGI devastation. But there’s nothing here but pure summer popcorn flick. Stick around through the credits to see, with brutal concision, how the world ends. You’ll leave humming Patrick Doyle’s score and recalling that ape shall never kill ape. That old adage, however, doesn’t stop humans from accidentally doing a real number on humans. — Sam Eifling
“Civil War Medicine … Why Should I Care?” George Wunderlich, executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, will speak in room 219 of the College of Public Health, in conjunction with the opening of the exhibit “Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War” on the second floor of the UAMS Library. There will be a reception from 5-6:30 before the lecture. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 7 p.m. 4300 W. Markham. Preservation Conversations: Historic Windows. The Quapaw Quarter Association presents Historic Windows: How and Why to Save Them, with Brian Driscoll of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Curran Hall, 5 p.m., free. 615 E. Capitol. 501-370-3290.
SPORTS
Arkansas Travelers vs. San Antonio Missions. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.
CLASSES
Computer classes for seniors. See Aug. 10.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16 MUSIC
Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com. Brian Martin. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., Free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. Don’t Stop Please, Gone Was Here. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., Donations. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Aug. 18, 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. Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s, 6-9 p.m. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsofneworleans.com. 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. 501-823-0090. www.revroom.com.
EVENTS
Director for play sought. See Aug. 10. Farmer’s Market. River Market Pavilions, through Oct. 31: 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info. Savor the City. See Aug. 10. Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories; get schedule at www.talesfromthesouth.com. Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Reserve at 501-372-7976. Starving Artist Cafe, 7 p.m. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-372-7976. www.starvingartistcafe.net. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www.beerknurd.com/ stores/littlerock.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 MUSIC
Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Alternative Wednesdays. Features alternative bands from Little Rock and the surrounding areas. Mediums Art Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $5. 521 Center St. 501-374-4495. 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. Chess. Cajun’s Wharf, 5 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Chris Stillman, The Jason Helms Band. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $7. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Grim Muzik presents Way Back Wednesdays. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, through Aug. 31: 8:30 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, through Aug. 18, 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. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9 p.m. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Mayday By Midnight. Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, through Aug. 31: 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com. Mumford’s, Utopia Park. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel. com/CBG.
EVENTS
Arkansas Poker Championship. See Aug. 10. Director for play sought. See Aug. 10. Savor the City. See Aug. 10.
CLASSES
Computer classes for seniors. See Aug. 10.
KIDS
Little Beginnings Toddler Program: Transportation. This class is for children ages 2-4 with a parent and promotes learning through hands-on activities, music making, movement and storytelling. No day care or school groups please. Old State House Museum, 10:30 a.m., Free. 500 Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse. com.
THIS WEEK IN THEATER “Caged Heat.” Red Octopus Theater presents this ‘70s-themed sketch comedy, recommended for mature audiences. The Public Theatre, through Aug. 20: Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., $8-$10. 616 Center St. 501-291-3896. www.thepublictheatre.com. “The Music Man.” A charming huckster posing as a bandleader cons the residents of a small Iowa town, only to fall in love with the town’s librarian and risk being caught to win her over in Meredith Willson’s classic Broadway musical. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Aug. 28: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., $23-$33. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com. “My Fair Lady.” The classic tale, based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” of a voice coach who attempts to transform a Cockney flower girl into a proper lady. The Weekend Theater, through Aug. 13: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $16-$20. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.com. The Weekend Theater volunteer cleanup. To prepare for a backstage renovation, volunteers are needed to help clean up and prep the area. This will involve some heavy lifting and many trips to the dumpster. The Weekend Theater, Sun., Aug. 14, 11 a.m. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.
GALLERIES, MUSEUMS NEW EXHIBITS, EVENTS
BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Shep Miers: now & then,” wood sculpture, reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 12, 2nd Friday Art Night; “Renee Williams: New Works,” acrylic on paper; “The Art of Robin Tucker,” Atrium Gallery; “V.I.T.A.L. (Visual Images that Affect Lives),” work by Melverue Abraham, Rex Deloney, LaToya Hobbs, Ariston Jacks, Kalari Turner and Michael Worsham, Con-