Get Out January 31 2013

Take a back stage tour of GTA’s ‘Raisin in the Sun’, page 7

The heat is on!

Havana Son Trio to spice up the night at Arts Council concert.

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Thursday January 31, 2013

gainesvilletimes.com /getout

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Thursday, January 31, 2013 | gainesvilletimes.com/getout

on the web www.berry.edu/eaglecam

A pair of bald eagles nesting on the campus of Berry College in Rome has gained a worldwide audience. The college’s “Eaglecam” is focused on the nest, which is located in a pine tree. The birds are believed to be incubating eggs.

music

Pianist Ben Leaptrott accompanies cellist Charae Krueger and violinist Kenn Wagner at a concert Tuesday night at Brenau’s historic Pearce Auditorium on a brand new Steinway & Sons concert grand piano.

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arts

The Gainesville Theatre Alliance will offer a sneak peek at its production of “Raisin in the Sun” at a free Stage Tour at 6 p.m. Jan. 31.

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movies

“Warm Bodies” proves you can enjoy a movie despite not buying into its premise at all.

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on the cover

The Latin American sounds of the Havana Son Trio, created by Cuban native Rene Herrera, will fill Gainesville Friday night during the next Evening of Intimate Jazz Series concert presented by The Arts Council.

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family

The Associated Press

“Peanuts ... Naturally,” a traveling exhibit opening at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, takes a light-hearted look at Charles Schulz’s exploration of the natural world through “Peanuts” comics, videos, and interactive stations.

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

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Chestatee Diving Bell on display Program explores artifact’s mysteries From staff reports In November, Dahlonega welcomed its newest historical attraction: the Chestatee River Diving Bell, a piece of 19th century technology rescued from the river’s depths.

On Feb. 5, visitors can go see the bell at Hancock Park, just off the square at the corner of North Park Street and Warwick Street, then take the short walk over to the Gold Museum to learn more about it.

Author Chris Worick has done extensive historical research on the bell and serves as the Chairman of the Chestatee River Diving Bell

Committee. He will be presenting his work at the museum beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The use of underwater diving bells can be dated to antiquity. The idea of placing men in submersible crafts with a limited amount of oxygen for work underwater had many potential applications. Inventor Philologus H. Loud had one purpose in mind: to mine gold.

But Loud’s diving bell led to his financial ruin, and Oct. 18, 1876, the diving bell and its boat were deliberately sunk under mysterious circumstances.

For the next century, the bell remained beneath the murky water

Railroad’s history focus of program Historical society hosts forum From staff reports The Feb. 7 program for White County Historical Society will be presented by Bill Huff, Sarah McQuade and David Greear on how a local railroad and timber company joined to help the region grow.

The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the old courthouse museum on the square in Cleveland.

It is free and the public is invited.

In 1911, ByrdMatthews Investment Co. owned 36,000 acres of virgin timberland on the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The company built one of the largest sawmills in the country and invested in a 37-mile rail line from

Gainesville to Helen. The result was the ByrdMatthews Lumber Co. and the Gainesville & Northwestern Railroad.

The Gainesville and Northwestern Railroad operated both as a passenger and freight railroad between 1913 and 1931 and became an economic boom for White County.

Byrd-Matthews Lumber brought new people to the county and employed a large number of local residents.

A PowerPoint presentation will show maps of rail route, interesting places along the route, businesses in Cleveland and Helen and a general history of the company and its influence in the area.

Dahlonega’s Mysterious Diving Bell When: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5 Where: Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site, 1 Public Square, Dahlonega How much: $3.50-$6 More info: 706-864-2257, www.gastateparks.org/

DahlonegaGoldMuseum

of the Chestatee River.

It was a still a curiosity when it was fished out of the river in 1981.

After a restoration, it was unveiled in Hancock Park on Nov. 30.

etc events This week

Diving Bell Dedication, Dahlonega. 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 5. Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site, 1 Public Square, Dahlonega. $3.50-$6.

706-864-2257, www. gastateparks.org.

Melanie Benjamin Book Signing, Atlanta. Feb. 6.

Margaret Mitchell House, 990 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. Talk and signing.

“Justice on Hold” authors Joyce Oscar and Donald Reichardt, Gainesville. 1-3 p.m. Feb. 6. Peach State Bank, 325 Washington St., Gainesville. Free. Hosted by the Northeast Georgia Writers, www.negawriters. org.

Upcoming

Mardi Gras celebration, Clarkesville. 6-11 p.m. Feb. 9. Clarkesville Mill, 583 Grant St., Clarkesville.

706-754-2220.

Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Arbor Day celebration, Gainesville.

10 a.m. Feb. 15. Frances

Meadows Aquatic Center, 1545 Community Way, Gainesville.

Winter Birding in Georgia, Gainesville. 12:30 p.m.

Feb. 21. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville.

Ornithologist Georgann Schmalz will discuss winter birding in Georgia.

Bring lunch; $10 donation requested. 770-535-1976, www.elachee.org.

Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Luncheon, Gainesville. 11:30 a.m.

March 12. First United Methodist Church, 2780 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. Deborah Keith Mack is the honoree. $45.

770-536-8656, www.gshg. org.

Author luncheon, Demorest. Noon. March 16. Piedmont College, 165 Central Ave., Demorest. A fundraiser for the Friends of the Clarkesville Library.

Folk artist Linda Anderson will speak following a catered lunch. Her book, “Flashes of Memory: An Appalachian SelfPortrait” will be available for purchase. Deadline is March 13. $25, includes

get out Northeast Georgia’s entertainment guide

To have your event listed, we must have the following information: ■ The name, time and date of the event, and a short description ■ The location, street address ■ Admission and contact information ■ Send to getout@gainesvilletimes.com ONLY emails will be accepted. No faxes, flyers, mailers or phone calls. The deadline to have your event listed in Get Out is the FRIDAY before the next publication. Listings run at the discretion of the editor.

If you would like to purchase an ad, call Betty Thompson at 770-532-1234 or email bthompson@gainesvilletimes.com lunch. 706-754-4413.

Farmers market, Suwanee. Applications due by March 18, when Suwanee Farmers Market annual meeting will be held at 7 p.m., Suwanee City Hall, 330 Town Center Ave. Guidelines and applications are available at www.suwanee.com.

Organic Farming in Georgia, Gainesville. 12:30 p.m. March 21. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. Series of three talks by guest speakers sharing knowledge in natural history and environmental policy.

Bring lunch; $10 donation requested. 770-535-1976, www.elachee.org.

Cornelia Apple Blossom BBQ Festival, Cornelia. April 19-20. KCBS sanctioned BBQ competitions.

17th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Dahlonega. April 19-21.

244 Wild Turkey Trail,

Dahlonega. Celebrates Southern Appalachian music, art and culture.

Free. 706-864-9007, www. bearonthesquare.org.

Suwanee Farmers Market, Suwanee. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, May 4 through Oct. 5, 4-7 p.m.

Tuesdays, May 7 through Aug. 6. Town Center Park, Suwanee.

Georgia Mountain Big Green Eggfest, Hiawassee.

9 a.m. May 18. Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee. $20. www. mountainegg.com.

Ongoing

‘Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings,’ Dahlonega. Through March 15. University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega campus, Library Technology Center. Free.

706-864-1521, bmorris@ northgeorgia.edu.

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Warm up a winter night Havana Son Trio performs for Intimate Jazz series From staff reports Ready for a sunsplash of Caribbean rhythm to brighten up the cold, dreary winter days?

The next concert in The Arts Council’s Evenings of Intimate Jazz series will warm up the Smithgall Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 1, with the Latin American sounds of the Havana Son Trio. The show begins at 8 p.m.

The group was created by Cuban native Rene Herrera, an award winning composer and arranger as well as a former Mercury Records recording artist. This worldrenowned bandleader brings his music to life through his use of piano, vocals, guitar and TRES (Traditional Cuban Stringed Instrument).

His wife, Llilian Herrera, also is of Cuban heritage and adds her unique vocal style to create and intoxicating cocktail of Latin and American sounds. She graduated with a degree in music from the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, and studied Opera at Boston University under the training of Carlo Bergonzi, one of the top vocal coaches in the world. She has sung professionally in the classical music world as well as with many Latin bands.

Havana Son plays authentic Latin rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Son, Cha Cha, boleros, bachata, vallenato, cumbia and more.

Upcoming performers in the series include the Evan Christopher Trio on March 23, Annie Sellick Trio on April 13 and Joe Gransden & Kenny Banks on May 18.

Tickets to each show are $30, $25 for the purchase of six or more, or $125 for the series of five shows. For tickets, call 770-534-2787 or visit www.TheArtsCouncil. net.

For Get Out

Havana Son Trio Evenings of Intimate Jazz When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 Where: Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St., Gainesville How much: $30, $25 for six or more, $125 for series More info: 770-534-2787, www.TheArtsCouncil.net

Rising cello star to perform in Athens From staff reports The UGA Performing Arts Center will present award-winning cellist Patrice Jackson-Tilghman in a recital at 8 p.m. Feb. 5 in Ramsey Concert Hall in Athens.

A rising star in the world of classical music, JacksonTilghman will offer a diverse program that includes works

by Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Rachmaninoff,

Chopin and George Crumb.

The young cellist is already carving a name for herself as a charismatic and talented performer. The Detroit News has described her as a “big-toned, boldly projected soloist” and the Hartford Courant stated that she “wowed the audience with effortless facility, playful phrasing and a sense of spontaneity that one hears usually only from the highest caliber of musicians.”

A native of St. Louis, Jackson-Tilghman began piano lessons with her mother at age 3 and cello lessons with her father at the age of eight. At 13, she made her debut with the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra, performing the Elgar Cello Concerto.

Jackson-Tilghman is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the Yale School of Music in New Haven. For her

Athens recital, she will be accompanied by pianist Constantine Finehouse, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia. The two first collaborated as students at Yale.

Tickets are $27, free for UGA students with valid UGA ID card. They can be purchased online at pac. uga.edu or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400 or toll free at 888-289-8497.

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concert calendar This week

go o music

Luther College Nordic Choir, Athens. 8 p.m. Jan. 31.

University of Georgia Performing Arts Center, 230 River Road, Athens. $15, $5 students. 706-542-4400, pac.uga.edu.

Six Appeal, Demorest. 8 p.m. Jan. 31. Jenkins Auditorium, Piedmont College, 165 Central Ave., Demorest. $3, Piedmont faculty, staff and students are free. 706-778-8500 ext. 1050, ncrawford@piedmont. edu.

Missy Raines Concert, Duluth. 8 p.m. Feb. 1. Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth. $17. 404-4782749, www.missyraines.com.

Bill Mallonee and Carl Dylan, Dahlonega.8:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The Crimson Moon Cafe, 24 N. Park St., Dahlonega. $15. 706-864-3982, www. thecrimsonmoon.com.

Havana Son Trio, Gainesville. 8 p.m. Feb. 1. The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SE, Gainesville. Series tickets $125 and include all five performances. Individual tickets $30, $25 each with the purchase of six or more tickets. 770-534-2787, www.TheArtsCouncil.net.

Phillip Hayner Piano Concert, Demorest. 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 2. Chapel, Piedmont College, 165 Central Ave., Demorest. The recital evening will showcase works by Alberto Ginastera, Joseph Haydn and Franz Liszt.

The Return, Dahlonega. 8 p.m. Feb. 2. The Holly Theater, 69 W. Main St., Dahlonega. Main Stage Floor $25, VIP balcony $50 with food and adult beverages. www.HollyTheater.com.

The Woodgrains, Dahlonega. 9 p.m. Feb. 2. The Crimson Moon Cafe, 24 N. Park St., Dahlonega. $10.

706-864-3982, www.thecrimsonmoon.com.

Uganda, Africa Watoto Children’s Choir, Gainesville. Feb. 3. The Highlands Church, 3678 Cleveland Highway, Gainesville. 706-726-5686, thehighlandschurch.net.

Upcoming

“Sounds of Spain,” Atlanta. Feb. 7-10. Georgia State University, 30 Courtland St. SE, Atlanta. Featuring guitarist Pepe Romero and pianist Alberto Urroz.

Didn’t see what you were looking for?

Find more listings at gainesvilletimes.com/getout.

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Thursday, January 31, 2013 | gainesvilletimes.com/getout

Trio jump-starts party for pianos

Hayner to present solo piano concert

Concert a celebration for Brenau’s Steinway push

Phillip Hayner, pianist and professor of music at Piedmont College, will present a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, in the chapel in Demorest.

The recital evening will showcase works by three composers who contributed to the development of the piano sonata: Alberto Ginastera, Joseph Haydn and Franz Liszt.

Hayner teaches piano, music theory and music history at Piedmont. He studied piano at Bob Jones University and at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Mich.

He subsequently earned Master of Music and For Get Out Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance from the CollegeConservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Hayner is in demand as a soloist, accompanist, and piano adjudicator and is a nationally certified teacher of piano and composition.

The recital is free to attend and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.piedmont.edu.

From staff reports When Brenau University music professor and pianist Ben Leaptrott accompanies cellist Charae Krueger and violinist Kenn Wagner at a concert Tuesday night, Feb. 5, another “performer” will debut on the stage at historic Pearce Auditorium: a brand new Steinway & Sons concert grand piano.

The concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Brenau leased the piano to kick-start its fundraising effort to become an “AllSteinway School.” The Ben Leaptrott Trio will introduce the piano to the audience.

“There’s so much more you can do with this instrument that we couldn’t do with the other piano,” Leaptrott said. “With so many more possibilities, it’s

a very exciting time for the music department.”

The trio, formed last year during a faculty concert, also will perform with guest artists during the concert. Sopranos Barbara Steinhaus, chair of the Brenau Department of Music, and Jan Grissom, an adjunct professor, will sing arias. The trio also will collaborate with violinist Yang-Yoon Kim and bassist Doug Sommer for the “Trout Quintet,” Quintet in A major, D. 667, by Franz Schubert.

“This is the way for those of us who are teaching to stay current and still active in our performing careers,” said Leaptrott. “It also helps the students see their professors actually performing.”

Leaptrott, who often works as an accompanist outside of the university, said

From staff reports

For Get Out

Brenau University music professor and pianist Ben Leaptrott will accompany cellist Charae Krueger and violinist Kenn Wagner at a concert Tuesday night.

the trio has been performing more concerts now that all members are resident artists at Brenau.

“It’s a win-win,” he said.

“The university gets more recognition when we play concerts and our trio gains more exposure as well.”

Leaptrott said that the university’s decision to become an “All-Steinway School” has helped attract both high-quality faculty as well as students. Brenau plans to acquire about

30 Steinway-branded instruments in the $1.5 million campaign.

After the concert, visitors can join the trio on stage to ask any questions about the piano or the campaign.

For more information about the performance, call 770-538-4764 or visit brenau.edu/music.

To contribute to the Dempsey Steinway and the All-Steinway project go to www.brenau.edu/giving/ donate.

Six Appeal raises its voices From staff reports

For Get Out

The nationally acclaimed a cappella group Six Appeal will perform at 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 31, at Piedmont College in Demorest.

The concert will be held in Jenkins Auditorium located in Daniel Hall.

Tickets are $3 general admission, available at the door.

Piedmont faculty, staff, and students are admitted free. For more information, call 706-778-8500 ext.

1050 or email ncrawford@piedmont. edu.

The six-man singing group has

sworn off instruments and sticks to vocals ranging from oldies to modernday chart-toppers.

Six Appeal has its roots in the college setting, much like the recently released movie “Pitch Perfect.”

Most recently, the group was named the 2012 National Harmony Sweepstakes Champions, where it also took the “Audience Favorite” award and first place for “Best Original Song.”

The group members include Jordan Roll, Michael Brookens, Trey Jones, Nathan Hickey, Reuben Hushagen and Andrew Berkowitz.

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gainesvilletimes.com/getout | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Get ready for ‘Raisin’

This Week

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theater events This week

Upcoming

From staff reports The Gainesville Theatre Alliance will offer a sneak peek at its production of “Raisin in the Sun” at a free Stage Tour at 6 p.m.

Jan. 31.

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking story will be performed Feb. 15-23 at the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus at the Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood.

A free, catered opening night reception will follow the Feb. 15 performance.

The story follows the members of the Younger family as their plans and dreams overlap and collide in this poignant drama about the Love hardships and importance of family.

The Gainesville Theatre Alliance is a nationally acclaimed collaboration between the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theater professionals and the Northeast Georgia

“A Raisin in the Sun” stage tour, Oakwood.

6 p.m. Jan. 31. Ed Cabell Theatre, University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus, 3850 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood. Free. 678-717-3624, www. gainesvilletheatrealliance.org.

“The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Oakwood. 7 p.m. Feb. 1-2. West Hall High School, 5500 McEver Road, Oakwood. $7 adults, $5 students and senior citizens. 770-967-9826 ext. 7350.

“Romeo and Juliet,” Atlanta. 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. $15. 404-874-5299 ext. 41.

“The Adventures of the Gingerbread Man,” Lawrenceville. 10 a.m. Feb. 2. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. $7.

678-226-6222, www.auroratheatre.com.

Upcoming

“Butterfly Ballad/Balada de las Mariposas,” Lawrenceville. 10 a.m. Feb. 9. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. $7. 678-226-6222, www. auroratheatre.com.

Valley Radio Harmony Show, Sautee. 8 p.m. Feb. 9, 3 p.m. Feb. 10. Theater of SNCA. Free. A meal is served before each

community.

Students in the GTA training program cast in the show will work with guest director Victor Love and professional actor Donna Biscoe as Mama. Both are members of Actor’s Equity.

Tickets are $16-18 for adults, $14-16 for seniors or $1012 for students, depending on seat location.

Select your own seats online at www. gainesvilletheatrealliance. org or by calling the box office at 678-717-3624 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Art Shops, Sautee. 3:305:30 p.m. Thursdays. Feb. 7. 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee. Ages 5-13 years old. 4-week session: $50, members $40. 706-

For Get Out

“Master Harold … and The Boys,” Lawrenceville. 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Feb. 14 to March 3. Aurora Theatre, 128 East Pike St., Lawrenceville. $15. 678-226-6222, www.auroratheatre.com. show and purchasing a meal guarantees a seat in the theater. 706-878-3300.

“Tales of Edgar Allan Poe,” Atlanta.

11 a.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, 8 p.m.

Thursdays to Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays.

Feb. 12 through March 3. Center for Puppetry Arts’ Downstairs Theater, 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. 404-873-3391, www. puppet.org.

arts events Kim Anno “Grand Tour” Exhibit, Atlanta. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays Feb. 1 through March 2. Opening Reception 7-9 p.m. Feb. 1.

Marcia Wood Gallery 263 Walker St., Atlanta. 404827-0030.

Plein Air Techniques workshop with Amanda Lovett, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 1-2. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville.

Demonstrations and hands-on painting by each student. $250.

770-536-2575, www. quinlanartscenter.org.

Anita Ford Beginner’s Acrylic Class, Gainesville.

6-8 p.m. Wednesdays.

Feb. 6 through March 13. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. For ages 18 and older. $125 members, $145 nonmembers.

770-536-2575, www. quinlanartscenter.org.

GTA offers free Stage Tour for its next production

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For Get Out

“Local Color” photography exhibit, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through March 9. Sellars Gallery, Simmons Visual Arts Center, Brenau University, 200 Boulevard, Gainesville. Free. 770-534-6263.

768-6311, jevans@snca. org.

Earth Art with Jessi Evans, Sautee. Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28.

283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee. 706-7686311, jevans@snca.org.

Art Gallery Celebration, Sandy Springs. Through February. Reception 4-8 p.m. Feb. 7. Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1025 Mount Vernon Highway NW, Sandy Springs. Featuring work by African-American artist Bruce Johnson and members of the Ebony Stitcher’s Quilt Guild. Free.

Mardi Gras fundraiser, Dawsonville. 7 p.m. Feb. 9. Bowen Center for the

Arts, 334 Highway 9 N, Dawsonville. Live jazz combo and dancing, buffet and king cake.

Reservations, masks/ costumes are required. $25 Dawson Arts Council members, $35 nonmembers. 706-2162787, dawsonarts.org.

Claudia Williams, Journal Making, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 13. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville.

Learn the basics of putting together a blank book ready to fill with pictures and words. $55 member, $65 nonmember.

770-536-2575, www. quinlanartscenter.org.

get out Thursday, January 31, 2013

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family

movies

music

Growing Up Wild, Helen. Jan. 31. Unicoi State Park and Lodge, Helen. An early childhood education program for children ages 3-7 aimed at getting children

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The nationally acclaimed a cappella group Six Appeal will perform at 8 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 31, at Piedmont College in Demorest.

Six Appeal.

Dancing Through The Decades, Helen. 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 1 and 8. Unicoi State Park and Lodge, 1788 Ga. 356, Helen.

Led by professional dancer Carrie Elrod. 4-week series will include steps to social dances

page 5

The next concert in The Arts Council’s Evenings of Intimate Jazz series will warm up the Smithgall Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 1.

Havana Son Trio.

Bill Mallonee and Carl Dylan, Dahlonega. 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The Crimson Moon Cafe, 24 N. Park St., Dahlonega. $15. 706-8643982, www.thecrimsonmoon. com.

Associated Press

Uganda, Africa Watoto Children’s Choir, Gainesville. Feb. 3.

The Highlands Church, 3678 Cleveland Highway, Gainesville. 706-726-5686, thehighlandschurch.net.

revieW, 10

“Warm Bodies” doesn’t include a single “Malkovich moment,” nothing that will even threaten to enter the pop culture lexicon like the line, “Pay this man his money” from “Rounders.” The most accomplished actor in the film is completely wasted. And yet, despite all of these complaints, it’s a rather enjoyable movie to watch.

‘Warm Bodies’

The Woodgrains, Dahlonega. 9 p.m. Feb. 2. The Crimson Moon Cafe, 24 N. Park St., Dahlonega. $10. 706-864-3982, www. thecrimsonmoon.com.

The Return, Dahlonega. 8 p.m.

Feb. 2. The Holly Theater, 69 W. Main St., Dahlonega.

Main Stage Floor $25, VIP balcony $50 with food and adult beverages. www.

HollyTheater.com.

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

weekeND plANNeR

Northeast Georgia’s entertainment guide

gainesvilletimes.com/getout

Feb. 23:

Casino Night fundraiser, Gainesville. 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23. Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SE, Gainesville. Vegas casino games, live music, hors d’ouevres, silent auction and cash bar. Black tie optional. Benefits The Arts Council. $75, $125 couple. RSVP by Feb. 11. 770-534-2787, www.theartscouncil.net.

Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Arbor Day celebration, Gainesville. 10 a.m.

Feb. 15. Frances Meadows Aquatic Center, 1545 Community Way, Gainesville.

Mardi Gras fundraiser, Dawsonville. 7 p.m. Feb. 9. Bowen Center for the Arts, 334 Ga. 9 N, Dawsonville. Live jazz combo and dancing, buffet and king cake. Reservations, masks/costumes are required. $25 Dawson Arts Council members, $35 nonmembers. 706-216-2787, dawsonarts.org.

Home School Day, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. First Tuesday each month. Half price admission for home-schoolers. Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun.org.

lOOkING AHeAD

“Romeo and Juliet,” Atlanta. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. $15. 404-874-5299 ext. 41.

“The Adventures of the Gingerbread Man,” Lawrenceville. 10 a.m. Feb. 2. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. $7. 678-2266222, www.auroratheatre. com.

“The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Oakwood. 7 p.m. Feb. 1-2. West Hall High School, 5500 McEver Road, Oakwood. $7 adults, $5 students and senior citizens. 770-967-9826 ext. 7350.

The Six, Gainesville. Through Feb. 16. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. Artists Douglas Fromm, Yasharel Manzy, Kelly Morgenstern, Alan Stecker, David Wendel and Marc West. 770-536-2575, www.quinlanartscenter.org.

Feb. 9: Feb. 15:

TUeS:

theater

arts

from a specific decade. $7 prepaid, $10 walk-in, $5 parking.

706-878-2201 ext. 305.

Dreamers/Soñadores exhibit, Oakwood. Through Feb. 13. Roy C. Moore Art Gallery, University of North Georgia Gainesville campus, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood. Free. 678-717-3707, ung.edu.

interested in nature. $5 plus $5 parking. 706-878-2201 ext. 305.

For Get Out

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Thursday, January 31, 2013 | gainesvilletimes.com/getout

go o movies

Quirky comedy a zombie love tale JEFF MARKER jmarker@gsc.edu

Film Review First of all, let’s get one thing straight. “Warm Bodies” is not a zombie movie.

It is being marketed as a mix of the zombie, romance and comedy genres, but the zombie elements are downplayed to PG-13 level, and most of the zombies are not really zombies.

More about that later.

The movie actually falls into the trend of combining literary classics or historical figures with a modern horror genre.

It has more in common with the “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” series or “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” than it does with “Zombieland,” “Shaun Jonathan Wenk | Summit Entertainment/AP of the Dead” or any straight Rob Corddry, right, and Nicholas Hoult appear in a scene from “Warm Bodies.” zombie movie.

(Analeigh Tipton). R falls in love brain activity is limited to the I did not believe Julie would A more accurate title for with Julie at first sight, saves instinctual need to consume stay with R for as long as she “Warm Bodies” would have her by smearing a little blood human flesh as sustenance. does. been “Romeo and Juliet and on her face to mask her human They do not possess high order “Warm Bodies” also misuses Zombies.” scent (gee, that was easy), and thinking skills, problem-solving Malkovich, possibly its greatest The protagonist (Nicholas takes her back to his abandoned abilities or human sensitivities to sin. Yes, Malkovich can play Hoult) is called R, because he airplane home. things like music and art. straight roles as well as anyone is a zombie (sort of) and cannot There, they listen to records, “Warm Bodies,” however, when he chooses, but that isn’t remember his full name. He and talk (yes, R can speak), and a begins with R providing long, why we love him. his best friend (real zombies romance buds. The romance is self-reflective, lucid voice-over We love the Malkovich who don’t maintain friendships), forbidden, of course, because R narration. He collects objects steals scenes with performances another zombie called M (Rob is a zombie. Instead of Capulets (think of him as the zombie that walk the line between Corddry), attack a group of and Montagues, the two houses WALL-E) and plays his favorite plausible and parody. The young, uninfected humans keeping the lovers apart are the records.

Malkovich who mocks his own who are searching for medicine living and the undead.

I did not buy into the movie’s persona like he did in “Being supplies for the people living in “Warm Bodies” proves you basic premise that R is a John Malkovich.” If you cast their protected zone of the city. can enjoy a movie despite not zombie. Nor did I believe Grigio, John Malkovich in a zombieOne of that group is a buying into its premise at all. who is obsessed with zombies rom-com, you don’t force him beautiful girl named Julie (Teresa As you can already see, I since they killed his wife years to play the entire movie straight.

Palmer), who happens to be have many bones to pick with earlier, would send his daughter You let Malkovich be Malkovich! the daughter of Grigio (John this movie for its portrayal of into the infested area of the city Malkovich), the leader of the Turn the man loose! zombies. accompanied only by other human city.

“Warm Bodies” doesn’t Zombies are the undead.

R, M and the other zombies teenagers who apparently have include a single “Malkovich kill everyone in the group except They do not have a heartbeat no training with the guns they moment,” nothing that will Julie and her best friend Nora or consciousness. Their carry. even threaten to enter the pop

‘Warm Bodies’ Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Rob Corddry, Lizzy Caplan Rated: PG-13, for zombie violence and some language Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes Bottom line: Forgettable but fun dark comedy

culture lexicon like the line, “Pay this man his money” from “Rounders.” The most accomplished actor in the film is completely wasted.

And yet, despite all of these complaints, it’s a rather enjoyable movie to watch.

Director Jonathan Levine, whose previous film was the hugely underappreciated “50/50,” and his cast bring the film to life and provide an entertaining light comedy that should satisfy fans of quirky teen romances.

Jeff Marker is head of the Communication, Media & Journalism Department at the University of North Georgia. His reviews appear weekly in Get Out and on gainesvilletimes.com/getout.

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gainesvilletimes.com/getout | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Showtimes

Bargain shows denoted by parenthesis ( ).

120 Green Hill Circle NW, Gainesville

Regal Mall Of Georgia Stadium 20 678-482-5858

3333 Buford Drive, Suite 3000, Buford Broken City (R) Thu. 1:10-3:454:15-7:05-10:10 Fri.-Sun. 10:301:10-4:00-7:45-10:30

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‘Hansel & Gretel’ top box office at $19.6M

go o movies

Hollywood Stadium Cinemas 770-539-9200 Argo (R) Fri.-Sun. 1:15-4:00-6:459:30 The Best of RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 From Outer Space (Not Rated) Thu. 7:30 Broken City (R) Thu. 4:15-7:009:45 Fri.-Sun. 1:30-4:15-7:009:45 Bullet to the Head (R) Thu. 10:00 Fri.-Sun. 2:00-4:45-7:30-10:00 Django Unchained (R) Thu. 5:30 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (R) Thu. 5:30-7:45-10:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:00-3:15-5:30-7:45-10:00 Hyde Park on Hudson (R) Thu. 5:00-7:15-10:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:003:00-5:00-7:15-10:00 Jack Reacher (PG-13) Thu. 4:15 The Last Stand (R) Thu. 4:30 Life of Pi (PG) Thu. 6:45-9:30 Lincoln (PG-13) Thu. 4:30-8:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:15-4:30-8:00 Mama (PG-13) Thu. 4:15-7:009:30 Fri.-Sun. 1:45-4:15-7:009:30 Les Misérables (PG-13) Thu. 4:308:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:00-4:30-8:00 Movie 43 (R) Thu. 4:30-7:15-10:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:45-4:30-7:15-10:00 Parental Guidance (PG) Thu. 4:007:15-9:45 Fri.-Sun. 1:30-4:007:15-9:45 Parker (R) Thu. 4:00-7:00-9:45 Fri.-Sun. 1:00-4:15-7:00-9:45 Promised Land (R) Thu. 4:00-6:459:30 Fri.-Sun. 1:15-4:00-6:459:30 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Thu. 4:00-6:45-9:30 Fri.-Sun. 1:154:00-6:45-9:30 Warm Bodies (PG-13) Thu. 10:00 Fri.-Sun. 2:00-4:30-7:00-9:45 Zero Dark Thirty (R) Thu. 5:00-8:30 Fri.-Sun. 1:30-5:00-8:30

The Last Stand (R) Thu. (1:15-4:15) 7:25 Lincoln (PG-13) Thu. (12:00) 6:25 Mama (PG-13) Thu.-Sun. (12:002:30-5:00) 7:30-10:00 Les Misérables (PG-13) Thu.-Sun. (1:00-5:00) 8:30 Movie 43 (R) Thu.-Sun. (12:202:50-5:20) 7:50-10:20 Parental Guidance (PG) Thu.-Sun. (12:15-2:45-5:15) 7:45-10:15 Parker (R) Thu.-Sun. (1:05-4:00) 7:10-10:05 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Thu.Sun. (12:35-3:45) 7:00-9:50 Warm Bodies (PG-13) Thu. 10:00 Fri.-Sun. (12:10-2:40-5:10) 7:4010:10 Zero Dark Thirty (R) Thu.-Sun. (2:00-5:30) 9:00

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Relativity Media/AP

Greg Kinnear, left, and Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Movie 43.”

Bullet to the Head (R) Fri.-Sat. 12:00-2:35-5:00-7:30-10:0011:40 Sun. 12:00-2:35-5:007:30-10:00 Django Unchained (R) Thu. 12:053:30-7:05-10:35 Fri.-Sun. 12:053:30-6:55-10:25 Gangster Squad (R) Thu. 1:053:50-6:30-9:10 Fri.-Sun. 4:209:45 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (R) Thu. 1:20-3:35-5:50-8:05-10:20 Fri.-Sun. 11:10-1:20-3:35-5:508:05-10:20 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters -- An IMAX 3D Experience (R) Thu. 12:15-2:30-4:45-7:00-9:15 Fri.Sat. 12:15-2:30-4:45-7:00-9:1511:30 Sun. 12:15-2:30-4:457:00-9:15 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D (R) Thu. 12:40-2:55-5:157:30-9:45 Fri.-Sat. 10:20-12:402:55-5:15-7:30-9:50-12:01 Sun. 10:20-12:40-2:55-5:15-7:30-9:50 A Haunted House (R) Thu. 12:102:25-4:50-7:40-9:55 Fri.-Sat. 10:10-12:20-2:35-5:15-7:409:55-12:10 Sun. 10:10-12:202:35-5:15-7:40-9:55 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG-13) Thu.-Sun. 1:00-4:35-8:10 The Impossible (PG-13) Thu. 1:204:00-6:40-9:20 Fri.-Sat. 10:301:10-4:00-6:40-9:20-11:55 Sun. 10:30-1:10-4:00-6:40-9:20 Jack Reacher (PG-13) Thu. 1:507:45 Fri.-Sun. 7:10-10:05 The Last Stand (R) Thu. 5:05-10:40 Lincoln (PG-13) Thu. 12:25-3:50 Mama (PG-13) Thu. 12:35-1:453:05-4:15-5:35-6:45-8:00-9:1510:25 Fri.-Sat. 11:50-2:204:50-7:15-9:40-12:05 Sun. 11:50-2:20-4:50-7:15-9:40

Les Misérables (PG-13) Thu. 11:50-3:10-6:45-10:10 Fri.-Sun. 11:50-3:15-6:45-10:15 Movie 43 (R) Thu. 12:35-2:505:05-7:25-9:40 Fri.-Sun. 10:2012:40-3:05-5:30-7:55-10:20 Parental Guidance (PG) Thu. 1:407:20 Fri.-Sun. 11:00-1:40-7:15 Parker (R) Thu. 12:00-2:40-5:208:00-10:40 Fri.-Sun. 11:45-2:255:05-7:50-10:30 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Thu. 1:30-4:25-7:30-10:15 Fri.-Sun. 10:45-1:30-4:25-7:25-10:10 Stand Up Guys (R) Fri.-Sat. 12:102:40-5:10-7:35-9:55-12:15 Sun. 12:10-2:40-5:10-7:35-9:55 Warm Bodies (PG-13) Fri.-Sat. 10:10-11:20-12:30-1:452:55-4:10-5:20-6:40-7:459:05-10:10-11:30 Sun. 10:10-11:20-12:30-1:45-2:554:10-5:20-6:40-7:45-9:05-10:10 Wreck-It Ralph (PG) Thu. 1:45-4:30 Fri.-Sun. 11:00-1:45-4:30 Zero Dark Thirty (R) Thu. 11:403:25-7:00-7:20-10:30-10:45 Fri.Sun. 11:45-3:25-7:00-10:25

Movies 400 678-513-4400

415 Atlanta Road, Cumming

Broken City (R) Thu.-Sun. (1:304:10) 7:15-10:00 Bullet to the Head (R) Fri.-Sun. (12:30-2:55-5:20) 7:45-10:10 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D (R) Thu.-Sun. (12:25-2:50-5:15) 7:40-10:05 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG-13) Thu.-Sun. (12:45-4:25) 8:05 Jack Reacher (PG-13) Thu. (3:20)

Habersham Hills Cinemas 6 706-776-7469

2115 Cody Road, Mount Airy

Bullet to the Head (R) Fri. 5:007:30-10:00 Sat.-Sun. 2:00-5:007:30-10:00 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (R) Thu.-Fri. 4:15-6:45-9:05 Sat.Sun. 2:00-4:15-6:45-9:05 A Haunted House (R) Thu. 5:307:30-10:00 The Last Stand (R) Thu. 4:45-7:159:45 Mama (PG-13) Thu.-Fri. 4:30-7:159:45 Sat.-Sun. 2:00-4:30-7:159:45 Parental Guidance (PG) Thu.-Fri. 4:30-7:00-9:30 Sat.-Sun. 1:304:30-7:00-9:30 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Fri. 4:00-6:45-9:30 Sat.-Sun. 1:354:00-6:45-9:30 Warm Bodies (PG-13) Fri. 4:307:00-9:30 Sat.-Sun. 1:30-4:307:00-9:30 Zero Dark Thirty (R) Thu. 4:45-8:00

Dawson 400 Stadium Cinemas 706-216-1622 189 North 400 Center Lane, Dawsonville

Broken City (R) Thu. 4:10-7:059:35 Fri.-Sun. 1:40-4:10-7:059:35 Bullet to the Head (R) Thu. 10:00 Fri.-Sun. 12:00-2:20-4:35-7:059:25 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (R) Thu. 4:30-7:00-7:10-9:10 Fri.Sun. 12:10-2:20-4:30-7:00-9:45

The top 10 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, with distribution studio, gross, total gross and number of weeks in release, compiled Monday by Hollywood.com: 1. “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” Paramount, $19,690,956, $19,690,956, one week.

2. “Mama,” Universal, $13,088,$48,875,585, two weeks.

3. “Zero Dark Thirty,” Sony, $9,700,132, $69,803,979, six weeks.

4. “Silver Linings Playbook,” Weinstein Co., $9,444,039, $68,908,666, 11 weeks.

5. “Parker,” Filmdistrict, $7,008,222, $7,008,222, one week.

6. “Django Unchained,” Weinstein Co., $4,946,932, $146,236,758, five weeks.

7. “Movie 43,” Relativity Media, $4,805,878, $4,805,878, one week.

8. “Gangster Squad,” Warner Bros., $4,278,235, $39,725,102, three weeks.

9. “Les Miserables,” Universal, $4,221,055, $137,546,205, five weeks.

10. “Broken City,” Fox, $4,019,558, $15,289,547, two weeks.

Associated Press

Jack Reacher (PG-13) Thu. 4:05 The Last Stand (R) Thu. 7:00 Mama (PG-13) Thu. 4:40-7:059:35 Fri.-Sun. 12:00-2:20-4:407:05-9:35 Movie 43 (R) Thu. 4:45-7:05-9:40 Fri.-Sun. 12:05-2:25-4:45-7:059:25 Parental Guidance (PG) Thu. 4:10 Fri.-Sun. 12:00-2:25-4:50-7:10 Parker (R) Thu. 4:00-7:00-9:25 Fri.-Sun. 1:25-4:00-7:00-9:30 Promised Land (R) Thu. 4:15-7:009:30 Fri.-Sun. 9:30 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Thu. 4:20-7:00-9:20 Fri.-Sun. 1:354:20-7:00-9:10 Warm Bodies (PG-13) Thu. 10:00 Fri.-Sun. 12:15-2:35-4:55-7:159:35 Zero Dark Thirty (R) Thu. 4:30-8:00 Fri.-Sun. 1:00-4:30-8:00

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go o movies

Thursday, January 31, 2013 | gainesvilletimes.com/getout

now showing Movie reviews from Associated Press. Stars out of four.

OPENING

‘Bullet to the Head’

H ½ (R for strong violence, bloody images, language, some nudity and brief drug use.) Choppy and bordering on incoherent, “Bullet to the Head” is Sylvester Stallone’s answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The Last Stand,” an action exercise in “Here’s how we used to do it.” Sly one-ups Arnold in that old-school regard by bringing in Walter Hill (“48 Hours”), king of action directors when Stallone was in his glory days — the 1980s. But “Bullet” isn’t remotely as direct as its title. It shows all the hallmarks of a movie that’s been re-cut, that changed directors (Wayne Kramer started the film).

Characters, relationships and motivations seem shortchanged. And it’s every bit as dated and dumb, in different ways, as “The Last Stand.” Still, Stallone brings the burly and the breezy to this turn as a New Orleans hit man teaming with a cop (Sung Kang) to track down the guys who set him up and got his partner killed.

Sung Kang often finds work in the films of his pal, Justin Lin (the “Fast and Furious” movies). As Detective Kwon, he steps into the spotlight, and shrinks from it. The editing makes the character an under-motivated mystery.

It doesn’t help that Jimmy and everybody else trot out the race card for the Korean-American cop. But Hill knows how to stage a rumble, and when the hit man and the mercenary tangle with axes, it’s epic. “Bullet to the Head” was chopped down so that Stallone might have

FRANK MASI | Warner Bros./Associated Press

Sylvester Stallone, left, and Jason Momoa battle in a scene from “Bullet to the Head.”

a prayer of holding the picture together, and it’s a credit to his still-formidable screen presence that he almost pulls it off.

‘Stand Up Guys’

H H (R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use). Not every senior citizen passes his or her autumn years in dignity, surrounded by family, respected by the few peers they still have left in this world. And if the retirees in question are grizzled mobsters, old “made men” who haven’t been in “our thing” for years and years, the last thing they’d ever expect to be is dignified. “Stand Up Guys” is about three aged stand-up guys, a “crew” that hasn’t been a crew in almost 30 years. It has three comically charismatic Oscar winners in the lead roles — Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin — and a plot with room for comedy in it. But the funereal tone is better suited to a picture with more gravitas than this Fisher Stevens film

earns. Pacino is Val, a mop-topped convict who gets out of a long stint in prison as the film opens.

Walken is Doc, his pal, loyal since the ’70s, when Val went in. Doc is every inch the old man — a veritable recluse, painting, living in a dank apartment, visiting the same diner for every predictable meal. But Val wants to party like it’s 1979.

Find a bar, find a brothel.

That’s not working out?

Find some of this “new stuff” they’ve got now, Viagra. It’s meant to be a night “like the old days.”

But there’s a mob boss who still has a grudge.

One guy is supposed to kill the other. Arkin sparks the picture to life, acting his age and being funny at it. But the central premise is a half-hearted retread.

And the gags come from a score of earlier films and sitcoms. Which is pretty much where these “Stand Up Guys” are stuck.

Continuing

‘Movie 43’ 0 stars. (R for strong

pervasive crude and sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, language, some violence and drug use.) Did everyone in Hollywood lose a bet to Peter Farrelly? That might explain why so many talented actors agreed to damage their careers by appearing in this long series of icky sexual jokes and poo-poo humor.

The other explanation — that they actually liked the material — is too depressing to consider.

A compendium of 12 segments with 10 directors (even Brett Ratner got roped in!), “Movie 43” (the title has no significance) borrows lazily from two classic anthologies. That’s 1974’s “The Groove Tube” and 1977’s “Kentucky Fried Movie,” and its only innovations are to be grosser and meaner.

It has one objective — to be offensive — and it succeeds. It also offers the dispiriting sight of A-list stars debasing themselves. Kate Winslet plays a woman whose blind date (Hugh Jackman) has sexual organs in the wrong place; Richard

Gere is a CEO who makes MP3 players that double as sex dolls; Halle Berry, another blind date, dumps her breast into guacamole on a dare; Josh Duhamel tongues an animated cat.

Terrence Howard, Greg Kinnear, Emma Stone and many others also line up to spout obscenities and take abuse. Jason Sudeikis and Justin Long get some laughs as Batman and Robin (yet another dating scenario), but most segments are too cruel to be funny. About halfway through the movie, Kate Bosworth shows up as a woman who objects to the musical sex dolls. “Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more offensive,” she says. It’s a line that this film is hoping, praying, begging for you to say, but by then you might have left.

‘Mama’

H H H (PG-13 for violence, terror, disturbing images and thematic elements.)

Gore is boring. So much chain saw-massacre splatter has been shoveled movie audiences’ way, we’ve become inured.

“Mama” is a smartly refreshing departure, a truly scary movie exemplifying horror at its purest. It elicits sudden, heart-constricting spasms of fear rather than simply trying to gross us out. And it does so with such finely honed style, you could call it “high creep.”

The well-shot flashback

beginning portends a good story to come. A father (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who has just killed his estranged wife speeds into the snowy mountains with his two young daughters.

After the car crashes, the three stumble upon a seemingly abandoned cabin, where a malevolent she-ghost having a permanent bad-hair day makes short work of Dad, but takes a motherly shine to the kids. Spring forward five years. The recently discovered feral girls go to live with their artist uncle (also played by CosterWaldau) and his rockbassist girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain, who should get a special award for range this year). The phantom, feeling protective and proprietary toward the girls, slithers along for the ride, and proceeds to wreak ghastly havoc on the newly formed family when she’s not skulking in closets or spitting moths out of walls. Director/cowriter Andrés Muschietti keeps the goosebumps coming with unanticipated frissons, like the startling way in which the girls spider-crawl on all fours, and the ungodly noises spewing from the stringy, contorted apparition that is Mama. Muschietti frightens not only with superb visual effects and expert pacing, but by accessing the shame and fears we bury deep in our psyches.

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goo movies ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ H ½ (R, for strong fantasy horror violence and gore, brief sexuality/nudity and language). An R-rated horror action comedy fairytale — how’s that for genre bending? “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” is more Gatling guns and grenades than The Brothers Grimm. It takes the kidnapped kiddies into adulthood, where they’ve parlayed their fame at cooking a witch’s goose into a business.

High concept pitch or no, the movie doesn’t really work. They were shooting for sort of a witchhunting “Zombieland,” an f-bomb-riddled “Van Helsing” packed with comical anachronisms — a Bavarian forest past with witch trials, pump shotguns and primitive tasers, where bottles of milk have woodcut pictures of “missing children” on the labels. Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) show up just as the village of Augsburg is about to burn a redhead. Hansel shrugs off this barbaric crime, but Gretel insists the locals need “evidence.” That puts them in conflict with the sheriff (Peter Stormare), who can’t get a handle on their “witch plague” and the missing children who come with it. It isn’t long after Hansel mutters “Anyplace we can get a drink in this hell hole?” that the siblings are chasing lesser witches in pursuit of the Great Witch, played by Famke Janssen as if the makeup is going to do all the acting for her. Writerdirector Tommy Wirkola focuses on the fights and flings all manner of viscera at the 3-D camera as limbs are whacked off and heads and torsos explode. Less attention was paid to the story.

gainesvilletimes.com/getout | Thursday, January 31, 2013

above other eye-rolling blow-’em-up fare at the box office. As played by the ever-stoic Jason Statham (the “Transporter” and “Expendables” films), Parker is more antihero than hero: He operates on the wrong side of the law, but he’s got a complicated code of ethics.

In the opening scenes, a crew carries out a daring robbery at the Ohio State Fair. The heist does not run smoothly, and after their escape, the second in command, the menacing Melander (Michael Chiklis), demands that Parker turn over his share of the profits to help finance the next job. Like any sensible individual who hears those words, Parker is skeptical.

So he refuses and gets shot, robbed and dumped at the side of the road for his trouble. The rest of the movie follows what happens when Parker recovers and decides to get his money back from — and revenge on — the guys who left him for dead.

The road to payback leads him to Palm Beach County, Fla., and into the orbit of Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a real estate agent dying for her first commission.

Directed by Taylor Hackford (“Ray,” “Proof of Life”), Parker is not without its absurdities. But Statham, not always the most charismatic of actors, turns out to be a good choice to play the taciturn thief.

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a cloud seven years ago after a high-profile shooting. Now, he’s a lowrent private eye who has been reduced to taking incriminating photos of wayward spouses. To add financial insult to career injury, he then has to hound his loutish clients to get paid. So when the pugnacious mayor (Russell Crowe) summons Billy to his office, says he thinks the city’s first lady (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has been playing around, and offers him $50,000 to come up with the goods, he’s is more than happy to take the job. But the payday soon turns into a nightmare as Billy realizes that what seemed like a simple love triangle is really a complex web of political corruption.

go o movies DAVID APPLEBY | Paramount Pictures/AP

From left, Famke Janssen as Muriel, Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel star in a scene from “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.”

‘The Last Stand’ H ½ (R for strong bloody violence throughout, and language). In “The Last Stand,” Ahhh-nuld parties like it’s 1989. Or tries to.

This is retro “Raw Deal”-era Arnold Schwarzenegger, a modern-day Western with the aging action hero as a sheriff dead set on stopping the army of an escaped drug lord (Eduardo Noriega) from helping a dapper Latin psychopath racing a souped-up Corvette get across the border.

Sleepy little Sommerton Junction, on the ArizonaMexico border, is where the Austrian-accented ex-narcotics cop Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) is sheriff, presiding over a trio of inept deputies (Luis Guzman, Jaimie Alexander and Zach Gilford), keeping the peace among the locals. A suspicious character (Peter Stormare) tips Ray that something is up long before a local farmer’s murder confirms it. Meanwhile, the drug lord Cortez and his minions have staged an elaborate

MERRICK MORTON | Lionsgate/AP

Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in a scene from “The Last Stand.”

escape from Federal custody in Las Vegas, and that has FBI agent Bannister (Forest Whitaker) in a tizzy. The bland bad guy is racing for the border.

Better deputize, oh, the ex-Marine with the soccer star’s accent (Rodrigo Santoro) and maybe the local gun nut (Johnny Knoxville), who lends the good guys an illegal arsenal — “That’s between us and Jesus. Ain’t nothing

Uncle Sam needs to know about.” It’s a junky, crowdpleasing movie of sidekicks — Guzman and Knoxville — and catch phrases. All for a formulaic genre movie designed to reintroduce Arnold to a new generation of action audiences. He gets to show that his years as California governor didn’t improve his acting, that he’s an “old man” still able to hold his own in the one fist fight “The Last Stand” demands of him.

‘Parker’ HHH (R for strong violence, language throughout, brief sexual content/nudity.)

“Parker” roars into a dull January and enlivens the movie landscape, and thank the action-movie gods because we needed a little something to wake us from our winter slumber.

Based on a novel in a series by Richard Stark, the alter ego of the late, great Donald E. Westlake, the film is basically a heistand-payback movie. But it’s made with such skill and smarts that it stands

‘Broken City’ HHH (R for strong language, some sexual content, violence.) The reality is that, while “Broken City” is hardly revolutionary, it’s a slyly entertaining cop saga that leans more heavily on acting and dialogue than gunplay and chases. Mark Wahlberg is Billy Taggart, a New York City detective who left the force under

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family events This week

Home School Day, Gainesville. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. First Tuesday each month. Half price admission for home schoolers. Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, 999 Chestnut St., Gainesville. 770-536-1900, www.inkfun. org.

Growing Up Wild, Helen. Jan. 31. Unicoi State Park and Lodge, Helen. An early childhood education program for children ages 3-7 aimed at getting children interested in nature. $5 plus $5 parking. 706-878-2201 ext. 305.

Dancing Through The Decades, Helen. 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 1 and 8. Unicoi State Park and Lodge, 1788 Highway 356, Helen. Led by professional dancer Carrie Elrod.

4-week series will include steps to social dances from a specific decade. $7 prepaid, $10 walk-in, $5 parking.

706-878-2201, ext. 305.

An Evening of Stories, Sautee. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Sautee Nacoochee Community Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee. National Storyteller Elizabeth Ellis, and regional storytellers Rosann Kent, Hannah From and Debbie Weston From will read stories for all ages. $10 adults, $5 children. 706-878-3300, www.snca.org.

Learn to Play the Dulcimer, Helen. 1-4 p.m. Feb. 2.

Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen.

Music teacher Gwen Aumann will help you tune, strum and learn easy, beginner songs for the dulcimer. $35 plus $5 parking. 706-878-3087.

Princess Tea Party, Flowery Branch. 2-4 p.m. Feb. 2.

Spout Springs Library, 6488 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch. Meet your favorite princess, face painting princess style and princess crafts. $15 children, $10 adults. 770-532-3311 ext. 134.

Kiwanis Club of North Gwinnett fifth annual Father/ Daughter Valentine Dance, Buford. 6-8 p.m., 9-11 p.m.

Feb. 2, Lake Lanier Islands Resort, 7000 Holiday Road, Buford. Sunday attire. $40 per couple/$10 for each additional daughter. 404 386-4782, www. northgwinnettkiwanis.com.

“Peanuts … Naturally” Exhibit, Buford. Feb. 2 through April 28. Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive, Buford. 770-904-3542, www. gwinnettEHC.org.

Children’s theater education class, Sautee. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Feb. 5 to May 12. Center Theatre, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee. The performances will be May 10-12. Ages 5 to 13 years old. 13-week session: $100, SNCA members $80. 706-768-6311, jevans@snca.org.

Upcoming

Father-Daughter Valentine’s Day Dance, Gainesville.

6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Mulberry Creek Community Center, Gainesville. Children ages 4-12 $15 per couple $5 for additional daughter. Space limited and reservations required. 770-965-7140.

Ongoing

go o y famil

Thursday, January 31 , 2013 | gainesvilletimes.com/getout

“The Adventures of Mighty Bug,” Atlanta. TuesdaysFridays 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Saturdays noon and 2 p.m., Sundays 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Through March 17. Mainstage Theater, Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW at 18th, Atlanta. 404-873-3391.

Good grief!

Sautee hosts storytellers

Charlie Brown, Snoopy take on science in new exhibit

From staff reports

From staff reports Charlie Brown is in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency. Lucy knows the Earth has 48 suns, and Snoopy and Linus are planting french fries in the garden.

These are just a few of the misadventures and explanations gone wrong as the Peanuts Gang explores the natural world.

“Peanuts ... Naturally,” a traveling exhibit opening Feb. 2 at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, takes a light-hearted look at Charles Schulz’s exploration of the natural world through Peanuts comic strips, videos, objects and interactive stations.

Visitors get a Peanuts-eye view of the universe, “web of nature,” trees, birds, the elements (snow, wind, rain and clouds), gardening and Charlie Brown’s EPA escapade. Scientificallyoriented interactive stations allow kids of all ages, from preschool to adults, to learn more about and appreciate the wonders of the natural world.

Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip for nearly 50 years, took a keen interest in the latest research findings in a variety of fields. Many found their way into Schulz’s comic strip carefully interpreted through his characters’ understanding of their world.

“The GEHC is excited to host this exhibit as it helps connect both young and old to various scientific concepts through interactive, entertaining, and thought provoking displays,” said Jason West, director of programming and development.

Admission to the exhibit is included in the price of admission to the GEHC. Members are admitted free.

For more information about the exhibit or the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.

The Sautee Nacoochee Community Center welcomes national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis for an evening of stories at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1.

Regional storytellers, Rosann Kent, Hannah From and Debbie Weston also will perform.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

While the event is family-friendly, the stories are appropriate for children ages 10 and older. All proceeds will go to children’s programming at the Center. For tickets, call 706-878-3300 or visit www. snca.org.

Ellis was designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA. She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and was a children’s librarian at Dallas Public Library before becoming a professional storyteller. The “Divine Miss E” is a versatile, riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably her best.

She is a repeated favorite at the National Storytelling Festival. For more, visit www. elizabethellis.com.

An Evening of Stories When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Where: Sautee Nacoochee Community Center, 283 Ga. 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee.

Tickets: $10 adults, $5 children More info: 706-878-3300, www.snca.org

Valentine dance set for Lanier Islands From staff reports Hearts will soar at the North Gwinnett Kiwanis Club’s fifth annual Father/ Daughter Valentine Dance at Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

Fathers, stepfathers, significant father-like figures, grandfathers, uncles or role models can bring their special young ladies for an evening of dance and fun at Peachtree Point overlooking Lake Lanier.

The first dance is from 6-8

p.m., followed by a second dance from 9-11 p.m. All proceeds from the dance and other Kiwanis Club fundraisers are reinvested in scholarships for area high school seniors or for other community charitable needs. The dances have returned nearly $15,000 back into the community.

The dance is open to daughters of all ages, from toddler to adult.

Family-friendly music will be provided and light

Father/Daughter Valentine Dance When: 6-8 p.m., 9-11 p.m. Feb. 2 Where: Lake Lanier Islands Resort, Peachtree Point, 7000 Holiday Road, Buford Tickets: Purchase at www.northgwinnettkiwanis.com

refreshments served.

Tickets are $40 per couple, $10 for each additional daughter. The dress is Sunday attire.

A limited number of tickets are available. They

can be purchased at www. northgwinnettkiwanis.com.

Due to limited seating, only paying guests may attend. For information, call David Williams at 404-3864782.

CMYK

goo outdoors outdoors events This week

Elachee’s Trail Crew Work Day. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. First Saturday each month. Free. Bring water, lunch, gloves and rain gear.

Tools, training, and refreshments provided. Call to preregister.

Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville, 770-535-1976. www.elachee.org.

First Saturday Hike, Gainesville.

10-11:30 a.m. First Saturday each month. Guided hike. $5 adults, $3 ages 2-12, younger than 2 and Elachee members free. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770535-1976. www.elachee.org.

Advanced Land Navigation Course at Buck Shoals, Helen. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen. This six-hour course is part two in the Survival Series and will start with a refresher on the use of the compass and maps, and the establishment of individual pace counts. Students will be sent to find a specific location with a teammate in heavily wooded, flat to hilly terrain

gainesvilletimes.com/getout | Thursday, January 31, 2013

so should be physically fit. $30$95, $5 parking. 706-878-3087.

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Special Olympics Polar Plunge, Buford. 11 a.m. Feb. 16. Lake Lanier Islands, 7000 Holiday Road, Buford. The Polar Plunge is the largest fundraising effort benefiting Special Olympics. Free to watch, $50 to plunge. 770-4149390 ext. 119 or Danny.Knight@ SpecialOlympicsGA.org, www. polarplungega.com.

Precious Feet 5K and Fun Run, Flowery Branch. 8 a.m. March 9. 5302 Railroad Ave., Flowery Branch. 5K $20 or $25 after March 1, 1K/Fun Run $5. Seeking sponsors for event, starting at $50; may be tax deductible. 770298-7577, rebellojl@hotmail.com.

Wake the Lake Cable Park opening, Buford. April. Sunset Cove, Lanier World, 7000 Holiday Road, Buford. 678-409-9053, krista@newwavecablepark.com.

go o outdoors

Upcoming

Sustainable Living Day, Gainesville. 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 9. Cedar Hill Enrichment Center, 5735 Dawsonville Highway, Gainesville. Learn practical ways to become selfsufficient. $30-$50. Registration required. Lunch provided or bring your own. 770-887-0051.

Hemlock Update and Winter Botany, Helen. Noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 9. Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen. A report on the progress of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid treatment of Eastern Hemlock trees will be followed by botanist Jim Sullivan demonstrating how to identify plants using clues available in the winter. Will include a short hike to identify nearby flora. Register in advance. $10 if paid by Feb. 1, $15 after, $5 parking. 706-8783087.

Survival Preparation and Skills Course Series part 3, Helen. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 16. Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen. In the third part of the Survival Series at Buck Shoals, this course will include

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Falconry Experience at Buck Shoals, Helen. 2-5 p.m. Feb. 3. Smithgall Woods State Park, 61 Tsalaki Trail, Helen. Learn about the art of falconry with Buster Brown, co-director of the Georgia Falconry Association. A short presentation will be followed by a live hunt.

Proceeds purchase food for Smithgall’s captive hawk. Register by Jan. 25. $45 adult; 12 and younger free, $5 parking. 706-878-3087. classroom learning and field exercises. The course will include the psychology, planning and equipment necessary for survival;

venomous snakes, spiders and insects endemic to Georgia; and survival medicine. $30-$95, $5 parking. 706-878-3087.

Ongoing

Baxter’s Multisport bike ride, Gainesville. 9:30 a.m. Saturdays.

Baxter’s Multisport, 2480 Limestone Parkway, Gainesville.

770-532-2453, gobaxters.com.

Triathlon Club, Gainesville. No experience necessary. Meets 7 p.m. second Tuesdays, Fit 2 Tri Store, 1292 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. 770-712-9129, fit2tri@gmail.com.

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