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December 28 -January 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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November 18-January 29 VF Seasonal Plaza at LeBauer Park, 208 N. Davie St

Visit: www.piedmontwinterfest.com for Rates and times

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YES! WEEKLY > DECEMBER 28 - JANUARY 3, 2016 > VOLUME 12, NUMBER 52

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

THE YEAR IN FILM

EDITORIAL Editor JEFF SYKES jeff@yesweekly.com Contributors KRISTI MAIER JOHN ADAMIAN RICH LEWIS STEVE MITCHELL BILLY INGRAM ALLISON STALBERG IAN MCDOWELL DEONNA KELLI SAYED

With major studios releasing fewer films each year, preferring to concentrate their efforts and money on potential franchise tent-poles, independent films have stepped into the breach, releasing seemingly more films than ever before – so many, in fact, that some of them never even play in theaters hereabouts.... Without further ado, this critic’s selection of 2016 BEST FILMS, followed by the WORST.

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Movies MARK BURGER marksburger@yahoo.com

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Theatre LENISE WILLIS lenise@yesweekly.com PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX ELDRIDGE designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING Advertising Manager KATHARINE OSBORNE

kat@yesweekly.com Marketing BRAD MCCAULEY brad@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com CLAUDIA BURNETT claudia@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT BRANDON COMBS We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad.

YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2016 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

the lead 10

You may have seen it while driving down Spring Street: A slope-roofed house smaller than many garden sheds, bearing a banner on its green paneled side that reads, “Help us build HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS.”

11

Chief among the council’s concerns were amendments to HB 972, a controversial bill governing access to POLICE BODYCAMERA footage, age for juvenile jurisdiction and in-state tuition for undocumented students.

11 Greensboro City Council voted 7-2 last week against releasing the investigative file in a MISCONDUCT CASE involving a former member of the police department.

voices 12

People go into business for various reasons. Usually it involves finding a way to earn a livelihood doing something one enjoys and/or is good at. Some people are also moved by a desire to educate and improve the health of the community. Here are three such LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS.

arts, entertainment & dining 24

If there’s a connection to be made between MUSIC and POLITICS, or art and the state of the world, it’s that artists are often ahead of the curve when it comes to decrying injustice or registering a general swell of popular feeling.

27 This year wasn’t just full of laugh-out-loud comedies, intense DRAMAS and moving BALLETS. To me, the highlight reel of the performing arts in 2016 is marked by the powerful voices that had something to say.

28 Based on fact and adapted from Saroo Brierley’s best-seller A Long Way Home, LION marks an auspicious feature debut for director Garth Davis.

31 Fathom Events has teamed with 20th Century-Fox to restore CAROUSEL to its original CinemaScope 55 aspect ratio, and audiences will also enjoy an exclusive interview with leading lady Shirley Jones and Ted Chapin...

32 WP KITCHEN + Bar recently rebranded itself from more of a pizza bar to a community-inspired kitchen. The change has taken place quietly over the last few months with the hire of a new executive chef and a reformatted menu.

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

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BE there

DENIM AND DIAMONDS SATURDAY

EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS | BY AUSTIN KINDLEY

ART

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MU SIC

FOOD

THE ATRE

FEST

DAVID BRYAN AND FRIENDSWEDNESDAY

THURSDAY WEDNESDAY

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DAVID BRYAN AND FRIENDS

PETER AND THE WOLF

LEBAUR PARK HAPPY HOUR

O.HENRY NEW YEARS

DENIM & DIAMONDS

WHAT: David Bryan & Friends is currently comprised of David Bryan on lead vocals, mandolin, guitar, strumstick, and piano, Kirk Huneycutt on guitar and vocals, Michael Di Lalla on bass guitar and vocals, Jon LaTona on bass and Kitty McTeague on vocals.

WHEN: 9 p.m.

WHERE: The Blind Tiger.

1819 Spring Garden St., Greensboro.

MORE: $10 admission.

WHAT: A holiday family favorite! The classic story retold through music and dance in a collaboration between Music Carolina, Helen Simoneau Danse, and Peppercorn Theatre.

WHEN: 11 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 3 p.m.

WHERE: Old Salem Visitors Center.

900 Old Salem Road, Winston-Salem.

MORE: $8-$12 tickets.

WHAT: Join us for #TBTLBP Throwback Thursday Happy Hour in LeBauer Park.

Thursday December 29th, 5-8pm Ice Skating, Retro Holiday Crafts and Games! Beer and Wine from kiosks Noma Food & Co and Ghassan’s. No outside alcohol is allowed in the park.

WHEN: 5 p.m.

WHERE: LeBauer Park.

208 N. Davie Street, Greensboro.

MORE: Free entry.

WHAT: Were hosting two performances on New Years Eve in the Social Lobby for those who want to celebrate early (Dave Fox and Jessica Mashburn from 5:30 8:30 PM) or late (Benjamin Matlack and the New Artists from 9:30 PM 12:30 AM). No cover charge!

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: O.Henry Hotel.

624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro.

MORE: Free event.

WHAT: The Denim & Diamonds New Years Eve Party is back! Join the High Point Arts Council on December 31st from 7-10PM at the Centennial Station Arts Center to ring in the New Year (at a reasonable hour) with live music, food, and lots of dancing.

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Centennial Station Arts Center.

121 S. Centennial Street, High Point.

MORE: $40 per person.

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

DIRT · VOICES · TUNES FLICKS · VISIONS · DRAMA CHOW · & MORE

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WINSTON-SALEM SYMHPONY WITH RHIANNON GIDDENS SATURDAY

SATURDAY SATURDAY

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SATURDAY

SATURDAY

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KISSES4KATE 2016 MAD HATTERS BALL

NEW YEARS WITH REGAL SLOAN

WhAT: Kisses4Kates New Years Mad Hatters Ball. Dinner, Dancing, Auction, Costumes & Midnight Toast. Benefit for Children with cancer.

When: 7:30 p.m.

WheRe: Embassy Suites.

204 Centreport Dr., Greensboro.

MoRe: $50 per person.

WhAT: A staple of the Green Heron from the beginning. Hanging Rock locals, Buddy, John, & Bruce always rock the house with their bluegrass-tinged rock! So come and ring in the New Year with some great folks and some fantastic music!

When: 8 p.m.

WheRe: Green Heron Alehouse.

1110 Flinchum Rd., Danbury.

MoRe: $5-$7 entry.

SATURDAY

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SUNDAY

1

WS SYMPHONY

NEW YEARS EVE VOLLEYBALL PLUGGED-IN POPS 2017 CELEBRATION TOURNAMENT WITH RHIANNON GIDDENS

WhAT: Greensboro native Rhiannon Giddens, best known as singer, violinist and banjo player for the GRAMMY Award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, comes home to the Piedmont to ring in the New Year for a special night of bluegrass, folk, and jazz.

When: 8 p.m.

WheRe: Reynolds Auditorium.

301 North Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem.

MoRe: $20 tickets. wssymphony.org

WhAT: Get your New Year’s Eve 2017 bubbly on at the Village Inn Event Center!

TWO Ballrooms. TWO Bands. TWO DJ’s.

When: 9 p.m.

WheRe: Village Inn Event Center.

6205 Ramada Dr., Clemmons.

MoRe: $30-$149 tickets.

WhAT: Club teams from all over NC will assemble in Greensboro to kick off the 2017 indoor volleyball season. Girls, ages 12-18 compete in age groups for the Quest For Excellence Championship at the Greensboro Coliseum and Greensboro Sportsplex all weekend long.

When: All day.

WheRe: Greensboro Coliseum Complex - Arena. 1921 West Gate City Blvd Greensboro MoRe: $10 tickets.

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December 28 -January 3, 2016

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[LOCAL TALENT]

LIBERTY BREWERY & GRILL

AVAILABLE 4PM - CLOSE

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HAND AND STONE EMPLOYEES

BY ALLISON STALBERG

Rather than speak solely about them themselves, Hand and Stone spa owners Eric and Christina Anthony wanted to recognize and celebrate the staff of their company.

“We have such incredible, wonderful people,” said Christina. “We have so many people who work so hard to bring it all together. It is not a two person job.”

After being open in the Friendly Center for seven years and Winston Salem for five, the Hand and Stone spa has gathered about 3,000 members.

“We have some of the very best people in this industry working in our two stores,” said Eric. “This is a very high pace business. Our people in every case have really stepped up. We’re like all companies, we have some challenges that we have to get over but we keep moving forward and we absolutely have the best staff around and our numbers show it.

“We’d love to take credit for it and it sounds neat to take credit for it but the reality is that it’s the people that work for us and we wouldn’t be here without

them. The service you get in our store is so incredible.”

The dedication to customer service at Hand and Stone has rewarded the company with seeing some of the same people for seven years.

“We have incredible therapists that know so much,” said Eric. “What surprises me about the skin care and massage side of what we do is how knowledgeable they are about the details of the human body.

“A lot of times we tell our staff that they are counting on you just like a doctor.

If you feel like they need to come back two or three more times, you have to express that that’s the best treatment for them and that’s why we have so many returning people.”

Christina and Eric plan to open up more spas in the future.

“Growth is number one,” said Christina.

“We can never say this is being done well enough, we always have to strive for better.”

Want to learn more? Visit their website at www.handandstone.com. !

$3 PINTS / $5 MOSCOW MULES

TEAM TRIVIA at 7:30pm

THURSDAY

$5 WHISKEY SOURS / $5 ROYAL FLUSHES

FRIDAY

$4 FIREBALL / $5 LONG ISLAND ICED TEAS

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HAPPY HOUR DAILY 4PM - 6PM $7 / $8 / $9 LUNCH SPECIALS MONDAY - FRIDAY 11AM - 3PM

8 YES! WEEKLY

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

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WANT TO BE FEATURED AS A LOCAL TALENT? E-mail a photo and a short bio to editor@yesweekly.com

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[SCUTTLEBUTT] Items from across the Triad and beyond

CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS STRATEGY

During its December 20 meeting, the Greensboro City Council unanimously approved a resolution to approve and authorize City Manager Jim Westmoreland to implement its economic development committee’s focus strategy – “Grow Greensboro: The City of Opportunity.” This provides a framework for City Council to consider a focus strategy to identify economic development priorities.

“We are prepared to work with and support businesses, the community, academic institutions and other governmental partners to help re-establish Greensboro as an economic development leader within the next five years,” said City Councilman Jamal Fox. “The City of Greensboro will provide business support services, a pro-business environment and leverage all of our core economic and infrastructure assets to help encourage new capital investment and job creation in Greensboro.”

The economic development priorities for Greensboro center around six strategic targeted focus areas, which include Greensboro/Randolph County Megasite, Downtown Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad International Airport, Revolution Mill, Infill Development Areas and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.

These focus areas will be carried out through the following four initiatives: · Business Recruitment – support and fund new business recruitment and strategic infrastructure investment activities · Business Support – focus and align resources and support services to ensure Greensboro is a destination where all businesses can flourish · Marketing and Branding – campaign to promote the many economic and community assets and amenities in Greensboro · Innovative Ideas and Partnerships – explore new business ideas by cultivating and leveraging existing partnerships and relationships with community stakeholders “2016 was a good year for Greensboro and we look to continue that trend into 2017,” added Fox. “As companies look to Greensboro, we have a ready workforce in place. We have the skilled people ready.”

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GET ROCK THE RUNWAY TICKETS FOR YOUR FASHIONISTAS

Tickets are on sale now for Greensboro’s premier fashion show, Rock the Runway on Fri., Feb. 24 from 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. in the Empire Room, 203 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401. Tickets for this unique fashion fundraiser start at $50 and are the perfect holiday or Valentine’s gift for the fashionista in your life, or for a fun girls’ night out. Seating is limited and only available for purchase at GoodwillRocktheRunway.org.

The seven student, amateur and professional designers will showcase collections created from reconstructed Triad Goodwill store items. Designers are Sanja Grgic, Lakeasha Mccrimmon, Jessica Perry, Anndrea Robinson, Michelle Teague, Florence Wallace and Drew Waller. Learn more about each designer via their blogs on GoodwillRocktheRunway.org and see videos on the Triad Goodwill YouTube channel. Winners will be selected for the Judges Choice, Audience Choice, and the News & Record Unconventional Material Challenge for the best outfit made of newsprint.

In addition to the fashion show, Rock the Runway features a pre-show mixer with heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, silent auction, and Triad Goodwill’s pop-up shop Willow’s Boutique featuring the crème de la crème from their stores. Exclusive Fashionista Tables are available with seating for four guests at a private cocktail table, wine, tasty treats to share and personal “Swag” bags.

Proceeds benefit Triad Goodwill’s mission of providing free career development services for the un- and underemployed in Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham Counties. Rock the Runway is presented by 99.5 WMAG and 100.3 KISSfm, Allegacy, Bank of America, Elm Street Center, Lincoln Financial Group, Marsh & McLennan Agency, McWhorter Concepts, News & Record, Premier Federal Credit Union, Torey Searcy Photography, and WFMY News 2. Sponsorship opportunities can be viewed at GoodwillRocktheRunway.org/Sponsor. !

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

YES! WEEKLY

9

the lead

POLITICS, UPDATES, TRENDS AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION

Tiny Houses bring big change

BY MIA OSBORNE

Y

ou may have seen it while driving down Spring Street: A slope-roofed house smaller than many garden sheds, bearing a banner on its green paneled side that reads, “Help us build homes for the homeless.” It may be only 156 square feet, but this miniature house and others like it are set to have a big social impact on the Greensboro area.

That’s the mission of Tiny Houses Greensboro (THG), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to building the Triad’s first tiny house community for those experiencing homelessness. The Spring Street house is the first of a proposed five tiny homes to be built starting in the new year.

All houses will be fully furnished and hooked up to standard utilities. They will be arranged into a sort of village, which will also feature a community garden and outdoor meeting space.

“It’s going to be like an association in a townhouse format. Everybody will have their own little piece of property and then the rest of the property is common grounds,” explained Teri Hammer, first vice chair of the THG board.

Hammer has been with THG since the group began as a think tank at Greensboro’s Interactive Resource Center (IRC). People from the IRC, the local homeless community, and the Greensboro population at large met to discuss the problem of housing those in need.

Tiny houses soon emerged as an affordable alternative to transitional housing options. They also got favorable feedback from representatives of the people they are designed to shelter.

“We have a fellow who’s been homeless on our board, and another fellow who’s in transitional housing, but it’s very unstable,” said Hammer. “Folks from that community have a voice on our board and a voice in this community.”

Potential residents of the tiny house village will need to apply, and will sign rental agreements just like any other rental situation. There should be no shortage of applicants. According to data gathered by the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, there were 502

NEW YEAR’S EVE MARKET

Saturday, Dec. 31, 7am - 12pm Start the New Year off right by shopping at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market! You will find fresh greens and other great foods for your holiday meal. Not to mention some great desserts or a special hostess gift by many of our market artistians.

Thank you to all of our customers and vendors for a wonderful 2016!

We are looking forward to 2017!!

501 Yanceyville St. • Greensboro, NC WWW.GSOFARMERSMARKET.ORG

10 YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

homeless adults without children in Guilford County in 2015, only 145 of which were in any sort of transitional housing.

Funding is an issue with a project of this scale, but THG’s proposed financial setup ensures that the village will largely pay for itself. Each resident’s rent will be one third of his or her monthly income.

A portion of that money will be placed in community trust to be used for maintenance on the houses and grounds. Hammer believes this system will keep the THG village from relying on government funds.

“We’re trying to get ourselves out of that cycle of government spending for affordable housing,” she said.

For potential residents, this setup may also be the best option to break the cycle of homelessness. The tiny homes were first intended as transitional housing, which meant that after a year, residents would have been encouraged to move on. But the THG board has since reconsidered that plan.

“We realized putting a timeline on a person is not a functional way to get them help,” said Hammer. “If someone’s still struggling with their job making minimum wage, and we ask them to leave and they have nowhere to go, we’re back to square one.”

Under the new system, tiny house residents may stay as long as they need, provided they pay rent and abide by their rental agreement. The goal is to integrate residents into the city around them, restoring their selfconfidence while challenging society’s perceptions of those who have been homeless.

“I’m hoping people will see that it’s successful, that it’s not disruptive, and that it doesn’t devalue their property,” said Hammer.

Teri Hammer of the Tiny Houses Greensboro board of directors spent Christmas night at their pilot location on Spring Street.

The first step towards this paradigm shift is to get people involved in the village’s construction. THG has no staff; the houses will be built by volunteers, with the aid of a professional construction manager. Hammer is grateful to locals who have already contributed, including a class from Cornerstone Academy that helped furnish the model house and Windshield Glass Incorporated, which generously allowed it to be set up on their property.

Bringing THG’s vision to life will require more donations of time, materials and money. That last need prompted THG’s Sleep Inn fundraiser. Since Nov. 11, THG board members have taken turns sleeping in the Spring Street house. They will continue to do so until THG reaches its donation goal of $50,000. They are currently at $18,500 and going strong.

They aren’t breaking for the holidays, either. Hammer herself volunteered to sleep in the tiny house the night of Christmas. She said she is happy to do so to make the village a success and, eventually, to expand the project to sites in other neighborhoods.

“The goal is to have them tucked throughout the city, nestled inside different neighborhoods so residents feel they’re members of a community,” said Hammer.

To learn more about THG or contribute, visit www. tinyhousesgreensboro.com. !

MIA OSBORN is a Greensboro-based freelance writer who hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

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Greensboro City Council 2017 legislative agenda includes body worn camera policy

BY SAMMY HANF Greensboro City Council met during a special work session last week to discuss the first draft of the city’s 2017 legislative agenda.

Chief among the council’s concerns were amendments to HB 972, a controversial bill governing access to police body-camera footage, age for juvenile jurisdiction and instate tuition for undocumented students.

Tom Carruthers, City Attorney, said there are ongoing conversations with other cities in the state concerning HB 972 and that the priorities outlined in the legislative agenda are to allow city council to access and release footage and to allow the Police Community Relations Board to view footage.

Councilmember Mike Barber said he was concerned about appearing to confront the legislature on this issue and recommended discussing the matter with them before putting anything forward.

“I dont wanna send anything to this legislature that is going to shine a spotlight on Greensboro and that we are antagonistic, I wanna avoid that at all costs because we have already been down that road.” Barber said Mayor Nancy Vaughan said there are already conversations regarding the bill in the legislature and said that an invitation should be extended to meet with members of

the legislature in January during their legislative session.

Council also added an item that would support in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.

“I do want to say, I know it may sound like a hot-button issue, but I did speak to the superintendent of Guilford County Schools and her comment was that no matter what you believe about immigration or any laws therein that these kids have spent their whole lives in our public schools,” Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said.

Barber said he wanted to see language stipulating that they have begun the immigration process.

Mayor Vaughan said that most of these students are not 18 and could not have begun the formal immigration process.

“I think we have to acknowledge the immigration process or this is going to be DOA, it’s making a stand versus effectively having a shot at it,” Barber said.

Council decided to let staff work on language to that effect.

Jennifer Schneier, Assistant City Attorney, said the council is also considering joining an effort by many groups to raise the age for juvenile jurisdiction following a commission chaired by NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Morgan finding overwhelmingly that this would be a positive step.

North Carolina and New York are the only states that treat 16 and 17 year olds as adults, which Schneier said disqualifies the state from receiving some federal aid.

“When we talk about what’s a better way that we can do something for our young people and not continue to lock up our future, I think this would get us to the right benchmark and I’m glad that Chief Justice Martin is actually looking into this,” Councilmember Jamal Fox said. !

Greensboro Council votes against releasing Cole file amidst protests

BY SAMMY HANF Greensboro City Council voted 7-2 last week against releasing the investigative file in a misconduct case involving a former member of the police department.

Councilmembers Sharon Hightower and Jamal Fox voted in favor of release.

“I think in order to create and build upon public trust the release of the investigative file, that does not bind us to any litigation, is the correct and proper thing to do. Certainly we have done some unprecedented things as I said earlier but I think we can go a little bit further,” Council member Hightower said.

Protesters with GSO Operation Transparency gathered outside council chambers to reiterate their ultimatum that if the documents are not released by Jan. 11 they will conduct a people’s document search to seize and release the information.

Bay Love, with GSO Operation Transparency, said there were still a number of questions about the internal investigation, especially considering that the incident was not immediately flagged, given that the same officer was recently the subject of a mistreatment case that ended with the WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

city paying out $50,000.

The officer, Travis Cole, resigned in August amid an investigation which found he had used inappropriate force and violated department rules regarding search and seizure.

The investigation centered around an incident where Cole arrested Dejuan Yourse on his mother’s front porch while searching for a burglary suspect. Body cam footage shows Cole punching Yourse in the face during the arrest.

“The hesitation to release the documents pertaining to that incident can only lead people to suspect that there is something in those documents that is worse than the video, which most people other than those in the police association, looked at and thought were very damaging,” Gary Kenton, a member of GSO Operation Transparency, said during the meeting.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan said the city has been notified of two potential lawsuits regarding the case and believes care should be taken in releasing any information.

Vaughan also said the city had already taken several unprecedented steps to promote transparency in this case.

“I think in this particular case the process

worked,” Mayor Vaughan said. “I believe the process worked and I will stand by that and I will stand by that in November.”

Love said in a statement following the vote that GSO Operation Transparency’s ultimatum still stands and that if all documents and internal communication relevant to the investigation are not released

by Jan. 11 a people’s document search will be conducted to release the information.

“If council members think the process worked, they should show us - show the public by releasing the documents we’re requesting,” said group member Citlaly Mora. “If there was no cover-up, there’s no reason to hold them back. State law clearly gives them clearance to release these documents in order to restore public trust.”

Added Juan Miranda, also with GSO Operation Transparency: “All of us who saw that video were shocked. We just want to know, where was the shock in the official investigative process? At two different points in the weeks after the incident GPD higher-ups viewed the video. Where are their notes and emails documenting their shock and dismay? How do we know we can trust the process the next time something like this happens?” !

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

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11

voices

WRITE US AT EDITOR@YESWEEKLY.COM

P

eople go into business for various reasons.

Usually it involves finding a way to earn a livelihood doing something Joel Landau one enjoys and/or is good at. Some Contributor people are also moved by a desire to educate and improve the health of the community. Here are three such local entrepreneurs.

It’s a dirty secret that most commercial hair and skin care products are toxic to the human body. There is virtually no safety testing of the thousands of chemicals used by manufacturers. Here’s how it works: the manufacturer only needs to “self-declare” that its products are safe – no safety documentation is required by the FDA. As a result Americans are daily covering ourselves with harmful body care products. This is a problem since most of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into the body. The problem is exacerbated with hair treatment sprays, since we also absorb those through our breathing. Fortunately, there are non-toxic alternatives for hair care. Yvonne Lee-Hawkins, owner of Ennovy Creations hair salon, has chosen the non-toxic route. Over the years

12 YES! WEEKLY

On a mission she learned about herbal supplements and the healing power they have. She learned that chemicals block the absorption of nutrients, while the plant-based products she uses allows deeper and better absorption. This knowledge made her more determined to take better care of her clients, and share with them the dangers in conventional retail products.

“Since childhood I’ve had a love for hair.

I pursued my dream of becoming a licensed Cosmetologist in my late twenties.

After watching and assisting co-workers who were struggling in their technical skills, I decided I wanted to teach the art and science of Cosmetology and attained licensing to be a Cosmetology teacher,” Yvonne said. “I have worked in salon chains, cosmetology schools, and now have my own business doing what I love.

Since opening in November of 2014, I have had the opportunity to give back to the community by offering free hair services to families at a local homeless shelter, and also to some school age children of mothers with limited income.”

In 2011 Yvonne experienced health problems that required her being placed on continuous oxygen therapy. She cleaned up her diet and was able to come off oxygen in 2013. Since then, she says, “I use the salon to introduce clients to alternative products that are botanical based, vegan, and gluten free. I continue to tell others of my experience and I have a support group (Food for Fuel). Food for Fuel is for

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

anyone who wants to learn of alternatives to conventional medicine, or share information than can help other group members live healthier lives.” She notes that diet impacts hair, skin, and nails.

Yvonne Lee-Hawkins can be reached at Ennovy Creations, 1010 Homeland Avenue in Greensboro. Ennovy Creations is a fullservice Salon offering hair services for all textures, natural nail services, brow waxing, and reflexology, while prioritizing the use of organic ingredients, CPTG essential oils, vegan, and gluten free products. Call (336) 456-4429 or ennovycreations@ gmail.com for more information.

Like Yvonne, Annah Awartani also prioritizes providing her customers with healthy products and educating them about wellness. She is the Owner of Zaytoon, a Mediterranean restaurant established in 2006 with a mission to serve good local foods. Annah says: “I believe food is spiritual; having good foods is very important to nourish the soul and the body. We started Zaytoon at the downtown Farmers’ Market so the seeds of it were focused on using local, organic and clean foods. With my back ground as a teacher I use my training to educate people about food as medicine.”

Annah has a BA in Arabic Language and Statistics and a MA in Education. She also has a certificate as an Integrated Health Coach from Duke University and a certificate from Minnesota University focusing on food as medicine.

In case you were wondering, “zaytoon” is Arabic for “olive”. At Zaytoon the food is cooked from scratch using wholesome, non-GMO ingredients – locally grown as much as possible. Annah has a passion for educating people about their health.

She has taught classes on subjects such as “Food as Medicine”, “Cooking for Your Health”, “Cooking for Your Brain”, and “Cooking for Your Skin”. Zaytoon’s restaurant served Greensboro for 10 years, and was a popular lunchtime destination.

Zaytoon was in an office building on N. Elm Street until about a year ago. At that time their lease was terminated when the landlord decided that a restaurant wasn’t the right fit for the building. Annah is a firm believer in building community; before vacating the restaurant she invited the community to a “Goodbye Party”. It was a festive celebration and the restaurant was jam-packed with appreciative customers. Annah provided a free feast as a thank you to those who had supported Zaytoon. For now she sells her delicious, wholesome foods at the

downtown Farmers’ Market, and also at Deep Roots Market on N. Eugene Street.

She also takes special orders while still looking for a good location to re-open the restaurant. You can reach her at www.

Zaytoonfoods.com or 336-549-4939.

Paige Cox is the Director and CoFounder of Reconsidered Goods, a new non-profit servicing the Triad area.

Reconsidered Goods is a creative reuse center with a mission to reduce the waste that goes into our local landfill. They do this by teaching the community about the power of reuse. Although there are many places to donate unused home goods, their reuse center promotes the donation of items that can be reused for art, to support teachers, and items that manufacturers can pass on to make available to the community. They also host workshops and field trips to promote the arts and environmental education.

Paige was previously a member of the Greensboro Anthropologie display and merchandising team. She is also a full time fiber artist. She says she’s “always been a fan of Durham’s Scrap Exchange.

They have been around for 25 years and have made a huge impact on waste reduction. As an artist, a creative reuse center is the ultimate place to shop for unusual and inexpensive materials. I reached out to the Scrap Exchange’s Executive Director Ann Woodward and inquired about bringing this business model to Greensboro. She invited me to a training last fall, where for four days I learned the process of making this a reality for our area. I left Anthropologie last winter to pursue this full time. My co-founders Martha HughesJames and Joseph Edwards joined the team along with our board members and we were able to secure our 501C3 status and a great building and here we are.”

Paige’s vision is to create a welcoming community center vibe where everyone feels at home. Their inventory is 100 percent donated by the community and local businesses. They hope that everyone can take some ownership in their successes and the happiness you feel in the fun and creative environment they strive to foster. Reconsidered Goods is located at 2805 Patterson Street in Greensboro. You can reach them at 336-763-5041, www. reconsideredgoods.org, or paige@reconsideredgoods.org. !

JOEL LANDAU’s column appears the 4th Wednesday of each month.

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Abe of “Fish” In hitting position “Neue Liebeslieder” composer Idolized Details of one’s life Angle unit in math Doctors testifying about injuries, e.g. [Trebek] Third-largest Danish city East -- Alto Former space station Tributary of the Seine Compound conjunction Fox’s quality Uses a pogo stick

[Chavez] Back muscle, informally Assns.

Soft throw It’s variable with a zoom lens [Ginsberg] Wry Mort See 95-Across The same, to Simone NM-to-NJ dir.

Absorb slowly “Rapture” singer Baker St. Kitts and -Confident assertion They’re part of history [Seagal] Modest reply of

gratitude [Hawke] Item fitting in a rowlock Vain one’s problem Tyke Above, in an ode Not prone to fading in daylight, as a fabric

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It hangs from a hoop Regulations on import ing and exporting [St. Johns] Initial race advantages [Lovett] Epee relative Putrefy Guardian -Hansel’s sis Heat qty.

Goatee site With 47-Across,

swooned-over sort “It’s cold!”

Current fashion

[Lubitsch] Water, in Oaxaca Winged god G8 country Curt comment [Previn] Moralist’s statement Rural towers Twisting fish Enzyme suffix Skinny Not inclined Saying “I do” [Bergman] Lamented loudly By mistake One of the Ramones Fall blooms Region centered on the upper Oder valley Makes off-peak calls?

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Coquettes

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Flawless Like saints Rigel’s constellation Yr. closer Water, jocularly App-based taxi service Fotos With 87-Down, penthouse’s place Pindar verse Magnates Cockloft, e.g.

Cup, in Caen Dude Systems to track storms The “A” of ATP Gandhi, e.g.

Stoneworker Dummy Mortimer Eavesdrop Beauty lover Architectural annex Marshy area Playwright Joe Cries of repugnance “Buddy List” co.

-- shui Pointed arch variety Spelunking spot Samuel of the Supreme Court Bottle parts Reaches, as new heights Barn brayer By -- of (due to) “Chained” actor Kruger Hold up Movie-rating gp.

Stated firmly Crow of pop Into pieces “Crikey!”

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THE TRIAD’S PREMIER LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Asian sea Frequently, to Donne Chick’s home Cree or Erie Decide (to) Heroic act Thin street Egg on Humiliate Selflessness Hurting, as a joint Grieve loudly December 31 song word “Stormy Weather” singer Abbr. on a bus schedule See 9-Down Watson of “Noah” Erratic Frank holder Nickname for Dwight Gooden Airline to Sweden Riotous joke Dutch lager Honshu city Exchange for a ten Naval force TV’s Philbin Nicholas Gage novel Brought out into the open Spiteful “-- much better now” Stem joints Taj Mahal site Mag staffers Mario’s three Auditing gp.

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—THEBLINDTIGER.COM— /theblindtiger @blindtigergso @blindtigergso December 28 -January 3, 2016

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[news of the weird] Holes AgAinst HumAnity

The rebellion against the absurdities of Black Friday this year by the organization Cards Against Humanity came in the form of raising money to dig a pointless hole in the ground. During the last week of November, people “contributed” $100,573, with Cards digging initially for 5.5 seconds per Chuck Shepherd donated dollar. In 2015, according to an NPR report, Cards raised $71,145 by promising to do “absolutely nothing” with it, and the year before, $180,000 by selling bits of bull feces. (Asked why Cards doesn’t just give the money to charity, a spokesperson asked why donors themselves don’t give it to charity. “It’s (their) money.”) [NPR via KUOW Radio (Turnwater, Wash.), 11-27-2016]

government in Action

New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has completed its two-year project of assigning ID numbers (with arboreal characteristics) to every one of the 685,781 trees in the city’s five boroughs. More than 2,300 volunteers walked the streets, then posted each tree’s location, measurements, Google Street View image, and ecological benefits for the surrounding neighborhoods (rainwater retained, air pollution reduced).

(Privacy activists hope the National Security Agency is not inspired by this.) [Architecture Daily, 11-28-2016]

tHe continuing crisis

— A note in The New York Times in October mentioned a website that comprehensively covers everything worth knowing and wondering — about shoelaces. Ian’s Shoelace Site shows and discusses (and rates) lacing methods, how to mix lace colors, how to tie (comparing methods, variations and, again, ratings), lengths of laces (how to calculate, which formulas to use, what to do with excess lengths), “granny knots,” aglet repair and much more — neatly laid out in dozens of foolproof drawings for the shoelace- challenged (because no one wants to be caught in a shoelace faux pas). [Ian’s Shoelace Site, http://bit.ly/1mVIpDO] — Though the presidential election of 2016 was certainly more volatile than usual, one reaction to the outcome was the apparent ease with which some in America’s next generation of college-trained leaders were sidelined by self-described emotional pain. The Wall Street Journal reported that special attention was given by administrators at Tufts University, the University of Kansas and Ivy League Cornell, among other places, where their young adults could “grieve” over the election and seek emotional support, such as use of “therapy dogs” in Kansas and, at the University of Michigan, the availability of Play-Doh and coloring books for distraction. [Wall Street Journal, 11-9-2016]

ironies

— (1) The county executive in Cleveland, Ohio, complained in November of lack of funds (because the

county’s credit is “maxed out”) for necessary renovations to its well-known sports and concert venue, the Quicken Loans Arena. (2) In November, after a companion asked Victoria Vanatter, 19, what blood-sucking was like, she let him slice her arm with a razor to have a taste, but the two then argued, and Vanatter allegedly grabbed a knife and slashed him for real. Police in Springfield, Missouri, arrested her after both people were stitched up at a hospital. [Cleveland Scene, 11-302016] [Springfield News Leader, 11-18-2016] — Recurring: The most recent city to schedule a civicminded conference with community leaders to discuss options for affordable, accessible housing in a meeting place that was highly unfriendly to the non-ambulatory was Toronto, in November. The first proposed site required a seven-step walk-up, but following complaints, officials relocated it — to a building whose only rest room was in the elevator-free basement. [Toronto Star, 12-7-2016]

QuestionAble Judgments

— The Space World theme park in Kitakyushu, Japan, opened a popular (with visitors) ice-skating rink in November, but was forced to close it two weeks later for being hugely unpopular (with social media critics).

The park had placed 5,000 fish and other sea animals in the ice deck of its “Freezing Port” rink so that skaters could look down as they glided along, gazing at marvels of nature (all dead in advance, of course, purchased from a fish market). Nonetheless, the park manager

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apologized for grossing out so many people and closed the exhibit (melting the ice and conducting an “appropriate religious service” for the fishes’ souls).

[CNN, 11-28-2016] — The government-run Channel 2M in Morocco apologized for a segment of its daily TV program “Sabahiyat” that featured a makeup artist demonstrating techniques for obscuring blemishes on women subjected to domestic violence.

The model being worked on had been made up with a swollen face and faked bruises. Said the host, “We hope these beauty tips will help (victims) carry on with your daily life.” (Bonus: The program aired Nov. 23 — two days before International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.) [The Guardian (London), 11-27-2016] — Cunning Strategies: (1) Shogo Takeda, 24, said he desperately needed a job at the elevator maintenance company in Yokohama at which he was interviewing (with the president) on Nov. 10, but somehow could not resist taking the man’s wallet from a bag when the president briefly left the room. (Takeda had dropped off his resume beforehand and thus was quickly apprehended.) (2) Mark Revill, 49, pleaded guilty in November to stalking the actor Keira Knightley. He said he had become frustrated that his flood of love letters was being ignored and so approached the front door of Knightley’s London home and “meowed” through the letterbox. [Japan Times, 11-21-2016] [London Evening Standard, 11-21-2016]

government identification cards. It took Mr. Phelan MoonSong of Millinocket, Maine, two trips to the BMV, but his ID, after his name change, was finally approved in December, based on his “Paganism” religion. (2) In December, a 21-year-old man became the most recent to fall to his death during a roadside “pit stop.” Four passengers alighted from a car on the side of Interstate 15 near Escondido, California; two urinators returned without incident, and a third also fell about 40 feet but survived.

[WGME-TV (Portland), 12-6-2016] [San Diego Union-Tribune, 12-7-2016]

THE PASSING PARADE

(1) In November, an arranged custody swap of a child from one grandmother to another in a Wal-mart parking lot near Dallas ended when both ladies pulled guns and started firing. One granny was hit in the neck and the other arrested after she also fired at an off-duty officer trying to calm things down. (2) A 22-year-old man pedaling a vending cart through downtown Victoria, British Columbia, in November with largelettered “420 delivery” on the carrier was stopped by police and found with a stash of marijuana. (Selling recreational cannabis is illegal, even though the man

had conscientiously printed underneath the sign, “NO MINORS.”) [KDFW-TV (Dallas-Fort Worth), 11-30-2016] [Victoria Police Department release, 11-10-2016]

A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (FEBRUARY 2013)

Officials at Seaford, England’s, 12thcentury St. Peter’s Church, which is renowned for its eerie quietness, created a 30-minute CD (in 2013) of “total silence,” first as a small-scale fundraising project, but later for general sales (since word-of-mouth had attracted orders from the noise-annoyed as far away as Ghana). Those who have heard it said they could make out only the occasional squeaking of footsteps on the wooden floor and the very distant hum of a passing car. Said one admiring parishioner, “People sometimes like to sit down and just have a bit of peace and quiet.”

[Daily Mail (London), 1-27-2013] !

© 2016 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

WAIT — YOU MEAN THIS IS ILLEGAL?

(1) A substitute teacher at Sandhills Middle School in Gaston, South Carolina, was charged with cruelty to children in December after she, exasperated, taped two kids to their desk chairs for misbehaving. (2) A second-grade teacher at Landis Elementary in Houston was charged with felony cruelty after video showed her punching a serial troublemaker in the head as he fought her while she walked him to the principal’s office.

(3) A high school teacher in Glasgow, Scotland, got in trouble in November for proposing in a journal that teachers be allowed to cuss back at students who cuss them. He wrote that limiting teachers to “Don’t call me that” sends the wrong message. [The State (Columbia, S.C.), 12-3-2016] [KTRK-TV (Houston), 11-2-2016] [The Scottish Sun (Glasgow), 11-19-2016]

RECURRING THEMES

(1) Add goat horns to the “religious covering” items permitted to be worn in

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

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15

THe year

IN FILM THe 10 besT aNd 10 worsT FILMs oF 2016

by Mark burger With major studios releasing fewer films each year, preferring to concentrate their efforts and money on potential franchise tent-poles, independent films have stepped into the breach, releasing seemingly more films than ever before – so many, in fact, that some of them never even play in theaters hereabouts. Even when they do, they tend not to stick around for terribly long. Up against the marketing bonanza of the big blockbusters, you’ve got to seek out the smaller gems, which tend to yield more riches than their big-budget brethren.

Nevertheless, the last 12 months saw a generally good selection of feature films.

When it came to assembling a 10 Best list, I was happily reminded of some very good films (listed at the end of the 10 Best films) that didn’t make the cut but were worthy entertainments in their own right.

Without further ado, this critic’s selection of 2016 best films, followed by the worst.

THE 10 BEST

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WAR DOGS: Not unlike what Adam McKay’s The Big Short last year, filmmaker Todd Phillips applied his comedic sensibilities to this blistering, near-brilliant, fact-based satire focusing on Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller), a pair of party-hearty pals who wound up landing multi-milliondollar military contracts with the US Government. Promoted as something of a “frat boy” comedy, War Dogs was not a box-office blockbuster, but earned enough critical praise to land Hill (in a flawless performance) a much-deserved Golden Globe nomination.

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FENCES: August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning stage triumph has been superbly realized on screen by director Denzel Washington, who also reprises his Tony-winning role for the 2010 Broadway revival, alongside stage holdovers Viola Davis (also a Tony winner for the revival), Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby and Mykelti Williamson, and screen newcomers Jovan Adepo and Saniyya Sidney. The result is a peerless ensemble cast and, likewise, a peerless film. The work of Wilson (who died in 2005) is widely regarded as being about the black experience, but it’s just as much about the American experience and, more importantly, the human experience.

Fences loses absolutely none of its power in its big-screen transition.

December 28 -January 3, 2016

3 MOANA: Finding Dory is among the year’s biggest box-office behemoths, but this dazzling, delightful animated feature ranks as an instant classic in the Disney canon, a sweeping adventure undertaken by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho (in the title role) and Dwayne Johnson (as the fasttalking demigod Maui). There were early concerns that the studio would somehow diminish or mock the culture and legends of the Polynesian people, but nothing could be further from the truth. Moana is sweet and funny without ever being in the least offensive. It’s a celebration of that culture, as well as a celebration of the magic of movies. A sheer joy.

4 SULLY: Everyone knows the saga of US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009, when the plane crashed into the Hudson River – all aboard miraculously spared – and pilot Chesley Sullenberger (“Sully”) was hailed a hero. Director Clint Eastwood brings his customary no-nonsense approach to the fact-based storyline, going behind the headlines to explore the impact (no pun intended) of the incident upon Sullenberger, played with perfect everyman gravitas by Tom Hanks, who over a 35-year screen career has emerged as one of America’s greatest actors. Competent and credible in the extreme, this is a worthy portrait of real-life courage.

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5 LOVING: UNCSA School of Filmmaking graduate Jeff Nichols continues his ascendance with this eloquent portrayal of the real-life interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving, played to perfection by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. Like Eastwood and Sully, Nichols refrains from overstating or overstuffing the story, allowing its simplicity to hold sway. There’s a palpable passion and compassion within its subtle telling. Loving feels real.

LION: Director Garth Davis’ debut feature is a first-rate, fact-based tearjerker detailing the odyssey of Saroo Brierley, who as a young boy found himself inadvertently locked aboard a train that proceeded to spirit him thousands of miles across India. Years later, after being adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham, effortless exuding familial love), Saroo found the ways and means to delve into his past and come face to face with a life he’d long thought lost. Youngster Sunny Pawar, in a powerhouse screen debut, is so convincing and compelling as the young Saroo that it’s almost jarring when Dev Patel portrays him as a young man, but Patel is in excellent form, and Greig Fraser’s cinematography captures the size and scope of both India and Australia, further emphasizing the distance of Saroo’s journey through life.

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MANCHESTER BY THE SEA: Kenneth Lonergan’s heartfelt character drama, set in the wintry environs of its New England locale, showcases Casey Affleck in a spectacular lead turn as a blue-collar Boston handyman whose reticence masks a lifetime of guilt and pain. When called home to attend to the funeral of his brother (Kyle Chandler), he must come to terms with his loss – and his life. Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges (who took a break from his studies at UNCSA to appear in the film), Gretchen Mol and Matthew Broderick are fine in support, but this is Affleck’s show all the way, and Lonergan evinces a real affection and respect for the people and mindset of Manchester by the Sea.

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LA-LA LAND: Following his acclaimed Whiplash (2014), filmmaker Damien Chazelle takes a big chance – and comes up a winner – with this modern-day musical set amid the hopes and dreams of Tinseltown, with the romance between jazz pianist Ryan Gosling and aspiring actress Emma Stone at the forefront.

Bursting with style, creativity, charm and innovation, it’s a toe-tapping triumph for all concerned. Miles Teller and Emma Watson were originally considered for the leads, but it’s hard to see anyone better than Gosling and Stone in the roles.

THE BFG: In a summer, to say nothing of an entire year, saturated with animated features, Steven Spielberg’s exquisite adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic novel never really found its audience, which is a shame because the film, which marked the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison’s final work, is yet another fine example of Spielberg’s mastery. In her screen debut, Ruby Barnhill is another spectacular Spielberg discovery, playing the young orphan who befriends the “Big Friendly Giant” (Mark Rylance, who scored an Oscar for Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies last year). Beautifully designed and wittily told, this is one that got away … but is ripe for rediscovery as another masterwork for its maker.

JACKIE: Taking a break from Marvel’s Thor films, Natalie Portman comes back to Earth as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, in the days following the assassination of her husband on Nov. 22, 1963. Director Pablo Larrain, with major assists from Stephane Fontaine and composer Mica Levi, creates historical speculation in highly theatrical and highly cinematic terms, with a heightened surrealism that reflects Jackie’s emotions at the time, and, indeed the emotions of those who lived through that period. It’s a different side to the JFK story, one that hasn’t been told before – and Jackie tells it very well.

Other feature films released in 2016 that were worthy of note and praise included Paul Verhoeven’s twisty Elle, toplining a stellar turn by Isabelle Huppert (a sure-fire Oscar contender): Christine, the harrowing, fact-based story of ill-fated newscaster Christine Chubbuck, played brilliantly by Rebecca Hall; Disney’s couldn’t-miss (and didn’t) follow-up Finding Dory, which didn’t quite hit the heights of its 2003 predecessor; the futuristic satire High-Rise and the fact-based academia saga The Man Who Knew Infinity, both featuring excellent turns by Jeremy Irons (who’s made something of a bigscreen comeback this year); writer/director Shane Black’s off-kilter and frequently outrageous Hollywood neo-noir The Nice Guys, pairing Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling; and David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s documentary Tickled, which exposed the underground viral community devoted to “competitive endurance tickling.” It’s a strange, bizarre and compelling cautionary tale – one that’s difficult to shake.

December 28 -January 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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THE 10 WORST

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SUICIDE SQUAD: One of the year’s biggest box-office hits, which proves that enough hype and hoopla can overcome among the most withering reviews of any major movie in recent memory. This patchwork superhero blockbuster was so haphazardly assembled (reportedly from two different cuts) that many noted its glaring inconsistencies and blatant lapses in continuity. A high-decibel, low-impact mess that will surely spawn sequels … and it won’t be difficult for them to improve on this tepid template. Of the many people I know who saw this film, only one or two confessed to actually enjoying it – and they weren’t exactly proud about it.

FREE STATE OF JONES: Gary Ross’ historical melodrama, starring Matthew McConaughey as the real-life Civil War veteran Newton Knight, who established his own “free state” in a corner of Mississippi in defiance of the Confederacy, is fact-based filmmaking at its worst. This is one depressing example where even the best intentions go awry, yielding exasperated boredom as the story sinks under the (heavy) weight of its own pretentions – and keeps sinking until the bitter end.

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RIDE ALONG 2: More of the same from the mismatched cop/ buddy duo of Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. If nothing else, Ride Along 2 is pretty much on par with Ride Along 1 – which was on my 10 Worst list for 2014.

The thought of a Ride Along 3 is enough to make anyway depressed, but Ride Along 2 made money, so ...

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December 28 -January 3, 2016

3

4 THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM: The best thing about this muddled supernatural shocker is that it was filmed throughout the Piedmont Triad. The worst thing is that it was actually made.

The filmmakers display no interest or enthusiasm for the genre, and even die-hard horror fans – who usually can be counted upon for a decent opening weekend – stayed away in droves.

DIRTY GRANDPA: Even so talented and legendary an actor as Robert De Niro (playing the title character) can’t bring class to this crass, raunch-filled road comedy pairing the two-time Oscar winner (no nomination this time, that’s for sure!) with Zac Efron as his straight man. Watching this film ramble through its raucousness makes one almost embarrassed for De Niro. If this is the best material offered him these days, we’re all in trouble.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY: Take a talented, comedy-friendly cast (including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, Rob Cordrry and T.J. Miller), give them nothing to work with, and what do you get? A holiday buzz-kill, a feeble and flaccid farce that recalls, unfortunately, the heyday of the worst of the National Lampoon movies. Office Christmas Party is the cinematic equivalent of a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking.

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7 HILARY’S AMERICA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRACTIC PARTY: The latest self-serving bit of big-screen political propaganda from Dinesh D’Souza was released before Donald Trump captured the Republican Party nomination, but it scarcely matters. D’Souza molds and shapes historical events to fit his own agenda, not realizing – or not caring – that the Republican and Democratic parties of the Civil War era aren’t the same as they are now, nor are they the same as 100 or even 50 years ago. Like a lot of things, excepting D’Souza’s talents, political parties tend to evolve and grow over time. Some have described D’Souza as a poor man’s Michael Moore, but then again Moore’s films aren’t as effective as they once were, and have grown more self-absorbed over the years.

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MOTHER’S DAY: Sadly, this holidaythemed comedy/drama marked the final feature for director Garry Marshall, who was unquestionably one of the most-liked men in the business. But that doesn’t mean we have to like his films (which included such previous holiday fluff as New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day). Marshall began his career in TV sitcoms, and the majority of his feature films reflected that. The all-star cast included Jennifer Aniston (her second appearance on this list, through no fault of her own), Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Timothy Olyphant and Marshall regular Hector Elizondo. It’s nice spending time with the, but it would be even nicer if they had something to do.

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE: Kevin Hart (his second go-’round here) applies his usual motor-mouthed schtick to yet another buddy comedy, this one teaming him with rogue CIA agent Dwayne Johnson. They’re quite affable, but the story is a hoary collection of lame gags, silly jokes, and predictable shoot-’em-up action, wasting a cast that included Amy Ryan (in a terrible role), Aaron Paul (in a nothing role) Jason Bateman (his second time on this list too), and Melissa McCarthy in a cameo. “Intelligence” was sorely lacking here, as were inspiration and innovation.

Hart may be the hardest-working man in show business these days, but a few more duds like this and he might not be so busy for very much longer.

WEB

GODS OF EGYPT: This unconscionable, unintentionally hilarious fantasy epic would have been higher on this list were it not so entertaining – for all the wrong reasons. Bombastic special effects, stonefaced performances and sheer blather are fully on display here. Were the film about the Greek gods it truly would qualify as a “Greek tragedy,” but one supposes it qualifies as an “Egyptian embarrassment,” with performances ranging from sheepishly embarrassed to no-holdsbarred ham, by a cast including “Game of Thrones” heartthrob Nikolaj CosterWalden, Chadwick Boseman, Brenton Thwaites, Rufus Sewell, Bryan Brown, Geoffrey Rush, and Gerard Butler, whose scenery-chewing turn as the villainous god Set made his performance in London Has Fallen seem award-worthy.

TABLET

MOBILE

December 28 -January 3, 2016

YES! WEEKLY

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Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication.

Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online. home grown muSic Scene | compiled by Austin Kindley

ASHEBORO

FOUR SAINTS BREWING

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 foursaintsbrewing.com Dec 30: Matt Walsh Dec 31: John The Revelator Jan 6: Open Mic w/ Wolfie Calhoun Jan 7: Abigail Dowd Jan 8: Jim Sharkey Jan 13: GrayMatter Jan 14: Steely James Jan 18: Irish/Celtic Music Session Jan 20: Shiloh Hill Jan 21: Emma Lee Jan 28: Tyler Millard Feb 3: Wolfie Calhoun Feb 4: Momma Molasses

clEmmOnS

RIvER RIDGE TApHOUSE 1480 River Ridge Dr | 336.712.1883 riverridgetaphouse.com Dec 30: If Birds Could Fly Dec 31: pop Guns Jan 27: Live Music from 3st

dAnBuRy

GREEN HERON ALE HOUSE 1110 Flinchum Rd | 336.593.4733 greenheronclub.com Dec 23: Local Music Christmas Celebration Dec 31: New Years Eve Social with Regal Sloan

gREEnSBORO

ARIzONA pETE’S

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 arizonapetes.com Dec 30: 1-2-3 Friday Jan 6: 1-2-3 Friday

ARTISTIkA NIGHT CLUB

523 S Elm St | 336.271.2686 artistikanightclub.com Dec 30: DJ Dan the player Dec 31: DJ paco and DJ Dan the player

BIG pURpLE

812 Olive St. | 336.302.3728

THE BLIND TIGER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

THE BRUSTON WITH WILDE COMEDY SHOW HOSTED BY AMPSTON HEWS & COREY JONES

$10 ADMISSION | SHOWS AT 8:30 & 10:30PM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 NYE 2017

BRING IN THE YEAR WITH LAUGHTER WITH JARROD HARRIS & LACE LARRABEE $20 ADMISSION | SHOW AT 8:30 INCLUDES BUFFET SHOW AT 10:30 INCLUDES CHAMPAGNE TOAST 2105 PETERS CREEK PKWY WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27127 (336) 608-2270 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

WWW.LAUGHINGAS.NET

20 YES! WEEKLY

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 theblindtiger.com Dec 28: David Bryan & Friends Feat.

Brian & Brent of The Mantras Dec 29: Tookie, kooldown B2B D.J. MisterBailer, DaReal DJ, DopeSteez Dec 30: Chasin Skirt w/ Maggie On melrose Dec 31: The Mantras & peoples Blues of Richmond Jan 6: Justin Fulp w/ zach Burick Band Jan 7: BadAss Women of The piedmont feat: Libby Robenbough of Mipso, Anne-Claire Niver Claire, Hitchins, kate Rhudy Jan 8: Bit Brigade Jan 11: After Funk Jan 13: kelen Heller w/ Soapbox Arson, A Light Divided, The Norm Jan 14: Unknown Hinson Jan 15: Memphis Or Bust Jan 16: Julian Sizemore Duo, The Wright Ave Jan 18: LITz Jan 19: Afroman Jan 20: Electric Soul pandemic w/ ElectroChemical Jan 26: In Her Own Words, Woven Haitus, Hazing, paperback, Cloud Hands Jan 28: Shmack Daniels Feb 8: Rumpke Mountain Boys

December 28 -January 3, 2016

BUCkHEAD SALOON

1720 Battleground Ave | 336.272.9884 buckheadsaloongreensboro.com Dec 23: Brothers pearl Dec 30: Seven Dec 31: Tyler Millard

CHURCHILL’S ON ELM

213 S Elm St | 336.275.6367 churchillscigarlounge.com Jan 14: Sahara Reggae Band Jan 21: Jack Long Old School Jam

COMEDY zONE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 thecomedyzone.com Dec 30: Shane McConnaghy Dec 31: New Year’s Eve Show Jan 6: Sid Davis Jan 7: Sid Davis Jan 13: Mutzie Jan 14: Mutzie Jan 20: Drew Thomas Jan 21: Drew Thomas

COMMON GROUNDS

11602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.3888 Dec 29: Open Mic Night Jan 16: Shelby Lanterman Music Mar 11: Bernardus

CONE DENIM

MCpHERSON’S BAR & GRILL

5710 W Gate City Blvd | 336.292.6496 mcphersonsgreensboro.com Dec 31: Radio Narks

pRINT WORkS BISTRO

702 Green Valley Rd | 336.379.0699 printworksbistro.com Dec 28: Evan Olsen & Jessica Mashburn

SOMEWHERE ELSE TAvERN

5713 W Friendly Ave | 336.292.5464 facebook.com/thesomewhereelsetavern Dec 30: Divine Treachery, Annabel Lee, Written in Gray, Haymaker, Without A Hobby Dec 31: A Light Divided, Blackwater Drowning, The Reticent, Raimee, Black plague, Undrask, Divine Treachery Jan 13: Desired Redemption, Drowning Delilah, zestrah, Swampwater Swill, Trailer park Orchestra Jan 28: Last Call Messiahs, Jen phipps, zestrah, Them Damn Bruners Feb 25: Desired Redemption, Novarium, Nevernauts

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 cdecgreensboro.com Dec 31: 2016 New Years Eve party w/ Trial By Fire Jan 12: Aaron Lewis Jan 13: Breaking Benjamin Jan 26: Chippendales 2017: Best.

Night. Ever. Tour Feb 10: 2GNC Comedy All-Stars Mar 4: Appetite For Destruction

THE IDIOT BOx COMEDY CLUB

THE GREEN BEAN

WORLD OF BEER

GREENE STREET CLUB

HigH pOint

341 S. Elm St | 336.691.9990 thegreenbeancoffeehouse.blogspot.com 113 N Greene St | 336.273.4111 greenestreetclub.com Jan 21: Dave East

HAM’S GATE CITY

3017 Gate City Blvd | 336.851.4800 hamsrestaurants.com Dec 30: Joe Belle

HAM’S NEW GARDEN

1635 New Garden Rd | 336.288.4544 hamsrestaurants.com Dec 30: Exit 180

2134 Lawndale Dr | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com Jan 13: A Trump Roast

vILLAGE TAvERN

1903 Westridge Rd | 336.282.3063 villagetavern.com 1210 Westover Terrace | 336.897.0031 worldofbeer.com/Locations/Greensboro

AFTER HOURS TAvERN

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 afterhourstavern.net Jan 21: The Norm, The Terrible Twos, Somewhat Forgotten

BLUE BOURBON JACk’S

1310 N Main St | 336.882.2583 reverbnation.com/venue/bluebourbonjacks Feb 18: Jukebox Revolver

www.yesweekly.comw

CLADDAGH RESTAURANT & PUB

130 E Parris Ave | 336.841.0521 thecladdaghrestaurantandpub.com Dec 28: Craig Baldwin Dec 29: Buzzard Holler Boys Dec 30: Paris Avenue, David & Joel Dec 31: New Year’s Eve Party

HAM’S PALLADIUM 5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 hamsrestaurants.com Dec 30: Vintage & Lace Dec 31: Disco Lemonade

LIBERTY BREWERY

914 Mall Loop Rd | 336.882.4677 hghosp.com Dec 29: Matt Walsh

JAMESTOWN

THE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 thedeckatrivertwist.com Dec 31: Soul Central Jan 6: Mezza Voce Jan 7: Dark Water Redemption Jan 13: Shmack Daniels Jan 20: Big Daddy Mojo Jan 21: Jaxon Jill Jan 27: Southern Eyes Jan 28: Cory Luetjen Feb 3: The Dickens Feb 4: Brothers Pearl Feb 10: Crossover Drive

KERNERSVILLE

DANCE HALL DAZE

612 Edgewood St | 336.558.7204 dancehalldaze.com Dec 30: The Delmonicos Dec 31: Cheyenne & Donna Miller Jan 6: Colours Jan 7: Skyryder Jan 13: Texas’T’Band Jan 14: Cheyenne & Donna Miller Jan 15: Jam Session/Cancer Benefit Jan 20: Crimson Rose Jan 21: Time Bandits Jan 27: The Delmonicos Jam 28: Silverhawk

LEWISVILLE

OLD NICK’S PUB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 OldNicksPubNC.com Dec 31: New Years Eve Party with The Mulligans Jan 7: Karaoke w/ DJ Tyler Perkins Jan 13: Exit 180 Band Jan 21: Karaoke w/DJ Tyler Perkins Jan 27: Mezza Voce

OAKRIDGE

JP LOONEY’S

2213 E Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.1570 facebook.com/JPLooneys Dec 29: Trivia

RANDLEMAN

RIDER’S IN THE COUNTRY

WINSTON-SALEM

2ND AND GREEN

Ice Skating, Retro Holiday Crafts and Games Adults skate for $8 with any purchase from our kiosks Beer and Wine from kiosks nOma Food & Co. and Ghassan’s

/greensborodowntownparks

@greensborodowntownparks

@gsodowntownpark

@gsodowntownpark

6TH & VINE

209 W 6th St | 336.725.5577 6thandvine.com Dec 30: Mezza Voce Dec 31: NYE Party with DJSK Jan 7: Suitcase Jan 13: Johnny Bing Duo Jan 20: Ears to the Ground Jan 21: DJSK Jan 27: Chris & Ashley Acoustic Jan 28: Mulligans

BULL’S TAVERN

THE EMPOURIUM

CB’S TAVERN

MWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Thu December 29th, 5:00PM to 8:00PM

207 N Green St | 336.631.3143 2ngtavern.com Dec 31: DJ A-Vegas

221 N Main St | 336.497.4822 eclectionnc.com Dec 31: DJ Aline @ Breathe Lounge/ New Years Eve Party 734 E. Mountain St. | 336.671.9159

Join us for #TBTLBP Happy Hour in LeBauer Park HOLIDAY EDITION

5701 Randleman Rd | 336.674.5111 ridersinthecountry.net Dec 31: Fair Warning

408 West 4th St | 336.331.3431 facebook.com/bulls-tavern Dec 30: Fruit Smoothie Trio Dec 31: Brothers Pearl Jan 3: Family Jam/Open Mic Jan 7: Stereo Doll Jan 13: Chit Nasty Band Jan 14: Disco Lemonade Jan 19: Pressing Strings Jan 20: Doug Davis Charity Jam Jan 21: Soul Jam Jan 26: Illeterate Light Jan 27: Gypsy Danger

ECLECTION

Throwback Thursday LeBauer Park Happy Hour #TBTLBP

3870 Bethania Station Rd | 336.815.1664 Dec 31: New Year’s Eve Party w/ DJ nick

Fabulous craft cocktails, extensive draught & bottled beer selections, tasty small plates In a fun, relaxed, upscale atmosphere.

B R E AT H E Cocktail Lounge

221 North Main St, Downtown KernersvilLe Wed & Thurs 5pm-12am, Fri & Sat 5pm-2am EclectionNC.com 336-862-9400 $5 anNual membership • Event space available

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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22 YES! WEEKLY

finnigan’S wakE

footHillS brEwing

Jan 13: Seth williams Jan 14: acoustic Harmonies Jan 19: open Mic Jan 20: Clay Howard Jan 21: Carson Mac Jan 26: open Mic Jan 27: russell lapinski Jan 28: Sarah Sophia feb 2: open Mic feb 4: Chief’s Chouce feb 9: open Mic feb 10: kimberly Sundloff feb 12: Phillip Craft feb 16: open Mic

tHE garagE

MuDDY CrEEk MuSiC Hall

620 Trade St | 336.723.0322 facebook.com/FinnigansWake Dec 30: Dana & Evan Dec 31: DJ Hek Yeh 638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com Dec 28: never too late Dec 31: the travis Smith Project Jan 1: Sunday Jazz Jan 8: Sunday Jazz Sun 29: Sunday Jazz 110 W 7th St | 336.777.1127 the-garage.ws Dec 31: nYE Party with the genuine, gunnar nagle, and the Collection Jan 25: Mothers, finks, and i, anomaly Mar 3: all them witches with irata Mar 24: big thief

JoHnnY & JunE’S Saloon

2105 Peters Creek Pkwy | 336.724.0546 johnnynjunes.com Dec 30: red Dirt revival Dec 31: Justin fulp

laugHing gaS CoMEDY Club

2105 Peters Creek Pkwy laughingas.net Dec 30: the burston with wilde comedy show Dec 31: new Years Eve 2017 Jan 11: luenell Jan 18: Jamie kennedy Jan 20-21: leonard outzs

Fashion Fundraiser & Silent Auction

BUY TICKETS NOW

GoodwillRockTheRunway.org

02.24.17

MaC & nElli’S

4926 Country Club Rd | 336.529.6230 macandnellisws.com Dec 28: karaoke w/ DJ Chris Dec 30: Stephen Henson Dec 31: Southern Eyes

MilnEr’S

630 S Stratford Rd | 336.768.2221 milnerfood.com Jan 1: live Jazz

MuDDY CrEEk CafE Elm Street Center Downtown Greensboro

December 28 -January 3, 2016

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Dec 30: Sam foster Dec 31: bill Heath and Pals End of Year Jam Jan 1: rob Price Jan 5: open Mic with Country Dan Collins Jan 6: Phillip Craft Jan 7: Chris nelson Jan 12: open Mic

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Dec 29: the williamsons, Dylan Mounce, Jon Montgomery Dec 30: a Holiday garthering with the morris family Jan 5: Carey noel, Megan Swindler, alex Smith Jan 6: old Man luedecke Jan 7: taylor Vaden & Memphis thunder Jan 8: Mike Mitchell band/ Mark Mandeville & raianne richards Jan 13: Corey Hunt band/ Von Strantz Jan 14: Circus no. 9 Jan 15: Joe troop and Mason Via Jan 19: the batteries Jan 20: Joe Crookston Jan 21: banna Jan 23: band on the run starring Denny laine of wings Jan 26: Sarah Howell, Jack benedict, Meryl angelicola lee Jan 27: Cashavelly Morrison w/ grace & nails Jan 28: Dark water rising feb 3: Violet bell feb 4: Hank, Pattie, & the Current feb 10: Candelfirth feb 11: Muddy Creek Players w/ andrea templon, Martha bassett feb 12: the Epiphany Project feb 16: Sarah Mae Chilton, Dan Dockery, Emily Stewart feb 17: r.b. Morris feb 18: neptune’s Car feb 19: albert lee feb 23: redleg Husky feb 24: wonderwall the tribute (the beatles) feb 25: tom Young and taylor Vaden feb 26: across the blue ridge w/ Paul brown

tHE quiEt Pint

1420 W 1st St | 336.893.6881 thequietpint.com

www.yesweekly.comw

[CONCERTS] Compiled by Alex Eldridge

CHARLOTTE

BOJANGLES COLISEUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.bojanglescoliseum.com Dec 31: The Avett Brothers Feb 3: Legends of Southern Hip Hop Mar 11: Casting Crowns

Apr 7: Kari Jobe Apr 15: Dark Star Orchestra Apr 16: Testament Apr 20: Periphery. Sonic Unrest II. Apr 20: Trey Anastasio

OVENS AUDITORIUM

former Uptown Amphitheatre 820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com Apr 28: Lauryn Hill May 6: Bastille

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.ovensauditorium.com Jan 21: Tim Hawkins Jan 28: Gerald Levert Feb 22: The Piano Guys Feb 24: Nu Soul Revival Tour Mar 6: We Are Here Mar 31: Johnny Mathis

THE FILLMORE

TWC ARENA

CMCU AMPHITHEATRE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.fillmorecharlottenc.com Dec 31: Drop !t: Ookay Jan 7: Cookies & Crafts Jan 11: Pop Evil Jan 14: Drake Night ft DJ Fannie Mae Jan 18: Rich The Kid Jan 19: Greensky Bluegrass Jan 21: Breaking Benjamin Jan 27: Hey Johnny Park - Foo Fighters Tribute Jan 27: Rumours: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac Jan 28: Bassh Feb 2: Papadosio Feb 3: Grouplove Feb 8: Welshly Arms Feb 8: Tchami Feb 9: Excision Feb 10: The Fighters Feb 10: Jake Miller Feb 11: Nonpoint Feb 12: Safetysuit Feb 17: Dashboard Confessional Feb 21: Us the Duo Feb 22: Louis The Child Feb 23: Less Than Jake & Pepper Feb 24: Cherub & The Floozies Feb 24: Daya Feb 25: Juicy J Mar 2: Sleigh Bells Mar 5: Cold War Kids w/ Middle Kids Mar 6: Overkill Mar 7: Colony House Mar 8: Young the Giant Mar 10: Deafheaven w/ This Will Destory You & Emma Ruth Rundle Mar 11: St Paul & The Broken Bones Mar 12: Bad Suns Mar 17: The Decibel Magazine 2017 Tour Mar 17: Regina Spektor Mar 19: Katatonia Mar 23: Blue October Mar 23: Whiskey Myers Mar 30: The Flaming Lips Apr 6: Kehlani WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.timewarnercablearena.com Feb 19: Winter Jam Mar 9: Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience Apr 17: Red Hot Chili Peppers Apr 28: Neil Diamond May 17: The Weeknd May 21: Lionel Richie & Mariah Carey

DURHAM

CAROLINA THEATRE

Mar 10: Get The Led Out Mar 23: Celtic Woman Mar 28: Steve Miller Band Apr 1: Earth, Wind & Fire Apr 29: Common

GREENSBORO

CAROLINA THEATRE

310 S Greene St | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com Jan 14: The Glenn Miller Orchestra Jan 20: Cageless Birds Worship Night Jan 29: Travis Tritt Feb 17: Keo Kottke & Keller Williams Feb 23: Arlo Guthrie Feb 24: Rockin’ Road to Dublin Apr 18: Free

GREENSBORO COLISEUM 1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Feb 3: Rhythms Of Triumph ft The O’Jays Feb 4: Justin Moore & Lee Brice Feb 24: Brantley Gilbert Feb 25: Twenty Øne Piløts Mar 23: Florida Georgia Line Mar 25: Winter Jam

Apr 11: Panic! At The Disco Apr 14: Spring Fest May 20: Eric Church

HIGH POINT

HIGH POINT THEATRE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com Jan 26: Robin Spielberg Feb 14: Ken Lavigne Feb 25: Manhattan Transfer & Take 6 Mar 31: The HillBenders Apr 1: Will Downing Apr 29: 3 Redneck Tenors

RALEIGH

PNC ARENA

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Jan 22: Winter Jam Mar 10: Casting Crowns w/ Danny Gokey & Unspoken Mar 19: Stevie Nicks w/ Pretenders Apr 27: I Love The 90’s

!

CHECK IT OUT!

Click on our website, yesweekly.com, for more concerts.

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Jan 24: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Jan 26: Pat Metheny Jan 28: 10th Annual Wiser A Cappella Jam Feb 7: Al Di Meola Feb 13: The Wood Brothers Feb 16: Keller Williams & Leo Kottke Feb 23: Tommy Emmanuel Mar 1: Ladysmith Black Mambazo Mar 3: Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Mar 7: Valerie June Mar 13: Gordon Lightfoot Mar 20: Odessey & Oracle Mar 21-22: Stephin Merritt & The Magnetic Fields Mar 23: Black Violin Mar 24: Three Dog Night Apr 28: Rivive Big Band & Christian Scott Apr 29: George Clinton & Terrace Martin

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Jan 20: Tim Hawkins Jan 22: The Beach Boys Jan 27: Rick Springfield & Richard Marx Feb 19: Tony Bennett Mar 2: Martina McBride DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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tunes

T

HEAR IT!

Music and community: Reflecting on local music, politics, and the view of 2017

BY JOHN ADAMIAN

here’s a popular consensus that 2016 has been one of the worst years in recent memory.

The country feels terminally divided and on the brink of some unknown awful new direction. Pop culture spectacle and crassness seem to have infected political life. Greed, heartlessness, hypocrisy, arrogant stupidity, selfishness and reckless obliviousness appear ascendant. If you feel this way, you’re eager to be proved wrong by events in the world, as opposed to being shouted down about your perspective from those who think everything is dandy. It’s hard to know what kind of consolation and healing there is to be found in music. This past year wasn’t a great one for music-lovers either — so many geniuses and giants died: David Bowie, Prince, Merle Haggard, Phife Dog, Sharon Jones, Lemmy, Leon Russell, Glenn Frey, Paul Kantner, and on and on. It’s depressing.

If there’s a connection to be made between music and politics, or art and the state of the world, it’s that artists are often ahead of the curve when it comes to decrying injustice or registering a general swell of popular feeling. As longtime musician and veteran Winston-Salem music journalist Ed Bumgardner told me back in June for a story about concerts to oppose HB2, he considers musicians to be the early-warning system, sounding the alarm on key issues and helping to shift popular consciousness.

“Music has been proven time and time again as one of the most powerful healing forces on the planet. And right now the state of the human race needs healing more than any time,” Bumgardner said back in June. The sentiment seems even more on-the-money now. “I can’t believe the amount of hatred and anger.”

Musicians are already figuring out new ways to react to what many see as a new era of human rights abuses, crackdowns on freedom of speech, anticipated defunding or hobbling of key federal programs and departments pertaining to public health, the rights of workers and the environment. Expect organized live-music protests and fundraisers to generate cash for organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood in 2017. Expect a

24 YES! WEEKLY

IMANI PRESLEY

TOTALLY SLOW vocal outcry from musicians about efforts to create a Muslim registry. Expect songs recorded and sold with proceeds donated to causes.

But beyond activism, music and music communities provide a sense of shared struggle. It’s not like one needs to be an outspoken Trump opponent to engage in the music community, not to generalize, but musicians, who tend to work day jobs in order to fund their creative efforts, are often in favor of things like health

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

care, income equality, equal rights and clean air and clean water. Musicians collaborate, they travel, they experience the talents and gifts of others, and so their work enforces a sense that we’re all in this together. And the nature of playing, making and listening to music is based on hearing what other people are saying. You can’t just blast out and over the sound of other people’s lives and concerns; that’s obnoxious and artless, musically speaking. There’s a reason the Trump inaugu-

ration organizers have struggled with finding musicians to play at that event: no musician wants to play for a politician whose candidacy and popularity is based on not listening to other people. Sure, it might be that everyone hates Trump’s politics, too. Losing the popular vote by 2.8 million votes and insisting you have a mandate is like the ultimate example of tone-deafness.

James Fallows wrote something in the Atlantic recently about how Americans seem to have lost faith in their national institutions, but that loss of faith on the national level has coincided with a growing optimism about local communities.

People have hope and faith in their city and their neighborhood. Local musicians are central to creating that sense of optimism and community. They’re also central to helping us in Winston-Salem and Greensboro and High Point to connect with like-minded people in Charlotte and Asheville and Wilmington and Chapel Hill.

Music can be the thing that helps us stitch together a sense of shared concerns from coast to coast as well.

In 2016, I got introduced to a lot of inspiring music being made in the area.

Victoria Victoria’s debut album Coastal Beast, which came out in August, showed how a soul-gospel-synth-pop hybrid could make perfect sense. This is a suave and accomplished record. Talking about the collaborative spirit that went into the record at the time, singer/songwriter and frontwoman Tori Elliott touched on the idea that working together is how good things happen.

“My songs are at least 70 percent better when other people have input on them,” said Elliott back in the summer.

Another impressive young area artist is Greensboro’s Imani Pressley who released an E.P. called Feelings Like These in October. Pressley is a performer/singer and producer, part of a growing number of female artists who take control in the studio and see much of their work through from initial conception to final recording. Pressley makes rhythmic club music with lots of peculiar touches — detuned vocal samples, abrasive synth sounds and minimalist beats. Like Victoria Victoria’s Elliott, Pressley came from a church music background, and she wants to bring that spirit of joy and connection outside the worship setting.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

OFTEN IMITATED NEVER DUPLICATED

BOULEVARDS “It’s sad to say this, but your music can affect a larger amount of people in the secular world,” said Pressley back in the fall. “I wanted to go into another realm and touch that world.”

Musicians don’t always overtly want to change the world or to spur political action. For some, the role of the entertainer is to take people’s minds off of the struggles and anxieties of politics and the 24-hour news cycle. Audiences may seek music to relieve the tension of current affairs, keeping plenty of performers busy in the coming year.

Jamil Rashad is a young Triangle-based North Carolina artist who released an excellent full-length solo debut in 2016.

Rashad performs and records under the name Boulevards and his record Groove! can stand alongside Prince and Cameo with its winking elastic sex-grooves.

“I wanna make music that’s fun and not so uptight,” says Rashad. “Especially with everything that’s going on in the world, I feel like people just want to dance.”

But for everyone seeking escape, there are also those musicians steeped in the language of resistance and defiance, those fueled by outrage and anger, ready to protest and make noise.

Greensboro’s Totally Slow released its second full-length record, Bleed Out, in the fall. It’s solid and heavy, focused on maintaining a sense of focus, drive and purpose even when the world conspires to undermine those things. The band WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

VICTORIA VICTORIA makes punk-tinged rock with muscle and force and the right amount of beefiness.

Frontman and songwriter Scott Hicks told me at the time that music-making was, for him, a way of channeling his energies.

Writing rowdy music might not solve anybody else’s problems, Hicks seemed to be saying, but it helped him process his own.

“The music is still angry, but I guess a lot of the anger has been replaced with anxiety,” said Hicks back in September.

As I wrote of Totally Slow in the fall, music and art don’t necessarily solve the great mysteries of life, but it’s almost like making music helps you have something to do with your fidgety hands, with your arms and your voice and your mind, while you’re preoccupied with life’s chasms of potential meaninglessness.

“I wake up with an existential crisis just like everybody else,” said Hicks.

If the connecting-with-others element of making and listening to music offers a bit of hope for the coming year, there will be plenty of community-directed music to soak up in 2017. The impeccably curated Phuzz Phest will be on tap again in the spring. The summer series of live shows and Sunset Thursday events will bring people together in the open air. And the third and final year of Greensboro’s tenure hosting the National Folk Festival will, if 2017 is anything like the 2015 and 2016 lineup, bring phenomenal national talent to the area. !

YES!

SIMPLY BETTER

WEEKLY

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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Sat Dec 31

[CHOICE BEATS] Upcoming shows you should check out

www.lincolntheatre.com DECEMBER

Big Something

ALLEY RABBITS CONCERT The Public GSO (433 Spring Garden St. Greensboro) Sat. Dec. 31 7:30-10 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Triad Acoustic Stage presents THE ALLEY RABBITS in concert Saturday, December 31, 2016, at 7:30 PM (doors 7:00 PM). Profits will be donated to Logie Meachumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health care fund for his cancer treatment. Tickets $10 are available now at http://www.triadacousticstage.com/ events.php or at the door, if not sold out.

This new location has a full cash bar, two adjacent restaurants, adjacent parking, and space for dancing. For pre-show dining reservations call Four Flocks (336) 676-6131 OR Revolution Burger (336) 6766132. Come out for some fun, help us raise some money for Logie Meachum, & help us try out the new venue! See ya there!â&#x20AC;? via Facebook

Fri Jan 6

28&29 PHISH WEBCAST Live at MSG 7p Fr 30 PULSE: Electronic Dance Party 9p Sa 31 BIG SOMETHING NEW YEARS EVE JANUARY

Su 1 ERIC GALES w/Joey Williams /

Trae Ramon Pierce / Steve Ray +

T h 5 ROCK THE BALL w. MIPSO 7p F r 6 NANTUCKET w/Monika Jaymes 7p Band/The Commune w.Tony Davis

WINTER METAL FEST AFTON MUSIC SHOWCASE 6p LETTUCE 7p THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS 8p Fr 13 ZOSO Led Zeppelin Experience Sa 7 Su 8 We 11 Th 12

Albums I,II,III w/The Whom 7:30p Sa 14 ZOSO Led Zeppelin Experience IV, Houses, Presence,Pys Grafitti Th 19 DWEEZIL ZAPPA â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dweezilla On The Roadâ&#x20AC;? Guitar Masterclass 2:30p

Th Fr Sa Sa Sa

Nantucket Wed Jan 11

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STAGE IT!

From girl power to new theatres, the best of 2016

by Lenise Willis

T

his year wasn’t just full of laughout-loud comedies, intense dramas and moving ballets. To me, the highlight reel of the performing arts in 2016 is Lenise Willis marked by the powerful voices that had Contributing something to say.

This year, I saw columnist productions that gave thoughtful commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement. I saw women rallying together to support one another’s art forms. I saw new artistic creations that were born out of love and friendship. The last 365 days have been an absolute joy to cover.

Kicking off the year in February was the first annual Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival, arranged by Paper Lantern Theatre Company and led by Amy da Luz. My involvement with the festival began with simple coverage of a local event, and soon led to newfound friendships and newfound inspiration to push myself further.

The performing arts festival was created to give female artists a free platform to express their creativity and gain valuable insight into their work.

It was free to attend and included everything from film snippets to live storytelling, from modern dance to oneact plays. Not only did it give our local female artists a voice, but it gave them a local support system, too. Each artist was given feedback from the audience and participating professionals alike, so they could improve their piece and gain further confidence in its presentation.

Even covering the event made me feel a part of it. Here I was, a female writer, surrounded by women who were testing their limits, trying new things and pushing themselves beyond their limits. It was hard not to get swept into how much love surrounded the two-week festival, which showcased more than 60 female writers, playwrights, dancers, choreographers, filmmakers, musicians and even craftswomen.

Amy da Luz, co-founder of Paper Lantern Theatre Company, was the lead organizer.

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“As a woman who knows how to make my own work and how to make it happen—I mean I started my own theatre company—I get to wake up everyday and know that I have some place to go where I can express myself creatively,” she said.

“But that’s not a given for most women.

So when we brought this opportunity where women could share a new, original or even in-development piece of work, the response was overwhelming.”

Anyone who has met da Luz knows that she is a force to be reckoned with herself.

She certainly made me realize that “being too busy” to fulfill your passions is not an excuse. And that I was thankful for this year. I’m also thankful that they’ll be doing the festival again in 2017.

After the festival, new connections were made and new art forms were created, too. One such example was the work that Winston-Salem painter Tammy Willard created after listening to the story of Blancaflor by oral storyteller Kali Ferguson. The two even hosted their own fusion event, an art showcase coupled by Ferguson’s stories.

In addition to bringing light to our unequal social climate, artists also commented on the hot political climate. It’s important to remember that the performing arts aren’t just for entertainment. In fact, the history of theatre is marked by its influence and ability to deliver powerful messages.

Bennett College’s Little Theatre’s production of WHAT this past November reminded us of that. The play, written by Kamilah Bush, a local UNC Greensboro

graduate who also participated in the Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival, examined the personal side of the Black Lives Matter movement.

She wrote the play after the death of Walter Scott in South Carolina as a response to what she believed was a climate of injustice in this country. In her drama, Bush contemplates what Walter Scott was doing, and where he was going, before being stopped for a busted taillight.

“I think the play is just spectacular in its delicateness and boldness of an important topic,” said director Beth Ritson.

Unfortunately, 2016 is marked by the passing of HB2 this past spring and theatres took their stance there as well, not only speaking out, but in some cases cancelling their shows altogether in North Carolina. Cirque du Solei was one such venue that bypassed Greensboro for its tour of OVO. Other sentiments that were expressed this year were more personal, like paying homage to the passing of some of our local creative influences.

Community Theatre of Greensboro paid tribute to the former Broach Theatre and the late co-founders Stephen Gee, who passed in May, and Hall Parrish, who passed in 2008. The ode manifested in a throwback performance to the theatre’s traditional holiday classic, A Tuna Christmas, this December.

With all of that said, I look forward to hearing what our performing arts venues and artists have to say in 2017. !

The New Year is upon us and so are New Year’s resolutions. Every year I usually make the same resolution to try something new.

For 2016 it was learning to make pottery on the wheel. I now have about two dozen (only slightly) misshapen coffee cups that I absolutely love. They’re eccentric and they bring me joy every morning. I love this resolution because it focuses on the positive, which means it’s easier to keep than, “losing weight,” or “cursing less.”

Anyway, my point is, I highly recommend it as a promise to yourself for 2017. If you’ve never been to a ballet before, try it out. If you’ve always been hesitant to sit through an orchestra concert, do it! You’ll either learn another joy you never knew you had, or at least broaden your perspectives. I plan on feeding my love for the performing arts by either picking up dance again, or joining an improv group.

Check out these productions and opportunities for the New Year to help with your own declarations.

Have you ever thought about jumping out of the “house” and onto the stage?

Community Theatre of Greensboro is always looking for actors and crew volunteers. Go to their website at ctgso.org to scout for opportunities.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of being moved through movement, look at the season schedule for High Point Ballet or Helen Simoneau Danse in Winston-Salem.

You may be surprised at how enthralling and awe-inspiring the performances can be.

The athletic feats the dancers accomplish are incredible and they’re usually coupled with inspiring music.

Challenge yourself with a theatre production that begs for thought, like Triad Stage’s upcoming Actions and Objections in April.

The Preston Lane original is a bold exploration of the contemporary South, touching on such subjects as Black Lives Matter and Reconstruction.

Theatre Alliance’s upcoming production of Zanna Don’t might broaden your mind, too, with a comedic look at being homosexual in high school. The comedy is set in Heartsville High, where almost everyone is gay. The big man on campus is a chess champion and the captain of the football team isn’t cool until he’s cast as the lead in a musical. After writing a controversial show, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the students create a catalyst for a young man and woman to fall in love.

If you’re looking for something fun to pass the time, next Saturday Theatre Alliance is presenting a staged reading of Rose Tattoo, a Tennessee Williams play set in Mississippi where a widow’s choice in lover and denial of her daughter beg to be questioned. !

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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MOVIE TIMES

ON SATURDAY 12/31 THE LAST SHOW WILL START AT 8:25PM

(LUX) MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (R) 11:55A, 2:45P, 5:35P, 8:25P, 11:15P (LUX) ARRIVAL (PG-13) 11:35A, 2:10P, 4:40P, 7:05P, 9:35P, 11:55P FENCES (R) (LUXURY) 11:30A, 2:25P, 5:20P, 8:15P, 11:10P (STANDARD) 6:05P, 9:00P A MAN CALLED OVE (PG-13) 12:10P, 2:35P, 5:00P, 7:20P, 9:40P ALLIED (R) 11:35A, 4:35P

flicks

BEYOND THE GATES (NR) 12:15P, 2:05P, 3:55P, 5:50P, 7:40P, 9:50P, 11:50P DANGAL (NR) (FRI-SUN) 11:30A, 2:55P, 6:20P, 9:45P (MON-THU) 11:30A, 2:55P, 7:30P DOCTOR STRANGE (PG-13) 11:40A, 2:15P, 4:50P, 7:25P, 10:00P FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHER (PG-13) 1:00P, 4:00P, 7:00P, 10:00P HACKSAW RIDGE (R) 7:15P, 10:05P MISS SLOANE (R) 2:00P NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (R) 11:50A, 2:25P, 5:00P, 7:35P, 10:10P OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (R) 12:05P, 2:20P, 4:45P, 7:10P, 9:35P, 11:55P

Lion roars with emotion

Based on fact and adapted from Saroo Brierley’s best-seller A Long Way Home, Lion marks an auspicious feature debut for director Garth Davis.

This is a tearjerker of the first order, acted Mark Burger with great compassion and conviction.

In an astonishing Contributing acting debut, young columnist Sunny Pawar plays Saroo, a five-year-old boy who mistakenly boards a train (decommissioned) that takes him thousands of miles across the continent, leaving him alone and frightened – the proverbial stranger in a strange land.

Saroo’s none-too-comforting stint in an orphanage ends when he is adopted by an Australian couple, John and Sue Brierley

(David Wenham and Nicole Kidman). According to the authorities, his real mother (Priyanka Bose) never came forward and attempts to locate her were fruitless, which isn’t altogether surprising given Saroo’s age.

Two decades later, and now played by Dev Patel, Saroo has assimilated into his family’s culture with notably more success than his self-destructive, adopted brother Mantosh (Divian Ladwa). Having tried to suppress memories of his past, Saroo instead embarks on an almost obsessive quest to discover himself and his past, encouraged by girlfriend Lucy (Rooney Mara) and aided by the technology of the Internet.

Pawar is so persuasive that it’s almost jarring when Patel assumes the role, although the latter is in excellent form. So are Kidman, Wenham, Bose and Ladwa, who achieve power through understatement.

The soap suds occasionally bubble, but Davis keeps them at bay for the most part.

Having played several intense roles (including her Oscar-nominated performances in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and last year’s Carol), Mara is plays a more conventional role here – one that could easily have been thankless – but she brings a warm sympathy to Lucy.

Luke Davies’ script encompasses well the various aspects of Saroo’s life, both in his native India and his adopted Australia, while incorporating an overt – but not unwelcome, or unimportant -- plea for the plight of children who have been lost, abandoned or forgotten.

The expansive landscapes of both India and Australia have been beautifully captured by cinematographer Greig Fraser, conveying the sheer size and scope of both in dazzling fashion that emphasizes the distance Saroo has traveled in his young life. The final touch is the revelation for the meaning of the title Lion, which proves as powerful as what has come before. !

Entertaining Miss Sloane

ASSASSIN’S CREED (PG-13) 1:00P, 7:00P, 10:00P ASSASSINS CREED 3D (PG-13) 4:00P

SCREEN IT!

Director John Madden’s crisp and topical Miss Sloane finds Jessica Chastain portraying what is becoming her stock in trade – a highly intelligent, highly motivated and hard-charging career woman, in this case the title character of political lobbyist Madeline Elizabeth Sloane (although she prefers Elizabeth to Madeline).

As the film opens, she is called to testify at Congressional hearing, the details of which are disclosed through a series of flashbacks. Elizabeth was initially hired by a gun manufacturer to supervise a campaign to make firearms more appealing to women (not as crazy as it sounds), but instead teams up with lobbyist Rodolfo Schmidt (Mark Strong), whose campaign is focused on background checks – thereby joining the “enemy.”

Miss Sloane is a Message Movie, but it’s not as much about the pro- or anti-gun lobby as about the egos and competition involved in the high-stakes spectrum of political lobbying. Elizabeth’s former employers (including Sam Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg) are primarily focused on discrediting her, and thereby her position.

It’s a matter of obfuscation – and, indeed, that term is specifically used at one point in the film. Never mind the issue, destroy the person – ethics be damned.

Like the title character, Madden directs with a cool precision, and Jonathan Perera’s deft screenplay (his first) is sharp and smart in the Aaron Sorkin tradition, with staccato dialogue punctuated by Max Richter’s punchy score. Many of the film’s characters, starting with Elizabeth herself, are more complex than they

initially appear. Is she the pawn in a cutthroat power game, or is she one of the players? Watching the plot thicken, then unfold, is a satisfying – although occasionally protracted – experience.

Chastain (a Golden Globe nominee for her performance) and Strong are first-rate, and a sterling supporting cast includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Lithgow, Alison Pill, Christine Baranski, Chuck Shamata, Dylan Baker, Waterston, and Stuhlbarg, the latter enjoying a far juicier role than in the recent Doctor Strange and Arrival.

Although Miss Sloane has struggled at the box-office, it’s nevertheless refreshing to see a mature film about a timely subject. This one’s for the grown-ups. !

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SING (PG) 11:45A, 2:10P, 4:45P, 7:15P, 9:45P SING 3D (PG) 12:55P, 3:30P WHY HIM? (R) 11:50A, 2:20P, 4:55P, 7:25P, 9:55P

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

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All the world’s a stage As its very title implies, Sing is a colorful, candy-coated valentine to live theater and live performance, as well as an affectionate, animated riff on such durable reality-TV powerhouses as “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent.” Here, however, the performers are a homogenous group of animals. There’s nary a human in sight, not that it matters very much.

Well, these critters most certainly have talent, with Matthew McConaughey voicing the impoverished but irrepressible impresario Buster Moon, a canny koala determined to save the music venue his father built. To this end, he plans a local talent extravaganza.

It’s no surprise that Reese Witherspoon (who won an Oscar playing June Carter Cash), Seth MacFarlane (who’s released albums) and Tori Kelly (an “American Idol” alumnus) can sing, but the real surprise is Scarlett Johansson, who proves a first-rate wailer as the punky porcupine Ash. The animation is splashy and inventive, and writer/director Garth Jennings evinces a palpable love for the art of song.

Sing isn’t edgy at all, remaining firmly en-

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[CARMIKE]

GREENSBORO

Dec 30 - Jan 5

sconced in its sweet territory throughout.

That a happy ending is inevitable doesn’t lessen the film’s considerable charms.

Jennifer Hudson (the only Oscar-winning “American Idol” graduate to date), John C. Reilly, Taron Edgerton, Nick Kroll, Jennifer Saunders, Nick Offerman, Rhea Perlman, Laraine Newman, Leslie Jones, and Jennings (voicing the role of Buster’s elderly, glass-eyed secretary) are also on board.

Sing may not be an animated classic, but it’s undeniably a crowd-pleaser. Kids will enjoy the animals, the animation and the slapstick, while their elders will likely groove to some of the classic tunes being performed. !

ASSASSINS CREED 2D (PG-13) – 11:00, 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 ASSASSINS CREED 3D (PG-13) – 12:00, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 COLLATERAL (PG-13) – 11:30, 1:55, 4:20, 6:45, 9:10 DOCTOR STRANGE 2D (PG-13) – 11:30, 2:05, 4:40, 7:15, 9:50 FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM 2D (PG-13) – 1:00, 7:00 FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D (PG-13) – 11:00, 2:00, 5:00 FENCES (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 HACKSAW RIDGE (R) – 4:00, 10:00 MOANA 2D (PG) – 11:00, 12:15, 1:35, 2:50, 4:10, 5:25, 6:45, 8:00, 9:20 OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (R) – 11:30, 1:55, 4:20, 6:45, 9:10 PASSENGERS 2D (PG-13) – 11:00, 1:40, 4:20, 5:20, 7:00, 8:00, 9:40 PASSENGERS 3D (PG-13) – 12:00, 2:40 ROGUE ONE 2D (PG-13) – 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 ROGUE ONE 3D (PG-13) – 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 SING 2D (PG) – 12:00, 1:30, 2:30, 4:00, 5:00, 6:30, 7:30, 10:00 SING 3D (PG) – 11:00, 9:00 WHY HIM (R) – 11:30, 2:05, 4:40, 7:15, 9:50

[A/PERTURE] Dec 30 - Jan 5

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (R) Fri: 3:00, 6:00, 9:00, Sat & Sun: 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00, Mon: 5:15, 8:15, Tue: 2:30, 5:15, 8:15 Wed & Thu: 5:15, 8:15 HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST (NR) Fri & Sat: 6:45, 9:30, Sun: 6:45 PM Mon - Thu: 9:15 PM LION (PG-13) Fri: 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, Sat & Sun: 11:30 AM, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, Mon: 6:00, 8:45, Tue: 3:30, 6:00, 8:45, Wed & Thu: 6:00, 8:45 THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (G) Fri: 4:15 PM, Sat & Sun: 1:45, 4:15 Mon: 6:45 PM, Tue: 4:15, 6:45 Wed & Thu: 6:45 PM MOONLIGHT (R) Fri: 4:00, 6:30, 9:15 Sat: 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:15 Sun: 1:30, 4:00, 6:30 Mon: 6:30, 9:00 Tue: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Wed & Thu: 6:30, 9:00

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016 YES! WEEKLY

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SCREEN IT!

[VIDEO VAULT]

BY MARK BURGER | marksburger@yahoo.com

ARGENTINA (First Run Features): Acclaimed filmmaker Carlos Saura pays homage to the culture and traditions of Argentina through its musical heritage in this feature documentary (originally titled Zonda: folclore argentino). In Spanish with English subtitles, available on DVD ($24.95 retail).

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG (Wild Eye Releasing) Documentary filmmaker Andrew Leavold’s 2007 feature debut makes its DVD debut ($14.95 retail) in a special edition that includes audio commentary, extended and deleted scenes, music videos and more.

The subject of Leavold’s cinematic obsession is Weng Weng, a diminutive Filipino actor who became an unexpected star thanks to a series of low-rent, home-grown action films that exploited his physical stature, including the James Bond rip-off For Y’ur Eyes Only and Agent 00 (1981).

Leavold’s quest for Weng Weng’s whereabouts becomes a comprehensive and informative overview of the heyday of the film industry in the Philippines, as he encounters and interviews actors, filmmakers and historians who knew and worked with Weng Weng – culminating in an audience with Imelda Marcos … on her birthday, no less! (Even she was a fan of Weng Weng.)

Deliriously entertaining at times, The Search for Weng Weng is tinged with tragic overtones, as the collapse of the Filipino film industry paralleled the collapse of Weng Weng’s career, leaving him impoverished and all but forgotten. Thanks to Leavold’s film, this cult star’s unique

BOONVILLE REDEMPTION (Engine 15 Media Group/MVD Entertainment Group): A sentimental, slow-moving, faith-based Western melodrama starring talented newcomer Emily Hoffman as a disillusioned teenager treated badly because she was born out of wedlock. Also on hand: Diane Ladd, Richard Tyson, Robert Hays, Bradley Gregg, Edward Asner (adding some third-act bluster) and executive producer Pat Boone, who also croons the end-credit tune.

BRAZIL (Olive Films): Not to be confused with Terry Gilliam’s ‘80s Orwellian satire, this 1944 musical comedy (also known as Stars and Guitars) pairs Latin superstar Tito Guizar with Virginia Bruce in

Rio, with Edward Everett Horton, Robert Livingston, Veloz & Yolanda, and Roy Rogers in support. Three Oscar nominations: Best Sound, Best Musical Score, and Best Song (“Rio de Janeiro). The DVD retails for $19.95, the Blu-ray for $29.95.

“BRITAIN’S BLOODY CROWN” (RLJ Entertainment/Acorn): Award-winning journalist and historian Dan Jones hosts this four-part documentary series that explores the War of the Roses, the 30-year struggle between the rival Houses of Lancaster and York to claim the British monarchy, available in a two-DVD collection ($39.99 retail).

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GREATER (Well Go USA Entertainment): Christopher Severino plays real-life college football player Brandon Burlsworth in this PG-rated, faith-based dramatization of his life and career, tragically cut short at age 22 by a fatal car crash, available on DVD ($24.98 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.98 retail).

J’ACCUSE! (Olive Films): Abel Gance, who directed a silent 1919 version of the same story, fashioned this 1938 “remake,” a cautionary anti-war parable starring Victor Francen as a young soldier who tries to construct an invulnerable armor during World War I. In French with English subtitles, available on DVD ($24.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.95 retail).

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DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

JENNIFER LOPEZ: DANCE AGAIN

(The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay Entertainment): The title tells all in this music documentary following the erstwhile J-Lo as she embarks on her first worldwide concert tour, encompassing 65 cities, five continents and over 150 wardrobe changes, available on DVD ($19.98 retail).

LULU BELLE (Olive Films): Dorothy Lamour smoulders in the title role of a seductive nightclub chanteuse in this 1948 melodrama based on Charles MacArthur and Edward Sheldon’s play, with George Montgomery, Albert Dekker, Otto Kruger and Glenda Farrell in support, available on DVD ($24.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.95 retail).

MACBETH (Olive Films): Producer/ director Orson Welles plays the title role and Jeanette Nolan (in her screen debut) his Lady Macbeth in this 1948 adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic, dubbed by some as “Bard on a budget,” because it was produced by Republic Pictures in an attempt to upgrade the studio’s image.

Not without its flaws but well worth a look, with impressionistic set design (all the better to keep the budget down) and a polished supporting cast including Dan O’Herlihy, Roddy McDowall, Edgar Barrier, Alan Napier and Erskine Sanders. Both the “Olive Signature” DVD ($34.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) include both the 1948 and 1950 release versions, audio commentary, retrospective interviews, and more.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Denzel Washington saddles up alongside Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Martin Sensmeier and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo against greedy (but unimposing) land baron Peter Sarsgaard in Antoine Fuqua’s action-packed by simpleminded remake of the 1960 Western classic, itself inspired by Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954), available on DVD ($30.99 retail), Blu-ray ($34.99 retail) and 4K Ultra HD combo ($45.99 retail). Rated PG-13.

MAN OF THE WORLD: THE PETER GREEN STORY (Henry Hardaway

Organization/MVD Entertainment Group): Leisurely pacing hampers this otherwise engrossing and sympathetic portrait of rock guitarist Peter Green (who fronted the original Fleetwood Mac), whose life and career were derailed by substance abuse and mental illness. Green’s brothers are interviewed along with such luminaries as Mick Fleetwood, Carlos Santana, John McVie, Noel Gallagher and John Mayall.

THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST (The Film Detective): The title tells all

in the fast-moving, expectedly picturesque, Oscar-winning 1975 documentary feature following Yuichiro Miura’s attempt to ski down Mount Everest in 1970, narrated by Douglas Rain (HAL in 2001), and available on DVD ($14.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($19.99 retail). Rated G.

A MONSTER WITH A THOUSAND HEADS (Music Box Films Home Entertain-

ment): There are echoes of John Q (2002) in director Rodrigo Pla’s topical and rousing drama (originally titled Un Monstruo de mil Cabezas), as Jana Raluy (first-rate) takes matters into her own hands when ailing husband Daniel Cubillo is denied medical care by his insurance carrier. In Spanish with English subtitles, available on DVD ($29.95 retail).

OKINAWA: THE AFTERBURN (First Run Features): Director John Junkerman’s documentary adaptation of Koji Kobayashi’s non-fiction book examines the 1945 Battle of Okinawa from both American and Japanese/military and civilian perspectives, as well as the controversial postWorld War II installation of a US military base. In English and Japanese with English subtitles, available on DVD ($24.95 retail). !

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visions

Carousel swings back onto the big screen

F

athom Events, which over the years has brought such classic motion pictures as Dr. Strangelove (1964), Jaws (1975), National Lampoon’s Animal Mark Burger House (1978) and Thelma and Louise Contributing (1991) – to say nothing of the evercolumnist popular “RiffTrax” series of screenings – back to the big screen, rings in the new year with special 60th-anniversary commemorative screenings of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel on Sunday, Jan. 8, followed by encore screenings Wednesday, Jan. 11.

(Technically, Carousel was released in 1956, which would make this the 61st anniversary … but who’s quibbling?)

Fathom Events has teamed with 20th Century-Fox to restore Carousel to its original CinemaScope 55 aspect ratio, and audiences will also enjoy an exclusive interview with leading lady Shirley Jones and Ted Chapin, the president and CEO of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

“Carousel has always been dear to me, a film that remains beautiful, challenging, and inspiring,” said Jones. “It was 60 years ago that we immortalized Rodgers & Hammerstein’s gorgeous musical, but when I think back on the memories it feels like no time at all has passed. I hope both long-time fans and new audiences will find it just as fresh and just as wonderful as ever.”

More than 400 theaters nationwide will be hosting the 60th-anniversary screening of Carousel, including the Regal Greensboro Grande Stadium 16 (3205 Northline Ave.) in Greensboro.

Based on Ferenc Molnar’s Liliom, the Broadway production of Carousel opened in 1945 and ran 890 performances, winning the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award as Best Musical. Hailed by Time Magazine as “the best musical of the 20th century,” it has subsequently been revived on stage many times.

Set in early 20th-century Maine, the story details the bittersweet, star-crossed romance between Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae), a swaggering carousel barker, and Julie Jordan (Jones), a naïve young WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

mill worker. Billy meets an untimely end but years later is granted one day to return to Earth to make amends and prove his worth.

Judy Garland was considered for the role of Julie, but Jones (fresh from the triumph of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! -- released the year before) won the role. MacRae had starred with Jones in Oklahoma!, but the role of Billy in the film was originally to have been played by Frank Sinatra, who quit the production – possibly at the behest of his then-wife Ava Gardner, with whom he had a stormy relationship. MacRae immediately stepped into the role, which he’d wanted all along. (Remarkably, he only made three more films in his career.)

Carousel’s memorable musical numbers include such Rodgers & Hammerstein favorites as “If I Loved You,” “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “Soliloquy,” “What’s the Use of Wond’rin?” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Carousel was directed by Hollywood veteran Henry King, whose varied credits include In Old Chicago (1937), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938), Twelve O’Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950) and The Sun Also Rises (1957), and he earned Oscar nominations for The Song of Bernadette (1943) and Wilson (1944). He was one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and was its last surviving member when he died in 1982.

“Movie musicals become an entirely different experience when viewed on the big screen and shared with an audience,” observed Tom Lucas, vice-president of studio relations for Fathom Events, in an official statement. “We are proud to be presenting one of the best and most unique musicals of the 1950s, showcasing a truly extraordinary achievement of American moviemaking.” !

MARK BURGER can be heard Friday mornings on the “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show on Rock-92. © 2016, Mark Burger.

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Showtimes for the 60th-anniversary screening of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel are 2 pm and 7 pm Sunday, Jan. 8, with encore screenings 2 pm and 7 pm Wednesday, Jan. 11 at the Regal Greensboro Grande Stadium 16, 3205 Northline Ave., Greensboro. Tickets are $13.34 (all seats, all screenings). For advance tickets or more information, check out www.FathomEvents.com.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Carousel is enjoying its 60th anniversary.

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chow

EAT IT!

Re-introducing WP kitchen + bar Moving on to some entrees…

BY KRISTI MAIER | @triadfoodies

S

it right back and let us tell you a tale of how a big name restaurant likes to think small, all the while just giving you course after course of menu items. And we didn’t mind it, not one bit.

WP Kitchen + Bar recently rebranded itself from more of a pizza bar to a community-inspired kitchen. The change has taken place quietly over the last few months with the hire of a new executive chef and a reformatted menu.

One thing that has never changed is this: the restaurant, where the WP stands for Wolfgang Puck, is only one of three restaurants of its kind under the Wolfgang Puck umbrella, the others being in Charlotte and Palm Desert, California. And WP has always sourced locally with ingredients like Giacomo’s Italian Market and Goat Lady Dairy, to name a few.

At a recent meet and greet we received a tour of WP Kitchen + Bar, met Executive Chef Matthew Culpepper as well as Klaus Puck, brother of Wolfgang and Director of Operations. We tasted a whopping 13 menu items. And that was after a slice of pizza and a small sampling of some seasonal signature cocktails. And we’re happy to give you the rundown on these dishes.

Post tour, we started out the night with a couple of cocktails, where we tried a luscious creamy Egg Nog Martini made with a whole egg, cream, rum and cognac. That was followed by its polar opposite a Cherry Sour. Both were pretty and festive. Now let’s take a tour of The Tastes:

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NC Mountain Trout Stuffed with oregano, parsley and thyme. It’s grilled and finished in the oven. This was one of my favorite dishes of the evening as it was so light and flavorful and felt incredibly healthy.

Pan-Seared Salmon I’ll be honest, I rarely order salmon when I go out to eat. Not really my favorite when it comes to “surf”, but those of you who love salmon will find this delicate and expertly prepared, topped with olive tapenade, petite greens and fennel.

Klaus Puck, above, and Chef Matthew Culpepper greeted guests at a recent meet and greet to discuss the new menu at WP Kitchen + Bar. Squash Soup Kabocha and Butternut squash garnished with cardamom cream and pumpkin seeds. This soup was very creamy and the cardamom set it apart from other creamy squash soups. Slightly on the sweet side, but a fun way to start the meal.

Truffle Potato Chips I take that back. Potato chips are a fun way to start a meal These Yukon Gold babies are topped with a blue cheese fondue, truffle oil, chives and blue cheese crumbles. So delicious with the white wine that it was paired with.

Crispy Calamari One of the most popular items at the restaurant and we can see why. Rings and tentacles deep fried to light golden brown. WP creates a new twist by adding pepperoncini to the finished product. It’s served with a garlic aioli and WP Kitchen’s Tomato, Basil and Garlic sauce. I could go back for that.

Pizza We can’t let the evening go by without one of the main reasons that WP Kitchen + Bar exists. The pizza. They take such pride in the pizza that they allow the dough to proof for up to nine days.

Each pizza is made to order and cooked in a hickory wood-fired oven. The crust is slightly garlicky from being brushed with infused olive oil. The no-fail table pleaser, to be sure. I really recommend pepperoni as they use Giacomo’s pepperoni and it is the absolute best. Gluten-free pizzas are also available.

Kale Salad A basic salad made not so basic with kale, marinated cucumbers, toasted quinoa tossed in a citrus vinaigrette. The salad is actually placed on this amazing Green Goddess puree and topped with Goat Lady Dairy goat cheese.

Pasta Bolognese Rigatoni Mezze A small plate with perfectly done pasta smothered in a rich bolognese and finished with herb ricotta and freshly torn basil. If you’re craving Italian, but not pizza, this will be a great soothing dish for you.

DECEMBER 28 -JANUARY 3, 2016

Springer Mountain Farms Chicken This chicken from the hills of the Appalachians was juicy and crispy and they poured the gravy over it for us. Not sure if they do that all the time, but it certainly made the chicken come alive and felt special to boot.

Roasted Cauliflower This roasted cauliflower tossed in brown butter and roasted with pepperoncini inspired me to make a mental note of this preparation to do at home. Even if you don’t like cauliflower, you might love this side. It is available with any of the above dishes and other entrees on the menu.

Brussel Sprouts Roasted with bacon, you cannot go wrong.

Crispy Potatoes Differently prepared as they are boiled to nearly done, smashed and then seared crispy. Super delicious.

Truffled Mac & Cheese Rich and velvety and hit with a light drizzle of truffle oil for an elevated riff on the old classic.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak Frites I really enjoyed this dish as well. Probably my favorite of the entrees, but I do love steak. And fries. It’s topped with a lovely garlic herb butter and served with a wonderful house steak sauce. If you like beef, order this.

For dessert we tried a tasting trio of current offerings like espresso semifreddo, salted caramel pudding and a cinnamon sugar donut that had you thinking of beignets. All were wonderful

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but the salted caramel pudding was my favorite. If you like it a bit more simple, WP Kitchen also offers freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, served warm.

Klaus Puck, director of Operations at WP Kitchen + Bar, says they’ve made the changes over the course of the last few months, keeping some of the more popular items that people love due to their feedback, while keeping focused on the local community. “It’s not the same in Charlotte or at the location in California.

Our chef here is from Greensboro, the team in the kitchen is local and we want to make sure that we are celebrating the local community.” He adds, “Wolfgang was doing farm to table before it became popular. For these restaurants, we didn’t want to have items on the menu that didn’t make sense to this area. It’s very important to us that we use local farms and local suppliers.”

Puck says there are many people in WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

the area who’ve yet to try WP Kitchen + Bar. “Sure there are only three of these restaurants that are part of the bigger family, but ultimately we’re a single restaurant working to serve the Greensboro area and the local market. And after the past year, I think we’ve learned to fit.”

In addition to the regular service at lunch and dinner, WP Kitchen + Bar has monthly themed dinners like Academy Awards and chef-driven wine dinners with a global focus. !

KRISTI MAIER is a food writer, blogger and cheerleader for all things local who even enjoys cooking in her kitchen, though her kidlets seldom appreciate her efforts.

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WP Kitchen + Bar is located 607 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

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last call

[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

DO NO HAREM

Amy Alkon

Advice Goddess

I’ve been happily married to the same wonderful guy for 20 years. However, the longer we’re together the harder it is to remain faithful — surely for both of us. Sex and skin are everywhere these

days, and men are especially impacted by the barrage of provocative images.

How does a woman realistically balance this with the desire to have a relationship that’s monogamous in body and mind?

— Troubled A man can love you to pieces and count his blessings every day you two are together — and it won’t stop him from wanting to see your sister bend over.

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Sure, it can sometimes happen that a man “only has eyes for you” — like if you and he are kidnapped and held hostage in a small, windowless room. Otherwise, because male sexuality is visually driven, his eyes are likely to scamper up any yummy mummy or big-booty Judy passing by. But there’s good news from neuroscience: Contrary to what most women believe, this — in and of itself — is not a sign of bad character (though a kind, considerate man will do what he can to appear fascinated by that big crow instead of those big cahuengas).

Though you can have a monogamous relationship, our minds are anything but monogamous and, in fact, pretty much have minds of their own. As neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga explains, about 98 percent of our brain’s activity happens beyond our conscious awareness — including some of the “reasoning” behind our choices and where our attention runs off to.

Key players in who and what we’re drawn to are our brain’s “reward circuitry” and the neurotransmitter dopamine, pushing us to pay attention to and go after stuff that will help us survive and pass on our genes. Dopamine is ever on the lookout for this stuff — including hotties, or, as neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz puts it, “reward-predicting visual stimuli.” In other words, dopaminesecreting neurons are the crass buddy in a man’s brain, going, “Woo-wee, wouldja look at the Pointer Sisters on that broad!”

Understanding the neuroscience behind attraction is helpful — revealing that attraction is a physiological reaction, like being tired or hungry. If your husband wants a sandwich, you don’t take that personally. And no, I’m not saying “gettin’ some” outside your marriage is the same as gettin’ some lunch (so, ladies, please put down those flaming pitchforks).

The problem is that it’s been seen as a shameful personal failing (instead of the biological predisposition it is) to merely feel an attraction to someone other than your spouse. This means that the “forsaking all others” business in the wedding vows is often the first and last time the subject gets discussed.

However, the late infidelity researcher Peggy Vaughan explained that a couple are more likely to remain faithful if they admit that “attractions to others are likely (indeed inevitable) no matter how much they love each other.” This allows them to engage in “ongoing honest communication about ... how to avoid

the consequences of acting on those temptations.”

In other words, it’s by admitting that we have a problem that we can get cracking on how to solve it. So, no — sadly — monogamy isn’t “natural.” However, on a hopeful note, neither are $300 Nikes, zero-gravity toilets, or messages that come by smartphone instead of by waving a loincloth over a fire.

CENSOR AND SENSIBILITY My boyfriend is very smart, but he curses. A lot. Even in front of my family.

He says I shouldn’t try to curtail his free expression and mentioned some news report that said smarter people curse more. Am I being a tight-xxx? Or is he full of xxxx? — Upset When you ask your boyfriend to talk dirty to you, you shouldn’t need to specify, “Except at my grandma’s wake.”

And no, there’s no evidence that smarter people curse more — though that’s what popped up in headlines across Clickbaitville. The actual finding — by swearing researchers Kristin and Timothy Jay — is that people who can rattle off a lot of words (those who have “verbal fluency”) can also rattle off a lot of swearwords. Quelle #&*@$ surprise.

I’m no priss about profanity. However, as I explain in (heh) “Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck,” “at the root of manners is empathy” — caring about the impact your behavior has on other people. Your parents are likely to see your boyfriend’s bratty insistence on talking however he effin’ pleases, no matter who’s in earshot, as a sign of disrespect. It suggests an aggressive, narcissistic lack of interest in others’ feelings — including yours.

That’s not exactly a selling point in a partner, plus it could lead you to dread being around your family: “You havin’ a psychotic break, son, or you just anglin’ for more pie?” !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol. com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2016 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

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