The death of Frank Capra Jr. Dec. 19 might seem to signal the end of an era for film and television production in North Carolina. In the early 1980s, the son of the legendary It’s a Wonderful Life director helped establish Wilmington as a major filming location by choosing it for the 1984 Stephen King […]
Zack Smith
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Posted inFilm & Television
The Golden Compass is a safe adaptation; Sleuth a pointless remake
The Golden Compass is likely to be controversial, and not just due to the well-publicized boycott by the Catholic League. This adaptation of Philip Pullman’s 1995 novel, the first in his trilogy His Dark Materials, is well-acted and features gorgeous set design yet often holds back on the story’s darker elements, including the heartbreaking cliffhanger. […]
Posted inNews
Monster Creature Feature
In days of television past, children often tuned in to the creepy hosts who introduced old monster movies on the local channels. But as cable television took over and movie broadcast rights grew more expensive, the classic television personality gave way to self-mocking characters such as Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs before vanishing into memory. […]
Posted inNews
Juliette & the Licks
Listen! If you cannot see the music player below, download the free Flash Player. Juliette Lewis made her name as an actress in the 1990s working with high-profile directors like Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone in Cape Fear and Natural Born Killers. In the last few years, though, she’s reinvented herself as a rock ‘n’ […]
Posted inNews
24 Hour Comic Book Day
On Oct. 20, people in 18 countries will sit down and make their own comics. None are likely to be masterpieces, but that’s not the point. 24 Hour Comic Book Day, which will be held in the Triangle at Chapel Hill Comics, challenges would-be creators to put their money where their mouths are and create […]
Posted inFilm & Television
Escapism Film Fest
Escapism Film Festival Carolina Theatre, Durham Oct. 5-7 “Wolfman’s got nards!” If that line rings a bell, then this weekend’s Escapism Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre may be for you. Billed as an “attempt to capture whatever’s hot in the movies,” highlights of this year’s festival include an uncut version of the grindhouse classic […]
Posted inArt
Spark Con gears up for a second year
Imagine that Raleigh is the buzzing center of culture in the South, a place that carries the one-word cachet of “Austin” or “Portland” or “Seattle.” It seems a stretch, but there is indeed a vibrant and ambitious creative community in the state’s capital that is looking to boost the city’s image. A year ago, a […]
Posted inNews
Carolina Theatre hosts anti-gay performance
Given that next weekend is N.C. Pride, and that the Carolina Theatre chose the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival as the occasion for reopening after a summer-long renovation project, it’s ironic the theater will host a show that suggests gayness is a malady. On Saturday, Sept. 22, You’re Not the Only One hits […]
Posted inFilm & Television
John Waters on the mainstreaming of gay culture
After decades of notoriety, can anyone be shocked by John Waters anymore? Probably not: This year has been very good to the one-time underground filmmaker who has seen his 1988 movie Hairspray turned into a Broadway smash, and in turn, a hit mainstream Hollywood film. This Friday, Sept. 21, Waters will give a free talk […]
Posted inGuides
Film
September Evan Rachel Wood is poised for her biggest role yet with Across the Universe (Sept. 21), a Beatles-themed musical from Titus director Julie Taymorbut Taymor’s behind-the-scenes struggles over the final cut and the film’s surreal take on the Fab Four leaves it up in the air as to whether this will be the next […]
