INsite Atlanta December 2007 Issue by INsite Magazine

07 Decembe. r4 2FR0EE Vol. 16, No

ntertainment Monthly E s ’ a t n a l t A tlanta.com www.insitea

New Year’s Eve

Guide to Top Events in Atlanta

KERI RUSSELL

Dallas Austin, Stephen King & Peyton Manning

Insite Dec 07:In Site Mag 3/05

11/26/07

5:02 PM

Page 1

Healthy Holidays!

ONEWEEK PASS REDEEM BY 12/31/07 Come into LA Fitness® Sports Clubs and redeem this Seven Consecutive Days Pass. Must be 18 years of age or older, a local resident and show valid I.D. One pass per person, per 6 months. Pass activation hours 8am to 8pm. *Extra charge for some amenities. Sales presentation tour required. Other memberships may be presented. Redeemable by non-members only. Facilities and classes vary from club to club. Leagues extra. Not available for resale or redeemable for cash. 12/07

AKERS MILL | 770.956.9093 2995 Cobb Pkwy.

EAST COBB | 770.973.3370 4400 Roswell Rd.

ALPHARETTA/WINDWARD | 678.393.2733 5530 Windward Pkwy.

HOLCOMB BRIDGE | 770.640.8137 1475 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

ANSLEY MALL | 404.249.6463 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE

JOHNS CREEK | 770.623.9433 11720 Medlock Bridge Rd.

ATLANTIC STATION | 404.810.9015 261 19th St., Suite 1140

KENNESAW/TOWN CENTER 770.427.9668 2801 George Busbee Pkwy.

AUSTELL | 770.432.4262 1025 E. West Connector #2 BUFORD | 678.714.5075 3420 Buford Dr. N.E.

LENOX/BUCKHEAD | 404.233.8311 3232 Peachtree St. MCDONOUGH | 800.607.1750

NORTHLAKE | 770.414.0651 1990 W. Exchange Place PEACHTREE CORNERS | 770.797.2661 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. #118 ROSWELL WEST | 678.494.6464 4801 Alabama Rd. SNELLVILLE | 770.979.1288 2279 Pinehurst Rd. SOUTHLAKE | 770.960.0393 7057 Mount Zion Circle SPRAYBARRY - Coming Soon! 800.730.7261 2550 Sandy Plains Rd., Ste. 325

CAMP CREEK | 404.344.1248 3755 Carmia Dr. SW, Suite 700

Join Now at the Preview Center!

2023 Jonesboro Rd.

SUGARLOAF | 770.822.2533 1860 Duluth Highway

DUNWOODY/PERIMETER PT. | 770.350.4951 1155 Mount Vernon Hwy.,#600

MIDTOWN | 404.249.6404 75 Fifth St., NW, Suite E

TOCO HILLS | 404.248.2998 2880 N. Druid Hills Rd.

WWW.LAFITNESS.COM

CONTENTS • DECEMBER 2007 • VOLUME 16.4

INTERVIEWS 12 14 15 19 23 25 26 27 29 29 33 34 35 36

KERI RUSSELL STEPHEN KING HEATH LEDGER JASON SCHWARTZMAN SILVERCHAIR COHEED & CAMBRIA SIOUXSIE SIOUX DALLAS AUSTIN SUPERDRAG DROPKICK MURPHYS NICOLE KIDMAN ELLEN PAGE JENNIFER JASON LIEGH PEYTON MANNING

FEATURES 09 GIFT GUIDE 13 HOLIDAY CATERING 30 NEW YEAR’S EVE

COLUMNS

BUY ONE GET ONE

��

�

FABULOUS INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE! Hurry in today and buy 1 pair of shoes and get the *2 pair FREE of equal or lesser value. This offer is for a limited time only and available on all shoe merchandise.

05 06 07 07 08 16 17 20 22 22 24 38

UNDER THE LIGHTS ON TAP BOOKS WANTON DISTRACTION AROUND TOWN MOVIE REVIEWS VIDIOTS CONCERT CALENDAR ROAD WARRIORS WE GOT NEXT ALBUM REVIEWS FANATIC

www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com National Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director �� graphics@insiteatlanta.com Film Editor Matt Goldberg matt@insiteatlanta.com Local News Editor Glenn LaFollette glenn@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Rav Mansﬁeld rav@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Web Design Kalico Productions

PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Contributing Writers / Interns: John Davidson, John Moore, Mathew Goldberg, Russell Fisher, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrea Hatter, Kim Guelcher, Richard Marsh, Tracy Gould, Mark Fitten, Dave Cohen & Russ Marshalek CONTACT US 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION �� Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the �� false or mi leading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or edi�� information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written ��

THEATER

Under The Lights Theatrical Performances in December A Christmas Carol

Thru Dec. 24 Alliance Theatre 404-733-5000 www.alliancetheatre.org

THE MOST LAVISH AND SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA IN ATLANTA! Full of soaring holiday music and jaw-dropping special effects, A Christmas Carol is a Broadwayscale musical spectacle featuring the best actors and singers in Atlanta. Whether you are coming for the first time or as part of your family’s annual holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol will dazzle your eyes and warm your heart. A Christmas Carol is back for its 18th smash year! Last year this production broke its own box office records. It is one of the most important stories told all season long, and it is one that families

experience together year after year. It serves as an annual reminder that no matter how old we get, no matter how hopeless a moment may seem, there is always the capacity for change and renewal. The human soul is a resilient and remarkable thing, and Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from greedy miser to openhearted benefactor serves as a yearly example of all humans’ capacity for goodness and generosity.

selling book "Holidays On Ice" once again features criticall;y-acclaimed actor Harold M. Leaver in the lead role, delivering a caustic sort of Christmas carol sure to please fans of the satiric, sarcastic and politically incorrect.

The Shoemaker & The Elves Thru - Jan. 6 Center for Puppetry Arts 404-873-3089 www.puppet.org

Noelle Kayser

THE HOLIDAYS ARE APPROACHING, BUT BUSINESS IS NOT SO GOOD at Footmeyer's Shoes. Mel and Tootsie have kept their store open for 42 years, and this year may be the last. What's a shoemaker to do? Enter Frankie and Gino, two bumbling, lovable elves who have nothing but time on their hands and a burning desire to build, build, build! Come join the fun as Santa's shoe artists help the Footmeyers spread good cheer all around 1940s New York City. Expect exciting celebrity appearances and swinging big band music to keep the holiday spirit hopping.

Photo by Alliance Theatre

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant

Thru Dec. 23 Dad’s Garage Theatre 404-523-3141 www.dadsgarage.com

The Santaland Diaries Thru Dec. 30 The Horizon Theatre 404-584-7450 www.horizontheatre.com

THE STORY THAT TOOK DAVID SEDARIS from little-known humorist to the closest thing the literary world has to a rock star, "The Santaland Diaries" (which was originally broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition) recounts the author's bizarre experiences working as a tightsclad elf at Macy's. An out-of-work writer at the age of 33, the sardonic Sedaris took a seasonal department store gig that found him beseiged by snotty brats and their obnoxious parents, suppressing his cynical side so his elfin alter ego, Crumpet, could shine through. Now in its 9th year as a perennial holiday favorite at Horizon Theatre, Sedaris' stage adaptation of his best-

Deco L-Frame From $209 ��

Brand Names. Low Prices. Cash for Clothes!

WITH ITS PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS OF CULT HITS such as "Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical" and "Reefer Madness," Dad's Garage established itself as Atlanta's premiere theatre for outrageous off-Broadway irreverence. Making its annual return, this Obie award-winning musical written by Kyle Jarrow takes a children's pageantstyle look at Scientology. The cast is made up entirely of children ages 8 to 12, but the material is definitely intended for adult audiences, with satirical songs such as "Hey! It's A Happy Day!" and "L. Ron Hubbard" leading to memorable moments such as 8-year-olds singing about Prince Xenu. Perfect counter-programming for those who've grown tired of the same old hoary holiday chestnuts, "A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant" is arguably the most unique seasonal show you'll see this year.

6627 Roswell Rd. | Abernathy Square | 404-255-5151 2480 Briarcliff Rd. | Loehmanns Plaza | 404-929-0224

��

BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE

��

Photography by Chris Bennion

��

�� PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Chin Chin...

A Window Into Hong Kong.

LOCAL EVENTS

OnTap December EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

Through December 31:

LIGHTS OF LIFE

“Most Memorable Meal Award”

Now in its 18th year, Life University's Lights of Life is the largest free holiday lights display in the state, attracting nearly one million people per year to its 2.5-mile drive-through tour. The display includes 2 million tiny twinkling lights and many bright displays on a milelong course. The Lights of Life is made possible by Win Williams, owner of Holiday Lights in Atlanta. For more info, head to: www.life.edu.

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 – Where Magazine

“Mouthwatering Chin Chin spices things up”

– The Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Best Chinese” 2002–2007

– INsite Magazine

“Best Chinese” 1998–2007 – Creative Loaﬁng

GRAND OPENING | 2 NEW LOCATIONS MULAN CHINESE & SUSHI: �� CHIN CHIN ALPHARETTA: ��

Dec 11: Philips Arena

ATLANTA HAWKS VS TORONTO RAPTORS

The city’s high flying Hawks return to Philips Arena to face the surprisingly potent Toronto Raptors. Can J-Smooth and the rest of the Atlanta team knock off the Raptors and start an early playoff push?. Head to the Highlight Factory and find out! For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

December 31: Georgia Dome

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

Entering the 2007 contest, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has enjoyed 10 straight sellouts, and 13 in the last 15 years, making it the highest attended bowl game outside the Bowl Championship Series. The television ratings were the highest among the 20 bowl games televised on ESPN, and was the third-highest rated bowl ever on the network. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has disbursed more than $3 million in charitable and scholarship contributions, the most among all bowl games. For more info, head to: www.chick-fil-abowl.com.

OPEN EVERY DAY!

www.chinchinonline.com

Dec 31: Underground Atlanta

PEACH DROP 2007

Last year at Underground Atlanta, more than 175,000 spectators came to downtown Atlanta to ring in the New Year. Set against the backdrop of the Atlanta skyline, the magnificent 800-pound peach will begin its much-anticipated 65 second decent shortly before midnight. Following the Peach Drop, party goers will be able to take part in a breathtaking fireworks display while showers of colorful confetti rain down on them before heading to one of the many clubs, bars and restaurants located in Kenny's Alley. For more info, head to: www.peachdrop.com

December 30 - 31: Philips Arena

WIDESPREAD PANIC

If swanky soireés with champagne toasts at midnight aren't quite your idea of a great New Years Eve time, hang with the noodle-dancing hippies and beer-swilling frat boys at this annual year-end 'Spread-fest, where Athens' favorite post-REM sons assume the mantle of jam-rock favorites once held by the Grateful Dead and Phish. There aren't many bands around these days who can sell out arenas with little to no mainstream media support or radio airplay. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

December 31: Hyatt Regency

DOWNTOWN COUNTDOWN

�� PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

��

With a combined 18 year track record, Lindy Promotions and USA Entertainment are coming together to bring you Atlanta's largest New Year's Eve party ever...THE DOWNTOWN COUNTDOWN!! The event attracts a mid 20's to late 30's crowd, but they welcome everyone and are known for attracting a diverse crowd, both ethnically and age-wise. The event also attracts a nice mix of singles and couples. With 5 party areas and themed rooms and 3 VIP lounges, encompassing an entire level and over 50,000 square feet of party space, the Hyatt Regency will have something for everyone! For info, head to: www.downtowncountdown.net.

Book Review MISSION AL JAZEERA: BUILD A BRIDGE, SEEK THE TRUTH, CHANGE THE WORLD

Author: Josh Rushing

BY JOHN MOORE The concept behind Mission Al Jazeera is gripping: A small town Texas boy raised on God and country joins the Marines out of high school and ends up serving as part of the Pentagon’s brilliant spin team that managed to get the U.S. media to take over the propaganda charge for going to work with Iraq. A year or two into his role as spokesperson, he decides it’s not for him, takes off the uniform and goes to join an upstart Middle Eastern cable network, the only true group of journalists willing to take an unbiased look into the goings on of the U.S. military machine. Nice story, but Josh Rushing’s memoir too often paints each party involved with too wide of a brush. The author is right when he insists that a majority of the mainstream press were not only asleep at the wheel, but gladly forgot everything they learned in journalism school and became cheerleaders for the war (remember the waving flag logos on the bottom of the screen during every nightly newscast?). But there were some in the media, aside from Rushing’s current employer, who were filing objective pieces leading up to the bombing of Iraq. It’s particularly frustrating that Rushing never takes appropriate blame for his role as Al Jazeera spokesman, going into interview after interview and knowingly giving false or shaded versions of the truth. He also fails to cite all of the claims against Al Jazeera, portraying them as a stellar example of journalistic integrity when they have, in fact, had a history of tainting their coverage with bias. Though revealing and entertaining at times, Mission Al Jazeera ultimately suffers from its author’s lack of objectivity. In the end, you can’t help but wonder how much better the book could’ve been had it been written by an outsider interviewing Rushing.

Grade: C+

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Wanton Distraction Skewed Views on Entertainment News BY MATT GOLDBERG Terrible director SHAWN LEVY will try to sink even lower as he tries to truly make the world’s most horrible, profitable film and thus serve as the anti-Christ in the apocalypse which he brought forth. He’ll be directing and producing the dramedy Father Figure, about, “a successful bachelor who boldly offers to care for his widowed sister and her daughters in the aftermath of a family tragedy.” Holy shit. I just got diabetes. JOHN C. REILLY’S has signed on to star in Cirque du Freak which is like Cirque du Soleil but 100% less gay. Reilly plays a vampire who takes on a 14-year-old to serve as his assistant. I’m not exactly sure why vampires need assistants, but I guess in between bloodsucking and avoiding the sun, you need someone to pick up your dry cleaning and schedule your appointments. But as it turns out, the kid is turned into a half-vampire (also, not exactly sure what that is; is it like Blade? Or is just a vampire who can stand cloudy days, but not full-on sunlight?) and is the catalyst in a battle between Vampires and the rival Vampanese, which I guess are Asian vampires who are covered in lead paint and poison our pets. THOMAS JANE will be making his directorial debut on The Dark Country, which is a noir thriller shot in 3D, but will also be available in 2D high-def for people that have a deep-seated hatred of special glasses. The story is about a couple on their honeymoon but it turns out to be a hellish adventure. If you read between the lines, that means they both saved themselves for marriage and forgot to bring lube. The film also feature Ron Perelman being awesome and Lauren German who may be awesome, but if she’s in any scene with Ron Perelman, she’ll have to settle for bathing in his glory (that

term is also slang for a sexual act that if you discovered it on your honeymoon, would be a “hellish adventure”).

Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, The Tell Tale Heart is coming to the big screen. TIMOTHY OLYPHANT and JOE ANDER SON (Across the Universe) will star in High Life, a comic caper about four hapless bank robbers. Olyphant will play the brains of the operation, whose scheme is undone by his cohorts’ incompetence. It sounds a lot like Welcome to Collinwood but it’s not. There were ﬁve guys in Welcome to Collinwood, and they were trying to break into a safe. Totally diﬀerent! I also think there should be a title change. Just about every stoner comedy that

hasn’t been made wants that title and this film is going to waste it on a film about stupid bank robbers? What about my film about a group of stoners who, when hit with a case of the munchies, eat pop rocks and coke and die. It’s a short film but one that’s filled with promise. JOSH LUCAS has signed to star in Michael Cuesta’s modern adaptation of the classic EDGAR ALLEN POE short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. For those that don’t know the tale of the Tell-Tale Heart, read a fucking book or attend 5th grade. Honestly, it’s a famous short-story. It’s probably Poe’s best-known work next to The Raven. Why don’t you know it? What’s the matter with you? Quit crying. Quit it. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Okay, yes I did. Read a fucking book. But back to the film adaptation (you philistine), the story follows “Lucas starring as a single father whose recently transplanted heart leads him on a frantic search to find the donor’s killer before a similar fate befalls him.” Moral of the story: don’t get a heart transplant, especially if you’re a single father. Also, if this sounds like an episode of Angel where Lindsey got a hand-transplant, then you and I have a similar recall of cult television. Let’s be friends. HEATH LEDGER will re-team with his Brothers Grimm director TERRY GILLIAM for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. First, if anyone says they want you to come into their imaginarium, you’re either going into a store that sells educational toys or you gonna get raped. Maybe both. Either way, stay away from imaginariums. It’s not a real word. And I’m suspicious about the medical credentials of Doctor Parnassus. He could be a doctor in the same way Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a doctor (i.e. PhD in literature, so not at all). The plot centers around a traveling theater troupe with Parnassus offering audience members the chance to transcend reality by passing through a magical mirror. There’s only three ways to do this. Either Parnassus owns a Stargate, douses the audience member with LSD (it comes in a douse-able form, right?), or he was involved Project Imagination Doorway. In any scenario, this fucker ain’t trustworthy.

PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Around Town ��

��

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

��

RETAIL

INsite’s Holiday Gift Guide

Great Gift Ideas for the Season! kind hand blown glassware, custom lighting Abbadabba’s and gifts. As the owner and operator of Buckhead 404.262.3356 Roswell 770.998.2222 Little 5Pts. 404.588.9577 Kennesaw 770.423.0405 Gwinnett 770.623.0033

Abbadabba's is Atlanta's premier source for innovative comfort footwear! That's just a fancy way to say Abbadabba's sells quality shoes that look great and feel fantastic! Someone on your Holiday list could use some stylish comfy kicks…maybe even you. Check out our their new Buckhead store at the Roswell- Wieuca shopping center. Pictured: Fresh Vans in flannel, cotton or leather!

Binders

3330 Piedmont Rd. 404.237.6331 www.bindersart.com Gift cards from Binders Art Supplies and Frames make a great gift if you’re not sure what to get for your favorite artist! Our gift cards are available for purchase instore or on the web at www.bindersart.com.

Party City

The Discount Superstore 24 Metro Area Locations PartyCityOnline.com So you got the gift, now where do you go to wrap it? Party City of course! They are Atlanta’s leader for party supplies and gift wrappings. They have a full selection of gift bags, bows, and wrapping paper to make your gift stand out. If you’re planning a holiday party, they have all the tableware and supplies you need. There are even Santa and Ms. Clause costumes if you are in the holiday spirit. And don’t forget to pick up party hats and noisemaker’s before ringing in the New Year.

Psycho Sisters Little 5 Pts. 404.523.0100 Sandy Springs 404.255.5578 Cartersville 770-607-0888 Psycho Sisters is the place to shop for 60’s hippie, 70’s Disco, and 80’s Rocker treasures. They are famous for buying trends and selling current mall and club hip clothing such as: Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, BeBe, Betsey Johnson and BCBG. For the holidays, check out their new selection of shoes, boots and shades.

Janke Studios

659 Auburn Ave. Studio G-9 404.584.0305 www.jankestudios.com Hand Blown Glass & Art Gallery located at Studioplex. Here you will find one of a

Visit these Merchants for Special Offers on Terriﬁc Thursdays

Atlanta's first hot glass shop, Matt Janke is active designing custom lighting, making commission pieces, teaching classes and working to bring the art of blowing and casting glass to the Southeast. They have special items like the heirloom ornaments featured for the holidays as well as glassware gift certificates available.

Shoemaker’s Warehouse 500A Amsterdam Ave. 404.881.9301

Indie Coffee and Books 340 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Café Alsace 121 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Whit’s End 431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Decatur CD 356 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Stop in at Shoemaker’s for great Holiday Savings. An enormous selection of shoes & accessories for women and men. They also offer gift certificates for those who can’t decide. Shoemaker’s is open 7 days a week!

Cort Furniture

Doraville 4210 NE Expressway 770.939.5222 Marietta 1641 Cobb Pkwy. South 770.955.4044 Cort is known for brand-name furniture at affordable prices. They offer previously leased furniture for up to 70% off new retail. You'll find a constantly changing selection of furniture from corporate moves, model homes, movie sets, apartments, offices and executive suites. It's a smart and inexpensive way to furnish a new room, college apartment or home office. Even if you're just looking for that one chair, table or other single piece to finish off an existing room. You can furnish a One Bedroom Apartment starting at just $999.99!

Heliotrope 248 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Plato’s Closet

6627 Roswell Rd. Abernathy Sq. 404.255.5151 2480 Briarcliff Rd. Loehmanns Plaze 404.929.0224 Dress to impress in the hottest name brands at Plato’s Closet. Pictured on left: Abercrombie & Fitch Jeans $20; Wet Seal Tank $4; American Eagle Cardigan $12. On Right: Old Navy Corduroy pants $8; J. Crew V-neck sweater $16; Charlotte Russe Scarf $4

Kaleidoscope 252 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Junkman’s Daughter

��

464 Moreland Ave. L5Pts. 404.577.3188 Junkman's Daughter is your one stop shop for the kookiest, most unusual gifts on the planet! Check out their selection of lunchboxes, plush toys, vintage style robots, unique candy, stationary, journals, soaps, incense, collectables, as well as the most cutting edge fashions and footwear for guys and girls. 1000's of gifts to choose from for everybody on your list!

Pambili African Artworks 201 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Click on the News Flash page at www.decaturga.com for details!

5th Earl Market Alexia Jewelry Amaryn’s Thai Bowl & Sushi The Angel Birdi’s Blue Moon Designs Boogaloo’s Boswell Gallery By Hand South Café Alsace The Chocolate Bar Christian Science Reading Rm. Collage Cook’s Warehouse/ Sherlock’s Wine Merchants The Corner Pub The Cottage Beauty Studio Dairy Queen Decatur CD Decatur Travel Agency DressCodes Eviva – A Shoe Boutique Fabu Face Spa Fabutique Fresche Feast Gado Gado Hairwerks & Co. Heliotrope Hoopla Houseworks Indie Coffee & Books Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlor Johnny’s Pizza Junor Gallery Kaleidoscope Little Shop of Stories Melrose on Ponce Mingei World Arts Mezcalito’s McDonald’s Mojo Pizza Nathalie’s Fish House Natural Body Nease’s Needlework Noodle One Step at a Time Opus Music Pambili African Artworks Paris Decatur Peggy’s Boutique Raging Burrito Roly Poly Rue de Leon Rutabaga Salon Red Salon Red Kids Sawicki’s Meat, Seafood, More Scrapchic Boutique The Seventeen Steps Siam Thai Silk: A Smoothie Café So Rare Square Roots Squash Blossom Starbucks Sushi Avenue Taste Thai Me Up That Pottery Place Theatre Decatur Tossed, The Fashion of Salads Two Stix Vinson Gallery Vivid Boutique Wahoo! A Decatur Grill Whit’s End Wordsmiths Books

�� Atlanta

Decatur

Stone Mtn. I-20

404-371-8386

www.decaturga.com

Forget the mall. Enjoy holiday shopping in Decatur for unique gifts, delicious food and friendly hometown service. We’re easy to ﬁnd, inside I-285, just minutes south of Buckhead. Parking is plentiful and most destinations are a short, pleasant walk from our downtown square at Clairemont and Ponce de Leon avenues. Advertising funded with proceeds from the Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival.

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

INsite’s Holiday Gift Guide Home Concepts

toric Inman Park and the Metropolitan Club, an Alpharetta catering facility. Visit 1147vodka.com/buy.html for a full list of locations near you. The vodka is imported through Pottsdam Import & Export, Inc.

Voted Best Futon store for the 12th time in 2007, Home Concepts has everything you need to accomodate guests for the holidays. Pictured is their Tubular Metal frame with pad for just $129. Home Concepts also has a full line of discounted furniture and accessories.

Starship

Norcross 770.448.8425 Midtown 404.885.1505 atlantafutons.com

White Birch Luxury Vodka The Distilled Essence of Winter

1401 Peachtree St. 404.969.1293 www.1147vodka.com/buy.html What better way to welcome the holidays than with authentic vodka from Russia? White Birch (Belaya Berezka) is a specialty flavored vodka, infused with the essence of birch and other natural flavors. It is distilled from the finest wheat and rye, then carefully blended and sealed for your satisfaction. It has dominated international taste competitions, drawing unanimous praise from critics and winning the coveted 93 rating from the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2005. Now available at fine liquor stores in a special winter gift box with two decorative shot glasses, attractively priced at under $24 (SRP). White Birch luxury Russian vodka can be found in 50 retail locations throughout Georgia. In addition to the retail locations, White Birch can be purchased at Bazzaar Lounge, located steps from the Fox Theatre; Pacific Kitchen, located in his-

Gift Tags

Multiple Area Locations 404.766.6993 www.ShopStarship.com Starship is an Atlanta favorite for those seaking the sensual and erotic. Voted Best Adult Novelty Store, you will find thousands of videos, dvd’s, adult toys, condoms, candles and novelties to meet whatever your desire. Indulge yourself or a close friend with Kama Sutra’s Earthy Delights Gift Tin (pictured). Inside this beautiful reusable gift tin you will find a generous supply of Kama Sutra’s most coveted sensual pleasures. $64.99

80 Powers Ferry Rd. #A9 Marietta 770-579-3201 1230 Powers Ferry Rd. Suite A9 Marietta 770-955-2520 4075 Milton Pkwy. Alpharetta 404-454-4742 BrazilianWaxInAtlanta.com

Multiple Area Locations 770.556.LOVE LoveShackOnline.com

Atlanta / Sandy Springs 6124 Roswell Rd. 404.256.1116 Roswell 710 Holcomb Br. Rd. #240 770.992.4485

*Coupon must be present at time of purchase. Offer not valid on custom invitations and clearance items. May not be combined with other %/$ off coupons, discounts or organization discount. One coupon per family. No reproductions. Offer valid 12/01/07 through 12/31/07

PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Love Shack

Smoke 911

Fun Boas, Beads, Glasses, Hats & More

off any purchase of $25 or more*

Find everything in adult novelties including lingerie, party & gag gifts, tobacco/smoking accessories and more. New to Inserection this season are functional erotic glass art that is sure to please. Inserection was recently voted Best Adult Video Store for 2006.

The perfect gift for yourself or that special someone in your life. Get the bikini wax made famous by Giselle and other Brazilian models. Check out their $55 Full Body Wax Special for the Holidays.

Decorative Tissue

Inserection Multiple Area Locations 404.888.0878 www.inserection.com

Brazilian Wax by Andreia

500 Yard Paper Handle Curling Ribbon Craft Bags

The Volcano Vaporizer featured is the newest and most advanced development in the area of vaporizer technology. It’s the only vaporizer around that enables you to have the most freedom of movement while “smoking”. Its patented “balloons” makes this unmatched freedom possible – totally detached from the vaporizer itself so you can enjoy your herbs or favorite smoking blend. This holiday season, Smoke 911 is also offering great deals on locally blown glass pipes and bubblers, ROOR water pipes, hookahs and hookah tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, self-defense products, adult novelties, detox, Red Dawn products, hats and t-shirts, incense, posters, and much more! Come check out their great selection of unique gifts items and find the perfect gift for that special someone in your life!

This Holiday Season, the Love Shack is featuring gift baskets full of goodies for the loved one in your life. Can't decide what to get, get them an assortment with a gift basket.

20 Count Bagged Bows

Plates•Cups•Napkins

Visit Any of Our 24 Atlanta Area Locations or Visit Us Online at www.partycityonline.com

What country is YOUR Russian vodka made in? www.1147vodka.com

White Birch birch ﬂavored vodka is 40% alc./vol., distilled from grain, produced in Russia, and imported by Pottsdam Import & Export, Inc., Atlanta, GA.

consignment shops

Janke Studios Hand Blown Glass Founded in 1996

STUDIOPLEX Conveniently located between Inman Park & the King Birth Home

659 Auburn Ave. Studio G-9 Atlanta, GA 30312 404-584-0305

WINTER GLASSFEST07

“A CELEBRATION OF FROZEN SAND”

DEC. 8 12-6P ��

��

check

Winner Best Consignment Store

jankestudios

www. .com for schedule of classes

HOURS:

Tues, Thurs, Fri 1p-5p, Sat 12-6p Other times By Appointment

�� PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

FILM INTERVIEW

Hey, Isn’t That Felicity? No, these days actress Keri Russell is a mom who happens to make good movies like August Rush that everyone can enjoy. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

OVIES LIKE THE LOVECON QUERS-all family drama August Rush are necessary right now. “In the temperature of films that are coming out today,” explains Rush star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “you got a lot of hard-hitting films out there that will really make you think. You come out of that cinema and some of those films make you shudder. This is one of those films where you come out with a little bit of hope.” Actresses like Rush co-star Keri Russell are important, too. In contrast to all the Hollywood types who seem so made-up, so artificial, Russell seems eminently approachable. Today, for instance, the California native is simply dressed, wearing her hair in a style that speaks in a cutie-at-the-mall kind of way. But that’s always been the case with her. Be it 2000 on her popular WB show Felicity, or on stage in ’04 with Fat Pigs, or on the big

screen this past Spring in the surprise hit Waitress, Russell, 31, has always carried this air of familiarity with her. The round-theway girl, who’s a mother and famed cellist in Rush, had her first child this past June. Read further and see how being a real parent in Tinseltown has affected her, both physically and emotionally. How has motherhood changed you? I think it unavoidably changes you. I’m bossier, bossier. [Laughs] I don’t know. It just sort of opens everything up in a way that you cannot anticipate. The highs are so much higher and the lows are so much lower. I think you just sort of feel more, which is good. In life you wanna feel [those things]. In that way, it’s nice. It’s a strange thing to have things so out of your control. Some things are completely taking over. For someone like me, I am somewhat of a control freak. That’s out the window. There’s change every single moment. It’s good.

Delivery

'Tis the season to earn extra cash from UPS.

How’d you bounce back physically from the pregnancy? You know, I’m sorry to say, but I really think it has a lot to do with genetics. My dad’s family is just tall and thin. I didn’t get the tall part. And it’s my first [child]. They say your first is a lot easier. That’s just kind of the way it worked this time. Hopefully, it will stick.

Seasonal Driver Helpers Work in your own neighborhood! •Earn $8.50/hour •Must be 17 years or older •Able to lift up to 70 lbs •Work at a fast pace •Have reliable transportation •Meet UPS appearance guidelines

Apply online:

www.upsjobs.com OR TEXT THE WORD "HELPERS" TO 30364 FOR MORE INFORMATION. PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Can you talk about your own musical background? I was a dancer, so that’s my musical background. I do have a sense of music, which I’m sure helped. I can fake my way through a few Tracy Chapman songs on guitar. Learning cello is slightly different I have to tell you. But I had a great teacher. We practiced like four hours a day. We literally started with “Twinkle, Twinkle,” and then went to Bach solos. Basically, she taught me modified versions of the fingering. I am feasibly playing that piece; just not all the difficult fingering. With the cello, that’s the thing—you have the fingering hand but you also have the bowing hand and the bowing wrist and the bowing elbow, which all have to be so precise. There was a lot to learn. I hope it all comes off.

UPS is an equal opportunity employer.

Did being a parent help your approach to this character? I made the film before I was pregnant. But yeah, it changes everything. It changes the way it views movies. I was just telling somebody else that I was watching Finding Nemo and just burst into tears. I was like, “God, I hope they find his parents. I feel so bad.” But you do. [The emotions are] just uncontrollable. It’s really weird. Or you’ll be with somebody and they tell you this story about this little kid and you’ll go, “Uh, I’m not go-

THE THING ABOUT FILM THAT’S ENJOYABLE, THE THING I LOVE ABOUT IT, IS THAT IT’S SORT OF LIKE SUMMER CAMP IN THIS INTENSIVE WAY. ing to make it through. I hope the kid’s okay.” It’s uncontrollable. It just happens. You’re one of the fortunate few actors who’ve been able to venture from the stage to the small screen to the big screen. Does one platform give you more joy than another? Well, they’re all so different. They all have their good things. The thing about film that’s enjoyable, the thing I love about it, is that it’s sort of like summer camp in this intensive way. When I did the western (Into the West mini-series), I learned to ride horses and bareback ride and just grab the hair. You get to do that. For this, it’s all cello. Then you get to walk away from it and learn something else. Actually, being a new parent, film is nice because you get to walk away from it after four months.

DINING

HOLIDAY CATERING GUIDE

Ideas for planning a party at home or at a restaurant Mezza A Lebanese bistro & wine bar

2751 Lavista Rd., Decatur 404.633.8833 www.mezzabistro.com

Mezza, a traditional way of dinning in which all menu items are served in small portions allowing diners to sample and share a large variety of dishes. This type of dining lends itself well for large groups and catering large functions. Mezza has recently expanded and offers a new dining experience along with the great food, belly dancing and hookahs on the weekends. Mezza has been Zagat rated for five consecutive years, one of A t l a n t a Magazine's "Top 100 Restaurants in Atlanta" list in the last three years and one of AJC's top 50 restaurants for 2004. A variety of more than 60 menu items ranging from the traditional dishes, such as hummus, baba ghannouge, falafel, tabbouleh, kebabs, legs of lamb are on the menu. Of course to complete the meal a variety of tasty desserts such as baklawa, rice pudding, halawa bi jibin, and date ma'amoul. Home made ice creams with a variety of flavors mixed with caramelized nuts are also very popular. To finish it off they also have real Lebanese coffee better known in the west as Turkish coffee. Mezza also serves traditional non-alcoholic drinks, such as jallab, a drink made from raisins and topped with pine nuts, rose water and a drink made form mulberries, traditionally known as toot. Along with the great food, Mezza serves a wide selection of wines, imported and domestic and the largest variety of award winning Lebanese wines. A list of local, domestic and imported beers are offered on the menu including Almaza, a Lebanese beer. Mezza caters all types of occasions, holiday parties, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, etc. Party trays and baklawa trays make great gifts. Gift cards are also available. Call them for your next occasion and they will make memorable.

Athens Pizza 1341 Clairmont Rd. Decatur 404.636.1100 www.athenspizzaatlanta.com

For over 25 years, the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory area. In fact, Athens Pizza was just voted as having the Best Greek Cuisine in Atlanta the past two years. Don’t let the name fool you, there is much more than great pizza, as some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back 25 years and more! This holiday season, consider going to their website and ordering from their catering menu. The restaurant can also can accomodate large parties and a private room is available.

Agave 242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 www.agaverestaurant.com

Agave has been voted by several publications as the Best Southwestern as well as being voted one of the “Top 100” restaurants in Atlanta. Agave has two beautiful dining rooms as well as a enclosed patio area making it perfect for holiday parties. They can accomodate parties from 6 guests to 120. Agave’s bar boasts 85 tequilas and their Margarita’s have also won various awards. Those looking to add some extra fun to their party can arrange a special tequila dinner. Their chef's menus are located online which take the pressure off of ordering for large groups and include a personalized menu with your special heading at the top of each menu.

Sweet Devil Moon

980 Piedmont Ave. Midtown 404.347.3600 www.sdmatlanta.com If you are looking for a place to hold your holiday party, midtown’s Sweet Devil Moon is in the heart of everything. Located on the corner of Piedmont and 10th Street, Sweet Devil Moon has indoor seating and offers a nice size patio that is heated in the winter.

The menu features authentic Peruvian Tapas ranging from seafood, chicken, veggie to meat lovers. Popular veggie Tapas include Grilled Portabella, Plan Popular veggie Tapas include Grilled Portabella, Plantano Frito, and Tofu skewers There is a wine bar offering an excellent selection of wines from around the world. Sweet Devil Moon offers candlelit atmosphere and original artwork adorns the walls in this cozy bungalow. Check out their menu online or give them a call before planning your holiday party.

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

Mexico City Gourmet 2134 N. Decatur Rd. 404.634.1128 www.mexicocitygourmet.com

For over 20 years, Mexico City Gourmet has been serving award winning cuisine to the Emory area. The restaurant offers 3 disctinct dining rooms and bar area making it a perfect place to hold a private party. Mexico City Gourmet has a vast menu consisting of many authentic Mexican dishes. Most of these dishes are available for catering. They can cater for parties large and small. There is a 10 person minimum with prices starting at $7 per person. A popluar catering choice at Mexico City is their Fajita platters which include rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tortillas and your choice of meats. Their Fajita Platters run $8 per person. A 24 hour notice is asked for large catering orders.

Flying Biscuit Cafe’ Catering Hotline: 404.849.2203 www.flyingbiscuit.com

One of Atlanta’s favorite homegrown gems recently celebrated the opening of their third location. Those familiar with the original location in Candler Park know the wonderful aroma wafting from their bakery next store. Their one of a kind, award winning biscuits are the perfect addition to any holiday function. Call their catering hotline or check the Flying Biscuit website for great ways make this years holiday party a memorable one.

BEST PIZZA!

& Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com

Locos Grill & Pub 3167 Peachtree Rd. 404.233.1989 www.locosgrillandpub.com

Locos is famous for their wings, subs and great pitchers of beer. This makes them a popular choice for catered events large and small. Their menu is available on their website offers a wide array of choices from platters to individual servings. The Buckhead location featured offers a patio area and private room for holiday parties.

��

Chicago’s Nancy’s Pizza

Midtown 265 Ponce De Leon, 404.885.9199 www.nancyspizza.com

The name Chicago conjures up images of some of the best pizza in the country. Mike Glover opened the first Chicago’s Nancy’s in Atlanta in 2003. As he explains, “We commit ourselves to the customers being happy and make sure to thank them for coming to Chicago’s Nancy’s.” They offer more than just great pizza; salads and sandwiches also fill their menu. Nancy’s is the perfect place to call when planning a holiday get together large or small.

Chin Chin

Buckhead / Brookhaven 3887 Peachtree Rd. 404.816.2229 www.chinchinonline.com

Chin Chin is consistently voted Atlanta’s Best Chinese restaurant. The Buckhead location featured provides a luxurious and relaxing atmoshere for an enjoyable dining experience. Chin Chin’s menu not only offers the standard favorites but also many exotic dishes in Chinese cuisine. This makes them the perfect choice for small parties at the restaurant or ordering out.

Advertising in INsite sounds great to her! WHAT ABOUT YOU? CALL STEVE TODAY! 404-315-8485 PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

BOO!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

RUE STORY: LEGENDARY AUTHOR Stephen King was shopping in a grocery store in Florida one day when he was confronted by an elderly woman. Though 90 years old, the lady knew exactly who King was and let him know all about himself, saying she hated the fact that all of his stuff was scary. Blank-faced, the man who’s penned more than 40 unsettling books listened on. She continued to say how she enjoyed more uplifting movies like Shawshank Redemption. “I wrote that,” King remembered telling the woman. The lady didn’t believe him. “I’m thinking to myself, Geez, maybe I didn’t. It’s not very much like my other stuff. Maybe I didn’t write that one.” Cowardly souls (and old lady at the grocery store), seek cover! King and frequent collaborative Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption and Green Mile) have returned in earnest with The Mist, a disturbing film based on an early King novella. Here, the legend of fright talks about his good friend, fear and horror movies he wished would stop being filmed. Somebody said you wrote this novella during the Vietnam War, but it wasn’t published until the ‘80s. Can you talk about the origins of the story, and why you see it as being so right for 2007? Well, it wasn’t during the Vietnam War, which was over by the time that I wrote it. A friend of mine, Kirby McCauley, was putting together an anthology called Dark Forces and wanted all these original stories from people who wrote in the genre. And I said, “ I don’t think I can do that because I’m blocked. I’m not writing anything.” And I hadn’t. I had finished like three books– Carrie, Salem’s Lot and Night Shift. I was stuck, and I happened to be in the local market one time and a lot of people were shopping, and I looked at the front windows and I thought, If something bad happened those windows would all bowl in. That’s the way I think. It’s not necessarily a good thing, but it’s been a profitable thing over the years. I thought about—mulled it over, and this story came out of it, and I’ve always been grateful to The Mist because it kind of broke me out of a place where I couldn’t seem to do anything. This story just came very, very naturally, and in terms of Vietnam or any other conflict, if you’re writing seriously, by which I mean trying as hard as you can, the issues that are in your mind, the things you’ve been through are all going to play a part.

Fear has played such a major role in your work, I wonder whether you have had in your thinking a progressive notion about fear. How has the notion of fear evolved in your mind, and how do you apply that in your work? Fear is a survival function, right? If you’re afraid of certain things [like] walking down the center line of a highway at night or going out in hunting season in Maine which is what’s going on now, and you’re not dressed in something PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Horror Master Stephen King On Fear, Frank Darabont and The Mist.

that’s red, or orange, there’s always—you’re afraid that you might get shot. So I think of fear as a survival function, and in the stories that I write, the only thing that I’ve tried to do is provide people with nightmares which are really safe places to put those fears for a while because you can say afterwards that it was all just makebelieve anyway, so I just took my emotions for a walk. This is a negative emotion. It’s a kind of a pit-bull in the human mind, and it needs to have a place to walk, and it needs to be petted every now and then, too. That’s what these stories try to do. And a lot of you have seen the movie, maybe all of you, and you know that these people are trapped in a supermarket, and things happen to them that are inexplicable or not normal. But sooner or later, every one of us faces those things in our own life. You might call it cancer instead of things in the mist, but we’re all afraid of those things, and it seems valid to me to explore them. But if I have any more ideas about fear, it’s just that I’m glad I do what I do because it’s allowed me to sort of vent a lot of this stuﬀ

and get paid for it whereas people —I’ve said this before— who go to shrinks pay them. This is a win-win for me. When we were talking to Frank before, we were talking about the fact that the story sort of straddles between science fiction and the supernatural… Talk about how you viewed it, and also Stephen, why didn’t you produce this film? I was writing a book. That’s the short answer to that. And uh, in terms of the science fiction—I’ve written a lot of stories that I think of as sort of science fiction, you know? And for me, it always has to be sort of science fiction because I was a C chemistry student and a B- physics student, so I was never a geek, and I never had a lot of those skills, or that knowledge base. But on the other hand, I saw a lot of movies in the 50’s like The Thing and Them, and I know that radiation causes monsters, and most important of all, I know that if we mess around too much with the unknown something awful will happen.

Two-part question: You’re such a prolific writer. Can you break down the process to your readers? I mean, how do you work? Do you use a typewriter? And the second part is that a lot of writers get very disenfranchised, so to speak, when Hollywood comes in and tries to turn one of their books into a movie. Can you talk about what Mr. Darabont brings to your words that make you feel so comfortable in turning over your projects to him? Yeah, I actually did used to have a big wang, but of course, I was younger then. It was a Wang word processor. Get your minds out of the gutter! I love to work with Frank. I’ve worked with Frank. Basically, I don’t work with Frank; I just basically stand aside and let Frank do his thing. The thing about Frank that I’ve always liked is that he still has a child’s imagination coupled with an adult’s ability to see the core of the material and then execute his vision. So, you’ve got a couple of things going on there that hook up together that you don’t see in a lot of filmmakers. You do see it in some, and they do good work. And Frank has always done good work. I feel very comfortable that I’m going to get something from Frank that’s gonna be usually extraordinary. In my case, you know, he’s done The Woman in the Room, which was a small film. He’s done Shawshank. He’s done The Green Mile and he’s done The Mist. And it isn’t just me. I hear from other people all the time. They’ll say I just loved those movies, you know? In terms of the writing schedule, keyboards and all that, uh… it doesn’t really matter to me if I’ve got access to writing materials. It doesn’t matter that much what the writing materials are. I have a regular schedule for writing that it’s in the morning, and I’ve done it enough years so that those things turn on. The real trick is it’s nice to have two or three ideas that are worth working on. [But] that’s something that you can’t always depend on having. Usually God’s been good to me. I’ve had a lot of interesting ideas. I’ve had a lot of fun. What about the other movies that other filmmakers have made from your work? Has there been frustration for you? No, there’s never been any frustration. Either they’re good or they’re bad, and if they’re bad, I just kind of laugh, you know? There’s a story about the college newspaper reporter who came to see James M. Cain toward the end of his life. The young reporter was bemoaning what Hollywood had done to his books, and Cain whipped right around in his chair and pointed at the [bookcase] and said, “They haven’t done a damn thing, son, they’re all right up there.” And that’s the case. I’m always interested to see what’s going to happen when you beat the piñata. And it’s always a little bit different sometimes. It’s good sometimes. Sometimes it’s… Children of the Corn. You just can’t tell what’s going to happen. But I’m always interested to see.

see KING on page 18

Someday Baby

FILM INTERVIEW

With Indies (The New Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There) & Biggies (Next Summer’s The Dark Knight) Under His Belt, Heath Ledger’s Time Appears To Be Now BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

T TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF ACTOR to willingly step into a bizarre role like Robbie, one of six incarnations of music legend Bob Dylan in the trippy new ﬂick I’m Not There. But to hear Heath Ledger tell it, saying yes to Todd Haynes’ movie was pretty much a given. Good director, good part, when do we start? But such a response shouldn’t be shocking from the Australian hunk. Over his impressive 15-year career, Ledger has boldly portrayed a gay cowboy (Brokeback Mountain), a straight shooter (The Patriot) and a crooked lover (Casanova), all in convincing fashion. Next summer he’s upping the ante big time and going after Gotham City as The Dark Knight’s Joker. But for now he’s with us, shedding some light on being Bob, being Batman’s nemesis and being a daddy.

we just concentrated on our individual stories. I tend to feel that the story of my character and Charlotte’s (Gainsbourg) character lives with him and the circumstances of the era represented more a portrait of Dylan than perhaps the individual. At the end of the day I read the books, watched the documentaries and my catalogue of Dylan’s music was expanded, but the beauty of Todd’s ﬁlm is I can’t tell you that I know anything more about Bob Dylan than you do. I think that’s beautiful¬– that Todd attempted to respectfully preserve Bob Dylan’s mystique, and has respectfully kept him in the shadows still.

what Jack Nicholson did and the world Tim Burton created. I can tell you now that if Tim Burton was directing The Dark Knight and he came and asked me to play the Joker, I’d say no. You couldn’t reproduce what Jack did. The reason why I conﬁdently stepped in those shoes was when Chris [Nolan, The Dark Knight director] asked me, I had seen Batman Begins and I knew the world that he created. I also knew that there was a diﬀerent angle to be taken. That’s why I did it.

How has music aﬀected your life? Oh, gosh. Where do I start? Music? On so many levels, it has aﬀected my life and still continues to. One example, singer/ songwriters, poets like Dylan or whoever, to me it’s such a pure expression or song from the soul and it deeply connects to mine. It has always been the key to unlock or enable me to express anger or pains of any sort. So it’s always been a wonderful excuse for me to express creatively and personally.

As a dad, how do you relate to this role? The same as if I wasn’t a dad. (Pause) No, okay. I guess just like anyone in this industry, like yourselves or the crews on movies, it’s a fairly Gypsy-esque lifestyle. I can certainly relate to that, struggling to keep a consistency with family life (Heath has a child with Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams) and your social life and your professional

AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU USUALLY JUST HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT IT IS YOU’RE GOING TO DO. IT’S INNATELY KIND OF EMBEDDED SOMEWHERE INSIDE.

A lot of younger audiences today aren’t as aware of Bob Dylan as their parents’ generation. Do you feel an audience needs a certain awareness of Dylan in order to understand I’m Not There? I don’t think you need to be a Dylan genius in order to appreciate it. As a story, as a film, the experience of it, ‘cause it is a film, it is a movie. It’s not a quiz. There’s no Q & A afterwards. Quite frankly, I think the less you know the better off you’re going to be, because you’re not going to be straining yourself to try to digest every single line of dialogue. You’re just gonna strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. Your character represents Bob’s tumultuous personal life. What did you discover about the man himself in preparing for this role? About “Robbie,” or about Bob? About Bob. Umm, I dunno. Todd essentially dissected Bob, and I was like an amputated limb, so I was just concentrating on one arm of Bob Dylan. Likewise, Todd dissected the script and handed us little short films, and

When you’re playing an iconic figure like Dylan or, say, the Joker, is it helpful to go back and read all of the past stuff and look at all of the past stuff based on that character? I think it’s a little bit of both. I think it’s necessary, and I think it’s unnecessary. We can prepare. We can over-prepare. We can underprepare. It’s all just to feed our superstitious needs and to comfort ourselves. At the end of the day, you usually just have an understanding about what it is you’re going to do. It’s innately kind of embedded somewhere inside. I was definitely a fan of Dylan. Dylan was definitely someone I had felt I had scheduled somewhere in the future down the line to become obsessed by. I do become obsessed by people, musicians and artists. But I think Todd prematurely invited me into that experience on this film. And the Joker, yeah, I was definitely a fan of

life. It’s both an annoyance and also an addiction. I can deﬁnitely relate to it. I didn’t agree with Robbie and a lot of his actions and his words, it’s not my job to agree, but I can try to relate and understand.

AADA alumni have been nominated for 72 Oscars®, 211 Emmys® and 60 Tonys®.

Redford

DeVito

Ebersole

Haysbert

Cattrall

Brody

Azaria

Rudd

Are You Next? AUDITION IN ATLANTA JANUARY 26 • College Degree Conservatory Program • Six-Week Summer Intensive • Scholarships & Student Housing

ACT NOW! LOS ANGELES 800 222 2867 NEW YORK 800 463 8990 www.aada.org

Los Angeles & NewYork

See our podcast on iTunes PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

FILM

�� ATONEMENT:� �� – Matt Goldberg AUGUST RUSH:� �� – DeMarco Williams BEOWULF:�� PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

�� – Matt Goldberg DARFUR NOW:�� – DeMarco Williams ENCHANTED:� ��

First, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” then that Christmas movie with Tom Hanks and the train, now this: animated Angelina Jolie boobs. Robert Zemeckis, you sir have a problem. �� – Matt Goldberg HITMAN:� �� – Matt Goldberg I’M NOT THERE:� �� – Matt Goldberg

JUNO:� �� – Matt Goldberg LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA:� ��

�� – Zena Scott �� MARGOT AT THE WEDDING: �� –�� Matt Goldberg �� – DeMarco WilliamsTHE �� PERFECT HOLIDAY:� �� – DeMarco �� Williams �� THE MIST:�� .S. I LOVE�� YOU:� �� P�� – ZenaScott Scott �� – Zena �� MARGOTATATTHE THEWEDDING: WEDDING: �� MARGOT �� –Matt Matt Goldberg �� –�� Goldberg �� THEPERFECT PERFECTHOLIDAY:� HOLIDAY:�� THE �� – DeMarco Williams �� –�� DeMarco �� Williams �� THE MIST:�� P.S. �� I �� LOVE YOU:� �� – Zena Scott �� WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY:� �� TM & ©MMVII NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS, INC. THE GOLDEN COMPASS™ AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS, PLACES, �� NAMES AND OTHER INDICIA ARE TRADEMARKS OF NEW LINE PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. �� www.goldencompassmovie.com �� CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR SHOWTIMES �� “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” starring John C. Reilly �� – DeMarco Williams�� ATLANTA_INSITE �� NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN:�� 1/4PG �� FRI 11/30 �� ALLIED DC AC �� – DeMarco Williams �� – DeMarco Williams �� DeMarcoWilliams Williams �� – Matt Goldberg �� – –DeMarco �� THE MIST:�� THE �� MIST:�� P�� YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH:� �� P.S.I LOVE I LOVE YOU:�� .S. YOU:� �� – Zena Scott �� HARD: �� WALK THE DEWEY�� COX�� STORY:� �� – Matt Goldberg �� “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” starring John C. Reilly �� – DeMarco Williams �� NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN:�� – Matt Goldberg �� YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH:� �� ZenaScott Scott �� ––Zena �� WALKHARD: HARD: THE THE DEWEY DEWEY COX COX STORY:� STORY:�� WALK �� – MattC. Goldberg �� “WalkHard: Hard:The The Dewey Dewey Cox Cox Story” Story” starring starring John John Reilly “Walk C. Reilly �� – DeMarcoWilliams Williams �� – DeMarco �� PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007 � �� COUNTRYFOR FOROLD OLDMEN:�� MEN:�� NONO COUNTRY ��

STARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

Vidiots This month’s DVD & VHS Releases

EASTERN PROMISES – Director David Cronenberg

weaves a near-masterpiece with a cast made up of Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl and, in one of the year’s best performances, Viggo Mortensen. Unfortunately, they all have to trudge through a weak story of a midwife (Watts) who ﬁnds herself drawn into the world of the Russian mob in London as she struggles to protect the baby of a girl who died in childbirth. The ﬁlm attempts to weave an interesting morality tale, but drops the ball with a cringe-worthy third- act twist. Still, Cronenberg leaves his mark, and Eastern Promises manages to surpass its shallow script to emerge as one of the year’s most captivating thrillers. Grade B MG

ONCE – A musical that doesn’t want to be a musical,

Once doesn’t feature people randomly bursting into song or elaborate dance numbers. But it remains a musical, as the main characters express their hopes, heartaches and desires through music, albeit as naturally as possible. Together, leads Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová build an album as street musician Glen hopes for a recording contract. Writer/Director John Carney (a member of Hansard’s band, The Frames) wants to ﬁnd the realness of the music, and his cinéma vérité style can’t help but add to the project. Ultimately, the threadbare plot and standard tales of unrequited love simply serve as the backdrop for the lovely music. I don’t know if Once is a must-see movie, but it’s certainly a must-hear soundtrack. Grade B MG

PICKS OF THE MONTH

What was the book you were doing that you couldn’t do this movie with Frank? It’s called Dew McKee. It’s going to be out in January, and they make wonderful presents. What are your biggest fears? I’m afraid of everything. It shows in my work. Elevators. Uh, cars. One of the things that started the new book was basically a combination of an accident that I had and a truck that was backing up and the beeper was broken, and somebody said, “Look out!” A whole big, long novel came out of that. Every night when I go to bed and nobody popped a rogue nuke somewhere in the world, I feel this sort of combination of, “I don’t believe we escaped for another day” and gratitude because we did escape for another day. There’s so much of that stuﬀ out there. And I’ve written a lot of diﬀerent things about that from The Stand to The Mist where you see a lot of people out there. They’re afraid. They’re angry because fear and anger go hand-in-hand. They’re the original sin version of the Bobbsey Twins, you know, fear and anger. And when they do, there’s always somebody to say, Well, we had the answer. We had the only answer because whatever the religion might happen to be, they’re the ones who say we have the only answer. Let’s get down on our knees and pray about it, and then on your way out, there’s guns in the vestry. Wanted to ask about the decision whether or not to make stories into movies or TV miniseries? Also, is there any story of yours which you still would like to get made? First of all, I think it’s good to see my movies back again. They were in rehab for a while, but PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE – The animated TV family’s ﬁrst

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Pick-

ing up directly after the last film, Ultimatum finds Jason Bourne in the crosshairs of an overzealous black-ops director (David Straithairn) who has no problem murdering innocent civilians to keep us safe. While Bush Administration commentary boils beneath the surface, the surface is so enthralling that you never feel like you’ve been served a heap of partisan pandering. The magnetism of Matt Damon’s performance and Greengrass’ hand-held camera make sure that you’re always in the action. While most of the summer’s trilogy-enders came up short this summer, Ultimatum is one of the year’s most rewarding films. MG

RUSH HOUR 3 – Since Jackie Chan was the fish-out-ofwater in the first movie and Tucker was the fish-out-of-water in the second, now they’re both fish-out-of-water in the most alienating place in the world: Paris, where they track down the leader of the Triads, who is trying to assassinate Ambassador Han and his daughter. If you’re walking into a Rush Hour film, you’re walking in for two things: To see Tucker be loud and funny, and to watch Chan do bad-ass fights and stunts. Knowing what to expect, I found myself

KING from page 14

enjoying the ﬁlm, but found myself growing tired by the time our heroes make their way to the big ﬁnale. I thought I had more tolerance for Chan’s stunts, Tucker’s humor, and Brett Ratner’s completely bland direction, but I was wrong. Grade B MG

they’re better now. No, I mean, whenever anybody talks to me, whether it’s a musical version of Carrie or whether it’s—there have been two, you know, play versions of Carrie. One was great, and the other was so weirdly bad that it was great, too. So, whenever anybody nods to try, I’m sort of up for that, as long as they make a minimal amount of sense. How would you say your writing has evolved over the years? First thing that crossed my mind when you said how’s my writing evolved, I say probably I know two or three thousand more words than I did when I was 24, so my vocabulary’s improved a little bit. No, I’m not as angry as I used to be because I’m not 25 anymore, I’m 60, and that’ll kick your ass

ﬁlm follows the near-dissolution of Marge and Homer’s marriage after he– D’oh!!!– dumps his pet pig’s droppings in Lake Springﬁeld, resulting in the EPA covering the city in an impenetrable bubble. By the end, Homer’s been on an epic quest involving a team of sled dogs, a hallucinogenic-laden encounter with a shaman and a father-son motorcycle ride that literally has the fate of the world at stake. What makes The Simpsons such a landmark show is the little things. Behind the blink-and-you’ll-miss-‘em jokes, the cartoonish pratfalls and the surprise celeb cameos, at its core the show is about the fortitude of a family that sticks together despite their differences. And for 88 glorious minutes, The Simpsons Movie shows that family at its heart-tugging best… and hilarious worst. Grade A- BL

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – The

best installment of the franchise, with director David Yates nailing the depression and anger that haunts Harry after his showdown with Voldemort. He weaves the darker emotional overtones of Harry, forced to understand his own morality and need for friendship when it seems like the world is against him, alongside the political repression undertones of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) and her tenure at Hogwarts. The speed at which the film moves sometimes eclipses character introductions and, for a film that ends with such darkness, it seems like someone has forced an upbeat ending. But these are minor complaints for a film that manages to take most everything wonderful about the book and create more onscreen magic than any of the previous Potters. MG

STARDUST – Tristan (Charlie Cox) is a lovable loser who

doesn’t dream of adventure so much as marrying the lovely but shallow Victoria (Sienna Miller). When a star falls, he offers to retrieve it and, if he brings it back within a week’s time, she’ll marry him. However, the star turns out to be a striking young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), who’s being tracked by a wicked witch (Michelle Pfieffer) and a cadre of cutthroat princes who need the pendant she wears in order to ascend to the throne. While the outline is your standard fairy tale/fantasy, the writing and style are overflowing with humor and wit. Stardust is The Princess Bride for a new generation, and I can’t think of any higher compliment than that. Grade A- MG

SUPERBAD – Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are about to graduate from high school and, like all unpopular teenage boys, obsessed with losing their virginity, convinced the only way they can nail a hot chick is through alcohol. The quest for alcohol runs alongside a plot following their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) as he ends up hanging with the world’s most irresponsible cops (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader). Despite lacking any big-name stars, Superbad clearly had the makings of a word-of-mouth hit and a breakout feature for its two leads. Judd Apatow’s brilliance is in nurturing stories that are not only funny, but also ﬁnd a heart. Working on this script since he was 13, Rogen has clearly picked up on Apatow’s gift, developing a movie that appeals more to our perverted inner child than our stunted adult. Grade A- MG

every time. There’s an Elvis Costello song that says, “I used to be angry/Now I’m just amused,” or something like that. I’m not amused. There’s a little more despair in some of the works than there used to be. In that sense, The Mist is actually a fairly mature work in that it’s darker than some of the other stuff. I’m still just trying to tell good stories, and find a way to do that, and not repeat myself and not fall into a rut and furnish it and find new ways to do things. I guess that’s it.

BUT SOONER OR LATER, EVERY ONE OF US FACES THOSE THINGS IN OUR OWN LIFE. YOU MIGHT CALL IT CANCER INSTEAD OF THINGS IN THE MIST, BUT WE’RE ALL AFRAID OF THOSE THINGS, AND IT SEEMS VALID TO ME TO EXPLORE THEM.

You’ve directed only one movie, Maximum Overdrive. Will you ever direct one again? I’d never say never. I think it would be great sometime to direct a movie when I wasn’t coked and drunk out of my mind and see what came out. But I’m not crazy to do it. Okay, what I really regret is Frank asked me if I would act in The Mist, and I, for one reason or another, wasn’t able to do it. But damn I kick myself! Splitting your time between Florida and Maine, how does that change impact you in

terms of your stories since location has often played so much a part? Well, the new book has a Florida setting. [My wife and I have] been going back and forth to Florida 10 years and I still feel tentative about it. It takes a while to get the texture of a place. So I’ve kind of got my mental blast shield down about that. Who are some of the other science fiction/horror writers that you are excited about? Richard Matheson was the first one who really influenced me. Robert Bloch was another one. Today? Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little. I read across a wide spectrum. I don’t just read horror; hat would be kind of boring. But there are a lot of different people that I really like. Uh, Kelly Link is great. I really like Kelly Link. She doesn’t work that field specifically but I like her stuff a lot. How do you feel about horror film making in general these days? I’m not dissatisfied with the splat pack. I mean, I can’t wait to go see P2. I’m excited to see P2. I was excited to see Halloween, the remake of Halloween. Hostel 2—I was there the first day that baby opened. It’s like every other kind of movie—there’s some I like and some of them I don’t. But in a lot of cases, it feels to me like I’m not dealing with reality, that I’m dealing with some sub genre where everybody knows. It’s almost like a Japanese note play. I feel like I know what’s going to happen, even if on some level I don’t exactly. This is going to happen, that is going to happen and it’s gonna have the Sixth Sense snapper at the end or whatever and they don’t a lot of times. They don’t feel like the work of grownups. They feel like the work of people who are still just sort of learning to tell a more textured story.

FILM INTERVIEW

How The Wes Was One

Jason Schwartzman On Reuniting With Rushmore Director Wes Anderson BY MATT GOLDBERG

Because you’d have to kill us? I don’t want to kill you guys. I don’t want to kill you. Not with [the tape recorders] on. But the shoes, Wes won’t exactly tell me why no shoes, but I never wore shoes. Even when you can’t see my feet there are no shoes.

ASON SCHWARTZMAN ENTERS THE room and he should not be as happy as he looks right now. He’s been doing TV and radio interviews all morning, and now it’s 2:30 in the afternoon and he has to deal with a chucklehead like me. And yet in the year I’ve been doing this, Schwartzman is easily one of the friendliest actors I’ve spoken to. He’s calm, relaxed, and making sure we’ve all had the delicious hospitality cookies laid out on a silver platter. But not only is Schwartzman is nice guy, he’s a damn talented one. He busted guts and broke hearts as Max Fischer in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, and now he re-teams with Anderson as an actor and co-writer for The Darjeeling Limited. In working with Wes, what’s changed over the past ten years? On Rushmore, going to work with him, I had no film experience. I had no acting experience. I didn’t think I would be an actor. I was scared the whole time. People always go, “You did a good job,” or “How did you come up with this thing?” and I would always go, “I wasn’t really thinking about any of that stuff because I really didn’t have time to,” It would kind of be like if I threw you in the ring with Mike Tyson and you spent three minutes in there and someone says, “Did you hit him?” and you’d probably say, “No! I was just trying not to get killed!” I was like that the entire time on Rushmore. I was just trying not to die! I wasn’t being aggressive. I was completely on the defensive. And I was just meeting Wes for the first time and we immediately stuck up a friendship. This time around, we have ten years of friendship between us and we’re just working from a much different place. We are best friends and I wrote this movie with him and it was just as scary but for different reasons. I think the biggest change I witnessed on Wes’ part, and not to say that he wasn’t this way before but more this way in India, is that he surrendered to India. He said early-on, “If we write the script that three brothers get picked up in a car but if they bring us a blue truck, we just shoot the blue truck,” Like before he may have been, “No, I wanted a red car. I want a red car,” Not in a tyrannical way, but just trying to get what he wanted. But in India, he was like, “Whatever India gives us, we just accept it and go with it,” So it was a very nice way to work where we’ll do everything we can on our end but that’s only going to be half of it. The next half is whatever happens. Did you have to adopt that same attitude? Totally. Every take is different. There’s a cow walking in one shot, and a monkey in one shot. You just have to be like, rolling with it. But on this movie, the two things I’ll say are nice is that one, there’s a lot of things happening in the background of the shots and people think that we put them in there and we didn’t. They just happen naturally. We just didn’t take them out. I mean, if you shot a movie in downtown Cleveland, you have a better chance of blocking off some streets. But there are thousands of people in India on the street walk-

Were there any injuries due to the shoelessness? Thank God, I never cut my skin or broke my bones. And it was crazy because it was such a haphazard situation so I knew no fancy ﬁlm crew was going to come and comb the area for nails. But if you look at my face, I’m always looking down secretly and there’s a lot of scenes where sandspurs are going into my foot and I’m just grimacing but the scene was going well so you just keep going.

ing. You can’t stop any of them. So we would just take our camera out there and shoot. There’s no trailers. There’s nothing on our movie. So we just get out there and make a movie and shoot these scenes and half the time a kid walks through holding a sugar cane and a lot of times people think we placed it there and we didn’t. Also, other times, if there are things in the background of the shot, like if we’re running for the train and there’s a kid way in the distance and you see him running and pushing a tire, well that just happened because on the day we were going to shoot there was a kid running back there with a tire and we just said, “Hey! When you see us run, you run too!” So it was a series of just incorporating things that were around us. So it’s not like there’s any forced quirkiness. On this movie, and I can deﬁnitely say this after working with Wes twice, nothing is ever put in the movies to be quirky and weird. They’re really just honest. Most of the characters are based on real people. And the things that they say that just seem so crazy are literally verbatim. And I think that’s

wonderful. We just tried to write the most honest script possible and a very personal script. It was just nice to work that way. So did the writing process for the film mirror what your character does when he writes short stories that he says are fictional, but are really non-fiction? Exactly. My character’s need to make these short stories out of things that have happened in his life in order to move on is what we were looking to do as writers on our script. It’s completely based on our lives. So your character in the movie is you? Well, it’s equal. Each character is one-third each of the writers. But I related to my character. I look the most like him. Except for the moustache and the bare feet. Well the moustache and the no shoes, that’s just how he rocked it. There is significance ,but I can’t tell you about it.

Can you talk a little bit about Hotel Chevalier and its place in the film? We were always trying to figure it out. We has been writing the feature film and we were about a month into it and all we had was the opening scene. But a month in, Wes calls me and reads me this Hotel Chevalier thing. And he said, “What do you think?” and I say, “I love it but what is it? I thought we were writing about a movie about three brothers on a train in India and what’s this thing in a hotel room? I don’t understand,” And he said, “It’s a short movie I want to do with you and Natalie Portman if he she says yes. And I want to make it as soon as possible,” even though we’d only been writing the other thing for a month or two. It was crazy to shoot it and it was crazy because we had to figure out what was in this room like, “Okay, we know he has the luggage; I guess we know he wears a black shirt and a grey suit; we know he has a moustache. Does he have speech impediment? Does he have a limp? What are we supposed to put in here right now?” For instance, there’s a scene where Natalie puts something in my luggage. It turns out to be perfume, but we didn’t know what it was when we did it. We shot three different takes, one with a tiny brown bag, one with a mediumsized bag, and one with a box, and we just figured that we’d figure it out later. It turned out that the short really informed the writing process of the feature film. Up until the short, we had no intention of having this theme of Jack [Schwartzman’s character] with the iPod and the music and scoring the scene. So when we were finished it, we were in a little bit of a conundrum because we were like “What do we do? We have such a clear opening for the film but at the same time, the short movie is so informative about my character and fills in so many blanks,” So what we figured would be best is to show the movie, have the lights come up, let people have some sandwiches and tea, let it digest, and then show the feature. But because you can’t do that, we decided to put it online just so that people could sit with it. But it’s been hard because not everyone has iTunes or can get online so now it’s coming out in front of the movie. PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

��

CONCERT

CALENDER

�� Kinchafoonee Cowboys �� Southern Culture on the Skids �� Tom Willner �� Trey Wright Trio �� Crop Circle �� GWAR �� Trotline �� The Elvis Show �� J. Roddy Walston & The Business �� Villians �� The Black Lips �� Tracy Lawrence �� Unzipt �� Spam Allstars �� Hendrix Tribute �� Turnstyle �� Southern Culture on the Skids �� Tommy Womack �� Jason Pastras �� The Squirrelheads & Deep Blue Sun �� Crazy Anglos �� The Acacia Strain �� Fly By Radio �� Modern Skirts �� Nine Pound Hammer �� Brian Wiltsey & Brass Malone �� Kingsized Holiday Bash �� Joal Rush

��

�� Georgia Fireﬂies �� Blues Envy �� Vast �� Black Out w/ Francisco Vidal �� The Sword �� Kelly Joe Phelps �� Fat City Mild Cats �� Blind Melon �� Angels and Airwaves �� The Edison Project, Lejeune �� Hipnotic Unplugged �� Michael Tolcher, Andy Davis �� JT Speed �� Sol Junky, Sons of Roswell �� Eric Hutchinson

�� Gareth Asher �� Winter Funktacular �� Wrong Way �� Orquesta MaCuba & DJ Maﬁoso �� Kemba Cofﬁeld �� Cosmic Gypsies �� The Dynamites �� The Wood Brothers �� Totally Savage �� The Uglistick & Chris McCarty Band �� Greedy White Citizens �� From Autumn to Ashes �� Reckless �� Five Star Iris �� Pistolero �� Jethro Tull �� New Originals �� Blackhawk

Chris Brown @��(12-16) �� Frontiers �� Time to Shine Showcase �� Little Phil & the Blanks �� Aclarion �� Tiger! Tiger! �� Josh Joplin Group, Garrison Starr �� Lil’ Joey’s Big Band �� Vortex Park �� Heavy Mojo & Social Espionage �� Nekromantix �� Down Stroke �� Hollyfaith, Month of Sundays �� Gentleman Jesse & His Men �� Magno & Brian Wiltsey �� Dan Zanes, Outformation �� Mary Miller �� The Farewell Drifters �� Blues Envy �� Ebin Edwards Beneﬁt �� Black Out w/ Francisco Vidal �� Fat City Mild Cats �� The Hired Gun Band �� Chimaira, Kataklysm �� The Skyline Drive, The Vanilla Curve �� Tuff Whitﬁeld �� Unwed Sailor �� Trees on Fire �� JT Speed �� I AM The Avalanche �� Southern Wailers

��

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Regina Spektor @��(12-5) �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Bernard Linnette �� Sonia Leigh �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Ludo, Edison Glass �� Francisco Vidal Band �� Rick Brantley �� The Spectrmen �� Regina Spektor w/ Only Son �� Mike Veal �� Hot Rod Circuit �� Justin Brogdon �� Strange Brew �� Aclarion Unplugged �� Suntoucher �� Sparky & Rhonda Rucker �� Chickenshack �� Phoenix for Saints �� Shamrock �� The Redcoats �� Elevado

�� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds �� Bernard Linnette �� Brass Castle, Lay Down Mains �� The Brilliant Inventions �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Rock Box �� Chemlab, U.S.S.A. �� Francisco Vidal Band �� Turtle Folk �� El Scorcho �� Mike Veal �� Josh Hoge �� Joy of Sharing Holiday Party �� The Good Good �� Strange Brew �� Justin �� The Orphins, The Liverhearts �� SONiA & Disappear Fear �� Chickenshack �� Kevin Scott & the Big Tasty’s �� Café Tacuba �� Az Izz �� Sister Hazel �� The Dirty Dozen Brass Band �� Gore Gore Girls �� Connor �� Paws for Applause

y Band

day Party

�� Slippery When Wet �� Rahbi �� Morningside & Spy �� Hipnotic �� The Happenstance �� The Dappled Grays �� Frankie’s Blue Mission �� NuBerry Jam �� Gunther & The Sunshine Girls �� NeeDeep, Eleven Standing Still �� Radio Cult �� Tab Benoit �� Bitch, Rock City Dropouts �� Hank Barbee & Brian Wiltsey �� Winter Soulstice Art Jam �� Yonrico’s Bash & Beneﬁt �� Jeff Talmadge & Friends �� Blues Envy �� King Rat �� Chris Brown & Bow Wow �� Judi Chicago, Black Volt �� Black Out w/ Francisco Vidal �� Fat City Mild Cats �� ASIFA �� The Street Dogs �� Bob Schneider �� Hipnotic Unplugged �� Ed Roland & Friends �� JT Speed �� Austomatic Love Letter �� Chicken’s N Pigs, Delta Moon �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Bernard Linnette �� Matthew Perryman Jones �� Chicago Joe Jones �� The Fly Brothers �� Rollin in the Hay �� Music for a Cure �� Gasoline Heart �� Mike Veal �� Reverse Bomokey �� The Good Good �� Strange Brew �� Jane on the Range �� El Capitan & Thee Scallywags �� Arlington Priest �� Chickenshack �� Toy TV �� The Breakfast Club �� PJ Morton, Micah Dalton �� Big Trouble in Little 5 �� Mic Larry & Tantric Sex Guide �� Southern Girls �� Gritz & Jelly Butter �� Modern Vintage �� Hipnotic �� allnightdrugprowlingwolves �� Will Hoge �� Tom Isobe �� Silver Apple, The Apostles �� Zoso �� John Pringle �� Rocket 350 �� Villians �� Paul Thorn �� The Beggar’ Guild

�� Jennifer Daniels, Drew Holcomb �� Blues Envy �� Amnesty Road �� Black Out w/ Francisco Vidal

Mondays: Karaoke 8pm Tues & Thurs: Trivia 8pm Wednesdays: Texas Hold ‘em

LIVE MUSIC TUES–SUN

UGA BUS TRIP

SEE WEBSITE

Santa Claus @��(12-25) �� Dance Party �� Bernard Linnette �� Noot D’ Noot �� Caroline Aiken �� NodFactor2 �� Francisco Vidal Band �� Col. Bruce Hampton & Quark Alliance �� Mike Veal �� Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun �� Mike Willis, Clay Evans �� JY & Tom P. �� 17th Floor �� The Swinging Caesers �� New Street Records �� Mel & The Party Hats �� Downtown Execs �� Pistoltown �� Band of Horses �� South City Blues Band �� Stop Drop & Roll �� Appetite for Destruction �� Chris Knight �� Tiger! Tiger! �� Sound Tribe Sector 9 �� The White Leppard Crue �� Tim Long’s Band & Friends �� Andy Birdsall Band �� Band of Horses �� everybodyﬁelds, Brain Webb �� Dillon Blues Project �� Grayson Hill �� Nine Inch Neils �� Dropsonic, Roma 79 �� Sound Tribe Sector 9 �� Tinsley Ellis �� Michelle Malone �� Blues Envy �� Widespread Panic �� Ancient Harmony �� Sound Tribe Sector 9 �� Black Out w/ Francisco Vidal �� Band of Horses �� Walkin’ Sidewayz �� Michelle Malone �� Fat City Joe Jones �� Entropy �� Liquiﬁed �� Boy Hits Car, Dear Enemy �� NSP (Dance Cover) �� Widespread Panic �� drivin n cryin �� Modern Skirts �� The Fourty-Fives, The Booze �� Sound Tribe Sector 9

�� The Alterboys �� Block Party �� Fiend Without A Face �� David Ryan Harris �� The Casanovas �� The Diane Durrett Band �� The Velcro Pygmies �� Lefty Williams �� Blackberry Smoke �� Gareth Asher & Brian Wiltsey �� Love Rush

FOR

INFO

Every Tuesday 10pm LIVE 80S FOR THE LADIES Every Sunday BLACK OUT W/ FRANSICO VIDAL Thursday, Dec. 6 GARETH ASHER Friday, Dec. 7 NEW ORIGINALS Saturday, Dec. 8 MAGNO & BRIAN WILTSEY Thursday, Dec. 13 CONNOR Friday, Dec. 14 SWAMI GONE BANANAS Saturday, Dec. 15 HANK BARBEE & BRIAN WILTSEY Thursday, Dec. 20 MIC LARRY & THE TANTRIC SEX GUIDE Friday, Dec. 21 THE VILLIANS

FULL TEX-MEX MENU 2591 Briarcliff Rd Atlanta 404-329-4700 tinroofcantina.com OPEN MON-SUN 11AM-4AM

437 Moreland Avenue Little Five Points 404-681-9018 MON.DEC31 SAT.DEC29 SAT.DEC22 FRI.DEC21 SAT.DEC15 FRI.DEC14 THR.DEC13 WED.DEC12 SAT.DEC08 FRI.DEC07 TUESDAYS MONDAYS

Maﬁoso

�� Money Shot �� Afroman �� Stealing Third �� Unknown Hinson �� Bain Mattox, Shane Bridges �� Work in Progress �� The Yonrico Scott Band �� Blackberry Smoke �� Vader, Malevolent Creation �� Block Party �� The Dirty Dozen Brass Band �� Yule Log, The Despised �� Swami Gone Bananas �� Metalsome Holiday Beneﬁt �� Kansas

�� 8PM,FREE ��

��

9PM, $7

PISTOLERO

�� 9PM

�� 9PM ��

GORE GORE GIRLS

9PM

�� YULE LOG ��

9PM

��

�� 9PM

��

9PM

��

9PM

��

www.starbaratl.com for Full Schedule of Events

COMPLIMENTARY PASSES & Invite you and a guest to a special advance screening of on Tuesday, Dec 20 at 7:30pm at AMC Parkway Pointe 6124 Roswell Rd NE | Atlanta, GA 30328 | (404) 256-1116 710 Holcomb Br. Rd. #240 | Roswell, GA 30076 | (770) 992-4485

Passes are available on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. No purchase necessary. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible. Widespread Panic @�� (12-31)

Opens Nationwide December 21

PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Road Warriors This Month’s Hottest Shows BY JOHN DAVIDSON 12/01 MODERN SKIRTS

Smith’s Olde Bar We still like The Modern Skirts but it seems like their once-palatable buzz is fading locally—it’s one of those tough situations where you if you gig too much locally, people start taking you for grated. Still, their pianobased pop is not only unique but good, and we keep hoping that something bigger comes along and pushes them to the next level. They’re also playing New Year’s Eve at Smith’s, so catch them early or late in the holiday season.

12/03 BLACK COBRA

The EARL This earbleeding band from Los Angeles runs alongside the heaviest of heavy metal. The songs are bombastic, loud, and recall the rage of Black Flag with a large dose of Big Black. The new album, Feather And Stone, tones down the speed drills in exchange for deep sludge, and while the vocals are still harsh, the musicianship overall has improved. This show is not for your girlfriend or the faint of heart.

12/13 GORE GORE GIRLS

The Star Bar These girls are sort of like the Donnas except

that they’re better and they play garage rock instead of recycled Sabbath riffs. The Gore Gore Girls trend towards kitchsy, what with the campy dress and girl-group harmonies, but they play a tight set and generally, serve up great songs. And with their namesake recently taking home a Nobel Prize, there’s never been a better time to pimp the new album.

12/17 BOB SCHNEIDER

Smith’s Olde Bar two night stand One Austin’s more enduring performers, Bob Schneider has been in and out of bands for a decade but always thrived best when onstage by himself. Able to effortlessly leap from funk, rock, lounge, and country, he’s not your typical singer/songwriter who makes his living out of coffee shops. Rather, he’s endlessly curious about music and performing, which makes this two-night stand at Smith’s a great opportunity to have a great night out.

12/28 BAND OF HORSES W/ TENEMENT HALLS

The EARL Band of Horses aren’t as good as My Morning Jacket yet, but the recent Cease To Begin finds them on the same musical trajectory and holding their own despite some changes in personnel. Given the positive reviews the album and tour are generating,

expect a full house and a rousing show both on this night and New Year’s Eve. We’re looking forward to all great harmonies and Neil Young-inspired arrangements, and especially to opener Tenement Halls (the project of post-Rock*A*Teens mastermind singer Chris Lopez.)

the Romantics, even trumping songs that landed higher on the charts two decades ago. Dozens of albums and platinum albums under their arms keep these guys busy despite lineup changes and a lot of gray hair, and despite being long past the panty-throwing stage, the Romantics remain a pretty good party band.

12/30 & 12/31 WIDESPREAD PANIC

12/31 MODERN SKIRTS

Philips Arena The umpteenth annual year-end ‘Spread fest is an anomaly in itself—how many other bands can do arena shows without getting any airplay—but if you’ve never experienced Widespread Panic it remains a good stepping point. Like the Grateful Dead or Phish, ‘Spreadheads tend to be groovy dopers who welcome the opportunity to play hippie for a day or three, and somewhere in the midst of the purple haze there is some pretty good music to be had. It’s not al fresco but it’s the next best thing.

12/31 DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI SOUL STEW REVIVAL Fox Not a bad lineup (North Mississippi Allstars, The Derek Trucks Band, Scrapomatic) for a night at the Fox Theatre, assuming you want to sit through a handful of jam bands playing Southern rock with a dash of blues boogie thrown in for good measure. Trucks, whose slide guitar work has earned him a more or less permanent staff job with the Allman Brothers, carries the torch for this kind of music very well.

12/31 THE ROMANTICS

Hyatt Regency Hotel This band’s hit—the enduring classic “That’s What I Like About You”—continues to define

WE GOT NEXT SPECIAL TEAMZ

BY JOHN B. MOORE

T’S BEEN 16 YEARS SINCE EDO G FIRST made a name for himself with “I Gotta Have It,” which seems like an eternity in the here-todaygone-tomorrow world of hip-hop. But now the Boston-based MC is back with a new multi-racial

Latest Project: Why You Should Care:

For Fans of:

Smith’s Olde Bar The Modern Skirts keep pushing their pianobased rock-nroll and while the buzz was once pretty strong, the excitement appears to be waning and they appear to be one of those local bands that should have gone regional but never quite made it. Still, they’re a great bar band and perfect for a party, so if you miss their show at the beginning of the month (December 1st, same venue), think about stopping by Smith’s on your way to the new year.

12/31 MIRANDA LAMBERT

Underground Atlanta Underground Atlanta takes a too-brief hiatus on its pursuit of irrelevance as an Atlanta destination in order to celebrate New Year’s Eve, and in a fit of genius, organizers figured that the best way to get suburban white people downtown was Miranda Lambert. True, her Crazy Ex-Girlfriend album is pretty great and Lambert’s a true doll in her genre, but only time will tell if this revitalization scheme will pay off for Underground. We are dubious.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Stereotypez (Duck Down) Because the multi-racial supergroup represents the best of Boston’s underground hip-hop scene. Edo G, The Kreators, House of Pain, Ill Bill

supergroup, Special Teamz, which also features Puerto Rican MC Jaysaun (formerly of the Kreators) and white MC Slaine. Together, they represent the best of Boston’s thriving hip-hop scene, and signed to the newly resurgent Duck Down label to release their debut album, STEREOTYPEZ. We recently spoke with the trio about career longevity, racial stereotypes and saving the world with hip-hop. How do you feel about the ways hip-hop has evolved since you ﬁrst started out? Edo: The pros are that we’re producing more young black entrepreneurs than ever, but the cons are that the music sucks. (Laughs) I think we gave up on our art, and producing classic records. But it always changes, and hopefully we’ll get more cats like Common and Kanye.

dudes who, without the music, probably are not supposed to get along. The mere fact that we’re diverse, but we all have mad skills and get along, the music brings it full circle. STEREOTYPEZ is some real shit, not like a gimmick we did to sell some records. In the studio, me and Ed would be cracking on white cats and Puerto Ricans and Slain would be cracking on Italians. This is real shit we’re living with, cuz racism in this country is alive and thriving.

ing relevant? Edo: I just have to keep doing what I been doing and be consistent as far as making sure the beats are hot and thinking about what I’m saying on the mic. I think that’s what people respect, and why I’m still here today. I think young cats just need to be told about hip-hop history, and we as the elder statesmen need to show them the way. Slaine: I think a lot of younger dude in the game don’t really listen. They don’t seek out veteran advice or mentoring, which is such an important part of the game. For me to be mentored by Jay and Ed, or even Everlast and B Real, how am I not gonna listen to them when they’ve already set the precedent for what I’m trying to do? Jaysaun: It’s a society problem, too. There’s a major lack of respect from the younger generation, and it infiltrates into music, too. They don’t give a shit about veterans because they’re riding with what’s hot right now. That’s why I think a lot of hip-hop has disintegrated into ignorance. Conscious artists need to be given a major league push, because right now shit like “Laffy Taffy” and all that bullshit is what’s thrust down their throat, so that’s all they know.

I THINK YOUNG CATS JUST NEED TO BE TOLD ABOUT HIP-HOP HISTORY, AND WE AS THE ELDER STATESMEN NEED TO SHOW THEM THE WAY.

Do you think it’s possible nowadays to put out a classic album AND have commercial success? Edo: Deﬁnitely, but it takes a label being 100% behind an artist. If you look at the major label cats that are out now, no one’s really selling records like they would have 5-6 years ago. I saw an ad recently congratulating Common for his Gold album, and eight years ago people were shittin’ on artists who only went Gold. Now, you sell 500,000 and you’re the man! You guys are obviously one of the most ethnically diverse groups in hip-hop: Is there a central message you’re trying to get across with STEREOTYPEZ? Jaysaun: It’s just about crossing barriers. We’re three PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

You’ve got producers like Pete Rock and Premiere and guest MCs such as Sean Price, Buckshot and Devin the Dude on the album. How did getting that love from the community impact the energy? Edo: I think working with an array of talented cats that we respected shows through on the album. It ain’t like we was paying somebody to get on a joint. It was all out of love. Jaysaun: In other interviews, people ask us about “the blueprint for the album,” but we didn’t really have a blueprint. As soon as we got the deal with Duck Down, we just went in the studio with the people we like and tried to do some dope shit! We didn’t say, “This is gonna be our club song, this is gonna be our hardcore song…” Every time you do that, the shit comes out wack! Some hip-hop fans don’t seem to have much respect for veteran artists. What are the challenges of stay-

What sort of impact do you hope Special Teamz will have on the current hip-hop landscape? Edo: Like Jay said, music is the only reason the three of us crossed paths. I love hip-hop for bringing the world together. We tour all around the world and we see people of diﬀerent nationalities, all feeling the same thing. Hip-hop is very powerful and I’d like to see it used as a tool, not as a weapon, you know what I’m saying?

MUSIC INTERVIEW

SILVERCHAIR

THE COMEBACK KIDS BY BRET LOVE

HEN SILVERCHAIR FIRST BROKE out back in 1995 on the strength of their debut single, “Tomorrow,” many critics dismissed the band as a novelty, often citing frontman Daniel Johns’ uncanny vocal (and physical) resemblance to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. And who can blame them? Johns and fellow bandmates Ben Jillies and Chris Joannou were clearly influenced by the Seattle grunge scene, and the Aussie trio’s members were all barely 15 years old at the time. But a funny thing happened on the way to irrelevancy: Johns and Co. matured far beyond their early musical influences, tinkered with experimental sounds their grunge forefathers never imagined, and evolved into one of rock’s most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful groups. But it wasn’t easy, as Johns struggled with anorexia, stopped touring due to a crippling case of arthritis and put the band into a 5-year limbo after 2002’s Diorama due to his ongoing Depression. Now, the band is back with Young Modern, easily the most accomplished album of their careers. After winning more ARIAs (the Australian Grammy) than any act in Australian music history and achieving the fifth #1 album of their careers (a feat that’s never been matched by legends like AC/DC or INXS), Silverchair is intent on re-introducing themselves to American audiences. We recently spoke with Johns as the trio launched their US tour to discuss the high price of teenage fame, the emotional impact of bottoming out and the redemptive power of their renewed success. Silverchair broke out when you guys were barely in your teens. What effect did that sudden rise to fame have on you as teenagers? That’s a hard question to answer because there’s a lot of negatives and positives, and when you start talking about the negative side of success you sound ungrateful. But I think the biggest downside for us was just that I started playing guitar when I was 11 and started writing music when I was 12, and a lot of the songs on the first record were written between the ages of 12 and 14. We became so well known, especially in America, that we backed ourselves into a corner. We were so young, but people made up their minds right away about what Silverchair was and who I was as an artist, so you’re forever known for the work you did as a kid. I don’t think most musicians would want that. But at the same time that’s also the biggest positive, because from a young age, people have always been interested in hearing what we’re doing. So we don’t see it as a negative, especially with the benefit of hindsight. We’re all 28 years old now, and we just don’t give a shit anymore. (Laughs) Do you have any favorite memories from the early years of your career? I dunno, I think we definitely have a lot more fun now. As a kid, I don’t think I was very fun. I was pretty depressed and had a lot of welldocumented physical and mental health issues. I have very vague early memories, but I generally wasn’t having a very good time until I turned 23. Did being criticized early in your career make you hungry to prove yourself as more than a teen novelty? Yeah, definitely. We left school at the end of the touring for Freak Show and I moved into a house by myself. That was the first time I didn’t have to write songs in-between lessons and lunch breaks, or go home and try to write in my bedroom cuz I still lived with my mum and dad. I was very conscious of the public perception of Silverchair, and Neon Ballroom was the first record where I felt like, if we wanted to be an important band, something had to change.

I wanted to do something that would shock people and establish our musical identity. Your arthritic condition was obviously a fairly huge setback. What was the emotional impact of not being able to tour to promote Diorama? The impact of not having that record heard by America really fucked me up for quite a while. I was really depressed about the whole situation because I was very proud of the record. I thought I’d made a confident statement with that record, and for the first time in our career, nothing that was said about it was negative. When I got really sick and couldn’t tour, I got so pissed off and frustrated. I put a lot of my heart into that record, but we got dropped from our label because we weren’t making any money. It was impossible for me to get better,

because I couldn’t just make it go away and get to work, so it was out of my control. But in the long term it aﬀected me in a really positive way, because once I got my health back I had a really positive perspective on things. I think Young Modern is the best work I’ve ever done, but I just don’t care what people think about it anymore. Was there ever a serious discussion of breaking up the band? It was pretty much unspoken. I was deﬁnitely the person that imposed the break on the band, because I just didn’t want to do it anymore. But we never said that we broke up, because we knew at some point we’d want to get together and do it again. It could’ve been a year, it could’ve been 15 years, we just didn’t know. We never fought or hated

I DON’T READ MANY REVIEWS, BUT GOOD REVIEWS ARE A LOT MORE REWARDING THAN GETTING A PLATINUM PLAQUE. BEING RESPECTED AS AN ARTIST AND HAVING A POSITIVE PERCEPTION FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS GREAT.

each other, I just didn’t feel comfortable being in the same band since I was 12 and never doing anything else. So I went and did the Dissociatives record and worked with a lot of different artists and did stuff for films and had a lot of fun and learned a lot of new things. I just started trying to get a new bag of tricks because I didn’t want to repeat myself, but we never discussed breaking up. There was a period of 18 months to two years where none of us really even talked, and we weren’t fighting or anything. We were just sick of it. (Laughs) So what brought you guys back together? Once I felt like I had a good collection of songs again and we played a benefit show for the Tsunami victims in Sydney, we just kind of woke up and realized that we had something that could be really enjoyable if we just stopped feeling trapped by it. I had just come off tour with the Dissociatives and was having a really good time, and we got a call after not playing together for four or five years. Our manager said there was this Tsunami benefit concert coming up in four days, and we felt like it would be stupid to say no to helping people who’ve been through a major disaster. We started rehearsing, and I guess we just realized how much we enjoyed playing music together. It was one of the best shows of our careers, really sloppy but really exciting, and the crowd was really amazing. I’d been working on a lot of music, and it was after that show that I said we needed to make another record, because I had 52 new songs. It’s been five years since your last album came out, which is an eternity in the music world. How do you feel about the ongoing changes in the business of music? We’ve never cared about the business. It’s never had the slightest impact on my emotional or creative state. I think the whole thing’s funny, the way people are freaking out [about downloading]. Music is art, and people are supposed to hear it. Who cares how they hear it? I don’t give a damn if it’s stolen, as long as I’m not poor. What was the band’s mission going into the recording of Young Modern? We definitely wanted to make the best record ever in music history. I was really overly ambitious (laughs). I felt great about the songs and felt like, after Diorama was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed, we were capable of doing whatever we wanted to. My main thing was just wanting to do something that was unpredictable, even shocking. I knew a lot of people didn’t hear Diorama, so I knew if the last thing they heard from Silverchair was Neon Ballroom, this one was gonna totally mess them up. It was a time of major experimentation, and I went crazy with overdubs, tape loops and orchestral stuff with Van Dyke Parks. I really wanted this album to be special and enjoyable? How does it feel now that you won five ARIA awards for the album? Is there a sense of redemption? Yeah, it’s really cool! (Laughs) We’re just really grateful, ya know? Despite our delusional ambition, people still care, and we know we’re lucky and shouldn’t really be here. I don’t read many reviews, but good reviews are a lot more rewarding than getting a Platinum plaque. Being respected as an artist and having a positive perception from the general public is great. Even if they don’t like us, as long as it’s accurate and based on an informed opinion, I feel grateful that people have even bothered to give us a listen. We’re not one of those bands that will ever have a tour sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger. We never make decisions based on money, and always take record deals that allow us to own all of our masters over those with financial benefits. We take our music really seriously, but the business itself is a joke. PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

MUSIC

��

By B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Davidson, John Moore, Tom DeFreytas & Richard Marsh

THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – BRIGHTER THAN CREATION’S DARK (New West) Weathering the storm with grace �� CAT POWER – JUKEBOX (Matador) A classic artist covering the classics �� PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

��

�� BURIAL – UNTRUE (Hyperdub) One of the best you’ll hear this year

BAND OF HORSES – CEASE TO BEGIN (SubPop) Rock from a rural gravel road

PATRICK WOLF – THE MAGIC POSITION (Universal) Out of the darkness and into the light

��

�� THE SELMANAIRES – THE AIR SALESMEN (International �� Hits) �� A sound in search of an identity �� THE WHIGS – MISSION CONTROL (ATO) �� What sophomore slump? ��

SOULJA BOY – SOULJABOYTELLEM.COM (Collipark/ Interscope) More hooks than a fisherman’s convention ��

�� MILES DAVIS – THE COMPLETE ON THE CORNER SESSIONS (Legacy) The greatest jazz musician ever at his most inventive �� WITCHDOCTOR – THE DIARY OF AN AMERICAN WITCHDOCTOR (Williams Street) Swimming towards the mainstream �� The Yum Yum Tree – Paint By Numbers (Two Sheds Music) Surprisingly potent indie-pop �� THE KILLERS – SAWDUST (Island) & SHE WANTS REVENGE – THIS IS FOREVER (Geffen) Eagerly anticipated follow-ups ��

��

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Take Heed of The Dream

JERMAINE DUPRI – Y’ALL KNOW WHAT THIS IS… THE HITS (So So Def/Island) The architect of the Dirty South sound �� THE HOT TODDIES – SMELL THE MITTEN (Asian Man) Goofy pop-punk ditties �� J. HOLIDAY – BACK OF MY LAC (Music Line Group/ Capitol) R&B for adults only ��

Coheed and Cambria Continue to Explore Their Unique Mythical Universe BY JOHN B. MOORE

OR COHEED AND CAMBRIA, MUSIC is so much more than just endless tours and a few lines about broken hearts. For them, music is a gateway to epic fantasy worlds where good and evil struggle for power, and music isn’t their only tool. Earlier this year, frontman Carlos Sanchez released the ﬁrst in a series of comics called The Armory Wars, detailing the story of ﬁctional characters Coheed and Cambria. Add to that the slew of musical side-projects from the band’s members, and you have one of the hardest working groups in the history of prog-rock. Depending on how technical you want to be, the band either started in 1995 or 2001. Formed in upstate New York, the project was originally a trio that went by the moniker Shabutie. With some lineup changes and a new sound, the band was re-christened Coheed and Cambria six years later. Though they are constantly compared to Rush (thanks mainly to Sanchez’s Geddy Lee-esque vocals), they have just as much in common with more metal bands such as Queensryche and Black Sabbath.

are influenced by real things. I think that life experience is more of an influence on the music than anything. No World for Tomorrow is the last record in the five part series. Did you know from the beginning exactly how the story would end? I did not know how it would end when I first began writing it. Originally I thought I would end the saga with the In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 album (the band’s second record, which is actually the third part of the story). But I realized when I finished that album that it was the conclusion of that part of the story, but not the whole story. That’s why we did these last two albums in two parts. In “Good Apollo” we set the end of the story up, and now we conclude it with “No World For Tomorrow.” While this record is the final chapter in the series, we still have to go back and do the prequel, which will be the next album.

WE ALL SHARE SOME OF THE SAME MAJOR INFLUENCES– LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, THE POLICE– BUT I THINK WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE AS A BAND IS THAT, INDIVIDUALLY, WE HAVE OTHER INFLUENCES THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE TO EACH BAND MEMBER.

Sanchez took some time recently to talk to us about the band’s recent lineup change, the future of their side-projects and a much-needed update on the storyline of Coheed and Cambria’s mythical fantasy universe.

How has the lineup changed since the last record? We now have Chris Pennie on drums. He is an amazing addition to the band, not only artistically, but also personality-wise. He’s just a great guy, and really fun to be around. Do you guys all share similar influences? We all share some of the same major influences– Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Police– but I think what makes us unique as a band is that, individually, we have other influences that are very different and unique to each band member. For example, Travis is really into Dinosaur Jr, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. Outside of music, where else do you look for inspiration in writing your songs? A lot of my inspiration comes from everyday experiences. On one hand, we do concept albums, but these concept albums

At what point did the band decide to make these albums part of an ongoing serial? The idea was created before the band existed as it is today. Coheed and Cambria was originally a side-project to the band we used to be in, Shabutie. We needed a better name, changed a member, and adopted the name Coheed and Cambria. Are there plans for more issues of the graphic novel you wrote, The Amory Wars? Yes. The miniseries we have out now (four of ﬁve issues are out) takes you to the halfway point of the Second Stage Turbine Blade story. This spring we’ll release the second half, in another 5-issue miniseries. After that we’ll look into In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. A number of your band members also have other side-projects. Will there be more records from The Prize Fighter Inferno or The English Panther? Yes, of course. Everyone in the band is very creative, and these side-projects oﬀer a musical avenue this band can’t explore. What are your tour plans for Coheed and Cambria? We’re on tour in the U.S. for the rest of the year. We’ll be headlining this fall, with Clutch and The Fall of Troy supporting. Then it’s on to the rest of the world! PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

BILL REEVES REALTY Office Leasing Specialists

TOMMY BARBER SPORTS

CATCH YOUR PANTHERS ON

WRAS-FM 88.5

PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

PG 27 â&#x20AC;˘ insiteatlanta.com â&#x20AC;˘ December 2007

MUSIC INTERVIEW

�� The Dropkick Murphys Prove Themselves Boston’s Lucky Charms

BY JOHN B. MOORE

Superdrag Reunited (And It Feels So Good) BY JOHN B. MOORE

UPERDRAG IS ONE OF THOSE BANDS that anyone other than diehard fans only vaguely remembers from the ‘90s. Their only real big hit was “Sucked Out,” a post-grunge power-pop nugget that was decent enough, but ultimately failed to properly encapsulate just how brilliant this band would become. To those who bothered to dig beyond the one or two singles handed out to MTV and radio stations, the reward was album after album of spectacular Big Star-meets-Replacements power-pop. After six records, the band eventually ran out of gas in 2003. A surprise announcement about a handful of reunion shows this autumn has sparked rumors that the band may be up for another album. We recently spoke with frontman John Davis to get more details on the reunion, and to ﬁnd out why the band broke up in the ﬁrst place.

Plus, the fact that people still care about it and still care about seeing it was a big factor in us wanting to put it together. Recognizing what a gift it is and what a privilege it is to be able to walk out there and play music for people; that’s never something to be taken for granted. And I need Rock! I need it more now than I did then. Are there plans for more shows in the future or maybe even a new record? I don’t think we’re ruling any of that out. As long as it’s fun and it means something to somebody besides the four of us, I don’t see any reason not to. Were you still in regular contact with the other members before the reunion? Yes. Tom lives here in Nashville, and I always kept in touch with Brandon and Don as best I could. They were good about coming out to see the solo shows when we’d come through town with that. Sam lives here in town, too. His son and my boys like to play together. Our wives have already been saying, “boys, no bands!” Ha.

WE HAVE TOO MUCH RESPECT FOR OUR FANS TO EVER GO OUT THERE AND PHONE IT IN JUST FOR MONEY. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

So why did the band decide to call it quits a few years ago? Was there an actual announcement or did you just kind of drift apart? Well…there were several reasons, I suppose. We were tired. I think we toured too much and played too much towards the end. We were playing in the same places three or four times a year just to stay alive. Maybe people were sick of us? Sam (Powers) was leaving; we wanted to live different lives for awhile. I was having a hard time reconciling what had seemed like the truth when I wrote some of the music and what I knew to be the truth in 2003 when I was standing onstage singing the same words. I felt like I was in a cover band in my own band. The night I walked out there and realized I didn’t want to be there was the end of it for me. We have too much respect for our fans to ever go out there and phone it in just for money. That will never happen. I wrote a letter to the fans that explained how we felt. We never closed the door on the band, though. We always left it open-ended. We called it a “hiatus,” and I guess that’s what it was. What inspired this reunion? We’ve gotten steady offers to get back together and play since September of ’03, when we played last. I think it just dawned on me how much fun it would be to play the music again with Don (Coffey, Jr.), Brandon (Fisher) and Tom (Pappas). It’s been eight years since the four of us played together last.

The 4-Track Rock CDs are brilliant. Why decide to only offer them at the shows? We’ve taken a lot of care with all the merch to really help present the whole thing as kind of a special occasion for our fans. Honestly, that’s why I’m hoping there will be more shows, so we can offer the fans in other places the same opportunity to come out and enjoy it. But we’re keeping the records themselves limited and then I’m sure we’ll figure out what to do with the music itself after the records are all gone. We retain 100% control of everything for the first time now. Can you tell me a little about your new solo record? It’s called “Arigato!” It means “thank you” in Japanese. I co-produced the record with Nick Raskulinecz at the Foo Fighters’ facility, 606. My friend Yogi Watts from Demon Hunter played drums on it, but I did everything else. I feel like it’s the most rocking record I’ve ever made. Right now it’s available through superdrag.com. People will be able to find it in lots of other places online and elsewhere very soon. I’m doing it myself, so there’s not much fanfare or whatever, but I want the people that care enough about it to want to hear it to be able to get a hold of it. I can’t wait to hear how people feel about it. I’m proud of it.

HEY HAVEN’T BEEN GIVEN WORLD Series rings yet, but probably deserve them almost as much as Curt and the boys. The Dropkick Murphys, you see, have this remarkable knack for bringing much-needed luck to the Red Sox. It all started in 2004, when Boston– a city that never met a superstition it didn’t believe in– turned to the Murphys to perform and eventually record the song “Tessie,” an old Broadway tune from the early 1900s that was inexplicably sung at early Boston games (and was partially credited for helping the city win the 1903 World Series). The tune was played throughout Fenway Park during the 2004 season. To many, the band was responsible for their beloved Sawx breaking the decades long curse and taking the World Series. The Murphys were called back to duty earlier this year, asked to perform at a postseason Red Sox rally. The team once again took the series. If the Celtics are to have any hopes of winning more than two in a row again, they may need to put the Murphys on speed dial. The following interview with bagpipe virtuoso James Wallace (aka “Scruffy”) was conducted just before the Dropkick… I mean, the Red Sox won this year’s World Series. Enjoy. So where does a kid learn to play bagpipes? When I left Scotland, my grandmother influenced me to pick up an instrument from home, so I started to play the pipes at about 14 and never stopped. Were you into the Dropkick Murphys before you joined the band? Absolutely, I was a huge fan. My life is basically like a Dropkick Murphy song. I was in the military and I went to war. After the military I joined the union as a steel worker and was quite bitter, so it seemed like I could totally relate to their music. In late 2002, early 2003 I flew down to Boston and had an audition. So this is the first record on the band’s own label, Born and Bred. How did that all come about? It’s kind of like when you first get into professional baseball. You sign a contract and then you get the opportunity to become a free agent and you can kind of check things out grow and kind of take control of your own career. I think that’s kind of what happened to us. And it looks like you’ve got the best of both worlds. You’re on an indie, but distributed by Warner. That’s the best thing, because this is a very hands on band. We like to have creative control of our music and what we do, so I think it works out excellent in both senses. Will you release other bands on Born and Bred? That I don’t know. It’s just in its infancy state and we’re just concentrating on the record and getting it off the ground. Maybe down the road we might sign other bands, but I honestly couldn’t tell you. So there was no one from a record label looking over your shoulder while recording this. But then again, you didn’t have too much of that with Hellcat, did you? Those guys (at Hellcat) are good friends of ours, Tim and Lars and Mr. Gurewitz at Epitaph, they’ve given us a lot of opportunities and they’ve helped us along in our career. We have nothing but love and respect for those guys. There is absolutely no animosity when we left the label. We just felt like this was a time to do something on our own. And this was your chance? Absolutely. This is our chance and hopefully all will continue to roll well. We’ve had nothing but great support from our fans and we’re just so grateful to be able to have the best fucking job in the world. You’ve worked on a number of other Dropkick Murphy records before. How was the process for this one?

This record, in the words of Al Barr, is a cake that was baked all at one time. This record was a little easier in that sense; that it didn’t take us a long time, and all these things weren’t happening during the recording process. This time, we wrote the songs, boom, went into the studio and laid it out. So in that sense it was easier. Is there a general theme to the songs on this record? This album, the Meanest of Times, even starting with the title is tongue in cheek. At Catholic School you’re even getting picked on by the nuns and you don’t want to be there. It’s the roughest period of your life, but once you get out it doesn’t get anything but worse. This album, there’s a lot of dedication to our support and family and we really put emphasis on that because without that, our families and their support, we wouldn’t be here. So for us it was a gathering of ideas and a combination of what we do that guided that record along the line of saying thanks for what they do; for guiding us and loving us. Let’s talk about a song off your last album for a minute. When you saw the movie The Departed, were you surprised at how much of “Shipping Up to Boston” was used throughout the movie? Absolutely. It floored me. I remember the first time I saw it I was somewhere in England and we went to some cheap little theater and there were only a few people there and I remember when I first heard it, when Leonardo DiCaprio goes to prison and I was like “Holy shit, that’s our song!” It kind of gave me tingles. Just the movie itself is an amazing piece of cinematography and then hearing it throughout the movie, as much as it played, just floored me. It was very humbling and an honor. To have Martin Scorsese win an Oscar and thank us, specifically thank us by name, it was unbelievable. It was surreal. Has that opened you up to a whole new audience? Absolutely. I think with the movie we had reached a fan base that maybe weren’t aware of us. But even our fans, when they saw it, got behind us 100 percent. It has definitely brought a different type of audience to us, but we still play the same type of music we always played, so as far as that goes it’s still a blessing. It’s golden. That wasn’t the first Woodie Guthrie songs you guys did, was it? There was also “Blackout” which was the title track of an album. The band was contacted by the (Guthrie) family and we had the honor of going and looking through some of his unfinished musical lyrics and decided that that was the song we wanted to put to music. And the Guthrie family, God bless them, they were gracious and we were able to do another Guthrie song with “Shipping.” It was quite an honor for us. Tell me a little bit about this tour. How long have you been out on the road? We’ve been on this tour since Sept. 12 and it ends in about a week in Boston. We actually just found out that we’re playing our last show on this tour at Avalon in Boston and then the next day, we just got asked by the Red Sox organization to play a Red Sox rally at the state house in Beacon Hill. That’s the least they could do, seeing as your song “Tessie” helped them win the series. We’ll its one of the things that helped. I’m still waiting for my ring by the way. It will just be good to get behind the Sox and hopefully see them take the series again. Anything else you wanted to add? Actually, yeah. To all of our men and women overseas, we absolutely support our troops. We don’t give a shit about the politics, the war itself or the government. You won’t find any Bush fans in this camp, but we definitely want the men and women overseas to know how much we appreciate and respect the job their doing and hopefully they all come home soon so we can have a pint and see them at our next show. PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

FEATURE

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2007! Parties and Events Happening in Atlanta Peach Drop 2007 Underground Atlanta

Monday Dec. 31; Noon until 4 AM Admission: Free Peachdrop.com 404-523-2311

THE GIANT PEACH IS BACK and ready for the countdown to 2008! Ring in the New Year at the 19th Annual Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta with country superstar Miranda Lambert and Atlanta's own 800 lb. peach! Peach Drop is the largest New Year's Eve Countdown celebration in the entire southeast and this year's celebration is set to be the best one yet! This year's exciting headliner and Grammy nominee, Miranda Lambert, will sing the crowd into the New Year with her bold and upbeat country hits. The Texas native exploded onto the country music scene after being a contestant on The Nashville Star series. Since the show, Lambert has debuted two number one albums with more than 1,000,000 CDs sold, an earned an Academy of Country Music Award for "Top New Female Vocalist." She continues to produce a number of hits such as "Kerosene," "Me and Charlie Talking" and her current single "Famous In A Small Town." Lambert's performance promises to make this year's Peach Drop an unforgettable event that you won't want to miss! "The Peach Drop celebration is an exceptional event and Atlanta's biggest tradition," said Underground Atlanta General Manager, William P. "Chick" Ciccaglione. "Underground Atlanta is thrilled to host another exciting New Year's party for the people of Atlanta and all of our city's guests." Also looking forward to another exciting evening of New Year's activities, event sponsor AirTran airways, who is returning to sponsor the event for the fifth year in a row. Last year, tens of thousands of people came to help countdown the descent of the gigantic peach and the arrival of 2007. The 65 second peach drop culminates in a spectacular fireworks display and an explosion of vibrantly colored confetti raining down on the crowd.

Kenny's Alley will be alive with activity as everyone pours into the many restaurants, bars and nightclubs, all open until 4 am to welcome in the New Year. The festivities will kick off at 12 noon with activities throughout the day including, face painting, basketball throw, moon walk and balloon art on Upper Alabama Street. The party will continue well into the morning hours with various live performances on multiple stages at one of the many bars and nightclubs in Kenny's Alley.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Georgia Dome ACC#2vs.SEC

www.chick-fil-abowl.com Dec. 31 7:30 PM Formerly known as the Peach Bowl, the Chick-Fil-A Bowl historically has been the most competitive of any of the bowl games. Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, the Chick-fil-A Bowl pits top-ranked teams from the ACC and SEC. This regional grudge match brings up to 40,000 out of town guests to party in Atlanta. At 12:30 p.m. on game day, downtown Atlanta will come alive with the Chick-fil-A Bowl Parade. The parade will come to an end at the Georgia World Congress Center, where the Chick-fil-A Bowl FanFest presented by Coca-Cola will draw 30,000 fans for a pregame interactive football and tailgate experience including games, music, great food and the traditional pre-game team walks.

Downtown Countdown

Hyatt Regency 265 Peachtree St. Ne

Dec 31, 8:30PM www.downtowncountdown.net

After throwing competing parties for five years, Lindy Promotions and USA Entertainment joined forces in 2004 to

Celebrate the Season

throw the biggest ticketed New Years Eve party Atlanta had ever seen... and the D o w n t o w n Countdown was born! The Downtown Countdown began with 2,000 guests who rang in the New Year at The Marriott Marquis. The following year, in 2005, the party grew to 3300 people and moved across the street to its present home, the Hyatt Regency. Last year's event set records with 3900 attendees and sold out before Christmas. Returning to the Hyatt for the third year in a row, over 4000 guests are expected for this year's event. When asked why people keep coming back year after year, organizer Shane Aubrey responded, "It is just a great party...and we address the little things like bartender-to-guest ratio, properly staffing the coat check and making sure there is enough seating for guests." Additionally, the Downtown Countdown has a reputation for having the best entertainment in the city. This year¹s entertainment line up will not disappoint. 80's band, The Romantics will sharing the headlining spotlight with rap pioneers, The Sugar Hill Gang. With five ballrooms of entertainment, there¹s something for everyone. Each all-inclusive ticket also includes a 5 1/2 hour premium open bar, upscale dinner buffets, Atlanta¹s largest balloon drop at midnight and a late night breakfast. A limited number of exclusive VIP tickets are also available, featuring access to three private areas featuring a more upscale food and bar menu. With prices increasing as the event nears, tickets are moving quickly. For more information about this celebrated Atlanta tradition, go to www.downtowncountdown.net.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Woodruff Arts Center 15th & Peachtree St. Dec 31, 8:00PM www.atlantasymphony.org

Before the peach drops, jump start your special evening with continued on Page 32

100 Tequilas Lime Optional.

We Thank You for Your Patronage. Happy Holidays & Best Wishes for the New Year!

Gift Cards ONE SIZE FITS ALL 3500 PEACHTREE ROAD • PHIPPS PLAZA • BUCKHEAD • 404.814.9640

www.TheTavernAtPhipps.com

PG 28 insiteatlanta.com October 2005

PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

A Fir-Ju Wall

Continued on Page 30

the Grammy-winning ASO and a musical tribute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Celebrate the golden age of debonair with the First Couple of dance. You decide if their early Champagne toast warrants an early New Year's kiss, but once the show is done, there'll be plenty of time to continue the party elsewhere, or warm up to a very special evening at home.

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi

Fabulous Fox Theatre Mon. Dec. 31, 9pm

www.variety-playhouse.com

New Year's Eve tradition continues again this year at the Fox Theatre! This year will feature the combined band of the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew revival including all the members of The Derek Trucks Band as well as Ron Holloway on sax and Duane Trucks on second drum kit. Special guest The North Mississippi Allstars will also be on hand. The NMAS put on a great show and with Luther and Derek on the same stage you know it's gonna be good! With these two band's at the historic Fox Theatre it's a night worth traveling for, so start making your plans to spend New Years at the Fox Theatre. PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Widespread Panic Philips Arena

Dec 30, 7:30PM; Dec 31, 8:30PM 404-249-6400 www.livenation.com If swanky soireés with champagne toasts at midnight aren't quite your idea of a great New Years Eve time, hang with the noodledancing hippies and beer-swilling frat boys at this annual yearend 'Spread-fest, where Athens' favorite post-REM sons assume the mantle of jam-rock favorites once held by the Grateful Dead and Phish. There aren't many bands around these days who can sell out arenas with little to no mainstream media support or radio airplay, but Widespread Panic does it on the strength of their skillful songwriting, marathon live shows and infectious grooves that cut through the purple haze. If you can deal with the smell of patchouli and second-hand smoke, it should be one helluva way to ring in the New Year.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 The Tabernacle

152 Luckie Street Dec. 28,29,30,31 8PM Door 404-659-9022 atlantaconcerts.com

Celebrating New Year’s Eve again this year

in Atlanta, STS9 performs for four straight nights. Special guests include The Glitch Mob, Sub-ID and Bassnectar.

The Tavern at Phipps 3500 Peachtree Rd. 404-814-9640 Voted Best Happy Hour, Best Patio, Best Bartender, and Best Looking Waitstaff, Buckhead’s the Tavern at Phipps is THE place to ring the New Year in right. Enjoy the party inside or out with newly installed patio heaters.

Red Door Tavern

3180 Roswell Rd. 404-846-6525

Buckhead’s favorite neighborhood bar will celebrate New Year Eve in style this year. Planning in process at press time. Ask at bar for details.

Moondogs

3179 Peachtree Rd. 404-231-2401

Moondogs is putting on their annual New Years Eve party and are selling tickets at the bar throughout the month. Your ticket allows you to their gourmet buffet, premium beverages, and champagne toast and of course pitchers of beer. Prizes also will be given out.

Peachtree Tavern

3179 Peachtree Rd. 404-842-1700

Popular dance cover band New South Players will perform. The $20 cover also includes horsdoeuvres, champagne toast and ballon drop.

Hole in the Wall

3179 Peachtree Rd. 404-233-9801

Buckhead’s best dance party will be off the hook come countdown. This late night meeting place is popular among local celebrities. So if you decide to party here, bring your camera.

PG 33 â&#x20AC;˘ insiteatlanta.com â&#x20AC;˘ December 2007

Smells Like Teen Spirit FILM INTERVIEW

Diablo Cody and Ellen Page On Their Indie Hit, Juno

BY MATT GOLDBERG

DON’T GET GREAT EXCLUSIVE interviews, and I think I finally know why. Entering the room, both screenwriter Diablo Cody and actress Ellen Page comment on how cold it is. I don’t feel anything, so either I bring the icy winds of death or the room is heavily air-conditioned and since I’m wearing a jacket, I don’t notice. I’m hoping it’s the latter, because I’d hate to bring my death-vibe into a room with two future Oscar nominees who are already receiving tremendous buzz for their new film, Juno. The film not only finds humor in the sticky issue of teen pregnancy, but also features the rare teenage girl who doesn’t sound like an airhead. I spoke to Page and Cody about the status of women in Hollywood and where they’ll be taking us in the future. Diablo, even though screenwriters are currently on strike, do you have any plans to adapt your memoir, Candy Girl, into a movie? Diablo Cody: I’ve been asked about that a lot, and I think there’s a seed of an idea there. I think it could be an entertaining cable series or maybe even a film, but I think I would have to tweak the character dramatically because it’s too weird to write about myself. I would be tempted to turn myself into a much more clever, much more attractive human being. Ellen Page: I would love to play you. DC: You want to play me? Wouldn’t that be a trip? I would love to see your impression of me. EP: I could do it. DC: Oh, I know you could! I would just love to see it. It would be very weird. Candy Girl was such a great recounting of your time as a stripper in Minnesota. Are you planning to do a second book about your time as a screenwriter in Hollywood? DC: Yeah, that’s what I’m doing right now. I have a lot of stories, but this one is a lot harder to write.

Did Candy Girl come out of your blog, The Pussy Ranch, as a collection of posts or as a matter of rewriting it to a memoir? DC: Candy Girl was a hybrid of stuff I did on the blog and new information and insight into the year. I loved where you list the top ten stripper songs. DC: I love it when a stripper comes out to something ballsy and aggressive. I hate it when strippers come out to the slowest, most atmospheric songs because, “I’m sexy…” You know what I mean? EP: I so know what you mean. Not really. I’ve never been to a strip club. DC: I like the crazy chick that comes out, like, literally on crack, kicking and scratching herself. I have a really weird idea of what’s hot. EP: I think a lot of people would find that hot. DC: Really? EP: Yeah. I would find that hot.

I LOVE IT WHEN A STRIPPER COMES OUT TO SOMETHING BALLSY AND AGGRESSIVE. I HATE IT WHEN STRIPPERS COME OUT TO THE SLOWEST, MOST ATMOSPHERIC SONGS BECAUSE, “I’M SEXY…” YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Ellen, with Hard Candy and now Juno you bring a tremendous amount of maturity to your characters despite your age. Where does that come from? EP: I think I’m attracted to roles that have some honesty to them and some wholeness. I think we’re so used to not seeing that, especially with young women in popular media, that it’s this big shock. But I just think I am who I am and portraying these roles hopefully allows for that refreshing take on playing young women. It still seems like women have a long way to go in Hollywood. As writers and directors, they’re mostly relegated to romantic comedies and, as actresses, they have to fit a very narrowly defined, Maxim-approved image. From your experience, is that a correct assumption? DC: Absolutely. You have to be telegenic and play the girlfriend or an accessory. Is that frustrating? I know you’re trying to move it forward because your next film, Jennifer’s Body, sounds fantastic.

PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Do you think that Hollywood is beginning to open up a little? DC: I hope that’s the case. I don’t know how to answer this. It’s a tough question. Every time I get asked a question about feminism or women in Hollywood, I completely freeze up and give the most inarticulate answer because it is such a huge subject. It’s hard for me to ﬁnd exactly what I want to say. I don’t actually know if things are improving or not. I’m just one human being, so if I can continue to make my voice heard, then perhaps I can make a diﬀerence.

Well, Juno is certainly a step forward. But since it deals with teen pregnancy, I was wondering if you ever got any notes from the studio asking you to handle it differently? DC: Never. People really believed in the screenplay from the beginning, but that is a rare experience. I get my share of notes on other things, believe me. But I’m too precious about my words. I try to be collaborative and listen to what people say, but if I’m given a note that’s blatantly sexist, I’ll bite some heads off. EP: I’m so unbelievably grateful just to be involved in this film and to play this character. I feel that she’s a teenage female lead we’ve never seen before. That is so exciting for me because it feels like people are going to see this movie and this isn’t the kind of girl people usually see. Playing Juno, they just let us do what we wanted, like wearing sweater-vests and flannel shirts, which was a first for a teenage female lead. DC: Did you have input into the wardrobe? EP: Yes. DC: I knew it! EP: Yeah, it was really, really important to me. But it’s funny, because where I get notes and where I get a lot of sexist treatment is just me and how I’m supposed to be present.

Most of the reactions I’ve heard have been positive, but there have been a few that say, “Oh, teenage girls don’t talk like that!” But I knew

plenty of women in high school that were smart, funny and articulate. DC: Thanks, man. EP: Yeah, it’s an insult to girls. I got the same thing with Hard Candy. I get the same thing with any young, female role I play that has strength or is unique. I just think it’s an honest and whole character. And if I was a guy, you wouldn’t be sitting here asking me, “Oh, Emile Hirsch, aren’t you playing such strong, young male roles?” The fact that I even get asked that just shows how far we have to go. DC: And Ellen actually is just as funny and articulate and as we ll-read, if not more so, than these so-called hyper-literate characters that she plays. EP: And my friends in high school are totally not what the popular media presents. Yeah, there’s this show called Gossip Girl that makes me want to punch myself. EP: I don’t know that show. It’s this show on the CW where rich teens have Shakespearean power struggles in their petty little world, and the way that they talk and look is just fake. But it’s popular. EP: Of course it is. And then there are shows like Freaks and Geeks that get cancelled after one season. So what are you going to do? It seems like that’s what people watch. I guess make Junos. DC: But if what you’re making is incredibly popular and pleasing to everyone, chances are it sucks. You just have to reach your segment of the population. How do you walk the line between quirky and genuine? EP: I think it’s a collaborative effort. I think it’s someone awesome like [Juno director] Jason Reitman, who knows exactly what he wants. He’s extremely assured, but also really collaborative, so there’s a sense of balance. And all of the actors in this film came together because Diablo had written such an amazing script. We came together without ego attached and were all just grateful to be in the film. These are just wonderful comedic actors who are understated and aren’t going for the punchline. It’s about connecting to the heart, and Jason Reitman has an enormous heart. I think that’s why he’s able to establish the tone he’s created in this film.

FILM INTERVIEW

Hollywood Romance

How business and pleasure mixed on the set of Jennifer Jason Leigh’s latest movie, Margot at the Wedding. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

ENNIFER JASON LEIGH GOT THE role of Pauline, the slightly neurotic sister to Nicole Kidman’s unpredictable title character in Margot at the Wedding, for a host of reasons. Most of them have little to do with the fact that she sleeps in the same bed as the ﬁlm’s director, Noah Baumbach (The Squid & the Whale). “I remember where I was in the room because I was extremely delighted,” Leigh recalls, when asked about how she heard that she’d gotten the part from her husband of two years. “I remember where he was standing, but I don’t remember the date.” Anyone who’s seen the able 45-year-old California native act knows that she doesn’t need any nepotism-driven preferential treatment. To play Pauline (or iconic roles such as Stacy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or Hedy in Single White Female), an actress had to be able to connect with an audience. Leigh consistently does that. That the power couple was able to discuss dialogue and dailies over dinner this time around was consequential. Could there have been any familial bliss had Noah not cast you in the movie? Probably not. [Laughs] Nah, I would have supported him. Of course, I was hoping that he would cast me, but I didn’t know at ﬁrst. I did know very early on, so I was happy. I think I would have been bummed out, but I would have supported him. I would have been on set.

So much of the back story of these characters is left unexplained. Did you fill in the whole back story? Care to share any of it? There’s no exposition in the script, but it’s quite detailed actually and quite layered. If you’ve lived with it as long as I’ve lived with it… Plus, I was also lucky because I saw various drafts that gave you different things in each one. So, I knew a lot of stuff that didn’t ultimately end up in it. Even in this script, there’s actually a lot in there that you learn about their back story. It was kind of all there. But yeah, you always create some stuff or yourself. I do, like, these character journals that I enjoy doing. I just write a diary in the character’s voice. It wasn’t even that necessary on this one. All of that stuff really is there in very small things. But if you were to go back and look for it, you would find out a lot about their childhood. Noah said he likes to watch movies a lot. Do the two of you watch films together? How do you pick them out? He does the Netflix queue. Then he gives me the choice. It’s almost always subtitled. We choose by length sometimes, because if it’s something [that’s long], we’ll make sure and save that one for the weekend. I kind of go with what Noah wants to watch. We like the same things. But he definitely does our Netflix thing.

I LOVE BEING ON SET. I LOVE ACTING, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S A PROJECT I BELIEVE IN AND REALLY CONNECT TO AND DO GREAT WORK ON.

Is it strange to work with your partner in a director/leading lady situation? No, it was not strange at all. I was so wanting to work with Noah. I love being on set. I love acting, especially if it’s a project I believe in and really connect to and do great work on. I wanted to kind of show off for him. I’m never late. I’m easy to work with. I wanted him to see those aspects of me that you don’t always get to see. So, I was kinda looking forward to showing off for him a bit. I had seen him on set, so I knew I’d love working with him. So, for me, it’s kind of ideal in a way. I loved it. It was a great experience. What were your first thoughts when he showed the script to you? Well, I saw it along the way. I grew up with a screenwriter. My mom is a screenwriter (Barbara Turner), so I can read a script without putting myself in it as an actress—or without envisioning myself as an actress. I can just read it as a piece of work and just talk about it and think about it in that capacity. I really enjoyed all of that stuff. I was really separate it because I’ve been doing it for so long, having that experience as a child. He told me at one point that he wanted me to play Pauline. I was really happy. I really loved that character of Pauline. It was just very exciting and different to me. How did you feel about doing a movie with Nicole and how did you all create that intimacy of sisters? I was really excited about the possibility of working with Nicole. She’s so perfect for Margot. I’ve been a big fan of hers for a long time. We’ve known each other through the years, but we’ve never had a chance to work together before this. It was very, very easy for us to create that sister-intimate thing, that kind of history. I don’t even know quite how we did it. Noah did give us two weeks of rehearsal. We spent a lot of time together. I felt very connected to her. I felt we approached the work, even though we didn’t talk about it, in a very similar way. I felt something familial with her. It was just so easy for me. I think a part of it is just because she’s such a great actress. It was so easy for me to believe we had all of this history together and all of this love and complicated stuff and muck that comes out. We did have two full weeks to rehearse. We rehearsed in the house a lot. There was a lot of lounging out and gabbing together. There was something kind of effortless about it. I could sort of recognize myself in her the way you can with your sibling. I feel that’s, maybe, part of like the magic of Nicole as an actress. I really felt it. I really felt this bond and this history together.

What are some of the favorite movies you’ve seen from Netﬂix lately? Women of the Dunes. Is that the right title? It’s a brilliant movie of the 60s. Trying to think. Recently? I’ve been traveling so much.

Watch any TV? Ummm, The Daily Show. I like that Flight of the Conchords. Noah’s working on another script now. Do you hope to have a part in it? Or do you not want to become like Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter? We’ve been working on the script and stuff like that. That’s exciting. I don’t think I’ll be in this one though. But we’ll work together again. What are you doing next? I did this movie (Synecdoche, New York) with Charlie Kaufman over the summer. I’m just reading a bunch of stuff. How much do you and Noah influence each other’s future projects? Well, a lot. If I do really like something, I’ll ask him to read it. I’m very much a part of what he does, too. He shows me things as he’s working on them. I think we help each other and influence each other. When I’ve done plays, he’s come and given me notes. What do you look for exactly in choosing roles? And you’ve been doing amazing work for so many years. Do you have a favorite? I feel like I have a bunch of favorites, a bunch of films that I feel connected to or sentimental towards. I love Georgia, obviously. Anniversary Party was great fun. Hudsucker [Proxy] and Last Exit [to Brooklyn]. You have a real fondness for Fast Times in a certain way. There’s a lot that I like and there’s a lot that I don’t like, too, but I feel lucky that I’ve got to work with [Robert] Altman and I’ve had some great, great experiences. I’m never good with favorites because I always feel bad. But I have a group that I like, so I don’t feel so guilty. What has to happen in a script before you say, I’ll do it? Well, it’s always different. I have to have some pull towards it. Sometimes it’s because of who’s directing it. If it’s somebody I really want to work with. Sometimes it’s just a character that speaks to me for some reason. There’s some kind of truth there or there’s something I haven’t done yet or maybe it’s a role that I just want to explore for whatever reason. It just touches me or moves me or fascinates me. PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

PG 36 â&#x20AC;˘ insiteatlanta.com â&#x20AC;˘ December 2007

INsite Readers

We even will give you movie passes, DVDs, restaurant gift certiﬁcates and more!

Listen up INsite readers! We want to hear your thoughts, dreams and aspirations. Well, we really just want you to answer some questions about our magazine. Let us know your INsites (dang we’re witty) and we will give you stuff for your input. Just minutes of your time and you can win some sweet prizes. How great is that? Just go to www.insiteatlanta.com and click on Readers’ Poll for you chance to win advance movie screening passes, restaurant gift certiﬁcates, new release DVDs and tickets to theatrical events. You don’t even have to answer every question to win a prize (of course the more you answer, the better your chances of winning)!

Go to www.insiteatlanta.com and click on Readers’ Poll today!

PG 37 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

SPORTS NEWS

FANATIC BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

“Obviously it was a mismatch tonight. Looked like a Division III team trying to play an SEC team. Or maybe a Division III team could have slowed them down a little bit better than we could.” –South Carolina coach STEVE SPURRIER, after Arkansas’ Darren McFadden ran for an SEC-record 323 yards against them “If [Sean] Taylor is the greatest safety in the world, a whole lot will be tolerated by football and society at large, sad as that reality is. But unless this young man does a 180-degree turn, coaches, attorneys and bail bondsmen appear to be headed for some sleepless nights.” –WASHINGTON POST’S MICHAEL WILBON, in an ‘05 column

A Monthly Sports Wrap-up three surprise squads were a combined 30-13, chieﬂy because the Magics’ Dwight Howard is a handful, the Hornets’ Tyson Chandler and Chris Paul are healthy and the Bucks’ Michael Redd is hellacious beyond 15 feet. “It’s only going to fully recover when the government gets oﬀ its butt, when the state and local authorities that are in power positions stop thinking about themselves and really start to care more about the people and housing and jobs, when everybody quits all the foolishness all of the red tape. When [the authorities] manage the money properly and get it to the right people and families who need it, then it’ll start moving in the right direction. Until then . . . “ –DALLAS MAVERICKS COACH AV ERY JOHNSON, a New Orleans native “You’ve got to be crazy to bet on sports.” –famed sports oddsmaker DANNY SHERIDAN, when asked about the wacky college football season

By the time you’ve read this, hopefully, a lot more facts will have surfaced on the death of WASHING TON REDSKINS SAFETY SEAN TAYLOR. Here “Jimmie [Johnson] and Chad [Knaus, Johnson’s are a few interesting on-the-field truths about the crew chief] have something very, very special totroubled late star: 1) Back in ’04, the Washington Post gether. I know everything that goes into their cars and asked visitors if drafting the University of Miami stud everything about their setups, and they’re still beating us. was “A good move by the Redskins.” 90.7% said ‘Yes’; 2) It’s a great start to the season It’s frustrating, but you’ve just got to give them credit. Though likely just a coincidence, the Skins’ largest home for the Celtics. They’re the best right now.” –NEXTEL CUP RUNNER crowd ever (90,367) showed for Taylor’s first pro start on UP JEFF GORDON on the winner Johnson September 27, 2004; 3) On October 14 of this year, Taylor picked off Brett Favre twice, making him the most intercepted QB of all time; 4) Former And finally… teammate LaVar Arrington nicknamed Taylor “The Grim Reaper” after a Fanatic’s three Heisman finalists: Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Tim stint of personal fouls against him. Tebow (Florida), Colt Brennan (Hawaii)… The NCAA’s board of directors decided to award this season’s play-in winner the same amount of money “’Carlos Boozer? Are you serious? All he does is average a double-double. (about $200,000) a basketball team would get for winning a first-round You can take any forward like Zach Randolph and put him in Utah and game….Michael Beasley, Michael Beasley, Michael Beasley… South the Jazz would still win.’ Right Chris, and if you starred in American Gang- Florida fell out of the AP rankings on November 3, becoming the first ster instead of Russell Crowe, it would still be the No. 2 movie in America. team since Virginia in ’90 to be ranked as high as No. 2 and eventually fall It’s not that easy my friend.” –NBA.COM’S MAURICE BROOKS, com- out of the poll…On November 13, the Limpscomb women’s hoops team menting on a visitor’s post beat Fisk 123-22…Read that last line again… The Arizona Rattlers AFL team has guaranteed their season ticket holders a trip to the playoffs, or a FANATIC’S pretty sure you’ve been keeping a close eye on the Boston full refund- no strings attached… If you still don’t think we need a playoff Celtics’ brilliant start and the San Antonio Spurs’ continued dominance, system in college football, you’re completely off your rocker… R.I.P. marabut it would behoove you to have the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hor- thoner Ryan Shay and former big league pitcher Joe Nuxhall. nets and Milwaukee Bucks on your radars in December. At press time, the

Must-See TV

Top 5 Games This Month New Year’s Day Bowl Games

2 3 4 5

(Jan. 1, 1AM, various channels)

With the Outback, Cotton, Gator, Capitol One, Rose and Sugar Bowls on tap, here’s hoping you recover from drinking the night away.

New England at New York Giants

(Dec. 29, 8:15PM, NFL Network)

Using the season’s first 12 weeks as a gauge, the Patriots could stroll into this regularseason finale 15-0.

Miami at New England (Dec. 23, 1PM, CBS)

Using the season’s first 12 weeks as a gauge, the Dolphins should flap into this holiday massacre an unbelievable 0-14.

NBA on Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 2:30PM and 5PM, ABC)

Ho! Ho! Ho! Though the Big Guy shafted you under the tree, he made up for it with the Heat/Cavs and Suns/Lakers on the TV.

Kentucky at Indiana (Dec. 8, 4PM, TBD)

The hoops rivalry in itself is enough for you to watch. Having super frosh Eric Gordon in it just makes it that much sweeter.

HELP WANTED! BUY - SELL TRADE & RENT ��

VIDEOS DVD’S MAGAZINES

��

www.usedmagazines.com

Johns Creek

HELP WANTED New Restaurant & Club

Hiring F/T P/T Wait Staff, Bar & Kitchen Stop by in Person 11-4 M-F

Call 770.817.0909 • Fax 770.817.0910 www.equityvip.com for online application

3432 Clairmont Rd.

404-320-7418

FAX 404-320-7337

��

PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

��

PG 39 • insiteatlanta.com • December 2007

Voted Best Greek Cuisine

–2006 & 2007

Now Open “Al Dar” or lounge - Enjoy great food, wine, belly dancing and hookahs on the weekend. 2751 Lavista Rd. • Decatur, GA 30033 404.633.8833 • www.mezzabistro.com

Paraiso International Now in Midtown Thursday Nights from 8pm–1am Eclectic Tapas • Multicultural Vibe FREE ENTRY Salsa, Samba, Euro All House, Merengue, Drink Specials Week Long! Top 40 & More! Music by Atlanta’s Elite Global DJs featuring Fernando

and Open for Lunch!

Peruvian Tapas Lounge & Vinoteca in the Heart of Midtown

+ Friday Latin Andean Music feat. Mauricio Amaya Best Tapas! + Saturday LIVE Flamenco

Open 7 Days a Week 404.347.3600 • www.sdmatlanta.com 980 Piedmont Avenue (Corner of 10th & Piedmont)

Best Mediterranean

Landmark DINER RESTAURANT �� Open 24 �� Hours ��

��

�� Red Dawn, GHRelease, Sleepwalker & Zan-X Starting at $6.95

HOOKAHS Starting at $24.95

Hand-blown Bubblers

New ROOR

Starting at $133.95

�� Detox Products

Pipes

Posters

Self Cigars & Body Defense Cigarettes Jewelry Products

Atlanta / Sandy Springs: 6124 Roswell Rd. ��

��