INsite Atlanta January 2007 Issue

Januaryo. 420FR0E7E Vol. 15, N

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ADM ONE

O I R P A C I D O D R A N O E L | H T I M WILL S | Y P P A R C S | Y E GEORGE CLOON | N E E R G A V E | H LA L I K E C A F T S O H G SLOAN | MXPX

Exercise is a key factor in aiding weight loss and also helps to sustain good health.

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AKERS MILL | 770.956.9093 2995 Cobb Pkwy.

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

LENOX/BUCKHEAD | 404.233.8311 3232 Peachtree St.

SOUTHLAKE | 770.960.0393 7057 Mount Zion Circle

ALPHARETTA/WINDWARD | 678.393.2733 5530 Windward Pkwy.

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

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

SUGARLOAF | 770.822.2533 1860 Duluth Highway

ANSLEY MALL | 404.249.6463 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE ATLANTIC STATION | 800.730.9957 Upcoming Sports Club - Join Now! 264 19th St., Suite 2250

EAST COBB | 770.973.3370 4400 Roswell Rd. HOLCOMB BRIDGE | 770.640.8137 1475 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

AUSTELL | 770.432.4262 1025 E. West Connector #2

JOHNS CREEK | 770.623.9433 11720 Medlock Bridge Rd.

BUFORD | 800.730.9786 Upcoming Sports Club - Join Now! 1600 Mall of Georgia Blvd. NE, Suite 858

KENNESAW/TOWN CENTER 770.427.9668 2801 George Busbee Pkwy.

NORTHLAKE | 770.414.0651 1990 W. Exchange Place PEACHTREE CORNERS 770.797.2661 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. #118

TOCO HILLS | 404.248.2998 2880 N. Druid Hills Rd.

ROSWELL WEST 678.494.6464 4801 Alabama Rd. SNELLVILLE | NOW OPEN! 2279 Pinehurst Rd. 770.979.1288

STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT | SWIMMING POOL | SAUNA | SPA | AQUA FITNESS | GROUP FITNESS CLASSES | CYCLING | YOGA KICK BOX CARDIO | INDOOR BASKETBALL | RACQUETBALL* | LEAGUES* | PERSONAL TRAINING* | KIDS’ KLUB/BABY SITTING* | AND MORE! Membership offer based on the purchase of a new Easy Start monthly dues membership with a one-time initiation fee of $149 and $34.99 monthly dues per person. Must pay first and last month's dues plus the initiation fee to join. Monthly dues must be paid by one account and deducted by automatic transfer from checking, savings, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or Diners Club account. *Extra charge for some amenities and leagues. Membership includes basketball court use. Membership valid in state of enrollment only. Facilities may vary. Photos herein depict a typical facility, some locations will vary. Monthly dues membership may be canceled with written notice (typically 60-90 days). Offer not available at our Elite locations. Offer is not available in combination with other discounted rates. Call club for details. Advertised rates may be subject to change. © 2007 L.A. Fitness International, LLC. All rights reserved.

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It’s All About tyle For Less

CONTENTS

JANUARY 2007 VOL. 15.4

INTERVIEWS 12 LEONARDO DICAPRIO

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15 NICK CASSAVETES 22 SLOAN 23 GHOSTFACE KILLAH 25 SCRAPPY 29 MXPX 30 EVA GREEN

OPEN 7 DAYS!

34 GEORGE CLOONEY

Choose from over 25,000 pairs of the MOST UNIQUE fashion shoes for men and women with brands like Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, Robert Wayne, Clarks, Børn, New Balance, Adidas and many more! All at 30% TO 60% OFF department store prices!

New styles every day!

FEATURES

Monday - Saturday 10 -7. Sunday 1- 6 . www.shoemakerswarehouse.com

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35 WILL SMITH

10 NOODLE BOWLS

Looking for something to warm you up this winter? Our Noodle Bowl Guide profile the top restaurants offering them in Atlanta.

14 THE YEAR IN MOVIES

500A Amsterdam Ave . Atlanta . 404/881-9301

From action epics like The Departed and foreign fantasies like Pan’s Labyrinth to Al Gore’s globle warming doc, An Inconvenient Truth, we highlight the year’s best Films.

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26 THE YEAR IN MUSIC

What do Jenny Lewis, Corinne Bailey, Rae, Lupe Fiasco and The Hold Steady have in common? They all made our critics year end Top 10 lists.

31 WINTER EDUCATION GUIDE

If you’re New Year’s resolution was to enhance your career or expand your education, our Guide spotlights some great programs to help you do it.

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36 THE YEAR IN SPORTS

Remember when Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in one game? When that French soccer player head-butted an opponent in the chest? When the NBA tried out a new ball, with disasterous results? So do we!

COLUMNS

6 ON TAP

8 AROUND TOWN 9 UNDER THE LIGHTS

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13 WANTON DISTRACTION 16 MOVIE REVIEWS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 FANATIC 38 HOROSCOPES

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www.insiteatlanta.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Januar y 4th through Februar y 27th

Cu Fr st a om m B com W y i bin ith o Boy ed ve Di ng fra r 50 xi e m

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OFF LIST

ON SELECT PAINTS, BRUSHES, PADS, EASELS, PORTFOLIOS, PENS, PAPERS AND MORE!

All Blick Canvas buy 20 or more save

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buy 10 or more save buy 9 or less save

off list

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New Roswell Blick Store: 1165 Woodstock Road, # 830 770-993-0240

Roswell Corners Shopping Center/ Super Target Center

L A R G E S T D I S CO U N T E R O F Q UA L I T Y A R T M AT E R I A L S

The Local Scene

ON TAP JANUARY Email events to ontap@insiteatlanta.com

January 7: World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions The Lipizzaner Stallions bring their 37th Anniversary Tour to the Arena at Gwinnett Center. In 1970, Producer Gary Lashinsky created a new family arena attraction, starring The "World Famous" LIPIZZANER STALLIONS. Many horses and riders were brought from Europe to perform in this unique family oriented arena attraction. Over the years, twenty-three million people throughout North and South America, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and Hawaii have seen this internationally acclaimed spectacle. For more info, head to: http://www.gwinnettcenter.com

January 13: Golden Dragon Acrobats Atlanta Symphony Hall is the place for one of China's most delightful exports. The Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the best of a time honored tradition that began more than twenty seven centuries ago. Direct from Hebei, China, our company has traveled around the world to all 50 states and to over 65 countries on five continents. With performers trained in the rigorous art of acrobatics since early youth, the troupe has garnered international acclaim. The Golden Dragon Acrobats are under the casting direction of Asian Artists Productions located in Plano, TX. For more info, head to: http://www.atlantasymphony.org/

January 17 - February 25: Sister Act the Musical

Sister Act is coming to the Alliance Theatre this month. Alan Menken and an award-winning creative team join forces to bring the 1992 sleeper hit movie to a fabulous and funny new life on stage. This glorious new production is a World Premiere presentation in co-production with the Pasadena Playhouse. Don't miss your chance to see this new musical, sure to inspire you to raise your voice in laughter as you dance down the aisles to the disco beat. Inspirational, heartwarming, and funny, this musical raises its voice to the rafters in a story beloved over the last decade. For more info, head to: http://www.alliancetheatre.org.

January 19 - February 4: Girl Scout Cookie Sale More than 25,000 Girl Scouts from 20 counties served by The Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia will participate in the annual cookie sale program. Girl Scouts ages 6-17 will be taking cookie orders. Proceeds from the sale directly benefit the Girl Scout troops that sell the cookies and their communities. New this season, all cookies sold will have zero grams of trans fat, including the allnew sugar-free Little Brownies cookie made with sugar-free chocolate chips. Other cookies offered are Samoas, the legendary Trefoils, Tagalongs, Café Cookie and the all-time American favorite, Thin Mints. Each box sells for $3.50.

For more info, head to: www.girlscoutsnwga.org.

January 20: Rod Stewart Come see one of the most popular crooners sing at Philips Arena.

Rod Stewart, one of the biggest 'superstars' of the century, has turned 50 without his audience diminishing in any way. His credibility as high as it had ever been, Stewart then released When We Were The New Boys, debuting at UK number 2 in June 1998. On the album Stewart covered newer material by 90s bands including Skunk Anansie ('Weak'), Primal Scream ('Rocks') and Oasis ('Cigarettes & Alcohol'). He also revisited the Faces on the single 'Ooh La La', originally sung by Ron Wood on the album of the same name. For ticket info, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

January 23: Incubus Rock out at the Tabernacle this month when Incubus comes to town. The band is a five-piece alternative rock band based out of Calabasas, California. The band has enjoyed great success over their fifteen-year long career, with singles like "Drive" and "Wish You Were Here" making them household names in today's musical climate. Incubus has enjoyed multi-platinum album success with albums such as 2001's Morning View Incubus has just released their latest studio effort Light Grenades on the 28th November 2006. On release, the album went straight to the top of the charts in the United States due to the success of first single "AnnaMolly". For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

• insiteatlanta.com • April 2005 PG PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

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Check out Ugallery.com represents the top collegiate artists from around the country.

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Smar t Fun COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA

TAKE YOUR SKILLS TO A NEW LEVEL OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW JUST FOR FUN Art and Graphic Design Web Site Design Photography Animation Audio and Video Production Interior Decorating Cooking and Cuisine The winter class schedule is now online!

Go to www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta and click on Community Education. For more information, call 770.689.4764 or contact us at aiasmartfun@aii.edu.

In addition to community and professional education, The Art Institute of Atlanta offers diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s programs in over a dozen fields in design, fashion, media arts, and culinary arts. For more information about degree programs, workshops, or Creations, the college’s student-run dining room open to the public, call or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta.

6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328

1.800.275.4242 / 770.394.8300 / www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta 07-209 1206

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

January 2007 Volume 15.4

INsite Magazine of Atlanta 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 404-315-8485 Fax 404-315-1755 email feedback@insiteatlanta website insiteatlanta.com

The Arts

UNDER THE LIGHTS W h at ’ s H a p p e n i n g o n S t a ge i n A t l a n t a

Advertising Information

Call 404-315-8485 advertising@insiteatlanta.com President Stephen Miller National Managing Editor Bret Love Graphic Designer Michael T. Local Events Editor Rav Mansfield Local News Editor Glenn LaFollette Sports Editor DeMarco Williams Web Design Kalico Productions Contributing Writers / Interns John Davidson, John Moore, Russell Fisher, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrew Gilstrap, Mathew Goldberg & Kim Guelcher

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INsite does not knowingly accept false or mi leading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear.

No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

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8 1/2 X 11: “SEX, DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL” Jan 19-Feb 17 D a d ’ s G a r a ge T h e a t r e TA L E S O F E D G A R A L L E N P O E Jan 17-Feb 11 Center for Puppetr y Ar ts Love, obsession, madness, tortured psyches and the evil that men do– all were fodder for classic horror stories such as “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat.” Directed by Bobby Box in collaboration with Jon Ludwig, this innovative production finds puppeteers dressed in period clothing in full view of the audience, and even appearing as characters in some of the vignettes. With puppets designed by Jason von Hinezmeyer and music performed by Klimchak, this is easily the month’s most intriguing theatrical production. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1202 Spring St. 404-873-3391. www.puppet.org.

Curated by Dad’s Garage Artistic Director Kate Warner, Atlanta’s most irreverent short play festival returns with 8.5 world premiere shorts inspired by our three favorite sins. Playwrights offering up new work include Alice Tuan, OBIE-award winner Kyle Jarrow, John Pierson (former guitarist for punk band Screeching Weasel) and Atlanta’s own Steve Yockey, who was voted Best Local Playwright of 2006 by Creative Loafing. This year’s pieces will also include a rotating lineup of local singer-songwriters as well as an improvised sketch by members of the Dad’s Garage ensemble. Dad’s Garage Theatre, 280 Elizabeth St, Suite C-101.

404-523-3141. www.dadsgarage.com.

WINTER STORYTELLING FESTIVAL Jan 26-28 KSU Center Now in its 24th year, this annual festival presented by the Southern Order of Storytellers at Kennesaw State University is dedicated to preserving the fine art of the oral tradition. Offerings will include three days of performances and workshops by a variety of local, regional and nationally-known storytellers running the gamut from children’s stories and those with universal appeal to sacred storytelling from a variety of cultures. There will also be a live auction, festival feast, an SOS Shoppe selling books and recordings, and two opportunities to share your own colorful yarns during Story Swaps on January 27 and 28. KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Dr NW, Kennesaw. 404-329-9950. www.southernorderofstorytellers.com.

FUNNY FARM ����������� Admit Yourself Today

Darren Carter ����������������������

Jan 11,12,13 & 14

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Janke Studios

John Mulrooney ������������������ Jan 25,26,27 & 28

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STUDIOPLEX

Conveniently located between Inman Park & the King Bir th Home 659 Auburn Ave. Studio G-9 Atlanta, GA 30312

(404) 584-0305

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Intersection of Alpharetta Hwy/ Holcomb Bridge 608 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Local Cuisine

TASTE OF THE MONTH NOODLE BOWLS

Here are the top places in town serving up hot Noodle Bowls this winter beef, shrimp or tofu accompanied with steamed vegetaMama Fu’s Asian House chicken, Doc Chey’s Noodle House bles, white or brown rice along with Mama’s special dipping Emory Village 1556 N Decatur Rd. 404.378.8188 Morningside 1424 N. Highland Ave. 404.888.0777 Vinings 1675 Cumberland Pkwy. 770.333.9657 Sandy Springs 227 Sandy Springs Pl. 404.943.0113 www.doccheys.com

oc Chey's was D the original pan-Asian noodle

house in Atlanta.

They opened their first restaurant in 1997 in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of the city. They followed that with a second restaurant in Emory Village and now have four noodle houses in metro Atlanta as well as Athens, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina.

Doc Chey's menu is truly pan-Asian; it encompasses the cuisines of China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and Vietnam. Menu categories include dim sum (starters), noodles, stirfries, soups and salads. Best sellers include the Spicy Thai Basil noodles consisting of wok seared vegetables and rice noodles tossed in a spicy Thai sauce, and the Szechuan stirfry, which includes a wide variety of vegetables stir-fried in a traditional Chinese Szechuan sauce and served with white or brown rice. All noodles and stirfries are freshly wok'd to order and served with your choice of chicken, tofu, beef, shrimp or veggies-only. Doc Chey's also offers a wide variety of handmade dim sum items under five bucks that are perfect for starters, such as Shanghai Dumplings, Fresh Vietnamese Basil Rolls, Thai Shrimp Rolls and Crispy Veggie Spring Rolls. The majority of menu items are under $8 and each meal is served with a smile.

Doc Chey's was recently voted Best Noodle Bowl by INsite Magazine. Other recent awards include Best Cheap Eats, Best Lunch Spot and Best Pan-Asian by Citysearch.com. Visit a Doc Chey's near you for a healthy serving of peace, love and noodles.

1935 Peachtree Rd 404.350.9999 3027 N. Druid Hills Rd. 404.844.6262 6590 Sugarloaf Parkway 678.213.0521 5530 Windward Pkwy. 678.393.6262 10779 Alpharetta Hwy. 770.992.7120 www.mamafus.com

sauces. These bowls are healthy, delicious and a lot of fun.

Also new to their menu this year is the Thai Shrimp, Thai Beef Salad, and Thai Green Beans. They also have great side items like Mama’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Basil Spring Rolls and Potstickers. On the lighter side, try their Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad or the Ahi Tuna Salad.

resh, cooked to order Pan-Asian cuisine is the mantra at Noodle Mama Fu’s. With nine locations in Georgia, and noodle F Midtown 903 Peachtree St. 404.685.3010 houses in seven states, Mama Fu’s is one of the fastest growing

restaurants in the country.

Here you will find a variety of noodle bowls to choose from.

All come with a choice of chicken, beef, tofu or shrimp. One of the most popular is the Pad Thai. It is prepared with a Thai peanut sauce with carrots, scallions, tofu, bean sprouts, and egg.

This is all tossed with rice noodles and garnished with cilantro, peanuts and lime. Another spicy noodle dish is the Thai Basil bowl. It comes with mushrooms, onions, basil, red peppers, scallions, sprouts in a chili hoisin sauce. For something a little different go for the Vietnamese Crunchy Noodles, served with carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, red bell peppers, sprouts and seared garlic.

With the New Year, Mama Fu’s is proud to introduce their signature Steam Bowls. The Steam Bowls are served in a bamboo steamer and brought to your table. Inside you get a choice of

Mama Fu’s North Druid Hills Location

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Decatur 205 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. 404.378.8622 College Park 3693 Main St. 404.767.5154 www.noodlehouse.net an-Asian cuisine with three P locations. Noodle

offers a blend of korean, chinese, japanese and Thai inspired dishes featuring their signature Noodle bowls. Open now on Peachtree street in the heart of mid-town, on his- Noodle Midtown Location toric Main Street in College Park and one block from the Historic Decatur Square. The original location in Decatur is large and open and more family oriented, their midtown location is a hip spot for the singles scene and the newest College Park location has its own unique charm.

A blend of homemade noodle and rice bowl dishes have made this unique restaurant a favorite in metro Atlanta since 2001.

Popular dishes such as yaki soba noodles, chinese lomein, curry, thai peanut and thin pan crispy and fried rice. A wide variety of appetizers include Chinese dumplings, lettuce wraps and satay chicken. Salad choices include Asian chicken, warm sichuan tofu and Vietnamese cold Noodle. Parking and Take-out available at all three locations.

restaurant. bar.

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midtown 903 peachtree st. ste. a 404.658.3010 decatur 205 east ponce de leon ave.

404.378.8622 college park 3693 main st.

404.767.5154 takeout

www.noodlehouse.net

Neighborhoods

EAST ATLANTA An Eclectic Oasis of Cool Coulture

BY BEN MILLER hether it’s Greenwich Village or HaightW Ashbury, virtually every major city has a quirky little neighborhood that serves as an

enclave for artists, musicians and other bohemian types. East Atlanta has emerged in recent years as the ATL’s hottest hipster haven, attracting an influx of young adults and families drawn to the area’s combination of affordability, convenience and eclectic cool.

There was a time when the area seemed destined for little more than destitution. After middle class black families moved in under the protection of the Fair Housing Act back in the ‘60s, opportunistic real estate agents fanned the flames of fear and racial prejudice, resulting in a “white flight” that allowed slumlord investors to snatch up available houses for a song. Real estate values dipped and the neighborhood’s rep suffered.

Even as recently as a decade ago, more than 50% of the shops in East Atlanta were boarded up. But as the 1996 Summer Olympics brought an influx of new residents into the metro Atlanta area, savvy home buyers began buying up East Atlanta’s charming mix of bungalows, ranchstyle homes and century-old Victorians, which at the time were listing for well under $100,000.

One of those forward-thinking investors who jumped on the East Atlanta bandwagon early was Avenue Realty’s Candace Fuqua, who started out renovating homes nearly a decade ago and is now one of the area’s leading real estate agents. “The area has changed dramatically in the years that I’ve been working here,” Fuqua recalls. “Back then my buyers were true urban pioneers, but now we’re getting families from Alpharetta wanting to move to the area. It’s convenient to everything that makes Atlanta great, and it’s all in what feels like an eclectic, small town.”

At the heart of this hip epicenter is East Atlanta Village, the retail development where almost all

of the area’s shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants are located. “The Village is hip and funky, fun and friendly,” says Fuqua, “with lots of oneof-a-kind boutiques, great music venues, a Sohostyle coffee shop, an old 50’s-type Barber shop, a tattoo parlor and a great furniture and accessories store. Urban home buyers want to be near little village-type areas where they can take the dog for a walk to have a cup o’ joe, have sushi around the corner, share fajitas and tequila shooters with friends, then be able to stumble home on foot after a night out.”

“East Atlanta has emerged in recent years as the ATL’s hottest Hipster Haven”

In addition to the area’s eclectic soul, Fuqua cites its prime location as a major reason so many people are flocking to East Atlanta. “It’s so close to I-20 and downtown Atlanta, close to Little Five Points and the great shopping at the new Edgewood Retail District. All the chain store from the ‘burbs are here now!” For families, the newly-renovated Brownwood Park Recreation Center is located in the middle of the neighborhood, while tourist attractions such as Grant Park and Zoo Atlanta are practically right around the corner.

Of course, with such rapid gentrification, and so many old homes being refurbished and new homes being built, property values in East Atlanta are soaring. The average cost of a home in the area rose from $172,512 in 2002 to $191,436 in 2004 (an 11% increase). “The value of homes in the area has greatly increased in the last few years. I have a lot of buyers using 100% financing,” says Fuqua, “so they put no money into the house, then sell it 3 years later, making $50,000-$100,000 profit. Sometimes, they’ve had 10%-20% price appreciation per year. Of course, it’s all in how you buy, and when.”

VOTED BEST CAJUN - 2006 Insite Magazine VOTED BEST NEW RESTAURANT & BEST NEW CAJUN - 2006 Creative Loafing

PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

A

lthough critics have been fairly divided on the film itself, nearly every review of Blood Diamond recognizes the dramatic intensity of Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Danny Archer, a Rhodesia-born smuggler of “blood diamonds,” whose profits fund brutal battles in war-torn countries such as Sierra Leone. It’s his second dynamic turn in recent months, with his sizzling role in The Departed (his third pairing with director Martin Scorsese) virtually guaranteed to garner the actor his third Oscar nomination.

The 32-year-old actor finally seems to have made the awkward transition from promising young actor to one of the finest thespians of his generation, and forthcoming pairings with directors Stephen Gaghan and Scorsese (on The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt) seem to promise more great performances to come. We recently sat down with DiCaprio to discuss diamonds, third world poverty and dedication to his craft.

What was your knowledge of the diamond trade situation before doing this movie?

I think I was like anybody else; I’d heard whispers of it, but until I got there and started to do the research I didn't really quite understand the immense impact on Sierra Leone and other places in Africa. I’d heard the Kanye West song and bits of it in conversation, but it wasn't until I really got to Africa, where I heard the firsthand accounts and started to read books, that I really learned what really had happened.

Why did you want to do this movie?

It was such a powerful storyline, and that's what you look for first. I wasn't going out seeking films with a sociopolitical message just to do it for the sake of doing it. You know, it has to have an entertainment value, it has to be a good movie and it has to convey a message without the audience feeling they are being preached to. I really felt this script accomplished that, and to me it was representative of a huge issue in the world today of corporate responsibility.

Here was this character that was exploiting others that were less fortunate than him, dealing in the black market and not really being conscious of the world he lives in. It was really (director) Ed Zwick and (producer) Marshall Herskovitz who learned about the diamond trade and brought the political aspects into this story in a way that I felt was authentic.

Do you feel you have grown up since being in this business?

I never thought, throughout the entire course of my career, about choosing a specific role because it would make me seem more man-like. Even with roles like Catch Me If You Can, I was 8 years or 10 years older than the character I played. It was an interesting character, and I knew that might be one of the last times I could be playing a character like that. I think these are really intangible things that you can never really control. You do these movies, you give it to the world and you really have no idea how people are going to react to you, or the subject matter. I've been in plenty of situations where I thought the film would turn out one way or my performance would be looked at one way, and it was an entirely different situation. Once you make these movies, you give it to the world and you guys get to pick it apart.

How did you nail the accent?

Spending a lot of time with the locals, drinking beers with them, hearing their stories... a lot of guys from the South African military. I got to hang out with this guy named Tom Delfuse, a military expert, just listening to them talk. Of course, I had an accent coach and he was there guiding me through it. But we had conversations with these people, listening to their stories, and I made them say sentences over and over again. I wanted to definitely go to Africa PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Out of Africa Why Leonardo DiCaprio Doesn’t Want to Hear Your Bitching

“These people have been through so much.

They’ve been in a civil war for 30 years and the poverty rate [is remarkably high], but people were still literally dancing in the streets.

The joy, the energy, the happiness they exuded was unbelievable, and it made me come back home and not want to listen to anyone's problems. I don't want to hear what we as Americans have to deal with.”

early, because that whole area was completely alien to me. I had never really spent any time in Africa, let alone a white South African man. It was completely alien to me when I first heard of the film.

How has being in contact with Africa and the poverty there changed your own life?

What did you learn from this experience?

Playing a character like this who was taking advantage of the poverty around him and taking advantage of the continent, it was uncomfortable as an actor to portray this man in front of an African crew in locations like Mozambique, where there was a tremendous amount of poverty.

Mozambique is having an economic resurgence, but four out of 10 people supposedly have HIV or AIDS. It's astounding. What I was left with after spending time with Africa– and this is not at all to sound trivial– but it really was the power of the human spirit there. These people have been through so much. They’ve been in a civil war for 30 years and the poverty rate [is remarkably high], but people were still literally dancing in the streets. The joy, the energy, the happiness they exuded was unbelievable, and it made me come back home and not want to listen to anyone's problems. I don't want to hear what we as Americans have to deal with. When you’re immersed in a place like that for six months and you see the extreme levels of what people have to deal with there, yet they’re able to keep a positive attitude, you just don't want to hear people's problems out here anymore.

What impressed you the most about being there and shooting this film?

We did a lot of faux-military activities of hunting and tracking in the bush, hanging out with a lot of guys in the South African army. And really, that was the tough stuff– getting that military background– because they’re some of the best-trained guys in the entire world as far as living in the bush. I didn't go out and live in the bush with them for a week or even a day, but it was a matter of doing these exercises with them.

There was a lot of hanging out with them and hearing their stories; there’s a certain amount you can get from books, but you need to speak with real people and ask specific questions that affect your character.

Otherwise you'd be skimming through hundreds of books trying to get that specific answer. What I was really overwhelmed by with Africa was its tremendous natural beauty. I got to go to some pretty amazing places. Every other weekend we got a day or two off to go on a safari or see the natural wonders of Africa. If anyone gets the opportunity to go there, it's something you have to do in your lifetime.

We heard you and Djimon Hounsou both got injured on set, but continued to work through the pain. Where does that sort of dedication come from?

Yeah, Djimon got banged up and I hurt my knee [during] a full week of squibs and diving behind cars. I'll tell you, it comes from being a fan of this artform of film. I think this is the great modern artform. There have been 100 years of cinema, but there is so much still to be done. There is something about watching a film that is burned into celluloid for all time, that’s now a piece of history. My children and their children are going to be watching these movies. To make a great movie requires such a combination of different things that need to come into play to actually make a memorable film and not have it to fall by the wayside, and one of those elements is the commitment the actors have to their performance. It doesn't always come into play– there have been a lot of great performances in the past in films that weren't great– but if you are lucky enough to get that combination together, that to me is like being part of a piece of art that is going to last forever. –B. Love

The Arts

WANTON DISTRACTION Skewed Views On Entertainment News

T

he Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globe ceremony is important for one reason and one reason only: proximity. It's Oscar's less attractive friend, whom you have to win over if you want a chance at the much prettier and far more meaningful golden statue. The following are my thoughts on the nominations of the major categories, plus the absolutely ludicrious nominations for “Foreign Language Film.”

As for the TV nominations, I haven't included those because the time between the Globes and the Emmys is about nine months, and the wins in those categories probably won't translate... or will at least be more daring.

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL OR COMEDY Annette Bening, "Running With Scissors"; Toni Collette, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Beyonce Knowles, "Dreamgirls"; Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada”; and Renee Zellweger, "Miss Potter" If you need more proof that good roles for actresses are hard to find, file this category as Exhibit A. Meryl Streep will win by virtue of being Meryl Streep. But Benning, for being an obnoxious bitch? Toni Collette, in what really is a supporting role (and a sparse one at that)?

Beyonce Knowles, for playing a hot, successful singer? Why are all the good roles for comedic actresses on television?

BEST PICTURE, DRAMA "Babel," "Bobby," "The Departed," "Little Children" and "The Queen" Bobby gets a nomination, but not United 93?

FAIL! At a roundtable last month, a fellow (yet wholly irritating) journalist shot down the idea that United 93 would get nominated for Best Picture because it was too much of “a downer.”

A real downer is the IQ level of people that don't acknowledge great cinema because it *gasp* actually has an emotionally complex ending. But the good news with this category is that The Departed has basically locked its Best Picture Oscar nomination and Little Children, while not going to the Oscars, gets some much-needed and muchdeserved attention.

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL OR COMEDY Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat"; Johnny Depp, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest”; Aaron Eckhart, "Thank You for Smoking"; Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Kinky Boots”; and Will Ferrell, "Stranger than Fiction" The big question here is, will Cohen attend as himself or as his Kazahk alter-ego? I think we all know it's the latter, and that the tape delay will be crucial whenever he's on camera. Still, it's an awesome way to boost your Nielsen ratings, and I look forward to his future nominations for both the Nobel and Pulitizer prizes. As for the rest, any acknowledgement of Eckhard and Ejifor is good stuff in my book.

Ferrell might actually win, Jim Carrey-style, as a comedian taking a dramatic turn but having zero shot at an Oscar nomination. With Depp, I love the guy and I love the sequel, but he made Capt. Sparrow more cartoony, not more interesting.

Why no nod for Dreamgirls' Jamie Foxx?

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA Penelope Cruz, "Volver"; Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal"; Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Sherrybaby"; Helen Mirren, "The Queen”; and Kate Winslet, "Little Children" This category is kind of a yawn because ever since The Queen came out, everyone decided that Mirren will get the Oscar. You want to shave time off the telecast? Just hand out the sure bets during the boring pre-show.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"; Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Departed"; Peter O'Toole, "Venus"; Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"; and Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland" I like Leo, too, but you decided to waste a nomination by nominating him twice when you could’ve thrown Matt Damon a nod for The Departed? Or what about Hugh Jackman for The Fountain? Well, The Fountain is fucked. It's this year's best neglected picture. But I guess it's all a moot point since Whitaker should also expect one of those pre-show Oscars.

BEST PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY "Borat," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Dreamgirls," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Thank You for Smoking" Little Miss Sunshine may already be living in backlash, but this nomination probably secures it a Best Picture Oscar nod (it's the “indie” film this year). Dreamgirls can also expect an Academy nomination, but it's a close call for who will win the Globe. Looking at LMS' DVD sales and Dreamgirls’ box office take over the next few weeks will help identify the winner. Also, I'm happy to see the unsurprising, but still deserving nomination of Borat.

BEST DIRECTOR Clint Eastwood, "Flags of Our Fathers"; Clint Eastwood, "Letters from Iwo Jima"; Steven Frears, "The Queen"’ Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"; and Martin Scorsese, "The Departed" Please let it be Marty's year. Give the man a fucking Oscar already! He certainly deserves it for this film. Regarding Eastwood, this doubling-up shit has got to go, especially since Flags of Our Fathers is weak sauce anyway.

Why not show some love to Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) or Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain)? Do the members of the HFPA really want to rub elbows with Clint that badly? It's not like he's gonna clone himself, or be twice as happy to be there.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM "Apocalypto," USA; "Letters from Iwo Jima," USA/Japan; "The Lives of Others," Germany; "Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico; and "Volver" SpainApocalypto? You're shitting me, right?

And Letters from Iwo Jima?! Please, tell me you're making with the shit. How the hell did two American films made by two American directors get on the list? Leave it to the Hollywood Foreign Press to defeat the purpose of the Foreign Language Film category.

Oh, and here’s one last tip from me to the HFPA: Ditch that popular music parody you open with every year. It's like an endurance test before the real show, and I hate wasting cotton balls to clean up all the blood that spews from my ears.

–Matt Goldberg

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COMPLIMENTARY PASSES invites you and a guest to a special advance screening of

on Thursday, January 25 at 7:30pm at Regal Hollywood 24.

To receive a complimentary pass, simply visit

6124 Roswell Rd NE | Atlanta, GA 30328 | (404) 256-1116 Mon–Sat: 10am–2am | Sun: Noon–2am 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.

Opens Nationwide Friday, January 26 PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

2006:

F

ilms can entertain and inspire, but they can also teach us. So what lessons can we learn from the films of 2006?

Lesson #1: Detached Internet Irony Only Takes You So Far- Snakes on a Plane sold itself to the buzz machine solely through title and the casting of scenery-chewer Samuel L. Jackson. Unfortunately, only the title was worthy of the “so-bad-its-good” quality people were hoping for.

Lesson #2: We're All Gonna Die- Al Gore took last year's hit documentary, March of the Penguins, and made a pseudo sequel (An Inconvenient Truth) about how we're killing the penguins, ourselves and basically the entire planet.

Hopefully we'll soon see a film about evolution vs. “intelligent design” because in today's partisan world, all facts are political.

THE

Lesson #3: It's Time to Talk about 9/11- Five years after the events of September 11th, we received not one but two films that brought us directly into that day: Paul Greengrass' cinema verité-style United 93 and Oliver Stone's more conventional World Trade Center. Some cried “too soon,” but the tragedy’s continued relevance makes artistic examinations all the more important.

Lesson #4: George Clooney has the Politics Market Cornered- While last year had the political call-to-arms of Good Night, and Good Luck and Syriana, this year only political documentaries like Inconvenient Truth and The Ground Truth managed to stir up controversy. In terms of fiction, Home of the Brave and American Dreamz failed, while quality films like V for Vendetta and Children of Men failed to grab the attention of the mainstream. Some might mention Happy Feet for being global-warming “propaganda” for kids, but those people are just trying to fill the Fox News cycle, so cut them some slack.

IN

PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

garnered director Clint Eastwood his worst reviews in years, Warner Bros. wisely bumped up the release date on this companion piece, which tells the same story from the Japanese side. Ken Watanabe is the only recognizable actor, the dialogue is subtitled and there’s more fraternizing and ruminating than fighting, yet Eastwood’s steady hand at the helm makes this one of the year’s most compelling and classic films– a timeless koan about the inevitably of loss in war, and the grim senselessness of it all.

UNITED 93- “Do not go gently into that good night,” wrote poet Dylan Thomas, and director Paul Greengrass’ emotionally gripping ode honors the men and women on United Airlines Flight 93 who refused to go down on September 11 without a fight. Some critics carped that it was too early for such a brutally frank docudrama about one of the darkest days in this nation’s history, but the film wisely avoids sensationalism or sentimentality. This is as raw and realistic as filmmaking gets, giving viewers the almost sickening feeling of being a passenger on that ill-fated flight. But it also inspires us, reminding us that even the most average among us can find the courage to become heroes.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH- Speaking of heroes, who

PAN'S LABYRINTH- This is the kind of story the Brothers

THE DEPARTED- Fans of Asian cinema may want to deride

BORAT- In Dante's Inferno, the final level of Hell is reserved for history's great deceivers: Judas, Brutus and Cassius are continually chewed in the mouth of Satan.

When Sacha Baron Cohen dies, he'll probably have to join their ranks, but he'll still be the funniest guy in Lucifer's mandible. He'll also have a lot of company, and his deceptive Kazak reporter Borat Sagdiyev managed to highlight the hypocrisy, absurdity and self-deception of our fair country and turn it into comic gold. The film is lewd, crude and cleverer than you'll ever want to admit. Cohen may be going to hell for deceiving all the film's subjects, but he may get into heaven for creating both the best satire and the best gross-out comedy in years.

Grimm would tell if they were still alive today. The film is folktale before fairy-tale– a grown-up myth that comes out of the past ,yet feels distinctly modern. Writer/director Guillermo Del Toro perfectly blends the most wondrous dreams with the most haunting nightmares and does the impossible by bringing the mythical into the real, with both sides enhanced rather than cheapened by the experience.

It's not just this year's best foreign-language film; it's the year's best fantasy, best story and most beautiful and sorrowful melody. A lot of people like to toss around the word “masterpiece,” but when every frame of the film is masterful, Pan's Labyrinth more than earns that title. this film on principle since it's based on one of Hong Kong's great movies, Infernal Affairs. But where Infernal Affairs was fast action paired with a tight premise (a cop undercover as a criminal, and a criminal infiltrating the police force), Martin Scorsese and screenwriter William Monaghan go much deeper and build the story to create an urban epic only Scorsese could produce. With perfect casting, quotable dialogue, rocking soundtrack, fresh setting (Boston instead of Scorsese's usual NYC) and hardcore violence, the argument here isn't whether or not it's better than its Asian ancestor. The argument is whether or not it's better than Goodfellas.

THE QUEEN- In the months leading up to the Oscars, you’re going to hear every critic in the country hyping Helen Mirren’s regal, restrained performance as Queen Elizabeth, whose entire family fell from grace in England’s eye for their ham-fisted handling of Princess Diana’s funeral. And yes, the grande dame delivers in spades, capturing every subtle nuance of Her Majesty’s royal repression and quiet rage as a nation calls her out for being a heartless ice queen.

But credit also goes to Michael Sheen for nimbly capturing the naive optimism and “How the hell do I handle THIS?!” panic of then-new PM Tony Blair, and to Stephen Frears, whose brilliant direction virtually guarantees an Oscar nod.

DREAMGIRLS- Quick, name the last film you saw that actu-

MOVIES

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA- When Flags of Our Fathers

would’ve guessed a year ago that the former “future President of the United States” would appear in one of the year’s most gripping films? Sure, the idea of the oftenwooden Internet inventor giving a Power Point lecture about the impending dangers of global warming sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry. But the former VP revealed himself to be knowledgable, humorous, even immensely likable while at the same time scaring the everloving crap out of anyone with half a brain. To quote Roger Ebert, “You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.” Yes, it is THAT important.

Now, without further ado, our Top 10 Films of the Year...

YEAR

Jennifer Hudson’s gut-wrenching turn as the proud, selfdestructive Effie White, blowing the roof off with her emotionally gripping rendition of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” ranks among the finest film debuts in recent memory.

ally got a standing ovation DURING the movie. A rare bit of pure Hollywood escapism in a difficult year that could’ve used a lot more razzle dazzle, writer/director Bill Condon’s adaptation of the Broadway smash succeeds on every front. From the poignant script and show-stopping musical numbers to gorgeous costumes and Oscar-worthy performances, this is arguably the finest movie musical in decades. And newcomer (and ex-American Idol contestant)

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE- What do you get when you mix a

heroin-snorting grandfather (Alan Arkin), a controlling dad (Greg Kinnear) whose only plan for success is a half-assed motivational speaking scheme, a goth-punk son (Paul Dano) who refuses to speak, a depressed gay uncle (Steve Carrell) on suicide watch, and a mother (Toni Collette) desperately trying to keep it all from falling apart? You get the year’s most heartbreakingly dysfunctional comedy, charting the Hoover family’s cross-country quest to get adorably weird daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) to a beauty pageant in California. Heartwarming but not treacly, funny but not fake, the latest from directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris was the little indie that could.

CHILDREN OF MEN- We've seen the post-apocalypse plenty of times. But director Alfonso Cuaron takes us to a far more frightening place by showing us the pre-apocalypse.

The world is dying and, in a world without children, the last generation is eating itself alive. England has managed a semblance of stability by becoming a police state bent on making sure the rest of the world doesn't overrun their semblance of normalcy. All that changes when Theo (Clive Owen), a man completely without hope, meets Tia, a pregnant refugee and the world's last hope. The film is skillful without being showy, overwhelming without being overt, and miraculously hopeful when everything that came before should have destroyed any trace of hope. It's easy to hope when you have nothing left to lose, but Children of Men actively fights to make sure everything is not lost.

HONORABLE MENTIONS- Babel, Last King of Scotland, Little Children, The Proposition, Shut Up & Sing, Thank You For Smoking, V For Vendetta, Venus --Matt Goldberg & B. Love

A

DIRECTOR NICK CASSAVETES ON HIS STRUGGLES TO BRING ALPHA DOG TO THE SCREEN nectability... is that a word? I mean, we enjoy films we can relate to, and as humans we connect through communication, whether verbal or non-verbal. Emotion is non-verbal and can be evoked from a simple facial expression or a choice of background, like with a funeral backdrop, almost immediately

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believe that’s one of the most romantic films of all time. You have this ability to convey genuine human emotion, and Alpha Dog has a broad range of emotions as well. How important are the characters to your style of storytelling?

I believe the ability to relate to a character is v e r y important in filmmaking. If you go to a film and walk away believing a character, I ' v e done m y job.

N o o n e

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

This isn’t like anything you’ve done before.

Why did you want to take on this project?

Truth be told, my daughter, who was attending a high school that Mr. Hollywood once attended, mentioned the story to me. Mr. Hollywood had become a sort of teenage cult hero to the Valley kids. Previous to that I knew nothing about him. Once I started researching the case, I knew I had to do it.

For a small film, it has some very big names in it, from Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis to Justin Timberlake. How'd you manage that?

I sent the script to Sharon and she read it and wanted to be apart of the project. Anton Yelchin is a force to be reckoned with– a lot of those up and coming stars will have to learn to hold their own around him. He’s extremely and natural in front of the camera.

I wish him all the luck with his future film endeavors, because I know there will be many. Now with Justin, that's where the story is... I actually contacted him for The Notebook, but we never could get it together. So when Alpha Dog came about I immediately contacted him, and the rest is history.

Speaking of The Notebook, I honestly

TANGLED UP IN TRUE

you will feel sorrow or grief. So I work hard at setting moods and putting the audience in the frame of mind of each character.

The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. How was it received there?

Alpha Dog was warmly welcomed at Sundance, which was REALLY good for the movie. We got the last spot on closing day, so there were very high expectations for the movie. Although the movie shows a violent response to panic in young adults, it’s a very real subject matter. I've gotten tons of responses from audience members thanking me for exposing the dangers of violent imagery in youth, so I couldn't be more proud of the film.

Weren’t there legal issues with the film?

The Jesse James Hollywood case is very real, and Mr. Blatt– a defense lawyer on the case– sought an injunction against the release of the film. My researcher, Michael Mehas, had to turn all our notes and interviews over to the courts. While researching the case, I was able to build a relationship with Mr. Hollywood's father, Jack, and many inferred that I had some inside scoop. I was actually subpoenaed myself, but I've cooperated and will continue to cooperate.

I know you didn't anticipate those legal woes.

(Laughs) I honestly didn't. Mr. Hollywood had been on the FBI's Most Wanted list for a considerable amount of time, and I never thought he would be captured during filming.

Go figure.

So what's next for you?

I'm adapting a book to film called God Is A Bullet, by Boston Teran. It's a very dark thriller about a father's quest to save his kidnapped daughter. There are twists and turns and nonstop action in this film. It is handsdown one of the greatest books known. It depicts human instinct at its finest. It's horrifying and disturbing, being a story of ultimate redemption. I can't wait to share it with the world. Get the book! –Zena Scott

PSYCHO SISTERS

s the son of renowned film director John Cassavetes and Oscar-nominated actress Gena Rowlands, many would say Nick Cassavetes’ filmmaking success is in his blood. But the humble director describes it as sheer “dumb luck.” Since stepping behind the lens in 1996 with his debut film, Unhook the Stars, Cassavetes has proved that luck, whether dumb or just plain, has definitely been on his side. With such accomplished works as John Q (starring Denzel Washington) and The Notebook (which proved Rachel McAdams’ breakout role), Cassavetes exhibited a classic filmmaking style, combining a universally accessible tone with a knack for character-driven emotion.

Now, with his new film Alpha Dog, Cassavetes thinly veils the true story of Jesse James Hollywood by changing names and recreating the days leading up to a crime that landed him on the FBI's Most Wanted list. After successfully showing the film at Sundance and being served courtordered subpoenas by Hollywood’s legal reps, Cassavetes sat down with us to discuss his buzzed-about thriller.

PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEWS APOCALYPTO- Set in the mysterious Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica, Mel Gibson's latest directorial effort is a visual marathon driven on pure adrenaline. The film starts with the first of many chases. Several male members of a local village are celebrating their catch when their tranquil lives are disturbed by a visibly fear-stricken tribe, whose members ask permission to pass through in search of a new beginning in the forest.

After letting them pass, Flint Sky (Morris Birdyellowhead) describes fear as a contagious disease that must not infest their village, but his son, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), is clearly infested. The next morning Jaguar Paw is awaken by a dream which quickly turns into a nightmare as his village is ravaged, his father is killed and he is forced to leave his pregnant wife and young son as he is taken captive. Once the survivors reach Culiacan, a busy city filled with human markets, non-stop constructionand an all-day praise rally in honor of the Sun God, the male captives realize their fate– death by sacrifice. As they trek to the sacrificial alter, Jaguar Paw remembers his father's last words, “You must not be afraid…” and a prophesy from an unsuspecting little girl as he denounces death and fear. From that point on Jaguar Paw embarks on a death-defying quest to save what matters to him most in a world on the

verge of total ruin. With Apocalypto, Gibson has created a rousing adventure that commands not only the eye, but also the mind. Given the graphic nature of the film, many will deem it gruesome, but to walk away with such a notion is to completely miss the point. This is a story of survival in bloodthirsty times, and kudos should be given to Gibson for not shying away for difficult subject matter. Some critics may point out the historical or cultural inaccuracies of the film, but this is a courageous tale of human will and destiny that cannot be denied. (A) -Zena Scott

BLOOD DIAMOND- The latest in this year's string

of politically-themed dramas set in Africa (which also included Catch A Fire and The Last King of Scotland), Blood Diamond has divided critics with its dogged determination to not just tell a story, but to actually make a difference. Your enjoyment of it will therefore likely be based in part on whether you believe great art should aspire to effect change in the world, or prefer popcorn entertainment that doesn't weigh down your conscience as you exit the theater. In his second award-worthy performance of the year, Leonardo DiCaprio chews up the scenery as Danny Archer, a Rhodesia-born smuggler of “blood diamonds,” whose profits fund brutal battles in war-torn countries such as Sierra Leone. Djimon Hounsou capably matches DiCaprio's dynamic intensity as Solomon Vandy, a proud fisherman whose family is torn apart when he's captured by warlords and sent to work in the diamond mines, where he stumbles upon a massive rock he manages to hide as military forces invade the slave encampment.

When the scheming Archer learns of Vandy's hidden diamond, he promises to help the man reunite with his family in exchange for half the profits from the sale of the multi-million dollar stone, and the two hook up with a feisty, idealistic journalist (Jennifer Connelly) looking to blow the cover of companies who deal in blood diamonds.

It's not hard to imagine this story as a direct-tovideo B-movie starring, say, Steven Seagal. But PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

what in lesser hands might come off as thinly drawn caricatures are rendered full 3D characters by the talented cast and director Edward Zwick, who established a similar balance of explosive action and sociopolitical relevance in Glory and Courage Under Fire. Few mainstream Hollywood directors are better at making a point, and few actors could wrench every last drop of honest human emotion from the occasionally melodramatic script. This is a political story disguised as an action-adventure, and it makes one hell of an impact despite its flaws. (B) -B. Love

BOBBY- A stellar cast, including 22 members of Hol-

lywood's “who's who” (Anthony Hopkins, William H. Macy, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, Elijah Wood and Demi Moore, among others), captivates audiences in this film written and directed by Emilio Estevez. The story is told through the eyes of fictional characters whom were at The Ambassador Hotel the day Senator Robert F. Kennedy was killed. Kennedy is shown through historical footage and still photographs, reenacting the last moments and speeches of his life and run for presidency, which were prematurely ended by the very same acts of cowardice and violence he so publicly railed against. Still recovering from the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby emphasizes the state of the America at a time when America reeled from violence overseas and on our homeland. Bobby is more than a biographical look at the end of RFK's life.

This film is grandiose in its portrayal of RFK's idealism, his heart, and his true love of all people. For those Americans and people around the world who witnessed RFK's assassination on that dark day in 1968, either in person or via media footage, the emotions they felt that day have now resurfaced. For those of us who came into this world afterward, we have finally seen a glimmer of the man behind the politics and have been more educated as to the events surrounding his death. For all people, Bobby inspires us, encourages us, and challenges us to embrace RFK's purpose, his ideals, and his plan for a greater America. Despite shaky (and somewhat comical) appearances by Ashton Kutcher and Lindsay Lohan, overall the ensemble cast carries the film and brings relief to the heavy, underlying political tones, allowing the audience to connect on an emotional level. (B+) –Tracey Gould

CHARLOTTE’S WEB- A delightful interpretation of E.B. White's classic children's story. Directed

by Gary Winick (13 Going on 30), the live-action genre suits this story much better than the animated version did. Cute live animals, and even those not-so cute species (a spider and rat), become even more adorable and believable with such colorful voices behind them. Julia Roberts portrays Charlotte, the unsightly and misunderstood spider who has a heart of gold and insight way beyond most human capabilities. With a sweet voice such as Roberts’, it's hard not to love a spider, when when it’s as frightful as Charlotte looks. Other voices include Oprah Winfrey (Gussy the Goose), Cedric the Entertainer (Golly the Goose), Reba McIntire (Betsy the Cow) and Steve Buscemi as the greedy rat, Templeton. The always adorable Dakota Fanning plays headstrong pig-lover Fern and, as usual, delivers a brilliant performance.

Versatile and mature beyond her years, Fanning has proven time and time again that she’s a force in Hollywood to be reckoned with. With its great cast and timeless story, Charlotte's Web is a fantastic film for all ages that will warm your heart and touch your soul. (A) -Tracey Gould CHILDREN OF MEN- We've seen the post-apocalypse plenty of times. But director Alfonso Cuaron takes us to a far more frightening place by showing us the pre-apocalypse. The world is dying and, in a world without children, the last generation is eating itself alive. England has managed a semblance of stability by becoming a police state bent on making sure the rest of the world doesn't overrun their semblance of normalcy. All that changes when Theo (Clive Owen), a man completely without hope, meets Tia, a pregnant refugee and the world's last hope. The film is skillful without being showy, overwhelming without being overt, and miraculously hopeful when everything that came before should have destroyed any trace of hope. It's easy to hope when you have nothing left to lose, but Children of Men actively fights to make sure everything is not lost. (A) –Matt Goldberg DREAMGIRLS- Turning Broadway hits into block-

We know Brad Pitt and you, Matt Damon, are no Brad Pitt. Still, he plays spy hubby to Angelina Jolie in The Good Shepherd. buster movie musicals is a notoriously risky business, but few filmmakers are as qualified to give it a go as Bill Condon, whose adaptation of Chicago earned him a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination back in 2003. To start with, he enlisted a knockout cast that includes Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, Grammy-winner Beyoncé and Eddie Murphy, in what is arguably the most remarkable performance of his career as waning soul legend James “Thunder” Early. He's also got a sizzling, gospel-influenced R&B score that includes several new songs by composer Henry Kreiger (who co-wrote the original with the late Tom Eyen), not to mention a sensational story about the pitfalls of selling one's soul in the name of greed. That story, for those weak on music history, is loosely based on the rise and fall of The Supremes, whose original lead singer Florence Ballard was replaced by Diana Ross, whom Motown founder Berry Gordy found prettier, skinnier and more likely to cross over to white audiences. In Dreamgirls, ambitious car salesman-turned-talent manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx) replaces sassy, brassy belter Effie White (Jennifer Hudson) as lead singer of the Dreams with her childhood pal and backup singer Deena Jones (Beyoncé), for essentially the same reasons. Set in Detroit against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement, the story follows the group's struggle for equality in a music industry that allows white artists to co-opt black music and water it down until it's deemed fit for mainstream consumption. But the only color Curtis sees is green, and with Deena as his malleable wife he begins to drain the color from the Dreams so they can play white clubs, top pop charts and live Hollywood's champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

From the flashy costumes and lively music to the performances themselves, the group's razzle-dazzle rise is truly a wonder to behold, with audiences literally cheering the musical numbers as if it were still the '80s, and Jennifer Holliday was still tearing the roof off the sucker on Broadway.

Which brings us to Hudson, making her big screen debut in the role that earned Holliday a Tony Award. As Effie, the former American Idol contestant grabs you by the balls and rips your heart in two, delivering a gutsy performance that begs for an Oscar nomination and an emotionally devastating take on “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” that dares you not to feel every last word in your bones. She's arguably the brightest light in a mesmerizing film in which every single member of the cast and crew gets their moment to shine.. (A) -B. Love ERAGON- This film is Exhibit A in the case against adapting novels written by an author who was only 15 at the time of the book's release. Let’s face it, 15-year-olds tend to lack scope. They just haven't had the time to digest enough material to synthesize something fresh. Instead, they just steal and write fan-fiction, changing the names and locations. In short, Eragon is Star Wars if it took place in Middle-Earth. You have Luke Skywalker (read: Eragon) as a boy who discovers not only the same hairstylist as Luke, but also finds that he can use the force (read: Dragon Magic).

He then finds a Jedi (read: Dragon-rider) named Brom (read: Obi-Wan Kenobi) who will teach

him the ways of the dragons so that he can join the rebellion and defeat the evil empire, thus avenging his slain uncle. Along the way, you'll see other familiar Star Wars characters. Leia, Han and Darth Vader are all here, but in far less interesting forms. One could argue that Star Wars also cribs from Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress and mythic archetypes, but there's no denying that George Lucas was able to synthesize his wider knowledge into something magical and unique.

Eragon might as well be Dragonslayer 2 (and if you don't remember Dragonslayer, don't worry– neither does anyone else). But the film's secret hope is that, with its PG-rating, it will draw kids too young to see the parallels. Unfortunately, their parents will be less fortunate, and as they grind through a film with atrocious pacing (director Stefen Fangmeier has no idea how to raise tension or expectations), they'll try to let their minds escape to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Their minds might occasionally snap back into place as they notice the quality costume design or Rachel Weisz' solid voice acting for the dragon Sephira, but their brains will have returned to white noise by the time the Vader clone is spouting “You have failed me for the last time,” to one of his orcs. I haven't read the book, but I took along a friend who had. Judging from her reaction, fans of the novel will be disappointed in the anemic adaptation. Only those with a clean slate and no concept of better works will enjoy this film, limiting its effectiveness to a weekend diversion for the 12-and-under set. (D+) -Matt Goldberg THE GOOD SHEPHERD- Do secrets lead to loyalty or to betrayal? And at what point does the protection of secrets lead to the vulnerability of all else?

Director Robert DeNiro and writer Eric Roth ponder these questions as they follow the development of the CIA through fictional agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon). The final product is highly cerebral, and would be thought-provoking if the film didn't wholly inhabit the personality of its cold and distant lead. The story follows Wilson from his days at Yale all the way to the postmortem of the Bay of Pigs fiasco. While the aging makeup is almost nonexistent, Damon shows for the second time this year (the first being his dirty cop in The Departed) that he’s one of the best actors working today. Wilson is a man of secrets who must wear a constant poker face and have a voice without inflection, yet Damon manages to speak volumes through his silences.

Everything Wilson does is covert rather than overt, but if you're paying attention you'll see what's going on beneath the surface. DeNiro deserves credit for crafting a film that perfectly mirrors Wilson's clandestine demeanor. The film is rarely intimate, filled with gloomy navy-grey hues, going around the world but making every place feel faded and empty. Unfortunately, in keeping us a distance all along, it becomes a chore to penetrate each scene to have a basic understanding of Wilson's motivations and the machinations of the spy game he plays. The film also has a few cracks in Angelina Jolie's onedimensional, long-suffering wife character, as well as secret messages which transform the film from a cloak-and-dagger tale of Godfather-like

proportions into the world's longest, most deadly serious episode of Mission: Impossible. The Good Shepherd requires a lot from its audience: We must follow a complicated series of intrigues, shaded loyalties and outright betrayals, then go deeper if we want to understand the motivations, desires, hopes and dreams of the man who leads us through almost every scene. Some may enjoy the challenge and find the film to be an ultimately rewarding experience, but by the end I was just exhausted. (B-) -Matt Goldberg

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA- After making what some critics deemed his directorial misstep earlier this year with the WWII epic Flags of Our Fathers, Warner Bros. wisely bumped up the release date of this companion film, which tells the same story from the Japanese perspective. Led by Ken Watanabe as the understaffed general charged with the impossible mission of fortifying the island against the impending American invasion, the noble but fearful Japanese troops bond over memories of home, grinding grunt work and the dawning realization that no reinforcements are coming to their rescue. Eastwood’s classic, starkly beautiful images look like something that might have been filmed in Howard Hawks’ heyday, capturing the grim realities of war ranging from the most mundane (see: leaving the cave in which troops are holed up to empty out the pot they piss in) to the most horrific (see: an entire unit committing suicide rather than be killed by Americans or taken captive). In the end, the film serves as a striking reminder us that our enemies are often very much like ourselves, and that war is one game in which everyone loses, no matter which side emerges victorious. (A-) –B. Love NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM- Ben Stiller has gotten a lot of mileage out of his ability to play up the comedic side of quiet rage. His kid-friendly take on that character in Night at The Museum is no less satisfying. Stiller plays Larry Daley, a failed entrepreneur who takes a job as the new night watchman at a museum of natural history to show his kid and ex-wife that he can hold down a steady job. At night, all of the exhibits– from the T-Rex in the lobby to an Attila the Hun statue– come to life inside the museum. Though Stiller is true to form, it's the cameos and supporting actors that really raise the film’s quality level. Robin Williams (as Teddy Roosevelt), Owen Wilson (as a Manifest Destiny-era cowboy) and British comedian Steve Coogan (as Roman gladiator Octavius) all manage to play their parts as gleefully overthe-top as expected. The result is a smart comedy masquerading as a kid's movie– free of fart jokes and predictable pratfalls– that truly has no age limit. (B) -John B. Moore

NOTES ON A SCANDAL- With Closer and now Notes on a Scandal, I'm convinced that no one writes about the desperate struggles of human relationships better than Patrick Marber. His characters always act realistically and, in the hands of even a half-decent actor, their actions are always compelling. Thankfully, Marber and director Richard Eyre have two of the best actresses working today leading this film. Dame Judi Dench plays Barbara Covett, an uptight schoolmarm who’s too busy judging everyone else's life to reconcile her own

desires for love and companionship. But when the naïve Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) enters her life as a fellow teacher, Covett begins an infatuation which only deepens as she stumbles upon Hart's salacious affair with a 15-year-old student. Lesser storytellers might be drawn more to the rippedfrom-the-headlines story of a female teacher's affair with one of her students, but Marber sticks to the more universal and harsher themes of what people will do out of what they think is love. Hart doesn't love the boy, but she loves the feeling and feels entitled to her affair. An even deeper character study is required of Dench's Oscar-worthy performance as a woman wrestling with concepts of love, obsession, and control… if only she wasn't so busy trying to control others. While Marber has definitely staked out his own territory and style with this follow-up, Notes on a Scandal is certainly not Closer 2. It possesses the same essential understanding of human relationships, but in place of Closer's charming mean streak, Notes on a Scandal features the sadness and desperation of solitude with a dash of resentment, anger and humor thrown in for good measure. Half-decent actors might fumble this confusing concoction of human pathos, but Dench and Blanchett manage to weave it into some of the finest performances of their respective careers. (B+) -Matt Goldberg THE PAINTED VEIL- Part period piece, part melodrama and total Oscar bait, The Painted Veil is an apt film but brings nothing fresh or unique to the proceedings. The story follows the fickle, spoiled Kitty (Naomi Watts), who marries Walter (Edward Norton), a stoic bacteriologist. He marries her because she's enchanting (by virtue of being played by Naomi Watts) and hopes that she'll grow to love him. She marries him because she wants to get away from her mother. But since opposites don't always attract, Kitty ends up having an affair with Charlie (Liev Schreiber) and, once discovered, Walter offers her a choice: divorce, or coming along to a small Chinese village to fight a cholera epidemic. Between Dr. Phil and cholera, I'd choose cholera, but Kitty decides to brave the risk of disease rather than bear the disgrace of divorce. The film deserves credit for remaining faithful to its time period. For example, we know Kitty is a bit of a free spirit because she likes to have sex with the lights on. Kinky!

Unfortunately, the dedication to the setting never manages to translate into making the world seem compelling. The film always feels like it's doing the bare minimum required by the story. No one character feels flat or ignored, but neither does anyone come alive and make the story feel real.

Even the over-arching themes only come down to Kitty's growth as a person. The film, for whatever reason, does not reach for the big love between the leads or the big conflict of rural China in the 1920s. The Painted Veil is merely melodrama at its most mediocre. (C) -Matt Goldberg PAN'S LABYRINTH- “Beautiful” and “Grotesque.”

“Heartfelt” and “Heartbreaking.” “Magical” and “Genuine.” Lesser directors would find their film torn asunder trying to work with these opposing themes. At best, they could only frame these concepts as dualities and recenter the story to avoid a thematically jarring experience. Only the confident hand of one of today's best directors could not only embrace all these concepts, but mix them all together in a fairy tale that is both ancient and modern. Guillermo Del Toro does not hide from complicated worlds of moral or even existential ambiguity. He masters them and, in doing so, he's created one of the year's best films in Pan's Labyrinth. The story presents us with a brief prologue about a princess who will one day return to her kingdom in the Underworld. The story then seamlessly shifts to the tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) who must live with her new stepfather Vidal (Sergi López), a captain in the Spanish Civil War who is as dogmatic as he is cruel. While her mother strugles with an increasingly difficult pregnancy and Captain Vidal attempts to wipe out the guilleras surrounding the camp, Ofelia wanders into an old stone labyrinth outside the camp where she meets a faun (Doug Jones). The faun tells her that she may be the Lost Princess of the Underworld, but she must prove herself by accomplishing three tasks. From there, Del Toro weaves his plotlines effortlessly. Despite the surface distance for stories about coming-of-age, the suffering presented in the Spanish Civil War and a lost princess seeking to return to her kingdom, nothing seems out of place. The confidence and precision of Guillemo Navarro's cinematography makes everything from the alternate dimension of the Pale

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AMC THEATRES THE GREAT ESCAPE SOUTHLAKE PAVILION 24 MCDONOUGH 7065 Mt. Zion Circle STADIUM 16 (404) 816-4AMC

CARMIKE CINEMAS CONYERS AMC THEATRES NORTH DEKALB MALL 16 CROSSROADS 16 I-285 at Exit 29 (404) 816-4AMC

5 Reinhardt College Pkwy.

(770) 720-9520

All Stadium Seating (770) 922-4104

REGAL CINEMAS HOLLYWOOD 24

Jonesboro Rd., Exit 22/I-75 (770) 954-3332

GEORGIA THEATRE CO. MERCHANT WALK 8 1301 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta, GA 30068

2480 East/West Connector Rd. Austell 800-FANDANGO #218

North I-85 at Shallowford 800-FANDANGO #220

REGAL CINEMAS MALL OF GEORGIA 20 I-85 at Exit 45 (Buford Dr.) 800-FANDANGO #219

9700 Medlock Br. Rd. Duluth 800-FANDANGO #222

2125 E. Main St. Snellville 800-FANDANGO #229

REGAL CINEMAS TOWN 16 2795 Town Ctr. Dr. Kennesaw 800-FANDANGO #230

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT. NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED.

CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES OR CALL FOR SOUND INFORMATION AND SHOWTIMES

PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Man (a creature truly made from nightmares) to the storehouse of the camp all seem drawn from the same world, while Javier Navarrete's melodic and haunting score blends perfeclty with Del Toro's world. Those expecting a work similar to Del Toro's previous film, the comic book romp Hellboy, should go further back in his filmography to his previous foreign language film, The Devil's Backbone, a story about a ghost who haunts an orphanege in 1939 Spain. Pan's Labyrinth is an amalgam of the two films, taking Hellboy's Lovecraftian creatures and bringing them into the magic and tragedy of mid-20th Century Spain as seen from a child's perspective.

And yet such a description sells the film short because Del Toro goes far beyond a simple reworking of his previous accomplishments. He takes various elements and transmogrifies them into something familiar, yet entierly new. Some may find Pan's Labyrinth to be a frustrating film because it lacks a clear thematic organization where they can feed at any particular idea trough and ignore the others. But Del Toro demands more of his audience, and we should thank him for delivering a film that cannot be understood morally or psychologically or aesthtically without understanding it holistically. Del Toro has embraced the fantastic and the real, the universal and the unique, and a whole host of other ideas to create a cinematic classic. He challenges us to join him in this embrace, and film-lovers everywhere should find this monster of a masterpiece a worthy challenge. (A) -Matt Goldberg

S TA RT S F R I D AY, J A N UA RY 5

AMC THEATRES DISCOVER MILLS 18

I-85 at Sugarloaf Pkwy, Exit 108 (404) 816-4AMC

AMC THEATRES LANDMARK’S REGAL CINEMAS PARKWAY POINTE 15 MIDTOWN ART CINEMA HOLLYWOOD 24 3101 Cobb Pkwy SE (770) 333 - Film#282

931 Monroe Drive (678) 495-1424

North I-85 at Shallowford 800-FANDANGO #220

REGAL CINEMAS MEDLOCK CROSSING 18 9700 Medlock Br. Rd. Duluth 800-FANDANGO #222

SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS- It's just adorable that people still believe in the American Dream, and want to make you believe it as well. That beautiful Horatio Alger rags to riches story suggests that, if you just work hard enough, then goshdarn it, you're gonna make it in this beautiful country of ours! And if you don't? Well, then you're probably just lazy. After books like Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel & Dimed and other framings of The American Dream as The American Delusion, how does Chris Gardner's story of triumph work? If you've seen a commercial for this film, I doubt anything in the plot will surprise you. Gardner (Will Smith) becomes a single dad after his wife (Thandie Newton) leaves him because she's the worst person in the world.

Okay, that's stretching it, but she is a dreamcrusher. Granted, she offers to take their son (played by Smith’s son, Jaden) when she leaves, which is more than that bitch Meryl Streep ever did in Kramer vs. Kramer, but other than that?

Crusher of dreams. Gardner has a crap job selling a useless piece of medical equipment, but he takes a chance on an internship at a brokerage firm. See, Chris is tenacious and smart, and though it's going to take a lot of hard work and sacrifice for him and his son, you know he’s gonna make it in the end. While the film may be trying to tell me the origin story of the one black guy at every Republican National Convention, it still allows for Will Smith to give his best performance since Ali. I applaud screenwriter Steve Conrad for making the relationship between Chris and his son authentic, rather than a hagiography. It would be too easy if Chris were mostly upbeat, and just had a good cry now and then.

Instead, he shows that even the best parents lose their tempers. Chris Jr. is adorable, but he could’ve been the perfect kid, never giving his father a reason to snap. But sometimes Chris Jr. gets obnoxious, and you can see his dad instantly regretting the decision to let his child have sugar.

If there's a reason to see this film, it's the moving relationship between a father and son. It's wellwritten and well-performed, and that's where credit is due. The father-son story is where the film shines, but because it brings nothing unique to that narrative, the more divisive economic story subverts the personal into propaganda. (B-) -Matt Goldberg

THE QUEEN- Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, chances are PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

you’ve already heard the hype surrounding Helen Mirren’s stunning portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, which pundits predict will earn her a Best Actress Oscar. Fortunately, this is one instance in which the hullabaloo is warranted, as Mirren is the brightest light in this brilliant behind-the-scenes look at Britain’s Royal Family in the days following Princess Diana’s death.

Her performance captures the subtle blend of stoic regality and a repressed resentment that bubbles beneath the surface as she is urged first by new PM Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), then her son Prince Charles, and finally the entire British commonwealth to address her nation and publicly grieve the death of “The People’s Princess.” Director Stephen Frears’ latest film is not a pretty portrait of monarchy, but it is a provocative look at an empire teetering on the threshold of crisis, and the dysfunctional family at the center of it all. (A) –B. Love ROCKY BALBOA- Apollo Creed. Mr. T. Captain Ivan Drago. All of these great warriors were accomplished fighters in their own right; however, they were all ultimately defenseless against the classic cinematic underdog, Rocky. Once again played by Sylvester Stallone (who also wrote and directed the film), this time around thge Italian Stallion faces perhaps the greatest challenger he has ever faced... himself. Since making his start in the boxing world in his native Philadelphia, Rocky has been traveling around the world, defeating opponents at every stop.

But time finally catches up with the aging boxer (Stallone himself is approaching AARP age) in the sixth and final film charting his rollercoaster boxing career. In Rocky Balboa, we find Rocky retired from the ring and widowed (what, Talia Shire was busy?), living back in Philly. Now an entrepreneur running an Italian restaurant, fittingly called Adrian's, Rocky has anger and resentment in his “basement” (soul) that he sorely needs to release. Of course, the only way he knows to do that is to fight. Rocky defies all attempts at reason from his friends and family, including Paulie (Burt Young) and Rocky Jr. (Milo Ventimiglia), not to fight in an exhibition bout with the current undefeated champion, Mason “The Line” Dixon, who is on his way out of the sport. In the end, both fighters come out winners. And for diehard Rocky fans who have weathered the last few sequels, hoping to get a glimpse of the Italian Stallion we first saw in the 1970s, your wait has ended. (B) -Tracey Gould

WE ARE MARSHALL- And speaking of rags-to-riches underdog sports stories, these days it seems you can’t swing a stick without hitting one at your local multiplex. Miracle, Glory Road, Remember the Titans, Friday Night Lights, Coach Carter, Invincible, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Seabiscuit... hell, at this point I’m surprised Disney hasn’t released a film about a quadraplegic bowler, or a water polo champion with no arms. All tactless jokes aside, sports are by their very nature a dramatic business, and 100+ years of organized competition have produced a gazillion true stories ripe for cinematic adaptation. But does that mean that EVERY one needs to become a film? There’s no arguing that the story upon which We Are Marshall is based resonates with emotional impact: The 1970 crash that killed more than 70 of the college football team’s players, coaches and boosters ranks among the greatest tragedies in sports history, decimating the school’s athletic program and leaving an entire town in mourning. But while director McG’s latest film aims for inspirational, it winds up with mediocrity, emotionally manipulating the audience to first weep, then cheer, as Matthew McConaughey’s bizarro coach fights to build a team to honor the crash victims’ legacy.

Matthew Fox is impressive, lending remarkably restrained gravitas to his supporting role as assistant coach, but it’s not enough to save a clichéridden film whose director has a tendency to be shallow and schmaltzy. (C) –B. Love

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND SIDNEY KIMMEL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT A VIP MEDIENFONDSCASTING 2/A-MARK ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION A NICK CASSAVETES FIMUSIC LM “ALPHA DOG” BEN FOSTER SHAWN HATOSY EMILE HIRSCH CHRISTOPHER MARQUETTE MUSIC ASSOCIATE SHARON STONE JUSTINPRODUCTION TIMBERLAKE ANTON YELCHINDIRECTORAND OFBRUCE WILLIS EXECUTIVE

BY MATTHEW BARRY CSA NANCY GREEN-KEYES CSA BY AARON ZIGMAN SUPERVISOR SPRING ASPERS PRODUCER MICHAEL MEHAS ¨ N ANDREAS SCHMID STEVE MARKOFF ROBERT GERINGER AVRAM BUTCH KAPLAN EDITOR ALAN HEIM ACE DESIGNER DOMINIC WATKINS PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT FRAISSE PRODUCERS MARINA GRASIC ANDREAS GROSCH JAN KORBELI PRODUCED WRITTEN AND A UNIVERSAL RELEASE

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© 2006 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes - Text ALPHA with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)!

STARTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE Check local listings for a theatre near you

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ATLANTA

2999 Cobb Pkwy • (770) 818-0042 www.samashmusic.com

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PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

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Saturday, Jan. 6

GROOVE STAIN

The Bastard Suns

Friday, Jan. 12

CRASH DAVIS BAND Brendan O’Hara

Saturday, Jan. 13

GRINGO STAR

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Justin Melendy & The Bros. Pena • Anna Kramer

Friday, Jan. 19

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The Pennies • Nikki Barr Band

Saturday, Jan. 20

SAM THACKER

Berg • Marshall Seese

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Friday, Jan. 26

FOUR WAY FREE

Fulturn Jones

Saturday, Jan. 27

SAM THACKER

One With The Bullet

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TEXAS HOLD’EM POKER Open Daily 4pm

Ask About Atlanta Room for Private Parties

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A FEW GOOD WRITERS Actually, we need a few good writers that like theater and music. Ok, so there’s no pay, but the perks are great, and you won’t find a better launching pad for a writing career. Here are a few of the companies our writers went on to work for:

• ESPN • ROLLING STONE • People • Maxim • Playboy • TV Guide • SPIN • The Source To get Involved, Send Letter of Interest & Writing Samples to

bret@insiteatlanta.com No Phone Calls, Please

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SCOTT LITTLE & SHAWN ARNOLD

Saturday, Jan. 6

THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND

Fri, Jan. 12 & Sat, Jan. 13

MIKE LEE & JEFF BRAMWELL

Thur, Jan. 18 & Fri, Jan. 19

STEVE QUEISSER & CHRISTIAN JONES

Saturday, Jan. 20

THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND

Thursday, Jan. 25

GARETH ASHER & NAKED

Friday, Jan. 26

MATT MAUTZ & JOHN THRASHER Saturday, Jan. 27

THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND Thursday, Feb. 1

MIKE, LARRY & CHAINLETTER

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ROAD WARRIORS THIS MONTH’S HOTTEST SHOWS

THE BLACK LIPS

(The EARL- 1/12) Atlanta's most exciting band– a bloozy blur of psych garage that sort of spins a Nuggets vibe on its head– is doing a few shows early this year while prepping their new album. If 2005's Let It Bloom is any indication, the crowds aren't going to be thinning for the Black Lips any time soon. A great way to shake out your post-holiday blues. –John Davidson

“dinosaur” acts of that era did, Mission of Burma has proven to be a potent live show over the past few years. These guys are all pushing 50 years of age, yet their recent output (see: 2006's The Obliterati) easily stands on par with their legendary early work. –JD

CARBON LEAF (Smith's Olde Bar- 1/17) Last year's Love Loss Hope Repeat wasn't a watershed moment for either Carbon Leaf or the music culture at-large, but these guys churn out pleasant pop-rock in the vein of Matchbox 20 fairly competently. The problem is that they don't have an ace in the hole, and the result is that they fade into the woodwork of good conversation a little too easily.

Then again, maybe that's exactly what you're looking for on a cold Wednesday night at a good bar. –JD FALL OUT BOY (Tabernacle- 1/19) As much as we here at INsite have criticized the UK hype machine for creating disposable pop stars on what appears to be a weekly basis, punk bloggers appear intent on providing a similar service here in the U.S. Fall Out Boy are the MySpace generation’s poster children, and the truth is we know more about the bassist’s penchant for sending naked pics of his weiner via Blackberry than we do about the band’s lasting contribution to the pop culture pantheon. Still, the kooky emo kids seem to dig it, and with bands like New

MISSION OF BURMA (The EARL- 1/13) This

seminal post-punk act disappeared for a couple of decades, and has now found life on the alt-rock revival circuit. While it's kind of ironic that many independent bands from the 1980s are now succumbing to the same financial opportunism that the so-called

Found Glory, The Early November and Permanent Me opening, they should be out in spades for this show. –B. Love

ALBERT HAMMOND, JR. (Tabernacle- 1/23) The Strokes' guitar player apparently had a lot of hooky melodies left over from their last album, what with the surprising solo-album stint. Shockingly, perhaps, his debut Yours To Keep is pretty solid. If his day job goes to hell, he's definitely got chops of his own to survive. The weird thing about this show is that he's playing with Incubus. –JD

JEFF TWEEDY (Tabernacle- 1/29) Wilco has-

SONGWRITERS TOUR 2007

(Tabernacle1/27) January is historically a slow month for the concert business, which makes it the perfect time for a package show like this, which might go unnoticed during the busy summer season. Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, John Hiatt and Guy Clark are all distinctive, distinguished songwriters in their own right, though they’re all long in the tooth enough to avoid the headline-grabbing antics of, say, Ryan Adams.

Only Lovett is a household name, and that’s primarily from his brief fling with Julia Roberts. Still, each has tunes and tales to spare, with sweet sounds running the gamut of the American roots music spectrum. –BL

S

loan is a classic case of a great band never quite finding a good record label home. Award-winning rock stars in their native Canada, with nine albums under their belt and 15 years of touring behind them, this quartet has never been more than a cult phenomenon here. Yet they keep trying, churning out marvelous records and playing for small but loyal crowds. We recently phoned up Chris Murphy to find out if Never Hear the End of It will finally earn Sloan some well-deserved recognition.

The great thing about your band is that your success in Canada provides you with a leaping point down here.

We're on the radio and in the mainstream media up here, but we're not rock stars, either. I do own a home, which is good for someone in a little band like ours, so we're successful on a Canadian level. The Canadian dream as a musician is to not have to have another job, which I guess is the American dream, too. We do well up here, kind of like Guided By Voices did down there, and then just hope to break even when we go to America. But then we also get on big, shitty festivals. That helps keep us alive, and more importantly we're still able to make the records we want. We're still around.

Do you make your records with the American audience in mind?

We always refer to it as throwing water on sand because we go back and nothing ever sticks. We're never really able to follow up, but we play good clubs in Chicago, and it's fuckin' awesome. There are a million stories about how we've tried to do things differently. For example, on the record before this one, Action Pact, we had commercial aspirations for it. We worked with a producer and spent more money than we ever would have otherwise, but that all went into the shitter because RCA had a regime change. It seems like every time we go to do something big, that happens. So you can't really PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

WORKING FOR A LIVING SLOAN’S 15-YEAR STRUGGLE FOR U.S. SUCCESS

plan anything unless you're already established. Part of the reason we haven't been able to get farther is we want to control our own destiny: we're not willing to bow down.

We're not purposely making un-commercial records, we're just an underfunded commercial band.

So was the process of writing for Action Pact different because of your commercial aspirations back then?

No, we just worked with a guy who helped with song selection. We all write, but he told us which ones he thought we should use and it turned into a record that was less eclectic.

For the people who already love us, I think they saw that as a betrayal because it wasn't completely representative of the whole

band.

Are you guys each conscious of how many of your own songs make the record?

We split the money equally on everything we do, so it doesn't matter in that context. I think that artistically it does matter, though; until this record came out, Andrew hadn't had a song on a record since 2001. When we were making 12-song albums and no one was telling us what to do, we agreed that it would be three songs each. Early on, I always had more songs than anybody, but I was encouraging everyone to write not only because I liked everybody, but because I wanted to have everyone involved so that they wouldn't leave. Especially Andrew, because he's the most bored of it! (Laughs)

n’t released an album of new material since 2004’s A Ghost Is Born, and Tweedy hasn’t released a solo album since 2002’s Chelsea Walls soundtrack. But still fans are salivating over this tour, which– like his recently released Sunken Treasure- Live in the Pacific Northwest DVD– promises to include songs spanning his entire career, from Uncle Tupelo and Wilco to the lesser-known Loose Fur. It should be refreshing to hear classic songs from the No Depression movement’s heyday in a stripped-down acoustic setting, but we can’t help wishing Tweedy would spend a little more time writing new songs and a little less revisiting old ones. –BL

BOTTLE ROCKETS (The EARL- 1/30) The

perennially under-appreciated Bottle Rockets almost got famous during the mid-1990s, back when Uncle Tupelo was on the wane and Wilco was barely a glimmer in Jeff Tweedy's eye. But alt-country went to the backburner, and suddenly the Bottle Rockets were also-rans... or, at the very least, a delightful historical footnote. It seems like every few years this great little band mounts up a tour to find out if anyone still cares, and damned if they don't usually sell out. –JD Tell me about opening for the Rolling Stones.

We played with them in January, two nights in Boston, and I had to PAY for seats to see them. Like $150 per ticket per night, and I was on the show! People were coming out of the woodwork [trying to get tickets], even my ex-landlord. He called me out of the blue and I was like, “Dude, who are you?!” I had to tell them all that I was paying. None of us really even knew how we got booked for those shows, but we think their promoter's son, who goes to school in Boston, wanted us to see us play in Boston so he told his dad to make it happen.

Was it a full-on, first class gig?

It was the difference between playing in a packed club when everyone's there to see YOU, versus when you’re sometimes the opening act and lots of people don’t give a shit. In this case, ALL the people didn't give a shit. (Laughs) But fuck, I don't care. The Stones had us on their show, it's a feather in my cap. It's cool. We didn't hang out with them, but we had a photo op with them. I was likening it to a show where some band gets added and they're probably real excited to meet us, but we don't even meet them in the process of the show. It's not that we're untouchable, but at this point I'm not really going to care that much who the third band in a lineup with us is.

Finally, what were you guys thinking by making the new album 30 tracks long?

I've been threatening since Navy Blues to put out a double album. I always thought it would be cool because we can't control who’s into our band, where we tour, or how things fall through. The only thing we can control is our output, so I’d always want to put out a record every six months. But there are lots of reasons not to do that, although I think it would be great for us to each do a solo album at the same time like KISS did.

And a lot of the songs here are short... it's not like we have two full CDs or anything!

–John Davidson

GHOSTFACE KILLAH

THE GAME IS FISHY

T

here's never been a group like Wu-Tang Clan before, in hip-hop or any other musical genre, and chances are there never will be again. I can still the remember the day back in 1993 when I was working as a marketing rep at BMG (which at the time distributed the group's label, Loud Records), and we first heard the group's debut single, “C.R.E.A.M.,” on full blast in the company conference room. The energy in the air was palpable, as typically jaded industry types gave in to the colorful charisma of this electric Staten Island ensemble, everyone breaking into smiles at the unmistakable sound of a guaranteed hit in the making.

Thirteen years later the group's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), stands tall as a bona-fide classic, blazing the trail for the resurgence in hardcore New York hip-hop that gave birth to legends like Biggie, Jay-Z and Nas. Though that album's creative and commercial success was never duplicated, the group produced more eatraordinary MCs than any other act in hip-hop history, with Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon and RZA all going on to achieve various levels of solo success.

Of course, nothing lasts forever in the here today, gone tomorrow

world of hip-hop, and in 2006 Wu-Tang Clan's relevance seems largely relegated to the history books. Since ODB's untimely death in 2004, RZA and Method Man have been busier making movies (the former as a soundtrack producer, the latter as an actor), while Raekwon has been largely AWOL since 2003's The Lex Diamond Story. All of which leaves Ghost to carry the group's legacy on his shoulders. His last album, Fishscale, was a stunning return-toform and a critical success, but failed to even reach Gold status. Now, just nine months later, he's back with More Fish, hungry to prove that he's just as vital to the game now, at the age of 36, as Wu-Tang ever was.

You've been in the game almost 15 years now.

Why do you think you've been able to stay relevant for so long?

Just being around young people and keeping my ear to the streets, ya know? I still try to study my craft, listening, practicing my flows, seeing what shit other niggas ain't doin', hangin' around the youth and listening to what's hot.

There's a lot of people who were hot when the Wu first hit- De La, Tribe, Public Enemy- who were very talented, but weren't able to stick it out over the years like you have.

Right. It's hard for certain people. It's not an easy thing cuz your mind's gotta stay young and your imagination's gotta stay strong. When you get older that tends to leave you. I don't have the same imagination I had when I was younger and my mind was more vivid. Now, it takes me more time.

So it's kinda like an athlete, working harder to exercise those muscles as you get older?

Yeah.

How has the industry changed since you first started coming up in the game?

You don't gotta have talent no more.

Back in the day, you had to have talent. Now, you can just get on a record, sound like somebody else and win. If you wanna sound like the South and make a g o o d record like t h a t , whether a it's one-hit wonder or not, [you can s e l l records].

Who do you think is to blame for that, slack lis-

teners who don't insist on better quality or the radio stations who spoonfeed the masses with the same ol' same ol'?

All that. The record companies and the radio stations for playing the same ol' stuff, the DJs that's getting paid to play certain shit... If somebody gives you $20,000 to play a song, and the song is wack, it takes away [airtime] from the authentic shit. Now this nigga comin' in and gettin' into my spins with that bullshit! It's just fucked up.

So do you think that makes it harder for artists with an original sound to stand out, because you gotta fight to get airplay amongst 20 other artists who all sound alike?

It definitely makes it harder! All that comes into play. Like I said, it's not about talent no more, it's about politics.

You mentioned the need to stay young in order to stay relevant. When you first start out, you got something to prove, but a lot of artists grow complacent once they get their spot.

Does having to battle to keep your spot like that keep you hungry on some ol' “Eye of the Tiger” shit?

Yeah, and I'm still trying to battle for that spot.

But I can't go out of my element and try to change up. I gotta keep doin' what I been doin' until it comes back around.

Genres like rock 'n' roll, punk and R&B all have so much respect for the innovators who originally made them group. Why do you think that hip-hop has so little respect for its elder statesmen?

Because right now hip-hop is violent, and people don't respect each other no more. They don't give a fuck about what came before and they not worried about tomorrow; they just worried about right now. If a nigga don't respect himself, how's he gonna have respect for the pioneers who were doin' it back then?

Motherfuckas don't give a fuck about this group or that group, because that group ain't here no more. They tryin' to go for what's new right now. They don't even give a fuck about the future.

There's never been a group like Wu-Tang Clan before, and certainly nothing like it has come along since. What made it so special?

Our creativity. The things we rhymed about.

Everybody was different, and we were saying the right shit that needed to be said at that time.

When you're working with a group that has so many talented individuals, is it a struggle to get your time to shine?

It was like a battle, cuz you gotta make sure you rep. Everybody just tried their best to

make whatever sound good, ya know?

It's been two years since ODB passed. How did losing him affect the group dynamic?

That shit was like losing an arm or a leg, man, and the group is like a body. If you lost your leg, it's hard to get around. With his presence, ODB was an important, if not THE most important, piece. With that piece not there no more, it's gonna fuck shit up cuz your body is used to having that leg. Now your legs can't depend on each other no more, and it's crazy, man. That's how it is with ODB. He taught me a lot of things. He taught me how to have the soul that I have. I learned a lot from him. With him not being here, it's like a major chess piece is missing. We're all important pieces, but a lot of motherfuckas knew him and respected him for what he did. He mighta had more motherfuckas on his dick than mine, ya know what I mean? When you got that type of foundation and movement going, for a nigga to lose you is fucked up, yo.

You've had more consistent critical and commercial success than most of the other Wu members. Is it tough watching your fam struggle like that?

We all struggling, but we help each other out.

I'm not a platinum or gold artist now. It's hard to sell records right now the way the game is structured, and with sales down all around the board, it's kinda crazy. We all go through what we go through. That's why I'm putting out two albums in one year, and still gonna try and come with another new one in seven or eight months, just so I can stay out there. But the game is hard now that we're older. Meth hasn't been around for a minute cuz he been doin' his movies and all that shit, and once you away from the game for a minute, it be changing.

You gotta stay in people's face, cuz motherfuckas forget about you unless you a R&B singer that's real hot, like Usher or something.

What's the status of Wu-Tang now? There was a lotta buzz on the Internet that there might be some beef after you failed to perform with the group at the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors.

Nah, there's never no beef. What it was, the VH-1 Honors was supposed to have took place in August, so I switched my European tour dates to October. So when October came we had to start that tour, and when they changed their date to October it just didn't work, ya know what I mean? But when everybody gets situated, we're gonna do another album. Even if it's our last album, the world will know, yo, this is it and we're hanging it up. But whatever we do, it's just gotta be monster. --B. Love PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Music

ALBUM REVIEWS

by B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Davidson, John Moore, Tom DeFreytas & Andrea Hatter

The Dean’s List VARIOUS ARTISTS- DESPERATE MAN BLUES, I BELONG TO THIS BAND & HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? (Dust To Digital) The roots of American folk music.

BL Founded in 1999 by WRAS DJ Lance Ledbetter, Dust-to-Digital has emerged as one of the most respected labels in the country, earning props from Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Inspired by the 1997 CD reissue of The Anthology of American Folk Music, Ledbetter began to seek out vintage 78 rpm records. Five years later, his labor of love was unveiled as Goodbye, Babylon, a 6-CD boxed set of gospel music accompanied by a 200-page book and hand-packed with raw cotton in a wooden box. Nominated for two Grammys, the set established a trend of impeccable quality that was followed by the label's subsequent releases. Now, with three excellent new collections, Dust-To-Digital seems prepared to make the leap from relatively unknown indie to a major player in the field of high quality reissues.

The Desperate Man Blues DVD tells the story of Fonotone Records founder Joe Bussard, an obsessive music lover who's spent much of his life in search of vintage folk, gospel, bluegrass and blues records. A genuine eccentric whose body jitters and jumps every time he unveils a gem from among the more than 25,000 78s in his collection, Bussard is portrayed as the ultimate fan. And whether it's blues legends like Charley Patton or country icons like the Carter Family, the soundtrack proves he's also a man of impeccable taste.

I Belong To This Band is the soundtrack to another stirring documentary film, Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp. Both pay tribute to Sacred Harp singing, a haunting form of shape note hymn singing with roots in the rural south. With 12 tracks recorded before 1940 and 13 recorded at 2006's Henagar-Union Convention (an annual Sacred Harp gathering in Alabama), the 30-track album is a wonderful introduction to this vocal tradition, which includes some of America's oldest songs.

The label's latest boxed set, How Low Can You Go? Anthology of the String Bass, is a brilliantly packaged collection featuring 3 CDs and a 96-page book. With one CD devoted to songs recorded 1925-1930, another to songs recorded 1931-1941, and a third devoted to bassist Bill Johnson, the compilation charts the instrument's rise from the shadow of the tuba, and its potency in a range of styles. All in all, these releases establish Ledbetter's imprint as one of the world's finest indie record labels.

ASOBI SEKSU- CITRUS (Friendly Fire) The annual shoegazer revival continues.

JD The shoegazing movement– blissedout, Velvet Underground-inspired droning fueled by dreamy vocals and guitar effects– had the unfortunate timing of emerging with grunge. Perhaps that's why it never got much farther than college radio in the U.S., and yet the towering recordings of that era (such as My Bloody Valentines' Loveless) continue to inspire countless acts in their wake.

Brooklyn's Asobi Seksu (Tokyo slang for “playful sex,” allegedly) is one of them.

Citrus steps out confidently from 2004's selftitled debut, and while the fuzzy, layered guitar work is still prominent, singer/keyboardist Yuki PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Chikudate brings a Japanese pop vibe á la Puffi AmiYumi vibe in the melodies. Elsewhere, things are straight-up friendly (“Goodbye”) or rippling washouts of guitar (“New Years,” “Red Sea”).

Chikudate forgoes the vocals on “Pink Cloud Tracing,” and only the incendiary arrangement saves the song.

Although Citrus can't entirely get out from the shadow of its influences, it dodges the weight of them with great songs. In other words, Asobi Seksu's retro tendencies may play to nostalgia in some, but for those who never knew the shoegazing scene, the fresh songwriting stands on its own.

YOUTH GROUP- CASINO TWILIGHT DOGS (Anti-) Rocking the world... in a mellow sort of way.

JM Considering how popular Death Cab for Cutie and the Decembrists became last year, it's a bit surprising that Australia's Youth Group didn't become instant millionaires with their debut, Skeleton Jar. If their sophomore record doesn't make the Top 10 lists in 2007, there’s clearly a powerful conspiracy against the band. Though mellow rockers at heart, Toby Martin's heavily emotive vocals (matched with an obvious love of the Pixies) help Youth Group stand head and shoulders above most of the other indie-rockers vying for just a brief mention in Paste magazine.

Songs like the opening “On a String” and “Dead Zoo” stand out on an album chock full of standout tracks. And if their cover of “Forever Young” doesn't impress even the most crusty music snob, then Youth Group should scrap indiepop and re-invent themselves as an Australian Panic! At the Disco, goofy top hats and all.

WHAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS- TRYING TO NEVER CATCH UP (Barsuk) Ready for the next step.

JD After garnering a coveted spot opening for Franz Ferdinand, the awkwardly-named What Made Milwaukee Famous found themselves suddenly noticeable in the crowded Austin, Texas rock scene.

They'd just finished recording their debut album, Trying To Never Catch Up, which brought lots of local acclaim, and their elevated profile brought new record label interest (Barsuk, who's roster includes Death Cab For Cutie, John Vanderslice, Menomena, etc.) and national recognition. But is all the buzz justified?

Probably. The album has been re-released with several new songs mixed by Spoon's Jim Eno, and Barsuk is going to put Trying To Never Catch Up on the radar. The collection of songs is eclectic, with an adventurous pop bent that includes the Strokes-y “Mercy Me,” the Ben Folds-y “Sweet Lady,” the Flaming Lips-y “I Decide,” and a knack for tucking a million little interesting hooks into every corner of everything else. Better still, the wry sense of playful humor on “Hellodrama” shows that, despite stacked arrangements, these guys don't take themselves all that seriously.

Still, this work is ultimately nearly three years old– a lifetime in the world of constant touring and a musical landscape that changes at the pace of a “refresh” button on a browser. These songs are so compelling, so full of life and urgent curiosity that the temptation is to wonder if they are at the apex, or on the upslope. If it's the latter, then What Made Milwaukee Famous is an act with an exciting future.

FIVE STAR IRIS- SELF-TITLED (Hooptyville) Riding behind the times.

BL The press release announcing this Atlanta quartet's first major tour mentions Collective Soul almost as many times as it does Five Star Iris: Their debut album features two songs co-written by Five Star Iris' Alan Schaefer and Collective Soul frontman Ed Roland, was co-produced by Dexter Green (who also produced Collective Soul), and the band has opened for Collective Soul on numerous occasions. Sure enough, 5SI boasts a slick, radio-ready sound not remotely unlike the one their obvious stylistic forebears rode to fame a decade ago, and as a result sound significantly behind the times.

It's not that the band is bad: Their compositional structures are sound and occasionally dynamic, their guitar-driven melodies rock hard enough to please the frat-boy crowd (but not too hard to drive away the sorority girls), and songs like “Only Imagine” and “Weathered” boast simple sing-along choruses that beg comparisons to Live and Tonic. But ultimately there's an antiseptic, edgeless lack of soul to these 12 tracks that makes them seem utterly disposable, forgotten mere seconds after the CD stops spinning.

Five Star Iris clearly has looks and talent, and the right team in place (including bigname producer Sylvia Massy Shivy) to take things to the national level. But if they want to be more than one-hit wonders, they need to learn to write songs that connect with listeners on a more intimate, personal level before they try connecting with them inside the vast confines of the arenas to which they so clearly aspire. (C)

MOS DEF- TRUE MAGIC (Geffen) & KIDZ IN THE HALL- SCHOOL WAS MY HUSTLE (Major League/Rawkus) Hip-hop without guns? Now that's an idea!

DW Mos Def's last two film roles (in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and 16 Blocks) leaned towards annoyance. The conscious MC’s fans want to see him in more parts like the one from The Italian Job. You know– smart, charming and gets the job done.

True Magic, Mos' third solo effort at his rapping night gig, has all three qualities and then some. Intelligently going with a Motownapproved musical foundation for his laid-back flow, Mos speaks on past loves (“U R the One”) and present inner-city issues (“Fake Bonanza”). Unlike on his last effort, The New Danger, there's very little sign of the uneven rock stuff Mos sometimes gravitates towards.

Good. Lots more room for the MC's smart pen to address the edgier subject matter (the Hurricane Katrina-sparked “Dollar Day” and “Murder of a Teenage Boy”) fans expect from him, both on the big screen and in the recording booth.

Who knew what they'd get from Kidz in the Hall? Two young men, zero history of crack-dealing, one strong love for Blackstar, De La Soul and all things progressive hiphop. Sounds like the makings of a cuddly Hallmark Channel feature, right? Hardly.

When you hear MC Naledge rhyme, “Singled out like McCarthy/I'm trying to be the black McCartney” on the amazing “Wheelz Fall Off,” you know this duo is different. These Kidz's School Was My Hustle is whip-smart, but not all in your face with the fact that they can conjugate verbs. DJ Double-O's beats on “Go Ill” and “Wassup Jo'” express a keen ear for hotness and sound note-taking off Pete Rock. Sadly, some of the beats have less punch than the aging Rocky Balboa, but it

can't be denied that these Kidz are all grown up. Yeah, hip-hop, looks like they're ready for their close-up. Both (B+)

THE BRONX- SELF-TITLED (Island) & BRAND NEW- THE DEVIL AND GOD ARE RAGING INSIDE ME (Interscope) Emo-punks called to the show.

JM The rush of major labels stumbling over each other to sign any band that had ever been referred to as “punk” or “emo” hit its peak in 2005, so 2006 brought a slew of groups trying to make the jump from indie to major label.

The results were mixed.

LA-based punk-metal group The Bronx are among the more successful bands that made the leap. On their self-titled sophomore release, the band makes a seamless transition.

The album is cleaner, production-wise, but still gritty enough to impress the indie-metal kids that first latched on to the band. Tracks like “Around the Horn” and “White Guilt” sound like the type of songs a 2006 Guns ‘N' Roses should be releasing.

Long Island's Brand New, who turned in one of 2003's best albums with Deja Entendu, had a rougher time with their major label debut. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, one of the most eagerly-anticipated emo albums of 2006, simply couldn't live up to the hype created over the past three years. Taken as a whole, it’s not bad, but it simply lacks the creativity and wealth of standout songs that made their last album such a brilliant effort.

The Bronx (B); Brand New (B-) CLINIC- VISITATIONS (Domino) A more industrial Radiohead.

JD Clinic was once on the cutting edge, a band that saw what Radiohead was doing on breakthrough albums such as Kid A and made a case that there was more left to wring out of post-punk. Chunks of aggressive guitars, eccentric rhythms and a sly use of dance beats made their 2000 debut, Internal Wrangler, a cold touchstone of their potential, but they've spent the past five years trying to justify that promise. Visitations comes as a turning point for Clinic, one that feels more make-or-break than ever.

“Family” kicks off the album with guitars and a one-two backbeat– a tribute to seminal post-punk acts like Wire, right down to the snarling vocals. There's always been an evasive, nightclub sexiness to Clinic, and the delicious “If You Could Read Your Mind” affirms this with a snaking guitar line transported straight from the Velvet Underground's heyday. As Visitations progresses, the influence of that band becomes nearly overwhelming and the paucity of ideas threatens.

After all, filler such as “Animal/Human,” “Interlude” and an uninspired cover of Fleetwood Mac's “Tusk” undercuts Clinic's fortitude and forte. The album loses steam at these moments, leaving suspicion rather than curiosity about a band four albums into their career trajectory. If Clinic still has something left to say, Visitations seems occluded by a lack of conviction. (B-) EMINEM PRESENTS THE RE-UP (Shady/ Aftermath) Mix CDs that show plenty of shine.

BL Think TNT knows drama? They’ve got nothing on Marshall Mathers, whose life in the year leading up to the release of this album saw more ups and downs than all the rollercoasters in all the Six Flags theme parks put together. The platinum-haired provocateur checked himself into rehab, reunited with

Music infamous ex-wife Kim, broke up with her shortly thereafter, and lost his best friend Proof in a nightclub shooting that proved that sometimes gangsta bravado can go a little too far (remember the video for “Like Toy Soldiers,” in which the D-12 MC was depicted being rushed to the hospital after getting shot?).

Returning to the game after a two-year absence, you might expect The Re-Up to bear the creative fruit of Em's fucked up year. But you'd be wrong. In fact, Shady's profile here is surprisingly slim, instead focusing the spotlight on his extended rhyme family, including G-Unit, D-12, Stat Quo and newcomers Bobby Creekwater and Ca$his. Originally intended as an underground mix tape, the album brings some serious heat despite its mastermind's relatively low profile, with plenty of blazing highlights to suggest that Eminem's empire remains strong.

The opening posse cut, “We're Back,” sets the blistering tone, with a piano-laden beat, subtle strings and syncopated rhymes, while Creekwater makes a case for himself Rookie MC of the Year on the percolating “Shake That Remix” with Obie Trice and Nate Dogg. The Bomb Squad-style beats and sinister funk of “Ski Mask Way” support some of 50's best bars in years, while the touching Proof tribute, “Trapped,” is chilling in light of his untimely demise.

But as on most mix tapes, there are some weak moments here, too, such as Bizarre and Kuniva's gratuitous gun talk on “Murder” (which seems disrespectful of their former D-12 bandmate) and the monotonous beat that drags down Ca$his' aggressive spitting on “Everything Is Shady.” Still, when Em snatches the mic and takes the lead on songs like the title track, “You Don't Know” and the closing “No Apologies,” he makes a strong case for his claim to be one of the tightest MCs in the game. Fans may come away wondering why Kim, Proof and rehab barely merit a mention, but they'll also appreciate the man's skill for scouting out some of hiphop's hottest undiscovered talent. (B)

NAS- HIP HOP IS DEAD & YOUNG JEEZY- THE INSPIRATION: THUG MOTIVATION 102 (Def Jam) Def Jam gets the game off life support.

DW What bit of feuding that transpired between Nas and Young Jeezy at the end of '06 was the result of miscommunication more than anything else. When Jeezy heard Nas' new album would be called Hip Hop is Dead, the Atlanta rapper took it personally because he and his Deep South brethren were atop all the charts.

While all the snap-friendly music may have been part of the problem, that wasn't the message the beloved Queens native was trying to convey.

ALL of hip-hop was problematic– the South, the Midwest, everywhere. “Dead” is just Nas' way of personally challenging MCs in every area code to step up... even those in the 212.

Keeping it real, NY hip-hop has slumped of late. A lil' over a decade ago, the Rotten Apple sound was undeniable. Nasty Nas reflects on that very subject on “Where Are They Now,” a shout to the artists who paved the way for him and Jeezy to land atop the Billboard charts. “Carry on Tradition” and “Hold Down the Block” don't inspire old house parties, but they do conjure memories of in-your-mug ‘90s hip-hop. But Dead, Nas’ fourth straight great album, isn't just on some reminisce ish. The Kanye-rocked “Still Dreamin'” speaks to those living in a fantasy world, the Jay-Z-assisted “Black Republican” speaks out on Jeffersons-style comeuppance, and the percussion-heavy “Let There Be Light” speaks to every ounce of soul in your body.

Jeezy's second album really only speaks to one type of person: those who appreciate a good thug tale. “I'm the Realest,” “I Got Money,” “Still On It” and “Bury Me A G” are damn near the same– kinetic tracks shedding light on all the

material things the ex-dope boy's come across the past few years. But the thing keeping Jeezy ahead of the Southern pack is his ability to flip metaphors like a coked-up gymnast. True, “Keep It Gangsta” and the reflective “Mr. 15” are selfimportant bars put to Chevy-riding beats, but with all the swaggering coming across, they're actually appealing. One could even see Nas bumpin' his head to the last one, especially. Of course, afterwards, God's Son would look over to his labelmate and rightfully ask, “What else you got, kid?” Nas (B+) Jeezy (C+) PJ HARVEY- THE PEEL SESSIONS 1991-2004 (Island) Seminal performances for a seminal host.

JD The wane of influence from radio DJs has been marked for decades, beginning with the payola scandals of the ‘50s and spiraling even more rapidly in the new millennium, as computer-generated playlists wrestle away all the control from the personalities who once were the arbiters of taste.

John Peel, who DJ'd at the BBC in London from the late 1960s up until his death in 2004, was the last towering voice of his peers– a guy whose list of musical discoveries (Pink Floyd, the Doors, David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, the Cure, Pulp, the Smiths and dozens of others) had enormous impact on their popularity both in the United Kingdom and abroad. PJ Harvey was one of his favorite artists.

Peel recorded live performances of most, if not all, of his favorite artists in his studio for broadcast. His “Peel Sessions” are legendary, not only for their breadth of style but for the performances that his guests delivered. These weren't the phoned-in, sloppy one-offs that musicians proffer for morning drive-time shows in the States. Peel's guests were always earnestly trying to impress the host. The result is that, in his death, many of these wonderful shows have been officially released on compact disc.

Harvey's a natural for the live setting, and intimacy of Peel's studio. She visited several different times over thirteen years, and The Peel Sessions 1991-2004 is an excellent representation of her prowess and songwriting. While this collection doesn't include every note she sang for John Peel, these songs are probably her best performances. It's an excellent tribute to an eternal friend of popular music. (A-) YOU AM I- CONVICTS (Yep Roc) Rowdy barroom rock.

JD You Am I has frequently been described as “the Replacements of Australia,” which has been fairly accurate if you came of age in the mid1980s. For newer generations, this band's music would probably have a good home on the Warped Tour or opening up for Green Day. It’s poppy punk with roots in the Jam, the Buzzcocks and even the Clash. Classic punk never goes out of style, and while You Am I doesn't have much edgy anarchy, they fit the bill and defy their fifteen years of existence.

Convicts, therefore, follows the pattern of the brawling rock on the band's previous eight (or so) albums without many surprises. “Thank God I've Hit Bottom” hints at hardcore, there's some heavy riffing on “Nervous,” and “I'm A Mess” has that sort of Westerbergian weariness (and guitar line) that guarantees a mention of the Replacements in every review. Convicts reaches for the band's high water mark (1996's Hi-Fi Way), and isn't far off.

Singer-songwriter Tim Rogers’ side-project, The Temperance Union, is an outlet for his less raucous songs, and in truth this album could use a break every now and again from the ball-busting onslaught. But Convicts has a hunger that belies the band's longevity, an unrest served well by energetic slabs of guitars and gutsy vocals.

Instead of a pensive recollection of where they've been, You Am I makes the case for where they've yet to travel. (B)

THE PURSUIT OF SCRAPPYNESS MEET LIL SCRAPPY, ONE OF THE SOUTH’S HOTTEST MC’S

U

pon first glance, he comes off like all the rest from this neck of the woods– flashy jewels, baggy jeans, New Era fitted tilted about 45º, a stare to make Suge Knight piss his Hanes. Seriously, what's so special about Atlanta’s Lil Scrappy? That's easy. When given the opportunity, the kid can truly spit on subjects beyond money rolls, stripper poles and his candy-painted Olds. He just elects not to do so very often. But for an MC who's been in some part of the game for four years, times are a-changin'.

A long-time business friend of Lil Jon's, the two decided to bring the influential 50 Cent into the fold for his polished December release, Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live. The professional move doesn't bring about drastic lyrical changes (“Livin' in the Projects,” however, is some hold-nothing-back prose), yet it does offer hints that the swag-filled 22-year-old can separate himself from the crunk bunch.

Some folks see you as a torch-bearer for the Southern sound. Why are they high on you?

I ain't the one to brag, but I'mma brag this time.

I'm one of the youngest out here in the game from the South and I know how to make good music. We gonna see if they right.

Okay, give me your recipe for a good album.

Umm, you need concentration. You need to be free from anything that's going on around you.

I didn't know that at first. I was thinking you gotta go through stuff and make the album while you're going through it. But you're not able to do that. I don't come out right. So, you need concentration. Me? I need a blunt, a shot of Patron and then it's on.

A lot of the excitement from this album revolves around Lil Jon and 50 Cent working as executive producers. But like the Dream Team, it takes more than big names to make stuff work. The pressure's crazy, right?

I really don't care. I'm gonna do me regardless.

Whether it's Jon and 50, Eminem and Dre, whoever. I'm gonna still do me at the end of the day. Really, the artist has to help the record label help [the artist]. You gotta do something to make muthafuckas even look at you. People only look at what's interesting. If you don't make nobody look at you and go “Wooow,” you definitely not going anywhere.

With all the other stuff those two dudes have going on, were they truly able to dedicate a lot of time to your project?

Yeah, they was dedicated. I'mma tell you like this, 50 and Jon actually took out they time or whatever they was doin' and set down with me

and crunched it out-especially 50. Jon was kinda still on the road a lil' bit. 50 was on the road, too, but he laid back a whole week to work with me. It don't take that long to work with me. I know what I want.

Your album title, Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live, hints that you've overcome a lot. What do you credit for you not becoming a statistic?

I’m a biological daddy, my mom, God and especially life. Life taught me that, going through stuff. See, I went through [growing up] what half these niggaz go through they whole life, know what I'm sayin'? By the time I got 18 or 19, I'm saying, “Shit, I ain't going down there [to that trouble].” It's crazy. People actually walk to their death sometimes. A muthafucka know he fixin' to go to a shootout and he know there's a chance he might not come back.

Why? 'Cuz he want to be hard.

That hardness gets you in a casket quick.

Yeah, you really be hard then. You'll be in a casket-hard as hell. Stiff like a muthafucka!

You're young, but you seem like you've been rapping for a long time. What do you dislike most about the game you chose to play?

It's super-fake. That's the only thing I dislike about it. Niggaz don't wanna fuck with you until you show them something interesting.

Then, when you get in [to the recording industry] and you don't fuck with nobody, they get mad. It's almost like they feel like they let you in or sumthin'. They don't even remember that I was the same muthafucka that said “Hey, what's up” to them and they just ignored me.

That fakeness goes beyond the record level though, too, right?

Yeah, man. It's niggaz on the street that are fake. They get around you to try to get some of your light, some of your fame, some of your bread. It's ignorant. You call yourself a man?

What about the game makes you smile?

The money, the music and sometimes the business. You can get a lot out of the rap game.

You can get other stuff poppin' that has nothing to do with rap, so it's an opportunity.

What's your proudest accomplishment?

Just staying in the game, keeping the flow.

Being young and having good credit. I remember back in the day I didn't even know nuthin' about credit. It was just cash.

Is the music you drop entertainment, or are listeners supposed to get something from it?

Yeah, it's supposed to teach you. When we're rapping, we're telling you stories. People forget that we talkin' aboutshit that niggaz USED to do. They make it like, “Oh, they talkin' about shit they do NOW.” –DeMarco Williams PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

2006- The Year In Music T

he futile exercise in summarizing 365 days is getting harder. After all, not only does culture ignore endpoints such as arbitrary dates on the calendar, our world of music is getting more disparate. For example, ten years ago, virtually no one was listening to music online, let alone buying (or “sharing”) millions of songs. Digital distribution via the Internet is now the premiere route to your ears, cutting sales of compact discs nearly ten percent from last year and signaling the end of that coaster-shaped medium. But what your connection really gets you is choice-the choice to follow your own route to musical bliss, as opposed to what a handful of record labels or radio stations limit you to.

Thus, this year was the continued validation of the promise of the niche. The decline of the Top 40 or massive-selling mass appeal means that more of us are loving more things, that our tastes are free to go beyond Clear Channel radio programming . Your iPod, your hard drive, your Tivo, your on-demand, your network gaming, your every entertainment impulse is rapidly being served by digital technology in such a robust way that we may never have another Beatles or Rolling Stones. We may never have another Public Enemy or Garth Brooks or Sinatra. The days of a handful of music acts dominating the mass consciousness are over, and in their place is something more refined to individual taste.

We know this because of the explosion of new options that are chipping away at the old: if you give Yahoo Music your musical preferences, they will stream high-quality radio commercial-free and tailored to what you love; podcasts time-shift radio shows and let anyone be a DJ in the process; OnTour looks at your iTunes file and tells you when any of the artists are playing in your area; there are now a halfdozen credible sites to legally purchase songs; the rise and rise of MySpace.com has given anyone with a guitar a place to gather and show their wares. This vast amount of choice gives music fans the consuming power they've always deserved and creates more opportunity for artists to be heard. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved, and it continues to get better. --John Davidson

DEMARCO WILLIAMS’ TOP 10 JOHN DAVIDSON'S TOP 10 1. THE HOLD STEADY- BOYS & GIRLS IN AMERICA (Vagrant) The best bar band in America moved to a bigger record label for their third album, and not much changed in the process. The signature sound-big fat classic guitar riffage, barstool wisdom, and sing-shouting vocals-is threatening to become the kind of habit that will scare the hipster indie kids off, but in the end that's kind of what the Hold Steady is all about.

2. NEKO CASE- FOX CONFESSOR BRINGS THE FLOOD (Anti) Neko Case's sumptuous voice- hearty, confident and smoky- will always be her calling card but each successive album finds her songs finally living up to her well-praised reputation.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood highlights Case's sense of noir, the artistic touch of a singer-songwriter at the top of her game.

3. GIANT DRAG- HEARTS AND UNICORNS (Universal) Hearts and Unicorns actually came out in 2005, but was rereleased this year when Giant Drag signed a big deal with a major record label. Led by the charismatic Annie Hardy, this album is quite simply the best album that the Breeders never made, a bag of songs bursting with sunny, fuzz-laden guitar pop.

4. SONIC YOUTH- RATHER RIPPED (Geffen) A legend in their time, Sonic Youth is aging gracefully as they continue to tighten up their albums instead of trying to remind everyone how modern they are. Rather Ripped is like U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind, where the aging giant reverts to its strengths and reminds us all how some reputations are welldeserved.

5. THE HIGH VIOLETS- TO WHERE YOU ARE (Future Farmer) The shoegaze sound of the 1990s- gauzy guitars, washed out vocals, drawn out hooks- threatens to make a comeback every year, and in 2006 the High Violets pulled it off with aplomb. To Where You Are stands tall on well-crafted melodies that never disappear under gated instruments or droning mindbenders.

6. TV ON THE RADIO- RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN (Interscope) In an era where novelty is often mistaken for quality, TV On the Radio backs up the hype that they’re the most interesting band on the planet. Return To Cookie Mountain consistently compels, and while there is no indication that this band will make it out of the ghetto of the independent music scene, it is a cause of hope for all those who dare say that rock is dead.

7. THE STARLIGHT MINTS- DROWATON (Barsuk) While the Flaming Lips continually corner the market on weirdo pop, the Starlight Mints quietly released an album better than anything the Lips have done in a decade. Drowaton is daring in its curiosity and surprising in its execution; most bands don't have the talent to make such racket sound carefully orchestrated.

8. ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANAGAN- THE BALLAD OF BROKEN SEAS (V2) Her ex-bandmates in Belle & Sebastian also released an album this year (the terrific The Life Pursuit), but Campbell's duet with Lanagan is more satisfying. The lovely chanteuse reaches deep into trad folk and blues territory and in the process seems to find herself, unveiling an artist with much more potential than previously thought.

9. AMY MILLAN- HONEY FROM THE TOMBS (Arts & Crafts) Moonlighting from her day job with Toronto's Stars, Amy Millan wanders effortlessly through pop stylings before settling into Americana on this wonderful debut. Mostly sparse and acoustic, Millan fills the spaces with an earnest voice and drinking-buddy lyrics of love lost.

10. THE OOHLAS - BEST STOP POP (Stolen Transmission) Best Stop Pop is a home run debut for enchanting singer Ollie Stone, whose sugary pop songs sit atop a summery breeze of guitars and blissful harmony. It's also a stunning career revival for drummer Greg Eklund, whose former band (Everclear) could have used some of this delightful mojo.

PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

1.THE CLIPSE- HELL HATH NO FURY (Jive) Four years can make you bitter as hell… or so say corner-hugging sibs Pusha T and Malice on their murky second disc. At times a trip down a dark alley, at others just a head trip, the Neptunes really get busy.

Brothers Grimm do, too; they just hope four years was long enough for you to get ready.

2. CORINNE BAILEY RAE- SELFTITLED (Capitol) Her voice doesn't scream to the heavens, nor are her words life-changing. Still, there's something of unspeakable beauty about this UK siren. A mix of Norah Jones, India.Arie and a Sunday breeze, her debut will blow you away.

3. GHOSTFACE KILLAH- FISHSCALE (Def Jam) Ghost makes little sense in his rhymes, but it's all still such a beautiful mess. Meth and Masta Killa both dropped highly anticipated albums, but Fishscale was really worth the wait.

4. NAS- HIP HOP IS DEAD (Def Jam) Can you name anybody in rap more consistent than Nasir Jones? Dude gets married, unifies with an old nemesis and still releases a majestic CD of reflection, dejection and reconnection. Dead is one reason hip-hop is alive and very well.

5. J. DILLA- DONUTS (Stones Throw) Damn, hip-hop misses Jay Dee. The next

B. LOVE’S TOP 10 1 . L I Z D U R R E T T- T H E MEZZANINE (Warm) This Athens-based songwriter’s simply adorned ballads are haunted, original and positively spellbinding. Her sophomore album is timeless, faultless and utterly uncontrived, as chilling and soul-stirring as any record I've heard in years.

2.

JENNY LEWIS W/THE WATSON TWINS- RABBIT FUR COAT (Team Love) Abandoning Rilo Kiley's infectious indie-pop in favor of a rootsy sound that veered from bluegrass to blue-eyed soul, Lewis' delightful solo debut established her alongside Shelby Lynne and Neko Case among the reigning queens of alt-country.

3. DAMIEN RICE- 9 (Warner Bros) It’s gotta

logical link in the Dr. Dre-Large Professor-Pete Rock production chain, the late Dilla's life is best remembered via tracks with Common and Slum Village, and in this beautiful collage of beats.

6.

MARY J. BLIGEBREAKTHROUGH (MCA) Why do the streets love MJB? Cuz Mary's their voice. Her 7th album is not only a breath of refreshment vocally (I swear you can hear her exhale on half the tracks), but it's also brilliant in its blend of slow burners and slightly up-tempo grooves.

7. AZ- THE FORMAT (Quiet Money) If I were AZ, I'd say to hell with this music stuff. Like a clumsy chef over the stove, dude's always dropping hot shit, but only the dedicated take the time to digest it. The Format is NY hiphop at its finest– boisterous, emotional and doesn't pretend to give a damn.

8. LUPE FIASCO- FOOD & LIQUOR (Atlantic) The media saw this “next big thing” as the voice of the skater nation, but “Sunshine” and “Daydreamin'” proved the witty 25-year-old might be the voice of those who think Tony Hawk is an exotic bird in Europe, too.

9.

LY F E JENNINGSTHE PHOENIX (Sony) This year a few

male R&B vets and upstarts showed their heads, but it was this Ohio native w h o m a d e t h e m o s t n o i s e . Ly f e ' s album feels theatrical, yet the soulful act never gets old.

10. LITTLE BROTHER- SEPARATE BUT EQUAL (N/A) This DJ Dramaorchestrated CD features all-new verses from Phonte and Pooh over a mix of bold, innovative tracks and some familiar ones. If you say there's a better verse in 2006 than Phonte's on “Boondocks Saints,” you're lying.

be hell trying to follow-up a damn-near-perfect debut, but this Irish folkie acquitted himself admirably, cranking up the volume and even managing to sound happy (gasp!) on a track or two. Still, nobody plumbs the depths of heartache better, and songs like “Elephant” are likely coming soon to a soundtrack near you.

4 . C AT P O W E R - T H E G R E AT E S T (Matador) Chan Marshall’s best album to date boasts a soulful sound laid down at Memphis' Ardent Studios. It’s a melancholy masterpiece that finds her walking boldly down the road to redemption, cautiously emerging from the shadows of darkness and heading into the light.

5.

THE COUPPICK A BIGGER WEAPON (Anti) Like Prince's classic Controversy, this CD mixes irresistable bootyshaking jams with sociopolitical content clearly designed to shake your consciousness.

It’s an infectious funk-hop epic that makes freeing your mind so damn fun, your ass can't help but follow.

6. BEDROOM WALLS- ALL GOOD DREAMERS PASS THIS WAY (Baria) These dreamy, bittersweet songs balance catchy indie-pop melodies with melancholy moods that recall experimental bands ranging from early Pink Floyd and Talk Talk to Sigur Ros. Every track is delightful, and I can't say I've ever heard another quite like it.

7. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS- GET LONELY (4AD) The Mountain Goats' latest was a bittersweet testament to the beauty of melancholy. Though Darnielle's approach remains uniform-

ly stripped-down, the emotional complexity of the lyrics stands out in stark contrast to the relative musical simplicity. Deep, dark, intimate and revealing, this is nuanced indie-folk songwriting at its finest.

8. ARCTIC MONKEYS- WHATEVER YOU SAY I AM, THAT’S WHAT I’M NOT (Domino) Barreling out of the gates like a turbo-charged street racer fueled by caffeine, cigarettes and testosterone, Arctic Monkeys boast a snotty, snarling, distinctively British DIY aesthetic. It's hard to believe in anything propped up by the UK hype machine, but these raucous lads crafted a rambunctious debut album that makes you wanna drink to excess, get in bar fight and take a stranger home for an all-night shag.

9. SOUL POSITION- THINGS GO BETTER WITH RJ AND AL (Rhymesayers) The second album from underground hip-hop act Soul Position– producer RJD2 and MC Blueprint– proves that existing outside the meanstream and inaccessibility do not necessarily have to go hand-in-hand, while at the same time establishing thems among the more potent hip-hop duos since Black Star's heyday.

10.

RACONTEURS- BROKEN BOY SOLDIERS (V2) OK, so maybe Jack White’s classic rock side-project with Brendan Benson wasn’t quite as unique as Get Behind Me, Satan. But the Raconteurs combined elements of pop, psychedelia, blues and even funk to create an indie supergroup that made the most of their respective talents, and there’s no denying that “Steady As She Goes” was one of the year’s most infectious earworms, still stuck in my head more than 7 months later.

TOM DEFREYTAS' TOP 10 1.

BOB D Y L A N MODERN T I M E S (Columbia) What new praise is there left to extol upon this living legend? Aside from altering his singing style later in life to save his vocal cords, D y l a n ' s approach has barely changed, yet he still produces fresh and entertaining music. I'm starting to think Dylan's ghost will continue to churn out amazing albums for the next hundred years.

2. JENNY LEWIS W/THE WATSON TWINS- RABBIT FUR COAT (Team Love ) Rilo Kiley's leading lady ventured out on her first solo CD in order to temporarily leave the realms of rock and set foot in the world of country-folk. With songs harkening back to the heyday of the Grand Ol Opry, Lewis proves she's one of the most gifted singer/songwriters today. Her voice is heavenly, her lyrics are biting and she looks cute in vintage dresses. Is Jenny Lewis the ideal woman? Without a doubt.

3. GNARLS BARKLEY- ST. ELSEWHERE (Downtown) I

JOHN MOORE'S TOP 10 1. GATSBY'S AMERICAN DREAM- SELF-TITLED (Fearless) On their fifth effort, the enigmatic Gatsby's American Dream are as unpredictable as always. The beautifully-crafted release manages to sound nothing like their peers, combining elements of atmospheric indie-rock with melodic pop-punk and a layer of distorted guitars. No idea what vocalists Bob Darling and Nic Newsham are singing half the time, but it's still music to my ears.

2. LEFT ALONE- DEAD AMERICAN RADIO (Hellcat) On their second release, LA-based street punks Left Alone turned in one of the best punk-rock records of the year. With bratty lyrics, a tight rhythm section and two- to three-minute songs, Dead American Radio was the anti-emo record of 2006. There are no cute irony-laced song titles, no piano or acoustic-backed songs, and no weepers about being dumped by your girl. Just straight-up gritty street punk.

3. ANGELS & AIRWAVES- WE DON'T NEED TO WHISPER (Geffen) On Angels & Airwaves’ debut, led by former Blink 182 frontman Tom DeLonge, this supergroup churns out atmospheric, arena-ready songs reminiscent of everyone from late-‘80s U2 to Big Country. Each song swells to the point of bursting. In just 10 tracks, We Don't Need to Whisper almost makes up for the decade of juvenile frat-rock DeLonge used to churn out.

4. THE DRAFT- IN A MILLION PIECES (Epitaph) Back with a new focus and a cleaner sound, three-fourths of the band Hot Water Music have reformed as The Draft. The dozen tracks that make up In A Million Pieces show a matured band that has decided to go a different path, having shed the post-hardcore sound for a straight-up punk-rock vibe. The result is more powerful than anything their previous band ever accomplished.

5. BAD ASTRONAUT- TWELVE SMALL STEPS, ONE GIANT

ANDREA HATTER’S TOP 10 1.

THE M A R S V O LTA A M P U TECHTURE (Universal) The title says it all: With Amputechture, these former At The Drive-In progrockers have built new music out of pieces extracted from others. Delineated guitars hypnotize you, then the rest of the band shocks you with bursts from the horn section. In other places, you'll feel like you’re caught in a headbanger concert at Carnaval. Anything goes! And that's the best thing about them in this country gone to emo hell.

2. THE BLACK KEYS- MAGIC POTION (Nonesuch) This indie duo has filled a void in my heart that has been longing for blues-rock of late. Their sound is utter simplicity– just a guitarist and a drummer– but whether you listen in your room on headphones or in your car, you'll still feel as though you're standing elbow to elbow in a rundown back-alley dive bar, surprised to find out that these are two white dudes from Ohio sounding like old black men from Mississippi.

apologize for the pun, but this album was “Crazy” good. Cee-lo and Danger Mouse created a visionary work able to transcend genre boundaries and appeal to all music fans. This CD's got funk, it's got style, it's one of the coolest CDs in recent memory and, in “Go-go Gadget Gospel,” it has one of the best song titles of all-time.

4. LUPE FIASCO- FOOD & LIQUOR (Atlantic) Lupe was groomed to create a great CD. As a former member of Kanye West's entourage, he made his first appearance with a short cameo in Kanye's song “Touch the Sky.” On his first solo album, Lupe Fiasco creates a series of songs that mocks many rap clichés while creating a totally distinct style. Instead of “making cocaine cool and getting more half-naked girls,” Lupe makes fresh songs like the skater anthem “Kick, Push.”

5. SEAN LENNON- FRIENDLY FIRE (Capitol) The album's title really does explain the CD as a whole: The lyrics deal with potentially dangerous emotions, but the songs are well-crafted, with a light and airy feeling that maintains the weight of the lyrical substance. While it can definitely appeal to those scorned by love, Lennon creates an ambiance which makes this a soothing album to have playing in the morning on a beautiful, lazy day.

6. THE DECEMBERISTS- THE CRANE WIFE (Capitol) This album took some time for me to appreciate. At first, I liked the band's willingness to experiment with new sounds, but was disappointed with the overall quality in comparison to their previous work. But just like a great book which requires multiple readings to fully understand and appreciate, The Crane Wife cements the Decemberists as one of the most important bands today, with their unique brand of history-influenced, storytelling rock.

7. MUSE: BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS (Warner Bros ) One word best describes this album: epic. Listening to this CD is akin to listening to a science fiction novel turned into a space

opera which mysteriously arrived from the not-too-distant future. It's got guitar solos reverberating throughout the universe and songs so catchy they could force alien races into submission just so they could listen to the songs once more. At the least, definitely see the video for “Knights of Cydonia” on Youtube. It has robots, cowboys and chicks on motorcycles. Need I say more?

8. ART BRUT- BANG BANG ROCK & ROLL (Downtown) Art Brut makes a reputation for itself through its absurdity. The first track on the album, “Formed a Band,” is all about how they… um, well, formed a band. While they thrive off their own self-reflexivity at times, they also create fun, entertaining songs with awesome and honest lyrics. The line “I want school kids on buses singing your name” alone must have garnered the lead singer at least a decent amount of ass.

9. WE ARE SCIENTISTS- WITH LOVE AND SQUALOR (Virgin) This trio first gained my attention with their eccentric and hilarious videos, and after buying this album I was quickly addicted. This is one of those rare complete CDs which runs the gamut in every way possible. Need songs to rock out to? Check. Needs songs to explain bad nights, bad dates and getttin' some? Done and done.

Want some intense, nerd-fueled rock that makes you dance your ass off? W.A.S. delivers it all with gusto.

10. TILLY AND THE WALL: BOTTOMS OF BARRELS (Team Love) The best way to describe this album may be “pop songs for the indie crowd.” Thee songs are infectious and require multiple listenings is order to extricate them from your brain. If you ever have any ambitions of becoming a hipster, you need to know this band and play them at all your parties. Even if you hate hipsters, this band deserves attention for the simple fact that the songs derive their rhythms from a tap-dancing band member.

DISAPPOINTMENT (Fat Wreck Chords) Bad Astronaut's latest (and best) record almost never came out. After drummer/co-founder Derrick Plourde committed suicide, longtime buddy and collaborator Joey Cape didn't think their demos were strong enough to make an album. But a renewed focus and hours in the studio resulted in a brilliant record full of dark pop-rock numbers that perfectly close a chapter on a remarkable side-project for Cape and the rest of the band members.

6. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE- THE BLACK PARADE (Reprise) These New Jersey goth-rockers turned in a career-defining album inspired by Queen's knack for over-the-top music, with Gerard Way and Co. soaking their songs in soaring melodies, strong lyrics and sing-along choruses. Produced by the new go-to-guy for rock operas, Rob Cavallo (Green Day's American Idiot), The Black Parade is a love note to everyone from David Bowie to ELO. 7. THE FORMAT- DOG PROBLEMS (Vanity) This album should have been The Format's second major label CD, but thanks to shortsighted execs, the band was quickly dropped after a preview of the new songs. They got revenge by turning out a brilliant collection of pop songs on their own label, bouncing from genre to genre and boasting influences as disparate as The Beach Boys, XTC and Harry Chapin. Dog Problems is probably the best example of a record label flaunting its utter lack of musical taste since Reprise dropped Wilco over Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

8. CATCH 22- PERMANENT REVOLUTION (Victory) It's a ska album! It's a history lesson! It's both in one! After 10 years together, one of the most reliable ska-punk bands in the genre decided to go all SchoolHouse Rock on us and turn in a concept album on the life of Leon Trotsky, founder of the Red Army. Seriously. The horn-heavy result is surprisingly impressive, offering up some of the band's best songs to date and one of their most cohesive records in years. If

Mamma Mia can earn a Tony nomination, there's no reason these guys shouldn't start putting together the Broadway version now.

9.

WILLIE NELSONSONGBIRD ( L o s t Highway) The Lone Star State's greatest cultural treasure more than made up for last year's weak reggae album with this release. Paired with labelmate Ryan Adams (who’s every bit as prolific as Willie), Songbird is a solid collection boasting Nelson's signature sound, mixing classic country, moody folk and the occasional cover tune. Nelson's take on the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah” is worth the price alone.

10. THE FORECAST- IN THE SHADOW OF TWO GUNMEN (Victory) Over the course of two years, The Forecast have become the best-kept secret on Victory Records. More indie-pop than punk, on their second release singers Dustin Addis and Shannon Burns have perfected their X-inspired style of swapping vocals over songs that slowly build from a whisper to a shout, ending with a sonic swirl of drums and guitar. The Forecast is one of those bands that truly deserves all the hype they'll soon be getting.

3. TOOL- 10,000 DAYS (Volcano II/Tool) You’ve gotta respect a band that drafts it's work as meticulously as Maynard James Keenan and Co. do, and the fact that their record label doesn't flinch at any of their requests only makes the feat all the more impressive. Sure, you may be able to point out a trademark formula to their work (as many reviewers have), but by golly, it's working. At least theirs isn't the same formula as all the other mess on modern-rock radio these days.

4. LUPE FIASCO- FOOD & LIQUOR (Atlantic) Lupe Fiasco and Jay-Z have solved the problem that so many conscious artists have: putting smart rap to nice music. (You gotta love a rapper that gives a nod to String Theory!) With Lupe, it's not just "a beat," but jazz, a welcome change for those of us who already have common sense and need a little bit more than just someone talking in rhythm. Best of all, you can listen to Lupe and still feel mature.

5. RICHARD CHEESE AND LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE- SILENT NIGHTCLUB (Surfdog) Perhaps you've heard the jazzed-out version of “Baby Got Back,” or “Star Wars Cantina”? Nope, that wasn't Weird Al. It was these zany guys, who seem to have some sort of a bizarre fascination with smegma. On their sixth studio album, they've returned with clever covers of Modern English’s “Melt With You,” poprap classic “Ice Ice Baby” and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.”

Even if you're not especially tickled by hits gone lounge, you can still appreciate the 1920s-style jazz arrangements.

6. CORINNE BAILEY RAE- SELF- TITLED (Capitol) With a sound somewhere between Erykah Badu and Norah Jones (with occasional John Mayer-esque backgrounds), this British chanteuse’s sound is a mellow blend of jazz, acoustic folk and soul. The lyrics are organic and personal; breakout track, “Like A Star” is indicative of the atmospheric quality in

her work. Very soothing, like a smooth drink at the end of a very long day.

7. JOSH GROBAN- AWAKE (Reprise) “The Voice” is back, setting the adult contemporary genre on fire once again with his second studio disc. Some regular Groban listeners who appreciate him more for his classical treatments than the mainstream sound might consider this album a disappointment for distancing him from the operatic arena from whence he came.

But however pop-ish it is, the songs are still intoxicating, with rich accompaniment behind his powerful vocals.

8. THE ROOTS- GAME THEORY (Def Jam) Roots drummer ?uestlove said it himself in an interview with Rolling Stone, “In this day and age, I'm kind of noticing that nobody in urban music really has the balls to just stop partying for one second. I mean, partying is good and what not, and it's cool to get down, but I really think that 2006 called for a very serious record.” True, indeed.

9. INCUBUS- LIGHT GRENADES (Epic) While making some fans mad for being more subtle than usual, these modern-rock radio stalwarts still invoke the same EKG-like quality in their songs with a mixture of edgy punk tracks and altrock ballads, plus the usual almost-R&B tinge they always manage to work in.

10. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS- STADIUM ARCADIUM (Warner Bros) More than two decades into their careers, the maturing funk-punk icons released a 2-CD set that came across like a best-of compilation, taking all the things fans love about the band and making it sound new again. Critics claimed that “Danicalifornia” cribbed its riff from Tom Petty, but tracks like “Hump De Bump,” “Jupiter” and the title track proved that Flea and Co. can still rock out even as they hit middle age.

PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Sports

WILD BILL’S FIGHT NIGHT Keeps Roping in Fans - Friday Jan. 19

Kevin Gittemeir of McDonough bloodies Joe Cronin of Pheonix in the main event this past September.

I

t all started in 2002. Wild Bill's opened for business outside of Gwinnett Mall and David Oblas began promoting fights at the Roxy Theatre in Buckhead. Four years later the two came together to form Wild Bill's Fight Night.

In January of 2006 Steve Mudder's Full Throttle Entertainment, David Oblas' Undisputed Productions and Amy Lynn Hoch promoted what was the first in a series of fight nights appropriately titled Wild Bill's Fight Night.

“The sport of MMA has grown by leaps and bounds in the past couple years and each fight that we put on garners us more and more media exposure.”

-Steve Mudder Full Throttle Entertainment Now a year later it's time for Wild Bill's Fight Night 6 on Friday, Jan. 19. Each Wild Bill's Fight Night matches between 14 and 16 fights of mixed martial arts (MMA). The fighting syle is the same as what takes place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). While the UFC has become today's fastest growing sport, often compared to NASCAR, Wild Bill's Fight Night has quickly become Atlanta's "must see" event every six weeks.

The events have attracted crowds between 3,000 and 4,000 per event making it the most popular fight promotion in the state, if not in the Southeast.

"The five fights we did last year surpassed any expectations that we had," said Steve Mudder of Full Throttle Entertainment. "The sport of MMA has grown by leaps and bounds in the past couple years and each fight that we put on garners us more and more media exposure. At nearly every fight we promote we have UFC fighters not only coming to attend our events, but we've been lucky enough to have several UFC fighters fight for us."

UFC fighters spotted in the crowd at previous Wild Bill's Fight Nights include Forrest Griffin, Rory Singer, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Steve Berger, Pat Healy and Kevin Jordan to name just a few. Marcus Davis, a current UFC star, has even fought at Wild Bill's twice.

Kevin Jordan, a two-time UFC heavyweight will be headlining the January 19 Wild Bill's Fight Night along with a four-man tournament at 155 lbs. The tournament will see two fighters matched up against each other with the two winners fighting each other later in the evening.

"The 155 lb tournament has received a tremendous following from fighters across the country," said Oblas. "We did this for the first time in

November and we had to turn fighters away from entering the tournament. The UFC recently brought the 155 lbs division to their title rankings and that prompted us to do the tournament.

Steve Kinnison of Chicago won the November tournament and now we're doing it again on January 19. Whichever fighter wins the January 19 tournament will face Kinnison in the main event of our next show on March 2.

"Whomever wins the finals on March 2 has an inside track to getting to the UFC and that's what this tournament was all about. We want the best fighters in the country fighting for us and this January 19 event will have it."

While Wild Bill's was anxious to be putting on fight nights at first, they have since embraced it.

Wild Bill's CFO Amy Lynn Hoch said, "The events are not only some of our best events, but they bring an entirely different crowd to our venue which is what we want. It's our goal to show off our beautiful venue to everyone in Atlanta and the fight nights allow us to do so.

The events have also been our safest events as far as crowd security is concerned. There has never been an incident in the crowd because at the fight nights everyone is content to keep the fighting in the ring. The crowd is there to have a good time and that's proven as the crowds have increased each show."

“The 155 lb tournament has received a tremendous following from fighters across the country.”

-David Oblas Undisputed Productions It seems as though more people are taking notice of Wild Bill's Fight Night as Mudder and Oblas have been talking to several television stations about broadcasting the fights, but a decision as to which station has not been made yet.

"We're looking for which station can offer us the best deal," added Mudder. "Spike TV and the UFC have proven that there is an extremely large fan base looking for this programming on television. We're just looking for a win/win situation."

For more information or to purchase tickets to the January 19 Wild Bill's Fight Night 6, call the Fight Hotline at (404) 626-2126 or visit their websites.

Steve Mudder of Full Throttle Entertainment, Kevin Gittemeier and David Oblas of Undisputed Productions.

Wild Bill's Fight Night 6 16 Fights Total

Main Event: Kevin Jordan vs Chris Herring Four Man 155 lbs Tournament: Stephen Ledbetter (9-0 Athens, GA) vs Maajid Alkush (2-0 Hilton Head, SC) Kevin English (9-2 Chicago, IL) vs Jose Figueroa (2-0 Orlando, FL) Doors at 6:30 / Fights at 8:30

A bloodied and battered Joe Cronin prepares to meet the left hand of McDonough’s Kevin Gittemeier.

PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Fight Hotline: (404) 626-6126 www.WildBillsAtlanta.com www.UndisputedProductions.com

O

ver a span of 14 years, MXPX have grown from teenage punks singing about growing up and high school crushes into influential rockers that have inspired a whole new generation of hookheavy bands, perfecting a more mature, but equally infectious sound. Most high school bands don't get past the talent show circuit, yet alone go on to sell millions of records.

With little airplay or mainstream media coverage, albums like Life in General and Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo have become sing-along classics. Though MXPX started out as a Christian punk band, they were never overtly preachy. But theyÕre still chased by that tag, thanks in part to reporters (like me) that bring it up in interviews.

Comprised of bassist/vocalist Mike Herrera, drummer Yuri Ruley and guitarist Tom Wisniewski, the trio from Bremerton, Washington have become an obsession of sorts for punk-rock bloggers, who post just about every aspect of the band's movements.

The latest topic of online obsession is whether the group is leaving their latest label, punk-rock indie SideOne Dummy, to return to Tooth & Nail, the little label that originally discovered the band.

The band split with Tooth & Nail rather publicly in 1998, then did a brief stint on A&M Records before moving to SideOne Dummy. The band has been quiet about their future plans, but have managed to confuse everyone by putting out two albums in the past few months. SideOne put out Let's Rock, a collection of re-worked tracks that weren't included on their seventh album, Panic, while Tooth & Nail handled the rerelease of their rarities record, Let It Happen.

Fresh off a successful co-headlining tour with ska band Reel Big Fish, MXPX is in the process of writing songs for their ninth album, which is slated to come out in late spring or early summer. Herrera recently took some time to answer a few questions, revealing a little about the band's future plans.

Most high school bands don't end up recording albums together, let alone sticking together for nearly 15 years. Why do you think itÕs worked for MXPX? Well, we got started early and I guess we got lucky.

At what point did you realize you could actually make a career out of playing in a punk band?

After we went on our first national tour and people actually paid money to see us. It was

WEIGHING ALL THE OPTIONS pretty amazing.

Do you think the band has changed much since you first started out?

I think we've changed a lot. There's no way around it. We were just learning how to play back then. Today we're still learning, but we definitely have a much better grasp on this music thing.

You were pegged as a Christian punk band early on. Do you think that label has been an obstacle for the band at all?

I do think it has affected us and our opportunities, but it's also been a really positive influence on people.

Let's talk about the new record, Let's Rock.

About half of these songs were written in the Panic era, but early on we knew that many of

them weren't gonna make it, mainly because they didn't fit. Many of them were too slow, or we had a song like it for the record

already, I really like some of these songs, though.

I read somewhere that you did some rerecording of these songs when you were on the road with Reel Big Fish this summer.

Yeah, we did guitars and vocals in random places, some on the bus, some in dressing rooms when they were nice enough, of course hotel rooms, and I even did some vocals, acoustic guitar and piano at a friends house one night. Mainly we did backing vocals and guitar overdubs.

Why did you decide to release a deluxe edition of Let it Happen?

Well, it's been out a while and we wanted to put out a version that we were actually happy with. We're really happy with how it came out. There's three brand new songs that we recorded for it this summer as well.

ItÕs being put out on Tooth & Nail. When you originally left that label for A&M, there was a lot of talk about bad blood between the band and the label, to the extent that you supposedly wrote a song about that relationship. Have you guys made up with the label?

Yes, we've made up with them. We were young back then and we both made some mistakes in our business decisions. But it's in the past now.

You guys were recently given the keys to your hometown of Bremerton. What that was like?

That was a pretty cool experience. It's a huge pat on the back for us. We've always given back to Bremerton in lots of little ways, and this time they gave back to us. Now I can go anywhere in the city. All I have to do is flash my key!

Do you have any advice for bands just now stating out in their garages?

Well, I'm sure if you have a computer, you probably already have a demo online. But more importantly, just love the music and enjoy what you do and who you do it with. ÐJohn B. Moore

PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

New Year's Rockin' Eva Hollywood's resolution?

O

More Eva Green movies in 2007!

kay, Columbia Pictures, one note of suggestion: We've already heard the rumors about two more planned installments in the James Bond franchise with Daniel Craig as 007, but don't release them the same weekend some other studio drops an animated movie about tap-dancing birds! While Casino Royale was a smash on the global scale, domestically this darker, edgier Bond just couldn't keep up with Happy Feet.

But hey, don't look at Craig or his female lead, Eva Green, for the reasons Royale couldn't march with the penguins. Craig was great, and the Parisian-born Green (who made her Hollywood debut in 2005's Kingdom of Heaven) was quite the sultry presence. Part mystery, part subtle seductress, all business, Green's Vesper Lynd wasn't your typical Bond girl by any standards. And after listening to the theatricallytrained actress speak on choosing roles, missing her mom and being typecast, one quickly learns that Eva Green isn't your typical femme fatale.

Were there any pre-requisites in order for you to agree to do a Bond film?

They approached me and said, “In a year and a half, we're shooting.” I was like, “If you want a Bond girl, forget it.” They were really insisting.

They sent me a script two weeks before shooting, and I loved it. I thought it was very unusual.

It's not the typical Bond movie. Bond is very different. Vesper is very different. The thriller is quite dark. You know, I just went straight to the audition. Luckily, I got the part.

What did you like about the Vesper character?

The fact she had many dimensions. She's very, very funny. I really liked her. She's so sassy. She doesn't care about Bond, really. She's heard that he's an asshole. She's a character that evolves.

She's quite tough, but then she evolves and opens up slowly and becomes quite vulnerable.

It's a very enigmatic character, and it was actually quite difficult for me to understand all the subtext. [Casino Royale producer] Barbara Broccoli helped me actually a lot to understand the story.

You didn't want to be the Sigourney Weaver type, bashing heads in the movie?

That was not in the script. I'm not really a physical person. I'd have to exercise a lot to do that kind of thing.

You don't exercise?

I go for a run sometimes. I should.

What kind of distances do you run?

I run for, like, 20 minutes.

Is Daniel Craig sexy?

He is very sexy. He's a man, and we don't have a lot of men in the movie business. He's not a boy.

He's not self-conscious. He doesn't look at himself in the mirror in the morning. He's broke and rugged and he doesn't care. It's more dangerous and it makes him more attractive.

If you were writing your career script from this point on, where would you be headed from here?

You never know. It depends so much from the others in this business. It's quite stressful. I just want to do something quite edgy, something more independent. I don't know, something a bit weird. When I did Kingdom of Heaven, people asked me, “Oh my God, do you want to work in Hollywood?” I said, “I don't know.” But I ended up doing another blockbuster. It's not all planned. It just happens.

How is working on a huge blockbuster studio movie different than [the French movie] Jalousie En Trois Fax that you did?

I arrived in the Bahamas, and the next day I had to do some publicity and talk about [Casino Royale] and we hadn't even started shooting! It was a press junket. It was very, very strange.

That was the only difference. Maybe the action scenes, too. Otherwise, the work remains the PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

same. You work on your character. It was quite intimate on the set. There weren't many people.

The exposure was very, very different.

Where do you live?

My family's based in Paris, but I moved to London a year ago. I feel more comfortable in Paris. My heart is in Paris, but I think it's quite good that I live in London because it's new. I feel more like a grown-up there. I have my little dog.

It's very green, with a lot of parks and things like that. I love London! I just miss my mom sometimes.

You don't have a trace of a French accent. It's really remarkable.

People think I'm German sometimes.

You almost have a perfect British accent. Is that something you had to work on?

I had a bit of an accent on Kingdom of Heaven.

On that one, I really worked hard.

What was it like working with Bernardo Bertolucci on The Dreamers?

It's my best experience so far. I really loved

doing that movie. He was really like a father. We went to his house every Saturday evening and he talked about politics and music. It was just very easy. I'm always pissed off when people ask me about the nudity thing [in the movie], as if it's only about sex. It's about the discovery of sexuality. I'm very proud of this movie!

Compare that movie to Casino Royale.

Hollywood studio movies have a lot of power.

Sometimes they're scared of being too dark, I would say. They're afraid of taking challenges.

That's the problem. There's a lot of money in Hollywood. In France, it's very different. I don't know. I don't have much experience here.

Were you disappointed with the theatrical edit of Kingdom of Heaven? Do you feel the DVD version has improved on the film?

It's much better. It can't compare. It's a completely different movie. They cut a lot of scenes three weeks before the release of the movie and you can actually see it. Everything makes more sense now for everybody.

Did you discuss the Bond thing with Bertolucci?

Umm, that's interesting because I had some interviews in London two months ago. An Italian journalist said she saw him recently and he was a bit angry that I was doing a Bond girl.

I was like, “Please, he didn't read the script.”

He's a bit like a father. He's a bit disappointed, as if I used my femme fatale image for some Bond girl thing.

Do you feel you have a “femme fatale” image?

People love to typecast people. What is [a femme fatale]? It sounds a bit narrow-minded, as if you're a temptress and, “Oh, I'm going to seduce you and use you.”

What are you working on next?

A movie called His Dark Materials. It's a trilogy, with Daniel Craig. I don't have any scenes with him. It's a fantasy. It started [shooting] in September. I play a good witch in it. It's quite dark. I hope it's not like another Harry Potter.

–DeMarco Williams

Continuing Education

WINTER EDUCATION GUIDE Atlanta has plenty of Continuing Education programs to suit practically every field of interest. Our Winter Education Guide profiles a diverse group of schools offering a variety of courses in different fields. We hope that this Guide will help in your search.

The Art Institute of Atlanta 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. 770-394-8300 www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta

complete their education or to get a second degree as well as recent high school graduates. And our career focus is reflected the success of our graduates: of all 2005 graduates available for employment, 88.1% were working in a field related to their program of study within six months of graduation.

Degree programs, diploma programs, community education workshops – want to know more? Call 770.394.8300 or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta

Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription 1740 Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30309 (404) 876-1227 (800) 849-0703 www.browncollege.com

Ieducation to get started at The Art Institute. Here you’ll nterested in a career in the creative arts? You’ll find the

find relevant, practical, hands-on education in a creative environment. Our professional faculty bring real-world insight into the classroom. Internships, class projects, and community service projects help you build a portfolio you’ll be proud to show potential employers.

In response to industry demand, the college recently introduced a bachelor’s degree in fashion & retail management and diplomas in advertising design, commercial photography, culinary arts, and residential interiors to its offerings, which include audio production, digital filmmaking & video production, game art, graphic design, interactive media (Web) design, interior design, and more.

Our 2,700 students include students returning to college to

here is an insatiable demand nationwide for people with court reporting skills, and the rewards can be great, T include high earning potential, flexible work hours, secure

employment, even travel options. To meet this demand, Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription prepares students for rewarding careers as court reporters, broadcast captioners, CART reporters and medical transcriptionists.

Court or judicial reporters are central in America's judicial system as guardians of the record. They take down sworn testimony in trials and depositions, and use realtime technology to produce written transcripts quickly. They work in courthouses, conference rooms, congressional chambers, anywhere events must be written down precisely in a readable format. According to the NCRA, average income is $60,000, with experienced, productive reporters earning a great deal more.

Broadcast Captioners or Realtime Reporters are also in great demand because of FCC requirements for TV broadcasts be captioned, which means tens of thousands of hours of TV programs such as CNN, the Weather Channel, NFL Football, presidential speeches, C-Span, the Academy Awards, emergency warnings, etc. CART Reporters also provide realtime captioning, but specifically for hearing impaired individuals. They accompany deaf clients to classes, business meetings, medical appointments, workshops, or other venues where translation is required.

Medical Transcriptionists (MTs) are highly skilled medical language specialists who transcribe dictation and voice recognition files from healthcare professionals including doctors, surgeons, and medical specialists. MTs interpret and edit the information to create medical records which are essential to good healthcare.

The future for Brown College graduates is bright indeed with national employment trends predicting continued strong demand and unlimited opportunities for their specialized skills. Brown College is nationally accredited and offers distance education. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

America’s Real Estate Academy, Inc. 770-591-5552 www.education-area-ga.com

merica's Real Estate Academy, Inc. (AREA) is one of

AAtlanta's premier full-service real estate education

providers. AREA surpasses standard academics and offers students functional information as part of the core curriculum. Improved and more relevant education make new and existing licensees more appealing to hiring brokers, appraisers, and home inspectors and more successful entrepreneurs. A recent appraisal graduate stated "After talking

PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

FREE

Career Night January 5th

Appraising

Open House 7-9 New Year - New Career

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Home Inspection

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DEVRY UNIVERSITY IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. That means you can earn your degree and get star ted on a rewarding career – close to home. At DeVr y, you can persue an education that’s flexible and earn a degree that gets attention from those that matter most – the ones doing the hiring.

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THE RADNESS OF KING GEORGE GEORGE CLOONEY ON POLITICAL DISSENT, THE RIGHT WING & LEARNING THE FACTS OF LIFE

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he reality of the celebrity interview is that it almost always becomes a game of cat-and-mouse. The publicists who oversee such proceedings have only one mission in mind: To help their clients promote their latest projects and increase box office revenues (or Nielson ratings, or Soundscan sales figures, as the case may be), thereby increasing the celebrity's status in the industry and their own bottom line. Interviewers– at least the good ones, who are in it for more than just a paycheck and a byline– have a mission that is almost diametrically opposed. We want the celebrity to open up and reveal some facet of their hearts and souls that will allow John Q. Reader a rare glimpse inside the fascinating labyrinths of the creative mind, perhaps in the process helping to define what separates the merely mediocre from the truly great.

And the celebrity? Well, they're the xfactor in this little tête-à-tête tango, and it is ultimately they who control the dance. Some, such as Eddie Murphy, remain publicity-shy wallflowers, rarely (if ever) venturing out onto the dance floor. Others, including a former “America's sweetheart” who shall remain nameless in the interest of discretion, pretend to be willing partners only to step on your toes at every turn by refusing to answer any questions unrelated to their current project. Still others are more than willing to dance, but their moves are all style and no substance, and their quotes are the intellectual equivalent of an extra strength dose of Ambien.

Which makes a guy like George Clooney the most rare celebrity species of all: let's call him Interviewus Spectacularis. In industry terms, Clooney always comes to play, whether he's promoting a big-budget blockbuster á la Ocean's Twelve (for which he was paid $20 million) or making the rounds for labors of love such as the Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck (which he wrote, directed and starred in, paying himself one dollar) and Syriana (for which he made a paltry $350,000, earning spinal injuries and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his trouble).

The first time I met Clooney it was in a prototypical Hollyweird setting, in the bar at the Pacific Design Center. We were there for the premiere of Solaris, the Steven Soderbergh-directed sci-fi flop, and the air was thick with the stench of obsequious schmoozing. Slick showbiz types, vapid groupies and geeky scribes were all jammed into a room whose space-age décor made it look like something Stanley Kubrick might have loved, jockeying for the attention of Soderbergh and James Cameron (who produced the film). Then in walks gorgeous George, working the crowd like a pro, smiling and hugging and shaking hands while radiating the sort of undeniable charisma that first made him a star back in the ER days.

As I would learn from our subsequent interviews, this is George Clooney's gift. He's charming without coming off as smarmy, informed and opinionated without a hint of intellectual elitism, self-aware but not selfimportant. He's also really amusing, whether pinching co-star Matt Damon's butt during a hug while the two were promoting Syriana or ribbing Brad “pretty boy Pitt” during a press conference for Ocean's Twelve, joking that his co-star was a little upset about losing the “Sexiest Man Alive” title to Jude Law. But PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

Clooney can also be remarkably passionate and revealing about subjects ranging from his craft and career to the politics that have driven many of his recent films, including The Good German, in which he co-stars with Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire as an American journalist assigned to cover a conference between Churchill, Stalin and Truman who stumbles onto a murder mystery.

The Good German marks your fifth film with Steven as director, and until recently you guys ran a production company (Section 8) together. What makes you such a good team?

We seem to have the same sort of taste, and like to work the same way. We're also both in the position to fight for films we wanna see get made. I don't know how long that will last, but right now we're really digging it. It was fun to work with guys like Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) and Christopher Nolan (Insomnia) before the studios really knew them. I enjoy the idea of making films like the studios used to make from 1965-75. Guys like Kubrick, Scorsese and Coppola were making studio movies that were unparalleled, and I think that can happen again. The trick is to have people like me take less money so we can make them cheaper, because then the studio's gamble is less.

Do you feel like you have to throw in a guaranteed hit, such as next year's Ocean's Thirteen, every once in a while to buy yourself the chance to make personal films like Good Night, and Good Luck?

Yeah, we understand that and we're not snobs about it. But it's nice if that film is Ocean's Thirteen and not Batman & Robin.

I think we're all thankful for that.

(Laughs) I really like the Ocean's series.

They're good movies, they are what they are, and they do what they're designed to do well.

And that's great, because then they let you go play, and if you blow it, you blow it.

How rewarding is it to be able to work with respected directors such as Steven and the Coen brothers over and over again?

They're not just respected, but I'd say they're

Is there any one film you'd point to as the high water mark in your career?

You never know what will be a high water mark. History is proving Three Kings to be a high water mark because of what it says politically, and I think Out of Sight is one of the best films I've made. All I know is I'm enjoying the various flood stages. I'll do some bad [movies] and screw up, but until they take away the option for me to try and do interesting things– which they will, because every-

“If I'm going to speak out about things, or raise issues, or ask that we raise questions before we start a war, I know I'm going to get put on the cover of a magazine and be called a traitor. I'm a grown-up. I could sit in my house in Italy and drink wine and have a good time.

Or I can stick my neck out and get slapped a little bit.” among the best filmmakers. When I think about working on The Facts of Life, I never thought I was gonna be where I am today, so just to be in that company is an honor and a privilege that I don't take lightly.

Have your experiences as a director changed your approach as an actor?

It's funny, there are scenes or takes that Steven cut out of the movie that were better for me as an actor, but now I understand that what he did was better for the film. When you're an actor, it's all very myopic, because you're so concerned with your world. As a director you have to be concerned with the whole film, so you need somebody with a strong point-of-view.

body loses it at some point– I figure why not keep trying to do the stuff I really like and swing for the fences? At least that way I'll be happier, whether failing or succeeding, than if I was just doing things because I think there's an audience for it. I'd rather try to find the audience.

Some pundits have criticized your recent films as anti-American. What's your take on that?

I don't think any of my films have been antiAmerican. The whole idea of America was based on dissent and raising questions. It's why we left King George. It's your right and your duty to ask questions. I don't think we

provided any answers in a film like Syriana, we just asked a lot of questions. I think one of the big surprises for anyone is that you see films like these coming from a major studio. I think that's a good thing. Studios used to make films like Harold & Maude and things like that.

Your outspoken nature has earned you plenty of enemies on the conservative side of the spectrum. Do you ever tire of being the right wing's unofficial Hollywood whipping boy?

If I'm going to speak out about things, or raise issues, or ask that we raise questions before we start a war, I know I'm going to get put on the cover of a magazine and be called a traitor. I'm a grown-up. I could sit in my house in Italy and drink wine and have a good time. Or I can stick my neck out and get slapped a little bit.

The thing about demanding freedom of speech– and this is a problem that happens with some actors who have been on the side of the aisle that I'm on– is that you can't say, "Don't say bad things about me." You have to take your hits.

Last year you got three nominations and your first Oscar. Is it gratifying to be on top of the mountain after all the struggles you faced early in your career?

Well, nobody ever thinks they're at the top of the mountain. But it is fun to be where I'm at right now, where I can pick and choose the roles I want. Coming out of Return of the Killer Tomatoes, that wasn't an option for me, so you respect that position once you get it.

But once you direct a movie you don't feel like you're on top of anything: You feel like you're at the bottom, with a bunch of crap heaped on top of you. The truth is I've made plenty of mistakes, but they all led me here. And here is fine for me right now. –B. Love

Happyness Is Easy

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Inspired By A True Story, Will Smith Gets Serious

t's been 13 years since the former Fresh Prince made the leap from small-screen silliness to big screen cred with Six Degrees of Separation, a serious dramatic departure that cast him as a troubled con man. In all that time, Will Smith has only had one other role that truly tested his dramatic mettle, portraying Muhammad Ali in the Michael Mann biopic.

Still, there was little doubt that he'd be the perfect actor to star as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness, the true story of a single dad who battled homelessness and hopelessness to become a multi-millionaire stockbroker. The film features Smith's son, Jaden, making his film debut as Gardner's boy, and finds the rapper-turned-actor delivering one of the finest performances of his career.

We recently attended a press conference at New York's Regency Hotel, where Smith discussed everything from working with his son and the American dream to the things parents (and kids) just don't understand.

Jaden's not here today?

No, not today. We did Oprah, and Jaden and my daughter Willow were both on the show.

Willow was on the show because she wasn't about to let Jaden be on Oprah [by himself].

During the show I looked at him, and Jaden is so unaffected. He wants to act and play videogames. I was watching the two of them and I'm like, “I got Johnny Depp and Paris Hilton.”

Have you thought about what happened with Tatum O' Neal and Ryan O' Neal?

She won the Oscar, and it ruined their relationship!

(Laughs) We were probably about eight weeks into shooting and he's such a natural, nailing moment after moment, and I told him, “It's a good thing you're my son,” because I'd been leaning into his close-ups and everything. But it's a beautiful thing.

Was he always planned to play the part?

No, not at all. One night, Jada and I were laying in the bed and he comes crawling in between us while we're reading a script and says, “Tell me the story, Daddy.” I tell him and he says, “Pshaw, I could do that!” We do shorts around the house, so he's familiar with the process, so Jada took him in the next week to set up an audiThere tion. were 100 kids, then 50 and 20, and he was still there. It got down to about 10 and I'm I thinking, might need to pay attention over here.

G a b r i e l l e Muccino fell in love with him.

(Impersonating the Italian director) “I love your baby, Will! I must have your baby!” I was like, “Hold on. Let me get clear about what you're aski n g . ” (Laughs) How'd you get

involved in the project?

Well, it started with the whole 20/20 piece, and this has been lightning-quick in Hollywood [terms] from idea to completed project. It's been just about two years. They called us in and we loved it.

What about the story connected to you?

I loved the idea that your desire creates what your future is. The white man don't create the future, and your circumstances don't create your future. Your desire to be who you wanna be and your commitment to that is what creates your future. That's the idea this country is designed upon: “Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of Happiness,” not “Life, Liberty and Happiness.” Chris Gardner believed it, accepted it, and connected to it in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. And that's something I've always believed. There's this bizarre naïveté for “The Audacity of Hope” that I've always been committed to and always believed, and Chris and I shared that.

After you saw the 20/20 piece, did you go after the chance to play Chris?

No, a couple of other people were a little quicker on the draw, but they sent it to us. I don't know if you've seen the piece, but it's absolutely brilliant. The image that gets you is Chris Gardner going back to the subway bathroom he stayed in with his son. That was the image that made me want to make this movie. When Chris took me and walked me through those steps... there's a moment that actors look for when you “get it.” Trying to find a character, you're in a dark room and you're just feeling around and you grab something. When I walked into that bathroom with Chris, I got it. I understood. Then to shoot the scene with my real son on my lap? No acting necessary.

When you're standing in line at the homeless shelter, there are lots of other AfricanAmericans. The film seems to say it's a racial problem. What are your thoughts on that?

There's a movie called What the Bleep? that has a quantum physics idea Chris and I both connect to, [which says that] that something is only there if you acknowledge it's there.

Something only has power over you if you allow it power over you. Chris specifically said that he knew he was in America and there was racism, but he never paid attention to that. He found good people and connected to good people. He felt that if he allowed himself to say, “Someone's trying to keep me down because I'm black,” it weakened him and created an obstacle.

You had a hit with the song “Parents Just Don't Understand.” Now that you're a parent, is there anything kids just don't understand?

Kids don't know nothin'! That's my new record... (Laughs) It was actually a beautiful experience because I did more learning than Jaden did. My entire approach to acting is forever changed after working with him. I was reading Zen & the Art of Archery while I was working on the film, and there's an idea in the book that you discover the connection between yourself and your goals more easily when you discover it in a childlike manner [rather than] with some rigid schedule. You find it at play. There was a scene where we'd done a few takes and Gabrielle kept giving ME notes. Jaden thought it was funny when we'd do a take and the director would give me a note and not him; he took that as him winning. So there's a scene where Gabrielle keeps talking to me, and Jaden just looks up at me and says, “You just do that same thing every time, Daddy.” I was a little offended, but the idea that innately connected to him was,

“How can you give the same performance every time? We're supposed to be living in these moments, so how come you're not reacting to the new stuff that's happening?”

I started watching him and I realized that I have a lot of different roles: I'm a producer, I'm Will, I'm a movie star, and I'm all of that stuff in the scene. Jaden is just a character.

It's a block I've had in my career for years, and this is the first time I feel free of that.

To hell with continuity. To hell if we make the damn day and how much the day costs and all of that. I'm finding that state where I'm committing to the truth of character, and it's a liberating and artistic space. I've been there two other times in my career- with Ali and Six Degrees of Separation- where I was just completely liberated. I'm just extremely excited about it and happy to have my son show me the way.

You used the phrase, “The Audacity of Hope.” What did you mean by it?

Who did I hear say that?

Barack Obama.

Right! But what I mean by it is the idea that you believe in something with no facts and figures, absolutely no reason to support.

“The Audacity of Hope” is believing, while sleeping on a bathroom floor, that you're gonna own a brokerage firm one day. It takes real audacity to hope. I'm connected so much to this film and this story, because it is the fiber of this country. It's time for us to remember why and how this country was designed: “We, the people, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” There are serious, poetic ideas in the promise of what this country is supposed to be, and I believe it all starts with the Audacity of Hope.

Did you have audacity in your career?

It feels weird to talk about my “Audacity of Hope” in the framework of Chris Gardner's life, but I have to say no, I've never had any hope so audacious as Chris Gardner. But I've had situations where there's been no reason to believe that things are gonna turn out the way they're gonna turn out. Like when Jada and I got together. At that period in our lives, there's no reason for us to have been successful in our relationship. A whole lot of obstacles lined up for us not to make it. We always say, “Divorce can't be an option.”

Because if you allow divorce to be an option, there's absolutely one day where you'll check that box, so it's audacious to remove it as an option. That's not one of the choices we have, no matter what happens.

And that type of audacity is what it takes to make things be successful.

What do you think are your Oscar chances, with it being this time of year and the Oscar race and all the talk, how does it feel?

That period between the nominations and the show is the best series of parties on the face of the Earth. It’s a different city every night. You're a part of this wonderful, elite group and it's a beautiful time. It's a little bittersweet when you get to the show because it makes the transition from a celebration to a competition. I've never been an “award guy.” It's fun, but, as I tell my wife, I'm more of a “mall guy.” Like, when I walk into the mall on Saturday afternoon, if they don't shut it down, I feel like I'm slippin'.

That's how I judge my worth. That's how I judge the quality of my work- them having to shut down the King of Prussia Mall on Christmas.

-B. Love PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

2006: sports year in review

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ather than taking the usual route and merely listing our own favorite memorable moments in sports, this year we decided to get Top 5 lists from a variety of diehard sports fans: TONY MAJESTIC, POP CULTURE BLOGGER 5. Watching Terrell Owens and his publicist lie to the world about his overdose.

He must be paying her a lot to make her tell the world that she couldn't tell the difference between a regular person and someone who's openly suicidal. See also: Bill Parcells not giving a damn.

4. Anytime a sportswriter or ESPN analyst got on their moral high horse. I hate sportswriters, Skip Bayless, especially.

He's a bitter, petty little man.

3. Jake "The Snake" Roberts making a TV appearance for TNA Wrestling apparently right after he put his crack pipe down. The sheer comedy value was off the charts– you never know what a junkie will say to a room of 2,000 people.

2. Delmon Young. If it weren't for a Frenchman deciding to man up for the first time since a syphilis-infected midget tried to take over the world, this would have been the funniest sports moment of the year. Angry at being called out on strikes, this minor league baseball player retaliated by throwing the bat at the umpire. The still photos of it still make my stomach hurt from laughing.

1. Zinedine Zidane vs. Marco Materazzi's chest. When the history of humanity is told, just before that meteor hits the Earth, this moment has to be included in the video montage, if for no other reason than to prove that the term "Frenchman" isn't always an oxymoron.

PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

RASHIDA JACKSON, FORMER TIGHT END FOR THE NEW ORLEANS VOODOO DOLLS 5. Kobe Bryant’s 81 pts. Really, I'm not a fan of Kobe. Can't stand him. But I respect his talent. It's undeniable.

4. Tiger Woods. Y'know, six straight tournaments is a major accomplishment by any standards, but to do it in the same year as losing your father is unbelievable.

3. Amelie Mauresmo. Won three titles this year. She's always been a great player, but now she has the Gold to prove it.

Plus, it always makes me proud to see women making moves in sports .

2. Vince Young in the Rose Bowl.

Probably the greatest individual college football performance in history.

1. The New Orlenas Saints' winning season. After Katrina, this team was bounced from the San Antonio Dome because of women's volleyball. They had to lift weights in a tent in the parking lot!

But they got a new coach, a group of free agents, and now they're 10 and 5, on the way to the playoffs. This has to be THE feel-good sports story of 2006.

JONATHAN MARCANTONI, AUTHOR 5. Kobe’s 81pts. I'm really not a big Kobe fan, but the fact that he made the 81 pts and was really sportsmanlike about it. He didn't get all big-headed. He caught a lot of heat after all the Shaq stuff and then the court case. I feel like it brought focus back to Kobe, the player, as opposed to his personal life.

4. The Tampa Bay Bucs’ 62-yrd field goal. That was a nail-biter. The Bucs had lost four in a row, were down by two and pulled a rabbit out of a hat. It was wild!

3. The St. Louis Cardinals whooping the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.

Pujols rought the team together. Nobody thought they could do it, but the whole team came together and pulled through.

2. LaDainian Tomlinson getting the touchdown record for most TDs in one game. Within 45 seconds, he had two touchdowns!

1. The Miami Heat losing their first game by 41 pts. That was ridiculous.

CECILE SABALBURO, SPORTS AFICIONADO

(Worst moments of the year) 5. The Oakland Raiders only winning two games this season. The silver lining is that one of those wins was against the defending Super Bowl champs, the Steelers, and maybe we'll get a #1 pick in the next draft.

4. Changing the NBA ball to a microfiber ball that was more of marketing ploy then an actual improvement to the game.

No ball was alike, so it bounced differently in different arenas. The ball was too sticky and at times too slippery.

Thankfully, the NBA has since reverted to the old ball.

3. The continuing saga of MLB and steroid use. Why can't they use the same system the NFL uses? MLB is losing fans because of Barry Bonds’ stupidity.

2. The brawl between Miami and FIU. Even worse was the comment of the Miami home announcer.

1. Kobe's 81 points. I don't like him. I think he's an arrogant primadonna, and a ball-hog. And I have to ask, can they even spell "defense?"

JOHN KENDRICK, CHEF 5. When Tim Hasselbeck got knocked out early this season. The way he was hit was so funny. He got jacked up!

4. Tony Romo's debut against Carolina.

He threw something like three touchdown passes and had high completion percentagess... it was a beautiful performance. For a backup quarterback in his first game, that was damn good.

3. Cardinals vs. Bears. The Cardinals were winning to the point that it looked like there was no hope for Chicago. The offense was completely gone. But the defense scored all the points and won the game. It was crazy!

2. New Orleans vs. Dallas. They embarrassed the Cowboys. The Saints treated them like schoolchildren. I couldn't even watch– I just went to bed, laughing.

1. New Orleans vs. Atlanta. When they re-opened the Dome, Superman couldn't have won a game that night. I thought somebody had bought the game at first, then they started beating everyone else.

ANDREA HATTER, INSITE SPORTS WRITER 5. Aaron Brooks getting sent to Oakland. Not that I ever cared about the

dude one way or the other, but I can't fathom how he could muster the gall to trash-talk the city of New Orleans after Katrina. Such insensitivity showed that he deserved to be put out to pasture on "the NFL probation team."

4. Jim Mora and Greg Knapp. With the exception of bad player choices in the past, these two have been the Falcons' worst problems. How two coaches can choose the plays they run is beyond me.

These guys aren't coaching: Mora is more like a fan with a great view, and the only coordinating Knapp does is making sure all his players wear the same colors.

Get 'em outta here!

3. The NBA changing the official ball.

Sometimes I have to wonder what goes on in David Stern's head. It seems that every year he comes up with these utterly pointless new rules, the new ball being the absolute worst of all the new crap he’s ever come up with.

2. The New Orleans Saints. I remember as a kid, my dad (who’s from Baton Rouge) fussing and cussing at the TV because the Saints could just never seem to get it together. Even if they started a game with a lead, they'd find some way to self-destruct and lose. But now their city needs revenue, and they've answered the call and risen to the occasion.

1. Miami vs. Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals. For starters, I have to give props to Alonzo Mourning just for showing up and wreaking havoc the way he did. This is a guy who's not only over-the-hill by NBA standards, but also came out of retirement after a battle with kidney failure. We should all salute this cat.

Secondly, I have to praise Stackhouse's grandtastic foul. It was such a sight for my sore eyes, because I can't stand Shaq.

After that foul, I developed a whole new level of respect for Stackhouse...

Sports

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-Up

by DeMarco Williams

• Sports innovator Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League, originator of the term “Super Bowl” and visionary behind football on Thanksgiving Day, recently passed away from complications due to prostate cancer. The National Prostate Cancer Coalition offered its condolences to the Hunt family with the following statement: “The loss of a great man like Lamar Hunt only highlights the fact that, every year, prostate cancer deprives the world of nearly 30,000 men, each one special and dearly missed by their loved ones. Every man needs to know the risks of prostate cancer, and that early detection saves lives.” For more details, visit www.fightprostatecancer.org.

• Is it just us, or is excitement for the Michigan/ USC Rose Bowl almost as high as it is for the BCS title game between Ohio State and Florida?

A.I. and Denver?! Damn, you're going to have to give us a minute to digest this one. We can see the two megastars living harmoniously for a while, as a burning desire for that elusive title will energize the four-time NBA scoring champ to seek out his inner point guard for a minute. But how many nights will he or Melo, the league's current scoring leader, take of the other being offered the last-second shot by coach George Karl? Ask us that question again around late March...

• Hate him or love him, Bobby Knight knows basketball. The winningest coach in Division 1 college hoops history, Knight's methods of getting into player's heads may seem unorthodox (and illegal in some countries), but his results are undeniable.

Here are a few things you may not know about his brilliant career of X's and Oh-no's: He's tied with the great Dean Smith for career NCAA tournament appearances with 27; he's tied for the lead of most 20-win seasons; he's one of only six people to play and coach in a Final Four game; and the former Indiana coach was Big Ten Coach of the Year six times.

• Can we agree that this NFL season has been the most unpredictable one in recent memory? Every week a team we thought was coasting to the Super Bowl (Indianapolis, New Orleans) loses, and every squad we wrote off for dead (Tennessee, New York Jets) finds a way to win. A colleague said, “That's what makes the NFL the greatest league,” and he's right. About the only things you can expect every Sunday are two touchdowns from LT, a couple of dropped passes from Falcons receivers, rumors of Brett Favre's retirement, the Lions looking like crap and the The Knicks-Nuggets brawl, giving a new Houston Texans looking meaning to “choking under pressure.” like asses for not drafting Reggie Bush or Vince Young.

• Congrats go out to Troy Smith for not only winning the '06 Heisman Trophy, but doing so with such ease. The OSU QB won college's top prize by 1,662 votes, the second biggest gap since O.J. Simpson's runaway victory in '68. “Normally, I'm pretty cool in pressure situations, but my heart is pounding so fast now,” Smith said when he accepted his award.

• We're guessing his level of stress went down considerably when it came to finding out if his name made Sports Illustrated's list of worst Heisman winners of the past 20 years.

Of course it didn't, but these did: 1) Gino Torretta, Miami; 2) Eric Crouch, Nebraska; 3) Chris Weinke, Florida State; 4) Jason White, Oklahoma; and 5) Ron Dayne, Wisconsin.

• Is it just us, or did Denver’s Carmelo Anthony look a tad punk after he laid that cheap shot on New York's Mardy Collins during the December 16 brawl?

• And while we're on the Nuggets, we can't go much further without mentioning the team's newest player, Allen Iverson.

Must-See TV

Top 5 Games this Month

1

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

2

ROSE BOWL

3

AFC/NFC TITLE GAMES

4

DENVER AT HOUSTON

5

MIAMI AT L.A, LAKERS

January 8 (8PM, Fox) The Florida Gators are a lot better than a lot of people give them credit for. But then again, so are Buckeyes stars Ted Ginn Jr, Quinn Pitcock and James Laurinaitis.

January 1 (5PM, ABC) This match-up of the “Man, we could almost touch it” Wolverines and Trojans isn't quite BCS Championship Part 2, but it's darn close.

January 21 (TBA, CBS and Fox) We're CLUELESS as to who the four teams are that'll make these two games. Any combination of eight or 10 teams is possible… Dang, I love this game!

January 20 (8:30PM, NBA League Pass) Yeah, it's on one of those subscription-based cable channels, but seeing Carmelo and A.I. on the same court for the first time might be worth it.

January 15 (10PM, TNT) Round 1 took place on Christmas Day. How fitting is it that the NBA heavies will wage a second battle on Dr. King's holiday?

• Is it just us, or is Ohio State's Greg Oden the best big man we’ve seen on a college campus in a very, very long time?

And finally...

• Reggie Bush has the most receptions ever for a rookie running back… Get familiar with Clemson, Air Force, Dayton, UGA and Notre Dame men's basketball now or look out-ofthe-loop later… On December 17, the Tennessee Titans gained 98 total yards and had the ball for just 15 minutes, yet still won, making them the first team in 30 years to win with such sad numbers… According to ESPN's Fantasy Football, LT's earned nearly 400 fantasy points through Week 14. The next closest is Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, with 265… Though controversy and a so-so W-L mark might seem to indicate otherwise, Michael Vick is still sixth on the fantasy list… The only pitchers in major league history ever to end their playing careers with a postseason appearance after starting at least 300 games for one team are Sandy Koufax and Minnesota's Brad Radke, who retired on December 19… Didn't we tell you the Chicago Bulls were good?

HELP WANTED!

✌

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CAPRICORN

TAURUS

VIRGO

Relationship issues are at the forefront this month for Capricorns, with some reaching their end and others a new beginning. One way or another, Mars will encourage positive action.

Travel and other future plans are at the top of the Taurus agenda, with the middle of the month bringing the start of a period filled with reality checks and priority reassessment.

Duriful Virgos aren’t known for their frivolity, but this month the stars encourage you to have a little fun, whether it’s a well-earned vacation or merely a fabulous night on the town.

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

May 22nd thru June 21s

Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

Have the post-holiday blues left you wanting to crawl into a hole and hibernate? Feel free to take time to pause and reflect, as thoughtless actions this month may have dire consequences.

Mars is crossing through your relationship zone, which could either bring amazing sex or some serious interpersonal issues. Either way, remember that good communication is the key.

Having trouble discerning fact from fiction, truth from lies, and fantasy from reality where your love life is concerned? Listen to your friends, even if you don’t like what you hear.

PISCES

CANCER

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

LIBRA

SCORPIO

June 22nd thru July 23rd

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

The full moon in Cancer this month will bring relationship issues to a head, allowing a fresh new start in life and in love. It’s a great time to take a step forward or close the door for good.

Scorpios aren’t known for wearing hearts on their sleeves, but this month is a great time to get things off your chest. Emotions may run high, but try to keep it real regardless.

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

This is a month for ambitious Aries to take the bull by the horns. But don’t let your ego get the best of you and be careful about saying too much, even to those who seem trustworthy.

With several planets in your health/lifestyle zone, lions should have plenty of energy this month. It’s a great time to start a new diet or exercise plan and burn off post-holiday pounds.

There’s a push-coming-to-shove feeling for Archers, which could usher in a period of major life changes. Try not to let your emotions get the best of you and the month should prove productive.

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th Shrug off the Christmas stress and get ready to have some fun! Whether it’s with friends, family or business colleagues, your social life this month should be a blast.

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

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PG 39 • insiteatlanta.com • January 2007

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