pop - Oct 07, 2011

pop There is a movement sweeping the nation. People are taking to the streets with sleeping bags and tents. And POP has the inside scoop on what’s going on.

Norman Transcript, Oct. 7, 2011

pop Kendall Brown, editor Kelsey Marcussen, layout artist CONTACT US

Phone: 366-3533 Fax: 366-3516 pop@normantranscript.com WEEKLY DEADLINE NOON TUESDAY All faxed or mailed information submitted must be typed and send to pop@normantranscript.com.

NINE NIGHTS CALENDAR Submissions should include event name, time, date, location and admission price.

pop is published each Friday by The Norman Transcript, P.O. Box 1058, Norman, OK 73070.

To advertise, call 366-3554.

CORRECTION POLICY

Corrections of errors in fact will be published and will be made as soon as possible after the error has been brought to the editor’s attention CONNECT Facebook.com/ normanpop Twitter.com/ transcriptpop

High notes

pop

by Kendall Brown

Remembering POP My dearest readers, Over the past seven months, I have had the pleasure of working as the editor of POP magazine, attempting each week to bring you all of the best arts and entertainment news in the area and helping you plan your weekend.

POP came from humble beginnings but with lofty goals. It strove to be the best A&E publication Norman could ask for.

Over the years, it has seen numerous editors, countless writers and even one name change. In the past year, it began to grow, adding new content including the very column you’re reading right now, a weekly literary column, additional weekly fea-

ture content and a Q&A with a local featured artists.

It’s also seen expanded versions of old favorites such as the expansion of the social calendar from including just music to including all of your local arts and entertainment events.

POP has had quite the ride. And now, dear reader, I have some news for you.

We’re killing POP. As I tend to ere on the side of dramatics, I’m imagining a big pause here as you attempt to collect yourself, clutching your chest in shock.

Well, let me prevent you any symptoms of cardiac arrest (even if it is only in my imagination.)

We’re killing POP so that next week, we can bring you

The POP of old

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Reviews: U.S. Royalty, Blueprint, page 4

Lauren Zuniga Poet finds salvation in slam poetry — and a reason to stay in Oklahoma Page 4

something new and exciting.

The Norman Transcript is nowhere near finished reporting on the arts and entertainment in Norman and surrounding areas.

We’re just about to get a whole lot better at it.

I can’t tell you much about this new publication just yet (that announcement happens next week in The Norman Transcript) but I can tell you this: it will be bigger, it will be better and it will keep you even more on the pulse of what’s going on in Norman.

So thanks for the wild ride, POP readers. It has been the most fun seven months of my life thus far.

I’ll see you next week, same time, different place.

P ASTA

Victoria’s Multiple people, including Juli Hall, James Schwartz, Shelly Kirby Roeler, Pat Craig and Krystal Millican, nominated Victoria’s The Pasta Shop this week as their favorite place in Norman to get pasta.

Located at 327 White Street on Campus Corner, Victoria’s The Pasta Shop offers tasty pasta in a casual atmosphere for a minimal cost. They offer all of the pasta favorites, including spaghetti and meatballs and fetucinni alfredo, with a build your own pasta option if you’re feeling adventerous. What Victoria’s The Pasta Shop has particularly become known for, however, is their signature lasagna rolls, featuring shrimp and italian cheeses wrapped in a lasanga noodle with both red and white sauces. Victoria’s is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

Table of Contents Music...................................4 Occupation Nation...........5,6,7 Q&A with Todd Jenkins..........8 Movies.................................9 Nine Nights in Norman.........10 Literature.............................11

ALSO INSIDE The Movie Geek has another “Hangover” and “Kung Fu Panda’s” legend continues Pages 2, 6 Friday, May 27, 2011

ON THE COVER Photos on cover and in the cover story on page 5, 6 and 7 are provided by Woodhouse PR. Photos taken at Occupy Wall Street.

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THE DISH

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

Correction In last week’s POP, 9-30, due to a production error the photo credits for the When Vampires Bite spread ran small. Left photo by Kasey Allee-Foreman featuring Kevin Percival as Robert Renfield. Right photo by Wendy Mutz featuring Tyler Brodess as Jonathan Harker and Aly Lovelace as a Bride of Dracula. There was also a misspelling with Hershel Self on the Q&A page.

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music

An Oklahoman heart

By Doug Hill For POP

In the liner notes of The Dirt Drifters new album titled “This is My Blood” (2011) on Warner Bros.

Records, Ryan Fleener (vocals/guitar) wrote “My heart is always in Oklahoma!” It was a shoutout to family and friends who still live here and the influence they had on his musical career.

I caught up with Fleener by telephone recently. The West Moore High School alum (’94) and former football player was with the rest of his Nashville based country-rock band on the way to a gig in Auburn, Ala. His brother Matt Fleener is lead vocalist/guitarist along with Jeff Middleton (guitars/vocals), Jeremy Little (bass) and Nick Diamond (drums).

“Getting this record out has been the Dirt Drifters highlight of the year,” Fleener said. “We signed to Warner Brothers in 2007 and we were able to record it old school where everybody’s in the studio room together. That just doesn’t happen very often in country music anymore.”

They were excited to bring Willie Nelson in for a guest appearance on one song and the opportunity to

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get on the road again in support of the album. Their Auburn show was right smack in the middle of a 26 date tour that’s taking them from California to New York.

“I come from a construction work background,” Fleener said. “So to get to play music for a living is a blessing.”

Fleener was only 4-yearsold when his folks began taking him to the historic music room to hear local country outfits. Fleener went with his relatives around the state to hear music in joints from Ada to Ardmore. He admires all the talent that has originated in the Sooner state and knows that his own professional instincts are from his youth.

“Everybody asks us all the time how it is that Oklahoma has bred so many country music artists,” Fleener said. “I have to tell them that I have no idea.”

He does know that’s he’s proud to be an Okie and even if he never lives here again it will always be home.

“We wanted to tell the story of our lives on this album and that’s about being an 8 to 5 working man which is what we did before this record came out,” he said.

Sample song titles from the disc reflect this blue col-

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

lar cred: “Name on My Shirt,” “It Takes a Man” and “Sun Goes Down.”

Fleener stressed that it’s a true set of songs and I agree.

You won’t hear contrived tunes about Mexican senoritas in an imaginary cantina.

The title track was written

by Casey Wood who saw someone throwing trash from their car into his new front yard. The result is a passionate anthem to the essence of family, job, country and religion. I asked if anyone had made fun of the song because its intense personality invites criticism.

Fleener said no.

The Dirt Drifters’ music is the rowdy rodeo you’d hope for from a 5-piece with 3 guitars and potent rhythm section. It also has an unexpectedly awesome rock factor. “You know, we’re having a fight getting on country radio because we do sound so different from what’s played now,” Fleener said.

“My brother and I are country-to-the-bone but the rest of the band has a rock background.”

He credited New Jersey native guitarist Jeff Middleton with bringing a Bruce Springsteen influence to the group.

“But we’ve pulled him in,” Fleener said with a chuckle. “Jeff ’s not a Yankee anymore.”

A word with Casey Donahew

By Andrew Griffin For POP

Often noted as “the hardest-working man on the Texas/Red Dirt music scene,” singer-songwriter Casey Donahew of the formidable Casey Donahew Band, has certainly paid his dues over the years.

How is that? Donahew, with his love of music, rural Texas life and easy-going attitude has struck a chord in his growing legion of fans that are now going far behind the boundaries of the Lone Star State.

And it doesn’t hurt that Donahew has good business sense as well. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen people wearing Casey Donahew Band T-shirts or hats. Branding and merchandising works and taking advantage of that — and constant touring — has allowed for Donahew to make music his full-time job.

Talking to POP recently, from his home near Fort Worth, Donahew said he and the six-piece band recently returned from a tour of the Southeast and were very pleased.

“It was really good,” he said. “We’ve been out there a couple of times and we were at places like Auburn, Birmingham and Ole Miss.

Some really good shows.”

Donahew noted that with

the grassroots growth of the Texas/Red Dirt scene, along with increased touring in other parts of the country, particularly college towns, interest in the Casey Donahew Band and other likeminded groups has exploded.

“The whole scene is growing,” he said. “More and more artists are getting out there (to the Southeast).”

Donahew says that people seem to respond so well to their music and performances because of the real-life lyrics and a healthy sense of humor.

“We’re seen as just regular guys ,” he said. “People respond to that.”

And two years after the release of “Moving On,” CDB is back with “DoubleWide Dream” and the first single of the same name.

That light-hearted country music approach takes precedence, at least on the lead song.

“I think a lot of people are really excited about this record,” Donahew said. “It’s so hard to take time off the road and get in a studio and work on a record. I am always trying to work on songs for a record. And so with (“Double-Wide Dream”), people are excited.

We’re getting a lot of positive feedback.”

Noting his business acumen, Donahew said he sold

his construction business in 2008 and tours and records full time. He said he is surprised that young bands don’t always understand the importance of merchandising.

“It’s a part of the business.

It’s overlooked,” he noted.

“Selling merchandise is the way we’ve made enough money to go from town to town. Getting $200 for a show isn’t enough to buy gas and a couple of motel rooms.

Just doesn’t go very far.”

But some bands on the scene are exciting. Asked about who he has really been liking as of late, Donahew noted Matt Stell & The Crashers, an Arkansas band that they played with recently.

“I really like that song “Memphis On the River,” he said of a Stell song on the new disc “Vestibule Blues.”

And regarding their Oct. 13 show at Riverwind, Donahew said it’s their first time to play the casino and that “we are excited to play an all-age venue in the Oklahoma City area.”

Casey Donahew Band will appear at the Showplace Theatre at Riverwind Casino on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Tickets are between $15 and $25.

“Double-Wide Dream” hits stores on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

For more information go to www.caseydonahewband.com

Occupation Nation A call has been made.

People believe it is time for action. And the Occupy movement has begun.

By Kendall Brown POP Editor

When Rina Cromwell began to get sick, she never thought that she’d be facing the possibility of losing her health insurance, the inevibilitity of mounting medical debt or the cruel irony of considering herself lucky through all that. But for the past year, Cromwell has been struggling with what her doctor described as a “complex medical disorder” that is “very resistant to treatment.” Through it all, she and her family have been struggling to pay the bare minimum on her medical expenses and are dealing with the very real possibility of her health insurance disappearing within the year.

“I am fortunate to have health insurance for another year, and I’m hoping to have things figured out by then,” Cromwell said. “Otherwise?

I’m not sure what will happen to me. We can barely afford the co-pays for all the visits, tests, hospitalizations, medication, not to mention how much it costs to ride in an ambulance, just once.”

Cromwell describes herself as a part of what has quickly become known as “the other 99.” The term has been coined to encapsulate the growing public discontent regarding the disparity between America’s richest one percent and “the other 99.”

“Honestly,” Cromwell said, “we’re the lucky ones. I know families with children who can’t find work, much less afford health insurance. I know individuals who aren’t healthy enough to work, but without jobs, they never will be. I know families with college degrees who are working for minimum wage and don’t qualify for assistance because they make too much.”

Situations like Cromwell’s are growing in prevalence, and as they do, so too does a movement.

The movement is known as Occupy. And it may be taking over your town soon.

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

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The growing nation behind From peaceful movement to brutality in the streets

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Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

It all began with a manifesto of sorts, published by the magazine “AdBusters” during this past summer.

The call to action cited recent protests in other countries, specifically in Egypt, and called out to the working class of America.

“The time has come to deploy this emerging stratagem against the greatest corrupter of our democracy: Wall Street, the financial Gomorrah of America,” the statement read. “On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices ... we demand that Barack Obama ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington. It’s time for DEMOCRACY NOT CORPORATOCRACY, we’re doomed without it.”

Thousands were stirred by the call and quickly began to assemble and plan online. The first movement became known as “Occupy Wall Street” and began as a nonviolent march on the street in New York that has become a symbol for American wealth and, in many’s minds, greed.

Through interaction with police officers, the situation escalated within a matter of days, and soon videos of protesters on the ground screaming, their eyes puffy with pepper spray, women being dragged across the street by their hair and men being knocked to the ground and tazed were circulating the internet. And as the image and video bank grew, so too did the targeting of any protester with a camera.

“I’ve interviewed economists and people within the government and people on Wall Street and the sense is that one-tenth of one percent of the population control everything, and I mean everything,” Oklahoma documentary filmmaker Mark Faulk said.

“So, for them to maintain that control, they have to quell the spread of any types of images that might stir up the

working class against them. This is the ultimate idea of censorship — How do we censor them? Well, we break the guy’s camera. It’s that simple.

Censorship with a billy club — that’s censorship at its most extreme form.

They very much worry that the movement will spread. They’re very much worried that the truth will come out. If you have nothing to hide, why do you work so diligently to silent the voices that are trying to spread that information and the images that go along with it?”

Solidarity across the nation As reports of the peaceful-turnedprotests brutal spread across the nation, more activists nation and worldwide became involved. At first, the involvement was through donations to the Occupy Wall Street movement, and many of the protesters in New York are still being fed through packages and funds sent from all over the world. Soon though, that became not enough for many, and Occupy solidarity events began to be planned, primarily through social media networks, including groups in Norman, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Stillwater.

“I feel strongly that when a group of people is doing something they believe is for the good of six billion people, that is worth supporting and becoming a part of,” local Occupy participant Heidi Owens said. “The love and unity with which the brothers and sisters in New York City have approached this huge issue is impossible to ignore. I believe that there is something dreadfully wrong with the current state of things and I believe in peacefully protesting, not looting and acting like a lunatic because you’re angry. We’re all angry or frustrated, we are all at risk, especially our children and our elderly. At the end of the day, it is for them that I am participating in Occupy.”

The specifics for the Occupy event for Oklahoma locations are still being planned, but a large group of activists from Norman and the larger Oklahoma area are also planning to travel this week to Dallas to participate

occupation in Occupy Dallas, where protesters will be marching on the Federal Reserve, and by POP’s publication will have already begun to sleep on the streets near the Reserve as a part of the protest. While the protesters are completely aware of the possible danger associated with the protests, based on reports from Occupy Wall Street, they are hoping for a more positive situation, while still preparing themselves for the worst. Protesters reported that they will be taking precautions such as writing emergency contact information on their bodies in permanent marker in case of a “civil disobedience” arrest and packing only what they need to sustain themselves in order to be able to move quickly and not draw attention to themselves.

“The entire occupation movement is non-violent,” said Norman resident Nicholas Reid, who will be participating in both Occupy Dallas and Occupy Oklahoma City. “While participating at the occupations I will be following the letter of the law. So unless free speech has been outlawed or there are illegal arrests I am not worried about police. There is no reason to be worried about public response either, they are the 99 percent, come join us.”

Cromwell said that she hopes for a peaceful interaction with the police through what she perceives as common ground.

“We’re working hard to make sure we follow all of Oklahoma’s laws regarding our right to peacefully assemble, so the police shouldn’t have any reason to be anything less than happy to see us,” Cromwell said.

“They, too, are the 99 percent. They put their lives on the line every day to protect us and our communities, and they are hurting, too.”

Fueled through art As the Occupy events have begun to happen across the nation, one common theme throughout has been the deep involvement of the arts. Many of the protesters said they are not surprised by this commonality.

“If you look at dissidence historically, and if you look at protests historically, they are largely fueled and moved forward in a lot of ways by art,” Faulk said. “You look at John Lennon and the peace protests, he was integral in that. He actually wrote songs specifically geared at the peace protests with the idea that they be used during the protests. Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, people like that, are the same thing. With the visual arts, the same thing is true.”

Faulk believes that this deep connection between the protests and the arts has much to do with the inherent nature of artists themselves.

“Artists, somewhat being idealists already, have this idea that we can achieve some type of a less material, more idealistic society,” Faulk said.

“Because of that, and because images and music and voices ... very much inspire people to action. Art is interconnected with social and political change, or it should be. I very much feel that a big part of this is that the artists, the musicians, the writers, the photographers and the performance artists in this case all have something that they can do to inspire good instead of just feeding us the vapid, empty entertainment that we’re fed on TV. It’s very nice to see art used for something positive.”

Oklahoma slam poet Lauren Zuniga agreed. According to Zuniga, the arts have been responsible for getting the word out about the movement.

“I feel like this whole thing has been about art,” Zuniga said. “It has spread the way it has because of the images, photographs, songs, creative ad campaigns, signs, etc. We could shut the entire system down if we wanted to, but I think even the fist-pumping hipsters are scared to do that. Art speaks on an emotional level ... art can go places facts can’t.”

For more information on the Occupy movement, visit: www.occupywallst.org or www.facebook.com/OccupyOklaho maCity.

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

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7

Q

&A

with

Todd Jenkins

Q: Can you describe your work for us?

A: Early on in doing foundry work I was really attracted to the splashes of bronze that would sometimes occur, usually from accidents. It was like the action was frozen in time.

With that kind of ‘frozen energy’ in mind I’ve also been interested in geometric shapes, especially 3 dimensional shapes like a hoberman sphere or the atomic structure image that you see in science books and the like, as well as images from the Hubble telescope.

Astronomy picture of the day was one of my favorite sites for a long time.

Mermaid Orchid

Bloom!

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Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

This week, POP sat down with local metal artist Todd Jenkins. Jenkins has become a fixture in the Norman art scene, both through his work at The Crucible Foundry as well as his daily visits to the Blake Baldwin Sk8 Park, where he can be found nearly every day, skating and talking to the kids.

Currently, Jenkin’s work is in an ongoing show at The Cruciible Gallery, in a show at The Ivstan Gallery in Oklahoma City through the end of October and will shortly be displayed at The Howell Gallery in Oklahoma City. He is also currently working on a top secret project for The Flaming Lips, who approached him after seeing his work at The Ivstan Gallery.

Star Gazer

Q: What drives you to create?

A: I feel called by God to do art. It took me some time to be confident to say that, but that’s what keeps me going when I’m not selling anything. That doesn’t mean I think I’m the best sculptor out there, it means I’m responsible to keep doing work whether I feel like it or not. Thankfully, I really like doing art as well. I feel like I’m a very successful person because I’ve been able to do

what I really enjoy for such a long time, even though I don’t make tons of money at it...yet.

Q: Why did you choose metal sculpture as your medium?

A: I originally thought I would be a painter and I’ve actually illustrated a children’s book in watercolor.

But I met a guy, some 21 years ago, who’s dad turned out to be Stephen DeStaebler, aninternationally known bronze sculptor.

He told me how much he did not like working at the bronze foundry because it was so dusty, chemically and tiring. After hearing that I didn’t want to work there either. Then I thought about all the tools they had to use there and how cool it would be to learn how to use those tools. I had a burning desire after that to work there. It took a few months before I was able to get hired, but I kept bugging the hiring manager. The first foundry I worked in was run by rock star Joe Satriani’s sister Carol. But the short answer for why I like metal is that I like the process. I like to weld especially and build things.

Q: What is your process

like?

A: Often I will start with a geometric shape and elaborate on it. Sometimes a big splash shape will start the process, though. I will lay that out on the floor and think about it for an hour or six months (depending on my creative juices) and then start adding to it. For the stand alone pieces, I often come up with a structure and then fill that in with something that seems to have energy.

I like to read books about science, usually stuff that is on the Bill Nye level, and watch science videos. Those things help me with ideas. A good sunset always helps too!

Q: Did you always want

to be an artist?

A: My parents have a drawing I did when I was 7 or 8 of the Eiffel tower. I remember sitting there with other artists that were painting or drawing the tower at the same time. I’ve always liked to do art, but I thought at one time I wanted to be a zoo vet like David Taylor.

And even though I was an art major from my freshman year in college, I really became enamored with art my senior year. Art history helped me really love art. It helped me understand why people were doing the art they were. For some reason that really motivated me to do my own work.

Q: What are your goals as an artist?

A: I would like to do public art as well as private commission work. The older I get the more I find I enjoy working with different people and making things that interest people. I like to make things that people interact with, almost like science toys, only bigger.

I want to keep growing in my abilities as a craftsman as well. I’d like to learn how to use an English wheel. It’s something you can form sheet metal into rounded and spherical-type shapes.

They use them in custom auto body shops. I’ve never used one though.

Q: What’s next for you as an artist?

A: I’ve been very close to getting a couple public art projects. I’m going to keep pursuing that. The Howell gallery in OKC is interested in my work, so I’m hoping to be showing some work from there soon.

I’ve recently became facinated by orchids. I made one recently and I thought it turned out really well. It took some time to figure out how to make it look and feel like a metal orchid but I think I did it. I’m going to make a few more orchids.

They are amazing flowers.

movies

The MOVIE GEEK with

Jeff Johncox

NOW PLAYING

New Releases • Ides of March — An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon. R. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Real Steel — Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father. PG-13. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14)

Also Showing

REAL STEEL Coming Soon Oct. 7: Real Steel Starring: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie Rated: PG-13 What Jeff says: Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots is going to sue somebody!

Special Note: This is the last Movie Geek. We came in with Wall-E and we leave with Real Steel.

Will it be a fitting end or an anti-climatic cliché?

• 50/50 — A comedic account of a 27-year-old guy's cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease. R (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Abduction — A thriller centered on a young man who sets out to uncover the truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing persons website. PG-13 (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Captain America — After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals. PG-13.

(Robinson Crossing) • Cars 2 — Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. G. (Robinson Crossing) • Contagion — An actionthriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

PG-13. (Warren Theatres, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Courageous — When a

tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers; together they make a decision that will change all of their lives. PG-13. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Dream House — Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

PG-13. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Drive — A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. R. (Warren Theatres, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Dolphin Tale — A story centered on the friendship between a boy and a dolphin whose tail was lost in a crab trap. PG. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Friends with Benefits — While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications. R. (Robinson Crossing) • Harry Potter the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 — Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.

PG-13 (Robinson Crossing) • The Help — A look at what happens when a southern town's unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship. PG-13 (Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Killer Elite — When his mentor is taken captive, a retired member of Britain's Elite Special Air Service is forced into action. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader. R. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Lion King — Tricked into thinking he killed his father, a guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile and

abandons his identity as the future King. G. (Warren Theatres, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • Moneyball — The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. PG13. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) • The Smurfs — When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours. PG. (Robinson Crossing) • Rise of the Planet of the Apes — During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom. PG-13.

(Robinson Crossing) • What’s Your Number — A woman looks back at the past twenty men she's had relationships with in her life and wonders if one of them might be her one true love. R. (Warren Theatre, Hollywood Spotlight 14) •Zookeeper — A group of zoo animals decide to break their code of silence in order to help their lovable zoo keeper find love -without opting to leave his current job for something more illustrious.

PG. (Robinson Crossing)

For Hollywood Spotlight 14 showtimes, call 579-0911 or visit gohollywood.com.

For Robinson Crossing 6 showtimes, call 4471005 or visit starplexcinemas.com. For Warren Theatre showtimes, call 703-3777 or visit warrentheatres.com.

90% DVD Pick “Bridesmaids” is a certified fresh DVD according to Rotten Tomatoes.

This fun, unique movie is one for the times. “Hangover” for women. We recommend not watching with young ones.

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Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

pop

9

NINE NIGHTS IN NORMAN 8 SAT

7 FRI pop pick

10 p.m. — The Broke Brothers, The Brewhouse, $5 TBA — The Saucy Gentlemen’s Club, The Deli

10 p.m. — The Dead Armadillos with The Damn Quails, The Brewhouse, $5

pop pick

8 p.m. — Valerie Watts and Jeongwon Ham, OU Sharp Concert Hall

7 p.m. — Travis Linville, The Deli, Free 10 p.m. — The Damn Quails, The Deli

MUSIC

11 TUE pop pick

8 p.m. — Jeongwon Ham, OU Sharp Concert Hall

12 WED 7 p.m. — Ashely Skyie, The Deli, Free 10 p.m. — The Tracy Reed Band, The Deli

13 THU 7 p.m. — Camille Harp, The Deli, Free 9 p.m. — Open Mic Night, Othello’s, signup begins at 8 p.m.

12 p.m. — Opera Preview, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Free 7 p.m. — Shelly Fraley, Michaelangelo’s, Free

14 FRI

15 SAT pop pick

pop pick

10 p.m. — Aaron Squirrel & Friends, The Brewhouse, $5 TBA — Broncho, Dad and Hood Mason, The Deli TBA — Josh Roberts Band, Othello’s

TBA — Beau Jennings and The Tigers, Samantha Crain and The Midnight Shivers, The Deli

6:30 p.m. — Art “á la Carte”, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Free

6:30 p.m. — Paint the Town Red: Creative Cats, Merrybelle’s Gifts, Art & Tea, $35

pop pick

8 p.m. — Spring Awakening, OU Old Science Hall

EVENT SUBMISSIONS To get your show or event in POP’s Nine Nights calendar, send the event name, time, date, location and admission price to pop@normantranscript.com.

Weekly deadline is noon Tuesdays.

6:30 p.m. — Culture Wars of Venice and the Birth of Public Opera (film), OU Pitman Recital Hall, Free 8 p.m. — The Coronation of Poppea, OU Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre

8 p.m. — The Coronation of Poppea, OU Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre 8 p.m. — Spring Awakening, OU Old Science Hall

8 p.m. — The Coronation of Poppea, OU Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre 8 p.m. — Spring Awakening, OU Old Science Hall

10 a.m. — Downtown Arts Market, Dreamer Concepts, Free TBA — 1/2 Price Pizza in the Bar during the OU/Kansas Football Game, Othello’s

OFF BEAT

10

10 MON

3 p.m. — Marvin Murphee Mosaic Vocal Ensemble, OU Pitman Recital Hall, Free TBA — Mike Hosty Solo, The Deli TBA — The David Leach Trio, Othello’s

FILM & LIT, PERFORMING ARTS

VISUAL ARTS

9 SUN

pop

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

literature

They can revamp them better, stronger, faster “There was a time when the world didn’t call them its greatest super-heroes.

There was a time when the world didn’t know what a super-hero was.”

DC comics relaunch.

Their reboot. The New 52.

Whatever you want to call it, for the most part, it’s a very good thing. Of course, in my opinion, anything that allows new readers an entry point into one of my favorite art forms is a good thing. Starting on Aug 31, DC made their bid for new readers and devotees with a reboot of their entire universe. Fifty-two all new number one titles for every one of their characters.

Now that is a pretty impressive feat.

I took a look this week at just one of those titles, a relaunch of one of DC’s flagship, dependable earners over the years...“Justice League #1.”

DC is basically doing with their entire line what Frank Miller did with “Batman: Year One” back in the eighties — bringing all their heroes back to their beginnings, and that includes their premiere superhero ensemble. They generally don’t take chances with this group. Not just anybody gets handed the “Justice League” title and told, “Here, start it over.”

So, DC couldn’t have done better when they assigned superstar scribe Geoff Johns and fan-favorite artist Jim Lee to the task of bringing the world’s greatest superheroes together for their inaugural adventure in their brand new continuity.

Johns has been responsible for the reboot and revival of multiple characters throughout the DC universe in the last several years including Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, and Barry Allen, the Flash. As far as art is concerned, Jim Lee might as well have been the defining comic book artist of the nineties, and continues to be a pioneer in the art form to this day. So how did Geoff and Jim do?

Pretty stellar. The first issue of the new series revolves around the coming together the big three of the Justice League, Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. The issue opens with Batman chasing a shrouded, sinewy-looking monster across the rooftops of Gotham city, with Gotham PD following close behind, their bullets whizzing by the monsters ears and piercing Batman’s cape. This is a time when Batman is an unknown to Gotham’s Police Department, and they don’t know how to respond to him, so they default to hostile. As Batman starts to close in on the ridiculously ugly looking suspect, who we later find out to be one of the galactic super-villain Darkseid’s followers, a glowing green fire truck comes crashing down onto the monster’s face. Green Lantern appears behind the truck with the exclamation: “Batman?! You’re real?!”

To which Batman replies: “And you’re too damn bright...”

Under fire from

Gotham’s police department, the monster manages to slip away and the pair follow him into the Gotham’s sewers where the thing plants a strange device just before blowing himself to pieces. The object looks of alien origin, and they’ve heard of this new alien in Metropolis known as Superman, so they decide to look him up. But when Green Lantern tries to take Superman into custody for questioning he finds that arresting the man of steel isn’t an easy task as he flies through building after building from Superman’s blow. The end of issue teases the reader about an impending fight between the man of steel and the dark knight. I’ve seen Batman and Superman tussle once before under Jim Lee’s pen, and the results were nothing short of magnificent, and I expect that this coming issue will be the same.

The dialogue is clever, and the characters already clearly developed with pathos and emotions all their own. The art is ridiculously exceptional. I can’t say that I’m crazy about the re-design that Jim Lee has done of some of the costumes, especially Superman, but if anybody can make them work it’s him. “Justice League #1” was an excellent, fun read that brought out the tenyear-old boy inside me and left me cackling with glee, and books like this are the reason that I’ll never be to old for comic books.

— Levi Lee

“Justice League #1” Johns, Lee and Williams DC Comics (2011)

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

pop

11

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