Evince Magazine October 2023

by Josh Lucia

by Dave Slayton

Presented by Showcase Magazine

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks Editorial Director / Paul Seiple editor@evincemagazine.com

by Mack Williams

Contributing Writers

Barry Koplen, Linda Lemery, Josh Lucia, Paul Seiple, Dave Slayton, Mack Williams, Emily Wilkerson

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Advertising

For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com

Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net

evince\i-’vin(t)s\

1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

Deadline for this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Sunday, October 15 at 5:00pm for the December issue. Please send calendar info to demontdesign@verizon.net.

Editorial Policies

Evince is a free monthly magazine about Arts and Culture in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3 Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com 434.709.7349

© 2023 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

On the Cover: Dia de los muertes. Photo by Michael Andrews.

Photographer Michael Andrews has a diverse background in both photojournalism and corporate communications. He has been immersed in the world of photography since his mother gave him a 35mm rangefinder film camera and a darkroom setup for his 14th birthday. “She was a telephone operator and an amateur photographer. She passed her love of image-making on to me,” Andrews said. From those early years to a decade as a newspaper journalist, Andrews has been defining his reality visually, capturing moments, and creating images that resonate with viewers.

With Andrews’ career, it’s crucial to stay up to date with the latest trends and techniques. He maintains his creativity and curiosity by constantly experimenting and playing with different cameras. “I am a curious, visual animal,” he added. Andrews investigates the collision between what is happening around him and what he sees. He aligns his physical technique and flow with his keen observational skills, allowing him to capture compelling images that evoke emotions and tell stories.

Always on the Prowl for a Photograph

by Paul Seiple photo by Michael Andrews

He roots his photography in the personal and authentic connections he establishes with his subjects. Whether he is capturing the lives of grandmothers in remote villages in Ukraine or documenting the vibrant rituals of Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, Andrews approaches his subjects with genuine curiosity and respect. They open their lives to him, creating an intimate and revealing connection that translates into powerful images.

Location can be just as vital as a subject when creating an everlasting memory. Andrews believes sites often choose him. Whether it’s in nature and landscapes or capturing events and people, Andrews is “always on the prowl for a photograph.” He pays close attention to the direction, quality, color, and intensity of the ambient light, both indoors and outdoors. Rather than relying on artificial lighting, Andrews prefers to work with the natural energies of the environment and the surrounding people. By building trust and taking the time to know his subjects, he can “discover what is beautiful and unique about them and reveal that.”

Inevitably, unexpected challenges and setbacks can arise during a shoot. Andrews approaches these challenges with fearlessness and adaptability. He is not afraid to seize the moment and capture shots, regardless of the difficulties. “I was in a village in Portugal several years ago when I heard crazyloud banging on drums in the street below my little hotel. It was pitch-black outside. I grabbed my camera and ran downstairs. I was immediately thrust into the middle of a parade of costumed revelers marching below streetlights,” Andrews remembered. He embraced the frenzy and shot away, immortalizing moments he continues to reflect upon. “I am still looking at those images to figure out what I captured. I think time will tell.”

One of Andrews’ notable projects took him to Mexico to seize the vibrant and richly symbolic celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). He joined a photo workshop led by a renowned photographer named Dan Burkholder. “Dan is a fine art photographer who pioneered ways to combine digital photography with traditional analog processes,” Andrews

added. This experience allowed Andrews to learn new techniques and expand his skills, both in smartphone photography and post-processing DSLR images. “Being on the street in Oaxaca during the Dia de Muertos festival was analogous to that insane experience in Portugal. Darkness and streetlights and an unfamiliar ritual.” An exhibition of Andrews’ images from the festival will be on display during a Dia de los Muertos block party in downtown Danville on November 3 and remain available to view that week.

On the intro page of his site, mandrewsimages.com, Andrews states his “passion is pursuing images that reveal humanity and document inescapable natural beauty.” He thinks this is still true, but his interests are evolving to record cultural rituals. At the end of the year, Andrews will be in Romania to follow Christmas and New Year’s festivals. “Rituals connect our inner and outer selves, both personally and collectively. I am interested in revealing the layers of those selves with provocative images. I am eager to see what develops. Once again, time and experience will tell.”

Because I knew how much her novel meant to Faye Solomon Kushner, I was honored when she agreed to allow me to comment about it. Writing with such candor and courage, she revealed what her siblings never wanted written about life with their Kentucky coalminer’s family. To say her book is stunning is an understatement. Chances are that anyone who reads A Time to Run who has wanted to write their own autobiography will be moved to begin their first chapter. I urge that writer to be you!

As you will see from her answers, the author is both candid and courageous.

Barry Koplen: When did you know you wanted to be or happened to be a writer?

Faye Solomon Kushner: I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I found the right story…or rather, it found and chased me. Wouldn’t let go.

BK: Was there a story you wanted to tell?

FSK: No, not at first. It wrote itself in my head, daily. That was my first draft. The draft chased me until I picked up a pencil and said to myself, “Okay, Dad, shoot!”

BK: Did you know whether you wanted to write prose or poetry?

FSK: Prose. I wanted to write prose. I had been writing poetry throughout childhood. It had served certain emotions but was usually thrown away. Forgotten. Private drawer space.

Much later, I was inspired by John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and, most importantly, by Eugene O’Neill’s play, The Hairy Ape. I related to the struggle of O’Neill’s main character to find purpose and a sense of belonging. By then I was in college, majoring in English. I knew I would write my THE novel, but was soon to start teaching and had little time. I

had no outline, no theme, only characters and a setting. My family, my dad, in particular, and an Eastern Kentucky coal mining setting. Most of my father’s life was spent in the dark of the mine. He only saw one sunset each week. He promised that none of us, his children, would have to crawl through the mines like he did. I’ve never forgotten that. From that experience, I found my main characters and hero, my dad, a coal miner, and regional characters other than my family.

Writing my novel was essential because I wanted to celebrate my father’s life, his dedication to liberating us from the darkness in which he lived. Although I finished my novel more than five years ago, I still cry for him when I recall how much he taught me about mankind’s universal need to belong.

BK: Were you inspired by another writer, perhaps a famous writer?

FSK: I was basically untrained, but the story was there in my heart. I began researching when my children went away to college. But time was still a challenge. The novel took fifteen years of writing. Thursday was my writing day. Every Thursday night, I went to bed crying for the hardships of that area, especially my family’s. Research days were the easiest. I read my favorite writer constantly; namely, Hawthorne. My favorite line from The Scarlett Letter was Hester’s, “In all things, I have striven to be true.”

BK: Once you began to write, what were some of the difficulties you had to overcome?

A Professor Determined To Write Her Novel Faye Solomon Kushner

by Barry Koplen

FSK: Even though I thought every grain of me had praised my mountain family for their courage and drive, my sisters were unhappy and still are at the truth my novel, The Time to Run (2017), revealed. That was heartbreaking to me, but I was very proud of my work. I believed I accomplished exactly what I set out to do. I saw my characters as heroes--though downtrodden and sometimes ignorant---but mostly God’s people.

BK: Have you published any of your writing?

FSK: Yes, The Time to Run is available on Amazon and at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History.

BK: Finally, do you have any advice for writers who are just getting started?

FSK: My advice to young writers is Emersonian, “Trust thyself. Every heart vibrates to that iron string.”

October Calendar of Evince

Ongoing

Danville Science Center. ExhibitsDinosaur Revolution, Go!, Various Dome Shows, Creativity Labs, & Experiences. www.dsc.smv.org.

Ruby B. Archie Public Library Programs - Don’t miss the programs offered at the Library. Whodunit Book Club, Adult & Tween Arts & Crafts, Maker Mondays, The Write Stuff, Puzzlers Club, Genealogy Show and Tell, Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club, Classic Movie Club, NaNoWriMo, Youth Dungeons and Dragons, Storytellers, Tween Craft Night, LEGO Brick Engineers, Little Explorers Storytime, Mad Scientists, StoryWalk Adventures-Bug You Later, Dumbledore’s Army, Book Babies, Library Spooktacular, Spooky Terrariums, Frankentoys, Night at the Living Library. Pittsylvania Co. Farmers Market. F 4-6:30pm, Sat 7:30am-12pm. Olde Dominion Ag Complex. 434.432.8026. Danville Farmers Market. Sat 7:30am12pm. Community Market. 434.797.8961.

Through October 21

PAA Exhibit. Enjoy the art of Compulsory Measures and Photographs by Rick Dawson. Piedmont Arts. 276.632.3221.

October 1

Children’s Fall Festival. Bounce houses, slide, obstacle course, inflatable maze, horse race derby, toddler play area with zoo land, interactive games, food trucks, snacks and treats, vendors. 12:30-5:30pm. Global Home Furnishings. 434.728.5263. Oktoberfest. Bring a lawn chair for polka fun. 1-7pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

October 1 (thru 29)

Owen Farm Tours. Pick your own pumpkins, hay rides, corn maze, barnyard buddies, snacks & treats. Saturdays 10am-5pm; Sundays 1:30-6pm. www. owenfarmtours.com.

October 3

National Night Out. With Danville Police Department. 5:30-8:30pm.

October 5

Sensory Friendly Fair. Lights and music are turned off throughout the fairgrounds and rides. 4-6pm. Halifax County Fair. colerides.com/tickets.

October 5 & 6

SVRA Speedtour. Virginia International Raceway.

October 6

Schoolfield 1st Fridays - Halloween

Edition. Food, candy, a bouncy house, kids activities, prizes, and rad tunes, free yoga class, clothing repair & customization workshop, vendors & more. 5-8pm. Schoolfield Village.

Coats Fall Festival. Community mural, pumpkin decorating, caricatures, trunk or treat, door prizes. 5:30-7:30pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

Murder Mystery Dinner - Midnight at the Masquerade. A glamorous evening of mystery, intrigue, and murder. 6pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

First Fridays Art Show & Vendor Market Ballad Brewing.

October 6 & 7

Personality Festival. Opening 10/6 Jason Michael Carroll Concert. 6pm. Kirby Theatre. 10/7 Dance performers, food trucks and vendors, carnival games, inflatables. 9am-5pm. Uptown Roxboro. 336.599.8333.

October 6 & 20

Let’s Glow Crazy. Light up playgrounds at night along with varying glow activities at each location. 10/6 Doyle Thomas; 10/20 Camp Grove Playground. 5:30-7:30pm. 434.857.3384.

October 6 (thru 27)

Live Music. 10/6 Wicked Karaoke; 10/7

Matt Dittler Trio (Red Hands); 10/13 Leia Sadiku; 10/14 The LoOG; 10/20 Willow St; 10/27 Big Bump & the Stun Gunz. 7-10pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

October 7

Charity League Bargain Fair. Housewares, toys, clothing, sporting goods, furniture & more. 8am-2pm. Martinsville.

Fall River Clean-Up. Eenhance the beauty of the River District and do your part in keeping our area clean and green. 9am-12pm. Crossing at the Dan.

Cars & Community Cruise-In. Faith & Blue, car meet, music, vendors, food trucks, police & fire, family fun. 10am-2pm.

Dan River Church.

Senior Prom. DJ, dancing, photos and prom court. Refreshments provided. Ages 50+. 6-8pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Cars Tour. 7pm. South Boston Speedway. 434.572.4947.

October 8

Fallelujah. Live music, food trucks, inflatables, pumpkin patch, face painting, hay ride, balloon animals. 4-7pm. Smith River Sports Complex.

October 8 (thru December 23)

Marsh Legacy Exhibition. DMFAH. See ad page 13.

October 10, 19 & 21

Danville Science Center Events. 10/10 Stream into the V.O.I.D; 10/19 SensoryFriendly Night; 10/21 Movie Night.

October 13

DCCEF Golf Tournament. Danville Golf Club. 434.797.8437.

Ghosts & Stories. Family friendly spooky music & ghost stories. Emcee Dr. Fred Motley, music bymThe League of Ordinary Gentlemen and featured storyteller Dr. Joshua Hearne. 7pm. Crema & Vine.

Smokestack Cinema Friday the 13th Part III. 7pm. Smokestack Theatre Co.

October 13 (thru 28)

Blairs Haunted House. Fridays & Saturdays Blairs Fire & Rescue.

October 14

Antique Vehicle and Craft Fair

8am-5pm. Callands Fire and Rescue. Fall Fling. Vendors, touch-a-truck, petting zoo, bounce houses, stew sold by the quart or bowl, silent auction. 10am-2pm. Tunstall Middle School.

Arts Festival. Arts & crafts, live music, performing arts, face painting & food trucks. 11am-4pm. Piedmont Arts, Martinsville.

Pup-a-Palooza. Live music, pumpkin patch, raffle, beer garden, pet activities.

2-8pm. Rocky Branch Farm. 434.432.0080. Fall Festival. Popcorn, snow cones, hay rides, bounce houses, and a hotdog meal. 5-7pm. Ringgold Baptist Church. Ghost Stories. Guided tour of some of OWE’s most haunted locations. 5pm, 5:45pm, & 6:30pm. Meet in First Baptist Church parking lot.

Opera on the James. DMFAH.

See ad page 13.

Downtown SB Cruz-In. Vehicles, delicious eats and treats, and browse downtown shops. 3-6pm. Downtown South Boston. 434.575.4208.

October 18

4v4 Costume Volleyball Tournament 6 pm. City Auditorium. 434.799.5214.

October 19

Fall Expo Fair. Local organizations, health & wellness, giveaways. 10am-2pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Witches & Wolves Walk. Explore pet product vendors, a food truck, photo opportunities, contests. 5:30-7:30pm. Anglers Park. 434.857.3384.

October 19, 20 & 21

Main Street Art Collective Celebrating

5 Years. See ad page 4.

Ghosts & Gravestones Historical Tours

Historical walking tours lead by a ghostly guide that takes you to visit with the “ghosts” of our city’s past. 434.549.5445.

October 20 & 21

Old Timer’s Jubilee Street Party. 7-11pm.

10/21 Old Timer’s Jubilee Car Show

9am-1pm. Main Street in Downtown Gretna.

October 20, 21 & 22

Dracula. Based off of the classic novel by Bram Stoker. 10/20 & 21 7:30pm; 10/22 3pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

October 21

Car Show & Fall Fest. 10:30am-4:30pm. Blairs Baptist Church. 434.489.6241.

Operation SpiritSeekers Paranormal Team. DMFAH. See ad page 13. Paws & Claws for DAHS. Party and help animals at the same time. Live music with Pizazz, cash bar, silent auction, pasta bar, veggies, fruit, and desserts. 6-10:30pm. Stratford Conf. Center. 434.799.0843.

October 22

Fall Festival. Food trucks, games, bounce houses, mini pumpkin patch, vendors & more. 11am-6pm. The Courtyard.

Ghosts & Gravestones Last Rites On Stage. Brings the characters from the tour to the Smokestack stage, so that you can enjoy the same stories sittingcomfortably indoors. 434.549.5445.

October 26

Mark Nizer: 4D. Nizer performs a mix of outrageous comedy antics, masterful juggling, music and 3D technology. 6:30pm. MHS Auditorium. 276.632.3221.

October 26 (thru 29)

Misery. Smokestack Theatre. See ad page 6.

October 27

Golf Tournament. Captain’s choice. 8am. Goodyear Golf Club. 434.797.8898 x5.

Karaoke Halloween Costume Party 6-10pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463.

October 28

DRHS Band Wildcat Classic 9 band performances. Dan River HS.

Catwalk in Costume. Halloween fashion show, music and party for ages 1-12. Register required. 4pm. Community Way. 434.797.8898 x4.

PCSO Trunk or Treat. 4-8pm. Olde Dominion Agriculture Complex. 434.432.7713.

Prizery Trunk or Treat. Music, facepainting, and more. 5-7pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

Halloween Party. Spooky live music & costumes. 5-11pm. Golden Leaf Bistro. Speakeasy Scholarship Fundraiser. Live music, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres. 6-10pm. Presented by DRHA.

Portrait of Aretha. Danville Concert Association. See ad below.

HOWEL (Hallowe’en Old West End Lanternfest). See ad page 13.

Halloween Brew-Ha-Ha. 8-11pm.

2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

October 29

Tricks or Treat Event. Vendors. games, costume contests, prizes, raffles, trunk or treat. Kids and dogs welcome. 2-6pm. Behind Bonz N Bubbles.

Pumpkins & Pints. Pumpkin carving.

2-4pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

October 31

Market Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat

5pm. Danville Community Market. 434.857.3384.

Trunk or Treat. 6-8pm. DRMS parking lot. 434.713.4470.

Smokestack Cinema Ernest Scared Stupid & Psycho. 7pm. Smokestack Theatre Co.

UPCOMING:

November 3

Dia De Los Muertos Block Party. See ad page 11.

November 4

Wobble and Gobble Autism Awareness

5K. 8:30am. Danville Science Center.

Shred Out for Hunger. Fundraiser for God’s Storehouse. 434.793.3663. See ad page 7. Wine in the Vines. 12-6pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463.

Mommy Son Dance. 5pm. Registration required. 434.797.8898 x4.

November 12

A Musical Afternoon with Kenyon & John Scott. 3pm. Wednesday Club. 434.251.5135.

Being a small business owner, a mother to three, and a grandmother to six (with number seven on the way!)

Felice McWilliams lives a very busy lifestyle, yet still somehow makes time to pursue her love of performing. Originally from California, McWilliams and some of her family moved here to Danville in 2014. She founded her organization “Making Danville Smile,” in 2017, a program created to teach and share the arts and positivity to the area. Through her creative work in town, she could meet many other local artists, those at Smokestack Theatre Company included. This is where her acting career began.

McWilliams’ first role was Juror #9 in a staged reading of Twelve Angry Men. Smokestack produced this show in 2018 with a twist, all the jurors were played by local impassioned women. She thoroughly enjoyed this experience and later returned to Smokestack to tell the powerful story of The Tribute to Enslaved People in the annual production of Ghosts and Gravestones

McWilliams shared she was apprehensive about taking on this role at first, but gave it a shot and ended up doing the role for three years.

Preparing for a role is no easy task, and McWilliams has it down

Action!

Inside the Method of Acting

Felice McWilliams

by Emily Wilkerson photo courtesy of Smokestack Theatre Co

to a routine. “I like to research any other performances of the play or role, study them, and then I start reading and reciting my lines over and over. I record myself reading my lines so I can listen to them each night and while driving. It’s a good working process for me. Once I’ve memorized it, the acting begins.” Once lines have been memorized and the acting begins, as McWilliams says, there are only a few rehearsals left before the show opens. Her favorite part of a production is that last rehearsal—final dress. She claims that, “When that night is done, the confidence is there, and the show must continue. It’s magical.”

Having gone through many dress rehearsals and productions, there is a special place in McWilliams’ heart for each role she has played, but her favorite of them all has been Calpurnia in To Kill A Mockingbird. She loved this role so much because all the previous shows she had done were readings or tours. This show was her first “traditional” stage play. Through this experience, she was able to prove to herself she can learn a large amount of lines and take stage direction. She also thoroughly enjoyed the special bond she could form with the other cast and crew members during her time in the show. Being cast in that role gave her the courage she needed to

audition for more productions, both at Smokestack and at other theatres.

McWilliams has plenty of experience under her belt, but that does not make her stage fright go away. She says, “I am petrified every moment before stepping on stage. Thinking, will I remember the lines, go to the right place on stage etc.? That’s what makes it exciting.” She uses that nervousness and adrenaline

to her advantage, and constantly is in prayer backstage to get through it. Never fear to those anxious about getting started as an actor. McWilliams’ advice is to, “Just go for it. You’ll never do it if you don’t try.” Stepping out of her comfort zone and trying things has created many acting memories for McWilliams. She will return later this month in Ghosts & Gravestones portraying a new character.

cene: For their daily outing, Linda pulls the sentient Plant inside the red wagon on the leaf-shaded sidewalk along West Main Street. In the wagon, two pots of dirt closely line up behind Plant like a tail extending backward.

Plant: You spend so much time walking. Can you put a leaf on what you like best about it?

Linda: I’m on a 10,000 steps-perday exercise program, but I also like breathing in the environment.

P: The air.

L: Well, I meant observing. Not so much the air. It’s fairly thick with particulate matter.

P: Particulate matter?

L: Like the smoke from the recent wildfires. And, we’ve been burning fossil fuels forever to support what is now over 8 billion people. All that burned matter goes into the air we breathe, plus there’s dust, allergens like pollen from some of your plant pals, and more.

P: Geological formations contribute, too. Volcanoes have been belching magma much longer than humans have been carrying flaming clubs. Magma cools, eventually breaks down, enriches soil, fosters growth.

L: How on earth do you know about volcanoes, Plant? You can’t read. Even if you could, who’s been turning the pages?

P: Hel-LO, educator-individualized learning styles. That idea is not species-dependent. All those science recaps you listen to at home? I listen, too.

L: Oh. The radio. In the background.

P: National Public Radio. It covers topics of interest to other species besides humans.

L: You continue to surprise me, Plant. I doubt that NPR realizes it channels information to nonhumans.

P: Maybe not, but it is broadleaf coverage, so to speak. And I listen.

L: Of course. You’re curious. Curiosity drives learning… part of the fun of walking is the discussions that take place. Like this one.

P: Discussion accelerates learning accelerates discussion and so on.

L: And collaboration contributes. For example, when Steve and I are working on a project together,

there’s a lot of quibbling and laughing, but we learn together and make faster progress.

P: I have a new nickname for your husband: Saint Patience. I listen and learn from the stories you two tell. I heard about the one-and-only collaborative wallpapering project.

L: That went badly.

P: You two chose to wallpaper an asymmetrical, badly-made arch. As a first project. Much more wall-papering and the two of you would have ended up in divorce court. And then where would I have been?

L: In a single-parent household learning from one person rather than two.

P: Lo, my leaves tremble and I writhe in pain over the projected agony of the learning slowdown.

L: Snarky. I like it. Have you considered why this wagon holds two pots directly behind you?

P: I noticed they only contain dirt. Why have pots of dirt earned a wagon ride?

L: Our neighbor has a walking iris.

P: Plants do not walk. They cannot. They do not have legs or feet.

L: The walking iris sends out a tendril that develops into a new plant, then implants when it finds a suitable soil substrate.

P: “Walking” because the iris sends out that tendril that eventually becomes a new plant.

L: Yes.

P: So, you think I could send out a tendril which might find the soil behind it and implant. You have positioned the pots in close proximity behind me. You have “planted” the idea.

L: Correct. Idea implanted. Training conducted. Message received.

P: I am not a walking iris.

L: True. But you are a sentient plant that proved in a previous conversation that it could wilt on demand. Maybe you can “walk,” too. That would be evolution on steroids. If the idea bears fruit, that is.

P: No pun intended, right? Walking and evolving are appealing. Keep the pots of dirt nearby just in case. Not just in the wagon. Also, in the house.

L: When I pull you and the plantlets in the wagon, we would be walking together.

P: We are already walking together. Your functions are to pull the wagon and talk with me. My functions are to ride in the

Plant XII:

Walk This Way

(A Plant Dialogue)

by Linda Lemery

wagon, talk with you, and make you think beyond your tiny little world.

L: Plant, you can be really irritating.

P: Growth is rarely comfortable.

L: I’ve observed something else on this walk, but the idea is still baking in my brain.

P: Spit it out. I hate waiting.

L: You want a half-baked idea? Not happening. I need to do some reading.

About the author: Plant and Linda Lemery llemery@gmail.com welcome reader comments.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

(7/10 Rating)

Released October 17, 2003

For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Drama, History, Sport R: Strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content

1h 38m

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

It’s the haunting season, so this month’s selection was easy. The original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre released in 1974 is one of the most disturbing films I have seen. Tobe Hooper’s classic was based partially on real life serial killer Ed Gein, “The Butcher of Plainfield,” and it opens more like a documentary giving viewers the idea that everything in the movie actually happened. This reboot released 30 years after the original uses the same technique and it works well, even if most people are more aware of the gimmick these days. The use of “archival footage” bookends the movie and certainly leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling. Just a few months before this movie came out, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees were battling it out on the big screen, so it was an exciting time for horror fans. Unfortunately, Freddy vs. Jason is a pretty terrible film, even within the genre and franchises. However, this reboot stands out as the best in my opinion when compared to Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween. It’s dirty, gritty, gory, and downright creepy. The acting is quite good, and the pacing is done well. There is a shot… both camera and gun…that stands out early in the movie that really separates this one from the original, but otherwise, they maintain the things that make the original great and add just enough tweaks to surprise those familiar with Hooper’s

version. Jessica Biel is the “final girl” and Ronald Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) is the perfect despicable Sheriff. The thing that stands out most is the believable reactions from many of the characters. They seem genuinely surprised, disgusted, terrified, etc. Unfortunately, that is rare in horror movies. Even most of their decisions are better than most victims in slasher films. Here they just cannot win…they get beaten, cut up, cut open, bludgeoned, hung, dragged, and tormented and there is not much they can do. It leaves you feeling helpless and uneasy every time you travel a back road and see an aged, neglected home far from any neighbors. You should know from the title if this one’s for you. So, pull out the old sewing kit, invite your friends over, and put on your face.

Also released in October of 2003: Concert for George, Out of Time, School of Rock, The Station Agent, Wonderland, Mystic River, Intolerable Cruelty, Kill Bill: Volume 1, Runaway Jury, Brother Bear Radio, Scary Movie 3, The Singing Detective (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Discovering Wine and Curry

by

Irecently visited a large wine shop in a nearby city. I asked a staff person if I could be directed to the German wine section. When we arrived at that section of the store, they said. “This German red wine is a Pinot Noir and is great with curry dishes.”

Having no experience with curry dishes and the wines that complement them, I decided it was time to investigate. There is a helpful website named “Wine Lover Magazine” and the page “Curry and Wine: Which Pairings Are Best?” Wine Lover states, “Curry is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Indian food. But actually, it is not only a staple in Indian cuisine but also in Thailand, Japan, and other Asian countries.” Luckily, my town has an excellent Thai restaurant. An outstanding staff member there recommended that I begin with a Thai dish that included Massaman curry, since that is mild. I paired it with their house pinot noir, and it was delicious.

Next was a dish including Panang Curry, a bit spicier than the Massaman, which was also delicious. I paired it with a Sauvignon Blanc, and the combination worked well.

The following curries on my list to experience are Thai red, green, and yellow curry. I will pair the red

Danville Museum OF

Sunday, October 8

Opening Reception for Marsh Legacy Exhibition

3-5pm • Public Invited • DMFAH

To RSVP, please register on Eventbrite

Exhibition: October 8 - December 23, 2023

Students of Robert Marsh will exhibit their artwork.

Saturday, October 14

and DMFAH present

The3 Little Pigs

3:00pm • $10/pp • Museum Auditorium

A performance for children. Children must be accompanied by adult And

curry dish with an off-dry Riesling. For the green curry dish, I will try it with a Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, slightly sweet if possible. Finally, I’ll try a yellow curry dish with an unoaked Chardonnay.

Suggestions from Wine Lover magazine:

The sauces are vital because they provide many flavors. So, pick your curry and wine pairing based on the sauce.

Combining tannins and tomatoes’ acidity can create unpleasant bitter flavors.

Creamy and buttery curry goes best with rich white wines with adequate acidity.

Acidity also helps with spiciness because it makes the mouth water. So acidic wine and curry are a great combination.

Sweet wines are another option for spicy meals. Sugar coats your palate and tunes down the heat. Even wines that contain only a little residual sugar but offer aromas of sweet fruits can have a similar effect.

Be careful with wines that are high in alcohol. Alcohol intensifies the heat of ingredients.

Be fearless in your culinary journeys. Cheers!

An Evening of Vocal Splendor

From Operatic Masterpieces & Broadway Hits to The Great American Songbook.

7:00pm • $20/pp • Museum Auditorium

Tickets sold on Eventbrite.com

Saturday, October 21

Join

Paranormal Activities at the Danville Museum

Find out what they discovered while investigating the museum...

7-9 pm $20/PP

Tickets on eventbrite

Saturday October 28

Dave Slayton

photo by Dave Slayton

Graveside Commission

by Mack Williams

The other day, I attended a graveside funeral service for the brother of a fellow choir member and friend at Danville’s Highland Burial Park. Years ago, Lester Flatt recorded “Won’t You Give Me My Flowers While I’m Living.” So, in that respect, you can also give me my friends while I’m living, too.

At a graveside service, the church’s raftered ceiling is replaced by the canopy of a tent.

In the cemetery’s funeral tent, the static geometrics of the walls of stained-glass windows are replaced by the more flexible scenes of breeze-blown trees, wafting clouds, passing birds, and the sun’s gradually changing angle of light. And in this particular case, the cemetery’s proximity to a major thoroughfare caused the constant stream of cars and trucks to become the subject of one of the tent’s glassless “walls.”

I sat in the line of metal folding chairs behind the row occupied by the deceased’s family members. Beneath the chairs was a stretched-out mat of green carpet covering the ground. I had to be very careful when I walked, because the carpet gave the misconception of the ground below being perfectly even; but it wasn’t. Little dips in the grassy ground were smoothed over by the green carpet, but not filled in.

Even when I sat down, I had to keep watch of my center of balance; for if I leaned back a little in my chair, the chair leaned, too (and it wasn’t a recliner). It

kind of felt almost like I was sitting on one of those “quaking bogs” which comes about through a thick overlying mass of sphagnum moss developing in a swamp. The moss looks like solid ground, but “quakes” (shakes) when you step on it!

Prior to the beginning of the graveside service, I sat there reading the service’s program, which included the particulars of the deceased gentleman’s family life, work, and likes. I glanced up now and then to the gray, flower-festooned steel casket, in a possibly unconscious effort of connecting his information to him.

Glancing up from the casket’s gray steel, I saw the busy thoroughfare and thought about people spending a good bit of their lives hastening here and there within the metal walls of their automobiles, their means of conveyance. Looking back down to the casket, I started thinking of it as a sort of “conveyance” (but this thought smacks more of analogy than scripture).

Later, the wind kicked up, and the tent poles ceased being like supportive “columns,” and appeared as they are: tent poles.

So here we were, the “house” shook, and if you moved within your chair, the ground “quaked!”

At the end of her truly heartfelt homily, the minister led us in reciting the twenty-third psalm.

When we arose from our unsteady seats, an octogenarian minister

116 Years of Fashion

who had been an attendee of the service, and sitting beside me could hardly stand; as his right leg had fallen asleep.

I braced him to his right; and his wife braced him to his left (no attempt at Lord Tennyson here).

On the way to his car, two of the funeral men joined in support of his walking over the uneven ground. At this point, I made a rather awful joke to the effect that the ground of this cemetery is uneven because all of the holes haven’t been filled in yet (but the funeral men gave a chuckle).

The minister to whom we were

providing assistance has been one of the “Pillars of the Church” for many years, even as a professor in the seminary. So, in helping him, each of us became a supporting (maybe not “flying”) “buttress.”

On the way home, I reflected that the minister of the graveside service had sent us forth with scripture; and that immediately afterwards, we had joined together to help another in physical need.

And since from all accounts, the deceased had been a very good man; I think he would have been glad, and proud.