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Top 20 Restaurant of the Week: Alongi’s Italian Restaurant
Call toll-free: 800-228-0429 Cara Recine, Lifestyles and special projects editor cara.recine@thesouthern.com / ext. 5075 Adam Testa, Lifestyles writer adam.testa@thesouthern.com / ext. 5031 Brenda Kirkpatrick, lists, live music flipside@thesouthern.com / ext. 5089 Rhonda Ethridge, cover designer rhonda.ethridge@thesouthern.com / ext. 5118 J.C. Dart, online jennifer.dart@thesouthern.com / ext. 5183 The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-908) is published daily at a yearly subscription rate of $178. It is published at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. It is owned by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa.
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Upcoming Events
Valentine’s Day Dinner
February 14th (Doors open at 6pm)
Enjoy a Four Course Dinner, Catered by Kindling & Complemented by Blue Sky Wine. $125 per couple (Reservations required) Call for info. Music: Roxie Randle and Sheldon Lee Sweeney from Nashville Tenn. (Accoustic Americana)
Check out our wide variety of Wisconsin Cheeses, Sausages, Homemade Sandwiches, Chicken Pot Pies, Pizza, Soups, Breads w/Gourmet Olive Oil & Desserts. 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd. Makanda • 618-995-WINE www.blueskyvineyard.com WINTER HOURS: Mon.-Thur. 10:30-5:30 • Fri. 10:30-7:00 • Sat. 10:00-7:00 • Sun. 12-6:30
Page 2 Thursday, January 12, 2012 FLIPSIDE
Buy one entrée, get one free at featured dining establishments with the 2012 Top 20 Dining Card. Cards are $20; get one at our Carbondale office at 710 N. Illinois Ave. or at www.thesouthern.com/ top20. BY JOE SZYNKOWSKI FOR THE SOUTHERN
The owners and staff of Alongi’s Italian Restaurant are currently catching their collective breaths. They won’t have too much time to do so. After a record-breaking December of sales for the historic Du Quoin eatery, business doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. “December was our busiest month ever and it wasn’t even close,” said co-owner Guy Alongi III. “We beat our old busiest month by 20 percent. We were turning away hundreds of people.” Guy Alongi III and John Alongi II, grandsons of the original founder, are proud to continue to offer the great Italian food and hospitality that has made Alongi’s a Southern Illinois hotspot. Guy Alongi, an Italian immigrant from Sicily, came to the United States in 1902. After working in the mines, he opened a dry goods store with his brother Frank and later a beer and soft drink distributorship. In the years following prohibition, “Guy’s Place,” as Alongi’s was first known, was a saloon and the first business to introduce pizza into the region.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Alongi’s Italian Restaurant in downtown Du Quoin started serving Italian dishes in 1933 when Guy Alongi, an immigrant from Sicily, first established the restaurant.
Top 20 Restaurant of the Week: Alongi’s Italian Restaurant What: Pizza, pasta, steak, veal, chicken, seafood Where: 18 W. Main St., Du Quoin Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday Phone: 618-542-2468 In 1953 the business was passed on to sons Jerome “Mimi” and John. The brothers turned the small restaurant into a pillar of downtown Du Quoin. “We’re very proud of the family tradition here,” Guy Alongi III said. “It’s something you grow up knowing you are going to do.” In the 1990s, Alongi’s underwent an expansion into the old State Theater to build a waiting and dining area, bar, fireplace, and banquet room that can accommodate groups of up to 60.
The business is nearing completion on its redevelopment of old buildings next door to add outdoor dining for about 80 people, drive-through access and a parking garage. The outdoor patio was open for business last fall and will re-open when the weather warms back up. Indoors or outdoors, customers can expect an array of dining options at Alongi’s. The restaurant features a menu of pizza, traditional Italian appetizers, pasta dishes and seafood, beef and
chicken specialties. Signature entrees range from the seafood lover’s Tutto di Mare with shrimp, baby clams, crabmeat and mushrooms in Alongi’s special butter and garlic sauce over linguini, to traditional Italian Veal Marsala and Chicken Parmagiano. Alongi’s House Salad features fresh greens mixed with pepperoni, tomatoes, red onions, and shredded mozzarella topped with Alongi’s House Dressing. SEE ALONGI’S / PAGE 6
z MOVIES z MUSIC z WINERIES z COVER STORY z BOOKS z THINGS TO DO z
Ding, Ding, Ding! When the bell sounds Saturday in Marion, international superstars and stunning stories will give wrestling fans a show to remember All American Pro Wrestling’s ‘Main Event’ International stars Colt Cabana, El Generico and PAC; 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14; doors open at 5:30 p.m.; Black Diamond Harley-Davidson Warehouse, Marion; tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children at the door or at aapwrestling.com.
ADAM TESTA / THE SOUTHERN
Former AAPW Tag Team Champion Heath Hatton lifts his belt high into the air at an AAPW TV taping. On Saturday, he’ll face ‘Golden Boy’ Greg Anthony, who cost him his tag team titles last month.
BY JOE SZYNKOWSKI FOR THE SOUTHERN
nternationally known performers, intriguing storylines and top-notch entertainment: It’s official; Southern Illinois-based All American Pro Wrestling is becoming a major player on the independent Colt Cabana wrestling scene. Saturday night’s “Main Event” show at the Black Diamond HarleyDavidson El Generico Warehouse will settle any doubt, if there is any remaining among wrestling faithful. “We have PAC never had a show with this much hype, this much talent or this much excitement,” said AAPW Promoter Chris Hagstrom.
I
ADAM TESTA / THE SOUTHERN
AAPW Heavyweight Champion Edmund ‘Livewire’ McGuire (left) prepares to face off with ‘The Masterpiece’ Mike Masters at an AAPW event. This Saturday, McGuire will defend his championship in a no-disqualification match against ‘Old School Warrior’ Ax Allwardt, while Masters will face WSIL-TV 3 personality and AAPW commentator Kevin Hunsperger.
“This is to show all of the region, not just Southern Illinois, but the entire Midwest that AAPW is a force to be reckoned with.” AAPW was formed in 2006 and its popularity has grown steadily ever since, most recently with the help of the television series, “Collision,” which airs locally on WSIL-TV 3 and is broadcast online. Local fans have come to know AAPW mainstays like Heavyweight Champion Edmund “Livewire” McGuire and “3G” Eric Wayne, both of whom will be wrestling Saturday in Marion. International professionals will also be on full display. Hagstrom said fans will be flocking in from St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis and Nashville,
Tenn., for the chance to not only watch, but also interact with, worldwide superstars Colt Cabana, El Generico and PAC. “The crowd interaction on Saturday is something you will never get at the big-league wrestling events,” Hagstrom said. “The performers will be available before the matches for an autograph session. It’s such a big deal to the wrestlers to be able to do that for the fans. It brings a level of connection between them.” Chicago-based Colt Cabana relishes the opportunity to nurture the relationship between himself and his many fans.
MATCH CARD The show will feature: AAPW Heavyweight Champion Edmund ‘Livewire’ McGuire vs. ‘Old School Warrior’ Ax Allwardt in a nodisqualification match AAPW Play-By-Play Commentator Kevin Hunsperger vs. ‘The Masterpiece’ Mike Masters ‘Boom Boom’ Colt Cabana vs. ‘3G’ Eric Wayne Stacy O’Brien vs. Rebecca Raze PAC vs. El Generico Mississippi Madman and KC Jackson vs. Roscoe Dwayne Harris & Jimmy Wayne Faygo Heath Hatton vs. ‘Golden Boy’ Greg Anthony Pokerface has issued an open challenge A bonus match with more stars, including Jay Spade, Bull Bronson, Justice and ‘Playboy’ Paul Rose
SEE AAPW / PAGE 5
FLIPSIDE Thursday, January 12, 2012 Page 3
MOVIES
ART
MUSIC
WINERIES
THINGS TO DO
‘Live Your Dream’ is theme of King remembrance CARBONDALE — Minister, civil rights activist and 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. changed America, and a series of events at SIU Carbondale pays homage to the man and his legacy. The two-week commemoration begins Sunday and features a march and rally, films, discussions, a unity celebration, a voter registration drive and much more. David Goodson, adjunct instructor at the University of Northern Iowa, will deliver the keynote address Wednesday. He created the Transition Project Helping Hands in 1998 to assist formerly incarcerated felons, and in
2001, he founded the Passport program to help middle and high school students. Goodson began Social Action Inc., a non-profit umbrella organization under which many of his programs now operate, in 2002. Highlights include: Sunday, Jan. 15 Southern Illinois Unity Celebration: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; 4 p.m.; Carbondale Civic Center; attendees encouraged to bring canned goods to benefit local residents in need Monday, Jan. 16 30th Annual NAACP MLK Commemorative Breakfast; 7 a.m.; Grinnell Hall; $5; call 618-5272863 for information
Freedom for All March and Martin Luther King Rally; 11 a.m.; Grinnell Hall; rally and march in recognition of the legacy left by King as well as other activists Wednesday, Jan. 18 MLK Remembrance, featuring David Goodson; 7 p.m.; John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library Thursday, Jan. 19 Beyond the Dream: The Drum Major Instinct; 7 p.m.; Student Health Center Auditorium; explore King’s talks, including his 1968 “The Drum Major Instinct” just before his death For a full list of events during the celebration, visit flipsideonline.com. — University Communications
BOOKS
THINGS TO DO
Auditions Flute choir: For Southern Illinois Flute Choir, Jan. 17Jan. 31; flutists 16 and older; go to www.siflutes.org. “Billy Budd”: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, McLeod Theater, Communications Building, SIU; roles for 20 males or females who can portray males; performances April 26-29, McLeod Theater; 618-453-5741. “Crave”: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, C.H. Moe Theater, Communications Building, SIU; roles for two men and two women; performances, March 22-25, C.H. Moe Theater; 618-453-5741. At JALC: Rainbow Choir for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Wednesday, Jan. 25-Friday, Jan. 27, O’Neil Auditorium, John A Logan College, Carterville; performances, May 4-6; 618-599-6409; cynsings@frontier.com.
Authors, Books Kathie DeNosky: Book signing, 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan 14, Bookworm bookstore,
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FESTIVALS
Eastgate Shopping Center, Illinois 13 East, Carbondale; “Sex, Lies and the Southern Belle”; 618-457-2665. Southern Illinois Illustrated: History and Nostalgia by Bill Nunes, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, Marion Carnegie Library; also signing the book will be basketball players Greg Starrick and Rich Yunkus; children between the ages of 8-16 will receive a free, autographed book.
Classes Fiddling classes: For beginning and intermediate students start Jan. 23, John A. Logan College, Carterville; 618-985-2828 ext. 8248.
Events Comedy Improv: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Rend Lake College, Ina, 618-437-5321. Tribute: To Joe Liberto, local jazz musician who died in October, 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, Pinch Penny Pub, 700 E. Grand Ave., Carbondale; Liberto was a member of the group Mercy; all musicians
THEATER welcome to play at the tribute; 618-529-1713. “Monty Python’s Spamalot”: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, Carson Center, Paducah; $55/$42.50/$30; www.thecarsoncenter.org; www.montypythonsspamalot. com; 270-443-9932.
Films “Each Dawn I Die”: Starring Jimmy Cagney, 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Liberty Theater, 1333 Walnut St., Murphysboro; donations requested; concessions, $1; 618-684-5880. “Oklahoma”: Starring Gordon MacRae, 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, Liberty Theater, 1333 Walnut St., Murphysboro; donations requested; concessions, $1; 618-684-5880.
Theatre “The Taming of the Shrew”: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, the Carson Center, 100 Kentucky Ave., Paducah; $18/ $10; www.nationalplayers.org; 270-443-9932; www.the carsoncenter.org.
MOVIES
ART
MUSIC
WINERIES
THINGS TO DO
BOOKS
THINGS TO DO
New exhibits opening Saturday at Cedarhurst MOUNT VERNON — Three new exhibits will open at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts this weekend. The first, the 38th installment of The Scholastic Art Awards, displays contest entries from students in grades seven to 12 in 28 Southern Illinois counties. More than 580 works were submitted, and a panel of judges had the arduous task of selecting the best of the best. The works of the top award recipients from the regional program will be sent to New York for entry into the national competition. This exhibit will allow visitors the chance to see these pieces of art before they advance. The display will remain open
through Sunday, Feb. 12. Students will be recognized at an award ceremony at 3 p.m. that day in the Performance Hall. A second new exhibit will showcase highlights from the John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell Collection in the Beal Grand Corridor Gallery. These works are rarely seen items from Cedarhurst’s permanent collection and include objects d’ art, souvenirs and mementos from the exotic lands the Mitchells visited on their many adventures. Items on display include tusks from a safari, world coins, British silver and Hopi Indian pottery. This exhibit also closes Feb. 12. The third new exhibit, “Stretched Observations: Drawings by
AAPW: Saturday in Marion
THEATER
USA Today-ranked author to sign books
Christopher Troutman, will be housed in the Regenhardt Gallery in the Shrode Art Center. Troutman, a professor of art at Eastern Illinois University, explores the relationship between memory and pictorial expression in his large-scale charcoal and ink drawings. He has spent a large portion of his professional career in Japan, where he received the honor of being the first foreign resident of Kagoshima to be awarded the Grand Prize at the Kagoshima Prefectural Art Exhibition. Troutman will speak as part of a “Gallery Talk” event at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. An opening reception for all three new exhibits will follow at 6:30 p.m.
about playing to smaller crowds like the one that will be waiting for him different. You will never FROM PAGE 3 Saturday. see the same match from “For me it’s almost a me… I’m an improviser. He gained national game,” he said. “I want to When you come and see recognition from 2007 to be the one who fans me live, I’m always doing 2009 when he starred in remember when they go some different or wacky World Wrestling home. I want them to Entertainment — the top of with the crowd.” become my fan. That’s the During his time in the the wrestling food chain. way all of us think. We’re WWE, Cabana learned “Live entertainment is all fighting to be the most from some of the top some of the greatest form memorable on the card.” of entertainment,” Cabana wrestling professionals in Perhaps the most the world. He has taken said. “Even on TV, interesting twist to pieces from all of his wrestling is a spectacle in Saturday’s mayhem will be mentors and combined itself. It is much more the wrestling debut of them with his own style to WSIL-TV 3’s Kevin exciting when you see it live because you are able to form a unique approach in Hunsperger. The morningsee the art of pro wrestling the ring. show anchor/reporter is “I’m a big dude who can slated to battle “The in person.” Cabana not only smacks move,” Cabana said. “I Masterpiece” Mike around his opponents, but think it surprises some Masters. people. I am in the ring to he also cracks up the “This will be my first have a good time. I’m going and, most likely only, crowd. to make people laugh and He has toured the appearance in a enjoy themselves, but at country as a stand-up professional wrestling the same time, I am a comic and currently event,” said Hunsperger, competitor.” produces humorous who also serves as play-byIt’s that competitive commentaries, stories and play announcer for AAPW more for his podcast, “The spirit that makes Cabana “Collision.” want to leave his Art of Wrestling.” “I’ve been a fan of impression on fans in Cabana brings comedy wrestling for the last 30 inside the turnbuckles any Marion. He has wrestled in years and getting the front of 18,000 fans in jam- opportunity to do this was chance he gets. “Comedy is a big part of packed arenas and traveled one that I never thought the world, but there is my wrestling style,” he would happen. I’m just said. “It is what makes me something special, he said, hoping I don’t get hurt.”
FESTIVALS
CARBONDALE — Best-selling author Kathie DeNosky of Herrin will sign copies of her romance novels at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at Bookworm. DeNosky, who will be conducting her first signing in about six years, has written 30 books since May 2000, and her works have received numerous awards, including two National Reader’s Choice Awards, a Write Touch Reader’s Award and several Awards of Excellence from the Reviewer’s International Organization, among others. She was recently named to USA Today’s top 50 authors list. DeNosky has seen her books translated into 26 different languages, and has two million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her newest book is “Sex, Lies and the Southern Belle,” which tells of a scandal that has flipped heiress Lily Kincaid’s world upside down. The book is part of the “Harlequin Desire” series and sells for $4.99. Other titles by DeNosky will also be available for signing Saturday. — Adam Testa
— Adam Testa
This won’t be Hunsperger’s first time experiencing pain. Two years ago, he agreed to be Tasered on air by co-anchor Emily Eddington. “I figure if I can handle the Taser,” I can handle a little time in the ring,” Hunsperger joked. Hunsperger has been training with professionals to prepare for his debut, but he is still finalizing his match strategy, theme music and, of course, wrestling wardrobe. “I haven’t picked it out yet, but I’m sure I’ll go with a simple track suit or something,” Hunsperger said. “But since I’m not an actual wrestler, I’m probably going to avoid the tights.” Experience Hunsperger’s wardrobe for yourself by purchasing tickets to Saturday’s event — $10 for adults and $8 for children, available at www.aapwrestling.com. One lucky fan in attendance will walk away with two tickets to the WWE Royal Rumble on Jan. 29 in St. Louis.
FLIPSIDE Thursday, January 12, 2012 Page 5
MOVIES
ART
MUSIC
WINERIES
Charles Hammond’s VisionQuest: Southeastern Extravaganza: Little Egypt Illinois College, Art Gallery, Art Centre, 601 Tower Harrisburg; photo collages; Square, Marion; features hours, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., artwork, photographs, Monday-Friday; through Jan. jewelry; through Jan. 15; 22; 618-252-5400. 618-998-8530 or Cheonae Kim: Giving www.littleegyptarts.com. Back, Varsity Center for the Arts, Varsity Gallery, Carbondale; through end of Exhibits January; 618-457-5100. Visiting Artist Series: Janet Bixler: Paintings, Melena Howard, Rend Lake Harrisburg District Library; College, Ina, RLC Theatre through Feb. 5; art for sale. Lobby; Jan. 13-March 2; Creative Visions: Features 618-437-5321. the work of ceramic artist LEAA High School Art Greg Gibbs, woodworker Joe Show: Jan. 16 – Feb. 19, Little Landon, sculptor Darren Egypt Art Centre, 601 Tower Miller, glass artist Michelle Square, Marion; annual Rial, painter Nina Weiss and competition for high school jewelry artist Sandra students; awards presented Wilcoxon, Southern Illinois at a reception 2 p.m. Sunday, Art and Artisans Center, Feb. 19; 618-993-2564. Whittington; free; through Skirting Convention: March 15; 618-629-2220. Illinois Women Artists, The Legacy of Katherine 1840-1940: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Kuh: Building the University’s Tuesday through Saturday Art Collection, University and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Museum, SIU; Katherine Kuh, Lakeview Museum of Arts art critic for the Saturday and Sciences, Peoria, Review, purchased art for SIU through Jan. 16 and Quincy including major artists of the Art Center, Quincy, Feb. 10 20th Century; through May through March 18. Works by 11; www.museum.siu.edu or 72 women from Illinois. 618-453-5388.
Art Events
THINGS TO DO
From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln’s Illinois 1830-1861: Illinois State Museum at Rend Lake presents Part II of an exhibition exploring the state Lincoln called home, Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center, Whittington; through May 13; 618-6292220. Ongoing art exhibit: Photographs of Juhree Veach, mosaics from Janet Altoff and sculpture from Tom Horn, StarView Vineyards, 5100 Wing Hill Road, Cobden; 618-893-9463 or www.starview vineyards.com. Jo Loomis: Williamson County Pavilion, Marion; 618-889-5330 or vanjol@frontier.com.
Receptions Paducah Photographers Club: Opening reception, 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, The Tribeca Gallery, 127 Market House Square, downtown Paducah; featuring more than 20 photographers’ work; through March 6; plumbart@bellsouth.net.
BOOKS
THINGS TO DO
The Scholastic Art Awards: Opening reception, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, Mitchell Museum Main Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; open to students in grades 7-12 in 28 southern Illinois counties; gallery talk by artist Christopher Troutman, 6 p.m. Saturday, Shrode Art Center; 618-2421236; www.cedarhurst.org. Teen Spirit 2012: Showcases high school artwork, The Yeiser Art Center, Paducah; opening reception, 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; through Feb. 11; participating schools from Paducah, Tennessee and Metropolis; 270-442-.2453; www.theyeiser.org. A Journey of Contemporary African American Artists: Art show reception, 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, Shawnee Community College, Ullin; artwork by DeSande R, Najjar AbdulMusawwir, Robert Ketchens, David Crim and Malcolm McCrae; celebration of African American artists; refreshments, music; 618-322-9181.
FESTIVALS
ANDREA UNDERWOOD
THEATER
ANDY ELLER
Tribeca Gallery displaying local photographers’ work PADUCAH — Local photographers will be the focus of the next showing at the Tribeca Gallery in downtown Paducah. An opening reception for an exhibit of works by the Paducah Photographers Club will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. tonight, Jan. 12, at the gallery, 127 Market House Square. The club will be featuring more than 20 photographers’ works showing a variety of styles, subjects and techniques. Sue Henry founded the club in 2008 to promote the enjoyment of
photography by offering a forum for like-minded people with a common interest in photography. Club members use a range of cameras and put attention on composition, focus, exposure, lighting, methodology and technique. They host monthly photo contests and other special events. Meetings take place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at the Broadway Church of Christ, 2855 Broadway St. For more information, contact president Bonni Littleton at bonni.littleton @gmail.com. — Adam Testa
ALONGI’S: Top 20 Restaurant FROM PAGE 2 Diners can accompany their dinners with selections from Alongi’s wine list, the hallmark of which is Arancio Nero D’Avola. Alongi’s also serves local wines from Alto Vineyards and Pheasant Hollow Winery. Alongi’s has seen a big boost in business over the past couple of years, thanks in part to national
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events hosted by the nearby Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. Car races, rodeos and flea markets bring in new customers, which Guy Alongi III likes to remind people is open seven days a week. “Some people think we’re closed on Sundays and Mondays when we haven’t been for years,” he said. “We’re here and always ready for our customers.”
DIRECTIONS & DIGITS
WEEK OF JAN. 12-JAN. 18
CRAVING KARAOKE? Karaoke and DJ lists are online at www.flipsideonline.com.
WANT TO BE LISTED? Call 618-351-5089 or email brenda.kirkpatrick@thesouthern.com. TONIGHT Coffeehouses, Cafés and Eateries Wil Maring/Robert Bowlin: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, Yellow Moon Café, 110 N. Front St., Cobden; www.yellowmooncafe.com; 618-893-2233.
Wineries Alto Vineyards: Illinois 127, Alto Pass, www.AltoVineyards.net or 618-893-4898 Blue Sky Vineyard: 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road, Makanda; 618-995-9463 or www.blueskyvineyard.com The Bluffs Vineyard and Winery: 140 Buttermilk Hill Road, Ava; 618-763-4447 or www.thebluffswinery.com. Honker Hill Winery: 4861 Spillway Road, Carbondale: 618-549-5517 Lincoln Heritage Winery: 772 Kaolin Road, Cobden; 618-833-3783 Rustle Hill Winery: US 51, Cobden; 618-893-2700 or www.rustlehillwinery.com StarView Vineyards: 5100 Wing Hill Road, Cobden; 618- 893-9463 or starviewvineyards.com Von Jakob Orchard: 230 Illinois 127, Alto Pass; 618-893-4600 or www.vonjakobvineyard.com Walker’s Bluff: North on Reed Station Road, Carterville; 618-985-8463 or www.walkersbluff.com
BENTON Duncan Dance Barn:: Spring Pond Opry Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m. CARBONDALE Hangar 9: Jason and The Scorchers; 30th Anniversary, 8 p.m. WHITE ASH Scarlett’s Music Barn: Country Music Band, 7-10 p.m.
SUNDAY MARION Marion Eagles: Salty Dog, 6-10 p.m.
MONDAY CARBONDALE Tres Hombres: Delta Blues with Alex Kirt, 9 p.m. MARION Marion Youth Center: Ragtag Band, 7-10 p.m.
TUESDAY MARION Hideout Restaurant: Bob Pina, piano 5:30-8:30 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Mike’s Band, 7-10 p.m. WEST FRANKFORT Colyer’s: Righteous Rebel Band, 7-11 p.m. WB Ranch Barn: WB Ranch Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY CARBONDALE Hangar 9: The Royal Smokestacks, 9 p.m. Tres Hombres: Soul Glo, 10 p.m. HERRIN N-Kahootz Night Club: Subject to Change Band, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. INA Ina Community Building: Friday Night Jam Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
SPILLERTOWN Track Side Dance Barn: The Roger Black Band, 7-10 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Old Country Store Dance Barn: Jeanita Spillman & The Sentimental Swing Band, 7-10 p.m. WHITTINGTON Corner Dance Hall: Rebel Country Band, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
SATURDAY CARBONDALE Hangar 9: Giant City Slickers, 9 p.m. Tres Hombres: Leadfoot, 10 p.m. HERRIN N-Kahootz Night Club: Craig Curtis, 8 p.m.midnight MARION Hideout Restaurant: Bob Pina, piano 5:30-9:30 p.m. Marion American
Legion: Triple Shot, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Marion Eagles: Salty Dog, 7-11 p.m. Ramesses: South of 70, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Swing “N” Country Band, 7-9:30 p.m. Old Country Store Dance Barn: Lil’ Boot & Classic Country, 7-10 p.m.
20’s Hideout Restaurant: 2602 Wanda Drive, Marion 618-997-8325 Anna VFW: 70 VFW Lane, Anna 618-8335182 Carbondale Eagles: 1206 W. Linden, Carbondale 618-529-9345 Coloni’s Bar & Grill: 3 Park Plaza, Herrin 618-988-5341 Corner Dance Hall: 200 Franklin St., Whittington 618-303-5266 Coulterville VFW: 511 VFW St., Coulterville 618-758-9009 Diver Down: 199 E. Main St., Golconda 618-683-3483 Duncan Dance Barn: 13545 Spring Pond Road, Benton 618-435-6161 Enrico’s: 208 S. Main St., Royalton 618984-2071 Hangar 9: 511 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale; 618-549-0511. Hurley’s: 1504 W. Broadway Boulevard, Johnston City John Brown’s on the Square: 1000 Tower Square, Marion 618-997-2909 Key West: 1108 W. Main, Carbondale 618-351-5998 Kip & Traci’s Colonial Club: 1602 Old Creal Springs Road, Marion 618-9976989 Linemen’s Lounge: 100 E. Broadway, Johnston City Lion’s Cave: South Street, Thompsonville 618-218-4888 Mack’s Lake of Egypt Marina: 12024 Laguna Drive, Lake of Egypt 618Maddie’s Pub and Grub: 14960 Illinois 37, Johnston City 618-983-8107 Marion American Legion: Longstreet Road, Marion 618-997-6168 Marion Eagles: Rural Route 3, Marion 618-993-6300 Marion Elks: .204 S. Market St., Marion 618-993-3151 Marion Youth Center: 211 E. Boulevard St., Marion 618-922-7853 Mollie’s: 107 E. Union St., Marion 618997-3424 Murphysboro Elks Lodge: 1809 Shomaker Drive Murphysboro 618684-4541. Murphysboro Moose Lodge: 9663 Old Illinois 13; Murphysboro 618-6843232 Old Country Store Dance Barn: Main Street, Thompsonville 618-218-4676 Park Plaza Pub: 3 Park Plaza, Herrin, 618-988-1556 Perfect Shot Bar & Billiards: 3029 S. Park Ave., Herrin, 618-942-4655 Pinch Penny Pub/Copper Dragon: 700 E. Grand, Carbondale 618-549-3348 PK’s: 308 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale 618-529-1124 Pyramid Acres Marina: 12171 Marina Road, Marion 618-964-1184 Scarlett’s Music Barn: 207 Potter St., White Ash 618-997-4979 Stan’s Place: Shawneetown 618-2693083 Steelhorse Saloon and Campground: 202 Dewmaine Lane, Carterville 618985-6713 Trackside Dance Barn: 104 Rock St., Spillertown 618-993-3035 Tres Hombres: 119 N. Washington St., Carbondale 618-457-3308 WB Ranch Barn: 1586 Pershing Road, West Frankfort 618-937-3718 Wit and Wisdom Nutritional Site: 225 E. Poplar St., West Frankfort 618-9373070 Xrossroads: 101 Rushing Drive, Herrin 618-993-8393 Zeigler Eagles: 114 N. Main St., Zeigler 618-596-5651
FLIPSIDE Thursday, January 12, 2012 Page 7
MOVIES Concerts Southern Illinois Pianist Corey Hamm: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall, SIU; 618-536-8742. Travis Tritt: 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, Shryock Auditorium, SIU; $39; acoustic performance described as free-form and spontaneous; just Tritt and his guitar; www.southern ticketsonline.com.
Kentucky Merle Haggard: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, the Carson Center, 100 Kentucky Ave., Paducah; $120-$25; 270-443-9932; www.thecarsoncenter.org. Kentucky Opry Talent Search: 7:30 p.m. every Saturday night, Jan. 21April 7, Kentucky Opry, 88 Chilton Lane, Benton, Ky.; www.kentuckyopry.com; 888-459-8704.
ART
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THINGS TO DO
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THINGS TO DO
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THEATER
Be a Southern Starr: Competition to feature region’s top talent COUNTRY SCENE Vince Hoffard
Southern Starr Singing Competition 7 p.m. Jan. 27, Marion Cultural and Civic Center; tickets are $10 for general admission and $20 for VIP seating; for more information, call Mike Ben Avi at 618-751-2978. here have been enough books, brochures and pamphlets written to fill a dozen large “Storage Wars” units identifying the path a person must take if they hope to find success in the music world. These self-help guides have been studied by countless individuals hoping to find that magic formula that will turn them into superstars as they took the first step toward the national stage by trying out for “American Idol,”
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Page 8 Thursday, January 12, 2012 FLIPSIDE
“America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice” or “Nashville Star.” All the reading could’ve been condensed to one worn-out cliché. If a person is going to win, they must have the “it” factor. Carrie Underwood had it. So did Chris Young. Because Southern Illinois is so far away from metropolitan areas where open casting calls for these national events are conducted, local talent may have not have had the opportunity to enter these popular events and, thus, remain undiscovered. Two local businessmen are hoping that will change. Jim Gentile of Herrin and Mike Ben Avi of Marion have created the Southern Starr Singing Competition, which will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at Marion Cultural and Civic Center. The program will feature 20 of the best vocalists from the region competing for various prizes. First place wins $500, with second receiving $300 and third cashing in $200. The top six finishers get to appear on a special sixsong project produced by Steve Hornbeak of 326 Productions in Tamms. All proceeds from the event and CD sales will be donated to Angels’ Cove in Mount Vernon, an organization dedicated to helping young women facing an unplanned pregnancy with maternity care, adoption services and foster care. Open auditions for the contest are free to all contestants and will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 at 1301 Enterprise Way in Marion, next to Rural King. Gentile is very optimistic about the
auditions. Earlier this week, about 40 individuals had committed to participating, and the list is growing. “I envision the Marion Police Department having to send out a fleet of cars to control traffic. I can see news helicopters in the sky from St. Louis and CNN reports of the massive crowds in Little Egypt as people pursue a dream, some of them walking for miles in the cold with holes in their shoes, just to show the world they have the ‘it’ factor,” Gentile said, without coming up for air. No matter how many people audition, Gentile said judges will narrow the field down to the best 20. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, there are no age restrictions,” Gentile said. “And it doesn’t matter if they are singing campfire songs, show tunes or are thinking they may be the next Mariah Carey; they all will be scored equally. This isn’t about one genre of music. We are looking at all styles and picking the best voices.” Gentile said he met Ben Avi, a native of Jerusalem, at an event they were both working on at Rent One Park in Marion. They expressed a desire to collaborate on a project. “We had this immediate connection,” Gentile said. “We both are big dreamers. We are both very passionate about this project. We think it could lead to great things for some extremely talented Southern Illinois performers.” Hornbeak is the musical director for the project. He recently moved his studio from Nashville to his hometown of Tamms. A
PROVIDED
Steve Hornbeak of 326 Productions will produce a CD featuring the top six finalists of the Southern Starr Singing Competition, which will take place Jan. 27 in Marion.
‘And it doesn’t matter if they are singing campfire songs, show tunes ... This isn’t about one genre of music. We are looking at all styles and picking the best voices.’ JIM GENTILE, CO-CREATOR OF SOUTHERN STARR SINGING COMPETITION
gifted keyboardist, he has played on the road with Lee Greenwood and Faith Hill and currently tours with rock star Richard Marx and country act John Michael Montgomery. 326 Productions specializes in custom CD projects, background tracks, demos, jingles, artist development and promotion packages and various types of music
clinics. Hornbeak will produce the six-song CD, featuring the voices of the top six finishers. Gentile said the CD will feature songs of hope, which is a theme conveyed by the staff at Angel’s Cove for the women needing services. VINCE HOFFARD can be reached at 618-658-9095; vincehoffard@ yahoo.com .
MOVIES
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WINERIES
THINGS TO DO
Pianist set to perform and teach classes CARBONDALE — The School of Music at Southern Illinois University Carbondale welcomes pianist and new music specialist Corey Hamm to campus next week. Hamm, assistant professor of piano and chamber music at the University of British Columbia, and director of the UCB Contemporary Players, will present a solo piano performance at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall on campus. The program features “The People United Will Never Be Defeated!” a composition by contemporary musician and piano prodigy Frederic Rzewski. The work is a set of variations on a Chilean song, and, as the title implies, contains allusions to social struggles. Besides the performance, Hamm will also work with students in a workshop and masterclass. The workshop begins at 10 a.m. and runs until noon on Jan. 20 in Altgeld Hall, Room 110. The masterclass is also from 10 a.m. until noon, and takes place on Jan. 21 in the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. All events are free and open to the public. To join the workshop or masterclass, contact the School of Music at 618-536-8742. — University Communications
BOOKS
THINGS TO DO
FESTIVALS
Guy Clark “Songs and Stories” *** Country/blues Various artists “This The Little Willies “For the One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark” *** Good Times” *** He turned 70 in The Little Willies are a bunch of musical buddies November, so this is a good time to renew who get together from time to time to sing their appreciation for Guy Clark. The sage Texas favorite country songs, troubadour, now based in and you probably Tennessee, creates songs wouldn’t care one lick the way he makes guitars, about them if their top with seemingly effortless singer wasn’t named Norah Jones. But it is, and craftsmanship and plenty of heart. These two sets Little Willies albums — capture the breadth of his “For the Good Times” is down-home profundity. the second, proving “Songs and Stories” 2006’s self-titled debut finds Clark in his ideal wasn’t a one-off — are setting, sitting and more fun than Jones’ picking with four other albums because they’re musicians, including marked by a just-forShawn Camp and Verlon the-heckof-it quality. Thompson. The acoustic That’s not meant to downplay the quality of format suits Clark’s the musicianship of the craggy voice and the sextet, which features conversational nature of Richard Julian taking a his singing, allowing his lead vocal here and there songs and stories to — most effectively on unfold to best effect. Willie Nelson’s brilliant “This One’s for Him,” “Permanently Lonely.” with 30 songs on two Julian teams with Jones CDs, gives an idea of how most effectively on Hank well-respected Clark is Williams’ “Lovesick among his peers. The Blues.” Of particular note, performances never stray too, is “Foul Owl on the far from Clark’s own Prowl,” a rarity cowritten low-key approach, but by Quincy Jones for the they do make you marvel 1967 movie “In the Heat anew at the quiet power of the Night.” of a master songwriter.
CDs
PROVIDED
Lacie Goff will perform at two local wineries this weekend.
Fresh off European study, Goff returns for concert MAKANDA — Fresh off a semester-long adventure in Europe, documented in the pages of Flipside, Lacie Goff will return to Southern Illinois for one last set of musical performances before heading home to California. Goff, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter and daughter of Janice Gualdoni of Herrin, is studying communication and journalism at California Lutheran University in Los Angeles, but music has always been her passion. This past semester, she
had the opportunity to travel to Italy, where she studied and immersed herself in local culture. Goff’s first performance of the weekend will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at GenKota Winery, 301 N. 44th St. in Mount Vernon. The following night, she will make her third appearance at Blue Sky Vineyard, 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road in Makanda. Goff plays a mix of original and cover songs, mostly from the acousticpop genre.
COMING ATTRACTIONS Jan 21 - Big Talent Search $3000 prize money and New Guitar For more info go to www.oprytalentsearch.com or call 888-459-8704
Feb 10 - Kentucky Opry presents:Winter Dance Party The Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens Carson Center (270) 450-4444
Feb 24 - The Gibson Brothers Bluegrass Show Winners of IBMA Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year
THEATER Pop Ladysmith Black Mambazo “Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends” *** This new double-disc collection is not a greatest hits collection, but it plays like one: several collaborations, and the guests range widely, from Dolly Parton to various club remixers. A few cuts suffer from dated, late’80s production that diminishes the strength of Black Mambazo’s personality, but overall, this set is a stirring and varied showcase for one of the great vocal groups of our time. — McClatchy-Tribune News
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FLIPSIDE Thursday, January 12, 2012 Page 9
MOVIES
ART
MUSIC
WINERIES
THINGS TO DO
BOOKS
THINGS TO DO
FESTIVALS
THEATER
‘Joyful Noise’ a cheerful, campy musical ‘Joyful Noise’ ** Rated PG-13 for some language including a sexual reference; starring Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, and Keke Palmer; directed by Todd Graff; opening Friday at ShowPlace 8 in Carbondale and AMC Centre 8 in Marion BY ROGER MOORE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS STUDIO
‘Joyful Noise,’ starring Dolly Parton (left) and Queen Latifah, opens Friday in Carbondale and Marion.
“Joyful Noise,” sort of a “Glee!”-meets-gospel
music choral competition musical, makes a pleasant enough racket. A cheerful, not-quite-off-color crowd-pleaser that rarely breaks formula, it’s the big screen equivalent of a sloppy smooch from your over-affectionate aunt over the holidays. You grimace. You stand there and take it. And you don’t let anybody see you grin afterward. Writer-director Todd Graff, who specializes in this sort of cheerful, campy musical (“Camp”) lured Dolly Parton back from the surgically altered wilderness and paired her with Queen Latifah. They play two big belters with competing visions of how their integrated, uplifting small-town church choir can win the big Joyful Noise choir contest. Will they wear the robes, keep the showmanship to a minimum and perform unadulterated gospel pop? Or will they show some flash, adapt mainstream love songs of the past and rock the house? You remember “Sister Act.” You know the answer to that.
Vi Rose (Latifah) takes over as choir director when their longtime director (Kris Kristofferson) has a heart attack and dies after a performance. G.G. (Parton), his widow and the choir’s big financial benefactor, isn’t happy about that. But she grits her teeth and carries on, delivering homespun wisecracks along the way. Graff delights in those, and scatters Southern similes through the script, zingers delivered by Dolly and the other Pacashau, Ga., Sacred Divinity Church choir members. “You’re so country, you’ve been married three times and you’ve still got the same in-laws!” “Don’t you look as happy as a puppy waggin’ two tails!” And this Vi Rose warning: “There’s always free cheese in the mouse trap!” She drops that one on her pretty soloist daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer). Olivia needs to hear it because the boys are noticing her, especially G.G.s randy grandson,
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Randy (Jeremy Jordan). He’s got talent that only comes out when he joins the choir to hit on Olivia. Then there’s Vi Rose’s other kid, Walter (Dexter Darden), whose Asperger’s Syndrome takes the form of an obsession with songs of one-hit wonders. Graff’s script is a real cut-and-paste-from-thezeitgeist affair, from the movie disease of choice (Asperger’s) to the hard times. Pacashau is a dying town suffering in a down economy. Vi Rose is essentially a single mom because her husband is in the Army. And Graff made his script sellable by tilting it toward the younger characters. What he fails to do in this “big game” formula film is to give the story a villaint. He rubs the edges off his two leads, who harmonize onstage and barely set off sparks in their arguments offstage. The parent-child fights feel forced. The choir’s big rivals are underdeveloped, and the pastor (Courtney B. Vance, of course) isn’t that much of a threat to “shut down the choir.” Graff gave his PG comedy a PG-13 edge by peppering the script with profanity and winking at premarital sex. But the music, which includes gospel takes on “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Man in the Mirror” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Higher,” makes this a fine showcase for the voices, and everybody gets a solo. In a movie marketplace that embraced a perfectly awful exorcism film last weekend, you’d hope Keke, Dolly and the Queen could lift their voices and lure in the faithful. This cheese doesn’t come with a mousetrap.
MOVIES
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THINGS TO DO
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THINGS TO DO
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New on DVD
Gangsters and musicals back on big screen at the Liberty on weekends MURPHYSBORO — Jimmy Cagney returns to the big screen in his most renowned gangster movies Fridays this month, as the Liberty Theater resumes its movie schedule. And, on Saturday nights, the songs and the stars stir a collection of the best of the best musicals. On Friday, Jan. 13, the 1939 film “Each Dawn I Die” with Cagney and George Raft will be screened. Saturday’s feature will be “Oklahoma” with Gordon MacRaw, Gloria Graham and Gene Nelson. The retro hits continue next weekend, as Cagney’s “City for Conquest,” co-starring Ann Sheridan plays on Friday, Jan. 20, and “My Fair Lady” with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison runs on Saturday, Jan. 21. The series wraps up on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20 and 27, with 1949’s “White Heat” and Julie Andrews’ “Sound of Music.” All shows begin at 7 p.m. and admission is by requested donation. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Concessions are available for $1, and all proceeds support the Liberty Theater. — Adam Testa
THEATER
STUDIO
‘Carnage,’ starring John C. Reilly (from left), Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet, opens Friday.
No blood and guts, but ‘Carnage’ titled right ’Carnage’ ***1/2 Rated R for language; starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly; directed by Roman Polanski; opening Friday at University Place 8 in Carbondale. BY ROGER MOORE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS
They try to keep things civil. It’s what enlightened urban bourgeoisie do. Yeah, one family’s son whacked the other family’s son in the face with a stick in the heat of an argument at a New York City park. But they’re 11. And we’ve seen the altercation under the opening credits. No sense losing one’s cool over that. But “Carnage” is all about losing one’s cool. Two couples — four parents — meet and over 75 increasingly testy and often hilarious minutes, they charm, bicker, cajole, parse words, reason with and bait one
another in this very entertaining Roman Polanski film based on a French play. Alliances shift at characters attempt to defuse the debate. It’s one couple vs. the other couple, then one husband and the other wife against the other two, then wives team up against husbands. Yasmina Reza constructed a delicious “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” for the age of helicopter parents — hovering over their kids, obsessing over everything. One minute, it’s the guys (John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz) shrugging, “Boys will be boys,” the next it’s the victim’s mom (Jodie Foster) shrieking “Their son is a threat to Homeland Security!” Then the guys mix it up, the housewares seller (Reilly) pushing the buttons of the corporate lawyer (Waltz). The kids issue fades into the background as egos and value systems clash.
“I held my own, right?” Was the one boy “armed” or just “carrying a stick?” The wording matters to the lawyer and his businesswoman wife (Kate Winslet). That’s because the other parents are insisting on their boy’s victimhood. Michael (Reilly) tries to agree with everybody at once. His wife, Penelope (Foster), is a shrill idealist who wants to hold the whole world accountable. Alan (Waltz) has this crisis at the office and a cellphone that won’t stop ringing. And Nancy (Winslet) would love to find common ground, get this meeting over with and have the boys shake hands. “So many parents just take their child’s side,” she says, affecting a conciliatory and superior air. Then Penelope says something to bring things back to a boil: “I don’t understand how you can be so uninvolved!” Foster is the most wound-up of the players, but there isn’t a bad turn in this quartet. Waltz’s
imperious, crude, cruel lawyer stands out. He’s riveting as a guy who thinks of himself as some sort of macho Wall Street killer, a fellow with a gift for speaking truths that none of the other three want to hear. “Carnage” is very close to a filmed play. But Polanski, filming this mostly in close-ups and tight, tense two-shots, plops these four into a crucible and grinds away. And once the coffee’s been sipped and the whiskey has been uncorked, ugly truths about prejudices and pets and parenting, couples with secrets, men married to their work and women married to their causes, pour out. There’s no literal blood, no entrails or visible battle wounds. But they titled this one right. When these parents meet, argue and part, what’s we’re left to ponder is a field littered with the dead and wounded — carnage at its most personal and emotional.
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. Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Pratt. Directed by Bennett Miller. Rated PG-13. 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 assassins dispatched by a cunning leader. Starring Jason Statham and Clive Owen. Directed by Gary McKendry. Rated R. Jane Eyre: A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers he’s hiding a terrible secret. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell. Directed by Cary Fukunaga. Rated PG-13. Les Miserables: An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel set in 19thcentury France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption. Starring Roger Allam, Alun Armstrong and Samantha Barks. Directed by Nick Morris. Not rated. The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption: Since his rise to power, Mathayus’ kingdom has fallen. Now an assassin for hire, he must defend a kingdom from an evil tyrant and his ghost warriors for the chance to regain the power and glory he once knew. Starring Victor Webster and Ron Perlman. Directed by Roel Reiné. Rated PG-13. — Adam Testa
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Page 12 Thursday, January 12, 2012 FLIPSIDE