Vol. 1 No. 17

03.05.14 - VOL. 1, NO. 17 - WACOWEEKLY.COM

Throwdown in Wacotown: Growing coffee culture cultivates friendly competition

contents

03.06-03.12 meet the team PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Shepperd EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matt Shepperd EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sara Gilmore BUSINESS MANAGER Leisha Shepperd MANAGING EDITOR Chris Zebo CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bekah Skinner ASST. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kaitlin Vickers WRITERS

Essentials: Listen Discover Taste Play Look

3 6 10 11 14

Randle Browning Sara Gilmore Cheyenne Mueller Luke Murray

Cover Story:

As the coffee culture grows in the Waco area, 6 one local stop is whipping up a little friendly competition.

INTERNS Haley Clark Katy DeLuna April Elkins Alex Gieger Brittany Holm Avery Moore Kelly Porter Heydy Sanches Kyla Spaugh Camille Youngblood

Waco Weekly is an independent, publication and is not affiliated with the city of Waco.

Taste 9 - Randle reminisces of her pasta “experiences” in this week’s Our Town Table.

Listen 4 - Eli Young Band is

Look 15 - Cheyenne gives

back with another studio a rundown of this week’s top 20 box album. But have they sold out to the machine? office films.

Find out in this week’s review.

Opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editor, publisher or the newspaper staff. Waco Weekly is not liable for omissions, misprints or typographical errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. © Copyright 2014 Campus Press LP

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Josh Ward at Wild West Waco

By Haley Clark

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Country singer Josh Ward credits some of the genre’s greats, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and George Strait, as some of his most influential inspirations. However, despite his inspirations, Ward is making his own name in country music.

#WacoWeeklyGram

Ward’s roots started with him singing gospel hymns at his church. He went on to form his first band in 2003 and played local venues here and there. Since then, Ward has gained ample experience and branched out to make his dream of a permanent country music career a reality.

Ward released his latest album, Promises, in June 2012 and his single “Get Away” was a success. “Get Away” reached number 18 on the Texas Regional Radio chart while his hit “Rainout Hangout” soared to fill the number five slot on the charts. Ward achieved his first #1 spot with “Sent Me You” in April of last year and another #1 with his single “Promises”, his fourth single. To add to the success, his most recent single “Hard Whiskey” was released in November and reached the Top 10 on the Texas charts. Ward was also named 2013 New Male Vocalist of the Year at the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards.

He is nominated for the second year in a row at the Texas Regional Radio Awards with a Song of the Year nomination for “Sent Me You.” He will be playing at Wild West Waco on March 7 at 8pm. Tickets are available for purchase at wildwestwaco.com.

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ELI YOUNG BAND Album: 10,000 Towns

Release Date: March 3, 2014

Rating: Sounds Like: Josh Abbott Band Randy Rogers Montgomery Gentry

Reviewed by Katy De Luna

Tracklist: Drunk Last Night 10,000 Towns Dust Angel Like You Let’s Do Something Tonight Your Last Broken Heart What Does A Lot Like Love Just Add Moonlight Revelations Prayer for the Road

This brings us to 2014, where the band is set to debut 10,000 Towns on March 8. The album has a number one hit with “Drunk Last Night”, and the single has already been downloaded over 600,000 times. 10,000 towns has its share of love songs with tracks like “Just Add Moonlight”, and “Your Last Broken Heart”, which is an upbeat song about promises in relationships. “Prayer For the Road” is one of the best tracks on the album, an uplifting storyteller with a Dierks Bently’s style all over it. Overall, the album is what EYB fans expect from them, and new fans are certain to gravitate towards another solid album by the boys.

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••••••

Eli Young Band has been on a continuous upward rise since their beginnings in 2002. In 2005, they gained the attention of CMT and GAC after opening for Miranda Lambert on her tour. In 2008, their second chart single “Always the Love Songs” peaked at number 11 on Billboard. Then, in 2011, their album Life at Best soared them to a number one platinumselling single with “Crazy Girl.” 2012 lead them to three Academy of Country Awards nominations, two Grammy nominations, and one ACM nomination.

10,000 Towns Let’s Do Something Tonight A Lot Like Love

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Recommended Tracks:

ScHoolboy Q

“Oxymoron”

Release Date: Feb. 25, 2014 Reviewed by Heydy Sanches On February 25th, ScHoolboy Q released his third studio album as well as one of the highest anticipated rap albums of the year, Oxymoron. The L.A. based artist has completely blown away all critics with 12 tracks that capture real moments of his life– from the streets, to the studio, to the stage. This album takes a thorough look into the man behind the music. Moreover, Q collaborated with other well-known artist such as Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Suga Free, and many others.

Easily described as complicated, Q’s duality and his new release most likely won’t be put in the hip-hop hall of fame, but it will meet the difficult task of attracting new fans without drifting too far from his underground persona—the persona that’s attracted his current core audience.

Kid Cudi

“Satellite Flight”

Release Date: Feb. 25, 2014 Reviewed by Heydy Sanches SURPRISE! At least that’s what Kid Cudi decided to do with this surprise album to all his “Fellow Galaxy Travelers” (also known as his fans). If you’re looking for an album that will take you on a trippy journey, this is for you. Before Cudi became a rapper, he was a rocker, and Satellite Flight definitely shows that he still retains that variability.

This album is beyond rap. It adds a modern tone that his last three albums didn’t possess. “I know that people are really going to love this music. It’s perfect and brings them right back to the Man on the Moon theme,” Cudi said in an interview with MTV. Flight unearths a new facet to Cudi but nevertheless keeps his signature sound in the galaxy his fans love.

Contact Us At 254.716.0973 or Info@deuxtone.com

Design | Branding | Web wacoweekly.com • March 5, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • p 5

Growing coffee culture cultivates friendly competition

By Sara Gilmore Photos by Carole Fergusson The term “third wave coffee” (if you’re even “hip enough” to know that term) probably paints a certain picture in your head. Coffee snobs with a hipster complex using a lingo you don’t understand.

Obscene amounts of denim and flannel. Vintage boots from your grandpa’s closet and a perfectly greased mustache.

Call it what you want, but this is the stereotype that comes with a growing coffee culture that seems to be sprouting up in cities all over America — and it’s happening right here in Waco.

In fact, the growth of the specialty coffee culture in Waco has caused such a ripple that it’s gotten national attention. Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits was

named one of the Top 20 Hottest Coffee Shops in America by eater.com in January.

Cultivating an interest in specialty coffee to the every day Wacoan, regardless of their predisposed ideas of the specialty coffee world, was a goal of Dichotomy’s from the beginning. When they opened their new location at 508 Austin Ave. in November, the stage was set to take it to another level.

“Being able to reach a larger audience, exposing them to the way we approach and believe about coffee, I feel has made the largest impact on coffee culture within our city,” said barista Cody Fergusson. “The low profile and open concept of our coffee bar gives a customer the opportunity

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to clearly observe their coffee being made from start to finish. Since this is different than what a lot of people have seen before I feel many find it interesting.”

But why stop at just entertaining your customers while you make their morning latte if you can take that entertainment and artistic value to a whole other level, not to mention growing an even larger community of specialty coffee junkies? That’s precisely why Dichotomy has started hosting a monthly latte art competition for baristas across Central Texas.

And let’s be honest, anybody can enjoy a good friendly competition.

“A latte art throw down is a friendly, head-to-head, single elimination latte art tournament. The exact format for the competition is left up to the creativity of the host. Though the possibilities are endless, basically each competitor is asked to pour a certain design in a certain type of cup, then presents their creation to a panel of typically three judges,” said Fergusson.

The level of competition is high, and the energy in the shop during the throw downs is paramount. People are packed from the bar to the wall, trying to get a glimpse of the action and waiting with anticipation for the judges’ decision after each pour. Beyond the competitive nature of the throw downs, though, is a level of camaraderie among baristas who share a passion for excellent coffee.

Latte art throw downs have become a trend across America in the world of specialty coffee,

“Coffee professionals tend to be a pretty close group.

TNT’s are an opportunity for baristas and coffee lovers

“Being able to reach a larger audience, exposing them to the way we approach and believe about coffee, I feel has made the largest impact on coffee culture within our city.”

- CODY FERGUSON - DICHOTOMY COFFEE & SPRITS BARISTA

and are almost universally referred to as “TNTs” or Thursday Night Throw downs. Each city typically has its own chapter, and ours here in Waco is called CenTexTNT. “The throw downs are a growing part of this culture all around the world,” said Fergusson. “It’s our fun way to get people excited about specialty coffee.”

The CenTexTNT throw down happens on the last Thursday of every month, and in its first two months of existence has drawn participants all the way from Dallas and Austin, and also included local participants from Common Grounds and Dichotomy. The winner of the first competition in January, Paul Henry, came from Houndstooth Coffee in Austin, and Dichotomy’s own Clark Jones was the winner of the February competition.

There’s typically a $5 buy in for the competition, winner takes all. The judges evaluate each pour on some basic criteria including symmetry, contrast, definition and presentation. After coming to their individual decisions, the judges simultaneously point to the pour they believe should win.

“There are usually prizes for the top three competitors, the most satisfying being bragging rights,” said Fergusson.

alike to get together,” said Fergusson.

Even among local baristas from different, seemingly rivaled shops, Fergusson said the greater goal of encouraging people’s interest in specialty coffee is at the forefront of their minds and relationships with one another in TNTs and other events.

“The specialty coffee community is a diverse group of individuals with their own preferences, motivations, and opinions in pursuit of the common goal to prepare and serve excellent coffee. Though we all want our shops to be successful, it is accomplishing this goal that is on the front line for every coffee professional,” said Fergusson. “I personally would love to collaborate with Common Grounds to host TNT’s in the future.”

Coffee drinker or not, and regardless of what your favorite shop in town may be, these competitions are an experience you want to put on your to-do list. And hey, stand near the judges and snag a free drink — what else are they going to do with all those lattes?

Look out for the next competition on the last Thursday of the month, and make sure you like CenTexTNT on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to stay in the loop on date, time and venue of the next event.

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By Megan Ingram and Kelly Porter

THE INVENTION OF WINGS

by sue monk kidd

It’s been more than a decade since she stole our hearts and now she’s back for round two. Celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees (2002), Sue Monk Kidd brings us yet another masterpiece that is centered around one of the deepest wounds in human history –American slavery.

Set in nineteenth century pre-Civil War Charleston, Kidd paints a vivid picture of two extraordinary American women: Hetty “Handful” and Sarah Grimke. While only one year apart, the lives they’re born into are polar opposites. The novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is granted ownership of ten year old Handful, her personal slave. We follow their ensuing journeys over the next thirty-five years as both women push for a life of their own, shaping each other’s destinies and forming a relationship structured by guilt, contempt, and a life-long strained bond.

Handful aches for life beyond the walls of the wealthy Grimke household and will weather loss and sorrow, finding herself and a powerful sense of courage in the harrowing process. Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Sarah will experience more heartbreak than most people endure in one lifetime, eventually joining her younger sister, Angelina, as one of the earliest pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.

THIS STAR WON’T GO OUT by esther earl The year before she died of thyroid cancer, fifteen-year-old Esther Earl met author John Green for the first time in Boston at a convention of Harry Potter fans. Of course, they were already friends – in a way.

Green and his brother run a YouTube channel full of quirky videos posted with the mission of reaching a specific group dubbed “nerdfighters.” Green describes them as teens who “fight for nerds and celebrate intellectualism”, creating a platform for discussing music, books, and ideas. Esther was an avid reader and fan of Green’s work and an impassioned participant that helped maintain the Nerdfighters’ biggest fan site.

Esther used the site as a way to connect with people and to enrich her life.

This Star Won’t Go Out is a 431-page compilation of Esther’s diary, blogs, videos, emails, sketches, and works of fiction featuring an introduction by Green and tied together with photos and essays by family and friends. It is a story of a bright girl who, while coming to terms with mortality, always seemed to have a sense of humor about her own life and the world around her.

LOST LAKE

by sarah addison allen Three-time New York Times bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen recently released the newest edition to her literary family: Lost Lake. The book revolves around the recently widowed Kate Pheris, the devoted mother of her 8-year-old daughter, Devin. Spurred on by a postcard packed away in the attic for years from her great-aunt, Eby, the two flee their home in Atlanta in search of the enchanted Lost Lake.

The Lake, located in rural Georgia, is the perfect setting for two broken souls to find healing and to slowly piece their hearts back together. Lost Lake, for Kate, is a joyful place, full of deeply cherished childhood memories.

It’s also full of charming individuals, each with their own story.

Eby is the owner of Lost Lake, but with her husband deceased, she is ready to move on to the next chapter of her life and sell Kate’s beloved Lake. In the pages that follow, the two will find love as well as closure. With a few surprises thrown in along the way, Allen explicates the story of a loved one lost and a new life stalled.

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TASTE

•••••• Randle Browning is a food writer and photographer who grew up in Houston, graduated from Baylor in 2010, and studied and cooked in kitchens in New England and the UK before coming back to Waco. When she’s not blogging, you can find her at Shorty’s Pizza Shack, where she slings pizza dough and serves frothy pints with her husband. Find her food blog online at crandlecakes.com.

I love pasta. I mean, I really love pasta. Not in the same way I love olive oil or peanut butter. This is more…all-consuming. I imagine it’s the type of feeling some people might get when visiting the opera. It’s not just the singing that’s important, it’s the whole experience--the smell of the seats, the feel of the cushions, the lighting, the melancholy tone of the altos, the bells ringing to signal intermission, the fresh feeling of plunging into the night air at the end of the show.

The first time I had pasta that felt like “an experience” was a few years ago in Rome. By being in Rome at all, I was living a lifelong dream of seeing the piazzas and obelisks and ancient monuments in person, of walking where philosophers and orators had been, seeing the sculptures Bernini himself had formed. However, I didn’t know I would be leaving the ancient metropolis with a refined passion for the perfect bowl of pasta.

The best pasta experience I had on that trip was in a small, secluded restaurant near the Pantheon. I settled into a wooden chair against a cool stone wall after wandering for an hour in search of a gelato shop a guidebook recommended. I never found the gelato shop, but I ended up in the corner of that restaurant about eleven more times before the trip was over.

What they put in front of me that first evening was the most complete, wellrounded bowl of pasta in tomato sauce imaginable—three-inch-long handrolled noodles coated in velvet tomato sauce (you could practically taste the sunshine), and little pools of melted mozzarella and ribbons of basil.

The sweet smell of the tomatoes wafting off the plate, the dense texture of fresh-made noodles on my fork, the pops of peppery basil—I ate every bite.

What was so perfect about that bowl of pasta was its simplicity. It relied on only a few ingredients, and the result is something we don’t fully embrace in most of our American versions of the dish. You don’t have to add all the cream, or grate all the Parmesan, or serve your spaghetti in a trough the size of a sink to have a satisfying meal--not if you get the basics right.

This rigatoni isn’t a version of that archetypal pasta bowl I had in Rome; that pasta has grown to epic proportions in my memory and I’ll probably be trying to recreate it for years to come. Instead, this recipe is something simple to replicate at home, and it doesn’t require hours of attention. Plus, it relies on affordable pantry staples. The dish gets its flavor from briny bacon and capers melding with sweet tomatoes. Starchy kidney beans make it all the more hearty.

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Rigatoni with Tomato, Bacon, and Bean Sauce (Serves 4)

I adapted this recipe from a version I used to eat with a family I babysat for up in Boston. This sauce is proof that even children are powerless against the call of bacon.

Ingredients: 3 strips thick-cut bacon ½ red onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, about half the juices drained 14 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed Salt Pepper Olive Oil 1 lb. dried rigatoni or other short, ridged pasta Directions: 1. Heat salted water in a saucepot for pasta.

2. Meanwhile, crisp bacon over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottom skillet. When crispy, remove strips to drain over paper towels. Spoon out some of the grease, add a bit of olive oil, and return pan to medium.

3. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes and beans and bring to a low simmer.

5. Chop bacon. Add bacon and capers to the sauce and cook over low heat until beans lose their starchiness and the bacon and capers are heated through, about 5 minutes.

6. When pasta is al dente, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat.

Serve with salt, pepper, and olive oil drizzled over the top. Optional: add a dusting of grated parmesan cheese.

Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to three days. Flavor improves overnight in the fridge.

3 Apps You Won’t Regret Downloading ZIPPY - BY HEYDY SANCHES Chosen as “Best New App” by Apple, Zippy is one of the most flexible, customizable calendars available in the App Store.

Whether it’s for a homework reminder or a laundry reminder, Zippy finds and neatly organizes everything you’ve ever needed a reminder for and saves you time and hassle. One of Zippy’s coolest features is that it allows you to tag keywords on all tasks for future references and creates a personal infographic that you can filter as daily, weekly, or monthly to show you a completion breakdown. Zippy is simply not just another “to-do list app.” It’s innovative and makes your task management simple, effective, chic and fun! Purchase Zippy and it’s guaranteed to become your new favorite time-management app.

BLINK! SECRET MESSAGING - BY MKATY DE LUNA Have a Kik but want the messages to be erased after the other person read it, or do you have Snapchat and wish you could send longer messages? This is the point in your life where Blink! Secret Messaging comes in. Blink allows you to import contacts from your Facebook and phone contacts. You send your secret message or picture to a contact and they only have seconds to read or look at it. But even with Blink!, you can take screenshots of the texts and pictures as you can with the others. The moral of the story: the content you send has a chance of not really being erased.

CRAIGSLIST.ORG - BY KATY DE LUNA Need to buy or sell something, search for a job, or wondering what wild things people are posting in the personals son Craigslist? No need to open your browser again. Just download the app. It has the same layout as online version, so navigation is simple. But because it looks just like the online version, the full layout does not appear on screen at once, causing you to have to scroll more than you should. The online version (for computers and tablets) is a lot easier to navigate because the different tabs do not fill up the whole screen like the app. But you don’t have to open your browser and type in your city each time with the app—which will give you more time to scroll.

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TEXAS BACK ROADS facebook.com/TexasBackRoads

Shooting from the Hip at Hico’s Billy the Kid Museum

By Jeremy Rinard of txbkrds.com Two shots in the night from lawman Pat Garrett’s gun killed the 21-year-old William H. Bonney, better known as “Billy the Kid”, on July 14, 1881. The young outlaw, with at least as many bodies as years in his life, died at the abandoned Fort Sumner in New Mexico—or did he?

The infamous outlaw is an icon of the old west. With more than four dozen movies that tell the tale of his life, it’s hard to find a more prominent figure depicting what made the west wild. But if he died in New Mexico, why is there a grave for him in Texas?

Time to go to the Billy the Kid Museum in Hico, Texas to find out. You see, there are a bunch of folks who believe Pat Garrett didn’t kill Billy that fateful night. Those folks say Billy the Kid survived his outlaw life and peacefully lived out the last of his days in Texas, the last 17 or so of which were spent in and around the city of Hico, locally known as “Brushy Bill.”

No problem. Modern science can sort this out. Let’s have folks perform some CSI magic, do a li’l DNA testing on the grave in New Mexico, and that’ll clear everything up—case solved, right? Not quite. Through a flood and some actions that have been called into question by skeptics, that’s not a possibility. What’s left is historical record, and Sue Land, CEO of the Billy the Kid Museum, puts up a compelling argument using letters, timelines and personal accounts of those involved in the adventures of Billy the Kid. So, did Billy die at the hands of lawman Pat Garrett or did he live to a ripe old age in Hico?

You’ll have to figure that out for yourself when you visit. It’s easy to find; a statue simply titled “Billy” points the way and is dedicated to “Brushy Bill.” And if the visit peaks your interest, you can also travel a little further to Hamilton and visit the gravesite.

Insider Tip: The museum is a modest one and it fits in some of the local history as well, but it does make for an interesting side trip when you’re in the area. Admission is free, but the museum operates on donations, which are greatly appreciated.

The Billy the Kid Museum is located at 114 N. Pecan Street in Hico, Texas just off of Highway 6. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 1pm-4pm. If you have any questions, you can call 254.796.2523 or e-mail billythekidmuseum@gmail.com. For additional information, check out billythekidmuseum.com.

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“Three in a row”

- Where have I heard

that before?

Across 1 Many-___ (colorful) 5 Amtrak stop, briefly 8 Pile at birthday parties 13 Nelson Muntz’s bus driver 14 Blaze a trail 16 Illusory painting genre 17 Looming choice 18 Industrial show 19 See 33-Down 20 Wind, cold, etc.* 23 Droid download 24 Like, total top choice 25 Baltimore ball team 27 Place to store your phone numbers (before smartphones) 30 People in a certain lounge 31 “This happens ___ time!”

32 Pup in the Arctic* 36 Roseanne’s sitcom mom 37 “An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport” author Kenny 39 Eggs at a sushi bar 40 Former Haitian president* 43 Wilson of “The Office” 45 Nets coach Jason 46 Won by a shutout 48 Country singer Harris 51 “And here it is!”

52 ___ Jo„o de Meriti (Brazilian city) 53 Group of three can be heard phonetically in the answer to each of the three starred clues 58 Standing subway passenger’s aid 60 “___ the mornin’ to ya!”

61 A wife of Charlie Chaplin 62 System with joysticks and paddles 63 Site of museums devoted to Ibsen and Munch 64 Swabs the deck, really 65 8-Down type 66 President pro ___ 67 Place where “You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal”

Down 1 Axton of “Gremlins” 2 Bryce Canyon National Park’s location 3 Raison d’___ (reason for being) 4 Toast 5 Coffeehouse freebie 6 San Antonio cuisine 7 Neck’s scruff 8 Full of dirt?

9 Copper-colored beer 10 Ruinous 11 Nonsense 12 Fitness tracker units 15 Mr. McNabb 21 Kenny Rogers hit written by Lionel Richie 22 “Survivor” grouping 26 CIA’s predecessor 27 Self-titled country album of 1988 28 Walkie-talkie word 29 First name in denim 32 “I’m out” 33 With 19-Across, “Truly Flabby Preludes” composer 34 Best of the best 35 Front the money 37 Cramp-relieving pill 38 Total 41 The limit, proverbially 42 Fish served in filets 43 Contrary to Miss Manners 44 Body makeup?

46 Fastener in the corner 47 Explosive sound 48 Piece in the paper, perhaps 49 Photo finish 50 Erin of “Happy Days” 54 Jim Lange, for “The Dating Game,” e.g.

55 Word after elbow or leg 56 Like some 1950s comedy material, today 57 Curiosity’s launcher 59 Installation material

Answers

2014 Jonesin’ Crosswords jonesincrosswords.com)

(editor@

wacoweekly.com • March 5, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • pg 13

By Cheyenne Mueller

ENDLESS LOVE Drama (PG-13)

St. Patty's Day Celebration March 17 starting at 4 pm

Okay, okay, I’ll admit – when I bought tickets to go see this movie, I was preparing myself for the worst. When the film began, Alex Pettyfer’s accent came through the speakers, saying, “There was a girl… who was a mystery to us all.” And I groaned. Of course. This was going to be the longest 104 minutes ever. Surprisingly, it wasn’t awful.

Endless Love is a recycled idea. Scott Spencer published his best-selling novel in 1979, and in 1981, it was made into a film with Brooke Shields as Jade Butterfield and Martin Hewitt as David Axlerod. The 2014 remake by director Shana Feste features Alex Pettyfer (Beastly, Magic Mike) and Danielle Wilde (Carrie) as David Elliot and Jade Butterfield.

In Spencer’s novel, David is obsessed with Jade Butterfield, the daughter of a new age, “culturally accepting” family. Jade’s parents allow the couple to share a bed and encourage teenage “curiosity” in the house. Jade’s mother becomes jealous of her daughter’s sex life, being constantly reminded of the passionate romantic life she no longer has with her husband. Jade’s father isn’t as keen on the idea of his daughter being sexually active, and eventually bans David from their home. Consumed by his love for Jade, David begins spying on the family in their home. In an effort to get back into the family’s good graces, Davis sets “a small” fire to their house so he can warn them, and all will be right in the world. However, the fire blazes out of control.

David barely rescues the family (who are all on acid that night), and he also gets arrested for his arson.

The Village Herbalist Herb Shop & Holistic Health Center Bulk Herbs, Holistic Massage, Tea Bar, All Things Herbal www.wacoherbalist.com

“Why did she tell us all that!” you might be wondering. Spoilers, right? Well, no. Because in the 2014 reboot, the movie doesn’t fit that plot. At all. The elements are similar, but everything is flip-flopped. The names remain the same (for the most part): there’s a girl named Jade, a boy named David, and they fall in love. Director Shana Feste says that the difference in script comes from wanting to put her own stamp on the film. And with a Valentine’s Day opening, Feste opted for a happy ending.

Both Pettyfer and Wilde portray characters that are in high school, but Pettyfer is 23 and Wilde is 24… and they look it. They don’t look 18 and about to go to college. They’re beautiful, too. Come to think of it, all the characters are beautiful. Now, I understand that they’re actors, but my high school sure wasn’t represented in this film (no offense UHS).

The film is cheesy. There’s just almost no way around that. But it’s a romance, so you can’t go to it and not anticipate that.

The acting isn’t bad; Gabrielle Wilde actually does a much better job than I was expecting. Her portrayal of Jade makes the character an introverted girl who just wants to make friends; she’s giddy when an extremely attractive guy pays attention to her, and she makes the most of her summer. Pretty convincing.

Overall, the film is not award-worthy. The acting isn’t bad and the summer love is relatable and hints at the warmer months that are on their way. It’s entertaining, and that’s the intention of the film. Afterwards, you’ll go home feeling excited about love, then remember that there’s half a pint of Half-Baked in the freezer and that will have to do.

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1. The Lego Movie

An ordinary LEGO, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the universe together.PG (100 min)

permanent winter, a young girl voiced by Kristen Bell teams up with a mountain man to rescue her sister and stop the curse in the latest Disney animated adventure. PG (102 min)

from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall from goldplated grace, this Scorsese film is like The Godfather for investment bankers.

R (180 min)

2. 3 Days to Kill

9. Endless Love

15. Philomena

A dying Secret Service agent trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment. PG-13 (113 min)

The story of a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. PG-13 (103 min)

3. Pompeii

10. Winter’s Tale

A slave-turned-gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him. PG-13 (98 min)

4. RoboCop

In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy - a loving husband, father and good cop - is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot cyborg police officer. PG-13 (108 min)

5. The Monuments Men

6. About Last Night

Two couples journey from the bar to the bedroom, and their ties are eventually put to the test in the real world. R (100 min)

7. Ride Along

Fast-talking security guard Ben joins his cop brother-in-law James on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta in order to prove himself worthy of marrying Angela, James’ sister.

PG-13 (100 min)

In

a

kingdom

11. Lone Survivor

Based on the failed 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings”, four members of SEAL Team 10 were tasked with a mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd. R (121 min)

12. American Hustle

An unlikely World War II platoon are tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners. PG-13 (118 min)

8. Frozen

One night in winter, Peter Lake, orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. But through a happenstance meeting, Peter falls in love with the daughter of the house, a dying woman named Bethany. PG-13 (118 min)

A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the mafia. R (138 min)

13. That Awkward Moment

Surly, a curmudgeon, independent squirrel is banished from his park and forced to survive in the city. Lucky for him, he stumbles on the one thing that may be able to save his life and the rest of park community as they gear up for winter. PG (86 min)

14. The Wolf of Wall Street cursed

to

endure

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort,

A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent. PG-13 (98 min)

16. The Nut Job

Surly, a curmudgeon, independent squirrel is banished from his park and forced to survive in the city.

Lucky for him, he stumbles on the one thing that may be able to save his life and the rest of park community as they gear up for winter. PG (86 min)

17. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

PG-13 (105 min)

18. Gravity

A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.PG13 (91 min)

19. 12 Years a Slave In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. R (134 min)

20. Her

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need. R (126 min)

wacoweekly.com • March 5, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • pg 15