Matthews-Mint Hill - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

Movies
‘Waiting for Superman’
(continued from page 25)
kids and those from low-income families
can compete with any other students in the
nation if they are given the tools and resources
to learn. The search for those opportunities,
however, is heartbreaking, as are most of the
results.
What may have been even sadder is that
there were three people other than myself in
the entire theatre. Four people attending what
might be the most important film produced in
recent memory.
The lack of mass awareness and commitment
to education is one of the hurdles the
hero figures must face. We meet educators
fighting for reform, including Geoffrey Canada
who opened a Charter School in Harlem
and Michelle Rhee, embattled former
superintendent of Washington, D.C. schools.
Canada and Rhee have constantly fought the
system and repeatedly tried to devise creative
ways around it.
AMC
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SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A di BONAVENTURA PICTURES PRODUCTION A ROBERT SCHWENTKE FILM “RED” KARL URBAN WITH RICHARD DREYFUSS MUSIC BY CHRISTOPHE BECK
PRODUCED BASED ON THE
BY LORENZO di BONAVENTURA MARK VAHRADIAN GRAPHIC NOVEL BY WARREN ELLIS AND CULLY HAMNER SCREENPLAY BY JON HOEBER & ERICH HOEBER DIRECTED BY ROBERT SCHWENTKE
MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes, Text Message RED and Your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)
NOW PLAYING
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Page 26 • Oct. 22-28, 2010 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
As for villains – well, the system itself is the
biggest villain, but Guggenheim takes an especially
dim view of America’s largest teacher
unions. He suggests that teachers unions have
fought some of the most promising reforms
such as eliminating tenure, expanding merit
pay to more schools and resisting eliminating
of underperforming teachers.
Even with some clear finger-pointing at
unions and the system, nothing is black and
white about why schools fail students.
The film does end on a note of hope.
Although it’s a complicated equation and one
that has no clear resolution, educators and
parents are fighting for a better way to teach
and plenty of kids willing to learn. Deep down,
we all want to learn despite the conditions in
our home or neighborhoods or schools.
There are schools that work, kids can learn
under the right conditions and there are people
looking for answers. Guggenheim argues
that nothing short of an educational revolution
will bring this goal to fruition. See the
film and you may agree. q
“THE BEST CAST FOR AN
ACTION COMEDY…EVER.”
– Roger Moore, ORLANDO SENTINEL
“‘RED’ IS ABSOLUTELY,
THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE.
IT ROCKS.”
– Robert Wilonsky, LA WEEKLY
“THE BEST PART OF ‘RED’
IS THE SPECTACLE OF TERRIFIC
ACTORS BEING TERRIFIC IN
NOVEL WAYS.”
– Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
© 2010 SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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COUPONS ACCEPTED
Spooky-sweet
(continued from page 25)
Tim Ross, movie critic
“A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)” – Wes
Craven was one of the first to successfully
blend the psychological thrills of Hitchcock
with the gore of slasher films such as “Halloween
(1978)” and “Friday the 13th (1980).” The
scene where Freddy stretches out his arms and
scrapes his glove blades along the wall is one
of the most iconic images in the horror film
genre.
“The Exorcist” – The idea of being possessed
by the devil is bad enough but having
your head do a 360 while spending your days
projectile vomiting is just, well, hell on earth.
“The Amityville Horror (1979)” – Haunted
house stories are favorites of mine. I first
watched the film at my girlfriend’s house and
had to drive home alone – it was not a pleasant
drive. And if a strange voice told me to “get
out” of my house, I think I would.
Franchesca Lamkin, advertising representative
There aren’t really any movies that make
me think of Halloween, but I do wonder how
some people could be so scared of a 2-foottall,
ginger doll named Chucky. I’m more of a
fan of the old-school TV shows that replayed
Halloween episodes each year. You know, like
“Saved by the Bell” and “The Cosby Show,”
where there’s always a Halloween party that
turns into a disaster!
Frank DeLoache, managing editor
Halloween movies scare me and I eschew
them – I refuse to pay to be scared!
Brian Carlton, Union County Weekly editor
My favorite Halloween movie is the stopmotion
animation classic “The Nightmare
Before Christmas.” It’s got a twisted script,
music that years later you can still sing along
to and that little touch of the weird that we
can all relate to. C’mon, who hasn’t felt unappreciated
and considered tackling something
else? For the creatures of Halloweentown,
however, that idea just includes kidnapping
Santa Claus and taking over Christmas, which
goes wrong at every turn.
Josh Lanier, Herald Weekly editor
“Psycho (1960),” “Halloween (1978),”
“Paranormal Activity,” “The Exorcist,” “The
Amityville Horror (1979),” “Night of the Living
Dead (1968)” and “Shaun of the Dead”
Mike Parks, South Charlotte Weekly editor
If there’s one movie you’re going to get the
family together and enjoy this Halloween, it’s
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Now,
44 years after it first aired on television, the
morals of The Great Pumpkin still hold true:
never skip trick-or-treating to spend the night
in a pumpkin patch; never fly your doghouse
against the Red Baron if you can help it; and
if someone gives you a rock in your trick-ortreat
bag, remember where that house is and
go back later to cover it in toilet paper.
And forget all these Halloween movies full
of gore and death, if you want to get scared this
Halloween, there’s nothing quite like “Ernest
Scared Stupid,” with a monster/troll that can
only be defeated with delicious, nutritious
milk. Let it be a lesson to everyone out there –
keep a bottle of milk on you at all times, unless
you are, of course, a monster/troll. Really, be
careful out there.
Cynthia Wittig, copy desk chief
“Donnie Darko,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Ernest
Scared Stupid,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin,
Charlie Brown,” and “The Nightmare Before
Christmas.”
Debbie Archer, production manager
Best Halloween movie ever: “The Monster
Squad.” In addition to having all your favorite
legendary monsters, we all learn something
interesting about the wolfman.
Aaron Garcia, assistant sports editor
“Halloween” – This failsafe uses equal parts
suspense and downright terror and still makes
grownups scared of the dark all over again.
The movie’s relative lack of gore compared to
its modern counterparts gives it a Hitchcocklike
subtlety that allows it to hold up three
decades later. That, and Mike Myers is the
best stalker ever.
“Killer Klowns from Outer Space” – Alien
clowns invade Earth and encase townies in
cotton-candy cocoons. Seriously. Obviously
more of a comedy than a horror flick, this cultclassic’s
clowns are still pretty creepy, even by
clown standards.
“Paranormal Activity” – In most cases, a silver
bullet, a wooden stake or just a good-old
machine gun will get you out of most horrorflick
jams, but you can’t fight a demon.
“A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)” – A
killer that attacks when you sleep? At least
with “Jaws” you could refuse to step foot in the
ocean again.
“The Ring” – Even the black screens counting
down the days make you jump. I haven’t
played a label-less VHS tape since and not just
because I don’t own a VCR.
“28 Days Later” – Zombies usually overwhelm
their prey with sheer numbers, which
helps counteract the lumbering. But these
undead run like brain-starved gazelle. Very
effective.
Michael Kerr, layout director
It’s hard for me to know where to begin with
my Oct. 31 movie binge list. No, that’s a lie. It’s
“Hocus Pocus.” From there, I hit up a couple
of cartoon favorites – “Garfield’s Halloween
Adventure” and the animated version of the
Ray Bradbury novel “The Halloween Tree.”
Then it’s off to the races with some Tim Burton
(“Beetlejuice,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street),
some Stephen King (“Carrie,” “The Shining
(1980)”), spooky genre standbys (“Suspiria,”
“Hellraiser”) a few B movie classics (“White
Zombie,” “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” Andy
Warhol’s “Blood for Dracula”), a couple of new
favorites (“Planet Terror,” “Death Proof,” “The
House of the Devil”) and finish off with some
flicks that are terrific year-round but always
get me in a special way this time of year (“The
Addams Family,” “Young Frankenstein,” “The
Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “The Witches
of Eastwick,” “Heathers” and “Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane?”). Also a great time for
marathon screenings of “Alfred Hitchcock
Presents,” “The Twilight Zone” and, of course,
an abundance of selections from the “Mystery
Science Theater 3000” catalog. q
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