The New York City Fairy Tale Trilogy!

Listen to me on the radio tonight at 7 (103.3 FM or streaming at www.wolt-fm.com). I'll be discussing three recently released films on a local radio show called THE INTERSECTION. Here's a preview of what I'll say:

I saw Alejandro Montrverde’s BELLA, Kirsten Sheridan’s AUGUST RUSH, and Kevin Lima’s ENCHANTED.

I wish I could tell you that I like BELLA best and ENCHANTED worst. That AUGUST RUSH fit somewhere in the middle...a pleasant surprise. I wish I could whine about big corporate movies...the blandness of Disney studio pics...how cool American-trained, Mexican-born film school directors are. I want to say “Robin Williams is back!” I want to lament the loss of the coolest independent film chick since Parker Posey (Amy Adams, ENCHANTED) to the big Hollywood machine. I can’t say any of that.

What I can tell you is this: AUGUST RUSH is an absolute mess of a movie, full of “magical thinking,” overwrought sentimentality, and really, really bad music. BELLA is like a movie made by your nephew. A really great effort worth overlooking the glaring flaws because, well...he’s your nephew. You love what he’s trying to do. And ENCHANTED may be my best film of 2007. It’s a shoe-in Best Picture nominee and rightfully so. Amy Adams is a breakout star in this, and the story...the film itself, is about really smart, beautiful, lovely things. True things, I think.

Did you see any of these films? What did you think?

It's here! Hollywood 20.

The Show of Plenty

Hats off to the exceptional production work by our Drama II students Thursday night in the second annual SHOW OF PLENTY.

The acts were great of course, but the reason we do the show is to allow second year drama students the opportunity to be immersed in the production of a show on our mainstage.

Standouts include Stage Manager KALYNN HIX and Assistant Stage Manager MORGAN TRICKETT, Technical Team Members; CAMERON FLEITZ, MATTHEW RIDDLE, and SHELBY STECK; Stage Designer LILLIAN MINOR; Emcee, CRYSTAL JACKSON; and JAMARA JOHNSON...who worked on everything, really.

The class experienced the challenge and thrill of producing theatre. And (thanks to the efforts of our PR team) about 300 people were there to witness the event...and they had a blast.

Drama at Mann is alive and well, and growing. Our "junior varsity" team (Drama II) is now ready for April's spotlight.

NEXT UP: Drama IV Honors presents THE DINING ROOM!

Mann Show NOVEMBER

11/5-7 THE SEVEN SAMURAI Film Criticism

11/10 KAREN YOUNG at CCES (see Coach White), All-Day Workshop

11/12-14 THE SEVENTH SEAL Film Criticism

11/12 MANN SHOW Leadership Team Meeting after school

11/13 The Show of Plenty DRESS REHEARSAL

11/14 MANN SHOW Membership Meeting immediately after school (Downtown Mouse Hunt to follow)/

11/15 The Show of Plenty, 7:00 PM

11/16 BERT WALLACE Professor of Theatre at Campbell University, Guest Artist in Drama IV Honors.

11/16 DRACULA Greenville Little Theatre, 8 PM

11/19-20 LOVE AND DEATH Film Criticism

11/26-28 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT Film Criticism

11/29-12/2 THE DINING ROOM Mann Show 2008, 7:30 PM (Sunday at 3 PM)