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TNT announced today that everyone’s favorite Quantum Leaper and Minor Leaguer, Scott Bakula, has joined the cast of the upcoming drama “Men of a Certain Age,” which sounds suspiciously like a male version of “thirtysomething” with an extra decade thrown in. (Maybe that’s because the pilot episode’s director, two-time Emmy winner Scott Winant, includes among his credits “thirtysomething.”)
Fans of Fannie Flagg know that there’s no replacement for Southern humor. Now take that Southern humor, mix in some social change and add four irrepressible ladies, and you get North Carolinian Dawn Shamp’s debut novel On Account of Conspicuous Women.
On Account of Conspicuous Women takes place in Roxboro, N.C., (Shamp’s hometown) in 1920, and the author’s four “conspicuous women” are more than conspicuous — they’re world changers. Fighting for their rights, their short haircuts and their suffrage in the time just before the 19th amendment was passed, Bertie, Ina, Guerine and Doodle are just the kind of inspiration we Southern women need in an election year.
Dawn Shamp will read and sign copies of her book at the (quaint and Southern) Fox Tale Book Shoppe, 105 E. Main St., Woodstock Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m.
In anticipation of next week’s big-screen release of the Batman epic film The Dark Knight, July 8 saw the direct-to-DVD issue of Batman: Gotham Knight (reviewed here), a moody, inventive anthology film with Japanese anime filmmakers presenting their interpretations of the Caped Crusader. The same day also saw the release of another DC Comics video adaptation with a distinct anime flavor: Teen Titans: The Complete Fifth Season.
Airing on Atlanta’s Cartoon Network from 2003-2006, “Teen Titans” featured a theme song by perky Japanese twosome Puffy Ami Yumi and a peculiar but effective blend of serious, arcing episodes and zany comic relief. Funny scenes would draw on manga-style caricature: throbbing veins would appear on angry characters’ heads, hearts would bubble up for lovesick ones, and even odder exaggerations would appear that gave the show’s humor a fresh, funny attitude. The show’s fifth and final season is my favorite, as it pits the Teen Titans against an iconic supervillian team called The Brotherhood of Evil; pop references come even more quickly (including nods to Doctor Who’s Daleks and The Incredibles). Plus, it reinforces my theory that the show’s creators patterned the five Titans after the main characters of John Hughes’ beloved 1980s film, The Breakfast Club.
Today’s Air Loaf features CL’s Chanté LaGon and David Lee Simmons discussing author and Atlanta native Rob Kutner. The Emmy award winning writer will be in town to promote his new humor book Apocalypse How: Turn the End-Times Into the Best of Times!.
Kutner will appear Saturday, July 12, at the Barnes and Noble at Perimeter Mall, and on Sunday, July 13, at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.
Air Loaf is broadcast weekdays on 1690 WMLB-AM at approximately 8:10 a.m., 12:20 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the joking ends and the true deep-space funk and electro psychedelia begins, but that’s the beauty of NOOT ‘D NOOT. It’s the ultimate Atlanta party band that channels expert musicianship into dance-floor party jams. The CD/LP release party Fri., JULY 11, for the Noot’s International Hits debut, Goofer Dust, will be an awesome display of seriously funky music that’s not meant to be taken seriously at all. A slew of like-minded local party starters including Judi Chicago, DJs Cozy Sean & Brett Electric, DJ Ching Dong and Vagina Jenkins are all on deck to perform as well. $7. 9:30 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Road. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.
(Photo by Steve Pomberg)
Family history collides with demographic changes in HALLELUJAH STREET BLUES, Atlanta playwright Valetta Anderson’s comedy/drama about, in part, the gentrification of a Decatur neighborhood. Presented in conjunction with the National Black Arts Festival and opening Fri., JULY 11, the multigenerational family story stars “The Young and the Restless’” Veronica Redd (right) and “Hill Street Blues’” Taurean Blacque. Thomas Jones II, who directed the adaptation of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye for Horizon last summer, also directs Hallelujah Street Blues. Through Aug. 24. $15-$30. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 8:30 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m. Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave. 404-584-7450. www.horizontheatre.com.
(Photo courtesy Horizon Theatre)
1) Hallelujah Street Blues opens at Horizon Theatre.
2) John Hiatt and the Ageless Beauties perform at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
3) Disappearing Black Neighborhoods opens at Georgia State’s Student Center Lounge.
4) Noot ‘d Noot performs at the Earl.
5) Fernbank Museum of Natural History hosts Martinis and IMAX.
(Photo Lisa Adler)
My Speakeasy interview with “The Daily Show” writer and Atlanta native Rob Kutner gets the extended-online-version treatment on our website for this week’s issue, which includes a lot of funny/funnier stuff. Again Kutner will appear on Saturday, July 12, at the Barnes and Noble at Perimeter Mall and on Sunday, July 13, at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.
Here’s a favorite “online-only” back-and-forth that didn’t make it in the print version:
According to Wikipedia, and Wikipedia is never wrong: “The Westminster Schools is a private secondary school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1951, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding secondary school in the United States.[1] The school’s expressed mission is ‘to develop the whole person for college and for life through excellent education.’” You now work for “The Daily Show.” Would you call yourself a ‘riches-to-rags’ story, then?
I’d say yes. All I can hope is that my story will inspire millions of would-be immigrants to give up and just stay in their country of origin.
And for those who are curious about Kutner’s work with the Shushan Channel, here’s a pee-in-pants promo for Jewno, their hilarious satire of Juno. Kudos for them to con J.K. Simmons (one of my fave character actors) into reprising his role as the dad.
(Photo courtesy Rob Kutner)
Back in April I reviewed the inspirational documentary Girls Rock!, which chronicled the weeklong travails of teen musicians learning to come together in hastily assembled bands and perform one song at the camp’s end. The great news that came out of it was the local news that there would be an Atlanta chapter of Girls Rock!, which begins its five-day camp for girls ages 10-18 next week on Monday, July 14, at Eyedrum.
Atlanta has a pretty impressive punk-rock heritage that was nurtured in the Little Five Points scene of the 1980s and beyond, so it will be interesting to see what happens when children of parent punk-rockers (should they attend) come together over the next week and show their stuff on Saturday, July 19.
Joel Gresham painted “AMERICA ELECTS ITS FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT” in 1989, not realizing his fantasy could feasibly become reality in a presidential election almost 20 years later with Sen. Barack Obama’s shot at the White House. Gallery visitors can support the cause Mon., JULY 14, and purchase notecards, posters, prints and art shirts featuring Gresham’s work, made available by Presidential Art for Change. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds go to Obama’s campaign. Through Nov. 4. Free. Mon.-Fri., by appointment. Wood Is Wonderful Gallery, 2312 Benjamin E. Mays Drive. 678-793-3250. www.woodiswonderfulgallery.com.
(Image courtesy Joel Gresham)
