the 941

I began writing this on a crumpled piece of paper, while crammed into a car with three other people driving into the night. It is very quiet on this deserted stretch of road. No it is not bat country, but Freddy Kruegers’ mom is actually sitting behind me. Should I be worried for my life? Not really: Ashlly Lynn is one of the many talented people in the film Freddy’s Return: A Nightmare Reborn.

I was invited on this trip to attend the premiere of a feature-length fan-film about Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Set between the events of Nightmare 5: The Dream Child and Nightmare 6: The Final Nightmare, it is intended to bridge the gap. It stars David Buczynksi as Kevin Marks, a young man tormented by memories of his own childhood kidnapping and torture at the hands of Freddy Krueger before he was burned to death. The film also stars Jennifer Farr as Ashleigh Asoa, a Native American girl with ties to Kevin’s past, and Ashlly Lynn as Sister Mary Helena, Freddy’s mother. It was written and directed by, Jason Korsiak, and he even portrays Freddy in the film.

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COVER STORY

— What’s next for Jannus Landing? The life, death and rebirth of a beloved concert venue.

NEWS & VIEWS

— Image of the week: Same-sex marriage supporters March for equality in downtown Sarasota.

— The week that was: Rounding up local headlines.

— .Com-ments: Bahi Hut, El Guaro, local hooch, Safe Sex Halloween Bash.

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“Quern” by B.L. Elkins will be displayed at the Creative Arts Association Fall Art Show Sat., Nov. 21

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Danielle Favreau.

VISUAL ARTS: OPENING

ALLYN GALLUP CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY 1419 5TH St., Sarasota (366-2093 or allyngallup.com). William Nichols Enveloped Outside will be on display through Nov. 28.  Normal hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Free.

ARTCENTER MANATEE 209 9th St. W., Bradenton (746-2862 or artcentermanatee.org). On and Off the Wall, an open, juried all media exhibition will be on display through Dec. 4. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free.

ART UPTOWN 1367 Main St., Sarasota (955-5409 or artuptown.com). Laura Avery’s solo show Atmospheric Abstracts will feature her foil on canvas works. Also on display will be Boots Culbertson’s ceramics. Regular hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Free.

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Anna Kendrick and George Clooney in Up in the Air

Hard to believe, but the holiday season is in full swing at the multiplex. The last few weeks have already seen the release of some big blockbusters (2012, A Christmas Carol) and at least one surefire Oscar contender (Precious, which had a smash limited release last weekend but has not yet opened in Tampa Bay), and Hollywood promises that the best is yet to come. With six weeks until the end of the year, here are 12 must-see titles to close out the decade.

Friday, November 20
What’s hot: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
They’re hot, moody and in love. Only problem: He’s a vampire who’s gotta get a move on, driving her into the arms of a group of vampire-hating werewolves. The buzz on the latest Twilight film is out of control, led by recent revelations that stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are necking in real life. The franchise is becoming more cultural touchstone than mere film series, and New Moon looks poised to propel the “Saga” into the upper echelon of high-grossing film series like Harry Potter and Star Wars. Believe it.
Counter-programming: An Education
If all that Twilight hokum sounds a bit childish, the Tampa Theatre will be opening director Lone Scherfig’s An Education in direct competition with the vampires. Starring Carey Mulligan as a 17-year-old student who falls in love with a much older man (Peter Sarsgaard) only to get an early lesson in heartbreak, An Education made film-fest waves earlier in the year after the film picked up an Audience Choice Award at Sundance. Also of note: British novelist Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy) co-wrote the screenplay.

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The story is too philosophical in nature to be a comedy. We Americans like slapstick moments, bawdy hijinks and double entendres. We’re amused by comedies like What Happens in Vegas, The Hangover, or The Proposal. Subtle and cebrebral satire? Not our forte.

So, knowing the American audience, why does Warner Brothers risk investing in a Ricky Gervais film? His first American foray, Ghost Town, was deemed a flop by many reviewers. Why give him a second chance? He’s even working on a third film for the U.S. market. Will the third time be a charm? I hope so because I did see both of his movies and there were some very engaging segments in both.

The premise in this film is a world without deception. The town depicted — lovely Lowell, Mass. — is a place where people tell the truth and have no concept of what lying is. The opening minutes are very funny. Ricky Gervais is Mark Bellison, a chubby bachelor who makes a moderate salary as a screenwriter for Lecture Pictures. He has a date with Anna, played by Jennifer Garner. While he’s waiting on the couch downstairs in her apartment, she’s upstairs in her room getting ready. She tells him she needs to masturbate before coming down to greet him. When she descends the staircase and sees Mark, Anna expresses more true sentiments. She talks about his chubby body and snub-nose, both of which she finds very unappealing. But, nevertheless, he persists in taking her to a fine restaurant. The scene in the restaurant is also comical. The waiter tells the truth about his inability to serve his customers well. Other diners stare at the mismatched couple and express aloud their opinion about the mismatched Anna and Mark.

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I realized this past weekend that some of my readers out there don’t really know me. So I decided to take the time this week to peel back the layers, just a bit to let you see who I am.

My name is Andrew E. Konietzky and I am 38 and a native Floridian. Friends call me Andrew or Drew and my online handle has been NeuroMan42 for over 20 years now. I was hatched from the breeding chambers in Daytona Beach, and moved to Sarasota just before getting married. I went through a divorce a little over a year ago, which sucks, but I think I am a better person for experiencing it.

In my daily life I am a writer, VO artist, podcaster, and a system tech. I am basically bootstrapping myself into writing as my career. After all, it is what I am most passionate about in my life. I write various articles, short stories, and some work on novels. I am currently a freelance writer for obviously, Creative Loafing. I have done some broadcasting in the past: co-hosting, writing and producing various podcasts. I also do voice-over work from time to time, when the gig is interesting and fun.

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COVER STORY

— Booze local: Two new ways to get your hands on locally made hooch.

NEWS & VIEWS

— Image of the week: Free Chipotle. Mmm…

— The week that was: The Sarasota Police Department reports hits the media.

— .Com-ments: Where the Wild Things Are, Gold Dynasty, a correction.

— Round two: Forced to find a new home, the Sarasota Boxing Club leans on supporters to forge a new path.

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Pirate Radio
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Tom Sturridge and Kenneth Branagh. Directed by Richard Curtis. Rated R. Opens Friday at area theaters.

When you strip away all the pomp and circumstance from rock ’n’ roll — the fashion and politics and drugs and groupies and stardom and burnout — what’s usually left are a few simple chords and a tune you can hum. In the 50-plus years since Chuck Berry, Little Richard, etc. created an art form, rock ’n’ roll music has morphed from a powerful expression of freedom and rebellion into a multi-billion-dollar commodity to be packaged and sold by record company soul-suckers that view artists as cattle and the audience as an ignorant rabble worthy only of being led around by the nose or dragged to court. It didn’t used to be this way.

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Photographer Patsy Hall will have her work displayed at Artists’ Guild Gallery on Nov. 13

Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Danielle Favreau.

VISUAL ARTS: OPENING

ALLYN GALLUP CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY 1419 5TH St., Sarasota (366-2093 or allyngallup.com). Enveloped Outside, an exhibit by artist William Nichols, will be on display through Nov. 28. Normal hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Free.

ART CENTER SARASOTA 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota (365-2032 or artsarasota.org). Join Sean and Marina Colson for a Hungarian night of ethnic food, fun, culture and art. 6-9 p.m. Nov. 12. Normal gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Free.

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Creative Loafing Half-Hour Variety Hour: Episode #34 (Part 1)

Creative Loafing Half-Hour Variety Hour: Episode #34 (Part 2)

It’s that time again, folks! Time again for more of the best banter on the Suncoast!

I take a break from the proceedings this week, and leave things in the hands of the mildly capable and trustworthy hands of Brian Ries and Tim Sukits. What are they chatting about? Well, for one, how we turned over this week’s Food & Drink section to hotshot food blogger and new cookbook author Jaden Hair, and for another, how excited we are about this weekend’s big film festival fiesta, Cine-World.

Listen up!

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