Pop-o-Matic

Amanda Brown on the plastic fantastic world of pop culture.

Sex Galaxy and more showing this week at the fifth annual Atlanta Underground Film Festival

Bored by the big studio machine churning out cinematic summer slosh such as this week’s box office releases Rainn Wilson, How Could You?, I mean, The Rocker, and Gee, Ice Cube—Did No One Tell You Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst Was Directing This Stinker?, I mean, The Longshots? Then have we got a solution for you!

Tomorrow, August 20 is the opening day for the fifth annual Atlanta Underground Film Festival. The fest will run through this Sunday and will showcase foreign, experimental, animation, narrative, horror/sci-fi, and documentary shorts, as well as feature films such as Song Sung Blue—a documentary about “Lightning & Thunder, a homegrown Milwaukee husband and wife singing duo who pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond”— and, in the see-it-to-believe-it category, Sex Galaxy, a “100 percent recycled movie” using public domain and stock footage. Check out the hilarious (vaguely risque) trailer below.

The screenings will take place at locales around town such as the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge, The EARL, Lenny’s, the Plaza Theatre, Young Blood Gallery & Boutique, and new boutique/gallery Vacation. You can view the full schedule here.

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/19/2008 12:48 PM Comments (0)

It's a different world for first-time director (and Atlantan) Jasmine Guy

(Television, Famous Atlantans, Fine Arts)

For several years in the late eighties/early nineties, my favorite one-hour block of television had to be Thursday nights at 8 p.m.—The Cosby Show followed by its spin-off, A Different World. For those who need a refresher, A Different World chronicled the lives of college students at historically black (and fictional) Hillman College. dwayne wayne

Though an alumna of Washington, D.C.’s Howard Univesity, ADW’s producer, famed actress/choreographer/director Debbie Allen, brought her writers here every year to cull story ideas from the students and faculty of two of Atlanta’s historically black colleges, Spelman and Morehouse.

Another Atlanta connection? Lead actress Jasmine Guy—who portrayed snooty Southern belle Whitley, both foil and love of the bi-bespectacled Dwayne Wayne (both right)—was raised here (her father, William, is pastor emeritus of historic Friendship Baptist Church).

Though she has continued to act over the years, Guy is now trying her hand at directing. Beginning this Friday, August 22 (and running through August 31), Guy will helm the production of For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf at the 14th Street Playhouse.

Here is a clip of an interview with Guy that 11Alive News ran this past Sunday. (Sorry, I can’t get the video to imbed here for some reason.) In the interview she describes the play as “the voice of black American women—the stories, the pain, the passion, the celebration of sisterhood.”

You can purchase tickets here.

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/18/2008 3:27 PM Comments (1)

Regator.com—a “bite of the blogosphere’s best” from one of Atlanta Magazine’s very talented editors

(Best of the Web)

Regator-Reg

Ten months of sleepless nights ago, Atlanta magazine senior staff writer Kimberly Turner (read her story on bees, “Buzz Kill,” in August’s issue here), her husband, Scott Lockhart, and her brother, Chris Turner, began to turn an idea—Wouldn’t it be great if there were a website that would help you find the best blogs in a range of topics? An aggregator that only featured the crème de la crème of the blogosphere?—into the recently launched Regator.com.

Watched over by adorably cute gator mascot Reg (above), Regator has already received numerous positive reviews (a list is on Regator’s blog here), including this mention on the washingtonpost.com via TechCrunch.

Wondering how Regator is special? Here’s a rundown from the site’s Frequently Asked Questions section:

Why should I use Regator?
The blogosphere’s a big place. Gigantic even. There are at LEAST sixty million blogs online right now, according to Discover magazine, and about 175,000 more are added every day (about two every second). We here at Regator doubt you’ve got the time to trudge through that amount of info, so we do the work for you. Our editors spend more time than they’d care to admit slogging through the murky swamp of the blogosphere in search of content that’s relevant, useful, well-written, frequently updated, and original. Then we put it all in one place just for you. You’re welcome. If you’re a little more advanced, you can also use Regator as an RSS reader with built in audio and video players, advanced search functionality, Twitter and Facebook sharing, and more.

What can I do on Regator?
Lots. You can:

1. Search for or browse quality blog posts on topics that interest you
2. Find out what the blogosphere is buzzing about
3. Save, organize, discuss, and rate posts
4. Have posts about any keyword delivered to your personalized My Regator page
5. Share posts with friends via email, Twitter, or Facebook
6. Upload your own selection of blogs to take advantage of Regator’s feed reader features
7. Listen to audio and create playlists
8. Create custom RSS feeds
9. Save and manage your Favorite Blogs and Favorite Channels
10. View the highest rated, most commented on, or newest posts from all of Regator’s blogs—or within the topic of your choice
11. Watch videos
12. Overcome your fear of alligators by bonding with our charming, harmless-looking mascot

Dutch tech blog The Next Web recently interviewed Decatur residents Kimberly, Scott, and Chris, and the result is a wonderful explanation of how and why Regator came to be. You can read it here.

For the Turner-Lockharts next trick, might I suggest they look into bottling their indefatigable energy? Seriously. These guys never stop, and that’s on top of their full-time jobs. And it’s not as though Kimberly’s been slacking at work, either—in addition to her aforementioned bees story in August, she (among other tasks) spent several grueling months putting together July’s Best Places to Work package, writes the monthly Burning Question, interviewed Sugarland for our September issue, and will have a feature on ghost hunters in the October issue.

While I can’t even get out of bed on time, I will be in attendance at the September 4 launch party Regator is hosting in conjunction with fellow Decatur business Paste. Congratulations, guys—we’re really proud of you!

Regator-Kimberly

Atlanta magazine senior staff writer (and Regator co-founder) Kimberly Turner

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/15/2008 1:45 PM Comments (1)

Apropos of nothing: The worst press release I received today

(Unsolved Mysteries, Ways to Waste Time, Things I Am Ashamed Of, See It to Believe It)

To be honest, I wasn't going to blog today—too dazed from too many nights up late reading (more on why in a blog post to come). But then an apropos-of-nothing press release flitted to my inbox that lifted my heels spirits in the most unintentional of ways, and I couldn't resist sharing.

I'm going to post the release below, without comment other than to say that WOW is right. If anyone needs me, I'll be walking "from the knees" and acting as if I "have a secret."

Thanks, Eve!!!!! (Pictured—"Eve at age 53"—at right for your benefit.)

The best parts of the release:

"This summer, whether it's shorts, mini-skirts, jeans, or dresses the go-to-shoe is the sexy high heel but Inspirational Beauty Coach, Eve Michaels has noticed that not every woman knows how to walk the walk in the go-to-shoe of the summer.

'The goal is to walk like a feminine, sexy woman. Sexy shoes won't do a thing for a woman if she stomps around town like a man,' states Eve Michaels. 'We need to celebrate being women and viva la difference!'

Eve Michaels

"WOW" Woman's Way To Walk In Sexy Shoes

1. Walk from the knees. Let your knees lead each leg, not the heel of the foot. This forces a woman to walk as if she's floating instead of stomping around the city.

2. Sway your hips! Nothing is more attractive to a man that (sic) seeing a woman gently sway her hips as she glides down the street in her diva heels.

3. Stand up straight, breasts held high, and smile! It helps to act as if you have a secret. A mischievous grin is drop dead sexy!

4. When you stop walking, bring you (sic) ankles together!! It's not pretty to stand with your legs so wide apart so a car could drive through like the Holland Tunnel!

5. Practice, practice, practice. The goal is to be light on your feet and enjoy being a sexy feminine woman in the city!!

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/11/2008 4:02 PM Comments (5)

Your help needed: Let’s get Wordsmiths’ books in the black!

(Literature, Music, Authors)

If you haven’t heard already, Decatur’s Wordsmiths Books, which moved into the old SunTrust building earlier this year, is having financial problems. In addition to the current economic climate in general, the store is struggling with debt incurred from its old location and a recent, unprofitable event.

Through August 17 (and afterward, I’m sure, as well), Wordsmiths owner Zach Steele will be accepting donations via the bookstore’s website to help save the struggling shop. Benefactors may also mail a donation to the store (545 North McDonough Street, Decatur, Georgia, 30030) or—hey, here’s an idea!—stop by to buy a book instead of heading to the big box competitors (something I’m guilty of doing far too often). You can even become a “Friend of Wordsmiths” by making a $10, $50, $100, or $500 donation here (and you’ll also get some cool coupons, gifts, and discounts).

To help with the drive, Decatur-based Paste magazine and BabyGotBooks.com are sponsoring a “Saving Bookstores Is Awesome!!! Night of Awesome!!!!” fundraising event Friday, August 15 at the store (info at right). Writer Jack Pendarvis will read from his new robot-riddled book, Awesome; Atlanta indie rock band Sealions will perform; and a Silent Robot Auction will be held, “in which artisan robots of varying shapes, materials, and forms, handcrafted by local businesses, entities, celebrities, and individuals” will be auctioned (silently) to benefit Wordsmiths.

Wordsmiths, in fact, has gained a lot of attention for their in-store events, including author readings, musical performances, and launch parties, including one recently highlighted in this New York Times article.

You can follow along with their progress on the store’s blog here. Good luck, Wordsmiths!

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/6/2008 9:43 AM Comments (1)

Don't Take It Personal—Monica's Reality Show Airs Tonight

(Music, Television, Famous Atlantans, Reality Television)

College Park-born R&B singer Monica’s 1995 hit “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” will always be dear to my heart—or at least the piece of my heart that was formed the summer before my ninth grade year. The song, and Monica, seemed ubiquitous then. However, after winning a Grammy for her 1998 duet with Brandy, “The Boy Is Mine,” Monica sort of fell off my radar.

Now twenty-seven, mother-of-two Monica evidently wants you to know that she’s Still Standing. That’s the name of her soon-to-be released album and that album’s first single, to be chronicled on her one-time, hour-long reality show, The Single: Monica, which airs tonight on Peachtree TV at 10 p.m.

Looking back, she also seemed so much older than I was—but is only one year my senior. She also appeared more sophisticated then than other fifteen-year-olds singing and acting, such as Miley Cyrus, are now.

Will you watch? I’m going to try to. I’m curious to see—ten years after I stopped paying attention—what her sound and life is like. Is it just me who thinks Monica was way more mature than pop stars such as Miley are now?

Ready for a flashback? Check out Monica's video for “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” below. It's still awesome ... I think an iTunes purchase is in order!

Posted by Amanda Brown at 8/5/2008 3:35 PM Comments (3)

So sue me: I really kind of loved last night’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta (sort of) debut

(Television, Famous Atlantans, Reality Television, Things I Am Ashamed Of, See It to Believe It)

The Real Housewives of Atlanta, from left: Lisa Wu Hartwell, DeShawn Snow, Kim Zolciak,
NeNe Leakes, Sheree Whitfield

Last night, after returning home, blurry-eyed and sweat-soaked, from the St. Louis Cardinals 7–2 win over the Braves, I managed to catch the midnight thirty-minute preview of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

I’m not really sure why Bravo decided to tantalize viewers with this taste of RHOA when the full season will not debut for another month and a half—Tuesday, September 16 (the day before my birthday!), to be exact. But it did make me kind of excited to see what lies in store for Sheree Whitfield, NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, DeShawn Snow, and Lisa Wu Hartwell.

To get a better idea of who these women are, click here to read my previous post on the show. There’s been some complaining that these women are not indicative of Atlanta socialites, but here’s the deal. In Real Housewives of New York, for example, you didn’t see any Astors or Rockefellers or Vanderbilts because any old school WASP worth her imported sea salt isn’t going to star on a reality TV show. Because guess what? Reality TV is trashy. I love it—the trashier the better—but it is.

And so it also goes for Atlanta. If some of the better known icy blond Buckhead Betties were to star on Real Housewives they would be expelled from the Swan Ball invite list before you could say “Burberry raincoat.”

Plus, it looks like the RHOA will actually be fun to watch for this reason—the preview last night dished up enough cattiness, materialism (housewife Kim writes out (her multimillionaire boyfriend's) check for a $68,000+ SUV like she were writing out a check for lunch money), and diva-tude to keep me (trash-tastically) enthralled. Would it really be as fun to see those some might think of as the “real” socialites of Atlanta pursing their lips over their iced tea–only lunches at Neiman Marcus and keeping their nasty thoughts to themselves (as any well-bred lady does)?

I will say that my favorite housewife so far is DeShawn Snow, wife of Cleveland Cavaliers team captain Eric Snow. Yes, her new house is completely over the top, but she seemed pretty sweet and funny—and seems the peacemaker (again, so far!) between the other housewives.

I can’t find a video from last night’s show (Bravo hasn’t put one up yet) but as soon as I do, I’ll update the post. If you’re around a TV, the show will be replayed at 3:30 p.m. today (and probably many more times before the September debut).

Did you watch the preview last night? What did you think? Who’s your favorite housewife? Will you watch in September?

Update: One of my favorite blogs, Jezebel, reviewed the RHOA preview today and loved it. Click here to watch Jezebel's clip from the show (Bravo is still not offering video).

Posted by Amanda Brown at 7/31/2008 10:14 AM Comments (6)

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