‘Arts’ Archives
The Social Network & Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The Social Network The Social Network ***** Columbia Pictures Running Time: 120 minutes PG-13 Director: David Fincher. Hardly a day or two passed after I had seen “The Social Network,” a flash on television announces the 26 year old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth 6.9 billion. Jesse Eisenberg plays an Oscar worthy performance as Mark Zuckerberg, the devious Harvard nerd, founder of Facebook (eclipses MySpace) burning and betraying partners along the trail to substantial wealth. Zuckerberg and his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara) are sitting across from each other, each has a beer, in a conversation clearly not on charitable terms leads to Erica breaking up with an unruffled Mark Zuckerberg muttering his own dismissive retort. Immediately, Mark retreats back to his dorm room for a “little” revenge by posting Erica and every Harvard co-ed on the Internet as “Hot chicks.” [...]
Animal Kingdom & Centurion
by Howard McQuitter Crime Drama Sony Picture Classics Running Time: 113 Minutes Rated: R Writer/Director David Michod Jacki Weaver as (“Mommy”) Jannie Cody matriarch of the Codys, a low-level crime family of sons, gives an excellent performance, Ben Mendelsohn as Andrew ”˜Pope”' Cody, one of her most devious sons””a psychopath””the lean crook went into hiding from the cops. Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford) are the other two brothers. The Codys live in one of the working class suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Center Stage is Joshua (or “J”) Cody, Janny Cody”'s grandson, who lost his “mum” to a heroine overdose, staying with his conniving grandma and drug dealing and bank robbing uncles. Joshua is seventeen years old and not involved in their crime sprees but is sucked into it by default. Smurf, nickname for Jannie Cody, overprotects “J” trying to shield him from her [...]
A New “Ringmaster” at In the Heart of the Beast Theatre
by Harvey Winje In the Heart of the Beast Theatre searched far and wide for an Executive Director to assume the role long and capably performed by Kathee Foran who retired last month. The Board of Directors chose Loren Niemi. Loren has a wide-ranging background that includes decades of involvement in local theater and literary circles.  Loren Niemi was the Tour manager and Ringmaster of HOTB”'s “Circle of Water Circus” in the summer 1983. It was an extravaganza that combined HOTB”'s three venues””education, production, and events””in a tour from the Itasca headwaters of the Mississippi River to many towns along the River, culminating in a pageant near the Gulf of Mexico. Chances are best that Executive Director Loren Niemi and longtime Artistic Director Sandy Spieler will combine to be a dynamic duo of “ringmasters.”  They both have the ability to be in the spotlight just long enough to focus the attention of [...]
