“When a Butterfly Flaps its Wings: Does it Start a Hurricane on the Other Side of the World?”

This farcical hypothesis was presented at a symposium by mathematician / philosopher Arthur Seldom, played by character actor John Hurt. His premise that everything is interconnected was one he could not endorse.

What he could support was that there were no simple answers, and truth was a rare commodity. Factor in the remarkable occurrence that murders of the elderly, and the infirmed, began popping up throughout the provincial college town of Oxford, England, and the venerable Arthur Seldom has a proper stage to test his theories of logic to solve the murders, prevent them, or orchestrate them. The classic premise of the English whodunit.

To better dramatize that point, at one juncture in the film when Arthur Seldom and Martin, played be Elijah Wood, when there were two more murders, began to rationalize a joint hypothesis of who was committing these heinous crimes by using ... Read More

Christian Charity in a Strong Willed Southern Woman

Memphis native Leigh Anne Tuohy exemplified the best of both attributes and it made a huge difference in the true-life story of one young man - Michael Oher. Michael Oher was a large bodied, athletic, young black man, with the sweet spirit of an untainted child, who received an athletic scholarship to attend Wingate (actually the private school is known as Briarcrest in Memphis circles) Christian School.

Wingate was a private school for all grades that were attended by not only the man-child Michael Oher, but by Leigh Anne and husband, Sean Tuohy’s children as well. It was only a matter of time before Mrs. Touhy would be introduced to the vision of a short-sleeved Michael walking home to the “wrong side of town” on a cold autumn night. While Leigh Anne did not seem like the kind of woman, who would pick up stray cats to take home and feed, she, conversely, would never allow this huge man-child to shiver all ... Read More

"L'chaim! To the best musical of all time!"

Most people either simply adore musicals, or think they are ridiculously contrived. Even aware of the risk, I can say without fear of mockery that the 1971 film adaptation of the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof is not only one of the best musicals of all time; it is also one of the best movies ever made.

I understand that a five-star rating is a bold move, so I’m starting with a full disclosure: I am one of those ‘silly’ people who love musicals! The only musical I won’t watch is Grease, but I blame this on the insufferable popularization of this musical among those who know nothing else about the genre. (Ironically, the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, which opened in 1964, held the record of the longest-running musical for 10 years, until it was surpassed by Grease.)

However, the real reason I bestow a crown of five stars upon Fiddler on the Roof has less to do with my adoration of lyri... Read More

The Finnish rock band known as HIM has returned with its seventh studio album, "Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice". The five musicians from Helsinki, Finland have started off the new decade with another sonic surprise of a rock album. This album is filled with heavy, goth-tinged, guitar-driven rock tunes that beckon the music-world to relish, savor and urge them to attribute this work to their precious rock and roll compilations. As an observer and listener of HIM's previous albums, the band's February 9, 2010 release is by far the most aggressive in terms of its lyrical positivity and musical dynamics. Unlike the past more melancholic albums; it portrays love in a more optimistic light, which literally "screams" out for hope, redemption, and (as always) love. As singer Ville Valo has previously stated in an interview; it's about "embracing the light at the end of the tunnel" and he describes the quality of the songs as, "heavy, but a lighter s... Read More

The Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum Features an Assemblage of Work: Soul's Journey: The Creative Process

On this occasion when I visited my good friend and publisher at his condo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I took the opportunity to visit the Burroughs and Chapin Art Museum on Ocean Boulevard. Once again this little museum, on the northern edge of the old Springmaid Hotel property, with its back facing the blue of the Atlantic Ocean, exhibited another notable show featuring exotic furniture, textile screen prints and sculptors: glass, wood, fibers, ceramic, wood, and a variety of metals. The exhibit is entitled "Soul's Journey:" The Creative Process. It began October 11, 2009 and will continue until January 8, 2010, with an opening reception October 15th .

This exhibit features southern artists representing states from Kentucky and Virginia to north, Florida to the south and Louisiana to the west. The artists participating in the exhibit, which originat... Read More

I know this Will Anger Some, But the Movie Did Not Need to be Made

I do try to give films a good go of it when I try to enjoy them as art or simply entertainment. In terms of "Where the Wild Things Are," I tried to look at the picture trough the eyes of an unruly child, but I came up empty. The movie was 101 minutes long and was about 60 minutes too long to tell the story of the unruly Max in a make-believe-world that originated from a short, but very interestingly illustrated book by Maurice Sendak. I liked the book, read to my children. I did not particularly like the movie. As a movie it really did not need to be made.

I really did like the quirky "Being John Malkovich," another film made by the "Where the Wild Things Are" Director Spike Jonze, but he had a script by Charlie Kaufman to make that film. This time out, Mr. Jonze and David Eggers wrote the screenplay and Director Jonze did himself no favors, but once again, how does one develop a children's very short story in... Read More

The global corporation, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., specializes in the console video games market; they serve as a developer, publisher, and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. In 1999, Konami released the game Silent Hill, its first entry into the survival horror genre. Rather than replicate the shock-based thrills popularized by Capcom's Resident Evil series, Konami set out in a darker, creepier direction. They raised the baleful bar in everything from the game's environments, monsters, and even to the story itself. The resulting game offered its’ own fair share of shocks, as well as some genuinely fearful, emotional, and disturbing moments. What began as a game with something of a cult following; it has ballooned into a strong franchise, giving the new Silent Hill 3 some big shoes to fill. The good news is that this latest installment lives up to the series' high standards and is especially well suited to those who've enjoyed the previous Silent Hil... Read More

Press release from the Turnage Theater for immediate release, May 14, 2010. For More Information, contact Katherine Buchholz, Box Office Manager.

Gather the whole family to see the Gizmo Guys Comedy Jugglers perform live at the Turnage Theater in Washington, NC on Saturday, May 29th at 2pm. It’s all of the fun of the circus, with none of the animal smells!

Simply put, the Gizmo Guys are a comedy juggling act. But really, they are much more. Their act includes original routines, quick-witted verbal repartee and world class juggling skills with a light-hearted approach to the art.

Touring worldwide since 1987, the Gizmo Guys have appeared before well over a million people in more than 2500 live performances and for millions more on television. In addition to touring extensively in the U.S. and Canada, the Gizmo Guys have strutted their stuff in places as diverse as Saudi Arabia and Japan and have taught juggling at the renowned French and Canadian National Circus Schools.... Read More