Review: “Around Tennessee, 1820-1920”

This current exhibit at the Memphis Brooks Museum showcases Memphis and local produced silver, firearms, furniture, quilts and paintings produced from 1820-1920.

A number of fine silver pieces on display were made by Memphis Silversmiths, F.H. Clark and J. S. Curtis. Part of the collection included two early 19th century mint julep cups designed for Memphis co-founder Marcus Brutus Winchester.

Also featured was an 1820 flint lock muzzle-loader by Fort Pickering gun smith “Joc” Bean. At the time, Fort Pickering was an Indian Trading Post located just South of today’s downtown Memphis. His uncle, Russell Bean, was the first marshal of Memphis.

Several intricate Nonconnah pottery pieces are also being shown. They were produced from unusually colorful clay that lay along the banks of Nonconnah Creek.

Other interesting items include a number of quilts by Eva Lena Harrington of DeSoto County Mississippi and an ornate ladies vinaigrette made from silver and a Tennessee Black Bear’s claw.

This exhibits runs from July 5 through September 7.

Movie Review: "Roman de Gare"

The movie starts and ends with Judith Ralitzer, successful French novelist, being interrogated by police regarding the disappearance of her ghost-writer. Multiple vaguely connected sub-plots- including the prison escape of a pedophile, a jilted hairdresser and a missing school teacher- revolve around the relationship of an unattractive middle aged man and a young French country girl. This films plot contains nested stories within stories. The surprise ending ultimately unifies and clarifies the role of each story and true identity of it’s characters.

"JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH"

This movie is a well done extension of Jules Verne's classic Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's premise is that Jules Verne's book was documentation not fiction.

One may be tempted to look upon this movie as light weight science fiction, premised on Hollywood special effects. OH CONTRAIRE. It is a metaphor in 90 minutes that challenges deeper thought for the astute. While one can go to the center of the earth and back in 90 minutes (how do they do that? What exactly is the radius of the earth?) it takes a lifetime to journey to the center of God's will.

The special effects and graphics are worth the price of admission. Special 3-D glasses are provided but are expected to be returned at the end of the movie. The 3-D technology has vastly improved over the cardboard throw away's of times past. Neal Aguillard slipped her glasses into Suzy's purse and snuck out with a pair. He wanted them to watch his collection of Chips episodes on his new HD Flat screen television. He reports the motorcycle chase scenes in 3-D are almost as breathtaking (he is a lung doctor) as his beautiful wife riding on their camel in the summer heat at20the Frazier compound (morning occurrence). Even now he is hard at work in his underground laboratory cloning the technology for mass marketing at the Big One Flea market when it moves from the fairgrounds to Frazier.

The 3-D effects prompted our own one-dimensional Dr. Rick Jordan to opine "this almost makes me want to live in a 3-D world". (Rick, stick to your one dimensional world. Ann is living in 5 or 6 alternative dimensions. That is enough for one house).

Overall this movie is worth seeing but only at a theatre to maximize the special effect. Some theatres show it in 2-D. Save your money. Only see it in 3-D.

-Larry "The Lobster" Dormois

Movie Review: "Hancock"

Will Smith plays a reluctant depressed alcoholic superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public. He develops an obtuse relationship with a publicist and his wife. Mystery surrounds the reasons for Hancock’s isolated life and strange interaction with the publicist’s wife. Will Smith never quite seems to comfortably fit this superhero’s role. The movie is a fusion of “Jumpers” and “The Incredibles.” The plot is an interesting idea. All in all, it’s a slightly above average action movie