Author Archives: Jonathan Williams

Georgia Wrestling Now welcomes “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant

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This week’s Georgia Wrestling Now only had one scheduled guest, but he’s a very special one. “The Human Hand Grenade” dany only, Team All You Can Eat’s Matt Hankins and Wrestling with Pop Culture welcomed a true legend of the National Wrestling Alliance, a WWE Hall of Famer, the “Boogie Woogie Man,” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant. We were also joined by Georgia Wrestling History‘s Larry Goodman, and discussed recent and upcoming events in Peachstate Wrestling Alliance, Empire Wrestling, Platinum Championship Wrestling, Monstrosity Championship Wrestling and more.

The "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant

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An unlikely bond becomes rather touching in “The Intouchables”

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If you’re a wealthy, wheelchair-bound Caucasian quadriplegic, you’re probably a little less motivated to play by the rules than most people. So when it comes time to hire a new caretaker and you have an endless line of highly qualified people with as much personality as your sensationless lower extremities, the able-bodied black guy with a bad attitude is likely to seem the most appealing.

"Here, Philippe. This will make you feel all better." (photo by Thierry Valletoux)

Based on a true story, The Intouchables is a French dramatic comedy about two very different men who have come to similar places in their lives where they feel they have little to live for. Their unlikely meeting and even less likely subsequent friendship turn out to be just what each man needs, and their interactions make for some touchingly comical moments. Driss (Omar Sy) is a troubled young man with a criminal record who would likely never be found in a Parisian mansion unless he was robbing the place. When he arrives at the expansive (and expensive) home of Philippe (the Dustin Hoffman-esque François Cluzet) after being kicked out of his aunt’s small ghetto apartment, the last thing he wants or expects is to actually get the job. After storming ahead of the other applicants and requesting that Philippe sign his forms showing that Driss tried, but failed, to get the job so he can continue collecting unemployment benefits, he makes a surprising impression on the aristocrat.

While most of Philippe’s family and friends question his decision to hire Driss as his live-in caretaker, it turns out to be just what Philippe needs to once again experience life following the accident and other tragedies that led to his current physical and emotional state. The seemingly less cultured Driss learns to appreciate the finer things in life such as art, classical music and Philippe’s Maserati while Philippe is introduced to Earth, Wind & Fire, alternative ways of relieving his psychosomatic pains and a take-charge attitude that comes from an upbringing that is completely foreign (literally and metaphorically) to someone who has never known the type of helplessness Driss has become accustomed to.

"Whee!" (photo by Thierry Valletoux)

As their friendship continues to develop, each man learns more about the other, and their drastically different perspectives actually complement each other in interesting ways. And just as both men feel very different senses of helplessness in their lives, we also learn that it was drastic and risky behavior not unlike Driss’ that got Phillipe into his current state of literal helplessness (are we also to assume he took similar risks in order to attain the luxuries his wealth affords him?).

Having helped Philippe take charge of his own life and surroundings, Driss younger brother shows up and needs similar help in getting out of some trouble on the streets. Philippe encourages Driss to straighten out this situation as he has done for Philippe, but both men soon find they simply aren’t as happy without the companionship of the other. And once Driss re-enters Philippe’s life, he forces Philippe to take yet another big risk that, as the real-life story has proven, turns out to be the best thing that could happen to either one of them.

The Intouchables. Written and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. Starring François Cluzet and Omar Sy. Not rated. www.weinsteinco.com/sites/the-intouchables. 

It’s once upon a darker time in “Snow White and the Huntsman”

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Snow White's connection with nature is so strong even this never-before-seen creature come to visit (photo courtesy Rhythm & Hues/Universal Pictures)

Snow White is a popular girl this year, but the two movies based on her classic Brothers Grimm tale are about as opposite as Snow White and her evil stepmother. While Mirror Mirror put a comical spin on this timeless tale just a couple of months ago, Snow White and the Huntsman is a decidedly darker take more akin to the earlier folk tales on which the Grimm version was based. And whether you’re accustomed to the animated Disney version of Snow White that has permeated pop culture or the distantly dark fantasies that portray Snow White herself as a monstrous vampire-like creature, this latest version of the story is unlike any previous versions, though it borrows heavily from each of them.

In Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow White (Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart) is raised in captivity after the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron, playing a cold-blooded witch not unlike the character you’ll see her portray in Prometheus next Friday) deceives the king into marrying her only to murder him and usurp his throne. Though birds and other animals don’t sing to Snow White or tie ribbons in her hair, she does have a magical connection with nature that allows, for example, birds to help her escape (she’s later able to summon a mystical multi-horned horse-like creature, which solidifies her status as the good witch to Revenna’s bad witch).

Mirror mirror, off the wall... (photo courtesy The Mill/Universal Pictures)

After Snow White escapes, an enraged Revenna promises a widowed huntsman (Thor‘s Chris Hemsworth, who would have been better off if he had just brought his hammer) she’ll bring his wite back to life if he’ll hunt down Snow White and bring her back to the queen. But Snow White’s magic seems to affect even this drunken lout and he soon finds himself helping her escape from the queen. Meanwhile, the queen’s mirror, which had previously reassured her she was the fairest one of all, goes all Dorian Gray on her by informing her that someone fairer has recently come of age. Unable to continue hiding her true age, she sends her vaguely incestuous albino brother (Sam Spruell) to find Snow White and the huntsman who is now helping her.

The huntsman and the princess encounter various people (and other creatures) along the way and it seems the everyone aside from Snow White herself realizes that she is the key to overthrowing the queen’s dark reign and restoring life and happiness to the kingdom. They eventually come across eight dwarves (is it any coincidence that the one who gets the Star Trek redshirt treatment happens to be the one with red hair?) who are, for some reason, played by regular-sized people like Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins and Eddie Marsan. Though there is no “Heigh-Ho,” it is off to work they soon go as Snow White comes to the conclusion that she must overthrow the queen and take back the kingdom that is rightfully hers. But the queen certainly isn’t going to make that easy, even in her ever-weakening state.

Snow White bites into a juicy red apple, but it comes from a very different source in "Snow White and the Huntsman" (photo courtesy Universal Pictures)

And so much for the damsel in distress we’ve come to expect from Snow White as she gears up with the rest of the troops, looking more like Joan of Arc than Sleeping Beauty riding into battle clad in armor and wielding weapons. But just because this Snow White’s a bit of a badass doesn’t mean she doesn’t still succumb to a poisonous apple and need a prince charming (of sorts) to awaken her with a kiss.

Though this version of Snow White isn’t as familiar as the version most people are accustomed to, it retains all the fantasy elements in interesting and unique ways that are closer to what those Grimm guys had in mind than what Disney has taught us. And perhaps the most “happily ever after” thing about Snow White and the Huntsman is that the female characters (be they good or evil) are portrayed with convincing strength without weakening any of the male characters in the story.

Snow White and the Huntsman. Directed by Rupert Sanders. Starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Spruell. Rated PG-13. www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com.

Straight Line Stitch fights for its life on spring/summer tour

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Having woven itself tightly into the national metal scene with an an intensely aggressive sound complemented by the alternating roars and purrs of front woman Alexis Brown, Tennessee’s Straight Line Stitch continues to lacerate listeners with a rigorous tour schedule in support of last year’s The Fight of our Lives. And with a steady stream of dates through July followed by another round of dates in late August, SLS doesn’t plan on letting up anytime soon. Having already begun writing for the next album, Brown takes a moment amidst her hectic schedule to chat briefly with Wrestling with Pop Culture about what the band has planned for the rest of the year.

It looks like you’ll be touring all summer, with a short break in July before hitting the road again in August. Are you touring with other bands or just doing your own thing?

We’ve been on the road since April 24 and we’re touring through July 9. We pick up with a band called Blameshift June 5. But we’ve been out by ourselves and we pick up with a band and do some shows, then we just continue out by ourselves.

You’re being joined on this tour by former Darkest Hour guitarist Kris Norris, who also played with Straight Line Stitch briefly a couple of years ago. Is he officially in the band or just filling in for this tour?

Yes, Kris has been out with us and has been helping out with the tour. Then we have Andrew Mikhail, who used to be in a band called Oceano, picking up the rest of the dates with us starting June 5.

Photo courtesy Adrenaline PR and Straight Line Stitch

You’re still touring behind 2011’s The Fight of Our Lives, which has been the band’s most successful album in many ways. When can we expect a new album from Straight Line Stitch?

Right now we’re writing on the road like we always do, and just recording ideas. When we get off the road, we’ll probably take three weeks off before we start working on songs and stuff. We hope to be in the studio by the end of the year.

What can you tell me about the new songs thus far? How do they compare to The Fight of our Lives?

I feel like we’ve definitely matured in our writing. With this album and our previous album, I think it was more hands on. The band did most of the pre-production stuff and it was more so our album. We had more of a say in what was going on and what we wanted to do, whereas when we did our first album it was like people were holding our hands and telling us what to do and how we should do it. I just felt like The Fight of Our Lives was more us taking a stand as a band.

How has that experience carried over to the stuff you’re working on now?

With the new stuff we’re going to experiment, which I’m excited about. We’re just going to let it develop itself and see where it takes us. Now we have new members in the mix, so that’s definitely going to change our sound a little bit. But we’re pretty much just going to see what happens with the new members, as far as changes to our writing process.

You’re known for your intensity, both on the albums and at live shows. How have these shows been going and how would you say they compare to what you’ve done on previous tours?

It’s always a priority to have energy and make sure the fans get what they pay for. The goal is still the same and we’re just trying to keep busier than before. And the tour’s been going really well.

It seems as if female-fronted metal bands and bands with female members are becoming more and more common. You’ve been doing it for a few years, but why do you think there’s been a bit of an emergence of more female metal singers and bands?

I think it’s just been really popular, especially with people making such a big deal about it. People are actually starting to pay attention. With us, we just want to make music. It’s not about being a female fronting a band. We just want to make this music and tour. It doesn’t matter what gender you are, we just want to go out and make the music.