Author Archives: Jonathan Williams

“Ruth and the Green Book” is an uplifting reminder of an oppressive time

By Jonathan Williams

These days most of us have the convenience of Facebook and other such resources that allow us to connect and communicate with people all over the world for pretty much any reason. But for black travelers in 1950s America, The Green Book was the best way to find out where it was safe to go while road tripping across the country.

Based on the book of the same name by Atlanta-based author Calvin Alexander Ramsey, the Center for Puppetry Arts‘ production of Ruth and the Green Book tackles this tough topic in a refreshingly lighthearted fashion that includes live actors, puppetry, imaginative props and choreographed musical numbers. Playing through Feb. 26, the story begins with Ruth (played by Tara Lake) as an adult recalling the eye-opening trip from Chicago to Alabama she took with her family as a child. When she flashes back to her past, the actors become puppeteers and the audience is transported back to a time when Jim Crow laws made segregation a requirement in the South.

Ruth’s family had never had to deal with such things in Chicago, where her dad had a good job that made it possible to live comfortably, eat well and even drive around in a nice new car. But when she and her family head south to visit relatives, they encounter a racist gas station attendant, a motel that turns them away to sleep in their car (which makes for spooky scene fueled by Ruth’s imagination and the sounds she hears in the woods at night) and more and more places with signs that read “Whites Only.” With the innocence of an 8-year-old, Ruth struggles to understand why people can be treated in such a way simply because they are black. But once a black gas station owner introduced them to The Green Book, they are able to finish their journey under more favorable conditions (even if it means going way off route to support more tolerant businesses).

Photo by Clay Walker

Despite the oppression of the times, Ruth and the Green Book never gets oppressive or preachy. Instead, it manages to capture the family’s determination in an uplifting way through the use of humor and music (thanks to composer/actress S. Renee Clark) that even includes a somewhat hokey rap number (probably to help younger audience members connect a little better to the otherwise unfamiliar times).

Like the book it’s based on, Ruth and the Green Book is an example of the triumph of a family (a microcosm of an entire race) overcoming odds that are frustrating, to say the least. The fact that the story is told mostly through the use of puppets just makes it that much more entertaining and a little easier to digest.

For more information, go to www.puppet.org.

Pat Young becomes a true “Guitar Hero” with Hero for the Heart

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By Jonathan Williams

For the past few years, many video gamers have wasted countless hours living out their rock ‘n’ roll fantasies on Guitar Hero. But for Atlanta-based improv actor Pat Young, his heart is really in it when it comes to playing this game. In fact, Guitar Hero was one of the many things that made his relationship with his father that much more special.

Pat Young channels Axl Rose in Guitar Hero

Originally from Connecticut, Young moved to Atlanta after earning a theatre degree from Florida State University. The aspiring actor chose Atlanta over Orlando (“where I would have been owned by a big giant mouse”) as a stepping stone towards eventually pursuing a career in film and television in New York or Los Angeles. But after moving to the unfamiliar city, Young soon found himself once again turning to his father for reassurance.

“I was very close with my dad,” Young recalls. “He was very supportive of me and everything I did. I moved to Atlanta in 2006 and I didn’t have any friends or a job. I was doing OK until a week later when my car died. He ended up coming down to help me and a few months later came down to visit again. I was telling him about Guitar Hero, which had just come out. I told him it was the coolest video game I had ever seen. The next morning I found him playing ‘Smoke on the Water.’ I thought it was hilarious. It was just like the South Park episode.”

Over the next few years, Young got some of the acting and improv opportunities he was looking for. He’s been in Relapse Comedy Theatre productions such as History of the Devil and regularly appears in Stone Mountain Park productions like Dr. Busybody’s Boogiebot Blast, Wake the Bear and A Crossroads Christmas Carol. But while he was hitting high scores in his professional life, he was hit with a personal whammy when his father was stricken with a heart disease.

“He ended up passing away in November of 2009 from atherosclerosis,” says Young. “Before he died, we talked about making bucket lists and doing stuff we’d always wanted to do. I’d always wanted to break a world record [and] I wanted to try and do something that combined those three ideas: Guitar Hero, my dad and breaking a world record. And I wanted to maybe help other people who are going through or have experienced heart disease.”

Hero for the Heart logo by Joanna Davidovich (www.cupojo.net)

Beginning at noon on Feb. 23, Young will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for playing Guitar Hero with an event called Hero for the Heart, a benefit for the American Heart Association. The current record is a little longer than 50 hours, but Young plans on playing for 72 hours on the stage of the Horizons School‘s theater, with a goal of raising $5,000 in the process. And the timing couldn’t be better – Young’s father’s birthday would have been Feb. 26, and February is American Heart Month.

“I will be playing Guitar Hero the entire time,” he says. “There will be other people jumping in from time to time and there will be people playing online as well. But I’m the only person that is going to be playing for 72 hours.”

But even if you aren’t into Guitar Hero, there will be other ways to help the cause. Hero for the Heart will also include a silent auction featuring art by the likes of Stephanie Anderson of Neon Armour body painting, and there will be different contests throughout the event with prizes such as Guitar Hero bundle packs, DJ Hero items and, for the person who donates the most money to the cause, the Golden Fiddle Award, a Les Paul controller custom painted by Young, who is becoming a true Guitar Hero over the next three days.

Mike Alessi looks to leap up the standings at this weekend’s Supercross event

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By Jonathan Williams

When it comes to racing dirt bikes, Mike Alessi has one key strategy: get ahead early in the race. And he’s become so good at being the first rider through the first turn that he has become affectionately known as the Holeshot Kid. After some setbacks last year, Alessi has been racing pretty strong in 2012, currently in eight place in the Supercross points standings. Having come off his strongest finish of the year (he finished fourth in last weekend’s race in Dallas), Alessi looks to move up a little more when he competes at this weekend’s Atlanta Monster Energy Supercross race at the Georgia Dome. As he prepares for Saturday’s race, he takes a moment to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about how he plans on making 2012 one of his best years yet.

Your nickname is the Holeshot Kid. When did people start calling you that?

I got the Holeshot Kid because I was always getting the holeshot. I don’t know where it started, but someone was just looking for a nickname for me I guess.

You’ve had a few setbacks recently that have taken you out of racing a little bit. But you’ve bounced back and have done pretty well so far in 2012. How do you feel about how things have been going since you’ve come back?

I think the season has been going pretty good so far. I’ve pretty much been finishing second or third in the heat races, which means I get to start with the front guys. I’ve had some good races. The main events have been kind of up and down, but I’ve put together a pretty good start. If I can pull out front I really think I can do good.

You also recently started riding a new bike. How has that affected your riding?

Yep. I’m riding for the MotoConcepts racing team for 2012. It’s been great. They’ve been working hard, giving 110 percent and I just want to give them back what they’re putting in and get some good results. We’ve all been working hard.

Your brother Jeff is also on your team. What is it like racing with your brother while also trying to outdo him?

Yep. My brother and I are on the same team riding for the MotoConcepts team. He’s been doing pretty good. [Two weeks ago] he made the main event and we’re looking for good things to come from him.

I always want to beat my brother because I don’t want him being able to say, “Oh, I beat my big brother.” I’ve got to always beat him.

You’ve been riding since you were very young and you made your professional debut at a very young age. So you’ve both been doing this your entire lives. What was it like coming into the sport with your brother?

I started riding when I was three years old and started racing when I was four. It’s just all I’ve ever done and all I know. My brother’s always been racing, too. He started a year after me.

Since this is all you’ve ever done, it’s probably hard to imagine doing anything else. But if you weren’t riding motorcycles professionally what else do you think you might be doing?

I don’t know. Honestly this is all I know. This is what I’ve been doing my whole life, so it’s hard to say.

This weekend’s race is almost the halfway mark of the season. Where do you hope to be by then and how do you plan on moving up as the season progresses?

I’m in the top ten and I’m striving to get better with every race and get better results. Like I said before, it’s all about getting a good start and racing up front and putting yourself in a good position to have a good race. I think that’s where it all starts.

You mentioned your friendly rivalry with your brother. Are there any other riders you specifically want to outdo or are you just looking to outdo everyone?

Everybody’s fast right now. It’s so competitive. The speed everybody’s riding at is fast and you’ve just got to put yourself in a good position and get a good start because 90 percent of the racing right now is all in the start.

A lot of guys these days go from racing to freestyle riding. With things like Nuclear Cowboyz gaining popularity, do you think you’ll ever cross over into the more performance-based riding found there?

I don’t do any freestyle. I just focus on training and riding and trying to do my best to be competitive and try to win the races. I just give the best I can give and that’s all I do.

For more information, go to www.alessiracing.com or www.supercrossonline.com.

Things just can’t seem to come together in Iranian film “A Separation”

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A lot of stuff happens in A Separation. First an Iranian couple is arguing in front of a judge about getting a divorce because Simin, the pretty wife, wants to leave the country so their 11-year-old daughter Termeh can be raised in a less oppressive environment. Her husband Nader seems like a reasonable enough guy, but he has to think about his father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. When the two are unable to agree on the divorce, Simin moves out and Nader hires a housekeeper.

Because of her moral issues with some of the unexpected duties of taking care of a man with Alzheimer’s, the housekeeper quits after the first day. Desperate for the money, she reluctantly returns the following day, only to have Nader return home from work early to find that she has neglected his ailing father, whose condition seems to worsen as a result.

OK. So stuff is happening again and I’m wondering when it will all come together. I mean, the movie has received lots of critical praise and won all kinds of awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. And it was nominated for Academy Awards in Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay. So I eventually have to have some reason to care about what is happening, right?

Well, an argument between Nader and the housekeeper ensues that results in Nader shoving her out the door and closing it. This is where stuff gets really interesting. The housekeeper accuses Nader of causing her miscarriage, Nader claims he didn’t know she was pregnant and Simin tries to find a compromise that will make everyone happy. The housekeeper’s hotheaded husband refuses to cooperate and even goes so far as to punch Simin in the face during a scuffle between him and Nader.

Throughout this ordeal, no one is being completely honest about what happened or what they were aware of. But they all have seemingly good reasons for not telling the full truth. Termeh, who is smarter than the adults give her credit for being, seems to see right through the lies and innocently questions the motivations of the adults telling them.

In the end, compromises are made, but no one seems to get full closure since no one is willing to fully reveal the truth of the matter. And the story comes full circle, this time with Simin and Nader agreeing to the divorce. But the ultimate decision is Termeh’s to make. And since her eyes have been opened to just what her parents (and other adults) are capable of, it’s a tough decision that will be hard for everyone to cope with, especially in the oppressive Iranian culture.

A Separation. Directed by Asghar Farhadi. Starring Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat and Sarina Farhadi. Rated PG-13. www.sonyclassics.com/aseparation/.

Review by Flash Gorem

“The Secret World of Arrietty” explores a magical world beneath our feet

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It’s been a long journey for Arrietty to make it to the United States, especially for a girl as small as she is. But after debuting in 1952 in a series of children’s books called The Borrowers by British author Mary Norton, then being adapted for the screen by highly influential manga artist Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, The Secret World of Arrietty became one of the biggest Japanese films of 2010 (and of all time, for that matter). Leave it to the magic of Disney to bring the Hiromasa Yonebayashi-directed animated fantasy to America.

Arrietty (voiced by pop singer Bridgit Mendler) and her family of Borrowers live in a little brick house in a Tokyo suburb. Their house is so small, in fact, that it exists under the floorboards of another house occupied by Beings. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the Borrowers are fairy-like creatures (small, but without wings or magical powers) whose world must be kept secret from the Beings (regular-sized human beings), but whose survival depends on “borrowing” what they need from the humans while the humans aren’t looking. Just before she is to accompany her father (a man of few words voiced by the gruff-sounding Will Arnett) on her first borrow (a rite of passage for a Borrower of her age), a human boy (voiced by How I Met Your Mother‘s David Henrie) catches a glimpse of Arrietty in the bushes of his aunt’s yard.

The borrow itself is one of the film’s many adventures, as Arrietty and her father traverse through the inner walls of the house, rappelling up and down cupboards in order to retrieve necessities (in amounts that will last the Borrowers weeks but are too small to even be noticed by the humans). After Arrietty inadvertently drops a sugar cube while returning from the borrow, the interaction between her and her human counterpart progresses into a friendship. Though she tries to keep this new friendship a secret from her parents (especially her neurotic mother, voiced by Amy Poehler), they soon find out. And even though she is confident that the Borrowers’ secret is safe with the boy, especially since he is terminally ill, her parents insist that they must move. History has proven that once humans learn of their tiny cohabitants, it never ends well for the Borrowers.

The human housekeeper (Carol Burnett) eventually catches on and proves just why Borrowers and Beings cannot coexist. Sadly she is the bad apple that spoils the bunch, since we also learn that the boy’s family has tried to befriend the Borrowers before, going so far as to build an elaborate dollhouse in hopes that the Borrowers would take up residence.

In the tradition of Miyazaki films like My Neighbor Totoro and Sprited Away, The Secret World of Arrietty takes the viewer into a world of childlike innocence that is threatened by the ignorance of an adult. And through such thoughtful details and accuracies as the way liquids pour in what appear to be large globs in the Borrowers’ world (they’d only be tiny drops to us), Arrietty offers a sense of authenticity despite its fantastical premise. And thanks to the resourcefulness of the two children, not even the crotchety housekeeper is able to fully expose the Borrowers as they prepare to move on to new adventures.

The Secret World of Arrietty. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Starring Bridget Mindler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett and David Henrie. Rated G. www.disney.com/arrietty.

Review by Jonathan Williams

The Human Fuse sets Ringling’s Fully Charged show aflame with flaming human crossbow

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As Cirque du Soleil, Cavalia and other international performance groups have put a sexy and sophisticated twist on the circus of old, the idea of seeing clowns, elephants, acrobats and other such performers feels a bit nostalgic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still find a three-ring circus spectacle like the ones many of us grew up seeing. In fact, with up to three different shows on tour at any given time, when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to town, you can still expect to find some of the most death-defying feats you’re likely to ever witness. They don’t call it “The Greatest Show on Earth” for nothing.

One of the most amazing feats in Ringling’s Fully Charged show comes from “The Human Fuse” Brian Miser, a man who started out on the trapeze, but has become known for his human cannonball trick. But his routine has evolved to the point that he is now being launched across the arena at 65 miles per hour from a giant crossbow – while he’s on fire! Why would someone do such a thing? Well, Miser talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about how he got to this point in his career and what he has planned for the future.

At what point in your life or your career did you decide you wanted to be shot out of cannons for a living?

Well, when I was on the trapeze I was the acrobat who did the flips and got caught. My shoulders were getting worn out and I wanted to still fly through the air. I was always intrigued by the human cannonball and I got into fabricating and figured, “Well, at least I could still fly through the air if I was a human cannonball.” So I designed and built my own cannon 15 years ago.

You’ve added a few things to your show over the years. Now you’re shot from a giant crossbow while you’re on fire. How did that come about?

Yes. The neat thing about the crossbow is that it’s an open concept. It raises up to a 42-degree angle and you can see me get on top of the crossbow. Then you see me actually ignite on fire, then I burn for three seconds, then I am propelled across the arena at 40 feet high and I fly 110 feet in distance. I’m totally on fire the whole time, about 20 seconds total.

That definitely sounds entertaining for the audience, but I’m not sure about you.

It’s fun for me, too.

Anytime I see athletic spectacles like that, whether it be skateboarding tricks, pro wrestling or someone being shot out of a cannon, I always wonder how do you practice and figure out you are good at something like that?

I’ve been acrobatic since I was eight years old, so for me it kind of came natural. You have to have a lot of body control to know where you’re at, you have to know if you’re going to over-turn or under-turn because I’m actually flying like Superman. But I’m rotating at the same time that I’m doing a flip in the air and I land on my back on an airbag. So I have to be able to control the projection to make my body do the right thing and land the right way. It’s so dangerous that I don’t shoot anymore than I have to. I have a dummy that I shoot in case I need to test something or I’m not sure how high or far I’m going to go.

You met your wife while working in the circus and she used to work with you, first as the one who pulled the trigger, then joining you as the first double human cannonball couple. Was it more comforting or more stressful working so closely with your wife?

She’s actually retired. We have an 8-year-old daughter and my wife is going back to nursing school. So I’m actually traveling by myself now, but I wish she was here. It was much more comfortable with her.

Had you not made a career out of being an acrobat and a human cannonball, what other career paths do you think you might have followed?

Well, I will be driving a monster truck next year.

Oh, cool. I just interviewed Madusa a few weeks ago, who is a former professional wrestler who now drives a monster truck.

Yeah. The circus and Monster Jam are both owned by Feld Entertainment, so they want me to go perform at Monster Jam next year.

Would you still do the human cannonball stuff or devote yourself just to driving a monster truck?

I’m actually doing the cannon and driving a truck. Either at the beginning or at some point during the event, I’d still do the cannonball thing. I’m getting ready to celebrate 31 years as a professional entertainer and this is all I’ve ever done since I was eight years old. But to answer your question about what I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing this, I do a lot of fabricating and building equipment and designing equipment. It’s kind of like my hobby, and what I would probably be doing if I wasn’t a human cannonball.

For more information, go to www.ringling.com.

Wrestling with Pop Culture has complimentary passes to Fully Charged at Philips Arena Feb. 15-20 and at the Gwinnett Center Feb. 23-26. Just comment below with your favorite circus performer. We’ll randomly pick winners from correct answers until all of our passes have been claimed.

Beating people up is more fun than ever with “UFC Undisputed 3”

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The most important thing I can say about THQ’s UFC Undisputed 3 is this: If you follow Ultimate Fighting Championship closely, you will love this game. If you don’t follow UFC, this game will at the very least pique your interest in mixed martial arts combat. Never before has UFC seen such an authentic transition into the video game world than with UFC Undisputed 3.

Having played the previous two UFC Undisputed games, I noticed some new things right away. For starters, there’s a brand new soundtrack on this game, and to call it absolutely epic would be a severe understatement. I can’t express how much I love the music in this game, which is both cinematic and energetic, and the perfect way to get pumped for a fight.

As in previous UFC games, Undisputed 3 has the standard list of options; exhibition mode, tournament mode, title fight mode (which is basically an arcade-style setup where you beat enough guys and win the championship), career mode (more in depth than title fight mode, as it allows for character customization and stats management) and several other modes that have made the UFC game franchise what it is today.

Another notable difference right away is the presence of Pride Fighting Championships, which brings a little bit of MMA nostalgia to the game. In fact, you can choose to fight in Pride arena’s (and under the more lenient Pride regulations) or in UFC arenas. It truly adds a special touch to the game by acknowledging the accomplishments of this now-defunct promotion.

Character customization and creation is also back, with a few minor improvements. For example, you can now create and add your own logos to shorts, trunks, t-shirts, etc. You can also assign specific entrance animations, winning animations, character introduction animations, entrance music and other features to create truly unique fighters. And your customimzed characters and logos can be uploaded to THQ’s servers to be downloaded by other UFC enthusiasts around the world.

Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the overall game presentation and gameplay. First of all, if you’ve played a UFC game before, you know how authentic the music, sound effects, character models and commentary are. In fact, the level of authenticity far surpasses any other sports game, and here’s why. Before I played a UFC game, I had never seen a UFC event, live or televised. But after the first game piqued my interest in the UFC product, I decided to head down to my local drinking establishment and check out UFC 124. To my surprise, it was just like the game. The music, the commentary, the presentation, the camera angles; it was all identical. Talk about authenticity!

THQ has always managed to make MMA gameplay feel smooth, easy to learn and amazing. And with Undisputed 3 THQ has completely stepped up its game. It is now much easier to do ground transitions and ground takedowns, and the submissions system has been completely revamped into a very enjoyable, thrilling experience. The gameplay is fluid and authentic and helps bring you even further into the world of UFC.

If you love sports games, love watching MMA or love great, competitive gameplay, this game is a must-buy for you. Never before have reality and video games been so close when it comes to the world of mixed martial arts.

UFC Undisputed 3 is available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Rated T. www.ufcundisputed.com.

Review by Dan Kemp