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Movie Review: Public Enemies
By Justin Velasquez
July 2, 2009
It's high time for Academy Award-nominated actor Johnny Depp to return to a role that's a bit more... normal. From playing an unusual candy maker to an eccentric pirate to a vengeful barber, Depp picks up the Tommy gun and dons a fedora to become John Dillinger, the infamous Depression era bank robber. For this new film from stylish director Michael Mann, Depp takes on another real-life persona, witness to his roles as John Wilmot (The Libertine), Sir James Matthew Barrie (Finding Neverland), George Jung (Blow) and Joe Pistone (Donnie Brasco).
Depp's performance is one of many highlights in this intense action-drama. Public Enemies is a simple film with a simple story: the search for and the apprehension of the slick criminal, John Dillinger. J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup, Watchmen) is the director of the FBI and wages a public crusade to catch those who are responsible for a string of high-profile crimes across the Midwest. Hoover appoints top agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale, Terminator Salvation) to head a special task force created specifically to find Dillinger and other "public enemies". Purvis and the rest of his fellow "G-men" go to great lengths to apprehend any and all fugitives of justice.
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Mountains and Waters A little house tucked away in the center of downtown Christiansburg, Montgomery Museum and Lewis Miller Regional Art Center, shows interesting works of local artists and students. Up the stairs, in the office to the left, the director works alone in this creaky to make sure all is ready for the newly entering exhibit. From organizing the gift shop to running the day-to-day maintenance of such an old building, Sue Farrar, of Christiansburg, makes the Montgomery Museum efficient. Betty Moore’s Mountains and Waters exhibit will be shown from July 1 to August 24. “Betty will be here for the opening reception,” Farrar said, “July 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.” Inside the Mind of Virginia Tech's Sports Psychologist Virginia Tech’s clinical and sports psychologist Gary Bennett gets into the mind of the athletes and staff better than anyone in the athletic department. With an English degree from Centre College of Kentucky, time spent in law school, and a PhD in Psychology from University of Kentucky, Bennett focuses on helping staff and athletes strive to be their best. “I think I have always had a knack for being attentive to people in distress,” said Bennett. “A big influence was a therapist I saw while I was going through a difficult time.” Bennett sat down with Planet Blacksburg for an interview recently. What follows is an edited section of answers to questions selected from the interview. Miss Arlington Does It Again
A synchronized dance routine comprised of cha-cha movements and pivot turns to the song "21st Century Girls" marked the beginning of the Miss Virginia Pageant as 29 contestants competed for the title. After each contestant was presented to the audience, Miss Virginia 2008, Tara Wheeler, addressed the audience by highlighting the details of her year as Miss Virginia. Among her achievements, Wheeler raised $30,000 in 30 days for pediatric cancer research. Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen It's time for the viewing public to get in line for the latest installment of the popular '80s animated program. Hack master Michael Bay returns with (now) A-list actor Shia LaBeouf and everyone's favorite bad girl, Megan Fox, to continue their support in helping the Autobots save the world from their evil counterparts, the Decepticons. With an approved budget of over $200 million and a director with a penchant for style over substance it's guaranteed that this installment will have more explosions, more special effects & more exotic locales - simply put, it will have more of everything. The most important question, though, is with all of this money will this be a good movie? The answer is yes - and no. For the casual filmgoer who looks for a lot of bang for his buck, this is the film to watch. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is incredible visually - there honestly isn't a film out right now that has more action, is louder, and garners more special effects than this film. This is an indoor roller coaster ride that will have people gasping for more of it while wide-eyed with tongues out. Stock Car Racing Series Comes to the New River Valley A slim 50 points separate five drivers from the top spot in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series at Motor Mile Speedway. Motor Mile Speedway is having a scout’s night on June 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts can wear their uniforms and be admitted in to the race free of charge. They also have the option to pre purchase a Motor Mile Speedway patch for their uniform. If you have a college ID you can get in general admission free of charge. It's Lavender Time In Blacksburg Once Again
“There’s a real intrigue about lavender,” said Joyce Beliveau, whose lavender-colored outfit in a recent interview with Planet Blacksburg suggested she’s hooked. Beliveau is eager for others to fall for one of the oldest recorded herbs in history. Movie Review: UP When it comes to animation Disney Pixar has been and is currently the leader in recent years. The company is responsible for such classics as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and most recently, WALL-E (all Academy Award winners for Best Animated Feature). Disney Pixar now graces us with Up, a film that is every bit as humorous, touching and entertaining as its predecessors. Of course, with every release, Disney Pixar consistently raises the bar in regards to the sheer beauty of its animation. Up is similar to Pixar's 2004 release, The Incredibles. The similarity lies in the idea that the main characters are humans. In Up, though, no human has any superpowers and no one is out of the ordinary (at least not externally) - and that's to the film's benefit. Up is a combination of genres that when combined make for a majestic experience. For the film's first twenty or so minutes Up is a love story - a classic theme of boy meets girl. Chronic Disease Fund Goes Rock-n-Roll Panicking as her eyesight slowly began to fade, Tammy O'Brien needed help. Without medical insurance, she was unable to afford her medication at a cost of nearly $2,500 a month. After much searching, she found a solution - the Chronic Disease Fund. "Because of them I can take my medication everyday and am feeling the best that I have in years," said O'Brien. As a thank you to the fund for paying for her medication, Tammy and her husband Danny will be hosting the Jammin' for the Chronic Disease Fund on Saturday at the Christiansburg Event Center from 3 to 10 p.m. |
Movie Review: Public Enemies It's high time for Academy Award-nominated actor Johnny Depp to return to a role that's a bit more... normal. From playing an unusual candy maker to an eccentric pirate to a vengeful barber, Depp picks up the Tommy gun and dons a fedora to become John Dillinger, the infamous Depression era bank robber. For this new film from stylish director Michael Mann, Depp takes on another real-life persona, witness to his roles as John Wilmot (The Libertine), Sir James Matthew Barrie (Finding Neverland), George Jung (Blow) and Joe Pistone (Donnie Brasco). Depp's performance is one of many highlights in this intense action-drama. Public Enemies is a simple film with a simple story: the search for and the apprehension of the slick criminal, John Dillinger. J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup, Watchmen) is the director of the FBI and wages a public crusade to catch those who are responsible for a string of high-profile crimes across the Midwest. Hoover appoints top agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale, Terminator Salvation) to head a special task force created specifically to find Dillinger and other "public enemies". Purvis and the rest of his fellow "G-men" go to great lengths to apprehend any and all fugitives of justice. Floyd County Prepares for the Floyd Fandango Beer and Wine Festival In the past, Floyd county has held two summer events: the “Wine Down the Music Trail” and “Floyd Fandango Faire and Brew”, but this year, the county is trying to dance to the beat of a new drum, combining these events into the Floyd Fandango Beer and Wine Festival. Erika Johnson, director of this year’s festival, said the events were combined because “They were individually enjoyed and successful, but we don’t have the time, energy, and resources to continue to do them separately.” “There are so many wine festivals these days, we were trying to keep this one unique and fresh, bringing wine and crafts, extending the hours and allowing camping,” said Johnson. Highlights of the event are regional wine tastings, learning about beer and wine and main stage music. The band Buck Wheat will be stopping in Floyd for their 30-year reunion tour. Movie Review: Land Of The Lost With every film Will Ferrell releases the expectations are high. For a long time he was the king of comedy with such releases as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Recently, though, he's fallen upon hard times - the same comedy format that was once deemed fresh and innovative is now old and unimaginative. Brad Silberling, the director of 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and the little seen 10 Items or Less, is behind the lens for this 101-minute feature. It may be safe to say that his minimal experience hasn't helped in the making of this feature. Virginia Tech's Own Competing for Miss Virginia Title Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana are in? Think again. Bargain shopping has become the trend for Miss Virginia contestants as the economy continues to flounder. It comes as no surprise that Amanda Jones, 22, a recent Virginia Tech graduate, has curtailed her clothing and accessory expenditure as she prepares to compete in the upcoming Miss Virginia Pageant. The theme of the pageant, Miss Virginia 2009 ‘Gets Real’, shows the organization’s efforts to create realistic role models for young girls said Jones. Q & A: Donna Smith, Bohemian Trading Company There is no wasted space in Bohemian Trading Company, a consignment store located on South Main Street. The front wall is lined with designer handbags while upside down Barbie doll heads and beer caps outline the shoe rack. On one of the round clothing racks, a linen clutch bearing the phrase ‘Green Minds Think Alike’ catches the eye. To the tune of Donna Summers’ “Hot Stuff”, the storeowner diligently steams articles of clothing behind the counter. Near the cash register, a purple Post-it note decorated with a cartoon face decrees, ‘Let Us Reuse-Gimme All Your Shopping Bags’. Donna Smith, owner of Bohemian Trading Company, talked about how saving green and going green apply to today’s fashion. Q & A:Rosemary Sullivan Rosemary Sullivan has worked closely with drug addicts and children with mental retardation; she has found her work to be challenging yet rewarding. Sullivan's career with New River Valley Community Services (NRVCS), the area's public provider of behavioral health services, spans more than 23 years. As the director of Child and Family Services for NRVCS, Sullivan manages a staff of 108 that currently provides various services to more than 2,000 youth and families in the region. In an interview in Sullivan's office in Blacksburg, she shared her professional experiences and insights. What follows are selected questions and answers from that interview. Movie Review: Drag Me To Hell Sam Raimi is probably best known for directing all three Spider-Man films but horror film fans and purists will point to earlier projects that are more becoming of his offbeat vision. The films in the The Evil Dead series are the most referenced from Raimi's catalog and if you haven't seen them it may be a good starting point in order to truly appreciate Drag Me To Hell. Drag Me To Hell is not the scariest film out there. It certainly isn't the goriest nor does it have the best special effects. But what it lacks in those categories it more than makes up for it in originality and creativity. DMTH is about young and beautiful Christine Brown (Alison Lohman, Big Fish and Flicka) a loan officer at a small bank. A small town girl, Alison is determined to shed a shameful past in order to make something of her life. Summer Solstice Festival Goes Green "It's not a shopping festival," said Laureen Blakemore. "I call it a community party." That party will commence this Saturday when the community of Blacksburg celebrates its second annual Summer Solstice Festival from noon to midnight. This year the festival will move towards being a pure green event. There will be recycling and sustainability displays and food vendors located in the Tech Bookstore parking lot. All materials for the festival have been printed on recycled paper as well. |
