Photo: Max Wolfe (CC)

The UAB campus is likely to grow in the coming years,
becoming even more prominent on Birmingham’s Southside.

•

Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

By Chris Mitchell

Is there a more intimidating prospect than predicting the future?

If I had been asked 5 years ago, I would have written a scathing missive about how Birmingham would continue to slowly crumble, the pieces doled out among ever increasingly bloated suburbs. Despite the positivity I have today, that is still happening. But much less so now.

It’s not the same city it was. Or I’m not the same man. I’m 40 and have an 8-month-old daughter.

Enough of this, Chris. Tell us what’s going to happen.

Here are some things I believe will occur:

Prediction No. 1: UAB will continue to swallow more of Southside. The footprint of the school from which I graduated in 1999 has probably doubled. I expect this growth to continue, mainly because they print money in one of those labs.

Prediction No. 2: The completion of I-459 with the Northern Beltline will be a success. It will be ridiculously expensive and probably destroy something beautiful, but it will create commerce and jobs … and more sprawl.

Prediction No. 3: We will never have a decent newspaper again. No one is mad about it any more, unfortunately. Whatever goes on in our city that the 10 people who work for al.com don’t see is now lost. I worked in local TV news for 12 years. Every morning, the newsroom would open the paper and decide what to cover that day. A weak paper means weak TV news.

Prediction No. 4: Hoover will eventually be as big as Birmingham by gobbling up the countryside. Its population sits at 80,000, while Birmingham is at 212,000. Hoover is not a defined thing; it’s a confederation of neighborhoods, which is incredibly attractive to a lot of people. As my daughter gets to an age where I have to worry about schools and such, I’ll probably be one of them.

Prediction No. 5: Someone amazing will come from here. I don’t know how, but it will.

Prediction No. 6: Birmingham will never outlive its reputation of racism and bigotry. Before we were born, some very bad men made us look awful, and the world will never forget.

Prediction No. 7: Birmingham will be overrun with murderous robots sometime after the second Civil War. It will be a real bummer. I wrote this in my first novel, “Independent Now and Forever,” which you can buy it on your Kindle [aff. link]. I kind of hope this invasion doesn’t happen, but I feel like it’s worth warning you about.

I don’t know what the hell is going to happen to Birmingham, though I have this “wind of positivity.” Will the next generation continue to fall in love with lofts and the rougher edges, seeing the challenge and aspirations they represent? I certainly hope so.

My time of taking those risks is over. All I think about now is how to put my daughter in an environment of safety and happiness.

The future of Birmingham is not my biggest concern any more. Good luck.

• • •

Chris Mitchell is managing editor of Bassmaster.com and is co-founder of the music blog BhamFM.com.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @ditchell | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.

Photo: Alabama Department of Transportation

An excavator loads Caterpillar 777 dump trucks along the
Northern Beltline. The project has a projected $2 billion impact
on the metro Birmingham area.

•

Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

By Johnathan F. Austin

You can see the future of Birmingham by the growing number of buildings and lofts emerging from the downtown skyline, and you can see it by the community revitalization projects.

But what is the blueprint for this remarkable city? Expansion in all areas of development and revitalization of the city’s neighborhoods, all sparked by the establishment of relationships at home and across the globe.

These relationships spawn innumerous opportunities. Just look at the lineup: the U.S. women’s national soccer team match; the Southeast U.S./Japan and Japan-U.S. Conference this fall; the Neighborhoods USA Conference in 2018; and the World Games in 2021.

These events change people’s long-held perceptions by letting them experience it first-hand and spread the gospel. That publicity is getting the attention of many companies. With the coming $530 million expansion of Kamtek, the potential growth for the aerospace industry at the Kaiser Aircraft Industries hangar complex at the airport, and the continuous development downtown, it is clear that Birmingham’s growth is expanding across all areas of business.

According to a University of Alabama study, the Northern Beltline will generate $2 billion in economic impact, nearly 21,000 jobs and $54 million in new tax revenue per year. The In-Town Transit Partnership and Bus Rapid Transit system will move residents and visitors around our city center with ease, convenience and reliability. This alone gives us hope for a better Birmingham.

Economic growth will bring more people and an increased sense of community for those who will call Birmingham home. This is why we as elected leaders are shifting our focus to the heart of it all, our 99 neighborhoods.

With the passage of the recent budget that emphasizes neighborhood revitalization, residents will see a decrease in blight and an immediate increase in pride. People will not only want to work and play in Birmingham, but live here, too.

While the blueprint has been laid out for business development and neighborhood revitalization, at the heart of it all is the enhancement of our schools. The recent hiring of superintendent Kelley Castlin-Gacutan puts our system well on its way to producing leaders for our community. After all, education is the most important economic development tool we have as a city.

As elected leaders, we make decisions that affect our communities both now and in the future. The council recently raised the city’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017, the first city in the Southeast to do so. We are also paving the way for more innovative businesses like the Uber and Lyft ride-sharing apps. This council is progressive in its ideas, strategy and vision for a thriving Birmingham.

So, from the increased economic development, to the revitalization of our communities, to the innovative laws benefiting our citizens and businesses, coupled with a top-notch school system, the future of Birmingham is one that should excite residents and appeal to newcomers.

We are well on our way to becoming a premier city, best in its class.

• • •

Johnathan F. Austin is president of the Birmingham City Council and general manager of AirOps.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @jfaustin | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.

Photo: Rob Briscoe (CC)

Cub Scouts hold the flag during the National Anthem at Regions Field. The ballpark’s opening in 2013 brought the Barons back to Birmingham and changed the city’s landscape.

•

Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

By Carrie Rollwagen

Birmingham is a city that’s both hopeful and humble. As a transplant to this place, I’ve been impressed by the ability of Birminghamians to remain hopeful for change. Lately, that has been rewarded with some amazing projects growing out of that optimism.

Community and civic involvement

Our city’s nasty history with civil rights includes so much tragedy that we should do our best to honor the sacrifices of those Birminghamians. We do this by taking an active interest in our civil rights and government.

Many problems that still plague our city — the sad state of Birmingham schools, our Jefferson County bankruptcy and the abysmal condition of our virtually nonexistent public transportation system — could be solved if more of us took an active role in our political system. The story of Alabama politics is a story so laced with corruption that it’s hard to imagine anything different, but lately Birmingham has changed in ways that give us hope.

•

Read an excerpt from Carrie Rollwagen’s
book, “The Localist.”

•

Birmingham, especially downtown, looks so different than even what the most optimistic supporters imagined years ago. I lived in a loft at the Phoenix Building on Second Avenue North about a decade ago. I couldn’t buy groceries nearby, I couldn’t find a coffee shop that stayed open regular hours, and I certainly couldn’t watch a baseball game.

Now, Regions Field has brought the Barons back to the city, and I regularly go to Railroad Park to read or have a picnic. Community development projects downtown have buoyed business (I now have my choice of great coffee shops: Urban Standard, Octane and Revelator), and they’re attracting new stores to the area (Publix will finally bring a full grocery store to downtown residents in 2016).

Businesses like these are important to the growth of our city, but community projects like parks and stadiums create infrastructure that brings people together (and attracts more business to the area, too).

A hidden benefit to this civic activity is better health. Like all American cities, and especially all Southern ones, Birmingham has a weight problem. Too many of us carry so much weight that affects our health, not to mention our image of ourselves. Being overweight can make us sluggish and unwilling to try new things in our city.

We can help ourselves by nurturing the small businesses and community projects that get us up and moving. Iron Tribe is a huge CrossFit organization that began in Birmingham. Zyp, the new bike share program from REV Birmingham, will give us opportunities to get from place to place more easily in the city center. And we have dozens of small local gyms in almost any discipline to keep us continually active, along with free fitness classes at Railroad Park.

So many individuals work hard to do good in our city, but we aren’t always great at rallying behind them. Our future will be stronger if we create a culture of volunteering and prioritize helping those in need. More organizations need to make it easy to jump in.

• • •

Social Media for Small Business and Personal Branding: Carrie Rollwagen will hold her daylong popup workshop on Sept. 19 at Innovation Depot downtown. Participants will learn blog management, keyword optimization techniques, techniques on communicating through social media and more.

Beginners will get a good start on their personal accounts and learn how to leverage business accounts; freelancers and artists will learn to brand themselves better with social media.

Tickets are $100, which includes lunch. For more information and to register, visit the event page.

• • •

Carrie Rollwagen is author of “The Localist” and co-owner of Church Street Coffee and Books in Mountain Brook.

• Website | Facebook | Twitter @crollwagen | LinkedIn | Instagram

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.

Photo: Shannon (CC)

The band moe. performs at Avondale Brewing’s outdoor stage.
The transformation in Avondale could spread to other
Birmingham neighborhoods.

•

Get the full version of this essay in our free ebook.
Details at the end.

•

By Karl Seitz

The future of Birmingham is not likely to be as bright as it could be. A lack of strong local leadership and obstacles beyond local control limit the improvements that can be achieved.

Oh, some promising signs have appeared, primarily from nontraditional sources of leadership that will make some difference. But the political, business and institutional segments of public life from which municipal leadership typically comes are not doing much leading these days. And looming in the background is the obstacle Birmingham has faced throughout its history, a state government that is more dysfunctional than usual even as it retains its traditional antipathy to urban areas.

So, with all these obstacles, does Birmingham have any hope for a better future? Yes. Perhaps not as much as one would like, but more than we could expect depending on traditional sources of leadership.

Although they could be separated into distinct threads, the combination of the local craft beer industry, high-quality restaurants and the local music-entertainment business has already transformed Avondale and is well on the way to changing other parts of the city. Add the developers who are transforming — not always benevolently — the areas near these dining-entertainment venues, and significant parts of Birmingham will be very different places in 10 years.

Another change, this one in attitudes, that has been going on for more years than most of us realize and is likely to continue is LGBT acceptance. It is no coincidence that Jefferson County probate judges were ready to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples the day it became legal. In marked contrast to the handful of probate judges in Alabama who are refusing to issue any marriage licenses to avoid issuing a same-sex license, Judges Alan King and Sherri Friday had prepared for the change they rightly expected was coming. They had even worked with the state Health Department to change the license application forms to remove gender references.

While one hopes they would have done the same regardless of public opinion, it is likely they knew that a majority of county residents at least tacitly accept equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. After all, bars in this city have openly catered to gay customers for at least 50 years. More recently, UAB has been a leader in treating AIDS, which primarily affected members of the gay community early on. And Jefferson County does have an openly gay state legislator in Patricia Todd.

Acceptance and equal treatment of LGBT individuals is not universal in Birmingham, but the trend is clear here as it is across the country. Acceptance will only grow in the years ahead.

Public education might produce positive changes in the next few years. New superintendents always stir hope. However, the cynic in me says such predictions are risky. Better to wait and see.

One would like to be more optimistic about the brightness of Birmingham’s future. But from my perspective, modest improvements appear to be the best we can do. The strong, broad-based community leadership that is necessary for a better result doesn’t currently exist.

• • •

Karl Seitz arrived in Birmingham in 1964 to attend Birmingham-Southern College after serving 3 years in the Navy. While still a student, he began what would turn out to be a 38-year career at the Birmingham Post-Herald. For more than 30 of those years Seitz served as editorial page editor. Since retiring with the 2005 closing of the newspaper, he has been editor of a quarterly newsletter for the USS Caliente Association, a group of men who served on that Navy ship from 1943 to 1973. He has also written for genealogical publications.

• Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

• • •

The full version of this essay and many more are available in the free ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.”

All you need to do is fill out this simple form. We’ll email you a link to download the book. (And, at no extra charge, we’ll add you to the mailing list for the free Y’all Connect newsletter.)

• • •

Read more essays in our special 10th anniversary series, The Future of Birmingham.

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

Awards shows. Designer impostors. Drinking binges. This episode of “America’s Next Top Model” has it all!

Kendal Brown of Northport wants to move ahead at the turning point in this competition. But does she really want to “be here”? And do the girls really know their fashion history?

What goes best with white wine? Drama! See more, after the jump …

(more…)

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

My boyfriend thinks “America’s Next Top Model” is “setting Ann [Ward] up for a fall.” I certainly hope so.

After all, she’s won best photo for 4 weeks in a row, and this cycle badly needs a jumpstart. Sure, there’s the usual “Bish stole my hair extensions” drama, but where are the slap fights? The obligatory trip to the hospital? Host Tyra Banks’ signature meltdown? Nowhere to be found.

Maybe Northport’s Kendal Brown can inject some flair into the proceedings and break Ann’s winning streak. Find out, after the jump …

(more…)

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

Fierce, but in a different way.

We’ve followed Kendal Brown of Northport on her journey toward becoming “America’s Next Top Model” for the last 4 weeks. With each new episode, we’ve watched her progress from a girl with “potential” to a model who seems to know how to pose (and not act the fool) in front of the camera.

Can she keep up the momentum? And can she hold her own with … a masked wrestler? And just who did leave the bobby pins in the dishwasher?

Find out, after the jump …

(more…)

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

Before “America’s Next Top Model,”
Kendal Brown was on track to work in health care.

By Nadria Tucker

Kendal Brown’s first plane ride didn’t just take her to Los Angeles, but into living rooms across the country.

The then-23-year-old Northport native left her small, close-knit community to join the ranks of contestants hoping to be crowned “America’s Next Top Model”

Her risk has paid off. For the last 4 weeks, Brown has earned praise from judges such as designer Diane von Fürstenberg and Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley. Her performance on the show has steadily improved, and she seems poised to go far in the competition.

Brown answered questions via e-mail on host Tyra Banks, her competitors and her teeny tiny problem with becoming a nurse.

• Why did you try out for “Top Model” on Tyra.com? Had you auditioned before?

I was a member of Tyra.com, and I always follow her to see what she is doing. She always gave you tips on makeup, clothes, food, hair, everything a girl loves, and you also get to be picked by Tyra herself. Who doesn’t want that?

The supermodel herself wants me to try our for “America’s Next Top Model” — that’s awesome.

People think I didn’t have to audition and wait for hours, but I did. I had to experience everything everyone else had to do.

I went to an audition in Birmingham for Cycle 14 and didn’t get to go in because I didn’t have a passport. I was devastated. That’s OK: God wanted me to be in [Cycle 15], the high fashion cycle. That’s the way I see it.

• • •

Buy the entire Season Pass from iTunes. [aff. link]

• • •

• Do you think the show portrays you accurately?

I think they did, because I am funny, kind of shy at times and say whatever is on my mind. I will tell you the truth.

You can tell everything I’m thinking from my facial expressions. I show everything on my face. My facial expressions are priceless, ha ha. I don’t try to hide anything.

• Who did you get along with? Who did you dislike?

I pretty much got along with everyone. I’m not a person who likes to get into arguments and fights. I was away from my family. I was already missing them, so fighting and arguments would have made me stressed out. I was more focused on the prize and winning.

The two I was really close with were Terra and Chris (White). Terra and I, we are similar in ways. We are about the same age. She is a very sweet, down-to-earth person. Her sister Chris is hilarious. She knows how to have a good time. They are honest and loyal, and they are from the South, so you can’t go wrong with that.

An upcoming challenge puts Brown in the wrestling ring.

• What was working with Tyra really like?

Working with Tyra is awesome. It’s a little intimidating at first, because she is so beautiful, and we’re talking about the Tyra Banks, the supermodel who graced the covers of thousands of magazines.

Once you get comfortable and get to know her and talk with her, all your nerves go away, because she is just that down to earth. She is an all-around beautiful person inside and out.

There are many working models who probably didn’t get the opportunity to work with her, and I did.

• Why did Tyra ask you about your virginity in the first episode?

On the application, it asks you to name three interesting things about yourself, and I stated I was a virgin. I haven’t dated in high school at all. I started my real, first relationship when I was 20.

I’d rather experience love and get to know that person, rather than just have sex with them. You can have sex with anybody, but if you don’t have love, true feelings, commitment, honesty, trust, it’s nothing. I like to have those before I make a big decision like that.

• Are you still enrolled at Virginia College in Birmingham?

No.

• What were you studying?

I was studying to be a health care reimbursement specialist, because I wanted to work in the nursing field, but I didn’t want to be hands-on with the patients. I am a germaphobe. That wouldn’t be a good job for me, so I figured I can be behind the desk, working with computers, typing and putting health information in the computer system. As I get older, I can see myself behind a desk.

I was on the president’s list two semesters in a row, 4.0 (GPA), so I am pretty smart.

• What was the most important thing you learned on the show?

(Modeling) is not as easy as people might think it is. It is hard work.

I remember watching the shows and always saying, “Why is she crying?” I can honestly understand now, since I have experienced it. You will never know how much it takes, until you experience it.

• How does the reality of modeling compare to what you imagined it to be?

It’s harder than what I expected. Waking up early in the mornings, staying on set for hours and hours …

You have to know your angles and your best side, take direction well and model from head to toe. It’s not just standing there like people think. You may think you’re doing well, but the picture is saying otherwise.

• What advice would you give aspiring models?

Do your homework. Study your favorite model: the way she poses, everything.

Know the fashion designers, the latest trends and photographers. Know what type of modeling you want to do.

Send your pictures to modeling agencies. It doesn’t have to be professional, but make sure you have a swimsuit on, so the agency can see your body. They should tell you what kind of pictures to send them on their website.

Stay away from scams. You shouldn’t have to pay up front or at all.

Stay focused, passionate, dedicated, driven and just believe in yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to.

“America’s Next Top Model” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CW 21.

• • •

Birmingham writer Nadria Tucker (@NadriaTucker) dabbles in magical realism and the Southern gothic tradition, but always keeps an eye toward the future of Southern fiction. Her award-winning fiction is character driven and sometimes dark, but usually plays fair. Her work has been featured in publications such as The2ndHand, Lipstick and Birmingham Magazine.

• • •

Subscribe to the RSS feed or e-mail for the latest “America’s Next Top Model” news and updates.

• • •

On the runway: more on “America’s Next Top Model.”

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

So far, “America’s Next Top Model” has been a slow burner, with few meltdowns, fights or catastrophes. Week 4, though, looks to be action packed, as we find the ladies, including Kendal Brown of Northport, posing while riding a roller coaster

It sounds simple, but in Tyraland — presided over by host/producer/supermodel/dictator Tyra Banks — nothing is ever simple.

See them go head over heels, after the jump …

(more…)

Movie review: ‘The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” introduces New Zealand’s established folk music humorous activist duo.

Sisters Jools, left, and Lynda Topp are the heart of
the documentary, “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

“Yodeling lesbian twins … on paper, they should not work. On paper, they should be commercial death. But they totally deliver to the audience, time and time again.”

That’s how New Zealand comedy writer Paul Horan explains the appeal of singing duo Jools and Lynda Topp, subjects of the documentary, “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

It screens on Sunday as the Birmingham Shout closing night film.

English musician and political activist Billy Bragg calls the sisters “a sort of anarchist variety act.”

As you might gather from the above descriptions, the Topp Twins are not your ordinary folk music act. But that hasn’t kept them from finding commercial success around the world, especially in their home country of New Zealand.

The two got their start singing on the street for tips in the early 1980s. They were starring in their own variety show on New Zealand television by 1996, which ran until 2000.

Using a combination of interviews, concert footage and archival photos and video, director Leanne Pooley creates an impressively complete portrait of the Topps over the course of 85 minutes.

Pooley’s job is made somewhat easier by the fact that the Topp Twins are so candid. They explain how they came to terms with their sexuality in a great bit of onstage banter:

“We realized that there was this whole bunch of women, there was a big group of them, they were called ‘lesbians.’ And Jools and I looked at each other one day, and we just said, ‘You know, we’re a lot like them. We must be lesbians, too.'”

The Topps’ matter-of-fact attitude about their sexuality is credited with encouraging acceptance of gays and lesbians in New Zealand. The duo has been involved in several other social and political causes over the years, including the anti-nuclear and anti-apartheid movements.

“The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” broke opening weekend documentary box office records in New Zealand. If you’re a fan of Jools and Lynda Topp, this movie is obviously a must-see. For everyone else, it’s an interesting look at Kiwi pop culture and politics.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Saturday.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

“The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” will screen at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Hill Arts Center.

Video: A look at the Topp Twins at home on the farm,
in a scene from “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

Video: Interview with director Leanne Pooley and the Topp Twins

Video: “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Shout page
• Reviews from the Austin Chronicle | Film.com | AfterEllen

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Howl’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “Howl” ably gives life to poet Allen Ginsberg and his epic work through strong acting and fluid editing.

David Strathairn stars in “Howl.”

Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” is an epic poem consisting of three parts (and an additional footnote). Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s “Howl” is a movie consisting of three parts. Interwoven are re-enactments of interviews with Ginsberg, a re-enactment of the obscenity trial of “Howl and Other Poems” publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti and an animated interpretation of the poem.

The movie opened Birmingham Shout earlier tonight and opens in select theaters Friday.

The dramatic arc is mostly relegated to the obscenity trial. These courtroom scenes really sing, thanks to the subject matter — what is obscenity? what is art? — and especially, the casting. Bob Balaban plays the judge, Jon Hamm and David Strathairn the attorneys and Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels the witnesses.

James Franco plays Ginsberg in the interview re-enactments and narrates the “Howl” animation segments. I’ve been a fan of Franco since his comedic turn in “Pineapple Express” and his excellent work on the short-lived “Freaks and Geeks” TV series. “Howl” is another stellar accomplishment for him.

Franco spends much of the movie portraying Ginsberg in living room interviews, discussing his creative process, specifically the writing of “Howl.” This might seem to provide limited opportunities for expression, but Franco’s Ginsberg feels like a real person, not just an actor reciting quotes from 50-year-old interviews.

My one minor gripe with the film is the animated segment. During a courtroom scene, an expert witness explains to the prosecuting attorney, “Sir, you can’t translate poetry into prose. That’s why it is poetry.”

Creating animation to accompany a poem isn’t exactly translating it into prose, but it does interfere with allowing each reader to interpret the poem in his own way.

That said, “Howl” is a very long poem, and I can’t blame the filmmakers for looking for a cinematic way to convey it. And the animation itself, a mixture of computer and hand-drawn techniques, is excellent.

Like the poem, the movie has a footnote, a lovely bit of footage of the real Ginsberg in his later years, performing a simple song accompanied by accordion.

“Howl” is eminently watchable. The live-action cinematography is as striking as the animation, mixing black-and-white and color film stocks. And the editing is fluid, kinetic, even surprising sometimes, as it moves from animation to courtroom to living room.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Saturday.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

Also:

• More “Howl” reviews

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

“America’s Next Top Model” has been calm … so far. The little bit of “she doesn’t want to be here” drama that erupted in Episode 1 fizzled quickly as the girl who “doesn’t want to be here” was eliminated.

Episode 2 found the models moving into mansions and walking sky-high runways with no time for any extracurricular shenanigans. If that was the calm before the storm, then tonight’s episode is gonna be a blizzard, y’all.

It’s makeover week.

See Kendal Brown of Northport and the other girls as they magically transform into butterflies, crazy crying butterflies, after the jump …

(more…)

Movie review: ‘Teenage Paparazzo’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: Fame has a dark side, even for a 14-year-old celebrity photographer, as seen in the documentary “Teenage Paparazzo.”

Austin Visschedyk, left, and Adrian Grenier,
in a scene from “Teenage Paparazzo.”

Austin Visschedyk appears to be a normal kid. His voice hasn’t cracked, and his face makes him look 10, even though he’s really 14. His whole life is still ahead of him.

But how many 14-year-old boys do you know who have a promising career in progress? And whose working hours seem like those of a bartender? Who travels the streets of Los Angeles by skateboard at 2 a.m. to chase celebrities in hopes of getting that perfect picture?

He’s the titular hero of the documentary, “Teenage Paparazzo,” which opens the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on Friday.

Austin is a prodigy at photography, and life. Constantly on the phone with other Hollywood paparazzi, he always seeks out the next big celebrity sighting. His work has appeared in the biggest entertainment magazines and websites.

All was going as planned, until he met “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier, who points the camera at him in a reversal of roles.

Austin feels conflicted in his new relationship. Sometimes, he loves the attention and newfound fame. Other times, it becomes an annoyance and a hazard to his career. Grenier, both co-star and director of this film, becomes emotionally entangled with Austin while trying to open his eyes to other more fulfilling opportunities in life.

Is fame really all it’s cracked up to be? You be the judge. With cameos by Matt Damon, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg, the movie presents a different perspective of Hollywood in a compelling way.

“Teenage Paparazzo” is a fabulous film because it offers Hollywood glitz and glamor, along with resulting delusions. The appeal of fame should carry a warning: Be careful what you wish for.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Teenage Paparazzo” will open the festival at 8 p.m. Friday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Interview with Adrian Grenier, director of “Teenage Paparazzo”

Video: “Teenage Paparazzo” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @TeenPaparazzo | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the Hollywood Reporter | Pajiba | Cinematical | Eye Weekly | Straight | The Documentary Blog
• Additional information on Sidewalk opening night

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Not My Son’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “Not My Son” shows Birmingham mothers determined to move beyond tragedy to healing and improving their community.

A mothers’ support group, seen in “Not My Son.”

“Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off. Everything is supposed to be different than it is.”

— Simon (Danny Glover), “Grand Canyon”

This bit of dialogue kept echoing through my head as I watched the film, “Not My Son.”

The documentary screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The movie focuses on Birmingham-area mothers left behind after the murder of their children, though not on the reasons behind these killings. Whether the victims were innocent bystanders or gang members is ultimately unrelated and unimportant to the parents, who bury their offspring before they reach adulthood.

The public-television quality is a bit off-putting, sadly, more akin to a PBS documentary special than a feature film for a theater setting.  Regardless, an important message emerges from Dwight Cammeron’s film, and not just for the black community or for families in underprivileged neighborhoods. Problems like this shouldn’t exist, and solutions to them are possible only with a true community effort, whether you’re black or white, rich or poor, single or married, childless or the head of a huge clan.

Films like “Boyz n the Hood” show the nihilistic perspective of the young men and women growing up in today’s mean streets. “Not My Son” shows the hope and determination of mothers to help others carry on, even when their future feels like it’s been taken away.

Perhaps everything is supposed to be different than it is, but these women do a commendable job not only in dealing with the way things aren’t supposed to be, but trying to make them better.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”). His song “Theme for an Imaginary Revenge” was used in the music video of the same title, screening at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

He’s also a writer (Birmingham Weekly, Spin.com, mental_floss), a bassist for the Exhibit(s), an eight-time cat juggling champion for Malta and an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation. He occasionally steals your best ideas to claim at his blog, Dairy of a Madman.

“Not My Son” will screen at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft.

Video: “Not My Son” Trailer

Also:

• Official site | Sidewalk page

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Gabi on the Roof in July’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The actors in “Gabi on the Roof in July” used improvisation to define their tiresome, self-centered characters.

A scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Cheering for the hamster in a movie about underdogs trying to make it in the big city might be all the warning you need.

“Gabi on the Roof in July” focuses on young artists living in New York struggling to discover themselves. Gabi leaves college for the summer to spend time with her brother Sam and escape from the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce.

The movie screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

I appreciate the unique tack that writer and director Lawrence Levine took letting the actors develop their characters through improvisation, then developing the storyline of the script itself. The acting is truly great, but I found it extremely hard to identify in any way with the characters themselves.

The main character, Gabi (Sophia Takal), comes across as a spoiled and annoying child. It’s really difficult to listen to her talk even for brief moments. You just want to yell “Grow up!” at the screen each time she speaks (or strips in an attempt to be an “artist”).

Her brother Sam (Levine) is no better. At first, he seems like the only character about whom you might actually care, but he quickly blows that by adopting his sister’s self-indulgent behaviors. Neither seem to care about anyone else but themselves, which in turn makes it hard to care about them.

I lost all interest about halfway through the 99-minute runtime, making for an endless second half. Only one word comes to mind when considering the entire movie: pretentious.

I did really like one character, the hamster. He didn’t say a damn word the whole time. And just in time for the credits, the hamster finally gets put out of his misery, just like us.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Gabi on the Roof in July” will screen at 11:20 a.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft. The short “Hipster Job” precedes it.

Video: Gabi and Garrett make a bet, in a scene
from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Video: An art dealer checks out Sam’s work,
in a scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Video: “Gabi on the Roof in July” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @gabiontheroof | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from Box Office Magazine | CQ Central | Jason Watches Movies | Movie and Television Arts

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.