The crime rate continues to drop in Birmingham, and with it, the city’s spot on the CQ Press’ annual city crime rankings released today. It fell three spots from No. 7 in 2009 to No. 10 this year.

The city has bounced around in the rankings in recent years: No. 8 in 2008 and No. 6 in 2007 and 2006.

Violent crimes have continued to fall in Birmingham and across the nation. Birmingham police chief A.C. Roper has been credited with much of the success in his 3-year tenure.

To date, Birmingham has had 51 homicides in 2010, putting it on pace for 57 by year’s end, compared to 72 homicides in 2009.

For comparison: In the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2009, Birmingham ranked No. 4 among cities with populations of 100,000 or more. It had been No. 3 in 2008.

CQ Press, based in Washington, uses FBI crime data for murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft to compile its crime rate rankings.

Other Alabama cities ranked:

• 99. Montgomery (previously No. 152)
• 106. Mobile (previously No. 136, making it the only Alabama city to climb in the rankings)
• 109. Huntsville (previously No. 95)
• 183. Tuscaloosa (previously No. 140)

St. Louis topped the list at No. 1.

Metro rankings

In looking at the 2010 Metropolitan Crime Rate Rankings:

• 19. Mobile (previously No. 20)
• 28. Anniston-Oxford (not previously ranked)
• 35. Birmingham-Hoover (previously No. 21)
• 67. Montgomery (previously No. 101)
• 80. Tuscaloosa (previously No. 64)
• 122. Huntsville (previously No. 123)
• 150. Gadsden (previously No. 141)
• 219. Florence-Muscle Shoals (not previously ranked)

(Not available: Auburn, Decatur, Dothan.)

Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., is No. 1 on the list.

See, print or download the City and Metropolitan Crime Rate Rankings for 2010 below.

• • •

Visit our Crime Watch page.

Robert and Dianne Bentley on Election Day.

The mandate from Alabama’s voters on Election Day could not be more clear: Turn everything, and I mean everything, over to the Republicans for at least the next 2 years.

Let them screw things up for awhile.

The Democrats have screwed up plenty in the previous 136 years, and really, could the GOP do much worse? Alabama continues to trail in health, per capita income, transportation, education, crime, your category here. If this red state becomes any redder, you’d hope it would be from embarrassment rather than another shift to the right.

Not that conservatives haven’t been in control since the days of the Gipper. Essentially, most state races came down to the conservative Democrat or Republican since Ronald Reagan entered the White House. Which flavor of conservative suits you best?

• • •

Winners and losers from Tuesday
around Alabama and metro Birmingham.

• • •

So while the brand names may change, what can we really expect from the Republicans in power?

The new crew, including Gov.-elect Robert Bentley, has promised ethics reform out of the gate. We shall see, though my cynical side expects only token changes. Politicians are politicians after all, and you can hardly expect Republicans to clean up the cesspool in Montgomery if it also hides their fattened pockets.

Look back a mere month, and relive that infamous day when the FBI arrested four state senators (two Democrats, one Republican, one independent) in connection with selling votes on a gambling bill. Alas, the bingo bots and the mafia will have to try again in 2 to 4 years.

The mandate must include more jobs and a better economy. Like the president, the governor will likely receive an undue share of the credit or blame, though one leader has little say in global economic dynamics. Still, continuing to attract industry must remain a priority.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

• • •

With an all-Republican government, are we headed for sideshows popular in Texas and Arizona, from illegal immigration to revising school textbooks to repealing national health care? Let’s hope not, with more pressing issues such as constitutional reform and education funding.

Er, scratch that. Forget constitutional reform for at least another 4 years (sigh) and don’t hold your breath for an education miracle, though Gov.-elect Bentley has vowed to switch to a budget that determined by the previous year’s numbers (holds breath anyway). He took money from the Alabama Education Association and later lied about it. Such petty sins aren’t enough to keep you out of the governor’s mansion; likely, they are the only path to it.

Just imagine if it had been the learned Bradley Byrne had led the Republican charge instead.

Rural voters swept the new legislators into power and didn’t much care for the citified Byrne. City folk aren’t well represented in the new Republican regime. As a member of the city folk, I cast a wary eye at my country cousins calling the shots, probably no less menacingly then they’ve eyed us with suspicion.

They found a kindred spirit in Bentley, the dermatologist from Tuscaloosa. As he leads a unified party and state government, let’s pray feverishly that it marks the start of 136 years of progress and prosperity.

Otherwise, red state Alabama could end up dead state Alabama.

Wade Kwon is publisher of Wade on Birmingham.

• • •

More post-election thoughts:

• Second Front: “The GOP Agenda: ethics reform, redistricting”
• Flashpoint: “Alabama Beat Down”
• Doc’s Political Parlor: “Who Had a Good Election Night? A Bad Night?”
• Left in Alabama: “Election Day Winners & Losers – Alabama Edition”
• The World Around You: “Can the Alabama Democratic Party Return to its Promise?”
• Birmingham News: “OUR VIEW: This time around, Democrats took it on the chin for control of the Alabama Legislature; now, Republicans must govern”
• Opelika-Auburn News: “Jennifer Foster: Newly-elected Republicans need to ‘proceed with caution'”

• • •

What can we expect from the Republicans in charge? Tell us in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Election results from today’s general election in Alabama and the Birmingham metro area …

More election coverage in our Vote 2010 special report.

(Updating throughout the evening.)

(Contested races only)

• D = Democrat | I = incumbent | R = Republican
  
• Winner in red

How did we do on our Facebook election predictions? Out of 13 races, nine predicted correctly for a 69.2 percent rate of accuracy.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Election Day at long last. Get out and vote. You have till 7 tonight to cast your ballots for candidates in state and county races.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: Call Jefferson County: (205) 325-5550, Jefferson County (Bessemer only): (205) 481-4105, Shelby County: (205) 669-3913.

Or use this handy widget by typing in your home address.

Wade on Birmingham:
Join us for complete election coverage tonight!

Remember, if you have problems at your polling place:

• Notify a poll worker immediately.
• Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
• Call the secretary of state at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or visit her site, StopVoterFraudNow.com.
• And tell the probate court for Jefferson County (205-325-5203) or Shelby County (205-669-3713).
• E-mail us at Vote2010[at]wadeonbirmingham.com.

Q: What can I expect to see on the ballots?

A: Check out these sample ballots for each county.

You’re voting for governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, state and county officials, plus several state constitutional amendments.

Q: Who should I vote for?

A: You still have time to check out the candidates and a slew of endorsements.

Going to vote? Tell us who you want to win and who will win in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Be thankful it’s almost over.

The long march to Election Day 2010 ends Tuesday with some of us going to the polls, and many of us staying far away. Come on, people, is it really that difficult to vote once every couple of years?

Decision time is here, but if you’re like us, maybe you’re a little behind on your homework. Who’s still running? What’s in Amendments 1 through π?

Fret not. We have your cheat sheets.

First stop, the Vote 2010 special reports page:

• See the list of races.
• Determine your polling place with our shiny new widget.
• Read back through this year’s coverage.

Second, take a look at your sample ballots for Jefferson and Shelby Counties. (John Archibald of the Birmingham News says the 164 variations of the Jefferson County ballot reflect the fractured nature of local government.)

Third, see if Facebook can predict the results of state races.

Fourth, our list of resources for the discriminating voter …

Bhamwiki

• List of candidates in the general election.

Doc’s Political Parlor

• Full list of races for Alabama Senate and House.
• Full list of races for state offices and Congress.

The World Around You

• Candidates and their endorsements by newspapers and organizations.

The Birmingham News

• Full list of endorsements
• Guide to election stories

Bama Fact Check

• Journalists offer Truth Ratings on statements made by elected officials and candidates.

Alabama Right to Know

• A website that tracks money from political action committees to candidates, along with completion of campaign promises. The tool is from the Alabama Policy Institute, a Birmingham-based nonprofit, non-partisan research organization that advocates free markets, families and limited government.

Endorsements and predictions from partisan bloggers …

• The Attack Machine: Parts one, two and three
• Flashpoint
• Note: None of the Democrat/liberal blogs we know of made endorsements or predictions. Let us know if we missed one.

Update: Jennifer Foster of the Opelika-Auburn News makes her case for write-ins instead of Robert Bentley or Ron Sparks for governor.

• • •

Are you ready to vote on Tuesday? Discuss in the comments.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Video: Karen Hughes talks about social media
in modern campaigns

Facebook is the king of social media outlets, but can it predict elections?

Karen Hughes serves as Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller, a public relations firm, but before that, she was an undersecretary in the State Department and campaign manager for George W. Bush’s Texas gubernatorial run. At BlogWorld 2010, her keynote mentioned an interesting study.

Looking at 10 Senate and 10 House races, the number of Facebook Likes on the candidates’ pages correlated with the primary results. Many candidates with more Likes than their opponents won their races.

Using that assumption, we looked at the races for Congress, for state office and for Jefferson County, tallying Facebook Likes for candidates to predict winners. (In several instances, a candidate used his profile page, making it an apples-to-oranges comparison of Likes vs. Friends.)

We’ll see how accurate these predictions are next week.

Election Day is Tuesday.

• • •

Update Nov. 2: ABC 33/40 interviewed me for Monday’s 6 p.m. newscast.

• • •

Update Nov. 9: With nine of 13 races predicted correctly, the Facebook election predictor debuted with a 69.2 percent rate of accuracy.

• • •

Key:

• D = Democrat | I = Incumbent | R = Republican
• * – Facebook profile page | ** – Facebook group page
• If a candidate had both a Facebook campaign page and profile page, the Likes from the former were used.
• red = leading in Facebook Likes

Check out the actual election results.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

With Election Day on Tuesday, voters across Alabama will have the opportunity to select a new governor, a U.S. Senator and many local officials. Be ready with these sample ballots for Jefferson and Shelby counties.

(The Jefferson County sample ballot includes 164 versions, one for every combination of districts.)

Ballots can be printed, downloaded or viewed in full-screen mode.

Look for more coverage throughout, including all the results after polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

• • •

Sample ballots for all 67 counties.

• • •

Jefferson County ballot

Shelby County ballot

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

Republican nominee Robert Bentley and Democratic nominee Ron Sparks will have a lot to discuss tonight at the gubernatorial debate. The FBI made arrests today in a federal gambling probe involving alleged bribes to state lawmakers. Those arrested this morning include VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor and lobbyist Robert Geddie.

Both nominees have discussed gambling during previous debates and campaign stops.

Tonight’s debate will focus on economic development and business. The hourlong event, sponsored by the Birmingham Business Alliance, starts at 6 p.m. at Hill Recital Hall on the Birmingham-Southern College campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

The debate will be carried live on Fox 6 and on the station’s website.

Election Day is Nov. 2.

• • •

More Vote 2010 coverage.

A town hall will give attendees the first opportunity to ask business and city leaders about the new Blueprint Birmingham, a 5-year economic development plan from the Birmingham Business Alliance. The free 2-hour event takes place at 6 tonight at Alabama Power, 600 18th St. N., downtown [map].

Panelists include Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos, who both appeared at Thursday’s kickoff event at Railroad Park.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The Birmingham Association of Black Journalists is the event sponsor.

Update: Full list of panelists …

Part 1: The Blueprint and Leadership

• William Bell, mayor of Birmingham
• Ann Florie, Leadership Birmingham
• Jay Grinney, chief executive officer of HealthSouth and co-chairman of the Birmingham Business Alliance Steering Committee
• Tony Petelos, mayor of Hoover

Part 2: Economic Development

• Bob Dickerson, Birmingham Business Resource Center
• Bill Ivey, TechKnowledge
• Patrick Murphy, senior vice president of Economic development at the Birmingham Business Alliance
• Lashunda Scales, Birmingham City Council

Also:

• Read Blueprint Birmingham.

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.

At a glance: Blueprint Birmingham is a well-considered plan, peppered with great ideas and perhaps a few pie-in-the-sky objectives. Achieving most of the goals in 5 years will make the region far more competitive with an economic impact in the billions of dollars. Two critical components remain unknown for now: the price tag, and the willingness of enough citizens and investors to make it fly.

A new view of Birmingham, from
the recently opened Railroad Park.

Birmingham has never run short on problems, or even solutions to those persistent problems. But what the city and its leaders have often lacked is action.

Today marks the start of a significant 5-year action plan called Blueprint Birmingham, assembled by the Birmingham Business Alliance with consultants from Atlanta’s Market Street Services.

Business leaders will unveil the economic development plan to the public today at 5:30 at the new Railroad Park, but a copy of the plan was furnished to me last week.

The mere existence of a plan — good ideas welded to action steps and deadlines — is a small miracle unto itself. (The Blueprint already distinguishes itself from the feel-good do-nothing approach of Region 2020 or the tax-and-dome policy of the MAPS proposal.) It should be an easy sell to those yearning for progress, any progress.

Let’s dig deeper into the plan itself, after the jump …

(more…)

James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in “Howl.”

Dissecting a landmark poem can be a tricky affair. Dissecting the poet, even moreso.

Such is the challenge of “Howl,” part biopic and part celebration of the poet of the same name by Allen Ginsberg. James Franco stars as the beat poet in a film that combines documentary footage, courtroom drama and even animated bits to illustrate the verses read aloud.

The film opens Birmingham Shout tonight.

Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have won accolades from critics since the movie opened this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Variety:

Intelligent and highly respectful of its central character and his titular landmark poem, “Howl” is an admirable if fundamentally academic exploration of the origins, impact, meaning and legacy of Allen Ginsberg’s signal work. It is also an intriguing hybrid of documentary, narrative and animated filmmaking.

The Hollywood Reporter:

This exhilaration one feels watching this absorbing genre-bender doesn’t mean the whole thing hangs together. It doesn’t. The fragmented approach means some pieces don’t fit, and you find yourself wishing for more of this and less of that.

Film School Rejects:

The performance from James Franco is off-the-charts good. He embodies Ginsberg in both a literal sense and a figurative sense. He locks down the unique cadence from Ginsberg’s tapes and also embodies the energy and booming enthusiasm that Ginsberg had for his art.

Newsweek:

What matters about a work like “Howl” is not who wrote it but why it resonated in the time it was made, and why it still has meaning today. Great art transcends its creator. In this case, it also lays the foundation for a great film.

Film.com:

“Howl” isn’t always an easy movie, and you’ll feel queasy or slightly uncomfortable when Ginsberg ratchets up his verbal barrage on your senses. Like the jazz musicians Ginsberg’s poetry owed tempo to, this one hits all the right notes.

The movie will appear in limited theatrical release and cable on demand starting Friday. Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, Mary Louise Parker, David Strathaim and Bob Balaban also star.

“Howl” will screen at 7 tonight at WorkPlay.

Video: Four clips from “Howl.”

Video: “Howl” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Shout page
• We’ll have Chance Shirley’s review after the screening.

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

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.

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

For those looking to get away from the excitement of movies and live music at this weekend’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, we have a special announcement. This year’s lineup of Sidetalk panels will include “Media Criticism: Is It Dead?” with me, Wade Kwon, Birmingham’s best blogger (if not most humble).

Joining me on the panel are …

Aaron Hillis (@cobblehillis), movie blogger in Brooklyn, editor of GreenCine Daily, contributor to the Village Voice and vice president and co-founder of Benten Films, a boutique distribution label.

Claudia Puig (@claudiapuig), Los Angeles-based movie writer for USA Today. Prior to joining the newspaper in 1997, she worked as a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for 11 years.

What to expect:

In a world in which everyone can critique concerts, albums and films via blogging and other forms of online writing, do the opinions of professional critics in the industry still matter? What is the state of media criticism, and what is its future?

The hourlong panel takes place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Birmingham International Center, 1728 Fifth Ave. N. [map].

Also of note: Our Shout movie critic Chance Shirley will be on the panel “Changing Forms of Distribution,” taking place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the same location. And one of our Sidewalk movie critics, Jennifer West, will be managing all the Sidetalk panels on Saturday and Sunday.

Sidetalk panels are free and open to the public. For more information on this and other panels, visit the Sidewalk website.

• • •

The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival takes place Friday through Sunday in downtown Birmingham. Tickets: three-day pass, $50, $40 for members and students; one-day pass, $20, $15 for members and students.

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.