The newly hired executive director of the newly established Birmingham-Jefferson Film Office spoke Monday night at the Sidewalk Salon. Mark Stricklin was candid about his role, the film community and the future.
At stake are the millions of dollars movie and TV productions can shovel into a city economy. But the competition is fierce, with several hundred city and regional film commissions vying for Hollywood’s attention.
Serial vampire novelist Anne Rice is in town today to promote another book about another walking undead freak: Jesus.
She’s signing books, including her latest, "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," at the Alabama Booksmith in Homewood at 6 tonight. “Christ the Lord” is Rice’s portrait of the savior as a young man.
But it’s her other promotional stop that has us intrigued.
EXCLUSIVE: The Galleria 10, in operation since the mid-’80s in Hoover, will close its doors Sunday.
The movie theater, part of the Regal chain based in Knoxville, has faced competition over the years from the Carmike 10 (now a “bargain” theater) and in the past year, the Rave Motion Pictures Patton Creek 15. Just how long could 35 screens forbidden to show the same movies compete in the same 1-mile radius?
[Updated]
Birmingham-area libraries have geared up with new tech, making life easier for patrons and staff.
The good folks at Drink at Work discovered an amusing take on Birmingham culture. Comedian Christian Finnegan wrote about his bizarre encounter with a surly drunken Marine during his recent set at the Comedy Club at the Stardome in Hoover.
Randall Publishing, a family-owned magazine publisher in Tuscaloosa, became part of the Wachovia empire on Monday.
You may not have heard of Truckers News, Modern Woodworking or Overdrive, but the company employs 400 and has been around for 70 years.
It’s part of a trend of homegrown businesses gobbled up by out-of-state owners.
Time to stick it to the man. And the woman. It’s time for flu shots.
One last party. One last report.
Before we review the costumes, we share the distrubing trends among young trick-or-treaters. Namely, no costumes. You know, it kinda violates the Halloween spirit if you show up for candy and don’t bother with the costume part. And worse, seeing parents drive their kids from house to house is simply shameful.
Back to the costumes.
It’s been a long weekend of partying and posing during this Halloween / Daylight Saving four-day fest. And while the spooky stuff ends tonight, another scary holiday is just around the corner: the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (Nov. 12).
Oooooohhhhh…
But before we stick a hatchet in Halloween, let’s highlight the costumes of 2005.
My colleague Elaine fielded some tough questions the other night about Birmingham and the state of journalism. She handled the questions admirably, with thoughtful well-reasoned answers.
But we are not about thoughtful here.
I’ve never been shy about my hometown and my industry, so let us tackle a few of the nagging questions out there.
I hate our national pastime.
No, not celebrity gossip. Baseball.
But I enjoy a good yarn. And some decent drama.
Last year, I even managed to watch the Red Sox streak through the playoffs and World Series to make history. (It helped that I was surrounded by jaded journalists who love underdogs.)
So kudos to columnist Jayson Stark at ESPN for his game wrapup, "South Side redemption." It’s a compelling read, well written and well reported. It even plays up the Chicago White Sox’s triumph in near-obscurity.
He even mentioned Birmingham’s key contribution to the game, via les Barons.
Our spy tells us that Zoe’s in Forest Park was filled yesterday with young women on the prowl for last-minute costume ideas.
Nothing scarier than going out on Halloween with ye olde kitty cat costume again.
As a public service, we present a few ideas of our own for those still without a stitch to wear for this weekend’s many Halloween parties.
The most powerful woman in the world not named “Oprah” is stopping by. And I’ll be there to stalk greet her.
The well-heeled Condoleeza Rice will be in Tuscaloosa on Friday to give an 11 a.m. lecture, along with some British wank. (more…)
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