Acoustic Night @ The Bama

On Thursday, January 10, 2008, Acoustic Night @ The Bama in the Greensboro Room returns with two excellent singer-songwriters: Elliott McPherson(of the Dexateens) and Blaine Duncan(Blaine Duncan and the Lookers) in a very rare unplugged performance. Doors open at 8:00PM , with the show beginning at 8:30PM. Admission is only $3, with all proceeds going to the artists. The bar in the Greensboro Room will be open, offering imported and domestic beers, wine, and mixed drinks.

For more information, call 758-5195 x5.

www.myspace.com/bamatheatre

www.myspace.com/dexateens

Acoustic Night @ The Bama Theatre This Thursday!

Acoustic Night continues in the Greensboro Room of The Bama Theatre this Thursday, November 15, at 8:00PM with musical guests Lauren Krothe and Lee Taylor.

Hailing from Huntsville, Lee Taylor is back by popular demand after opening Acoustic Night last month and stealing the show. This talented guitarist/singer-songwriter brings to mind the songwriting style of John Mayer, David Gray, etc., while his guitar talents remind us of James Taylor and Mark Knoffler.

Lauren Krothe returns as the hands-down favorite of Acoustic Night from last season. Lauren's style is reminiscent of the keyboard wizardry and songwriting styles of Laura Nyro, Tori Amos, and Joni Mitchell. This will be the Birmingham resident's third performance at Acoustic Night in the past year.

Admission is a skimpy $3, with all proceeds going to the artists. Our award-winning bar will be open, featuring imported and domestic beer, wine, and mixed drinks.

See you at The Bama!

www.myspace.com/laurenkrothe

www.myspace.com/leetaylor

www.myspace.com/bamatheatre

DINNER AND A MOVIE CONTINUES WITH "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE"

“Dinner and a Movie” continues on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 8pm with the screening of "A Streetcar Named Desire." Sponsored by Chuck’s Fish, the classic, award-winning film will be shown at the Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Avenue, in downtown Tuscaloosa.

Anyone who dines at Chuck's Fish the evening of November 13th will receive complimentary tickets to the movie. And, anyone who purchases walk up movie tickets at the Bama Theatre can bring their ticket stub to Chuck's to receive $5 off any food item. Tuesday night is Ladies night at Chuck's with drinks 1/2 price and $2 off sushi rolls. The Bama Theatre also has a full service bar/concessions to complete your movie-going experience. Enjoy a great evening of dinner and a classic movie. Please note that screening times are at 8pm and not the usual 7:30pm. Walk-up movie admission is $7/$6/$5. Call 758-5195 (Bama Theatre) or 248-9370 (Chuck's Fish) for more information.

November 13 at 8pm
"A Streetcar Named Desire " (1951)
Directed by Elia Kazan and based on the play by Tennessee Williams

Drama-Southern Gothic / Rated PG / 2 hours / black and white
Starring Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden
Academy Awards for Best Actress (Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Malden), Best Supporting Actress (Hunter), Best Art-Set Decoration (black and white); Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Hunter)

Synopsis: Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the restless years following World War Two, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is the story of Blanche DuBois, a fragile and neurotic woman on a desperate prowl for someplace in the world to call her own. After being exiled from her hometown of Auriol, Mississippi for seducing a seventeen-year-old boy at the school where she taught English, Blanche explains her unexpected appearance on Stanley and Stella's (Blanche's sister) doorstep as nervous exhaustion. This, she claims, is the result of a series of financial calamities which have recently claimed the family plantation, Belle Reve. Suspicious, Stanley points out that "under Louisiana's Napoleonic code what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband." Stanley, a sinewy and brutish man, is as territorial as a panther. He tells Blanche he doesn't like to be swindled and demands to see the bill of sale. This encounter defines Stanley and Blanche's relationship. They are opposing camps and Stella is caught in no-man's-land. But Stanley and Stella are deeply in love. Blanche's efforts to impose herself between the two only enrages the animal inside Stanley. When Mitch -- a card-playing buddy of Stanley's -- arrives on the scene, Blanche begins to see a way out of her predicament. Mitch, himself alone in the world, reveres Blanche as a beautiful and refined woman. Yet, as rumors of Blanche's past in Auriol begin to catch up to her, her circumstances become unbearable.

Eliot Morris at the Bama Theatre, Friday, Nov. 9

2007 – 2008 Bluegrass, Big Bands, and More series opens with CLAIRE LYNCH

David Allgood from Tuscaloosa's Bama Theatre emailed this info to me:

( Tuscaloosa ) The Arts Council's fifth annual Bluegrass, Big Bands, and More performing arts series will again bring the sounds of Americana to West Alabama audiences. All concerts will take place at the Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Avenue , in downtown Tuscaloosa , Alabama and will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketleap.com , in person at the Arts Council offices - located on the 2^nd floor of the PARA Building , or by phone at 205-758-5195. VISA/MasterCard, Discover, cash, and checks are accepted. All seating is reserved on the floor and in the balcony. Sponsors include Hampton Inn , Alabama Public Radio, and Jim Walter Resources, Inc. For more information and complete biographies of the performers, go to www.tuscarts.org.

Claire Lynch - http://www.clairelynch.com/
with opening act Ruby Jane Smith - http://www.mississippifiddler.com/
Thursday, November 8, 2007
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $16 (reserved-floor and balcony)

Claire Lynch has long been recognized as a creative influence in bluegrass music – first for her early years with Alabama's Front Porch String Band (which was labeled as “a musical force to be reckoned with” by John Starling), and later for her superb singing and songwriting which have been recorded on five projects for Rounder Records. Two of those recordings were nominated for a Grammy and, among her many other nominations, a win was scored for “Female Vocalist of the Year” with the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) in 1997.

In 2006, after a six-year hiatus from touring, she landed on her feet again with New Day which enjoyed a run on the Bluegrass Album Chart reaching #2, while “Train Long Gone” topped the Bluegrass Song Chart at #1 for two consecutive months. Much of the credit was due to her touring and recording mates (Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Jason Thomas) who comprise the Claire Lynch Band and are award-winners themselves. Dolly Parton credits Claire with “one of the sweetest, purest and best lead voices in the music business today.” Claire's harmonies have graced the recordings of many stellar musicians, from Ralph Stanley to Linda Ronstadt. Equally gifted as a songwriter, her songs have been recorded by the Seldom Scene, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, the Cherryholmes, the Whites, and others.

By any measure, the Claire Lynch Band is high on the bluegrass world's A-List, with musicians whose accolades include IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year and two Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album (Claire); six IBMA Bass Player of the Year awards ( Missy Raines ); and two IBMA Guitar Player of the Year awards (Jim Hurst). Claire's collaboration with Missy Raines and Jim Hurst dates back to the days of the Front Porch String Band, resulting in a seasoned sound that is simultaneously unpretentious and richly textured. It has a down-home, front porch sensibility—until you realize that it is a rare front porch, indeed, that has ever hosted musicians of this caliber. Jim Hurst throws out impossible leads effortlessly, and the band is grounded by Missy Raines' unerring instinct for the right groove and her lithe, boundary-stretching bass lines. The band's newest member, Toronto native Jason Thomas, brings monster chops on fiddle and mandolin, supported by remarkable musical versatility and imagination that have made him instantly at home in one of the greatest bluegrass bands currently on the scene.

Born on November 17, 1994, in Dallas , TX , Ruby Jane Smith is one of the world's premiere junior fiddlers and a fast-rising star in the landscape of country, bluegrass-Americana music. With deep familial and cultural ties throughout the Southeast, she resides in Columbus , MS , where she homeschools with her mother, JoBelle Smith, when not traveling as a musician, actress, or model.

Ruby Jane exhibited a strong connection to music, beyond a keen interest, as early as age one. The responses to the ancient sounds and rhythms of traditional Hebrew music were noted as remarkable and she began classical violin instruction at age two. At age eight, she was introduced to the sounds of Americana music in Santa Fe , NM , which led to a complete devotion to the stylings of old-time and bluegrass music. Subsequently, she began old-time fiddle lessons, which included the study of its unique bowing techniques, archaic tunings, and depth of expression. After only six fiddle lessons, she won first place in the first fiddle competition she entered, beginning a run of victories that continues to gain momentum.

She was granted an apprenticeship by the Mississippi Arts Commission at age eight to apprentice with Charles T. Smith, one of the last great Mississippi old-time fiddlers. For the past two years, she has competed in dozens of prestigious music competitions and performed with many bluegrass greats, including Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent ("The Queen of Bluegrass"), Mike Snider, Jesse McReynolds, Jim Brock, James Monroe, Carl Jackson, and many others.

SHORT CIRCUIT TRAVELING FILM FESTIVAL AT THE BAMA THEATRE

( Tuscaloosa ) The Bama Theatre is one of 36 venues selected to host the 2007-2008 Short Circuit Traveling Film Festival, a project of the Southern Arts Federation. The screening of twelve short films will take place on October 29, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Avenue , in downtown Tuscaloosa . Admission is $7 general, $6 seniors and students, and $5 Arts Council members.

The festival will open with an appearance by Gideon Kennedy and Marcus Rosentrater, co-directors of “Dick-George, Tenn -Tom,” prior to the screening of their film. They will open with a presentation about the film and then close with a question/answer session immediately following the screening. Writer & Co-Director Gideon C. Kennedy graduated cum laude from Georgia State University in 2001 with a degree in English Literature and a minor in Journalism. Editor & Co-Director Marcus Rosentrater studied film at The Colorado Film School at the University of Colorado , with an emphasis in post-production. Marcus continues to do work as an editor in Atlanta .. They are currently in the middle of editing a third short, writing a fourth, and arranging for the production of their first feature.

The Short Circuit Traveling Film Festival spotlights recent short films by filmmakers living and working in the Southeastern United States . Selected for their artistic merit by an esteemed panel of media arts professionals, these engaging short films will tour the South during the 2007-2008 season through two separate delivery methods. Short Circuit has been designed to serve as a complementary program to the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers. Each of the twelve short films featured in the Short Circuit Traveling Film Festival will be paired with one of the twelve filmmakers touring with Southern Circuit. The short films will serve as the opening acts for the touring filmmakers.

The Bama is one of only twenty southeastern theatres – and the only location in the state of Alabama – chosen to host Short Circuit, featuring all twelve shorts in one screening. The Bama Theatre was chosen by the SAF after a competitive grant process in which information about the Bama Theatre and the success of the Cinema Nouveau film series and Jewish Film Festival was provided.

List of Screenings:

DOCUMENTARY

“ Dick-George , Tenn -Tom”

Directed by Gideon Kennedy and Marcus Rosentrater

Mobile , Alabama

In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon visited Mobile , AL for 104 minutes, during which time he shook 100 feet of hands, lost a cufflink, and shared a stage with his biggest political rival, Governor George Wallace. Dick-George , Tenn -Tom is a sardonic look at their rivalry, the creation of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, and the attempt on Wallace's life less than a year later.

“Tour of Homes”

Directed by Penny Brice

Savannah , Georgia

Once described as the southern belle with a dirty face, Savannah is a city of contradictions, primarily between the haves and have-nots. With its Spanish Moss-draped trees and genteel historic district, it has a dark underbelly of poverty and crime, sustained by racial inequality and fueled by denial. Tour of Homes provides an alternative tour to the ones that cart tourists through the affluent environment of historic downtown Savannah .

“The Language of Limbs: A Documentary on the Agrifolk Art Movement”

Directed by Eyekiss

Atlanta , Georgia

Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats discovers the last true folk artists remaining: 50 leyland cypress trees. Watch the drama unfold as these trees, outfitted with easels, paper and pencils, communicate through art...seriously.

“Bowl Digger”

Directed by Kristy Higby

Alexander , North Carolina

A loving story of octogenarians Maxie and Hilton Eades, rural South Carolinians who create wooden bowls and dough trays as durable as their creators.

“The Cole Nobody Knows”

Directed by Clay Walker

Avondale Estates, Georgia

This documentary profiles Chicago-native Freddy Cole, the virtually unknown, yet equally talented younger brother of Nat "King" Cole. At age 75, Freddy Cole is, at last, finally being recognized for his amazing musical talent.

ANIMATION

“Sandstorm”

Directed by Yeon Choi

Lafayette , Louisiana

In an imaginary land that lacks of water and flesh, two skeleton figures find a pair of eyes in the sand. Their selfish minds start a fight over the eyes, and the fight leads to a bitter end.

“Dear Sweet Emma”

Directed by John Cernak

Winston-Salem , North Carolina

As the search is given up for Emma's latest husband, Tucker, a private look reveals that Emma has a secret and uncontrollable dark side. The sweetest angel and favorite citizen of Fishtickle would indeed pose an uncomfortable dilemma for all if her problem were ever found out.

EXPERIMENTAL

“Wood Diary”

Directed by David Meyers

Henderson , Kentucky

Follow a less-than-ordinary man over the course of one day and discover what it takes most people a lifetime to learn.

FICTION

“Theodore”

Directed by Jorge Moran

Nashville , Tennessee

Theodore knows loneliness, but the challenge of his life is knowing love.

“Moth to Light”

Directed by Elizabeth Strickler

Atlanta , Georgia

Through a dark and tense atmosphere twists the horrific coming of age of Muriel. Caught between the domestic world of her mother and a dark and luring force in the garden, she contemplates what to do with the baby her mother dotes on and whose origins are unknown.

“Mr. Extion”

Directed by Griffin Hood and Barry Battles

Maylene , Alabama

Two life long friends and aspiring filmmakers find that developing an original idea, with no budget, is hard to pull off...especially down South. Through the span of a day, the two reveal their true feelings on film, stereotypes, race, and each other.

“An Abstraction on the Chronology of Will”

Directed by Ben Collins and Kevin Phillips

Savannah , Georgia

William Porten is nothing short of apathetic and despondent after a break-up with his girlfriend. He joins the military, becomes a Special Op, and lives with a sustained note of danger until being faced with a firing squad in the middle of the desert. Through an act of divine intervention his life is saved and his will to live is revitalized.

Fall is finally here, and so is a new post from yours truly.

The air is growing crisp, the leaves are changing hues, and campus life seems busier every day...

Alright, down to business. Today is the first day of Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, which benefits the West Alabama Food Bank:

Beat Auburn Beat Hunger begins October 15, and we will have our official kickoff party on October 16 from 11-2 in the Ferguson Plaza.

Will Alabama actually win this year? Stay tuned to find out! And do your part to save the world and win against Auburn by participating in the competition.

And how might you go about participating?

Well, check out what's coming up from 90.7 The Capstone:

By the way, we're having a Halloween event at the Ferguson Center Theater, where we'll be showing the movie ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. EVERYONE is invited. Admission is ONE canned good. This is a charity event - we'll be donating everything to the West Alabama Food Bank, so bring your cans. There will be two costume contests - one for general Halloween costume and the other for hardcore Rocky Horror costume. This event is co-sponsored by the Mallet Assembly. Stand by for further details.

In other news, tonight our Country music show DJ, our Programming Director, and I (Promotions Director) will be attending a press party for the Deadstring Brothers. I'm SUPER excited. :) Pictures and info about that will be coming soon. Remember, the Deadstring Brothers will be at the Bama Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8PM.

Super-Long Post With Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Deadstring Brothers!!! YAY!

DEADSTRING BROTHERS SILVER MOUNTAIN - IN STORES OCTOBER 9, 2007

CD RELEASE PARTY & DVD FILMING – BAMA THEATRE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 17

600 Greensboro Avenue 205/758-5915

Doors 8pm Show 9pm

Tickets $5.00

VIDEO FOR "MEET ME AT HEAVY LOAD" UNVEILED

Check out the video for "Meet Me at Heavy Load" Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9N8mdblkwo

Deadstring Brothers are gearing up for the release of Silver Mountain on October 9^th with a new video for "Meet Me At Heavy Load". The video for "Meet Me At Heavy Load" was filmed by Nick Hill for Lucky Airlines, the folks responsible for clips for Brendan Benson, Thunderbirds Are Now, Outrageous Cherry and Bad Wizard. Taking the Heavy Load party concept to a new level, it was filmed entirely inside a vintage elevator. Their appearance at one of their favorite US venues, the Bama Theatre is going to be very special – the band is filming a DVD that evening.

About the Deadstring Brothers

When the Detroit-based Deadstring Brothers released their critically-acclaimed U.S. debut, Starving Winter Report, in the winter of 2006, they took to the road, touring with sidemen on steel guitar while seeking a permanent collaborator with a shared vision. They found what they were looking for in London, where the Heavy Load club scene was packing in rock-and-roll fans who danced all night to bands like The Rolling Stones, The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers . A bona-fide scene had developed that continues to grow today, where young players seeking kindred souls to play blues and country-tinged rock come together.

On meeting Spencer Cullum, a young pedal steel/guitar player with the love of warm, analog rock-and-roll, the band's mission was accomplished. Rounding out the lineup were Spencer's brother Jeff on bass and fellow Brit Patrick Kenneally on piano and organ. Their shared musical language is easily explained by a look back to the late 60's, when young players from both sides of the Atlantic took cues from Delta blues players like Blind Willie Johnson and Son House. The London scene that brought the current lineup of the band together is immortalized in Silver Mountain's "Meet Me Down at Heavy Load," a scorching number with equal measures of rock swagger and soulful vocals.

Recorded in the Deadstring Brother's own recording studio, Silver Mountain boasts the tunesmanship of The Faces and the barroom howl of The Band stewed together in homage to the blues of the American South and dancehalls of the urban factory North. Music like this formed the genesis of album-oriented FM rock—this record showcases high energy bluesy rave-ups and hymnal country ballads. Silver Mountain is a coming out party for sultry singer Masha Marjieh. Gritty and seductive, reminiscent of '60s era Tina Turner, Masha steps into the spotlight on eight of the 11 tracks, showcasing her hot-blooded and lustful voice, leaving no doubt that the biggest heart in the room now belongs to this soulful vocalist. Harmonica player Mickey Raphael also took a break from his place alongside the great Willie Nelson, contributing to "The Light Shines Within" and "Slow Down."

Raw and feverish, Silver Mountain is the sound of a band working at its peak, synthesizing common influences (regardless of one's birthplace) with a modern edge. Cut from jaws of Michigan steel, East London pubs and honed from months on the never-ending road, the Deadstring Brothers testify to the soul-saving grace of rock-and-roll.

Meet Me Down At Heavy Load

Much of the story behind Silver Mountain is the band's late nights at the Heavy Load, an underground club night in London's West End, where they met future Brother Spencer Cullum. Led by Heavy Load Rob and his very lovely wife, Hippy Karen, the Heavy Load debuted in 1999 and celebrates vintage rock music from the 60s to the mid-70s. It's music that really makes you feel at home, says Heavy Load Rob, and apparently he's right—Now in its 8th year, the Heavy Load is one of the most popular club nights in London, attracting an enthusiastic crowd, and in turn, defining a scene, much like the dance nights and local bands that played at The Factory eventually became part of rock history. It was only a matter of time before the Heavy Load's playlists from the past influenced a new breed of bands. Check out: http://www.theheavyloadclub.com/

Praise for Deadstring Brothers' Starving Winter Report:

"Imagine Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Gram Parsons in their primes, transplanted to Detroit, laid off from the Ford plant, pissed off and ready to pound longnecks (if not rednecks) at the local saloon, and you'll have some idea of the emotional weight and sonic power of Starving Winter Report. There is no best song here; the whole album is great. It's loud, loose, ragged, and not far removed from a stomping, beer-swilling masterpiece." Andy Whitman, Paste Magazine

­­­­­­"Roaring guitars, rolling Fender Rhodes pianos, a steady back beat and a dozen masterfully penned tunes make Starving Weather Report one of the best straight ahead rock n' roll records of the new century." An Honest Tune

"The Deadstring Brothers' whiskey-drenched blend of Exile-era Stones and ragged nods to Gram Parsons is one of the strongest offerings of twangy Americana in years." Joshua Valocchi, Philadelphia Weekly

"The band has that ragged blues-meets-country-rock groove down cold, with plenty of slashing guitar work and a rhythm section that could pulverize concrete. They come charging out of the gate with attitude and energy to spare and a relentless mid-tempo thump that never lets up." J. Poet, Harp Magazine

"This is country rock n' roll with shitloads of soul…one of the most refreshing rock records to hit the shops in many months." David McPherson, American Songwriter

"With breathless urgency, the Brothers give the chilling impression that every note might well be their last, that at any second the car could veer off the edge of the road and explode on the rocks below." Nate Cavalieri, Metro Times

"What happened next was a revelation; the kind when you're realizing but not yet completely grasping the fact that you're discovering a great new band... Hit head on, every song is fantastic. Starving Winter Report is a masterwork. David Klug, Pop Culture Press

Acoustic Night at the Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa

Featuring:

Matt Morrow
http://www.myspace.com/mattmorrow
http://www.mattmorrow.net/

CoryTaylorCox
http://www.myspace.com/corytaylorcox

and Lee Taylor

In the Greensboro Room

Thursday, October 11 at 8pm
Doors Open 7:30 PM
$3 cover charge
full-service bar

Bama Theater
600 Greensboro Ave.
Downtown Tuscaloosa
205-758-5195, x5

Dinner and & A Movie Sponsored by Chuck's Fish--Bogart Week!

(Tuscaloosa) Chuck's Fish and the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa and the Bama Theatre continue their series of Dinner and a Movie with two great Bogart Films. "Casablanca" will play on the Bama's silver screen on October 9th at 8:00 PM, and on October 10th, enjoy another great Bogart classic "Key Largo" also beginnning at 8:00 PM.

Anyone who dines at Chuck's Fish during those evenings will receive complimentary tickets to the movie. Anyone who purchases movie tickets at the Bama Theatre can bring the movie ticket stub to Chuck's and receive $5 off any food item.

Every Tuesday night is Ladies Night: 1/2 price drinks for ladies and $2 off sushi rolls for everyone. Every Wednesday night is $12.95 Prime Rib Dinner Night (includes soup, salad and sides) featuring jazz.

If you just want to enjoy the movie, tickets are $5/$6/$7 at the door. Remember the 8:00 showtime!! For more information, call the Arts Council at 295-758-5195 or Chuck's Fish at 205-248-9370.

The Historic Bama Theatre, Tuscaloosa's Visual and Performing Arts Center. 600 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, Al.

The Deadstring Brothers

DEADSTRING BROTHERS LIVE DVD FILMING AT THE BAMA THEATRE

The Bama Theatre and UA's Telecommunication and Film Department welcome to The Bama Theatre on October 17 at 8:00PM Bloodshot Records recording artists Deadstring Brothers.

The live performance will be filmed by an 11-person camera crew under the direction of Professor Joey Goodsell of the TCF Department. The resulting film will be mastered for a commercial release as a live DVD and later television broadcast.

The Detroit-based Deadstring Brothers will be touring in support of their new Bloodshot CD, "Silver Mountain," set for release on October 9.

Music critics have raved about and compared the Deadstring Brothers' sound to that of the "Exile"-era Rolling Stones, The Faces with Rod Stewart, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers - as well as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The DSB's mixture of rock and roll, country, blues, and soul is the perfect synthesis of what Parsons termed, "Cosmic American Music."

General admission tickets are $5 and are available at Oz Music locations and at The Bama Theatre box office during events and day of the show.

Information: 205-222-7781.

www.myspace.com/bamatheatre

www.myspace.com/deadstringbrothers

Cinema Nouveau presents "Sicko"

(Tuscaloosa) Cinema Nouveau, the Arts Council’s independent/art film series at the Bama Theatre, continues with Michael Moore’s “SICKO,” September 14 - 20, 2007. Showtimes are weeknights and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. $7 will be charged for general admission, $6 for seniors and students, and $5 for Arts Council members. Tickets will be on sale at the Bama box office approximately one half hour before showtime. The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue, in Tuscaloosa. Cinema Nouveau is one of the many programs sponsored by the Arts Council. Call 758-5195 or go to www.tuscarts.org for more information.



September 14 - 20
Sicko (2007)
www.michaelmoore.com/sicko
Directed by Michael Moore
Documentary -Health Care / Rated PG-13 / 1 hour 53 minutes / color

America 's most incendiary filmmaker, Michael Moore, returned in 2007 with this health-care-industry exposé. SICKO tackles material as controversial as the topics explored in Moore's other films, yet does so in a way that places the focus on ordinary Americans affected by the nation's health-care crisis.

After providing some historical background on how our nation's medical care system became so ravaged and unfair, Moore interviews a series of individuals and families who have had their lives all but destroyed by the denial of care in the service of profit. While there are two sides to
the gun-control debate and even a legitimate discourse for how to best wage the war on terror, it's simply impossible to justify how a baby girl can wind up dead because her mother's health insurance wasn't accepted at a nearby hospital. Moore smartly allows this and other stories to be told with little or no interference, conjuring strong feelings of empathy, rage, and deep sadness.

Of course, SICKO isn't a PBS documentary, it's a Michael Moore movie, and his fingerprints are all over it. Moore visits countries that have universal health care--spectacularly so when he takes several World Trade Center workers to Guantanamo Bay (and then to Cuba) to receive health care that they were denied in the United States--and presents a compelling argument
for adopting a similar system in the States. Moore 's ultimate purpose here is to compel Americans to care for one another, and it's a simple request that shockingly must be made via a major motion picture, making SICKO essential viewing.