[email protected] Technique Entertainment Editor: Zheng Zheng 13 Assistant Entertainment Editor: Friday, Entertainment Patricia Uceda September 24, 2010 Atlanta hosts NOVAKNOVAK Arts ByFestival Christ Ernst Staff Writer Ever wanted to dance in the middle of Peachtree Street? Or maybe bid on an elabo- DELIVERSDELIVERS rate barstool? Perchance the sampling of At- lanta’s finest dining is more enticing? All this and more will all take over Peachtree Street on the Midtown Mile this weekend on Sept. 25 and 26. LAUGHSLAUGHS TOTO The Midtown Festival of the Arts in part- nership with local businesses will bring enter- tainment for the whole family to Midtown. The range of music, arts, food and free en- TECHTECH tertainment will be on display on Peachtree Street from 5th Street to 10th Street, a mere minute’s walk from Tech Square. The temporary mini arts district will have Photos by Basheer Tome, Will Folsom/ Student Publications something for everyone. Live bands, art auc- tions and culinary samplings will be at ev- By Elizabeth Perreault Events ery turn, inviting the community to mingle, Contributing Writer meet and be merry. B.J. Novak Comedy Show Music will include shows by The Connells “That’s what she said” PERFORMER: B.J. Novak and The Breakfast Club, among many oth- jokes instantly struck a ers. With four stages, including a Kids’ Zone LOCATION: Ferst Center for chord with the congrega- Stage and a Beer Garden Stage, entertain- the Arts tion of Tech’s Office fanat- ment will not be scarce. Music will fill the ics that filled Ferst Center DATE: Sept. 19, 2010 air as people dance in the street starting at on Sunday, Sept. 19, for an 10 a.m. and it will continue into the evening. evening of stand-up comedy. OUR TAKE: ««««« In addition to the entertainment and food, The show was courtesy of the there will be over a hundred visual artists sell- Student Center Programs estimated travel time from ing and displaying their wares for the public Council and presented ac- Hartsfield-Jackson to Ferst to admire and purchase. This opportunity to tor/writer B.J. Novak. Drive being four minutes. view and take home a piece of Atlanta’s lo- Most of the crowd knew He then went on to de- cal artistic vision and talent is few and far Novak as “Ryan the Temp” scribe his favorite comedians between. from NBC’s The Office or in history, noting that Benja- At 8 p.m. on Saturday night, a free screen- as a Nazi hunter alongside min Franklin is certainly at ing of Driving Miss Daisy will entertain citi- Brad Pitt in Quinton Tar- the top of his list. After all, zens on the intersection of 10th and Peachtree. antino’s latest masterpiece, he did ask to be put on the The film, based on Atlanta-born play- Inglorious Basterds. However, one hundred dollar bill with wright Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the show allowed Novak’s the declaration that “One- work, highlights several local landmarks fans to see a different aspect day they’ll rap about me!” including Agnes Scott College, Little Five of his comedic genius that is Then, he shared with the Points, Inman Park and Peachtree Street it- not conveyed in the roles he audience his “new children’s self. typically plays. book” featuring Wikipedia The corner of 7th and Peachtree will fea- Novak’s engaging stage Brown, a personification of ture the Plates on Peachtree culinary show- presence and connection Wikipedia.com where “ev- case and beer garden. As the only paid-ticket with the audience proved eryone contributes” and attraction, it is should be worth the $30 per him to be a talented per- “you never really find out day per person in advance, $40 at the door. former that can hold his what you were looking for Atlanta’s premium dining options can own. Even his appearance, in the first place because you all be found here, including Midtown’s own an untucked, button-down keep getting distracted.” Bakeshop and Ecco. shirt and jeans, conveyed a After a routine in which Tickets include food as well as one cock- markedly different disposi- he tried to make a “shy pup- tail, with additional beverages at an addi- tion from his usual roles. pet” tell a joke and a test run tional cost. The beer garden features Terrapin To those outside of New of a bunch of jokes with the Brewery, one of the few good things about York City’s comedy club rejects being tossed in the Athens, which has some nice choices for au- scene, Novak is not primar- trashcan, he opened up for a tumn as well as Oktoberfest. ily known for his stand-up Q&A session with the audi- Festival President, Leslie Johnson, is espe- routine. ence. cially excited to see the Festival finally come Novak said he would Most of the questions con- to life. Born out of an idea among just a few choose writing over acting, cerned “The Office”. Novak friends at Yes Home in Feb. 2009, it has come stating that he will always, talked about what is was like a long way. first and foremost, be a writ- to work with Jenna Fischer “We had 40-50 people to make this hap- er. (Pam) and Angela Kinsey pen. It gathered steam and snowballed from This comes as no surprise, (Angela), saying they were there…Business owners, residents, retired as he studied History and both “natural to work with” folks the whole gamut of people [support- Literature at Harvard and and then punctuating with ed the idea. Midtown has] experienced a was a writer for the well- “that’s what she said”. phenomenal growth, and we want to keep known college publication, He also commented on that momentum going. We are presenting the Harvard Lampoon. the big news that Steve Car- Peachtree as it should be…a fully engaged Greg Daniels, the execu- rell, who plays regional man- street experience,” Johnson said. tive producer of the “The ager Michael Scott, is leaving Office,” saw one of Novak’s but has no definite word on performances and cast him who his replacement will be. as Ryan Howard. After be- Novak proved to have an ing cast, Novak utilized his excellent live stage presence writing talents to write sev- and appears to genuinely eral well-known episodes for love doing what he does. The the series. show, about an hour long, Fresh off the plane from seemed to be too short and Los Angeles, Novak was the audience was left want- quick to begin the show with ing more of his witty obser- a jab at Google Maps for its vations. Image courtesy of Midtown Festival of the Arts 14 • September 24, 2010 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT Easy A lacks original thoughts, character depth FILM identity as a promiscuous woman, rial of the film, but at the same Easy A even adorning a scarlet A on her time, they become a bit of a outfits; however, things soon take crutch, as it seems that the movie GENRE: Romantic Comedy a turn for the worse. As every- relies a bit too much on the mes- STARRING: Emma Stone thing spins out of her control, she sage of a preexisting work rather struggles with the consequences than forging a strong message of DIRECTOR: Will Gluck and infamy that result from her its own. RATING: PG-13 bad decisions. Also disappointing is Easy A’s While the premise might seem trite villains: the overzealous, fun- RELEASE DATE: Sept. 17 like a one-shot gag that drives the damentalist Christians who are film, Easy A takes some time to the cause of the majority of the OUR TAKE: ««««« explore the motivations and con- condemnation and persecution sequences of its central idea in throughout the story. Amanda By Daniel Fuller an entertaining way that involves Bynes is hilarious as Marianne, Contributing Writer many hilarious situations. their ring leader, playing the mean The frame story for the film girl for once. Easy A, the latest high school is a series of weblogs by Olive in While most of the characters comedy to hit theatres, explores which she explains her side of the in the film are exaggerated cari- touchy subjects with wit and sar- story and actually recognizes all of catures, the Christian group is a casm. Despite the typical light- the bad decisions that she makes bit of an overused and exhausted hearted cheeriness of the genre, along the way. While on one hand Hollywood cliché. Its role in the the film explores rather heavy the film rebukes the fickle perse- film is justifiable given the similar themes of sexuality, gossip, ostra- cution high school students dish role that Puritans play in the film’s Image courtesy of Screen Gems cism and self-worth. However, the out to each other, Olive’s solution source material, serving as a sym- ing as a tacked on necessity in the messages of the movie. true nature of Easy A, even when to the problem is not ideal either. bol of the folly of hypocrisy. formula of the film. Overall, Easy A’s witty dia- addressing these themes, is of a The story draws inspiration While the core themes of the Most of the characters exist to logue and comic moments are fast-paced comedic tone. from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story are compelling and mean- make one-liners or create funny what make it entertaining. Those As the trailers for the film out- “The Scarlet Letter,” directly ref- ingful, the movie dwells more on situations, never experiencing intrigued by the premise in the line, the story follows wisecrack- erencing this fact in the film.