Arts & Entertainment Atlantic City Weekly

Continental, Souzai Special Events

By Scott Cronick — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:55:15 PST

And visit Golden Nugget this Friday, Jan. 23, where Mike Gill from ESPN 97.3-FM will broadcast his show live to celebrate the Nugget’s Big Game Super Bash contest

As we all wait for what Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein has planned for his latest purchase, The Pier Shops at Caesars, there are two amazing events worth checking out there this week.

For starters, beer lovers will certainly want to flock to The Continental 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, for a tasty and affordable culinary adventure that will pair some of The Continental’s American-style comfort food with beer from Forgotten Boardwalk, a newcomer in the beer world that is quickly making its mark throughout the state.

For just $29, the event will feature favorite appetizers from Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr’s acclaimed modern diner such as its Philly cheesesteak eggrolls to pair with four of Forgotten Boardwalk’s eclectic brews.

“We are tweaking the menu as we speak, but we are having fun matching our food with their beer,” says Continental General Manager Jonathan Karp regarding the menu that is being designed by Executive Chef and Forgotten Boardwalk fan Brandon Iacone. “We are doing some of our classics as well as some surprise menu items designed especially for their beers. One thing I know we will do is cap the night off with some mini funnel cakes to go with their Funnel Cake beer. That’s going to be awesome.”

Karp is referring to Forgotten Boardwalk’s Funnel Cake Ale, the Cherry Hill brewery’s signature beer that features 2.5 pounds of Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans per batch as well as some lactose, which is milk sugar to give the 5.5-percent alcohol by volume beer its creamy body. The beer offers an old-fashioned Nilla Wafer aroma with hints of vanilla in the aftertaste.

“It is seemingly our signature beer,” says head Brewer David Bronstein. “It started as a cream ale recipe and just evolved.”

If Funnel Cake Ale sounds interesting to you, so will the rest of Friday’s lineup that also includes 1916 Shore Shiver, a balanced, yet malty IPA brewed with Cascade, Zeus and Kohatu hops with a citrus taste and 6.9-percent abv that pairs well with spicy food; Morro Castle, a 5.7-percent smoked porter brewed with 50 percent smoked malts with a nice, roasty undertone and hints of coffee and tobacco that pairs well with bratwurst and fish and chips; and What the Butler Saw, a 5-percent “Undressed Wit” made with Belgian yeast, chamomile, ginger, orange peel, coriander and lemon peel that pairs well with mussels and duck l’orange.

“This whole thing has been a fun thing to do,” says Bronstein, who will be at the event to explain the beer and the pairings. “Our Owner Jamie Queli has been a fan of Stephen Starr restaurants, and to work with them has been a blessing for our company.”

The Continental routinely offers beer dinners and special events, but Karp says this one is particularly interesting.

“We started carrying their beer on our menu because they are definitely and up-and-coming brewery doing a lot of different things with flavor combinations and pure inventiveness,” he says. “So working with them was appealing to us because we do the same thing.”

For reservations, call 609-674-8300 or go to ContinentalAC.com.

The fun continues on the third level of The Pier Shops 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday,, Jan. 27, as the complex teams with Anchor Arts Studio and Souzai Sushi & Sake for an evening of step-by-step art instruction with local artist Brittany Czekai.

The $45 painting party will not only include endless edamame, choice of California roll, crispy shrimp roll or shiitake pot stickers and choice of one beverage — select wines by the glass, domestic beer, cup of sake or Bacardi cocktail with one mixer — but every guest will leave with their one-of-a-kind creation and talent they never knew they had.

Plus happy hour drink specials will be available all night.

Call 609-412-8985 or go to AnchorArtsStudio.com.

Golden Nugget Super Bash Contest

Head to Golden Nugget Atlantic City 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, where host Mike Gill from ESPN 97.3-FM will broadcast his show live to celebrate the Nugget’s Big Game Super Bash contest.

Gill will talk sports and the contest that runs through Tuesday, Jan. 27, that offers an exclusive VIP viewing section for the winner and 10 friends in the Main Atrium for the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

The VIP section will include a private server, complimentary Bud and Bud Light and stadium-style food throughout the game, plus the winner will go home with a Samsung flat-screen TV and a Bud Light football couch.

For details about the contest, go to Facebook.com/GoldenNuggetAC.

Randall’s Sleight of Hand

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:34:29 PST

Beloved among his show-biz peers, late entertainer Frankie Randall helped Steve Wynn lure away Ol ’ Blue Eyes

On the night Frank Sinatra jumped ship from Atlantic City’s original casino and began performing at the Golden Nugget, one of the legendary singer’s California pals — a very wealthy real estate developer — dropped $4.2 million at a blackjack table in Steve Wynn’s 2-year-old gaming hall.

Wynn was wagering $10 million that Sinatra could turn his small but opulent casino into a high-roller haven. And when he saw how much money one man lost in one night just because the iconic singer was playing the 500-seat Opera House nightclub, he knew his bet was going to pay off.

“He slapped me on the back and said, ‘I want you to work for me forever,’” jazz singer and pianist Frankie Randall, whom Wynn had hired to run his entertainment department, recalled years later.

Randall, who pulled off the biggest entertainment coup in the early years of Atlantic City’s casino era by helping Wynn steal Sinatra from Resorts International Hotel & Casino, died of lung cancer Dec. 28 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Although Randall had some success as an entertainer in the early to mid-1960s — he was a summer fill-in host on Dean Martin’s TV variety show — he was best known as an “entertainer’s entertainer,” meaning he was appreciated more by his fellow performers than he was by the masses. And Randall had no bigger fan than Sinatra, who he met one night when he was performing at Sinatra BFF Jilly Rizzo’s New York City saloon.

They quickly became buddies. Randall became Ol’ Blue Eyes’ “house pianist,” meaning he had an open invitation to play in Sinatra’s Palm Springs home, which was any Saturday night when the iconic star was home and not off somewhere singing for his supper.

So when Wynn tapped Randall to run his Atlantic City entertainment department, his first order of business was to upgrade the quality and caliber of shows at the Golden Nugget.

The casino opened in 1980 with a week of shows by Wynn favorite Willie Nelson, but country music wasn’t big business in Atlantic City, and Nelson only averaged around 50 people a night. After that, the showroom was populated mostly by a collection of static, long-running variety revues occasionally interrupted by B-list headliners.

Wynn asked Randall what it would take to keep Sinatra from re-upping with Resorts after his three-year contract expired with the First Game in Town. Money was no object, Wynn said. He was willing to double Sinatra’s then-unprecedented $50,000-per show casino salary.

“I told (Wynn) he had to offer him something (other than more money) that would perk him up,” Randall told me prior to his final casino gig in 2007. “Frank was the kind of guy who would get comfortable in one place and not be so quick to move.”

Randall suggested Wynn up the ante not just by offering him more money, but by making him a celebrity spokesman for both his Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos. In Las Vegas, Wynn was able to lure Sinatra away from his longtime home at Caesars Palace on the Strip to the Golden Nugget on Fremont Street in the city’s Downtown section.

Wynn agreed, and Randall took the proposal to Sinatra. True to form, Sinatra was in no hurry to leave Resorts and was considering re-upping with the First Game in Town.

But Randall had an ace up his sleeve. He told Sinatra that part of Wynn’s celebrity spokesman deal for the singer was a series of fun television commercials that would feature both Wynn and Sinatra.

“When I told him about the TV commercials, he really perked up,” Randall recalled. “Then I told him how much (money). Next thing I knew, he said, ‘Okay, you’ve got my attention. Now let’s sit down and work this thing out.’”

Several months later, Sinatra opened at the Golden Nugget’s 500-seat showroom in front of an invitation-only audience of better bettors (read: high rollers). Not all of the seats were filled; some players didn’t want to leave the gaming tables and slot machines just because the show was starting.

And their casino hosts weren’t going to force them into the Opera House.

Outside the showroom, fans clutching fistfuls of cash begged, pleaded and tried to bribe their way into the room. But no dice. It was a private show. Not long after that first show, Sinatra and Wynn filmed the first of what turned into a series of television commercials for both the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Sinatra was the star of the commercials; Wynn willingly played the foil. The spots had the anticipated effect. Once they began airing, the Golden Nugget was the smallest but hottest joint in Atlantic City. And not just among gamblers. With Sinatra on board, other A-list artists were placed under exclusive contract with the Golden Nugget: Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. Even performers that weren’t traditional casino headliners, such as ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov and actress Julie Andrews, headlined privatemshows for the high rollers.

When Wynn sold the Golden Nugget to Bally Manufacturing in 1987 to help underwrite construction of the game-changing Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, the new owners cleaned house in their executive ranks. Randall survived the purge. All told, he spent nine years working at the casino. During his casino run, Randall, a New Jersey native-born Franklin Joseph Lisbona in Passaic, had one sure-fire way of dealing with the stress of working in the gaming industry. He’d occasionally go back where he came from by booking himself into one of his property’s lounges.

“I was always very careful about not doing that too often,” he said, not wanting to take work away from another performer. “I usually only did it if an act dropped out at at the last minute. But it was one way of relieving the pressure, and there was a lot of pressure in that job.

Symphony's 2015 Start

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:07:10 PST

A concert collaboration will feature works by Morten Lauridsen and Ola Gjeilo

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony and the Choral Arts of Southern New Jersey, the region’s acclaimed orchestra and choral group respectively, open 2015 with a joint presentation that combines Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” with works by composers and Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s Artists-in-Residence Morten Lauridsen and Ola Gjeilo.

The latter will be represented by Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night” and “Lux Aeterna” and Gjeilo’s “Dark Night of the Soul.” The composers will accompany their works on the piano and Bay-Atlantic Music Director Jed Gaylin will conduct.

The concerts take place Saturday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m., at the Frank Guaracini, Jr. Fine and Performing Arts Center, Cumberland County College in Vineland, and Sunday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m. at the Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center, Galloway Township.

For this season’s subscription concert series, reduced ticket prices —$30 per concert (Service charges might apply for Stockton tickets.) — will be for all seats in all venues, subsidized by the sponsorship by Woodruff Energy.

All Bay-Atlantic Symphony performances will be preceded one hour prior to starting time with a “Pre-Concert Conversation with the Maestro.”

Morten Johannes Lauridsen is an American composer and a National Medal of Arts recipient (2007). He has been a professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than 40 years.

In 2006, Lauridsen was named an “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2007 he received the National Medal of Arts from the President in a White House ceremony, “for his composition of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power and spiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide.”

His works have been recorded on more than 200 CDs, five of which have received Grammy Award nominations, including O Magnum Mysterium by the Tiffany Consort and A Company of Voices by Conspirare. He was also the subject of an award-winning documentary, “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen.”

Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) was born in Norway in 1978, and moved to the United States in 2001 to begin his composition studies at the Juilliard School. Ola’s concert works are performed all over the world, and his debut recording as a pianist-composer, the lyrical crossover album “Stone Rose,” was followed by its 2012 sequel, Piano Improvisations. Many of Ola’s choral works are featured on Phoenix Chorale’s bestselling Northern Lights album, which is devoted entirely to his music for choir. A full-time concert music composer, Ola is also very interested in film, and his music often draws inspiration from movies.

Jack Hill, Artistic Director of the Choral Arts of Southern New Jersey, received formal training was at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music and his Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance. As a professor at Rowan University, he conducts the women’s choir and teaches in both the music and theatre departments.

Music Director Jed Gaylin is in his 17th season with the Bay-Atlantic Symphony, after a national search in 1995 to find the right person to lead the orchestra into its next phase, which he has accomplished in spectacular fashion.

During his tenure, the Bay-Atlantic Symphony has grown into the preeminent orchestra in the southern region of New Jersey, serving as an arts ambassador throughout the region

NOTE: The Bay-Atlantic Symphony has been nominated for the seventh consecutive year for the Jersey Arts.com People’s Choice Award, and is asking the community to vote for the Bay-Atlantic Symphony as their favorite “Symphony/Orchestra” by going online at JerseyArts.com/peopleschoice, to the Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s website at BayAtlanticSymphony.org, or to the Symphony’s Facebook page.

“We are very proud and honored to be nominated consistently for this award,” says Bay-Atlantic Symphony Music Director Jed Gaylin.

“The nomination is testimony to the esteem with which we are recognized among our peers in the arts community. We hope, with the help of all of our supporters who take a few minutes of time to do the simple, on-line voting, to go all the way this year.”

According to Bay-Atlantic Symphony Executive Director Paul Herron, “We have been nominated every year the award has been offered and, twice, we finished second only to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, which has a budget many times that of ours.”

Vivaldi, Lauridsen, Gjeilo

Bay-Atlantic Symphony, Jed Gaylin, conductor; Choral Arts of Southern

New Jersey, Jack Hill, conductor; Artists-in-Residence Morten Lauridsen

and Ola Gjeilo on piano.

Saturday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m., Cumberland County College, 3322 College Drive, Vineland. $30.

856-692-8499.

Sunday. Jan. 25, 2 p.m., Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center,

101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway. $32. 609-652-9000.

Fleetwood Mac Fully Intact

By Scott Cronick — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:36:21 PST

Christine McVie rejoins classic band after a prolonged absence

How much of a difference can one band member make? In the case of Christine McVie, she single-handedly transformed Fleetwood Mac from a tired, going through the motions, classic rock band cashing in on their fame to a mind-blowing, arena-worthy, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-caliber act.

That may sound crazy considering McVie is 71 years old and hasn’t performed with her legendary bandmates for about 15 years, but that was clearly the case at Fleetwood Mac’s fall concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as part of their massive, international “On With the Show Tour,” which hits Boardwalk Hall 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24.

The evidence was clear from the very first song, “The Chain,” one of the few Fleetwood Mac songs ever credited to all five members — McVie, singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. As soon as the harmonies hit it was classic Mac. Seeing McVie behind the keyboards once again was a thing of beauty, and it was immediately clear what was missing for the last two decades: Christine McVie’s third vocal layer.

“The Songbird” personally shined all night: stepping out from behind the keys to sing the contagiously catchy classic “Everywhere,” showing what a great alto she is; making “Say You Love Me” a tour highlight thanks to its sweet lyrics and spot-on vocals; and deservingly closing the night with her trademark “Songbird,” which starts with her on piano as she is later joined by Buckingham and Nicks for a mellow, beautiful second encore.

And although the night was clearly not all about McVie, her presence obviously energized the band, which sounded tighter and seemed more energetic than any of their tours in recent memory.

Nicks, who seemed to be mailing it in on previous tours, was particularly strong. While she certainly doesn’t hit the high notes she once did, singing most tunes in a lower octave, she seems to care about the songs again, delivering them with passion and reminding everyone why she is one of the greatest female rock singers of all time.

She makes it obvious on the night’s second song, “You Make Loving Fun” and immediately continues with her distinctive vocal style with “Dreams.” It’s later evident on the smash “Rhiannon,” the groovy “Seven Wonders,” the crowd-favorite “Landslide” and her signature “Gypsy.”

For years, a Fleetwood Mac concert seemed like the Lindsey Buckingham show, and although he still plays a prominent role, he wisely steps back a bit for this tour. Buckingham highlights include “Second Hand News,” a borderline punk song that offers a fun, spirited rocker at the beginning of the night; “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” where he shows his guitar chops for the first time of the night accompanied by some impressive, pounding drum work from a 68-year-old Fleetwood; the tribal “Tusk,” with Christine McVie on accordion that still remains a great, live tune; and “I’m So Afraid,” a moody song that didn’t belong near the tail end of the first set but offered the most amazing guitar solo of the night.

With a stage more simple than you would expect on such a big tour — a large screen behind the band does help those in the cheap seats — Fleetwood Mac lets the music be all of the hype it needs.

Supported by three musicians and three backup singers, the most amazing thing about this current tour is how awesome they sound as a team … like they never missed a beat after all of these years. When all of the harmonies kick in and the rapport is in full swing, it’s something magical, particularly on the classic “Little Lies,” a complete team effort highlighted by another great Buckingham solo; the stellar “Gold Dust Woman” that featured their best harmonies of the night; “Go Your Own Way,” which ended the first set; and “Don’t Stop,” a perfect encore.

To quibble, the night could have done without Nicks’ “Sisters of the Moon,” complete with an “American Horror Story” plug to promote the FX TV series she has appeared on; “Big Love,” a Buckingham song that showed off his amazing acoustic guitar work but is simply not a great song; and “Over My Head,” a nice but boring tune.

Clocking in at nearly three hours and featuring 24 songs, one hit after another, Fleetwood Mac is offering a must-see tour, something it hasn’t done in nearly two decades.

A Soldier’s Story

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:06:56 PST

Clint Eastwood brings the emotional toll of war home in ‘American Sniper’

War is hell.

We’ve been told that and shown that in countless cinematic recreations from the heights of “Saving Private Ryan” to more recent accounts based on non-fiction books such as “Lone Survivor” and now, from Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper,” based on the book by Chris Kyle about his experiences during four tours of Iraq.

Director Eastwood nails the combat footage, making us feel the tension and the fear that must be overcome to do a job in a situation where you never know if you will find combatants or innocent civilians behind every door or around every corner.

As Kyle, Bradley Cooper, who bulked up to look the part, captures the transformation of Kyle from the macho warrior, nicknamed “The Legend” for his prowess as a sniper, to a man who eventually understands how war has changed him in good ways and bad.

Kyle was an avid hunter and rodeo rider from Texas who, like so many other young men, wanted to do their part to protect our country after watching the towers come down.

He became a Navy Seal sniper, protecting his fellow soldiers from above on rooftops. While Kyle understood that his wife Taya (Sienna Miller) wanted him to stay home with his family, he couldn’t walk away from the belief that saving his brothers in combat was his destiny. It took the accumulation of his four tours to make him realize that he needed to walk away to keep enough of his humanity intact.

Working with the excellent Academy Award nominated screenplay by Jason Hall, Eastwood strikes the proper balance between the combat footage and the stateside visits with Kyle trying to feel at home, although he never quite gets there.

Another of the film’s six Oscar nods was for editing, and the brilliance of nominees Joel Cox and Gary Roach is shown vividly in a scene that cuts between Kyle talking with his wife while in a vehicle, and her horror at the other end of the phone when she hears the ambush that sends his husband’s phone falling to the ground.

Cooper continues to expand his range. He was an unexpected casting choice for “American Sniper,” even with his previous Oscar nominations for “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” both of which blended drama with his comedy chops. Here he shows his ability to show a stoic façade while letting his emotions churn away behind his eyes, earning a best actor Oscar nomination.

“American Sniper” is a nice bounce back for Eastwood after his last film, the mediocre “Jersey Boys.” Sniper is his best film since 2008’s “Grand Torino.”

American Sniper

Directed by Clint Eastwood; rated R

Casino Club & Lounge Entertainment

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:45:35 PST

DJ, live bands and special events at casino lounges and clubs

Entertainment from Wednesday, Jan. 21 to Tuesday, Jan. 27

BALLY’S

Mountain Bar

Goodman Fiske Thurs. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

DJ Mass Fri. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

JJ Rupp Band Fri. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

DJ Aiden Scott Sat. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Power-I Sat. 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

BORGATA

Gypsy Bar

Crazy in Stereo Wed. 9 p.m.

Sidearm Thurs. 10 p.m.

Modern Bliss Fri. 7 p.m.

The Rockets Fri. 11 p.m.

Hold On Tight Sat. 7 p.m.

Steal the Sky Sat. 11 p.m.

Liquid A Sun. 8:30 p.m.

Benderz Duo Wed. 9 p.m.

MIXX

DJ Politik, Jason Smith Sat. 10 p.m.

Social Sundays w/DJ Ikon, DJWellman Sun. 11 p.m.

Mur.Mur

Fred Matters, DJ Renzo Fri. 11 p.m.

Prostyle, Doug Grayson Sat. 10 p.m.

A-Trak, PS1 Mon. 11 p.m.

CAESARS

Dusk

Savage Men Revue Fri., Sat. 8 p.m.

DJ SoDope, DJ Lisi Fri. 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

DJ Fresh One Sat. 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

DJ Sat-One Tues. 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Retro's at Dusk

Video DJ Sojo Sat. 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Toga Bar

DJ Jay Ski Fri. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Toga Dancers Fri.-Sat. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

DJ Patrice McBride Sat. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m

GOLDEN NUGGET

Haven Nightclub

DJ Gusto Thurs. 11 p.m.

Tony Junior Fri. 11 p.m.

Omarion Sat. 10 p.m.

Live Bar

Jerry Blavat Thurs. 4 p.m.

Rush Lounge

Goodman Fiske Duo Wed. 8 p.m.

Dane Anthony Thurs. 8 p.m.

Bobby & Kit Fri. 6 p.m.

Generation Next Fri. 10 p.m.

Eleven Eleven Duo Sat. 6 p.m.

Big City Sat. 10 p.m.

DJ Divine Sat. 2 a.m.

NFL Pro Bowl Sun. 8 p.m.

Lisa Bouchelle Mon. 8 p.m.

Patty & Bugzy Tues. 8 p.m.

Goodman Fiske Duo Wed. 8 p.m.

HARRAH'S RESORT

Eden Lounge

Generation Next Thurs. 9 p.m. to midnight

Funktion 11 Fri. 9:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.

DJ Lou Di Marco Fri. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Dane Anthony Band Sat. 9:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.

DJ Dino Sat. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Big House Band Sun. 9 p.m. to midnight

The Pool After Dark

Wet ‘N Wild Wedesday w/DJ Eddie Edge, Mike Pagz Wed. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Vito G, Ed Smooth Fri. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Eddie Edge, Jae T Sat. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Wet ‘N Wild Wedesday w/DJ Encore Wed. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

X-Bar

Gabor Kiss Fri. 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Jason E. Fri. 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Ed Smooth Sat. 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Pfef Sat. 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.

RESORTS

Landshark Bar and Grill

Name That Song Game Night Fri. 8 p.m.

Singing Competition Sat. 8 p.m.

Margaritaville

Cultureal Fri. 7 p.m.

Barele Rarely Sat. 8 p.m.

TROPICANA

Anthem

Free Cover Thursday

DJ N9NE Fri. 10 p.m.

All Night Party Sat 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Beat the Clockw/Sat. One, N9NE, B Lee Sun. 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Boogie Nights

AC Weekly Nightlife Awards Thurs. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Disco Dance Party Fri. 9 p.m.

I Think I Love You Party Sat. 9 p.m.

Providence

SINdustry w/DJ Klutch Thurs. 10 p.m.

Rob-Lo, DJ June Fri. 10 p.m.

Rick Wonder, DJ June, Sat. 11 p.m.

Tango’s

Johnny & Sherena Wed. 8 p.m. to midnight

Loop 4 Thurs. 8 p.m.-midnight

Tritide Band Fri. 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.

DJ Ralph D’Amelio Fri., Sat. 11 p.m. to 2:40 a.m.

Ann Michel Sat. 3 p.m. to 6:40 p.m.

Slamm 4 Sat. 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.

DJ Sammy Sun. 10 p.m. to 2:40 a.m.

Beth Tinnon Mon. 8 p.m. to midnight

Darin MacDonald Tues. 8 p.m. to midnight

DC Duo Wed. 8 p.m. to midnight

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL

Scores Red Velvet Theater

Real Men of Scores Sat. 10 p.m.

See More South Jersey Nightlife Options

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Oscar Nominations Revealed

By Lori Hoffman — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:04:51 PST

There were some surprising snubs as well as a lot of love for Boyhood, Birdman, The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Academy Award nominations revealed this morning followed the expected path for some favorites but some of the snubs seemed particularly harsh. Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel were the most acclaimed films with nine nods each while The Imitation Game had eight nominations.

While many worthy performances and films were recognized, some of the mayor snubs were shocking. With the Director’s Guild not providing a nomination, perhaps it should not have been a total shock that Selma director Ava DuVernay was not nominated, a squandered opportunity to provide the first best director nomination for an African-American woman. Selma also didn’t earn a best actor nod for David Oyelowo, although it was nominated for best picture.

Other films and performances not making the cut included The Lego Movie for animated film; Jennifer Anniston for Cake; Clint Eastwood as director for American Sniper despite nods for best picture and screenplay; no best picture nods for Foxcatcher or Interstellar, and how could there be so much love for Grand Budapest Hotel and not a best actor nomination for Ralph Finnes?

Here are the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominees in all 24 categories for the 2015 Oscars, which will be presented on February 22, 7pm, broadcast on ABC.

Best picture

American Sniper

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

Actor in a leading role

Steve Carell — Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper — American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch — The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton — Birdman

Eddie Redmayne — The Theory of Everything

Actress in a leading role

Marion Cotillard — Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones — The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore — Still Alice

Rosamund Pike — Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon — Wild

Actor in a supporting role

Robert Duvall — The Judge

Ethan Hawke — Boyhood

Edward Norton — Birdman

Mark Ruffalo — Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons — Whiplash

Actress in a supporting role

Patricia Arquette — Boyhood

Laura Dern — Wild

Keira Knightley — The Imitation Game

Emma Stone — Birdman

Meryl Streep — Into the Woods

Animated feature film

Big Hero 6

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Song of the Sea

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Cinematography

Birdman — Emmanuel Lubezki

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Robert Yeoman

Ida — Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski

Mr. Turner — Dick Pope

Unbroken — Roger Deakins

Costume Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Inherent Vice

Into the Woods

Maleficent

Mr. Turner

Directing

Birdman — Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Boyhood — Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher — Bennett Miller

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Wes Anderson

The Imitation Game — Morten Tyldum

Documentary feature

Citizenfour

Finding Vivian Maier

Last Days in Vietnam

The Salt of the Earth

Virunga

Documentary short subject

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Joanna

Our Curse

The Reaper (La Parka)

White Earth

Film editing

American Sniper

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Whiplash

Foreign language film

Ida — Poland

Leviathan — Russia

Tangerines — Estonia

Timbuktu — Mauritania

Wild Tales — Argentina

Makeup and hairstyle

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Guardians of the Galaxy

Music original score

The Grand Budapest Hotel — Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game — Alexandre Desplat

Interstellar — Hans Zimmer

Mr. Turner — Gary Yershon

The Theory of Everything — Jóhann Jóhannsson

Music original song

“Everything is Awesome” — The Lego Movie

“Glory” — Selma

“Grateful” — Beyond the Lights

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” — Glen Campbell... I’ll Be Me

“Lost Stars” — Begin Again

Production design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Mr. Turner

Short film animated

The Bigger Picture

The Dam Keeper

Feast

Me and My Moulton

A Single Life

Short film live action

Aya

Boogaloo and Graham

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)

Parvaneh

The Phone Call

Sound editing

American Sniper

Birdman

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

Unbroken

Sound mixing

American Sniper

Birdman

Interstellar

Unbroken

Whiplash

Visual effects

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Writing adapted screenplay

American Sniper — Jason Hall

The Imitation Game — Graham Moore

Inherent Vice — Paul Thomas Anderson

The Theory of Everything — Anthony McCarten

Whiplash — Damien Chazelle

Writing original screenplay

Birdman — Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo

Boyhood — Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher — E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman

The Grand Budapest Hotel — screenplay by Wes Anderson, story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness

Nightcrawler — Dan Gilroy

Irish Gig

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:14:41 PST

The Emerald Isle's DJ Fergie Plays Haven

As a past personality on BBC Radio One, Great Britain’s preeminent authority on alternative music, a former columnist for Mixmag, Britain’s primary print source on all things EDM, and an award-winning producer, record label owner and EDM trailblazer, DJ Fergie is among the best-known party hosts on the international nightclub circuit.

Born Robert William Ferguson in Northern Ireland, and a Las Vegas resident since 2012, the 35-year-old will make his Haven nightclub debut Saturday night, Jan. 17.

Fergie began as hard-house DJ in his homeland of County Antrim, Ireland, but got nixed out of a local nightclub early on when he was discovered to be underage. He got his foot in the door at a popular Irish nightclub [Ulster Hall in Belfast] by coaxing the owner into letting him do odd jobs while learning to use the turntables and sound equipment in his spare time.

Through this arrangement — and prior to getting the boot for being too young — he struck up a friendship with legendary British DJ/producer Tony de Vit (who passed away in 1998), whom Fergie credits with immensely helping to kindle his career.

A resident DJ at Las Vegas’ renowned Hakkasan and Wet Republic Ultra Pool nightclubs, and Ibiza’s Godskitchen, Fergie is credited with championing a sort of cutting-edge EDM sound. He’s produced remixes for such new-wave and electronic pop standouts as the Pet Shop Boys, Tears For Fears, Umek and UNKLE, and his13 BBC Radio One Essential Mixes makes him one of the most featured DJs in that station’s storied history.

DJ Fergie @ Haven

Golden Nugget, A.C. marina district

Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 p.m. $39.40

GoldenNugget.com/AtlanticCity

800-777-8477

What the Hall?

By David J. Spatz — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:00:34 PST

Philly Legend Chubby Checker deserves enshrinement in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame

I had Chubby Checker right where I wanted him. We’d spent several minutes chatting about his upcoming Saturday night gig at Resorts Casino Hotel, where he’ll kick off a year-long 55th anniversary celebration of the Twist, the hip-swiveling, feet-sliding craze that swept the planet in 1960 — even finding a hole in the Iron Curtain — and changed the way people danced.

This wasn’t my first time at the dance with Chubby. We’ve chatted for columns, television and radio plenty of times during the past 35 years. Our most recent conversation was in 2007, when we recorded him for television before he became the last performer to play the Copa Room at the old Sands Hotel & Casino. After his gig, the casino closed and was imploded.

This time around, my plan was to soften him up with the usual stuff about “The Twist” and then lead him into a conversation about what he perceives as the biggest slight in the history of rock ’n’ roll since … well, since there was rock ’n’ roll: Why Ernest Evans, a skinny teenager nicknamed Chubby, who grew up in the projects of South Philadelphia, has been ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite the fact he single-handedly — by his own admission — changed the way people danced more than a half century ago.

But just as I was about to broach the subject, silence. Damned cell phones. Either he was in a dead spot or his phone died as he was driving into Tallahassee, Florida, to headline that city’s public New Year’s Eve block party.

I immediately dialed him back; the call went straight to voicemail. “Hi, this is Ernest …,” his message began. I kept trying, but never got through.

No worries, though. Chubby, now 73 and performing 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Resorts Casino Hotel’s Superstar Theater, has repeatedly made known his feelings about not being enshrined in the Cleveland museum, along with others who have plenty of street cred in the music business.

When Checker’s fellow Philadelphians Daryl Hall and John Oates were inducted last year, Hall used his acceptance speech to call out the hall for not honoring deserving Philadelphians.

“Chubby Checker — how about the biggest single in the entire world — Chubby Checker, why isn’t he in?” Hall rhetorically asked the rock hall, the live audience and millions watching on television. Anyone who came of age during the 1960s will tell you Checker was hardly a one-hit wonder. In addition to “The Twist” (one of the only records ever to hit No. 1 twice) and his follow-up single “Let’s Twist Again,” he went on to have 18 more hit singles, many of which were dancethemed.

All hit the Top 40 between 1960 and 1965; five reached the Top 10.

Artists with far fewer hits and noticeably less of a footprint on music have plaques in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Checker and other music industry figures have pointed out. Progressive rock, it seems, isn’t the only apparent musical

bias within the rock hall’s inner sanctum.

It also seems to have a problem with artists from Philadelphia, save Hall & Oates. Former teen idols such as Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte, the original teen idols who created mass hysteria among teenage girls long before The Beatles, aren’t in and likely have little chance

of ever being selected.

After performing “The Twist” for the first time at the late Harry Levy’s Rainbow Club in Wildwood during the summer of 1960, Checker did the dance on Dick Clark’s influential American Bandstand TV show. Before long, millions of kids around the world were doing “The Twist.” The basic moves — “like pulling a towel across your backside to dry off while putting out a cigarette with both feet,” is how Checker has described it — gave way to other dances, such as “The Pony,” “The Shake,” “The Fly” and “The Hucklebuck.” But all were merely derivations of “The Twist,” which, Chubby said, was to the music world what things like the telephone and the light bulb were to modern technology.

“‘The Twist’ is like when Alexander Graham Bell said ‘Watson, is that you?’ or when Thomas Edison turned the lightbulb on,” Checker told me before his cell phone crapped out. “It changed the way people danced and the way people interacted with one another. ‘The Twist’ is the dance that turned the dance floor on for all of us. I’m looking at her, she’s looking at me, and we’re watching each other’s sexuality while the music is being played. This is why it’s so exciting.”

Checker is so passionate about being chosen for the hall that he staged a one-man protest outside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York the day of that 2004 induction ceremony.

But Checker, who never uses “I” and “me” and instead refers to “we” when he speaks of introducing “The Twist,” doesn’t take credit for inventing it.

Checker’s version of the song was actually a cover of a tune originally written and recorded by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters in 1959 as the B-side to their single “Teardrops On Your Letter.”

“Hank Ballard wrote (‘The Twist’), but he wasn’t a dancer,” Checker said. “The kids in the inner city were listening to (‘The Twist’), and they actually made up that dance. The song was never going to be heard again because disc jockeys stopped playing it. And people were never going to see

the dance. So we saw a window of opportunity first at (the Rainbow Club) and then with ‘American Bandstand.’ And in 2 minutes and 42 seconds, we changed the world.”

Checker doesn’t have to worry about canceling an April 18 date in Wheeling, W.V., so he can be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The class of 2015 was announced last month, and, once again, Ernest Evans/Chubby Checker didn’t make the cut. Instead, the rock hall will induct Lou Reed, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, Bill Withers and the Paul Butterfield Blue Band. Ringo Starr will receive the award for musical excellence.

Checker says the rock hall is running out of time to show him the love he deserves. If they induct him when he’s in his 80s, Checker says he’ll refuse the honor. “If they finally get around to doing it when I’m too old to work, I’ll tell them to drop dead,” he said. “What’s the point of putting me in when I’m too old to make a living?”

David Spatz is host of the Emmy Award winning television series Curtain Call and news director of News Talk 1400 WOND.

Chubby Checker

Resorts, Superstar Theater

9 p.m. Jan. 17. $30, $35, $40 Resorts, Superstar Theater

9 p.m. Jan. 17. $30, $35, $40

resortsac.com

All-Stars of Hip Hop

By Robert DiGiacomo — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:47:59 PST

 Public Enemy, KRS-One, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Special Ed vist Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, Jan. 18 

Flavor Flav is definitely living up to his role as the “hype man” for iconic rap group Public Enemy.

“The feeling that I have when we are up there is just a phenomenal feeling,” says Flav, who will be part of the All-Stars of Hip Hop concert 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at Boardwalk Hall.

“I always love performing for my fans. I love bringing enjoyment to people’s lives and putting big smiles on people’s faces. It’s one of the greatest feelings on earth to be on stage doing this.”

Public Enemy will be joined in A.C. by a who’s who of rap acts that made their names in the ’80s and ’90s.

The lineup includes: KRS-One, a Bronx, N.Y.-born rapper who started with DJ Scott LaRock in the late ’80s, but became a solo act after LaRock was killed; Grammy-winning group Naughty By Nature, known for hits such as “O.P.P.” and “Hip Hop Hooray”; Big Daddy Kane, another Grammy-winner and a celebrated MC who was once part of the Juice Crew; MC Lyte, one of the first solo female rap artists; and Special Ed, whose hits include “I Got It Made” and “I’m the Magnificent.”

“It’s been a minute since we got to share the stage with all of my hip-hop legends,” says Flav, who was born William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.

Public Enemy, which launched in 1982, is credited with helping to develop a socially conscious brand of hard-core rap that balanced the more serious leanings of Chuck D with the clownish antics of Flav in his signature sunglasses and giant clock around his neck.

Among the group’s seminal records are “Yo! Bum Rush the Show,” and “It takes a Nation of Millions to

Hold Us Back,” as well as its track, “Fight the Power” from the soundtrack for the Spike Lee film, “Do the Right Thing.”

In 2013, Public Enemy, which also includes DJ Lord, The S1W group, Khari Wynn and Professor Griff, became just the fourth hip hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I only got one word for it — ‘finally,’” Flav says of the group’s induction. “It was one of the greatest moments in my life. I know what it takes to get up into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s not easy. It takes hard work. It takes years and years of patience, being on the waiting list and all that. A lot of people in the music business are striving to get there. A lot of people will get there, and I know there are a lot of people who won’t get there. I’m proud to say, I don’t have that problem — I’m already in, thanks to all my fans and thanks to God.

“Being in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, like Tony the Tiger says, it’s grrrreeaaat!”

Public Enemy’s brand of politically minded rap is very much of the moment, given the recent police shootings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City. The group in 2012 released a pair of new records —

“Most of My Heroes Don’t Appear on No Stamps” and “The Evil Empire of Everything” — and has plans to return to the studio in 2015.

“The message in our music hasn’t changed,” Flav says. “We still are who we are — Public Enemy.

The only thing we fight for is the right things.”

Toward that end, Flav appeared with protesters at a rally in Ferguson early last month, bearing a message of “peace and unity.”

“It’s OK to protest, but don’t get locked up when you’re protesting,” Flav says. “If you get locked up, your voice can’t be heard.

“The cops are playing for keeps. If you don’t want to get snatched up by the cops, don’t be in their reach. That’s not just my message for Ferguson, that’s my message to all of the people in America who are protesting.

“If you want it to come out right, you go to do it right.”

For Flavor Flav, left, his reality TV series over the last decade proved a way to keep his and Public Enemy’s names in the headlines.

The Public Enemy co-founder put his colorful personal life on full display through such VH1 reality shows as “The Surreal Life,” “Strange Love” and “Flavor of Love.”

“Everything I’ve done on TV, it was a learning experience,” he says. “It was a way for me to show the world I can reinvent myself, and I had fun being reinvented from Public Enemy to a television star. I haven’t had a hit TV show in over six years, but the reaction I still get from people today is like my show is still on TV.”

Flav is promising a return to the small screen that will be even bigger than before, but couldn’t share any details yet.

“I guarantee you I will be back with a show that’s so hot, it will burn every TV set in the country,” he says.

Photo provided by Boardwalk Hall

All-Stars of Hip Hop

featuring Public Enemy, KRS-One, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Special Ed

WHERE: Boardwalk Hall

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $44, $58 and $73, are available at Boardwalk Hall’s box office and Ticketmaster

WEBSITE: PublicEnemy.com

2015 Oscar Tout Sheet

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:15:25 PST

Predictions for the Academy Award nominations being announced Jan. 15 

The Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow morning. Here is my annual prediction for the major categories in the form of a racetrack tout sheet. My choices are based on the multiple nominees and wins to date from the various critics associations, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild nominations. Frontrunners include the film Boyhood, Julianne Moore, Patricia Arquette, Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons.

At 5:30 a.m. tomorrow in Los Angeles, directors Alfonso Cuaron and J.J. Abrams will announce nominees for animated feature film, documentary feature, documentary short subject, film editing, original song, production design, animated short film, live action short film, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

At 5:38 a.m., actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs will announce the nominees for best actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, cinematography, costume design, directing, foreign language film, makeup and hairstyling, original score, adapted screenplay, original screenplay and best picture.

You can catch the announcement on the morning news shows at the more reasonable time of 8:30 a.m. EST. The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22, 7p.m., on ABC, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

Race 1: Best Supporting Actress 

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood: 3 to 5 

• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game: EVEN 

• Emma Stone, Birdman: 4 to 1 

• Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year: 6 to 1 

• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods: 7 to 1

Patricia Arquette is a stone cold lock having won the Golden Globe and most of the critic’s awards to date.

Race 2: Best Supporting Actor 

• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash: 3 to 5 

• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher: EVEN 

• Edward Norton, Birdman: 2 to 1 

• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood: 4 to 1 

• Robert Duvall, The Judge: 5 to 1

J.K. Simmons is close to a lock, but with Robert Duvall in the mix there might be an upset.

Race 3: Best Actress

• Julianne Moore, Still Alice: EVEN 

• Jennifer Aniston, Cake: 3 to 1 

• Feliciy Jones, The Theory of Everything: 4 to 1 

• Reese Witherspoon, Wild: 4 to 1

• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl: 6 to 1 

Julianne Moore has four nominations and no wins and the feeling around Hollywood is that this is her year. 

Race 4: Best Actor 

• Michael Keaton, Birdman: 3 to 5 

• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game: EVEN 

• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything: EVEN

• David Oyelowo, Selma: 3 to 1 

• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher: 5 to 1

This is the most open of the major races. Keaton’s comeback is the sentimental favorite, but the Brits — Cumberbatch, Redmayne and Oyelowo — are still in contention.

Race 5: Best Director 

• Richard Linklater, Boyhood: 3 to 5

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel: EVEN 

• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman: EVEN

• Ava DuVernay, Selma: 4 to 1

• David Fincher, Gone Girl: 5 to 1

This is the category that will break another glass ceiling, with Selma director Ava DuVernay becoming the first black woman to be nominated for best director.

The Oscar Derby: Best Picture 

• Boyhood: EVEN 

• The Imitation Game: 2 to 1 

• Selma: 3 to 1

• The Theory of Everything: 4 to 1

• The Grand Budapest Hotel: 4 to 1 

• Birdman: 5 to 1 

There can be 5-10 nominees in this category. My guess is six selections. Boyhood has been the award circuit frontrunner, with The Grand Budapest Hotel a close second, but Selma has been catching up. The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything are worthy of their likely nods. Birdman is all about Keaton’s performance.

2014 Top Ten Movies

By Lori Hoffman — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 07:31:31 PST

Movies that ended the year at the top of my favorites list

Here are the ten movies that stayed at the top of my favorites list as the year 2014 ended, in alphabetical order. This was the rare year in which there wasn’t a film or two that rose above the rest of the choices like Gravity and 12 Years A Slave in 2013. Instead it was a year in which the top ten were more even in quality.

Begin Again

The latest effort from writer, director, musician John Carney (Once) has that same vibe as Once with lots of fun music, street scenes in New York and a plot about a songwriter (Keira Knightly) who is dumped by her boyfriend (Adam Levine) when he makes it big. She meets a down-on-his-luck music producer (Mark Ruffalo) and they begin to work together to create her debut album. It’s a lovely slice of musical life.

Belle

In this English period drama — the titled character (played by Gugu Mbatha Raw) is the child of a British admiral (Matthew Goode) and a Caribbean slave. She is left by her father to be raised in high society by her uncle (Tom Wilkinson) with the understanding that her status will always be limited by her skin color. Mbatha Raw is marvelous as the strong headed, intelligent and beautiful Belle.

Gone Girl

Based on the popular novel by Gillian Flynn, a sense of savage, yet controlled, rage permeates director David Fincher’s examination of a marriage that’s gone so wrong that a frame job and murder seem like a measured, reasonable response to the emotional transgressions of the parties involved. The highlight of the film is the performance by Rosamund Pike, who shows us what happens when a cool, Hitchcockian-style blonde explodes.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Marvel Universe has delivered us lovable and rowdy bunch of rogues. Despite relying on a standard sci-fi storyline about a dangerous, world-destroying object that must be kept out of the wrong hands, the execution of the theme is close to flawless starting with characters we cherish immediately, headed by Chris Pratt’s star making turn as Peter Quill. Writer-director James Gunn delivered one of the most satisfying popcorn movies this past summer.  

The Imitation Game

Benedict Cumberbatch is a war hero whose actions likely saved millions of lives during World War II as a cryptologist who helped break the Nazi Enigma machine code. However, his post war life was destroyed by his lifestyle in an era when homosexuality was a crime. As biopics go, The Imitation Game is one of the best of the genre.

Interstellar

Christopher Nolan’s visual feast explores the universe and is an intimate drama that explores why love and devotion are qualities that make the human race worth saving. Nolan has found the perfect muse for his exploration of what makes us human in Matthew McConaughey, who has reignited his passion for acting in a remarkable comeback the last several years.

The Railway Man

The film by Jonathan Teplitsky features an Oscar worthy performance by Colin Firth as World War II survivor Eric Lomax, who was brutally tortured at the hands of the Japanese and had never been able to shake the debilitating nightmares that plague him until his wife (Nicole Kidman), encouraged him to confront the man who tortured him (Hiroyuki Sanada), leading to a remarkable journey of anger, hope and forgiveness.

Selma

Director Ava DuVernay’s very human look at Martin Luther King, Jr. during the period when he solidified his place in history as a great leader during the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. David Oyelowo is superb as King, and the film is emotionally satisfying because it focus on the small details that paint an effective portrait of the big picture, the battle for civil rights that is, unfortunately, still relevant today.

Snowpiercer

Directed and co-written by Korean director Joon-ho Bong (The Host ), on a frozen earth, the last survivors live on a train that circles the globe. This train has taken the class system to a grotesque level: The cars at the back are filled with the 99-percenters; at the front of the train, the elite live as if the world hasn’t changed. Starring John Hurt, Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, Bong’s vision of a particularly hellish dystopian nightmare masterfully avoids the clichés of the genre and presents a fresh take on where our world could be headed.

The Theory of Everything

An engaging biography of scientist Stephen Hawking, whose body is ravaged by Lou Gehrig’s disease, and his wife Jane that comes to life in the caring and lovely performances by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Directed by James Marsh (Man on Wire), it might be a conventional biography, but the performances in the lead roles elevate it to an emotionally satisfying look at a marriage that needed an incredible combination of strength and love to work.

Upcoming Casino Concerts in Atlantic City

By Lori Hoffman — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:13:12 PST

Bands, singers, comedians, sporting events and revues appearing in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY CONCERTS, CASINOS

Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

For ticket information and more details on individual shows, click on the name of the performer. Also, watch videos for some of the concert acts coming to Atlantic City below.

January

Jan. 26, 27

Eric Kearns, Resorts

Jan. 30-31

Indoor Auto Racing, Boardwalk Hall

Jan. 31

Sounds of Philadelphia w/The O'Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. & the Stylistics and The Delfonics, Borgata

Hannibal Buress, Borgata

Revues

Now to Jan. 29 (Thurs.)

Masters of Illusion Live!, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 1-24 (select dates)

Letter’s from Home - America’s Bombshell Duo, Erinn Diaz & Serah Haley

Resorts

February

Feb. 5

Tavares, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 7

Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Borgata

Feb. 12

Village People, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 13

Marc Anthony, Boardwalk Hall

Feb. 14

The Whispers, Bloodstone and Destinee Maree, Tropicana

Charlie Wilson, Kem, Joe, Arsenio Hall, Boardwalk Hall

Easton Corbin, Resorts

Artie Lange, Borgata

Asylum Fight League, Trump Taj Mahal

Feb. 15

Lisa Lampanelli, Borgata

Feb. 19

Shalamar w/Jody Watley, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 20

Ralphie May, Borgata

Rain A Tribute to the Beatles, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 21

Aaron Lewis, Golden Nugget

Feb. 26

Gloria Gaynor, Harrah's Resort

Feb. 28

Diana Krall, Caesars

Eli Young Band, Tropicana

March

March 5

Harlem Globetotters, Boardwalk Hall

March 6

Mike & the Mechanics, Borgata

Michael Bolton, Harrah's Resort

March 7

Eddie Money, Golden Nugget

March 13

Sarah MacLachlin, Borgata

March 14

Kathy Griffin, Borgata

Pentatonix, Borgata

Joy Behar, Resorts

March 20-21

Lewis Black, Borgata

March 21

Lara Fabian, Borgata

Three Dog Night, Tropicana

March 27

Miranda Lambert, Boardwalk Hall

March 28

Sebastian Maniscalco, Borgata

April

April 4

Celtic Thunder, Harrah's Resort

The Moody Blues, Caesars

April 11

D.L. Hughley, Tropicana

Jerry Seinfeld, Borgata

April 17-18

Frankie Valli, Borgata

April 18

The Beach Boys & America, Borgata

April 25

Frank Caliendo, Borgata

Al Bano & Romina Power, Tropicana

May

May 8

Florida Georgia Line, Boardwalk Hall

May 22

The Who Hits 50, Boardwalk Hall

May 23

Dom Irrera, Tropicana

May 30

Grand Funk Railroad, Tropicana

July

July 10

Idina Menzel, Borgata

July 24-26

Straight No Chaser, Borgata

What's the Deal? Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Casino Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:01:27 PST

Sweepstakes, giveaways, room deals, special events and more

Here is a listing of the top promotions, giveaways, room deals and other specials available from the casinos. For information on current entertainment go to Upcoming Headliners and Casino Lounges.

Bally's Atlantic City

WSOP.com — Get in the action anywhere, any time. This is real money online poker from the biggest name in the game. For a limited time, get a 100% match on your first deposit at WSOP.com and the WSOP New Jersey Real Money Online Poker app. Anyone can play and win real money – whether you’re playing the penny tables or high-stakes no-limit hold’em.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

$20,000 Slot Tournaments — Earn an entry into Borgata’s $20,000 Slot Tournament. Visit the slot area between Racebook and Signature Room to enter the tournament, and take a shot at the $5,000 grand prize. Open to all My Borgata Cardholders. Tuesday, January 6 - Wednesday, January 7; Tuesday, January 20 - Wednesday, January 21; Monday, February 9 - Tuesday, February 10.

Play slots at Borgata and receive an instant bonus. Receive up to 10 Instant Bonuses. Each Instant Bonus is a Guaranteed Slot Dollar® Winner. Watch the card reader screen for the Borgata INSTANT BONUS button.

Caesars Atlantic City

CaesarsCasino.com — Available on PC, Mac and mobile devices. Play real video poker, slots, roulette and blackjack anywhere in New Jersey, anytime. Sign up now and get a $10 bonus – no deposit required. Your online play even counts towards Total Rewards.

Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City's award-winning loyalty program, Total Rewards® is available to over 40 casinos and resorts around the United States, has introduced a Local Perks platform. The new platform will provide customers with even more choices of how to spend their loyalty credits.

Businesses that choose to partner with the Local Perks program will automatically be exposed to Caesars Entertainment customers. Customers are offered the opportunity to exchange their accumulated Total Rewards credits for Total Rewards Gift Cards to use at the businesses taking part in the program. Some of the participating businesses include Tanger Outlets – The Walk, Raymour & Flanigan, Serago Roberts Jewelers, Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern, Casel’s Marketplace and The Crab Trap, among others. Additionally, Local Perks members from a number of counties across New Jersey including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem will receive daily discounts at property outlets and invitations to exclusive events and promotions.

Local Perks transforms Total Reward Credits into gift cards, with a 2:1 conversion rate, at any Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City Total Rewards Center. Local Perks members can redeem a minimum of $10 in gift cards per day.

For more information on the Local Perks program or a full list of the exclusive deals and partners visit www.totalac.com/locals.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Bingo Bonanza — January, 12, 19 & 26, 2 & 7pm • The Grand. 24 Karat Gold and Premier Cardholders must earn 20 Tier Points on the day of the even to enter. Free entry for all Chairman and Elite cardholders. Eight bingo games per session. $5,000 Cash awarded each session.

$5,000 Slot Tournament — Friday, January 23, Slot Tournament Area. Session Times: every hour from 5 to 9pm. Win your share of $5,000 in Free Play. FREE entry into all five sessions. To enter, present your 24 Karat Card upon registration. Play in all five sessions to increase your chance to win and we’ll keep your highest score.

    1st Place ……$2,500 Free Play

    2nd Place ……$1,000 Free Play

    3rd Place ……$750 Free Play

    4th Place ……$500 Free Play

    5th Place ……$250 Free Play

Golden Days — 24 Karat Card Members 50 years of age or older receive exclusive offers every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday through January.

• Dine:

$5 Lunch Buffet or $10 Dinner Buffet or buy one, get one FREE entree at Michael Patrick’s. Simply earn 10 Tier Points to print your Buffet or Michael Patrick’s offer at any Rewards Kiosk. One food offer per person, per day.

• Park: FREE Valet Parking when you earn 10 Tier Points

• Relax: 20% off any service at Spa & Salon. Advanced appointments are recommended. Call 800.777.1177 and mention GOLDEN DAYS. Valid for one service per day over $50 and not available on specials, packages or discounted services. Visit the 24 Karat Club for complete rules & details.

Free Self Parking — Must be 21 years of age or older and show valid ID and 24 Karat Club® to participate in promotions. Visit 24 Karat Club for complete rules and details for all promotions.

Harrah's Resort

Total Rewards Want to continuously earn Rewards Credits? Open up a Total Rewards Visa card and earn 5x the credits for every $1 you spend at any Total Rewards casino.

Resorts

$5,000 Slot Tournament — New Tournament Games. More Fun, More Excitement. Earn a minimum of 1 tier point on each date to enter the tournament. Tuesday, January 13 & 27.

Winter Car Kit — Earn 5 tier points on the day of the event and receive a Winter Car Kit, for hazardous weather on Sunday, January 11.

5-Piece Sachi® Shop, Pack & Go Set — Earn 5 tier points on the day of the event and receive a Sachi Shop, Pack & Go set for quick and easy shopping on Sunday, January 25.

$1 Million Blackjack Challenge — 25 semi-finalists will be drawn for $100 CASH & 6 finalists will then be drawn to participate in the challenge round at 11:15PM for a chance to win $1,000,000. Drawing is January 17 at 11pm.

New Casino Members Welcome

$50 Match Play — For new members. Plus, match your card tier. Visit the Promotions Booth for complete details.

Lucky Locals: It Pays to be Local! — All Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem County residents are now getting even luckier at Resorts! The fun is here and you should be too!

Sunday: Get 10% off participating Resorts’ retailers, including: Jersey Devil Surf, BluWire, Lick, Michaels, Marshall-Rousso, Accents, A Time For Wine.*

Tuesday: Play your favorite slots and get 3X Comp Dollars.

Wednesday: Two Free Show tickets*

Thursday: Free Parking*

Thursday: Every Thursday earn one point and receive one FREE lottery ticket! Lottery ticket voucher to be picked up at Promotions Booth and redeemed at Michaels. Value of ticket is one dollar.

Friday: Play your favorite slots and table games and get Double Comp Dollars

Thursday – Saturday: Buy dinner for two at Capriccio and receive free appetizer!

Visit the Promotions Booth and present a valid drivers license from one of the qualifying countries to become a Resorts Lucky Local.

**Two show tickets per customer. To qualify for free parking offer and retail discount, patron must present drivers license from Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean or Salem County. A Time for Wine cannot discount sale, room charges or comps. See Promotions Booth for details. Must be 21. Bet with your head, not over it. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.GAMBLER.

Tropicana Casino and Resort

About TropicanaCasino.com — Launched in November of 2013, TropicanaCasino.com, in affiliation with Tropicana Atlantic City, offers online players more than 50 casino games that can be played for fun or for real money. Online players are eligible to earn comps that can be redeemed at Tropicana Atlantic City. For more information or to join the online gaming fun, visit TropicanaCasino.com. Certain restrictions apply. TropicanaCasino.com has the right to reserve, modify, or change promotions at any time. Must be 21 and located in the state of New Jersey to play. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Loyal TROP Advantage® players have long received both weekly and monthly offers based on their play at Tropicana Casino & Resort. Tropicana is now extending this same benefit to guests who play online at TropicanaCasino.com.

“We value and appreciate our online players and are excited to be able to offer them the same TROP Advantage® rewards that our land-based players enjoy,” said Steve Callender, General Manager of Tropicana Atlantic City.

Qualifying online players who have a TROP Advantage® account will receive offers for free slot play bonuses, invitations to special events, discounts, free gifts, show tickets, overnight stays, and more at Tropicana Casino & Resort.

Online players who do not have an existing TROP Advantage® account will automatically be assigned one following their first day of online play. As a new TROP Advantage® member, online players will immediately begin earning tier points and play-based offers. In order to receive their player card and begin redeeming offers, online players may visit the TROP Advantage® Center at Tropicana Atlantic City and present valid photo ID.

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AC Library to Preview Garden State Film Festival

By Lori Hoffman — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 10:19:17 PST

Library to present short film and Q & A on January 12 with Festival Director Diane Raver

The Atlantic City Free Public Library continues to showcase the Garden State Film Festival with a second event offered free to the public showcasing the films and individuals behind the festivals. Described as “An Evening with Diane Raver,” the festival’s founder and executive director will first present a screening, then give a preview of the 2015 program and answer audience questions on January 12 from 5:30-7pm.

The film, Admissions - A Film for Peace, is a short starring James Cromwell which thoughtfully explores the causes and consequences of world conflicts. The filmmakers are director Harry Kakatsakis, producer Gavin Behrman and screenwriter John Viscount.

“We are delighted to partner again with the Free Public Library to showcase the festival and appreciate their support and hospitality as we engage the community in what we are accomplishing in Atlantic City on behalf of the arts,” says Ms. Raver. “In addition to presenting a world-class international film festival each spring, we are committed to being a year-round presence in our home of Atlantic City.”

Back in April Raver talked about the reasons for the film festival's move to Atlantic City. “It was a natural fit and worked out the way it was supposed to.”

The festival has signed an official agreement for three years, but according to Raver, “We are here for the duration. We have never been happier. Just because we only have a three-year deal doesn’t mean we are going anywhere. We love Atlantic City. The joy of working with professionals has been just delightful. You guys know how to do an event down there. It has been refreshing.”

The screening will take place in the main meeting room of the library located at 1 N. Tennessee Ave. A discussion will follow with representatives of the Garden State Film Festival. Free to the public, seating is limited. For more information call Ricky Gerhardt at 609.345.2269 Ext. 3077.

The Garden State Film Festival was envisioned by 25-year film industry veteran Diane Raver and the late Hollywood actor Robert Pastorelli in 2002 and launched the following year. Since 2003, thousands of films have made their public premiers, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have attended; and the total infusion of cash to local businesses since inception exceeds $5 million.

Special Blend

By David J. Spatz — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:05:18 PST

The Philly-born G. Love & Special Sauce meld hip-hop & blues

Garrett Dutton will be the first to admit his success as a musician was the result of a happy accident, a twist of fate where being in the right place at the right time has been paying dividends for more than 20 years.

Dutton — known professionally as G. Love — is probably the most unlikely candidate to meld Philadelphia hip-hop lyrics with gut-bucket southern delta blues to create a unique sound in modern music.

As front man for the band G. Love & Special Sauce, the sound wasn’t the result of long nights in a recording studio or killing time on a tour bus traveling from one gig to another.

“It wasn’t some conscious thing that I formulated in my head, like ‘Oh, hip-hop plus blues equals originality,’” Dutton said during a 2011 Curtain Call television interview. “But when I stumbled upon it, I just knew it. I thought nobody could possibly be doing this right now.”

Dutton, 42, developed his unique blend of contrasting musical styles as a teenage street musician in his native Philadelphia working the corner of 2nd and Lombard streets.

In between street basketball games, where he and one other friend were the only white kids in the otherwise all-black league, a boom box was playing the raw guitar and harmonica-driven blues sound often associated with older black Mississippi musicians.

Playing on another boom box was modern hip-hop. Dutton found himself being equally influenced by traditional blues artists and the hip-hop/rappers, especially the Beastie Boys, who broke a racial barrier by becoming the first truly successful white rap stars.

“I was on the street one night playing this blues riff on the guitar, and I just started rappin’ over it at the end,” he recalled. “I was just sitting out there with no one watching me, no one listening to me. But it was a real epiphany.”

Dutton, who returns to Borgata’s Music Box this weekend with the two original members of Special Sauce in support of the band’s eighth studio album, Sugar, remembers writing a lot of his early music on the front porch of his mother’s summer home in Avalon, where he spent most of his childhood summers and continues to vacation with his family.

In addition to music and basketball, Dutton enjoys surfing and fishing and he’s always been able to indulge his assorted passions on the Seven Mile Island. He admitted he’s probably written half of the material he’s recorded with the waves crashing on Avalon’s beaches providing background rhythm.

“I’d say I’ve written about half of all my tunes …down there (in Avalon),” he said. “If there’s no waves (to surf) and no bluefish out there, I’ll be sitting on the front porch strummin’ my guitar and writing music.”

Because he was so consumed by his love for music that he played guitar and harmonica morning, noon and night, he said the neighbors “probably found me annoying.”

But since becoming a successful recording artist in 1994 with the release of the band’s debut album, he thinks the locals may find it “cool” now that he’s a bona fide music star.

Once he hit on his distinct sound in South Philly, Dutton moved to Boston to continue working as a street musician and developing his chops. It was there he met drummer Jeffrey Clemens (a/k/a Houseman), who began mentoring Dutton and introduced him to bass player Jimmie Prescott (known as Jimi Jazz).

Dutton adopted the stage name G. Love by combining the first letter of his first name with the word “love” because “it sounded cool,” and G. Love & Special Sauce was born. Once they had their style down, success happened relatively quickly.

“From the time we first rehearsed to when we signed our (recording) contract it was nine months,” Dutton said.

The release of Sugar on musician and longtime G. Love fan Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records marks the first reunion in eight years between the original members of G. Love & Special Sauce.

“The goal for the album was to make it really raw and immediate, with live takes and live vocals and everybody playing so that it all comes together in that intangible way,” Dutton told Guitar World magazine just before the album dropped last April. “That’s what our music is all about.”

Like most of the band’s albums, Dutton over-wrote the number of songs needed to package the product and sent them to the record label for consideration. Eventually, Dutton, his manager and the label took the original 40 songs Dutton had written for Sugar and pared them down to 16. Some of the music mirrors his life because of the personal emotional upheaval he’d been going through during the making of the recording.

“It has kind of a lot of heartbreak tunes, ‘cause I’ve been through this terrible disengagement with the woman that I loved,” he explained. “I was pretty heartbroken and I was writing a lot about that." n

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE

The Music Box @ Borgata

9pm Saturday, Jan. 3

Tickets $39.50 and $45

theborgata.com 609.317.1000

Wild Katt

By Ed Condran — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:58:11 PST

Who knows what Katt Williams will do next?

It wasn’t long ago that Bill Maher, waxing philosophic about the current state of entertainment, suggested we’re at a low point in terms of the wild and unpredictable. “It’s just so safe and sanitized,” the caustic comedian chuckled. “Compare current musicians and comics from now and the ‘70s, and it’s just two different worlds. Few are going out on a limb these days.”

He’s obviously not referring to comedy firebrand Katt Williams, who will headline Saturday at Boardwalk Hall, and who’s already twice declared his stand-up career to be over. Thankfully, he was wrong both times. Says the mercurial Williams: “I’m not like everybody else.” Okay, he’s got us there.

The 43-year-old Cincinnati native and occasional actor is an honest, unsparing comic who draws from an intense life — one that’s had more than its share of speed bumps. He’s been hit with tax liens, arrested for suspicion of assault; and as far as performing goes, he’s not afraid to mix it up verbally with unruly members of his audience. In fact, some contend that Williams is at his entertaining best when hurling rhetorical blows at misbehaving fans.

Veteran comic Bob Saget applauds comics who defend themselves. “If security gets those [hecklers], great,” Saget says. “But it doesn’t always happen. They can ruin your set. Not long ago, a drunken guy in the fourth row was messing with me. Fortunately, security pulled him out of there. But if a guy from the audience crosses the line, it’s great when a comic protects himself. I have nothing but respect for someone like Katt Williams if he’s out there doing what he has to do. The guy has guts.”

The slight, sartorially adventurous humorist, who checks in at 5’5”, is a master at relaying his vulnerabilities onstage as well, resulting in displays of volatile brilliance precious few can boast. Williams always opens himself up and lays himself out there, where nothing’s off limits, and in his case, truth is indeed stranger — and always funnier — than fiction. For proof, just YouTube Williams detailing a high-speed chase from what he thought was a mall cop; turns out he was being tailed by an actual police officer. The resulting tale is a guaranteed side-splitter.

That’s part of the reason Williams is on another comedic echelon: his range, delivering insightful yet profane rants on everything from presidential-election politics, patriotism and steroid use to South African sprinter Oscar (“Poor Little Tink Tink”) Pistorius, religious freedom and even atheist sex. “You never know what you’ll get when you see me,” he contends.

Where else do you get that kind of unpredictability that Bill Maher misses these days? “It’s not the most exciting time for entertainment,” Williams admits. “But whatever. I’m just going to be me. I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve also knocked it out of the park.” n

KATT WILLIAMS Saturday, Jan. 3. 8pm. Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, A.C.

Tickets: $48.50–$123. 800.653.8000. boardwalkhall.com

Blizzard de Fromage

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:17:32 PST

Two well-known area promoters are teaming up for a kick-ass kickoff to 2015 on Saturday

ATLANTIC CITY — Local promoters Little House Booking and Elephant Talk Indie Music Magazine — two organizations dedicated to the encouragement and proliferation of independent artists in and around Atlantic City — will be teaming up to bring over 20 bands and solo artists to Le Grand Fromage, 25 Gordon’s Alley in A.C.

Dubbed “Blizzard de Fromage,” the event is a showcase of bands performing several different musical genres on two stages. The show starts at 5pm Saturday, Jan. 3.   The cost is $10 per person. Guests must be at least age 18 to attend and 21 to consume alcohol.

Beer bracelets will be on sale for $10 and, as an incentive to support the local music scene, if a minimum of 15 fans show up to the gig to support a particular band (informing the doorman which band you’re there to see), the group gets beer bracelets on the house. Where the incentive applies to those under age 21, a pizza party will be held upstairs at Le Grand Fromage.

Among the acts will be the Philadelphia-formed punk-rock quartet Creepoid — bassist/vocalist Anna Troxell (pictured), guitarist/vocalist Sean Miller, guitarist Nick Kulp and drummer Pat Troxell — who play in the 9-9:30pm slot on the upstairs stage. See list below for entire lineup.

Downstairs Stage 

5-530(pm) — Brock Landers

545-615 — Counter-Earth 

630-7 — Yuni Brianna  

715-745 — Laguaria

8-830 — Temperance

845-915 — A Crucifying Feeling

930-10 — Boca  

1015-1045 — It's Not Rocket Science

11-1130 — Know Your Roots

1145-1215 — Levelhead

1230-1 — The New Sense  

115-2 — Tycho Brahe  

Upstairs Stage 

515-545(pm) — The Catering Company 

6-630 — By Any Other Name 

645-715 — Ebb And Flow 

730-8 — Triplayne 

815-845 — Slyphr 

9-930 — Creepoid 

945-1015 — Liars And Legends

1030-11 — The Damn Long Hairs

1115-1145 — Less Than Human 

Mid — 1230(am)-B1nary Cur10us 

1245-130 — Zymotic Youth

Movie Review: ‘Game’ On

By Lori Hoffman — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 09:17:57 PST

Benedict Cumberbatch is an enigmatic man with the brilliance to break an unbreakable Nazi code in ‘The Imitation Game’

Movie heroes tend to look the part: brave, strong and forceful. In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch is a hero whose actions we are told in a scroll at the end of the film, likely saved millions of lives during World War II. His bravery was not determined by his strength as a soldier in battle but the brilliance of his mind.

A genius with no skill at social interaction but a special skill when it came to ciphers, mathematician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing joined the British Government Code and Cypher School in Bletchley as part of a team of geniuses gathered to crack the Nazi’s Enigma code. Turing’s lack of skill at working with others made for a tense working environment with his co-workers (played by Matthew Goode, Matthew Beard, James Northcote and Downton Abbey’s Allen Leech).

Arriving as a bridge between the team and Turing was brilliant mathematician Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who not only proved her worth as part of the team, but also managed to melt Turing’s icy façade and connect with his non-scientific side.

The key to beating the Enigma code was creating a machine that could unlock the code. Turing took the basics of such a machine invented by Polish cryptanalysts and improved it, creating an early version of a computer with his Turing machine.

While this true life tale is interesting in the abstract, making it interesting on screen was a challenge that was perhaps nearly as difficult as cracking the Enigma code. Screenwriter Graham Moore, based on the novel by Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing: The Enigma, created the key to making it work, with director Morten Tyldum making it flow and an exquisite performance by Cumberbatch providing the anchor. Another element that elevates the storytelling is the warmth provided by Knightley as the woman who cracked the personal code of the enigmatic Turing.

Acting as a preamble and a final coda to the life of Turing is his inability to find a place in the world after his wartime heroics, which of course had to remain absolutely secret. We first meet him in 1951 in trouble with the police because he was engaged in homosexual activity, which was a crime in Britain at the time. Given the choice between chemical castration and jail, he chose the former because he couldn't continue his work behind bars. However, the drugs made working impossible.

After the thrill of watching a brilliant mind save countless lives we must witness that same genius destroyed by the enforcement of a victimless crime.

As biopics go, The Imitation Game is one of the best of the genre, an engaging story about a remarkable person who could not find peace once he was forced to live an ordinary life.

THE IMITATION GAME

Directed by Morten Tyldum; rated PG-13

The Palm in A.C. Celebrates 10 Years

By Ray Schweibert — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 09:44:41 PST

Opening in the dead of winter did not deter the restaurant from rocketing to the top

ATLANTIC CITY — Not only did The Palm restaurant achieve almost immediate recognition as one of Atlantic City’s finest dining establishments since its unveiling at The Quarter in Tropicana 10 years ago, it also gradually achieved top honors in performance among the 28 establishments in The Palm Restaurant Group across the United States, Mexico and London.

As a thank-you to his guests and the community for their support throughout the years, manager Paul Sandler, who has been in charge of The Palm in Atlantic City since its outset, will be running a 10th Anniversary special throughout the entire month of January, starting on New Year’s Day. All diners will get 10 percent off all dinner checks in the main dining room and bar Sunday through Thursday.

“It’s funny, but when we opened 10 years ago in the dead of winter, everyone was worried about whether we would make it,” said Sandler (pictured right, photo by Don Kravitz). “We knew people would love the food, so we made sure to go the extra mile and treat everyone like a celebrity [as evidenced by the number of local caricaturized faces, interspersed among many worldwide celebrity caricatures that The Palm is famous for] so as to build relationships with our local clientele.” 

Despite a challenging economy in the last few years, The Palm has flourished in part by not shying away from its philanthropic responsibilities. If anything, The Palm has increased its charitable efforts, reaching out to the community to provide support to those less fortunate.  

This year also marked the 10th year that Sandler and The Palm hosted Gilda’s Club South Jersey’s “Movers, Shakers, Difference Makers” benefit luncheon. In each year, The Palm has donated its restaurant servers and cuisine to help the event raise become one of the region’s longest running, best known and most popular fundraisers. In total, it has raised over half a million dollars to help provide free services to people who are fighting or have been touched by cancer.

Sandler serves on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, and the Stockton College Scholarship Program. Under his leadership, and beyond what it has done on behalf of Gilda’s Club South Jersey, The Palm has donated many hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of area individuals and charitable organizations since it opened in the resort.   Among them are:

•    The Alcove Center for grieving children and families

•    Atlantic Cape Community College

•    Atlantic City Concierge Association

•    Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority

•    Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association

•    Atlantic Riding Center for the Handicapped

•    Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City

•    Court Appointed Special Advocates

•    Chamber of Commerce

•    Dress for Success

•    Garden State Cops (for the families of fallen officers)

•    Gilda’s Club South Jersey

•    Literacy Volunteer’s of South Jersey

•    Metropolitan Business and Citizens Association

•    McGuire Air Force Base soldiers

•    Muscular Dystrophy Association

•    Rett Syndrome

•    Shore Medical Center Foundation

•    Sister Jean Webster’s Kitchen

•    South Jersey AIDS Alliance

•    Stockton College Scholarship program

•    United Way of Atlantic County

Throughout the years, The Palm has also exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding corporate citizen. The restaurant is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association, while serving as an active marketing partner with the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau (which is now MEET AC).

Management and staff from The Palm have been known to stand curbside on Pacific Avenue and personally distribute hundreds of boxed luncheons to Atlantic City’s cab drivers to thank them for their everyday support and the valued job of transporting Atlantic City’s residents and visitors.

“It’s been a great 10 years,” said Sandler. “Here’s hoping to 10 more just like them.”