Up & Coming Weekly

March 06, 2012

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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a higher level of service without the high prices. cape fear valley pharmacies Election Fraud Sarah Palin tries to pass as a credible VP in Game Change TV by DEAN ROBBINS Game Change (Saturday, 9 p.m., HBO) expertly dramatizes a crazy mo- ment in American history: Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential elec- tion. The sagging McCain (Ed Harris) needs a "game-changer" to compete with charismatic Barack Obama, and campaign strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) convinces himself that Palin (Julianne Moore) checks all the right boxes. Schmidt wants Palin so much that he fails to vet her thoroughly, paving the way for the debacle we all remember. In a subtle performance, Harrelson evokes Schmidt's mounting despair as Palin blows interviews, distorts her past and finally goes rogue by putting her inter- ests ahead of McCain's. When the cam- paign crashes and burns, she blames everyone but herself. "How the flip did this happen?" she demands, with Moore nailing the nasty note under her chirpy Alaska-hockey-mom intonation. From this description, you might get the idea that Game Change comes to bury Tricare Express Scripts customers get convenience, great service and great prices for all your prescription needs Let us transfer your prescriptions today! Sarah Palin. In fact, it bends over backwards to humanize her — a radical gesture post-Tina Fey. We're privy to moments of vulnerability and tenderness, as Palin tries to cope with the media onslaught she clearly isn't ready for. The movie is as fair as it can be while letting the facts speak for themselves. And those facts, it must be said, are devastating. By election day, even McCain adviser Nicolle Wallace (Sarah Paulson) can't bring herself to vote for the ticket after spending three months with Palin. McCain's team can only survey the wreckage and wonder how the flip they allowed it to happen. Oscar Hammerstein II: Out of My Dreams Saturday, 6:30 pm (PBS) As someone born post-Elvis, I've always had a hard time with the earnest American musical tradition, typified by Oklahoma and South Pacific. I could enjoy a Simpsons parody, but not a straight rendition, God forbid. However, this tribute to lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II at least gives me an ap- preciation of the art form. Hammerstein gets credit for bringing realism to the musical — though the clips of manly men with fake mustaches and girly girls with lacquered hair warbling about L-U-V look anything but realistic in 2012. I guess it's all relative. center pharmacy Located in the Medical Arts Center, 101 Robeson Street at Hay Street. • Convenient parking at the door; Direct entrance to the pharmacy from parking lot • Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Open Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm (910) 615-1800 20 UCW MARCH 7-13, 2012 health pavilion north pharmacy Located at Health Pavilion North, 6387 Ramsey Street at the corner of Ramsey Street and Andrews Road • Convenient parking • Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 9 am to 6 pm (910) 615-3900 In any case, Hammerstein did tackle thorny subjects like race relations, and commentators praise him for allowing his characters the potential for "nobility." And believe me, nobility is difficult to achieve while wearing a fake mustache. Shahs of Sunset Sunday, 10 pm (Bravo) This reality series delves into the L.A. subculture of wealthy young Persians – the sons and daughters of Iranians forced out of their homeland during the revo- lution. According to Shahs of Sunset, this cohort is obsessed with money, looks, sex, status and partying. In other words, with the same things as the folks on many other Bravo reality series. But to me, Shahs is a cut above. For one thing, it's much more interesting to learn about Iranian manners and mores than to meet yet another group of fa- miliarly privileged Real Housewives. For another thing, the show's friends and relatives have a certain obnoxious charm — an improvement over reality subjects who are merely obnoxious. Yes, they're given to bickering, pampering themselves and bragging, but they often do so with self-aware humor. "I'm about 98.7 percent better than any Persian man I've ever seen!" says Reza, the outrageous gay guy. He's the breakout character here, but he has stiff compe- tition from supercilious GG and out-there artist Asa, who describes herself as an "Aries fire-dragon intergalactic Persian princess." I proclaim Shahs of Sunset to be 98.7 percent better than any reality series I've ever seen. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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