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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Zombies at the Olympics Expect the Unexpected at the Opening Ceremony TV by DEAN ROBBINS I was put off by the militaristic strain in Beijing's opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics, complete with goose-stepping soldiers. But it didn't dampen my enthu- siasm for Olympics opening ceremonies in general. I love the parade of nations, the torch ceremony, the sense of epic dramas waiting to unfold. Indeed, the whole two-week package for the London Olympics promises drama galore for U.S. fans. Will Ryan Lochte edge out Michael Phelps in the pool? Will the wom- en's soccer team bounce back from their embarrassing loss in the 2011 World Cup? Will hurdler Lolo Jones erase the memory of her fateful stumble in Beijing? Will beach volley- ball duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh hold off their younger rivals? Will Venus and Serena Williams be utterly awesome on the tennis court, even in their 30s? Okay, there's not much drama in that last question — the answer is "duh." But expect plenty of surprises in the opening ceremony (Friday, 7:30 p.m., NBC), which in- cludes Paul McCartney, James Bond and several unknown elements. I'm slightly alarmed that the production will be directed by Danny Boyle, known for such creepy movies as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. Will Boyle fill the Olympic stadium with his trademark junkies and zombies? I might even prefer goose- stepping soldiers to that. School Spirits Wednesday, 10 pm (Syfy) This reality series purports to find paranormal activity on college campuses. Syfy camera crews descend on dorms and frat houses to interview students about ghosts and demonic possession — hey, anything to put off studying for finals, right? The interviews are intercut with reenactments right out of a horror movie, complete with creep-out music and shock effects. The thing is, anyone who's been to college will not be too scared by the "para- normal activity" on display. "I walked in the door," recounts a new sorority sister in an ominous tone, "and it was very, very dirty. Whatever I did, I felt like I was cleaning and cleaning and I never got anything clean." Ooh, a grimy college resi- dence hall? Call in the Ghostbusters! The women also claim to be freaked out by the sight of strange men in the hallways — again, not exactly an unheard-of phenomenon in a soror- ity house. Management. Americans gagged when Sheen got himself fired from Two and a Half Men with his obnoxious, self-indulgent, raunchy behavior. The career advice I would have offered from my imaginary TV production firm is to find a role with loads of integrity that counteracts Sheen's sickening image and reminds every- one he can act — say, a series about a kindly public defender who moves to the Amazon to prevent corporate interests from destroying the rainforest. Instead, Sheen took a role as an obnoxious, self-indulgent, raunchy anger-man- agement therapist. Sure, it's bought him a few more minutes of attention — "look, everybody, the train wreck is playing a train wreck!" — but it will do nothing for his long-term career prospects. I predict America will tire of this cynical stunt pretty fast. "Suddenly, I felt like something was there," a student says of a frightening trip to the cellar. I'd lay odds it was a Syfy producer, staging another bogus ghostly encounter to fill the network's bottomless need for paranormal reality series. Anger Management Thursday, 9:30 pm (FX) I'd make a lousy TV producer, but even I can see that Charlie Sheen screwed up by agreeing to star in Anger Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to start my own TV production firm so I can create that show about the kindly public defender in the Amazon. Chances are you know someone who is fighting cancer – a friend or family member. There is something you can do to support those who are fighting cancer here at home. Make a comittment today. Show your support on saturday, september 15 at the MEDICAL ARTS CENTER in DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE Register today at www.RibbonWalkForCancer.org WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JULY 25-31, 2012 UCW 19