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Thursday, March 31, 2016
Film / Film News Get Hardcore at special screening
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 3:16 PM
- STX Entertainment
Who's ready for some Hardcore action?
Fathom Events and STX Entertainment are teaming up to present Hardcore Henry: The Ultimate Fan Experience at 7 p.m. next Thursday, April 7, at various theaters around the country. (Locally, that means Stonecrest 22 and Concord Mills 24.)
Hardcore Henry has already been generating buzz for being shot entirely from a first-person perspective, and while the film doesn't open until April 8, folks who can't wait can catch this special pre-opening presentation. In addition to the movie, the event will include a post-screening broadcast of a Q&A session with writer-director Ilya Naishuller and actor Sharlto Copley (District 9). Those in attendance will also receive a limited edition Hardcore Henry comic book.
To purchase tickets, or for other information, go here.
Lunch Break (3/31/16): Tornado-spawning storms expected just to bring rain to Charlotte
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 12:00 PM
The same storms that spawned as many as six tornadoes in the midwest last night are expected to move into the Carolinas tonight, but are expected to only bring heavy rains to the area. A severe weather threat remains for parts of Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi. About seven people were reportedly injured in storms in Oklahoma last night. (Christine Rapp, WSOC)
A long line of folks waited outside of Tesla Motors in Matthews this morning with the hopes of reserving their right to buy a soon-to-be-released Tesla Model 3. The doors opened at 10:00 a.m. and those waiting were able to pay $1,000 for a reservation. The Model 3 will be half the price of previous models and will get about 200 miles on a fully charged battery. It will be unveiled at 8:30 p.m. tonight, at the same time that online reservations open. (WBTV Web Staff)
Proud soon to be owner of a @TeslaMotors #Model3. So worth the wait! #Tesla #ev #zeroemissions pic.twitter.com/MhiXKIcGpx
— Sherrell Dorsey (@Sherrell_Dorsey) March 31, 2016
A driver was seriously injured in a wreck near West Mecklenburg High School this morning. The wreck happened at about 10 a.m., when the driver struck a utility pole. Nobody else was involved in the accident. The CMPD's Major Crash Unit is investigating the crash. (Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer)
One seriously hurt after car crashes into utility pole on Tuckaseegee Road, CMPD says. pic.twitter.com/X9nL4W6z4j
— WSOCTV (@wsoctv) March 31, 2016
Following a new law that's been used multiple times in the greater Charlotte area in recent months, a Gaston County man has been charged with murder in the heroin overdose of Tonya Reese earlier this month. Police arrested Austin Sutton yesterday for Reese's death. In recent months, in places like Gaston and Union counties, police have been arresting those who dealt heroin to victims of overdoses and charging them with murder. (Fox46 Staff)
Film / Film News Themes run deep at 2016 RiverRun Film Fest
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 10:28 AM
Strong women and struggling teens are but two of the many themes to be found among the 150+ works being screened at the 18th Annual RiverRun International Film Festival, unwinding April 7-17 in Winston-Salem.
- Roadside Attractions
- Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale in Love & Friendship, the closing film at this year's RiverRun Film Festival
Formidable females are at the center of a large number of films this year, including the documentaries A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers (about three Bangladeshi women in an all-female police unit), Cameraperson (focusing on veteran cinematographer Kirsten Johnson) and Speed Sisters (examining the lives of five Palestinian women who make up an all-female race car team). Meanwhile, teenagers of both sexes seek to establish their own identities and make sense of the world around them in such efforts as The Roma Project (about a teen with unexplained powers), T-Rex (in which a 17-year-old strives to become the first woman to win the Olympic gold medal in boxing) and Titanic Boy (a documentary about a 13-year-old kid obsessed with the sinking ship).
And that's just the tip of the (Titanic-crippling?) iceberg. The fest begins the evening of Thursday, April 7, with showings of the documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, about the creator of such enduring TV shows as All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a New Zealand-set comedy starring Sam Neill and directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows), and ends the evening of Sunday, April 17, with a screening of Love & Friendship, a Jane Austen adaptation from writer-director Whit Stillman (Metropolitan, The Last Days of Disco). In between are more screenings of new films (including several works from North Carolina filmmakers as well as indie features starring the likes of Academy Award winners Juliette Binoche, Chris Cooper and Dianne Wiest), showings of established classics (among them Annie Hall, The Dark Crystal and Rebel without a Cause), an "Acting on Stage and Screen" panel discussion from Tony-winning actress and Oscar nominee Rosemary Harris (Tom & Viv, Spider-Man) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar nominee Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart, Miss Firecracker), the opening weekend gala, and more.
For a look at the full lineup or other information, go here.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Thursday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 8:30 AM
• Rebirth Brass Band at The Rabbit Hole
• Fundraiser for St. Baldrick's Foundation at RiRa
• Witherspoon lecture with William P. Brown at Queens University
• Finger Painting Grown Up Style at The Last Word
• Alive After 5 at EpiCentre
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
News Lunch Break (3/30/16): BofA joins more than 80 companies in denouncing House Bill 2
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 11:45 AM
Bank of America has joined the growing list of companies publicly opposing the so-called Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (or HB2). In a tweet posted last night, the bank — who employs approximately 15,000 at their Charlotte headquarters — pledged their support for the Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC in asking Governor Pat McCrory to repeal the law. More than 80 other companies have made similar pronouncements. (Deon Roberts, Charlotte Observer)
We are joining @HRC, @EqualityNC and more than 80 other companies calling for the repeal of #HB2.
— Bank of America News (@BofA_News) March 30, 2016
A driver narrowly escaped being hit by a train when his car stalled on a set of tracks in Gastonia at around 5 a.m. this morning. The driver was crossing the train tracks just before the intersection of Hancock Street and E Airline Avenue when, according to police reports, a flat tire caused his car to become stuck. Unable to drive off the tracks, the man got out of his car and fled an approaching train. The train then struck his car and pushed it along the tracks for a quarter of a mile before it was able to stop. No injuries were reported. (WBTV Web Staff)
Car pushed 3/10 mile by a freight train in #Gastonia. Car had mechanical issues and the driver was not in the car. pic.twitter.com/BMQMVmJ3LG
— FOX 46 Charlotte (@FOX46News) March 30, 2016
Developers have shared plans for a new Ballantyne-like community in the untouched woodlands west of Charlotte between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Catawba River. Under the working title of the ‘River District,’ the area would highlight the riverfront with public parks, in addition to residential, shopping and business zones. Crescent Communities (responsible for several other planned communities in Charlotte) and Lincoln Harris continue to develop plans for the project, which is projected to take “decades” to complete. (WSOC Staff)
The Charlotte Fire Department is saying it was a malfunctioning HVAC unit at the Salvation Army that shut down all four lanes of Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood during evening rush hour yesterday. The lanes were closed between Hawthorne Lane and Louise Avenue for about 30 minutes between 5:20 and 5:50 p.m. No injuries were reported. (WCNC Staff)
Cfd has Central Avenue closed fire department activity at Salvation Army.@wsoctv pic.twitter.com/wZ37lETVsh
— Greg Simpson (@GSIMPSON_WSOC9) March 29, 2016
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Wednesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 7:00 AM
• Chance the Rapper at The Fillmore
• The New Latino Sound Series at Levine Museum of the New South
• Hectorina at Milestone
• The Miracle Worker at Theatre Charlotte
• Trivia at Kennedy's
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Tuesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 5:54 PM
• Autolux at Visulite Theatre
• Brews & Views at Petra's
• March Mania Comedy Tournament Finals at The Comedy Zone
• Player Made Tuesday at Snug Harbor
• Raw Talent Tuesdays at Blu Notes
News Jennifer Roberts ranked as top-five tweeting mayor
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 3:10 PM
Roberts has received praise and experienced vitriol for prioritizing her strong stance on inclusion into a council vote within two months of taking office, but today she gained national recognition of another kind, ranking among the nation’s most effective mayors on Twitter.
News Lunch Break (3/29/16): Cooper announces he won't defend House Bill 2
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 12:15 PM
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced this morning that he will not defend the constitutionality of the newly passed House Bill 2 in court against lawsuits like the one filed yesterday by the ACLU of North Carolina. Although his position as attorney general means he was named in the lawsuit for his potential role in enforcing it, Cooper has stood against the law since it was passed last Wednesday. He is also running against Gov. Pat McCrory for governor. (Fox46 Staff)
BREAKING: North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper Refuses To Defend Against LGBT ... - https://t.co/5duvyJ7AmM pic.twitter.com/MwWy9fvpUt
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) March 29, 2016
Police are investigating an early morning shooting at ALDI on Old Pineville Road that happened this morning. Police found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot at around 5:30 a.m. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition. (WBTV Web Staff)
Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski surrendered to police this morning after charges were filed against him for misdemeanor battery in relation to an incident in which he grabbed a female reporter at a Trump rally earlier this month. Surveillance videos show Lewandowski grabbing Breitbart News reporter Michelle Field as she attempts to ask Trump a question. Lewandowski will appear in court on May 4. (CNBC.com)
Here's video showing Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbing a reporter https://t.co/MAEviYycCE
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) March 29, 2016
A woman was mauled to death by two pit bulls in south Charlotte yesterday. According to police, 86-year-old Bessie Flowers was attacked by the dogs in her home on Luke Crossing Drive. CMPD's Animal Care & Control seized the American pit bull terriers and they will be held in quarantine for at least 10 days and until further notice. Police responded to a call at the home in April 2013 in reference to a complaint about two aggressive animals but the call was unsubstantiated, police said. (Ryan Pitkin)
Monday, March 28, 2016
News Lunch Break (3/28/16): ACLU, other groups to challenge HB2 in court
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 11:30 AM
A group of organizations that included the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit early this morning that aims to overturn the controversial bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly last Wednesday. North Carolina's House Bill 2 struck down an amendment to Charlotte's nondiscrimination ordinance that would've protected members of the LGBT community from discrimination in businesses throughout the city. Members of the Lambda Legal, Equality NC and lawsuit plaintiffs spoke at a press conference this morning in Raleigh announcing the lawsuit. (WBTV Web Staff)
Angela Gilmore, NCCU law professor and plaintiff in #HB2 lawsuit, talking about she & wife finding community in NC pic.twitter.com/r7NrT671sU
— ACLU-North Carolina (@ACLU_NC) March 28, 2016
A shooting that took place near a 7-Eleven on Sugar Creek Road early this morning reportedly involved a transgender person, according to police on the scene. The victim was shot in the upper right chest at around 4 a.m. before being transported to the hospital. (Fox46 Staff)
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal announced this morning that he has vetoed a controversial "religious liberties bill" that would have allowed clergy to refuse to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds. Deal, a Republican, said he researched the bill and does not believe any of the circumstances it is made to protect people form are actually happening in the state. Coca-Cola, NFL and other large corporations had spoken out against the bill and threatened boycotts if it was passed. (Kathleen Foody, Associated Press via Charlotte Observer)
"We do not have to discriminate against anyone to protect our faith based community," @NathanDeal says of #HB757 pic.twitter.com/GBzGHeSL2Q
— Emanuella Grinberg (@grinsli) March 28, 2016
Police are still investigating the murder of a man whose body was found behind a building off Woodlawn Road near I-77 yesterday. The man was pronounced dead on the scene after police responded to a call for service for a person down at around 2:30 p.m. The man suffered from some apparent trauma, according to police. (Ryan Pitkin)
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Question the Queen City: The unsolved death of Delette Nycum 2
The trial that followed was nothing short of a Charlotte version of the O.J. Simpson spectacle.
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Question the Queen City: The historic Wearn House can still be saved 2
Though it's been on the chopping block for years, there's still hope for the historic structure.
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Today's Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
