Cumming Teen Launches Prize Winning Book

A South Forsyth Middle School student wins young writers contest and debuts first book this weekend.

This weekend 13-year-old Savannah McLeod, a South Forsyth Middle School student, will celebrate the launch of her book, Messages from the Breathless. The suspenseful novelette tells the story of a high school love that doesn't end after death. “I’m so excited about being an author,” said McLeod. “Writing is something I really love to do." In preparing her book for publication, McLeod got an up-close look at what it takes to create and market a book from beginning to end. One of the things she did was solicit her friends to appear in a photo shoot at her school for the cover of the book. She also worked with an illustrator and designer, and even wrote original song lyrics to accompany her story. “The most fun was writing the book and …

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Movie Review: ‘Dark Shadows’ Doesn't Measure Up

The Johnny Depp and Tim Burton collaboration leaves critics unimpressed.

For those who remember the gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows,” word of the movie version starring Johnny Depp was likely welcome. Unfortunately for fans of the television series, the transition to the big screen has been judged and found wanting. In "Dark Shadows," vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Depp, awakens from a centuries-long sleep in 1972 to find his estate and empire in near ruins. Collins predictably sets out to restore the family fortune and finds himself at odds with the witch who transformed him into a vampire in the mid-1700s. Scott Weinberg of FearNet.com described the movie as a “true stinker, in Hollywood terms.” “‘Dark Shadows’ suffers from a miserable pace, a confused editorial approach, and a tone that wavers between …

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Movie Review

Marvel's 'The Avengers' is AMAZING

A superhero all-star movie featuring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk makes a smash in theaters this weekend.

The summer movie season starts early, and this could be the biggest movie of the year. It is one of the most entertaining comic book blockbusters ever made -- Marvel's "The Avengers." Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man; Captain America is Chris Evans; Thor is Chris Hemsworth, and The Hulk is Mark Ruffalo. The team is assembled thanks to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury character. They need to stop a diabolical bad guy who, you guessed it, wants to rule the world. But they spend nearly as much time battling each other as they do battling evil. What's great about this film is the sense of humor it has without disrespecting the characters or the fans that have been waiting forever for this superhero mash-up. All the main characters get plenty of …

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Eagles Rock Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

The rock legends open a successful two-concert visit to Verizon four years after they helped open the venue.

The Eagles opened Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in May 2008 as the first rock act on the stage. On Wednesday, May 2 they returned in the venue's fifth season. The Eagles have been around 35 more years than the amphitheater, and their 40 years performing was a topic for the band members the few times they spoke. Had the house lights been turned on, they would have realized that most of the crowd actually was born more than 40 years ago. So many of us were sporting white hair–and it wasn't a fashion statement. Ticketmaster lists the Friday, May 4 Eagles concert at Verizon as sold out, but ticket resellers do have tickets, such as the 68 listed on StubHub this morning. "It's hard to believe that it is 40 years ago this spring that our music …

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Last Chance: Chairs for Charity Auction

Today is the last day to place a bid for the 'Chairs for Charity Auction at West Forsyth High School.

Bidding ends today for the chairs for charity auction at West Forsyth High School. The WFHS fine arts department has on display a set of creative and beautiful chairs to be auctioned that benefits two non-profits located in Cumming. Jesse’s House, provides emergency and long-term care to youth who have suffered abuse or delinquency, and Bald Ridge Lodge, a shelter serving boys ages 12-17 who are in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services or referred by the local Juvenile Court. "The students and teachers involved have worked very hard at their creations and are excited for your support," said Teacher of the Arts Stephanie Pickens in an e-mail. The Andy Warhol foundation has also donated skateboards for the auction, …

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Movie Review

'The Pirates! Band of Misfits' A Treasure Trove of Fun

A ship full of bumbling pirates take us on a 3D Claymation animation trip worth the voyage.

A below average pirate captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) seeks to win the elusive "Pirate of the Year" award, but faces some strong competition in "The Pirates! Band of Misfits." From the folks who brought us Wallace and Gromit, the story is feather-light but strong enough to introduce the characters and establish their conflicts, which are pretty predictable. It's more of a comedy than an adventure, appealing to both children and adults. Such a film should be a crowd pleaser at the box office. Audiences love pirate movies. Toss in some quirky characters -- like a twisted Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin -- and you have an evolutionary success. The film is an enjoyable 90 minutes. The voice casting was mostly on merit and not on stunt …

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Movie Review

'The Lucky One' Has Plenty of Heart

Teen heartthrob Zac Efron breaks out in his first real adult role as a war veteran who has come home looking for love in a romantic melodrama that is worth the price of admission.

Zac Efron plays Logan, an Afghanistan war veteran on his third tour, who comes across a picture of a woman who inspires him to search for her, stateside, in "The Lucky One." His search lands him at a kennel in Louisiana owned by Beth (Taylor Schilling) and her grandmother, Ellie (Blythe Danner). He gets a job there and, over a period of time, settles in, still not telling anyone his real reason for being there. As you might imagine, sparks start to fly. "The Lucky One" is a Nicholas Sparks movie. He's good at this kind of thing, writing books that turned into movies like "Message in a Bottle," "Nights in Rodanthe" and "The Notebook." This film, in my opinion, is one of his better stories. And, with an attractive young cast, it should be …

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Report: Dick Clark Dies at 82

The iconic producer and TV host suffered a heart attack.

Famed TV host, producer Dick Clark died today at the age of 82, ABC reports. The longtime host of “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve’ reportedly died of a heart attack. He had suffered a stroke in 2004 but “returned to the airwaves” for the last several years, according to ABC News. Clark became a household name after the afternoon dance show he hosted in the 50s became the popular “American Bandstand,” and from there Clark started the successful Dick Clark Productions company in Hollywood, according to ABC.   Editor's Note: This appeared originally on Greenwich, CT Patch.

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Movie Review

'The Three Stooges' Is No Laughing Matter

The Three Stooges get a new look with some fresh new faces, and no one is laughing.

From the people who brought you "There's Something About Mary" and "Dumb & Dumber" comes the much-anticipated movie about three morons in "The Three Stooges." It's Larry, Moe, and Curly 2.0. This time around Larry is played by Sean Hayes, Moe is Chris Diamantopoulos, and Curly is Will Sasso. The film is three episodes drawn into one 90-minute movie. The Stooges do what they can to try to save the orphanage they grew up in. This movie has been talked about for more than 10 years now and, sad to say, it's pretty anticlimactic. I was never a real big fan of the original Stooges, and it's pretty safe to say that these three were doing impressions rather than a performance. The eye poking and slapping is so repetitive it's almost sad. This film…

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