Computer retrovisionary and early-adopter luddite Dave Nuttycombe explains the new Apple tablet computer.

I went to the movie theater 38 times in 2009, down 10 flicks over 2008. Not a terrific showing on my part, but ‘09 was a pretty lousy year all around, so there you go.

Again, most of my time was spent at the Regal Majestic (15), with Landmark’s Bethesda Row (9) ousting last year’s sentimental favorite AFI Silver (5) for second place. Even though I only saw three films at the Avalon, I continue to renew my membership, and urge you to do so as well. The theater’s new cafe adds some actual decent food to the beer and wine offerings.

I saw one film at AMC Mazza Gallerie, a theater I like, and one at the grandly named Kentlands Stadium 10 Theater and Drafthouse, a place I was not overly impressed by.

As I spend a certain amount of time in lovely Richmond, I found myself inside some of its theaters. These included the Westhampton, a delightful 1930s neighborhood cinema-turned-art house, the wretched uglyplex UA West Tower 10 (where the ceiling almost fell on my head), and a plucky newcomer, Bowtie Cinemas’ Movieland at Boulevard Square. Movieland was built in a former train factory and features a trendy beer and wine cafe — but you can’t take drinks into the theater, so what’s the point? Sadly, I didn’t get to the Byrd this year, but hope to in the next 365.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema continued to entice, but with mere one-week runs, too many movies were gone before I could get my act together. So I rented World’s Greatest Dad from a Red Box at Giant Food (not a great cinematic experience, but the flick delivered), and I’m still looking forward to Big Fan.

The year in movies ended with some good news, perhaps. The quickly-shuttered Montgomery Drafthouse has re-opened as the Montgomery Royal (pictured, above). There are no plans to continue the live comedy shows, but the cheerful fellow in the ticket booth said they hope to be around for five years (”at least”). I wish ‘em luck. (Commenters on this blog aren’t too excited.) I caught the ridiculous-yet-entertaining Sherlock Holmes there on New Year’s Day, and am glad for more moviegoing options in 2010.

Here’s the list:

• 48 Hour Film Project
• A Serious Man
• Bandslam
• The Barry Richards TV Collection (I sent the producer some audio recordings of the Boss With the Hot Sauce. He didn’t use ‘em.)
• The Box (Cameron Diaz thinks Richmond, Va., is in Alabama)
• Bright Star
• The Brothers Bloom
• Coco Before Chanel
• Duplicity
• Every Little Step
• Extract
• Funny People
• Gentlemen Broncos
• The Goods
• The Great Buck Howard
• The Hangover
• In the Loop
• The Informant
• It Might Get Loud
• It’s Complicated (Note to Nancy Meyers: There is a world beyond Beverly Hills. And that world doesn’t care about Beverly Hills.)
• Julie & Julia
• Land of the Lost
• Management
• The Men Who Stare At Goats
• Paul Blart, Mall Cop
• Pirate Radio
• The Proposal
• Public Enemies
• Soul Power
• Sunshine Cleaning
• Taking Woodstock (Hey — I had a shirt just like that!)
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• Up
• Up in the Air
• Young Victoria
• Zombieland
• Two mystery movies — tickets with no info, and my memory fails…

BEST PICTURE

There are many candidates for Best Picture of the Year, Any movie with “Up” in the title, all the other quality pics I missed. But really there is no question. The greatest movie of 2009 was Gentlemen Broncos. That adults actually put this thing together is both astonishing and inspiring. Featuring not a single attractive person (by Hollywood standards), this inexplicable tale from the people who brought us Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre gives us hope that insane filmmaking did not die with Ed Wood. And, unlike Ed, Jared Hess actually has talent. Bravo!

If you missed it — and it only played for a week, to pitiful attendance — do click the above link and visit the official site. Then click here for a taste the genius of Ronald Chevalier, the world’s greatest author.

Honorable Mention must go to Paul Blart: Mall Cop for Best Use of a Segway. (Kevin James is truly the Fred Astair of Personal Transportation. I honestly hope there is a sequel.) And to Ed Helms for Best Performance Without a Tooth in The Hangover. If only Dame Judi Dench or Harrison Ford could be so selfless.

It is my firm belief that the best musical moments often happen away from the hype and limelight. Sure, Springsteen’s still giving his all, and I hear Streisand puts on a rousing show. But every night of the week, there’s a cat flat gettin’ it on some small stage in your town, sweating up the joint, knocking himself out. ‘Cause that’s what he does. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in the room. If not, you may never even hear about it.

Such was the case at McGinty’s Tuesday night when The Joker’s Wild threw an 80th birthday bash for D.C. sax legend Ted Efantis. Efantis has played with the likes of Benny Goodman yet does not look nor act anywhere close to his age. He was gleefully telling musician jokes, drinking Presbyterians, jitterbugging women across the dance floor, and clearly enjoying himself all evening.

Joker sax man Jeff Gray claimed Efantis taught him everything he knows about the instrument and thus the bandmembers were kindly repaying a debt to their elder. A variety of D.C. musical hotshots, including GHZ bassist Scott Giambusso, and King Soul’s Tom Clifford, stopped by to wish Ted happy birthday. Or maybe they heard there was cake.

Above, Efantis, Gray, and Ted’s pal Knute smoke up Sonny Rollins‘ signature tune, “Tenor Madness.”

Efantis assays the definitive sax song, “Body and Soul:”

The Jokers (Vincent Borrelli, vocals; Tommy Barrick, drums; Brandon Cochenour, piano; Gray, saxophones; and Eric Leifert, bass) have their way with the Louis Prima classic, “Just a Gigolo:”

King Soul performing at the hottest club in D.C. that isn’t a club, Blaylock Theatre. I can’t even tell you where it is, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway. Shot this with my trusty Canon PowerShot A590.

The first song is a tight cover of JJ Jackson’s classic “But It’s Alright.” The second tune (below) is an original, “Eyes Up,” though it sounds as if it were written in 1968. Good job, lads!

King Soul is Jake Flack (guitar & vocals), Tom Clifford (vocals & harp), Nick Ruggieri (drums & vocals), Mark Noone (bass & vocals), Arif Durrani (keyboards & vocals), Chris Whatling (baritone sax), Tom Ruggieri (tenor sax), Ray Strucker (trumpet), and Vince McCool (trumpet). Check ‘em at myspace.com/kingsoulband

King Soul Rocks the House, Part Two

Caught D.C.’s Wammiest western-and-country act, Ruthie and the Wranglers at Iota on Saturday (with the U-Liners) and shot this charming bit of holiday whimsey with my trusty Canon PowerShot A590. The club’s regular stage lights make it seem extra-festive, don’t you think?

From left-to-right in the video are Andy Rutherford (guitar), Robbie Magruder (drums), Ruthie, Greg Hardin (bass), and Bill Starks (keyboards).

It was a tight show all around. Somehow, I’d missed the fact that Andy replaced longtime Wrangler guitar-wrangler Phil Mathieu. Phil’s face was still on the band’s business cards available at the door, but Andy’s picture is on the Web site, so it must be official. I’m going to assume the split was amicable. At least until I make a phone call and get all the juicy dirt.

Oh, D.C. music scene—you fickle beast!

Inspired by Lou Dobbs‘ selfless campaign to promote the cause of advocacy journalism, I took to the streets on a righteous quest of my own: to bring the Five Guys hamburger chain to downtown Silver Spring.

As you will see, when the public is given the opportunity to speak on issues that matter, that public will have something to say. And isn’t that America? Or what’s left of it? I think so.

Thanks to Rich West for the invaluable production help and to PlayTone Records for the use of the Theme Song From Mr. Downtown, sung by the TV show’s star, the late Freddy Fredrickson.

Tom Hanks‘ wonderful and woefully overlooked film That Thing You Do is one of my all-time favorites. Bought the VHS. Bought the DVD. Then bought the director’s-cut DVD. (Don’t talk to me about Blu-Ray.)

One of the great charms of the film is the soundtrack, which manages to evoke the bygone Top-40 era and be legitimately catchy at the same time. Especially the title tune, written by the great Adam Schlesinger of the also woefully overlooked Fountains of Wayne. Not surprisingly, the tune was nominated for an Oscar. Very surprisingly, it did not win. Tragically, it lost to Madonna.

Though the song sounds like it would have been a big radio hit in the early ’60s, it was not a hit, then or now. There was a bit of airplay, but mostly by winking DJs being cute. Merseybeat-inspired melodies were not in favor with radio programmers in the late-’90s.

So, what was the tune doing in the Muzak rotation at the Giant Food off Flower Ave. in Silver Spring last week? It certainly made my shopping experience brighter, but what’s next — Lord of the Rings overture at the salad bar?

Listen closely to Mike Viola and the rest of the studio Wonders rocking that thing they did from the ceiling speakers near the meat section:

Out for pancakes in Richmond’s stylish Carytown on Sunday and ran into this amazing fellow. The band’s lead-guitarist, rhythm guitarist, singer, drummer, and roadie told me that the group is called Gul — “Like seagull,” he explained.

Gul was set up in front of Plan 9 Records (one of the great music stores), and rocking out harder than many bands featuring two to six times as many musicians. I would have loved to stick around and catch the entire set but, you know, pancakes…

(Video also available on the Youtubes.

Pure power pop for now people, the Spectacles played an energetic matinee set at the Quarry House. The band is Chuck Dolan (bass/vocals), JP McDermott (guitar/vocals), and John Kelly (drums/background vocals).

I really like this idea of weekend matinee rock shows. Maybe with a Senior Discount?

This was shot, as usual, with my handy Canon A590. Why did I buy that big video camera?

One my way to see Gentlemen Broncos (the greatest terrible movie of all time!) at the Bethesda Row, I noticed that the Apple Store had vanished. Surprising. I’ll try not to gloat. Fortunately, in its place is a brand new Five Guys.

The construction crew was still working, so I stopped in to ask when the chain is coming to Silver Spring. The friendly franchisee explained that a different company holds the rights to this side of the Purple Line. That group, he said, is picky about its real estate dealings, having almost landed deals in several spots in the Greater Sprung area, including the old Phillips Seafood spot. So maybe the lovely red-and-white logo will pop up soon along Fenton or Ellsworth (or anywhere I can walk to!).

But I’m tired of waiting. I say let’s get a petition going. Let’s start a groundswell of customer demand. I mean, Silver Spring has a Fractured Prune for heck’s sake. (Don’t get me wrong — luv luv luv the Prune. Even if it does have the absolute worst name ever for an eatery. Neither word in the name explains what is offered, nor are they in any way appetizing. Yeah, cute story, sort of, but still a major fail.)

Please send your cards and letters politely demanding action to:

Five Guys Enterprises, LLC
10440 Furnace Road
Suite 205
Lorton, VA 22079

Peanuts on me when they open.