The Wooden Nickel

Located at 105 North Churton Street in Hillsborough, The Wooden Nickel offers craft beers and pub fare. There is a full bar, limited outdoor seating, and bulk orders of wings are available for catering. Food and drink specials change regularly.

This is a bar. It’s not a sports bar, it’s not a gastropub, it’s not a “bar and…” It’s a bar. It’s small, the décor is predictable (beer signs and televisions), and it can be loud. Accept that about it and expect no more or no less from it, and The Wooden Nickel can be pretty satisfying.

The menu here is limited (wings, apps, sandwiches, and burgers), but there is no shortage of appealing options. Appetizer aficionados can take in everything from homemade pork skins to fried banana peppers while burgers come in more than just beef. For our first visit, I went with a kobe burger (with horseradish cheddar, onions, and ale mustard) and fries while my fiancée opted for the burger-of-the-week (blue cheese and onion relish). Both were tasty with creamy cheeses and sauces that were sharply flavored without being overwhelming. Moreover, the natural-cut fries were crisp and so well-seasoned that they didn’t even need ketchup.

At $12.50 and $12 respectively, pricing may seem high for “bar” food, but it’s on par for a good-quality half-pound burger. The fast and efficient service means you won’t wait long to enjoy it.

The lack of space may make coming here at a popular time a bit of a gamble, but if you’re able to find a table and don’t mind paying a bit more for better-than-usual pub grub, The Wooden Nickel is a good place to enjoy a drink or a casual meal.

8/10 

The Martian

In the not-too-distant future, a dust storm causes a manned mission to Mars to go awry. The crew of the Ares III is forced to evacuate, and astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind. Watney, who turns out to be very much alive, must use his botany and engineering background to navigate a series of challenges that range from extending his food supply to establishing contact with Earth to eventually finding a way off of the planet. Meanwhile, news of Watney’s survival has created massive public pressure to bring the astronaut home, forcing NASA personnel to create a solution.

Many a time has a Matt Damon character been stranded somewhere, and billions of dollars and countless hours have gone toward retrieving him. In light of that, it’s tempting to forgo this latest outing and simply buy Damon a GPS. However, while The Martian evokes both previous space fare and Damon misadventures alike, it gets by on inspiration and astute craftsmanship far more than it does on déjà vu.

Given its writer (Daredevil creator Drew Goddard, adapting Andy Weir’s novel) and director (Ridley Scott), The Martian is a surprisingly optimistic film. Whereas Damon’s character in Interstellar faced a similar predicament and snapped from the isolation, Watney never gives up hope. Though he endures injuries and setbacks, he is determined to not die on Mars and desperately innovates as the situation dictates. In that way, he is a bit of a kindred spirit to Cast Away’s Chuck Noland albeit considerably more (understandably) profane and sarcastic. These latter qualities also help give the film a humorous edge and steer it away from hollow sentimentality.

The Martian also benefits from supporting roles that are both well-written and capably acted. These include Jessica Chastain as Lewis, the mission commander who must balance her concern for Mark with her responsibilities to the rest of the team and Donald Glover as Rich, a brilliant-but-scatterbrained astrodynamicist who comes up with a risky solution. A lesser film would have turned NASA director Teddy Sanders (a deadpan Jeff Daniels) into an obstructive bureaucrat or made Chinese space officials into antagonists, but The Martian realistically keeps these characters sympathetic even when they don’t see eye-to-eye with everyone else.

Speaking of realism, this film succeeds in making the implausible look possible. Whether a product of Weir’s copious research or NASA’s behind-the-scenes involvement (or both), The Martian takes something that sounds outlandish on paper (i.e. using duct tape to repair a breach) and presents it in a way is convincing. Moreover, this is a movie that is willing to show its work. For those tired of simplistic Hollywood magic, listening to Watney explain (via a video journal) how he was able to grow crops in space will be a welcome relief.

If there is one criticism to be made, it is that the film is at times almost too serene. This isn’t to say that it lacks tension – it doesn’t – but rather that characters from Watney to mission control to the Ares crew sometimes come across as a bit too at ease with the potentially catastrophic decisions that they make. Granted, this may come from them being trained professionals, but seeing everyone sign up for a risky rescue mission in a blink of an eye is disconcerting.

While there are more superlatives that can be offered – the red desert cinematography is striking, the intentionally lame 70s soundtrack is amusingly appropriate, etc. – you are best served seeing this one for yourself, preferably on a large screen. Even those who are sick of Damon’s habitual waywardness will be rooting for him to pull through this one.

8.5/10 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In the three decades following the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the First Order, led by the sinister Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), has risen in its stead. It is opposed by The Resistance – the military wing of the Republic – led by princess-turned-general Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Leia’s brother Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last Jedi, has disappeared, prompting ace Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to obtain a map to his location. Poe is captured by the First Order, but not before passing the map off to his BB-8 droid for safekeeping. While he eventually receives aid from conflicted stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), BB-8 joins up with Rey (Daisy Ridley), a desert scavenger. It isn’t long before they are all pursued by First Order forces under the auspices of the ruthless General Hux (Domhall Gleeson) and the dark warrior Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). However, an unexpected discovery brings some new allies into the fold.

As a cultural phenomenon and cross-media empire (pun not intended), Star Wars is nearly unparalleled in its ability to inspire fervor among its fans and generate lots and lots of money for its makers. Thus, from the moment this long-awaited sequel was confirmed, it became a virtual certainty that, win or lose, The Force Awakens would be a big deal. Fortunately, the timing could not have been better. This year already saw a successful revival of the Jurassic Park franchise, demonstrating that cinematic resurrection is sometimes more than wishful thinking. Add to that a director (J.J. Abrams, who also helmed the Star Trek reboot and its sequel) well-versed in both big-budget action and demanding fanbases, several credible new stars, and the return of many key contributors to the original series, and there was enough cause for a new hope (pun very much intended) despite gargantuan expectations.

The end product does its best to reward the faithful, but it’s also a satisfyingly entertaining film absent any philia or phobia toward the franchise. Those with no investment in Star Wars lore can still appreciate brisk pacing and exhilarating action – the aerial combat sequences in particular stand out – along with characters that are quite a bit more complex than they initially appear.

For those with any appreciation of the original films, however, the rewards multiply. For starters, The Force Awakens gets the look and feel down pat. Much of the action takes place on the dessert planet of Jakku, a gritty environ reminiscent of Tatooine. The returning cast members are older and grayer, but the essences of their characters remain intact. Harrison Ford’s Han Solo is still the quick-thinking rogue and Chewie is still….Chewie.

What elevates this film above mere nostalgic pandering, however, is the way in which old and new come together. The Force Awakens treats the leaders of the Resistance as near-mythical figures, and the newcomers must grapple accepting roles in a struggle that predates their own existence. Meanwhile, the antagonists look upon the Empire’s two most dreaded weapons – the Death Star and Darth Vader himself – as benchmarks to be surpassed. There is a sense of the changing of the guard here, but it’s done in such a way that does not dishonor the past but rather uses it to set up the future.

Despite this, there are those who will see this film as a little too derivative of the original. On a superficial level, it’s a valid charge, and that – plus a few too many contrived plotting coincidences – keeps The Force Awakens from being a perfect movie. It is, however, an immensely enjoyable one, and it’s a collective triumph for everyone involved.

8.75/10

Map to the Stars

Several years after setting her family’s house on fire, newly rehabilitated Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Los Angeles where she befriends aspiring actor/writer/limo driver Jerome (Robert Pattinson) and finds work as an assistant to Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), a fading actress who lives in the shadow of her late mother. Coincidentally, Havana receives treatment from Stafford Weiss (John Cusack), a psychologist to the stars and Agatha’s father. Along with his wife Cristina (Olivia Williams), Stafford manages the career of their 13-year-old son, petulant but popular actor Benjie (Evan Bird). While Agatha’s return threatens to upend the Weiss family’s ambitions, a remake of one of her mother’s films drives Havana into a determined frenzy to win the leading role.

From body horror to organized crime, the subjects of David Cronenberg’s films have varied greatly during his long career. His latest fixations seem to be turning a critical eye toward power and influence and Robert Pattinson riding around in limousines. Whereas 2012’s Cosmopolis took on Wall Street, Map to the Stars is a vicious, if uneven, takedown of Hollywood.

Regardless of the subject, there is an inscrutable strangeness that permeates much of Cronenberg’s work, and Map to the Stars is no exception. Characters repeat mantras, are haunted by judgmental apparitions, and generally seem to be playing with less than a full deck of cards upstairs. Were this done entirely tongue-in-cheek, it would have served the movie’s satirical aims quite well. Instead, Map to the Stars isn’t content with merely being darkly humorous; it wants to be contemplative and tragic as well. The resulting tonal whiplash – more on that in a moment – makes it more than a little hard to take.

Despite the murky ambitions of Bruce Wagner’s script, the cast is mostly game. Wasikowska is excellent as a tempest behind a low-key façade, but between this and Stoker, she should take care to avoid typecasting. Though Moore’s aging diva is more caricature than character, she nails it, switching from pathetic tantrum to condescending bravado in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, Cusack is downright scary as the manipulative, abusive, media-savvy Stafford while Pattinson and Williams add a touch of realism in more understated performances. The one weak link here is Bird, whose Justin Beiber-esque character is appropriately hateable but whose awkward line delivery and limited range reveal a lack of experience.

If Map to the Stars were split into two films – one a drama about a young woman trying to reconnect with her family and the other a snide sendup of fading stardom – each may have been successful on its own merits. But tying these two threads together within the same film causes them to weaken one another. As a result, Map to the Stars is a perfectly watchable mess. It’s sometimes shocking, sometimes funny, and sometimes moving, but the parts are greater than the sum.

7/10

Char Bar 7

Located at 3724 Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, Char Bar 7 offers salads, sandwiches, burgers, and entrees for lunch and dinner. There is a full bar, and daily drink specials are available.

With other locations in Charlotte, Asheville, and Matthews, Char Bar 7 may soon be a familiar name statewide. But if the Greensboro location is anything to go by, this may be a case where familiarity breeds contempt.

Housed at the end of a shopping plaza, Char Bar 7 is spacious and stylish but devoid of much charm. Inside this upscale sports bar, you will find plenty of televisions and a surprisingly manageable noise level (even the requisite bass thudding in the background wasn’t too obtrusive) but a lack of a person touch. Some establishments remind you of home or of an exotic locale; Char Bar 7 calls to mind a focus group.

After being seated by a bored-looking hostess, it took several minutes of awkwardly sitting around for a waitress to notice us. Fortunately, the server we did end up with, Christine (or was it Christina?), proved to be upbeat and provided helpful answers to a few questions. Char Bar 7’s menu, while limited, had plenty of appeal: everything from steaks and ribs to mahi tacos and shortrib risotto. Burgers called the loudest though, and so we opted for a Texas brisket burger (cheddar, onion rings, and sauce), a CB7 (blue cheese slaw, bacon, Swiss, and sauce on a pretzel roll), and an order of hot pretzels to start.

The food proved to be a largely underwhelming experience. Though our app came quickly and the pretzels were satisfyingly fresh and hot, there were a mere medium-sized two of them for $4.65, accompanied by an unpleasantly processed-tasting queso. The wait for the burgers was substantially longer, but that can be perhaps chalked up to a large group that came in after us rather than a slow kitchen. Still, the results were inconsistent to say the least. The meat seemed to be of good quality and it paired well with the sauce but it had little flavor in and of itself. The same could be said for the fries: they were hot and crisp, but they desperately needed salt. The pretzel bun on the CB7 burger, however, was a limp and chewy disappointment. At $10+ per, the burgers here need to be a lot more impressive to compete, especially in this town.

To say that there is no compelling reason for CB7’s existence would be an overstatement: it’s cleaner and shinier than a neighborhood sports bar, and its menu is well-suited to its concept. However, poor bang for the buck coupled with mediocre food do give plenty of incentive to turn elsewhere.

6/10