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Habersham Winery

by admin
written by admin

Habersham Winery has been producing award winning Georgia wines since 1983 and is one of Georgia’s oldest and largest wineries.

Located in the North Georgia Wine Country, one half mile south of Alpine Helen in Nacoochee Village, the winery is open daily for complimentary tastings and self guided tours.

In addition to a large selection of Georgia grown and produced wines, the tasting room also features a gift shop with gourmet foods and wine specialty items from around the world. We carry imported cheeses and all the fixings for a perfect picnic.

From the vineyard to the shelf, we produce Georgia’s finest wines.

Since 1983, some of the finest award winning Georgia Wines have been produced at Habersham Vineyards & Winery. Habersham’s commitment to quality begins with careful monitoring of both the grapes in our vineyard as well as those we purchase. Attention to detail continues through the crushing, fermentation and aging process. Our winemaker, UC Davis and California trained, personally sees to each detail of every process.

Many People travel to North Georgia for Wine Tasting and the Habersham Winery is one of the first be put on the travel list because of the great wine and atmosphere of their tasting room.

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EntertainmentMovie Reviews

Movie Review Cinderella

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review Cinderella

Cinderella is the latest live-action Disney reimagining on the big screen after Alice in Wonderland, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and Maleficient. This movie is at once a slight reimagining while also staying true to the spirit of the original source material.

Once upon a time, Lily James plays the title character, a young girl who loses both her parents and now lives with her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her two daughters, Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drizella (Sophie McShera). At first, they treat her like one of their own, but then start using her as their personal servant.

The three get invitations to attend a ball for the prince of the kingdom (Richard Madden) who is getting ready to choose his new bride. They leave Cinderella out of the equation, but little do they realize, she has help in the form of her Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter). Carter’s version of the iconic character looks like if Lady Gaga were to play her.  The Fairy Godmother uses her magic to transform a pumpkin into a carriage, four mice into horses, two lizards intoclown inflatable slidefootmen, and a goose into the driver. Last, but certainly not least, she also gives Cinderella a pair of glass shoes. Draw your own conclusions about what happens next.

Cinderella is not just another Disney fantasy reimagined for contemporary audiences, but it’s also a marvelous-looking film where the visuals and the special effects all add to the atmosphere instead of simply calling attention to themselves. Credit director Kenneth Branagh for providing a fantasy world filled with beauty and exquisite detail and the cast is uniformly superb especially Blanchett’s malevolent tone and presence.

There’s also a great deal of humor and heart to the film and the simple moral message of anything is possible if you just believe. And they all lived happily ever after…until Disney decides to reimagine another one of their beloved characters. > Grade: A-  (Rated PG for mild thematic elements.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!


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EntertainmentMovie Reviews

Movie Review Chappie

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review Chappie

Chappie is the latest film from director Neil Blomkamp, the man behind District 9 and the underappreciated Elysium. He once again delves into his forte of sci-fi, but this latest effort is both cheesy and underwhelming. Like any kind of faulty machinery, this one is a bucket of bolts.

It stars Hugh Jackman as a former soldier turned engineer who is developing a massive form of artificial intelligence in crime-ridden Johannesburg, South Africa. Robots are used as a kind of police force. Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire costars as a fellow employee who creates a new kind of software and places it into a damaged robot in the hopes that it will be able to mimic human behavior.

Once the robot comes alive, he’s given the name Chappie and he begins to learn and think all on his own. Just think of the character as a cross between E.T. and Robocop.

It isn’t long before a band of criminals discover Chappie and decide to use him for their own personal gain. This provide some funny moments in which the robot thinks he’s a gangster and he’s provided with a series of makeshift tattoos and plenty of bling bling. The concept of a robot coming to life and having emotions and ideas isn’t exactly original or profound. Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick did it to tremendous heights with 2001 and even The Matrix and Terminator films did it with intriguing elements, but this movie runs out of gas.

Instead of supplying any kind of stimulation, it’s doomed to follow a repetitive formula. There are a lot of scenes featuring the robot getting in and out of trouble and even at one point, it’s mistaken for a criminal which is not original either.

The movie starts out well with some interesting ideas, but then loses itself about halfway through and starts to choose conventionality the rest of the way. Chappie is a film that feels more like a technical exercise than a fully-developed and explored extravaganza.

> Grade: C+ >(Rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity.) Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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EntertainmentMovie ReviewsUncategorized

Movie Review “Focus”

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
Focus-Movie-1

Movie Review “Focus”

Focus is a movie that relies a little too much on style and wildly unexpected twists to carry it through. However, thanks mostly to the charm and charisma of its two leading stars, it manages to get itself out of obligatory territory…most of the time.

Will Smith stars as Nicky Spurgeon, a professional con man who meets and falls in love with a grafter (Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street). Soon he’s teaching her the ropes of how to pull off perfect cons. However, he’s also breaking his one rule of never getting emotionally involved with someone.

Some of the movie’s cons are just flat-out entertaining to watch to see how Smith can up the ante as in one scene where he and Robbie go to New Orleans to attend a football game and match wits with a compulsive gambler. They bet on everything from the exact plays made on the field to the numbers on the players’ jerseys. I don’t know if you could necessarily pull off some of these cons in reality, but it was interesting to think so.
After going their separate ways, Spurgeon travels to Buenos Aires and sees that his one-time protégé has now become an experienced con artist herself and naturally she shows him what she’s learned.

This is not a major Will Smith movie, but it is surprisingly watchable nevertheless. The screenplay by co-writer/directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa always manage to keep the film on its toes even when it goes a little too far into being preposterous. The climax of the movie is a fine example of that.

However, there is a lot of style, energy, and enthusiasm from its two stars as they try to outwit both each other and their competitions. Focus probably won’t be a blockbuster for Smith, but it will erase the memories of the gargantuan bomb that was After Earth. And that’s no con.

Grade: B+

(Rated R for language, some sexual content, and brief violence.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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EntertainmentMovie Reviews

Movie Review McFarland USA

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
Movie Review McFarland USA-1
Movie Review McFarland USA-2

Movie Review McFarland USA

McFarland USA is another inspirational sports drama from Disney. However, unlike Remember the Titans or Miracle, this one deals with a cross-country track team. The movie basically follows the same formula as every other Disney sports drama, but somehow, it works.

Kevin Costner (Who better?) stars in the true story of Jim White, a hot-tempered coach who receives a position in the small town of McFarland, California in 1987 and leads a team of Hispanic-American students into a competition of cross-country running in order to make a difference in their lives. Maria Bello costars as his wife.

Like I said before, there isn’t a single cliché that isn’t used in the film. We get the obligatory team who think it’s a joke. We get the typical father who thinks his son is wasting his time. We get the typical adversaries who think the team are losers, etc. This might as well have been called Sports Drama Clichés for Dummies On Screen.

While the movie may be hampered with clichés, Costner is well within his comfort zone of sports-themed films. His best is still Field of Dreams in my opinion. He knows how to deliver motivating speeches and bring a real winning screen presence at all the convenient moments.

The movie is shamelessly corny and predictable from start to finish, but that’s also part of its charm. It’s a movie that chooses triumph over adversity and does it without being overly sentimental or forced. McFarland USA may not get the gold like it wants to, but it gets pretty close.

Grade: B (Rated PG for thematic material, some violence, and language.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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Movie Review Kingsman: The Secret Service

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is 2015’s first memorable, enjoyable film. It may sound like a title with a wink, wink demeanor and it plays itself that way for most of its running time. Not to mention it has some of the most off-the-wall action and tongue in cheek humor I’ve seen in a long while. And that’s saying something.

Colin Firth stars as Harry Hart working for the Kingsman, which is a series of international spies located in England who are now recruiting a new generation to follow in their footsteps. Michael Caine costars as the leader of the Kingsman and together try to bring a troubled young man named Eggsy (Taron Egerton) into the fold.

Eggsy undergoes that typical movie training along with other recruits to test their intelligence and their abilities. Some tests may have to deal with teamwork; others may have to do whether or nor Eggsy can shoot his pug in the head.

Samuel L. Jackson stars as the villain Valentine who has a Mike Tyson-like lisp and wants to rule the world by inventing a device that makes everyone go psycho and turn on each other.

Director Matthew Vaughan really loves upping the ante especially in the violence department. Based on a popular comic book, Kingsman: The Secret Service features one utterly outrageous action sequence after another complete with enough irony, wit, and imagination that would make Quentin Tarantino jealous.]

Firth, Caine, and Jackson deliver performances that are mostly winking at the camera during certain moments, but they play it straight at the same time.

This movie might subvert the spy genre in the same sense that the first Kick-A did for the superhero genre. This movie was much more clever and funny that it should be and I hope that it’ll be the first of a series of movies. Kingsman is terrific entertainment. Grade: A-Rated R for strong violence, language, and some sexual content.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

 

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EntertainmentMovie Reviews

Movie Review Jupiter Ascending

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review Jupiter Ascending

 

Jupiter Ascending is the latest film from the Wachowskis, the dynamic duo who brought us the Matrix trilogy and the criminally underrated Cloud Atlas. This film is not nearly in the same league as those films, but it might be passable enough to become a guilty pleasure in the future. Or not.

It stars Mila Kunis as Jupiter Jones, a maid living in Chicago who lives a mundane existence until she discovers that her parents were alien royalty. Channing Tatum costars as Caine Wise, a space warrior determined to get Jupiter back to her home planet so she can reclaim her rightful destiny.

Sean Bean plays Stinger, another warrior who is eager to make sure that Jupiter gets home to become queen of her planet, but his motives are left ambiguous at times. Does he want to help Jupiter ascend or descend?

Once Jupiter reaches her planet, she encounters a series of alien creatures that look like the offspring of something from Spielberg or George Lucas. Too bad they’re only semi-memorable and not very original.

Speaking of original, Jupiter Ascending is certainly that in terms of its overall visual style. The Wachowskis have created some visually gorgeous images that you can either laugh at or shake your head with laughter. Maybe both. The movie is original in its look, but its plot borrows heavily from the likes of The Matrix, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and a host of other sci-fi and fantasy classics.

Jupiter Ascending does have another advantage to it and that is it’s a film that you have never seen before and in all likelihood will probably never see again. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Grade: C+

(Rated PG-13 for some violence, sequences of sci-fi action, some suggestive content and partial nudity.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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Movie review Mortdecai

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie review Mortdecai

Over the last couple of years, Johnny Depp’s track record has been less than stellar. There used to be a time when Depp was one of the biggest stars in the world thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean. However lately some of his films have become real bombs. The Lone Ranger and Transcendence tanked and with good reason. Now, unfortunately Depp has another flop in the form of Mortdecai.

Depp stars as Charlie Mortdecai, an odious character who hides behind a bizarre mustache and an atrocious British accent. He’s also an art dealer and part-time rogue whose been called on to help locate a stolen painting before it lands in the wrong hands. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as his wife Johanna who just wants him to get rid of that ‘stache.

 

Paul Bettany plays Jock, Mortdecai’s manservant and partner-in-crime on his escapades. Together they travel from London to Los Angeles where Mortdecai becomes a fish out of water as he tries to understand American culture.

 

Ewan McGregor costars as a British investigator assigned to help Mortdecai and also to rekindle the flame he once had with Paltrow. This romantic subplot is one of the most absurd and contrived I’ve seen in quite some time.

I found this movie to be as unpleasant and painfully unfunny as its leading character. There isn’t a gag or joke that works even once and Depp looks like he’s trying to force himself to like this material, but even with all his charm and charisma can’t stop it from sinking. The harder he tries, the worse he gets. I could say the same about the rest of the actors as well.

Depp has always proven to be an entertaining and engaging actor with some terrific performances, but here he’s stuck with a screenplay so dull, so incompetent, and even incomprehensible that there was no reason to make this movie at all.

 

Overall, I just hope to consider Mortedcai a very unfortunate misfire and I hope Depp will return to being the actor that we all know and love.

 

Grade: D

 

(Rated R for language and sexual material.)

 

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

 

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EntertainmentMovie Reviews

Movie Review Selma

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review Selma

 

Selma, like American Sniper, is another film that has had awards consideration written all over it and it’s more than justified. This is a film that paints an unflinching portrait of Martin Luther King’s tale of hope and justice and it will no doubt resonate long after it’s over.

British actor David Oyelowo stars as King who embarks on his crusade for equality and takes his case all the way to President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson). King and Johnson square off in some effective and occasionally witty exchanges.

Carmen Ejogo costars as Coretta Scott King who believes in her husband’s cause but she also has fears that he might be struggling with an internal conflict about his mission. After all, King was a devout Christian and a non-violent man and he wanted to use words instead of violence to spread his message.

One of the movie’s best qualities is how it gives depth and weight to the supporting performances. Tim Roth plays Governor George Wallace with an authoritative presence and Oprah Winfrey is a woman who just wholeheartedly wants to vote.

Some of the sequences of the different marches are often startling and excruciating to endure. Once in Selma, the marches escalate further into violence and the results are painful at times.

This is a movie that recreates a period in American history with authentic, uncompromising detail. Oyelowo delivers an uncanny portrayal of a man whose unyielding commitment and unwavering determination never stopped him from what he believed was the right thing.

The movie has already been nominated for two Oscars including Best Picture and I think that this movie like MLK himself is something that will survive the test of time.

Grade: A

(Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive moment and brief strong language.)

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES
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Movie Review American Sniper

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review American Sniper
American Sniper was a film that was originally given a limited release in order to qualify for awards consideration. It was given a wide release on January 16th and it caused a sensation by pulling in the biggest opening weekend in the history of January, literally grossing $89 million. I’m here to say that it was pretty much worth every bit of it.

In a career best performance, Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL from Texas who was deadly accurate with any kind of weaponry in his hands. After the 9/11 attacks, Kyle decides to join up and go over to Iraq.

The movie likes to divide its time between Kyle’s four hellacious tours of duty by showing what his civilian life is like versus his time overseas while he performs his day-to-day operations. Taking out the enemy is the easiest job he faces, but when it comes to the tranquility of domestication, it proves to have an emotional and psychological impact on his psyche. Sienna Miller costars as his wife, Taya.

Each tour of duty becomes more brutal and intense than the last and the movie makes no apologies about its realism. The way in which Clint Eastwood directs this movie is with masterful command. He stages these war sequences in such a matter-of-fact fashion and instead of making Kyle seem like an action hero with a rifle, Cooper very much likes to humanize this character at all times.

Everyone in America from Michael Moore to Blake Shelton have had divisive opinions on this movie such as whether or not this glamorizes snipers and unabashed jingoism, but the movie is incredibly effective at portraying the effects of war and those who go through it. No wonder this movie has been nominated for Best Picture inflatable water park.

Grade: A

(Rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.)

Until next time, Long County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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Movie Review Blackhat

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall
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Movie Review  Blackhat

Blackhat is the latest effort from director Michael Mann whose last film was 2009’s gangster drama, Public Enemies. While Mann continues to be a director of great visual style, he might’ve needed more time to work on a film that is not out of his league.
Chris Hemsworth stars as Nick Hathaway, a prisoner currently serving time for being a computer hacker. He’s called on by the NSA to help stop a series of international criminals who devise their plans by using computers themselves. Just think of this as The Silence of the Lambs for the cyber terrorism age.

Viola Davis costars as an NSA agent who promises that he will be furloughed for his efforts, but as we all know in a movie of this sort, the offer is always negotiable.

Director Mann once again utilizes his digital cinematography to great effect here and some scenes benefit highly because of it. They also add a lot in terms of atmosphere, suspense, and attention to detail.

The problem with the movie is the script. It relies too much on be heavily convoluted or clichéd at all the convenient moments. For example, there’s a romantic subplot involving Hemsworth and his female co-partner falling for one another in the middle of the ordeal and we pretty much know how that is going to turn out.

Mann knows how to make a movie of this sort. His personal best are Heat and Collateral. Some scenes seem like they’re trying to evoke the gritty realism of previous Mann films, but it seems more like he’s stepped out of his comfort zone at the same time. I can’t quite recommend it, but it comes close.

Grade: C+

(Rated R for violence and some language.)
Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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The Best Movies of 2014

by Justin Hall
written by Justin Hall

top-10-movies-2014The Best Movies of 2014

What does Ben Affleck searching for his missing wife, Tom Cruise as he lives, dies, repeats, Brad Pitt leading troops into war, and a group of Marvel Comics misfits all have in common? They were among some of my picks as the 10 best movies of 2014.

Over this past year, I saw a grand total of over 30 movies which is a new record for me, but it wasn’t all fun and games. During this past year, I had to sit through movies ranging from the disappointing (Dumb and Dumber To) to the just plain god-awful (Transformers: Age of Extinction). However, somewhere in between, there managed to be a slew of movies that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Plus, like I do every year, I have also included my pick for runner-up, meaning a movie that came close to making my list, but it didn’t quite do it.

So, without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, let the countdown begin!

1. Interstellar

2. Gone Girl

3. The Lego Movie

4. Nightcrawler

5. Edge of Tomorrow

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

7. Unbroken

8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

9. Fury

10. John Wick

Runner-up: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Well, there you have it. My picks for the 10 best movies of 2014. As of right now, Interstellar, Nightcrawler, Unbroken, Fury, and John Wick are still currently playing in theaters. The rest are available on Blu-Ray and DVD. Gone Girl will be available January 13th.

With 2014 now behind us, let’s look ahead to the next 12 months of entertainment. There’s sure to be plenty to keep us in theaters and I’ve got a sneak peek of some of next year’s most eagerly awaited. Right now, here’s my most highly anticipated 15 of ’15!

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2. The Avengers: Age of Ultron

3. Furious 7

4. Terminator Genisys

5. Mission: Impossible 5

6. Jupiter Ascending

7. Jurassic World

8. The Hateful Eight

9. Minions

10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2

11. Spectre

12. Mad Max: Fury Road

13. Ant-Man

14. The Revenant

15. Tomorrowland

And with that, here’s hoping I have just whetted your movie going appetite for the forthcoming year. I’ll be at the movies as often as possible to let you know what to see and I’ll even see some so you don’t have to.

Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall wishing all of you a very safe and happy New Year and as always, I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!

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