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August 29, 2018 The Skanner Page 7 FILM REVIEW: A Day in the Life of Gutsy Sports- Bar ‘Den Mother’ In ‘Support the Girls’ by Kam Williams For The Skanner News D ouble Whammies is an un- remarkable watering hole located along a desolate strip of highway outside Austin, Texas where truckers and regulars can slip in and out quietly without drawing much attention to themselves. The seedy sports bar, a la your typical Hooters, is known for its booze and finger food served by scanti- ly-clad waitresses in cut-off jeans and low-cut tops. The place is run with an iron fist by Lisa Conroy (Regina Hall), a very-protective den mother who takes seriously her mission to shield her employees from per- verts inclined to cross a line to fraternize improperly. Though she shows her tough side to the clientele, the tenderhearted man- ager handles her staff with big kids’ gloves. Lisa’s motley crew ranges from naive newcomers to hardened pros, and she’s blessed with a knack for knowing precisely what sort of support each needs. Unfortunately, she’s not appreci- ated by Double Whammies’ own- er, Cubby (James Le Gros), proba- bly because the club always seems to have a host of unresolved woes. For example, at the moment, there’s a burglary in progress ‘Support the Girls’ thanks to a hapless perp who got himself stuck in a ceiling vent. Lisa knows the show must go on, so instead of summoning the police, she has her own way of dealing with such a distraction which keeps the wheels turning but frustrates her skeptical boss. That’s just the way it goes at this quirky haunt. Written and directed by An- drew Bujalski (Beeswax), the film features many of the hallmarks of the low-budget genre on which the mumblecore maven built his career. The picture effectively paints a poignant portrait of a day in the life of a humble, dedicated, working-class heroine just trying to make a buck. Remember how the indie-flick “Paterson” (2016) managed to ele- vate a lowly New Jersey poet/bus driver? Well, this tale of female empowerment pulls off a similar feat. Raw-edged cinema verite’ cut to the bone, if that’s your taste. Very Good HHH Rated R for profanity, sexual ref- erences and brief nudity Running time: 90 minutes To watch a trailer, visit TheSkan- ner.com. Arts & Entertainment Uganda cont’d from pg 6 longtime President Yow- eri Museveni after win- ning a parliament seat last year. “We pledge to remain vigilant about his on- going detention and to use our voices ... to raise awareness about his case,” said the letter also signed by Chrissie Hyn- de, Femi Kuti, Brian Eno and other global musi- cians. The government de- nies allegations that it tortured Ssentamu, and the military released a video of the 36-year-old opposition leader smil- ing during the visit by the deputy speaker, Jacob Oulanyah. “This should not have happened,” Oulanyah said of the beating. “It was not necessary. But it happened.” Despite being in pain, Ssentamu was in a “hu- morous” mood during the visit, Oulanyah told reporters. Ssentamu is expected to make an appearance in a military court on Thursday. He has not been seen in public since Aug. 13, when he was campaigning in an elec- tion to choose a lawmak- er in the northwestern town of Arua. Museveni also was in Arua at the time, cam- paigning for a rival can- didate who eventually lost. While the president was departing, authori- ties said, his motorcade was pelted with stones by people associated with Ssentamu and the candi- date he backed, Kassiano Wadri. Ssentamu’s driver was shot and killed, allegedly by security forces. Ssentamu, who is charged with illegal pos- session of firearms, was arrested with four other opposition lawmakers, three of whom face trea- son charges. A fifth legis- lator, Francis Zaake, has been hospitalized with injures allegedly sus- tained during detention. Security forces in re- cent days have violently put down street protests by Ugandans demand- ing Ssentamu’s release. Scores were arrested in riots in Kampala on Monday, and video by lo- cal broadcasters showed men in military uni- forms beating up people, including at least two See UGANDA on page 11