Table of contents

COVER
Toxic neighbor
Albemarle County's known for its rolling hills, bucolic farmland, and historic estates, but it's also home to one of the most toxic places in America, the former Greenwood Chemical plant. The good news is that the feds have handed control of the site to the Virginia DEQ– a sign that it's not quite as toxic as it once was. It may be too late for nearby residents who may have already suffered health woes as a result of their proximity.

FACETIME
Movie man
Eduardo Montes-Bradley may be one of the most prolific filmmakers working today, even if you've never seen his work. His latest documentary on civil rights icon Julian Bond premieres at the Virginia Film Festival this month, and in typical fashion, Montes-Bradley's already looking ahead.

MOVIE REVIEW
Burton's back
From Edward Scissorhands to Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton's always been a darkly quirky director, and his latest animated effort, Frankenweenie, continues the trend as a boy uses Frankensteinian science to reanimate his dead dog. Too dark for kids? Not today's kids, says Roger Ebert.

ESSAY
Politi-flicks
If you're feeling beaten down by the vitriol of the real life election season, perhaps it's time to lose yourself in the silver screen. Essayist and film buff Nathan Spicer lists his top 10 political films of all time, and one thing's quickly clear: politics may get ugly, but it's also entertaining.

Cover image (on this 48-page issue)
Newtown resident Charles White who lives near the former Greenwood Chemical.
–photo by Lisa Provence