Monday, 17 March 2025

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The Mendo-Lake Singers Chorus. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Mendo-Lake Singers chorus invites women who like to sing to join them for their holiday show.

No experience is necessary.

Rehearsals are held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday at 1125 Martin St. in Lakeport.

The holiday show will be on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. at the above location.

Community members are invited to attend free of charge, though donations are welcome.

Mendo-Lake Singers is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the world’s largest women’s a cappella barbershop-style singing organization.

For more information or to hire the Mendo-Lake Singers to sing at a holiday event, contact Director Pam Klier, 707-400-8380, or President Donna Bowen, 707-350-0644.
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“JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX” — RATED R

For starters, it might serve well to recall the origin story for Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, from the 2019 film in which his alter ego was the titular character who made it known that what he had were “negative thoughts.”

“Joker” presented such a whole picture of Arthur Fleck’s failed comedian, humiliated on a TV show run by Robert De Niro’s host, and day job as a clown who felt marginalized by society, that his complete decline to psychosis and criminal mastermind wrapped up his story to a satisfactory conclusion.

The lure of creating a possible franchise (just ask the movers behind the James Bond films) is irresistible. After all, there is a connection, tangential or more, of Arthur Fleck’s Joker to Batman, but drawing the linkage won’t be attempted here in any significant way.

However, in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 “The Dark Knight” a despicable criminal calling himself the Joker (Heath Ledger) turns Gotham City into such a chaotic mess that Christian Bale’s Batman’s efforts to clean up the city causes many to wonder if the caped crusader is more vigilante than hero.

Arguably, director Todd Phillips may have set out with “Joker” and now the “Folie A Deux” to build upon Nolan’s darker vision of this comic book world where a criminal mastermind was known for terrorizing the citizens of Gotham City, and to that end he seems to succeed.

Arthur Fleck is now in Arkham Asylum where he is awaiting trial for his crimes for killing several people, while also struggling with his dual identity and stumbling upon what he believes is true love with Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn.

Even though he is a maximum-security prisoner, Arthur is allowed to join a music group in prison where he meets fellow inmate Lady Gaga’s Lee Quinzel, who later becomes Harley Quinn (seems like everyone morphs into a dual personality).

Not surprisingly, with Joker made more complex with the notion that there’s music coming from inside him, along with Lady Gaga’s trailblazing musical career, it’s no wonder that there are so many musical numbers, which ostensibly detract from what’s really a horror show.

Enamored with the Joker’s persona, Lee/Harley and Arthur strike up a musical relationship as they sing duets in the prison harmonic group, at least until an incendiary event brings that to an end.

Once outside prison, Harley Quinn is the femme fatale for Joker that is almost a cinematic cliché, but she does go to bat for him in many ways, injecting herself into the legal proceedings. Lady Gaga is nicely compelling in a role casting her as a force of nature.

In the courtroom, young District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) pushes for trying Arthur on five counts of first-degree murder, while defense attorney Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener) argues the shopworn insanity plea based on his split personality disorder.

Brendan Gleeson acquits himself effectively as nasty prison guard Jackie Sullivan, who oddly turns out to have a soft spot by allowing Arthur to join the prison’s singing group. We have him to thank for a surfeit of unnecessary and intrusive musical numbers.

Both Joaquin Phoenix, as the Joker in the 2019 film, and the late Heath Ledger, in the role of the Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” received Academy Awards for their roles, the former as Best Actor and the latter a posthumous Best Supporting Actor.

There is unlikely to be a second Academy Award, much less a nomination, in the offing for Joaquin Phoenix, even though he has been nominated in the past for other roles. “Joker: Folie A Deux” may prove to be such dead weight as to sink any consideration this time.

For director Todd Phillips, who was nominated for Best Director, the “Joker” marked a milestone in achievement for a film nominated in almost a dozen categories that raked in more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Given the pedigree of “Joker,” where the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes was so high that if it was graded like a term paper it was earning nothing less than an A-, you would think a second turn is going to be worth a look, and for some that may be the case.

Notwithstanding the plethora of withering negative reviews of this sequel, the urge to see the film, based on experience with the original, may outweigh any reservations. Admittedly, there are positive reviews, so it is up to the filmgoer to decide whether to trek to a theater or wait for streaming.

Analytically, one can look at the ending of “Joker: Folie A Deux” as closure for the story of a madman so unhinged and detached from reality that continuing his story would be an affront to the world of DC Comics and an annoyance to the legions of Batman fans.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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The President of Entertainment at the CW Network, Brad Schwartz, would like us to know that their Fall season is “another leap forward in the transformation” of the network as it continues “building a media brand with broadcast at its core.”

His optimism is to be admired because there are conflicting views on the future of broadcast television.

There was a time, in a galaxy long ago, when three major networks, ABC, NBC and CBS, dominated and we mostly watched the same shows, some good and others eminently forgettable.

The Detroit Free Press published an article earlier this year noting that the answer to the question of the future of television was a “one-way ticket down a rabbit hole of potential outcomes.” During the latter part of last century came the rise of cable TV, and now the hot market is streaming.

Mondays will be game show night with two new series based on familiar names. First up is “Trivial Pursuit,” reimagined in a question-packed entertainment format. Gameplay takes place on a giant version of the iconic game board, as contestants fight it out.

Participants battle over a range of play-along question categories to win wedges and beat each other to the center. The victor then takes on a dramatic finale against the clock to claim the jackpot. “Trivial Pursuit” is hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor LeVar Burton.

Hosted by fan-favorite actor and singer Raven-Symone, “Scrabble” is a captivating, fast-paced take on the global board-game phenomenon. In each episode, wordsmiths skirmish over a series of addictive word games of skill and strategy to win points and master a giant Scrabble board.

Ten years ago, TNT debuted “The Librarians” series that featured a diverse group, including a skilled thief and art historian, working below the public library in order to protect mystical artifacts.

“The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” a spinoff of that original series, follows the adventures of the custodians of a magical repository of the world’s most powerful and dangerous supernatural artifacts.

This new series centers on Vikram (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past, who time-traveled to the present and now finds himself stuck here. When he returns to his castle, which is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent.

Vikram is given a new team to help him clean up the mess he made, forming a new team of Librarians. Alongside McGowan, the series stars Jessica Green as Charlie Cornwall, the Guardian; Olivia Morris as Lys Pascal, the Scientist; and Bluey Robinson as Connor Green, the Historian.

In the new series “Joan,” Sophie Turner stars as notorious jewel thief Joan Hannington in this story set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1980s, an era known for its bold fashion trends, iconic music, and cultural shifts.

The series opens with Joan, a fiery and uncompromising woman in her twenties who is deeply scarred and vulnerable. She is a devoted mother to her young daughter, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary.

When Gary goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself and her daughter. She becomes a masterful jewel thief and embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes journey that challenges her every limit.

Through her sharp intelligence, charm and talent for impersonation, we track the twists and turns in Joan’s life, the ups and downs, the heartache and joy that makes this story of “Joan” so compelling to follow.

Frank Dillane is London antiques dealer Boisie. Joan’s older sister and salon worker Nancy is played by Kirsty J. Curtis. Gershwyn Eustache Jr. portrays Albie, an old acquaintance of Boisie who’s made a new life in Spain with his wife Val (Laura Aikman).

Mid-season series on the horizon include “Good Cop/Bad Cop,” a one-hour procedural dramedy centered around Lou (Leighton Meester) and Henry (Luke Cook), an odd couple sister and brother detective team in a small Pacific Northwest police force.

They must contend with colorful residents, a lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamic with each other and their police chief, Big Hank (Clancy Brown), who happens to be their father.

The mystery thriller “Sherlock & Daughter” puts Sherlock Holmes (David Thewlis) out of his comfort zone, mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking the lives of his closest friends.

Enter young American Amelia (Blu Hart), who learns her missing father may be the legendary detective. The pair must work together to solve a global conspiracy and find out if she’s really related to Sherlock.

Back to the Detroit Free Press by Julie Hinds, the article noted that the “seismic shifts in television platforms over the past decade are pointing toward a brave new world of viewing, but what will it be?”

Since we don’t want to plunge down a rabbit hole, the answer will not be found here, nor with a network executive. Like the start of a baseball season, it’s good to be hopeful, and the CW may have put together a slate for continued growth.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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Halloween programming offers cable and streaming services an opportunity to load up the month of October with a plethora of thrills and chills.

While Peak Screaming at Paramount+ and AMC Networks’ “FearFest” deliver in a big way, there’s much to absorb even with other platforms.

Maybe not in the same league, FX Network is not to be left out as its “American Horror Stories,” co-created by horror genre maven Ryan Murphy, has its own “Huluween” five-episode event which will run on Hulu.

“American Horror Stories” is a spin-off of Murphy’s and Brad Falchuk’s award-winning hit anthology series “American Horror Story,” where the differentiation is that the derivative series features a different horror story each episode.

Leading up to Halloween is the sixth season debut of FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” a popular comedic series that documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates.

Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of human friend Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) as well as the vampire bureaucrat, The Guide (Kirsten Schaal).

The vampires are reconsidering their lives when a former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, and realize they’ve accomplished little in a half-century. This could be a show to watch if you prefer laughs to frights.

AMC’s “FearFest,” the long-running annual horror and genre event features over 700 hours of iconic horror films, new series, specials and more. Anyone watching all 700 hours might just become a certifiable couch potato.

Artist, musician and horror enthusiast Janell Monae, as the official host of “FearFest,” has curated a list of her favorite horror films to stream, which include “An American Werewolf in London,” “The Fly,” Killer Klowns From Outer Space,” and “Carrie.”

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is a familiar franchise, and now a highlight for “FearFest” is the original series “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol,” picking up where season one left off.

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, which apparently has some ramifications for the future of this European nation.

Within the AMC universe, Shudder presents the original series “Horror’s Greatest,” a deep dive into everything we love about horror. From fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, this series has something for every fright film enthusiast.

What are the must-see films in horror’s many sub-genres? What’s the appeal of horror tropes, and how do today’s filmmakers subvert our expectations? What shape does horror take in countries outside of our own? “Horror’s Greatest” is looking for answers.

Shudder original film “Daddy’s Head” finds a young boy left in eerie solitude of a sprawling country estate with his newly widowed stepmother. The stepmother grows distant, and amidst growing family tension the boy begins to hear unsettling sounds echoing through corridors.

The boy becomes haunted by the presence of a grotesque creature bearing a disturbingly familiar resemblance to his late father. But as the boy’s warnings are dismissed as the imagination of a grieving child, the sinister entity tightens its grip on their crumbling lives.

To this day, writer, director, and actor Roman Polanski remains a fugitive from our justice system, but he’s the undeniable creative force behind great films like “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” the latter a classic psychological horror film.

Paramount+ has an all-new thriller film in “Apartment 7A,” which is set in 1965 New York City to tell the story prior to the legendary “Rosemary’s Baby,” exploring what happened in the infamous Bramford building before Rosemary (Mia Farrow) moved in.

An ambitious young dancer Terry (Julia Garner) dreams of fame and fortune in the Big Apple, but after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple (Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally) welcomes her into their home in the luxury Bramford apartment building.

When a fellow resident and influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess) offers her another chance at fame, it seems that all her dreams are finally coming true.

However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A but in the Bramford itself.

In the closing days of Halloween week, ABC delivers “Halloween Nightmares” episode on Dancing with the Stars, as the remaining couples get into the Halloween spirit with hair-raising transformations and spine-tingling routines.

Even the ABC game show “Press Your Luck” gets in on the act with its “Halloween Spooktacular” episode where the cartoon creature the Whammy delivers a few more tricks than treats as host Elizabeth Banks and the contestants scare up some big bucks.

ABC’s new series “Doctor Odyssey” episode “Halloween Week” features a high-stakes costume contest, but when a zombie-like illness plagues select passengers on the cruise ship, the festivities take a dark turn. This episode is a curtain call on Halloween night.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Theatre Co. is planning auditions for its next production, “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play.”

Auditions will be held Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St. in Lower Lake, and Saturday, Oct. 26, at 11:30 a.m. at the United Christian Parish Church, 745 N Brush St. in Lakeport.

No holiday season is complete without this iconic classic, and LCTC is excited to invite community members to be a part of this project.

“This production is a little different,” explained director Tim Barnes, “because it is a reader’s theater-style play. Actors will not be required to memorize lines. Their voices, along with the sound effect skills of a live Foley artist, will bring this story to life. Many plays are very visually appealing, but this one will be an auditory delight.”

LCTC performed a radio version of a Christmas Carol in 2008, and they are thrilled to bring it back nearly two decades later.

Auditionees should practice their British accent, and re-familiarize themselves with the story and its characters.

Performance dates will be Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, and Dec. 7 and 8 at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport.

For more information, visit www.lctc.us, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Laura Barnes at 707-533-3406.
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“WOLFS” Rated R on Apple TV+

As some may surmise that the incipient decline and potentially eventual doom of network and cable television might actually be a thing, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime may strive even harder to satisfy the need for home entertainment.

These two behemoths of streaming options may be challenged to a greater extent in the future, but for now Apple TV+, approaching the fifth anniversary of its launch in 2019, is impressive for its catalog and ongoing production of original television and films.

During television press tours, critics have witnessed Apple TV’s presence at our biannual meetings to tout their new programs, and only this past winter was there an ostensible “executive session” that served not much greater purpose other than to recap past hits and provide a quick preview.

But who really needs executives spewing the party line like Baghdad Bob when the product speaks for itself? Apple TV+ has delivered popular hits like “Ted Lasso” and “Slow Horses” along with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ limited series “Masters of the Air.”

What could Apple TV+ do to generate more traffic than pick up the crime thriller film “Wolfs,” starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney in roles as incognito fixers who seem to require little more than acting like they did in “Ocean’s Eleven” and the two sequels that followed?

Apparently, “Wolfs” had a very limited theatrical run that seemed to escape widespread public notice, at least because of the telltale sign that the box office receipts weren’t found on a website devoted to imparting that information.

Would signing up for Apple TV+ be worth the cost just to view “Wolfs” at home? The answer depends on how much you want to see Brad Pitt and George Clooney as rivals who wink, banter and trash-talk for just shy of two hours.

“Wolfs” is a bit convoluted in its plot and storyline of a thriller tinged with comedic elements that come from Pitt and Clooney, whose characters’ names are never revealed, bickering over their assigned roles in a messy clean-up operation.

The film opens with Amy Ryan’s Margaret, a district attorney with a public image to protect, distraught over the fact that she’s in a luxury New York hotel suite with the body of a half-naked, presumably dead young man.

In a situation like this, high-profile people resort to hiring a professional to clean up the mess to cover the tracks of what would be a scandal not only for Margaret but also a hotel seeking to avoid bad publicity.

Enter Clooney’s fixer with a luggage cart and a duffel bag of considerable size to save the day. Wearing surgical gloves, Clooney seeks to calm his client with a stiff drink, reassuring her that he has everything under control.

But then things get interesting when Pitt’s nameless character shows up, knocking on the door, at the behest of the unseen hotel owner, Pam (the voice of Frances McDormand), as a matching fixer. That the situation was captured on a hidden camera creates another puzzle.

The hotel room scene includes blood and broken glass, with the body of a character only referred to as Kid (Austin Abrams) on the floor, who is presumed to be a male prostitute, contrary to the protests of Margaret who insists otherwise.

Awkwardly, Clooney and Pitt have no choice than to work together, which results in two leading men with easy charm to trade oblique glances and sarcastically whimsical insults.

The body disposal gets more complicated in a number of ways, and more so than the discovery that Kid had a backpack with bricks of heroin presumably belonging to some crime lord.

As the action goes, a chase through Chinatown is exhausting for everyone, followed later with Clooney and Pitt crashing a wedding party. An intense shootout with Albanian or Croation (who can be sure?) gangsters a burst of unexpected violence.

For lack of a better description, “Wolfs” is disposable entertainment, one that has a glossy superficial appeal but ultimately is as forgettable as watching a Chicago White Sox game as the team flails away at setting a record for the most losses ever in a season for a major league baseball team.

The best bet for watching Brad Pitt and George Clooney at their finest as a team for a thriller is to watch “Ocean’s Eleven” for their gold standard of a snarky buddy film. You can skip the sequels.

Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that Pitt and Clooney acquit themselves decently enough as their initial hostility, driven by some nice rebukes, gradually fades to a grudgingly joint effort that makes the whole enterprise reasonably watchable.

A nice touch comes near the end when Clooney says to his fellow fixer, “I never did catch your name,” and Pitt’s reply about surviving a shootout hints a sequel could be in the works. Nothing is certain, but if there is a next installment, it should be a more sophisticated caper.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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