The Farrelly Brothers (Peter and Bobby), already known for their outrageous brand of humor in such films as “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something about Mary,” have returned with a vengeance for a comedy to push the boundaries of taste.

It’s seems ironic, somehow, that they achieve raucous, gross-out humor at the expense of a vast revision to a screenplay written by the classy Neil Simon. But then, the whole idea is to take “The Heartbreak Kid” and turn its story of a guy who falls for another woman while on his honeymoon into a wild mix of lewd and crude humor, strong sexual situations, and irritating behavioral conditions.

This remake of “The Heartbreak Kid” puts Ben Stiller into the role of the shallow, picky confirmed bachelor who is egged on by his lascivious father and henpecked married best friend to take the plunge. Stiller’s Eddie Cantrow owns a San Francisco sporting goods store and finds himself on the romantic sidelines while attending the wedding of his former fiancée.

His foul-mouthed octogenarian father Doc (real-life father Jerry Stiller) is constantly talking about sex and trips to Las Vegas. Eddie’s buddy Mac (Rob Corddry) advocates marital bliss, though he seems programmed to mouth happy platitudes as if to mollify his demanding spouse. Together, Doc and Mac both taunt and prod the sad-sack Eddie to get hooked up.

In short order, Eddie meets Lila (Malin Akerman), after coming to her rescue during a street mugging. The pair embarks on a whirlwind romance, which leads to a hasty proposal. On the drive down the California coast for their honeymoon in Mexico, Eddie discovers the annoying quirks of his new bride, which at first include her incessant desire to sing along loudly with every song on radio, even bad ones like “Muskrat Love.”

Though Lila looks sweet and cute, she talks like a trucker and her deviated septum, due to an undisclosed cocaine habit, causes all kinds of food products to drop from her nose. Her insatiable appetite for sex is more like an endurance contest than an act of sweet intimacy.

By the time the newlyweds reach the swanky Cabo San Lucas resort, Eddie is aghast that his life partner has turned into a crass, tequila-swilling wench with a sordid past. Every time Lila reminds him they will be together for 50 years, Eddie’s face has a look of pain and disgust.

After being stricken with a severe case of sunburn, Lila refuses to leave their hotel room, and Eddie consoles himself at the hotel bar where he strikes up casual talk with Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a lacrosse coach on vacation with her entire family from Mississippi. Soon, Eddie is cooking up excuses to leave his bride behind and spend time with Miranda. They hit it off, but only because Eddie neglects to say anything about his marital status.

All sorts of complications arise as Eddie tries to think of ways to ditch his wife. Events conspire to keep Eddie from confessing his situation. On the other hand, some bratty kids spread a rumor that Eddie’s wife was killed in a brutal slaying. Miranda’s cousin Martin (Danny McBride) becomes increasingly suspicious and hostile to Eddie. The sleazy hotel clerk Tito (Carlos Mencia) doesn’t help matters by indulging Eddie’s every whim, while at the same time undermining his romantic intentions. And, of course, Eddie keeps digging a hole for himself with every passing moment.

“The Heartbreak Kid” sustains its crude, raunchy, over-the-top humor in fairly decent fashion, as long as you enjoy the Farrelly Brothers’ brand of comedy, up until the point that Eddie is unmasked in front of Michelle and her entire family. At this juncture, the film is looking desperately for a way to arrive at some sort of satisfactory conclusion, but it simply doesn’t happen. If you don’t realize that Eddie has become a jerk, the last scene should clinch it.

Along the way, however, there are laughs for this gross-out adult sex comedy. Just be warned that this raunchy film is strictly an adult affair, and there’s an outrageous moment involving a very private female body part.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

If you recall the release of “Grindhouse,” a collaboration of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, you know it involved two separate Grade B movies that would have been released at drive-in theaters thirty years ago.

Not surprisingly, “Death Proof,” released last month, and “Planet Terror” are not packaged together as a single DVD.

The two-disc edition of “Planet Terror,” containing extended and unrated footage, becomes available on Oct. 16.

I am betting that one day “Grindhouse” will be released as one package with both films, and hopefully will include the phony trailers that were considered the highlights.

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

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Katie Ketchum will offer a second performance on Saturday afternoon. Courtesy photo.

We'll probably never know the whole truth about Mary Magdalene, but Katie Ketchum gave us some entertaining possibilities to consider in her rollicking one-woman show Friday night at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

She will repeat "Magdalene: The Mary Magdalene Story" at 2:30 p.m. today at the center, 10th and Country Club Drive, Lucerne, in another benefit for the center.

Ketchum is not the first to bring a sparkling imagination to this biblical mystery, but she's certainly the first to do it solo and as a combined rock and gospel concert – and with such a voice! She soars, as Oklahoma trailer park chick "Marlene," trying to hold the band together after leader "Joe" is murdered. It's tough, because the boys in the band don't want a woman leader, no matter what Joe said. "Pete" is especially difficult, but then he's what Marlene calls "mishomogenized" – just doesn't like women.

As Marlene, Ketchum plays wicked keyboards reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis, and had the audience clapping and singing along. In a series of dreams she portrays the multi-faceted Mary Magdalene as a follower of Jesus, as his bride and widow, as a disgruntled prostitute, as an initiate of the Egyptian goddess Isis and as a contemporary rapper. Some might call it irreverent; compassionate and witty is more like it.

The story of Mary of Magdala is history that could give you the screaming fits, and Ketchum brings that confusion to life. In the sixth century C.E., Pope Gregory managed to combine her with two other Marys, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, and a nameless woman who bathed Jesus' feet in the Gospel of Luke. Many of us were told in Sunday school that she was a prostitute, but recent scholarship indicates she was a respectable close friend of Jesus, possibly a wealthy benefactor.

Author Dan Brown created a sensation with his puzzle-filled romance "The Da Vinci Code," which draws on some earlier problematic speculation that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus and the mother of his children. Sonoma County resident Lewis Perdue told a similar story in his 1983 "The Da Vinci Legacy," which was not a sensation.

The very welcome Lucerne performance could be considered an out-of-town tryout for the 30 shows scheduled April 16-May 11, 2008, at the Sacramento Theatre Company. (Ticket info: www.sactheatre.org). Ketchum's aunts, Eva Mooney and Elisha O'Neil, both Lucerne residents, arranged to bring the show to the Northshore.

Lucerne tickets are $12 for seniors and $15 for the general public. For more information call 707-274-8779 or 707-274-5689.

Ketchum lived in Lucerne in the late '70s and performed at Konocti Harbor Inn. She also starred as Maria in the Yuba College production of "The Sound of Music." She now lives in Sebastopol. She has been performing and facilitating workshops for 25 years, and received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for her one person musical on the life of American painter Mary Cassatt. She toured the Cassatt show at colleges and theaters, while still a theater student at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her tour included performances at the Women's Building in San Francisco, Sonoma County's Cinnabar Theater and Luther Burbank Center (Wells Fargo Pavilion), the Sands Hotel, and Northwestern University in Illinois.

She toured the country with her concert "Clear the Air" (the Electric Car Association brought their cars to the performance on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.). Her 15 albums have a following which includes Mother Teresa, who played Ketchum's music in her healing centers throughout India.

After years of research, Ketchum premiered "Magdalene" at Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park, had a successful run in Sebastopol, and went on to critical acclaim in San Francisco in the summer of 2006.

Before starting the Magdalene project, Ketchum performed and facilitated children's theater and music for more than 10,000 children in public schools.

E-mail Sophie Annan Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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A provocative, gripping action thriller, “The Kingdom” is a smart film that knows how to draw intrigue from the international political backdrop without dwelling so heavily on the politics as to polarize an audience into conflicting views. However, Saudi Arabians may have some objections, but that’s another matter.

First and foremost, we should easily agree that “The Kingdom” is a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled adventure intent on delivering thrills to keep action junkies on the edge of their seats. That this film succeeds on this score is a testimonial to director Peter Berg’s knack for working with some challenging material.

While the opening credits roll, there’s an outline of Saudi Arabia’s history over the past 70 years for its geopolitical significance as the world’s leading oil producer. And this historical thumbnail sketch touches on the Middle Eastern kingdom’s tenuous relationship with the United States. The story is geared to the uneasy feeling that is spawned by the fact that Saudi Arabia is the country of origin for most of the 9/11 hijackers. You can well imagine the prickly political situation when Americans are killed on Saudi soil.

The film opens with a leisurely afternoon of picnics and softball on the grounds of a Riyadh housing compound for American oil company employees and their families. What is supposed to be a heavily-guarded safe haven is turned into a horrific shooting gallery when suicide bombers disguised as policemen slaughter the innocents with machine gun fire and a massive bomb explosion. More than one hundred people are slaughtered, including two FBI agents with close friends back at headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Bureaucrats quibble over international protocols and diplomatic overtures, and it is entertaining to see tough FBI director James Grace (Richard Jenkins) butting heads with the weak-kneed, condescending Attorney General (Danny Huston) who seems more concerned about placating State Department than helping his agents.

Given the green light from his boss, Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) assembles his crack FBI team anxious to get its feet on the ground in the Saudi kingdom. Fleury exerts some pressure on the Saudi ambassador, and soon enough a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia is negotiated and arranged. Eager to locate the madmen behind the attacks, the FBI team includes explosives expert Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), forensics examiner Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner) and intelligence analyst Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman).

The clash of cultures is evident immediately upon arrival in the desert kingdom, when Fleury and his crew discover Saudi authorities suspicious and unwelcoming of American interlopers into what is considered a local matter. Hamstrung by protocol, and confined at first to the compound’s gymnasium, the FBI agents find their expertise worthless without the trust of their Saudi counterparts, who would prefer to find the terrorists on their own terms, even though they seem rather incompetent in handling the crime scene to locate important clues. To make matters even more complicated, they find smarmy State Department official Damon Schmidt (Jeremy Piven) anxious to see them back on a plane to the States.

With the clocking ticking on the FBI’s allotted days on foreign soil, Fleury finds a like-minded partner in his team’s handler, Saudi police colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who is assigned to protect the visiting Americans, but soon helps the FBI crew to navigate royal politics.

Since Fleury is less than concerned about ruffling diplomatic feathers, he presses a Saudi prince for better access to the crime scene and to get more cooperation for his investigation. Then comes the big payoff, as the action ratchets up to a full-blown showdown with an extremist cell that is actively working to detonate another explosion and takes a hostage for what is almost certain a replay of the Danny Pearl abduction and beheading.

“The Kingdom” achieves its explosive adrenaline rush with stunning car chases and gunfire that are the result of impressive stunt work brilliantly captured on the film reels. The assault on a terrorist safe house in a hostile neighborhood is flat-out furious action that makes even a “Rambo” movie seem tame in comparison. What “The Kingdom” does so well is to keep tension heightened at all times, even when it’s during the talkative phases of bureaucratic or diplomatic wrangling.

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

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On Wednesday, Oct. 10, it's Teacher and Librarian Appreciation Night from 4 to 6 p.m. Lake County Teachers and Librarians will be celebrated with food, fun, and 20 percent off purchases.

A writers' workshop entitled “Writers– Start your Novels” will take place beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. Anyone who has thought about writing a book can benefit from this workshop. Vicki Werkley is a freelance writer, editor and consultant based in Lake County and specializes in fiction and non-fiction. Sign-up early seats fill fast.

Local author Alethea Eason will sign copies of her first book, “Hungry” on Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 1 p.m. “Hungry” is a fun-filled sci-fi for ages 9-12, although a great read out loud book for the younger ages. The book shares important messages about fitting in. Join them for some alien fun and crafts, alien foodies, meet the author and don’t forget to get your first edition copy signed.

An artists reception will take place beginning at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. Meet the artists who are currently showing and selling their works at Wild About Books. Some will demonstrate or share their works in progress. Receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases today only.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, telephone 707-994-9453.

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Based on the Sholom Aleichem stories by Joseph Stein, with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, “Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of Tevye the milkman and his five daughters, living in 1905 Russia.

Tevye is caught between the pull of tradition and his strong-willed daughters. At the same time, he and his Jewish neighbors in the village of Anatevka face being forced out of their homes by the Russians.

Performances will take place at the Little Theater at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. Lakeport.

Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5; Saturday, Oct. 6; Friday, Oct. 12; and Saturday, Oct. 13. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Matinee performances at 2 p.m. will take place Saturday, Oct. 6; Sunday, Oct. 6; Saturday, Oct. 13; and Sunday, Oct. 14. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $12 for Lake County Repertory Theater and Lakeport Community Players members, seniors and students.

Tickets are available at Catfish Books, 1013 11^th St., Lakeport, 263-4454 (reserved tickets); Wild About Books, 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake (general admission); Shannon Ridge Winery, 15698 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, 998-9656 (general admission); and the Lake County Arts Council, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport, 263-6658 (general admission).

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The band Adobe Creek performs. Courtesy photo.

LOWER LAKE – The second annual Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park suffered in attendance because of the cold and rainy weather on Saturday, Sept. 22, but the event was enjoyed by those who were there.

Some of the best Bluegrass music in Northern California was performed, with all acts being presented. The weather was bad, but didn't prevent the festival from happening.

About 800 people braved the drizzle to enjoy great music, beautiful crafts, and delicious food provided by the event. The gospel music Sunday was very successful with the sun breaking through the clouds quite often.

Organizers, members of the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) plan to continue with presenting the Bluegrass Festival which is becoming a signature event for the south county.

Local service clubs, community groups, and the Konocti Unified School District all joined with AMIA to put on this fun music festival.

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A member of the Elem Indian Colony Native American Dance Group, which performed at the Bluegrass Festival. Courtesy photo.

The rain couldn't keep music lovers away. Courtesy photo.