Monday, 18 March 2024

Arts & Life

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Are you a young person interested in theater? Do you know one?

The Soper Reese Theatre and New Vintage Productions present “A Christmas Carol Panto,” a Children’s show for the Dickens fan and more.

Shows are Dec. 8 to 10 at Soper-Reese Theatre in Lakeport.

Auditions are Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. and Sept. 9 at 2 p.m., also at the Soper Reese Theatre.

The play is open to actors aged 8 to 18. All roles are available, and no experience is required.

The producers have a large stage and hope to have a large cast. All an actor needs is to show up, have the courage to audition, and have fun. They want everyone to enjoy the experience.

There is no cost to participate, so this is a great chance to learn new skills and have fun.

They also are looking for volunteers to help backstage and with other parts of the project.

If you're interested in a backstage position, no matter your age, they would love to hear from you.

Contact New Vintage Productions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-277-1022.



‘STRAYS’ RATED R

A cute canine may be the star of “Strays” but that doesn’t make for a family-friendly entertainment. With far more profanity than the average Samuel L. Jackson film, this one is rated R so hard that it veers to the edge of being an X.

Who knew that dogs could be ruthlessly potty-mouthed? Not the naïve, hopelessly optimistic Border Terrier named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell). Wait until he is stranded in the big city and meets a new four-legged friend who drops F-bombs almost every other word.

Living with jobless bum Doug (Will Forte), Reggie happens to be oblivious that his uncaring, drug-addled owner is a miserable lowlife with no regard for his well-being.

Doug calls Reggie names that one might save for a profanity-laced tirade. Reggie enjoys a daily routine of playing fetch with a tennis ball, which is really Doug’s intention of abandoning his pet far from home.

Dissatisfied with Reggie always finding his way home, the heartless sleazeball owner drives for hours to drop Reggie on the mean streets of a distant city. Ever the optimist, Reggie is certain his beloved owner would never leave him on purpose.

However, Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), a stray who loves his freedom and believes owners are for suckers, especially when the owner is a total dirtbag like Doug.

With newfound friends, Reggie comes to realize that he was in a toxic, abusive relationship with his owner and becomes determined to seek revenge that Bug is only too thrilled to encourage.

Reggie and Bug are joined by Bug’s pals — Maggie (Isla Fisher), a smart Australian Shepherd who has been sidelined by her owner’s new puppy, and Hunter (Randall Park), a nervous Great Dane who’s stressed out by his work as an emotional support animal for seniors.

A former police dog who failed on the job, Hunter’s great size is deceptive because he’s pretty much petrified by any form of confrontation and looks silly wearing a cone. If only he had the swagger of the diminutive Bug.

Some of the wild antics have already been seen in the trailer, but there is much to be said for the physical performances of the pooches, to say nothing of their giddy crudeness in plotting retribution.

Hatching the revenge plot reveals a scheme that would result in a sense of dread as the dogs want to make Doug pay by biting off his favorite appendage. We’re not talking about body parts connected to extremities.

“Strays” is the antidote to sappy canine films like “Marley & Me” and “A Dog’s Journey.” To be sure, there is plenty of crude humor but also a lot of funny gags and the absurdity derived from canine comportment.

Whatever your choice, don’t take young kids to this movie. You may have a hard time explaining why Bug likes humping a ratty old couch and other inanimate objects.



‘JACK RYAN: SEASON 4’ ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

All good things in a popular series come to an end eventually, and that’s the case for “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: The Final Season” streaming on Amazon Prime Video. John Krasinski’s Dr. Jack Ryan takes his fourth and last turn as CIA analyst climbing the ranks of the Agency.

In the first season, Ryan starts off at a desk job before going into the field chasing an Islamic extremist, and then ends up in the midst of political intrigue in a corrupt Venezuela in the second season.

The third season took the more conventional route of a spy thriller of us versus the Russians. It might be Putin’s dream to revive the Soviet Union by starting a nuclear war in Europe. We’re uncomfortably close to that now in the assault on Ukraine.

A key player at the CIA is Ryan’s mentor and former boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), who should be cashing in for a nice retirement but is seemingly drawn to the action like a moth to the flame.

The opening of the final season is most uncomfortable for Ryan, as he’s seen bound and cloaked in a Myanmar black site to be tortured by unknown terrorists. Does this have anything to do with the flashback to the assassination of the Prime Minister of Lagos?

Meanwhile, the murder plot carried out by assassins linked to Bill Tuttle (Michael McElhatton), an ex-CIA operative and Army Ranger, is connected to Chao Fah (Louis Ozawa), a Myanmar drug kingpin and casino owner who wants the port of Lagos being used by his Silver Lotus Triad.

Political intrigue enters the picture when Ryan, as Acting Deputy Director, and his old Rome station boss Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel), Acting Director, face Senate confirmation to make their positions permanent.

Michael Pena’s mysterious Chavez brings a twist to this chapter with his infiltration into a Mexican cartel with ties to a terrorist outfit. His involvement with the CIA adds another layer of intrigue that makes “Jack Ryan” a truly watchable finale to the series.

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



‘MEG 2: THE TRENCH’ RATED PG-13

Consistent with its predecessor, “Meg 2: The Trench” is a cheesy action thriller that no one, particularly the filmmakers, can take seriously.

Like “The Meg,” this sequel brings back favorite characters as well as the inherent silliness of mindless diversion.

Popcorn entertainment is not a totally bad thing when you can leave your brain at home and sit for just short of two hours in a theater because the megalodons and other prehistoric creatures look so much more impressive on the big screen.

To anyone who has seen “Jaws” or any number of Godzilla movies, what happens in “Meg 2” is as predictable as guessing what the weather will be like on a summer day in Death Valley. But that doesn’t really matter unless you are a cynic.

After a brief opening scene to demonstrate how prehistoric creatures ruled the earth for 65 million years, patience will be required until we get to the meat of the story, or the reason we showed up, namely to witness the battle of man versus monsters.

However, even the brief interlude of the Cretaceous period offers a lesson on the food chain of prehistoric times, as a dragonfly is scarfed by a giant lizard, which is in turn devoured by a T-Rex, who ventures too close to the ocean’s edge and meets his fate with a megalodon.

Having Jason Statham return as deep-sea diver and environmental activist Jonas Taylor is a nod to his status as a fan favorite. Now he’s teamed up with Chinese megastar Wu Jing’s Jiuming Zhang for a submersible dive into the trench 25,000 feet below.

The human action gets a kick-start when Jonas stows away on a cargo ship to stop the dumping of radioactive waste into the Philippine Sea, a task that requires his martial arts skills before taking a dangerous leap into the ocean for a daring airborne rescue.

There’s a swanky celebratory event at the oceanographic Zhang Institute, where any number of corporate types might plant the inevitable seed of some sort of malfeasance or treachery looming on the horizon.

Spoiler alert! There is a corporate villain by the name of Driscoll (Sienna Guillory), who has her eye on massive profits that have nothing at all to do with preserving the ocean’s ecosystem.

The institute holds a megalodon in captivity that is named Haiqi and has been trained by Jiuming to respond in Pavlovian fashion to a clicker. The big fish swims about in a large tank where it can be seen through a supposedly impenetrable glass wall.

Jonas and Jiuming, along with their crew, make a deep dive into the trench, only to find that a stowaway on board is teenager Meiying (Sophia Cai), the niece of Jiuming who also counts Jason as a father figure.

Treachery is afoot when the Zhang Institute crew are betrayed by Jess (Skyler Samuels) who is in league with a bunch of mercenaries engaged in a rogue mining operation of the ocean floor without regard for how this unleashes megalodons from their natural habitat.

With a sabotage of the submersible, the Zhang crew are forced into a dangerous trek on the ocean floor to find another means to return to base. This is probably the least interesting part of the movie.

After a fight with mercenaries on the research platform in the ocean, the action gets into serious gear on the curiously-named Fun Island, a resort where the tourists will soon be in danger when megalodons and a humongous octopus arrive near the shore with a vengeance.

We get to marvel at Jonas riding a yellow jet ski, armed with chemical harpoons, in a high-speed chase of megalodons, while a helicopter ends up in a battle with the giant reach of an octopus tentacle.

While some hapless tourists never reach safety, it is satisfying to see some of the bad guys chomped by the megalodons having the incredible ability to leap out of the ocean.

While the megalodons have a healthy appetite for human flesh, the action remains pretty much free of bloody gore, resulting in the death toll being handled in a restrained manner, which allows the film to retain a more family friendly rating.

“Meg 2: The Trench” may disappoint some for the perception of a cautious entertainment that could have either taken the more serious manner of the first “Jaws” movie or the overblown comedic tone of the “Sharknado” franchise.

The possibility of another sequel is left open, and whether it comes to fruition may depend on how well the film performs in China. Having cast Wu Jing in a starring role, the studio may be banking on that outcome.

If there is a sequel, let us hope that Jason Statham’s character becomes more than a stoic action figure with a muscular physique. His trademark cutting wit is central to his appeal, which is largely missing here with a few exceptions.

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



‘GRAN TURISMO’ RATED PG-13

A popular racing simulation video game, Gran Turismo spawned what became known as the Nissan GT Academy, which was designed to boost Sony PlayStation racing gamers into becoming professional race car drivers.

“Gran Turismo” tells the story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) who spends most of his time at the console of a Gran Turismo game, much to the dismay of his father (Djimon Hounsou), a retired footballer who wants something better for his son.

Nissan marketer Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) comes up with the idea of the GT Academy in which gamers will compete for the chance to become actual drivers. Former racer Jack Salter (David Harbour) is brought on board as a coach.

Jann’s aptitude at the console proves that his dream has the earmark of true wish fulfillment, and a professional career beckons, though unevenly at first and not without the resentment of other racers who are arrogantly dismissive of gamers.

As the top candidate gamers take on the challenge of qualifying races, Salter steps into the gruff drill sergeant routine, barking criticisms and insults to toughen up his charges to the realities of an unforgiving race track.

Overcoming the adversity of so many telling him he doesn’t belong on the track, Jann races with determination that is not derailed even after some soul-searching following an accident leading to an unfortunate fatality.

If you ever wondered what became of the girl group the Spice Girls, Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice) plays the mother to Jann, in a cameo role of supportive mother offsetting the skepticism of her husband.

That the racing is staged so brilliantly with actual footage and computer-generated effects should be credited to director Neill Blomkamp (who gained acclaim with science fiction film “District 9”) and cinematographer Jacque Jouffret.

Even though presumably based on a true story, if you are looking for real character development, then expectations for “Gran Turismo” may be dashed. As far as personal interactions are concerned, the circumstances are mostly formulaic.

In truth, the sharpest tension between Jann and his father is palpable and genuine. Having been a professional player now relegated to menial jobs, the father initially fails to see his son’s potential, leading to friction that dissolves once Jann proves him wrong.

While having a rooting interest in Archie Madekwe’s Jann is the driving force, “Gran Turismo” smartly delivers an appealing underdog drama for the novice racer. Still, the exciting swift action on the track supplies concrete racing thrills and the film’s validation.



‘THE SWARM’ ON THE CW NETWORK

As of this writing, the actors and writers are still on strike with no end in sight, and come the fall season we are looking at a different picture for television programs. More unscripted and animated series, and a lot of reruns of favorites, are on the horizon.

Networks might have to turn to international programs for new content. That’s the case for the CW Network which has a premiere date of Tuesday, Sept. 12, for the global hit event series “The Swarm,” a title that sounds like it belongs to a B-movie thriller with killer bees.

Launched earlier this year in Germany, the eight-part “The Swarm,” a big budget series based on the Frank Schatzing best-selling novel and executive produced by “Game of Thrones” producer Frank Doelger, is about an unknown enemy that lives deep below the sea.

Around the world, strange happenings are emerging from the oceans. Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, and mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis.

A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day – and yet, nobody can draw a connection between the seemingly random attacks.

Except for a group of scientists who come together through their shared sense that something bigger is at play, namely an intelligent life force, dwelling in the deep and capable of manipulating the ocean, and everything that resides in it.

The mysterious force at the bottom of the ocean has grown weary of humanity’s ostensible destruction of the seas and has decided to declare war on mankind to drive us to extinction.

The findings of the scientists are hardly believed by anyone, and so the group is forced to undertake a life-threatening mission, tracking the collective intelligence within the Arctic Ocean. It is a mission they know may claim their lives.

When lobsters and whales start attacking human beings along the coasts of the world, you know it’s time to seek higher ground as if a tsunami became a global event. No word on whether the dolphins also turn on us.

Apparently, “The Swarm” has already captivated over ten million viewers internationally. That explains the CW bidding to host this series for the American audience. It sounds like a bet that will pay off.

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

The Roots making prints. Courtesy photo.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. — The second annual ImPRESSED printmaking exhibit opens Aug. 26 at the Mendocino County Museum.

Best known for their restoration of steam engines, the Roots of Motive Power, or Roots, are also avid supporters of the arts.

Since 1998, Roots have been sharing their Buffalo 1924 Steam Roller, and talented crew, with Bay Area printmakers at the annual Roadworks Steam Festival in the Do.Re.Mi Arts District, hosted by the San Francisco Center for the Book, or CFTB.

Roots have provided this same opportunity locally at their annual Steam Festival in Willits.

Mendocino County Museum decided to spotlight the printmaking aspect of this great event, by hosting linocut workshops and showcasing a stunning collection of works from Emmy Lou Packard, Henry Evans, and Bill Zacha, along with contemporary artists from Art Explorers in Fort Bragg.

The museum then exhibited the 60-plus community prints made during the event.

This year, the museum has invited innovative printmakers with connections to the CFTB to showcase their work, further encouraging and expanding the exchange of ideas and community connections initiated by the Roots of Motive Power.

Renowned printmaker Rik Olson will be featured; he is busy carving a 3-foot by 3-foot block to be printed at Recreation Grove during this years’ Steam Festival.

Guest artists Meg Pohlod and Solange Roberdeau will be showing innovative designs that push the boundaries of traditional printmaking.

The museum is pleased to have Art Explorers return and showcase their work, printing blocks and products, to demonstrate the endless possibilities of this medium.

This exhibit celebrates the power of artmaking as fuel for strengthening community and encouraging innovation and collaboration.

Everyone is encouraged to participate, no previous art or printmaking experienced is required; all are welcome.

The museum is seeking volunteer support for upcoming printmaking activities. Contact the Museum to register as a volunteer and sign-up to help with a program.

For more information, please visit www.mendocinocounty.org/museum or contact the Mendocino County Museum at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-234-6365.



‘BARBIE’ RATED PG-13

When fans of the Mattel toy franchise turn up in droves at the theater wearing different shades of pink outfits, it’s undeniable that “Barbie” would take the box office by storm.

The toy line produced for worldwide consumption is so ubiquitous the dolls have been around for more than 60 years.

The film pays homage to the creator with Rhea Perlman appearing as Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler giving encouragement for Barbie’s liberation.

March 1959 marked the launch of eleven inches of curvaceous adult plastic, a revolution in the doll industry, which up until this time only produced baby dolls.

The Barbie doll was named after Handler’s own daughter, and remains the world’s top-selling doll.

Check out Mattel’s website and you will find a seemingly endless variety of “fashionista” Barbie dolls and a bunch of Ken dolls, even one with a prosthetic leg. Inspiring Barbies include Dr. Jane Goodall, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Bessie Coleman.

How did I end up at this movie, you may ask? Two daughters were persuasive that this would be a nice family outing, and who can argue with that? Yet, “Barbie” is definitely not the type of entertainment that would have pulled me into an air-conditioned theater on a hot day.

What is the fuss all about? Margo Robbie is the “Stereotypical” Barbie, and let’s concede that she undeniably has the glamorous looks befitting the image of a blonde-haired and blue-eyed beauty queen.

At the film’s opening, the scene is Barbie Land, where just about everything is the color pink. Every day is bright and sunny and Robbie’s Barbie wakes up with a usual morning routine and waves to all the other Barbies in the neighborhood.

For some odd reason, the idealized setting of “Barbie” is reminiscent of another Warner Brothers film, “Don’t Worry Darling,” where the mid-century modern architecture lends itself to a flawless world in a desert environment, except nothing was truly perfect at all.

Barbie Land, with its impeccable dream homes and tidy landscape, is the fevered dream of a pink utopia, and yet Barbie is facing an existential crisis which will lead to leaving in her pink Corvette with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to find the Real World. Barbie Land is not perfect either.

Ken, like all his male counterparts in Barbie Land, is rather dim-witted and spends his time patrolling the pristine beach which doesn’t have an ocean. Water is non-existent in Barbie Land, which one would notice when Barbie takes her so-called daily shower.

Adding some fun to the Barbie world is Michael Cera’s Allan, the only non-Ken male doll, who’s different than the others in a fun and charming way, and who tries to make a break in the back of Barbie’s car.

There is no patriarchy in Barbie Land, which Ken knows nothing about since all the Barbies hold every position of power and prestige. A black Barbie (Issa Rae) is president. The Supreme Court is packed with all Barbies. Only a Barbie can be a doctor or lawyer.

The most fun Barbie is actually Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, who is definitely neither glamorous nor a prototypical beauty queen contestant. Weird Barbie is delightfully funny and off-kilter. Her punk hairstyle and marked-up face are just right for the part.

Once in contemporary Los Angeles, role reversal comes into play for Barbie and Ken. Barbie is treated to a leering sexist objectification, while Ken finds ideas of a patriarchy starting to fill his empty head with a sense of male empowerment that doesn’t exist in Barbie Land.

The doll duo spend time in Venice Beach, where Ken discovers that his notion of “beach” from back home is quite different when he asks a lifeguard about getting a job.

With Ken strolling around southern California either in a fur coat or a cowboy outfit, he started to make me think of Jon Voight’s character in “Midnight Cowboy,” minus the sexual perversion of a seedy New York City in the late Sixties.

Taking to heart his newfound interest in male dominance, Ken organizes Barbie Land into something unrecognizable, a world where patriarchy takes over and an alternate world of frat house sensibility rules the day.

For Barbie’s sake, her new friends in the Real World include Mattel executive assistant Gloria (America Ferrera) and her surly teenage daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who has outgrown any use for dolls. Both help steer Barbie back to her natural environment.

The most conflict Barbie faces in the human world is when she ends up at Mattel headquarters, and the smarmy CEO (Will Ferrell) wants to put her in a box package. The CEO and the all-male Board of Directors become the natural villains of the story.

To be fair, this reviewer was not the intended audience for “Barbie,” but Barbie Land’s alternate reality is the best part of the film, while the venture into the Real World offers some hilarious fish-out-of-water experiences for both Barbie and Ken.

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

Upcoming Calendar

22Mar
03.22.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
23Mar
03.23.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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24Mar
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30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
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31Mar
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