Seth Rogen's THE STUDIO Series is Self-Indulgent Studio Insiders with a Myriad of Celebs

Seth Rogen's series THE STUDIO on Apple TV+ is a supercilious, self-indulgent comedy that is neither a laughable sitcom or clever parody. Rogen's self-effacing stereotyping of studio execs is too exaggerated to be taken as witty critique of the movie industry's mismanagement of millions. Furthermore, it makes the rolls and cameos of A list actors/directors too facetious to be credulous or comical. A huge irony here is the wanton waste of talent cast. Bryan Cranston plays the big studio cheese of Continental Studios only his dress, antics and ideas are too cheesy. Catherine O'Hara plays Party Leigh whose job Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) gets hired after she's fired. Matt's lying and conniving for the coveted, high powered position helped him seal the deal. Kathryn Hahn plays Maya Mason, one of Matt's most outspoken directors who takes her role in an over-the-top direction that loses laughs and believability. The only cast member that rose above the material is Ike Barinholtz, "The Mindy Project") as Sal Seperstein. Sal is Matt's best friend who also aspired for the position passed onto Matt. Rogen is the star of this charmless series that feels more like a dated sitcom. The show is set within the extravagant homes and lifestyles which are more off-putting and pretentious than evocative of enviable Hollywood glamour. The major dilemmas (which are all minor) that plagued Matt are his desires to create great art at odds with easy profitability and his need to be liked and accepted into the elite echelon of celebrities. These shallow conflicts fail to generate the inertia to invest in Matt's petty problems  or his whiny, self-absorbed persona. The other major irony with THE STUDIO is the fact a studio green- lighted this into production. Perhaps it was passed due in part to the star power Rogen brought to the project. Rogen donned many hats here including writing and directing. Pass on this sorry, lackluster series that overlooked the simple rule that any fool knows, it all comes down to the story, script and blueprint.   

THE RESIDENCE-A Who Dunnit Series with a Sleuth Who Slays-Stars Uzo Aduba/Randall Park

For those who liked the "Knives Out" movies (count me out) I have no doubt you will love THE RESIDENCE, an 8 part series on Netflix starring Uzo Aruba ("Orange is the New Black") as a sleuth, Cordelia Cupp, whose style is indefatigable. Cupp's fashion style is a modern take on Sherlock and contemporary birder chic. Cupp is an avid birdie whose meticulous methods of investigation are well suited for her unflappable pursuit of factual information and people observation. Although quite amazing and unique in her detective persona, Cuppa is a hybrid amalgamation of Holmes, Poirot and Colombo. THE RESIDENCE will occupy your TV viewing, watching the highfalutin shenanigans of an upstairs/downstairs cast of characters. There are the elite catered to or staff who do the catering to the President, his staff and White House guests. The guest stars in this clever and highly entertaining series that takes comedy and social parody seriously. Jason Lee plays the president's deadbeat kleptomaniac brother, Jane Curtain plays the alcoholic mother of the president's partner, Bronson Pinchot is the eccentric French pastry chef, Edwina Findley is a bumptious butler with endless banter, and Al Franken is back in politics playing Senator Filkins leading the congressional investigation into the murder of A.B. White Head Usher of the White House and the Head Usher is played to perfection by Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad"). Cupp is the lead detective but she has strong support from FBI agent Edwin Park (Randall Park) who slowly wins her confidence and Officer Larry Dokes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) whom she admittedly admires. There is so much to recommend in this show produced by Shondaland (Shonda Rhimes) and created by Paul William Davies ("Scandal"). The scenic tour of the White House is pleasurable and the backup story to Cupp's becoming a detective is endearing. All the staff are suspect and susceptible to thinking them culpable of the crime and its coverup. My only critical quip is the windup was too long winded and convoluted. Here the show should take a clue on being more succinct from Colombo. Even so, THE RESIDENCE is one of the most likable detective shows with good reasons. I hope a second season of Detective Uzo Aduba with FBI guy Randall Park will be revealed. 

Stella Heath "The Billie Holiday Project" Doesn't Project Holiday's Vibe at LBT

April 7th will mark Billie Holiday's 110th birthday. Along with learning Holiday's birthdate, I learned several things about the remarkable diva that Stella Heath shared from her "Project" which was first performed in 2019. Holiday was given the nickname, "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young. Heath reminded us that her Billie Holiday Shows were gaining traction all over the Bay Area when the 2020 Pandemic hit and shut them down. Heath, together with pianist and music director, Neil Angelo Fontana, collaborated to rebuild their band and present the music of big bands and Billie Holiday's to the audience. The 10-piece band featured some of the finest in swing musicians including Clint Baker (trumpet/trombone), Daniel Fabricant (bass), Johnny Bones (saxophone), Robby Elfin (saxophone/ clarinet). The 6 in the wind section each played 3 different instruments and Fabricant on bass used his bow for a mournful, molto adagio on "Billie's Blues" (Holiday). Stella Heath bedazzled in a shimmering gold lame gown and a a large white flower adorned her updo. She envisioned the spirit of Billie Holiday. Heath told the audience she and Neil were originally from the Sonoma area and were honored to be singing at the Luther Burbank Arts Theater where they attended musical concerts growing up. She invited everyone to feel free to get up and dance. Two professional swing dancers performed on stage to a few numbers, but no one in the audience chose to get up to dance. Heath's singing recalled the tin pan alley vocals of the early 20Th C and the big band era sound. The popular music singing aesthetic had a hollow vibrato that echoed the early sounds of radio. While at first this distinctive sound was intriguing it soon wore off especially when expecting the full falsetto and vocal sliding styles Holiday was best known for. Only two compositions on the program were written by Holiday. "Billie's Blues" and "Now Baby or Never". 'The very thought of' the programming leaning more towards "Swing Brother Swing" (Williams) tain't the business I came to hear. I want to listen to more of Holiday's singing style that made a profound impact on jazz and blues. Still, I have "No Regrets" (Ingraham) having attended "The Billie Holiday Project."  Just "The Very Thought of You" {Holiday}) (Noble) was not delivered as desired but I wasn't deterred enough to "Call the Whole Thing Off." (Gershwin) 

ADOLESCENCE-Necessary Viewing for Adults and Teens and Seen Together

Every parent's worst nightmare is the unimaginable loss of their child. In the unforgettable Netflix series "Adolescence," the anguish is compounded for one family whose 13 year old son is arrested and charged in the girl's killing. This taut, realistic drama plays out in 4 flawlessly acted episodes that leaves viewers stunned. The first episode begins with banal banter between officers in their patrol car. This brief respite  is short lived. The officers calmly vacate their car and approach a homes that is indistinguishable from the myriad of home in a British, suburban development. The father opens the door to the barrage of pounding by the police and then pushes aside the man confronted at the door. The officer informed the man they have a warrant for his son. A cavalcade of officers move stealthily through the tight quarters pushing aside a girl coming out from the bathroom to the floor. The parents follow the officers up the stairs as they burst into the bedroom of a 13 year old boy still in bed.  The boy, Jamie (played to perfection by Owen Cooper) is told his rights as he cowers and claims he didn't do anything. The officer informs Jamie's father, Eddie (an incredible Stephen Graham) they're arresting Jamie for murder and that he must refrain from interfering  or he'll also be arrested. The formidable acting, particularly by Cooper and Graham are superb. Graham was also a co-screenwriter on ADOLESCENCE. Jamie looks like a frail, pre-adolescent boy. When Jamie steps out of the bed you see he soiled himself. His father is called back into the room to observe his son change his clothes. Then handcuffed and whimpering, he tells his dad he didn't do anything, as he's ducked into a patrol car and driven to the precinct. There's not a false note in this gut wrenching crime drama. Everything rings true from booking procedures, to official interrogations, attorney conferences, private father/son conversations, school interviews and the crime investigations. Walking through the throngs of students in the halls of the high school with the detectives there's a visceral response felt to the sounds/smells and stress from academia and social pressures of teens and overworked staff. (One miscasting was the best friend of the murder victim. She looked too old for the role.) Otherwise, this is a tense, terrifying drama. Every episode is compact and filmed with what appears as one long, seamless take. The 3rd episode struck a raw nerve with the family appointment psychologist conducting an interview with a charming then volatile Jamie now 7 months into his detention. The wheels of justice are  run slowly. This swift and efficient crime/drama runs the gamut of emotions in a memorable series that takes the lives of teens and their parents seriously. ADOLESCENCE is a disturbing watch that must be watched because the consequences for not acknowledging issues presently plaguing our teens are too severe and destructive. 

Irish Raconteur David Nihill Talks a Load of Blarney

On Sunday night despite March Madness going full throttle, little thwarted a full house that turned out for a "slagging" from David Nihill. At the Raven Theater in Healdsburg, Nihill sauntered up to the mike wearing worn out jeans and a brown, buttoned down shirt. His layback attire belied his fast jabbering diatribe that went into overdrive. The long winded, rambling gab felt rehearsed and somewhat ambiguous and scattered. Titled "Self Help: Reading Recommendations," Nihill's ramblings referred to his upbringing in Ireland, his disastrous schooling, an obsession with sharks and a healthy thirst for Coors when low on stout. Any doubt on the what, why or where is he was headed hoodwinked by his clever windup.  The show was more orchestrated than one would think. In fact, it proved a bit heady by the end. Nihill talked 90 minutes non-stop. He evoked a deceptively intelligent nonstop chatter that was clever and touched on various matters: getting arrested, racial segregation, political elections, personal confessions and moments of sparkling revelations "I didn't see coming." Nihill is a motivational speaker, standup comic and self-proclaimed bibliophile. His humor wasn't the robust LOL type. But, he managed to keep us all fully engaged in his banter. For most of the show, his incessant blabber seemed full of blarney. Nevertheless, he turned the tables on the audience with a circuitous roundabout routine that roused plenty of skepticism. The milieu of manuals Nihill referred to ranged from Ireland's literary giants, Joyce, Ibsen and Beckett to novels "Catch 22," "100 Years of Solitude," "The Alchemist," Gladwell's"Tipping Point" to Feynman's "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman." I surely thought Nihill was pulling my legs when he said, "I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried." David Nihill possessed the luck of the Irish having a gift for the gab.  Me thinks perhaps Nihill protested too much when he claimed "public speaking terrifies me." Or, perhaps I imbibed more than I should. Regardless, Nihill made good on his outlandish gibberish. Still, Nihill should refrain from his fetish with fish. 

"The Half Life of Marie Curie" This Curious Biopic Play Is Listless

As the program notes for Lauren Gunderson's play points, it's being performed during Women in History Month. Unfortunately, the play misses out on conveying the significant life led by Madame Curie, the 1st woman to have received the Nobel Prize. She is only 1 of 4 people to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes. The two Nobel Prizes were in physics for her work on radioactivity, chemistry and for discovering radium and polonium. Gunderson is one of the most produced playwrights in the US, a 2 time winner of the Steinberg/AYCA New Play Award and the Lanford Wilson Award among numerous other playwriting honors. "The Half Life of Marie Curie," (THLMC) is Gunderson's one act, two character play. Besides Curie (played by a wonderful Leontyne Mbele-Mbong) the other character is Hertha Ayrton ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"). Ayrton, though not a household name, was an engineer, physicist and suffragette. She received the Hughes Medal for her scientific work and improved the relative new invention of the electrical light by reducing the cacophonous noise emitted from street lights. This we learned from Ayrton who immodestly shares her achievements in her opening oration which she concluded saying, "You're welcome!. Of the two women, it's Ayrton who relays relevant info pertaining to their achievements, their deceased husbands. It was Ayrton who supported Curie during her public excoriation. Curie, widowed with 2 daughters, engaged in an affair with a married man, physicist Paul Langevin. This resulted in an uproar from the press and the public. (Note: Langevin didn't suffer the stigma of a social scandal despite being the married party in their year long affair.) This affair was foremost in the play. Although Ayrton came to support her friend amidst the brouhaha, it seemed her focus was on obtaining lascivious details of Curie's sexual exploits. Instead of a biopic play on two very prominent women in their fields of  sciences and mathematics, these women were portrayed as either sullen or bombastic living half lives without their spouses. Curie's achievements from aiding soldiers in WWI with her mobile radiography units, her humanitarian contributions to the French War effort, advancements in radiation research and the advancements from her discovery of elements were sorely subjugated and placed on back burners. The play was more about Ayerton's quest to uncover Curie's sexual conquests. Ayerton was also dismissive of her own successes in mathematics, her inventions and her fortitude for women's rights appearing instead as a lecherous lush. "The Half Life of Marie Curie" missed out on presenting two distinguished female figures. These historic heroines seemed  frivolous and lacking without their spouses. The acting was commendable but the writing disappointingly desultory and listless. This was a sorely missed opportunity to import knowledge about formidable women in history especially during women's history month, 

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN-Left me Not Knowing about Bob Dylan-Timothee Chalamet/Edward Norton Star

This year's Best Picture Nominations included "A Complete Unknown" which also earned acting nominations for Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan who did his own singing. Chalamet's singing was pleasing. but please, he never sounded anything like Dylan. Nor did he resemble Dylan in any resounding manner. These are not what I take issue with in this lightly entertaining movie that failed to convey Dylan's persona, his mindset or his imperative creative drive. Dylan is the only songwriter to ever be awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Literature. (He also famously refused to receive this esteemed honor). Nonetheless, he is arguably one of the most talented singer/songwriters of the 20th C. Still, Dylan remains a recluse and mystery to the masses. Whether director James Mangold may have intended for Dylan's character to be portrayed enigmatically as his portrayal left me adrift. Forrest Gump displayed more emotion and direction than Dylan's character. The time span for this biopic pic was 1961 - 65, culminating in a calamitous time in our nation's civil rights movement. Though Joan Baez (Monica Barbara in an Oscar nominated performance) managed to contend with society's racial clashes in addition to pursuing her singing career. Dylan's only defiance was his refusal to play another rendition of "Blowing in the Wind" at The Newport Food Festival in '65 and his using an amped up rock band and electric guitar on stage. Seems the liberal minded fans of folk music felt their music sacrosanct; anything other than acoustic guitar strictly taboo. And Dylan was infamously booed by the crowd who were privy to his first live performance of "Like a Rolling Stone." The talented ensemble cast included Ed Norton as a very conscientious Pete Seeger and a teary eyed Elle Fanning as Dylan's girlfriend prior to his fame and won't take blame for standing in his way. The film plays out like a long MTV video (music videos were popular in the 80s decades after folk music fell out of favor. Overall, I enjoyed the music. I liked seeing the styles and the look of the film set in Manhattan in the early 60s. But, this movie didn't move me or enlighten me on an icon whose legacy will live on through his music. "A Complete Unknown" was easy savory but not satiating. I was left drifting in the wind. Dylan wisely said, "Don't criticize what you can't understand." He also said, "All I can be is me-whoever that is." 

Maxim Lando on Piano at the 222 WooHoo!

Maxim Lando (pronounced Maxeem) and Lando-rhymes with piano, is a piano prodigy whose love for playing classical compositions of all epochs performed energetically for an intimate group at the 222 in Healdsburg. The 222 doubles as a live arts performance space in the evenings and as an art gallery by day. The gallery space accommodates live audiences in a nightclub setting. There was a Q&A with Lando before the concert. I was a no show because I didn't know. The 222 needs to do a better job of marketing their events listing times/notifications for better communication. Nonetheless, Lando came on stage on this rainy, chilly Sunday evening.Lando's agile, complex piano playing and gregarious/genuine personality, provided a memorable evening of musical entertainment. Donning a red satin shirt, iridescent black/blue jacket and a mega watt smile, Lando warmly welcomed the audience who braved their way out on the gloomy, inclement night. Lando said. "I've been getting inspiration from the artworks." He also spoke about his frustrations when cooped up during COVID and unable to perform or attend concerts. He said, The glorious sounds of music and colors both resound gloriously." He went on to say he had to comprise ways to keep himself engaged with practicing and playing during the lockdown which lead him to try arcane compositions and play continuously pieces in unexpected combinations. "Go with me on some of the works on tonight's program," he besieged the crowd. The first piece on the program was an arrangement by Brahms of Bach's "Chaconne in D minor for Left Hand." Sitting up close I was fascinated with both the dexterity of his left hand and the staid positioning of his right which was steadfast on his right thigh. It was difficult to determine from the full orchestral impression it created. Londo's left hand played several octaves above and below middle C.  I wanted Lando to tell us why did Brahm's choose to revise Bach's piece solely the left hand. The second number, "Three Dances from Frankenstein Op. 140 (2022) by L Lieberman (b. 1961), was a 3 movement piano concerto. Lando said Liberian wrote it for him and gave him license to revise it. The piece invoked an eerie and moody ambiance that was both strange and alluring. After a brief intermission, Lando returned wearing a different shiny shirt, sans jacket. The mezzo forte playing on the Yamaha concert, baby grand was physically arduous and percussive. The 2nd half was comprised of works by composers I was unfamiliar ( Balakirev, Buskin & Lyapunov) except for a nocturne by Chopin, "Because, after all, Chopin's music is just so beautiful." The rousing applause brought Lando back on stage for an encore. He ended the brilliant evening with  Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue;" a classic crowd pleaser.  

DOC. "Every Little Thing" Saving Humming Birds is Beautiful but this Doc. is Dull

I'm a big birder and a die hard fan of hummingbirds. I consider myself a hummingbird whisperer having revived a number of these incredible tiny birds (albeit after striking my windows) back to life. There are numerous arbutus trees to attract them. There's also a bird feeder with a camera that alerts me when a bird lands on the feeder. (Coolest gift ever!) I share this to let you know I was excited to view this film.  It received a 95% and 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless,  I lost interest in the film when its lens flitted away from filming these Lilliputian phenoms of flight. Interesting facts about hummingbirds; the smallest migratory bird, they don't migrate in flocks, their flock is called a bouquet, and they are the only birds able to fly in every direction including backwards. The doc. "Every Little Thing" captures the magic and beauty of hummingbirds along with the wonderful volunteer, rehab work Terry Masear has provided for over 20 years. I commend the knowledgeable and skillful care Masear has devoted to these tiny creatures. Altogether, Masear has rescued more than 10,000of these birds and released them back into their natural habitats. Even so, the film is slow watching Masear repetitive tasks of fielding calls, fixing enclosures and administering multiple eyedropper feedings for these gentle beings. Masear has received multiple degrees she immodestly informs us. She's taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate classes in education and research writing at UCLA. But overall, there's little variety to her quotidian tasks. The more time spent watching "Every Little Thing" the more of a chore it became.  Background into Masear's life is warranted however her narrative was grandiose in regards to considering herself a bird of a different feather. In other words, Masear considers herself a maverick having branched out from her humble, hard working farm family living in a small WI town. Her independent streak, break from family and move out west where she met and married her spouse of over 30 years is commendable; though unremarkable. "Every Little Thing," is a lovely and sedate film which emphasized the best in humanity-the symbiotic kinship between people and animals. The film served as a wonderful tribute to compassion, devotion and the awe inspiring glimpse into aviation's most startling and tiny travelers; the remarkable humming bird.  I praise Masear for the miraculous care she's given towards nurturing injured hummingbirds. The cinematography, the unforgettable birds and trilling score are astounding. But, the film in its entirety remained a bore. 

BEST OF THE INT'L SHORT FILM FESTIVAL at Raven Theater in Healdsburg

The BEST OF THE FILM FESTIVAL was held in Healdsburg at the Raven Performance Art Theater on the last Sunday in February. There were 3 time slots; 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Each screening offered 6 short films from various international filmmakers and a Q&A, "talk back" with festival founders Pamela and Kirk Demorest following each series. The films cannot be longer than 15 minutes to qualify. One of the films, "Angst" submitted by a local, Santa Rosa filmmaker was one 1 minute. (I felt it was 1 minute too long.) The various genres included drama, comedy, dramedy, animation and documentaries. In addition to local submissions from Petaluma and Santa Rosa, foreign countries were represented: Russia, Spain, South Africa, UK, Germany, France, Nepal, Finland, Sweden and Italy. I attended the 4:00PM screenings. I will describe the 2 short films I felt were preeminent. The first film was from a local, Petaluma filmmaker. It was the animated, "Lightheaded" which was 5 minutes long and the documentary with mixed live footage and animation, "Wild Salmon" which was 14 minutes in length. "Lightheaded" was visually stunning. Anthropomorphic candles  illuminating billowing desert sands provided a keen sense of shadowing, melting, and humor. Astral objects zoomed past 3 candles who looked at each other questioningly. The most adventuresome decided to pursue what looked like a shooting star to where it was headed. Curiosity snuffed out the pursuing candle as it melted down. The 2 hesitant candles decided to investigate their mate and its fate. One candle derived  dire consequences but the one who went to school on the other two and with resourcefulness managed to find success. There was no dialogue, nor was it needed in this clever and luminous animation which conveyed wonder, dismay and ingenuity. My favorite film was the last one shown (probably it was considered foremost by most of the panel). It was "Wild Salmon from the UK," directed by Karen Arieli and Saul Freed. Listed in the program as a doc., I would clarify it as a nature/fantasy film, following the dramatic and harrowing life and consummate life cycle of wild salmon in human form. Marianne Faithfull passed away earlier this year. Faithful, a British actress and singer narrated the film. She's considered among the 1st female artists of the "British Invasion" and known as Mick Jagger's partner (1966-70). Her haunting voice adds to this hypnotic, unique film which begins enigmatically. It's not clear what we're witnessing. We discover we're watching a female, wild salmon from its nascent being into a salmon in human form through her life cycle including her spawning and demise. The film navigates us through lush natural habitats and into terrifying and often gruesome deaths that befall salmon in the wild. The anthropomorphic salmon is part fish and part scuba diver replete with engorged red lips and expressive eyes which conveyed strong emotions and determination from behind her scuba mask. I contend this is a film that advocates for being vegan.  I didn't know it at the time I saw the film, "Wild Salmon" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Healdsburg Film Festival.  In addition, this ingenious film won this year's Fantasy Filmfest, and Animation Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Pain d'Or for Best Short Film. It won my awe and continued vow not to eat any fish, meat or fowl.

THE BRUTALIST-Artfsy Film that is More a Bore than Anything Else

The award season just culminated with the Oscars on Sunday. The post-WWII epic THE BRUTALIST is the type of film which appeals more to critics and Film Academy than the general public. THE BRUTALIST was one of this year's top 10 films and received the most combined awards and nominations than any other film from 2024. However, of the 10 Oscar noms., the Brutalist won only 3; for Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Film Score. I applaud the award given for its cinematography and brilliant musical score by British composer Daniel Blumberg. Brody took home his 2nd Oscar for playing two similar characters; both roles were Jewish artists and survivors of the Holocaust. Brody gave a heartfelt portrayal, the original music was moving and the crafty cinematography mesmerizing, but the 3 1/2 hour+ movie is not as moving as intended. Lazlo Toth (Adrian Brody) is a visionary architect whose career and family life were destrhoyed when they were sent to the concentration camps. The film beings in 1947 when Toth first arrived in NYC and moved in with a cousin living in Philadelphia. Toth's wife, Erzsebet (a miscast Felicity Jones) was separated from her husband. She's in a displacement camp and receives news of her husband's survival. The film's unnecessary intermission bifurcated the movie. The first half is about Toth's adjusting to life in the US and his seemingly fortuitous introduction to the wealthy HarryVan Buren (Joe Alwyn) requesting him to design and construct a library for his father, Harry Van Buren Sr. (a formidable Guy Pearce). Following the interruption of the intermission, the Toths are reunited and  learning to readjust to each other. Erzsebet. unbeknownst to Lazlo, relies on a wheel-chair due to malnourishment. Erzebet brought Lazlo's deceased sister's daughter, Zsofia, to the states with her. The horrors of war rendered her shell-shocked and mute. The movie's time-line is an epoch that draws on a crucial period post WWII. The film focused on the aftermath of the war, the euphoria and sorrow of having survived and the myriad struggles to adapt, assimilate and build a future in a foreign country. The black/white cinematography is particularly arresting especially when show casing architectural structures. Toth's emergence as a modernist architect and his sense of his talent was notable. The Van Burens were portrayed as stereotypes; rich people assuming themselves entitled and superior. The storylines of addiction and racism are backwashed and more references given to historical events would have given the film a stronger structure. THE BRUTALIST is a prototype of filmmaking that stands up to be admired but this one relied too much on pure aesthetic values and had diminished emotional strength. The Acad. was right to recognize it worthy of recognition and not crown it with Best Picture, Best Director or Best Screenplay honors.

GORGE Will Make You Swoon then Gag Stars Miles Teller/Anya Taylor-Joy

GORGE a sci-fi, action thriller. It starts as a star crossed lover tale of two who were meant to be together. However, the couple must construe how to connect across a mysterious and ominous gorge. Levi (a sexy and appealing Miles Teller) is hired by a cartoonishly evil exec., Bartholomew (Sigourney Weaver) for a  year-long secretive mission as a lookout overlooking a gorge which poses an ambiguous threat to the unwitting, western world. Levi was solicited for his stealth with weapons. He's hired for the position by Bartholomew after their interview. Levi was questioned whether he had any family, partner or attachments to which he replied, "no one." After accepting he's transported without any further information to a remote location and told to parachute out. Upon landing, Levi was met by J.D., the only person in this isolated post for the past year as the guard Levi was hired to replace. Elated to have contact with another human after a year long hiatus from society, J.D. happily shows him the ropes and the portentous, seemingly bottomless pit. Levi spots the lookout station on the opposite side of the gorge. J.D. informs him it's someone from the Soviet Block and contact is strictly forbidden.  J.D. bids Levi a fond farewell and gets hoisted up to a helicopter that whisks him up and away and then fatally shot at the top. The groundwork has been set for a furtive mission that doesn't bode well for Levi. Well, meanwhile Levi occupies himself for a few days before his curiosity leads him to spy on his counterpart across the way who turns out to be a gorgeous woman. The woman Drasa (a winning Anya Taylor-Joy) is caught watching him watching her. So, they begin an unsanctioned flirtation impressing each other with their expert marksmanship, mastery of chess and various stages of undress. Their courtship was very romantic; two like-minded beautiful people who first get to know each other through a meeting of the minds. "A Fine Romance with No Kisses" won't do so Levi contrives to transport himself over the smokey gorge with ingenuity stemming from desperation. Unfortunately, their appealing love story soon hit a rough patch. Climbing up from the gorge are hideous, mutant creatures whose features resemble grotesque treelike beings not unlike those in HBO's "The Last of Us.". After Levi fell into the crevice combatting cretins, Drasa parachutes in after to save him. After her leap the movie takes a dive downhill quickly.  Both Teller and Taylor-Joy are convincing action heroes and captivating on screen. They had me at their hello's to each other via signs held up across the abyss. The two stars were extremely watchable but the movie becomes a big miss once they unite to fight to save the world from destruction. Either pass altogether or  only watch the first half of this action flick which soars as a charming handsome guy meets gorgeous girl across a mystic gorge.

Neil LaBute's Play THE SHAPE OF THINGS-What License does Artistic License Allow?

Neil LaBute's play "The Shape of Things" (2003) is a somewhat dated, somewhat timeless drama that raises the tenable topic of allowances granted with artistic license. It also considers boundaries to be maintained in relationships, censorship and sociological agency. With regards to sociological agency, I'm referring to the capacity of individuals to make self-choices that structure their lives and their responses to social structures. LaBute, a prolific playwright having garnered numerous awards and 3 Tony noms. He received an honor from the Amer. Acad. of Arts and Letters  in 2013. He's been described as misogynistic and disagreeable to which I disagree. I've seen several of his plays On and Off Broadway and found all his plays (especially "Reasons to be Pretty") pretty remarkable for being clever, chuckle worthy and provocative. Furthermore, his plays are under-scored by a ludicrous look at morality and accepted  norms of behavior. The final weekend performance for "The Shape of Things" was held at The 222 in an Healdsburg. The 222 which is by day an art gallery and doubles as a culture venue in the evening made an apropos setting for a play which began in an art gallery. Evelyn, a self-proclaimed sculptress and grad student, is poised to spray paint a sculpture when she's confronted by Adam. Adam is an undergraduate and P/T security guard for the gallery. The choice of Adam and "Eve" as names for the main characters was heavy handed. Nonetheless, LaBute's literary references of classic writers: Shaw, Shelly and artists such as Botticelli and DaVinci are learned references that resonate with the play's formidable plotting.  Evelyn manipulates Adam who lacks backbone. Evelyn continuously coaxed Adam on how to dress and what to do. This One Act, 4 character play featured a second romantically linked couple, Jenny and Phillip; Adam's roommate. Jenny and Phillip are undergrads at the same small-town college that Adam and Evelyn attend. Evelyn initiates a flirtation with schlubby and timid Adam. Adam succumbs to Evelyn's nudging for transforming himself and becomes better looking and more worldly as a result. Jenny and Adam spent 3 years in the same classrooms although Adam failed to note her interest in him outside the classroom. Phil picked up on Jenny's sexy vibe as soon as Adam introduced them. Sparks of attraction and resentment ebb and flow among the 4 characters culminating in Evelyn's final PhD. presentation at an art gallery in town. Evelyn, it turns out, is a performance artist and not all that she seemed. It seems Adam was her pet project in the form of human clay which she shaped and formed to suit her wishes. Unsettling questions appeared as to when, if ever, art ever crosses the lines of morality and who is to say. Furthermore, what are the boundaries between acts of love and one's agency? There's no question this is a provocative play that lingers long after the performance.  I appreciated the minimal staging, earnest performances, especially Terrence Austin Smith as Austin and LaBute's perceptive and penetrating writing. 

LA ART FRIEZE-Whether to Have Had the Fair Is the Question

My beloved, Los Angeles, the lovely city that I love, has suffered from catastrophic fires that killed 25 people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres and destroyed thousands of homes. The repercussions will be felt for years to come. LA FRIEZE went on at the Santa Monica Airport as planned and just ended on February 23rd. I've attended all six editions of FRIEZE in my hometown, along with FREIZE in NYC. I wasn't sure if the fair would be held this year as a result of the wildfires. A thoughtful letter was sent out from the Fair's Dir. addressing the issue of going ahead with FRIEZE in lieu of the city's devastation. With respectful consideration, plans to go forth were agreed by the Art's Committee as a way of galvanizing LA and showing resilience. It also provided much needed jobs and financial boost. I whole heartedly agreed with this decision. Still, I was concerned how attendance by the public, artists and galleries might be impacted. This year 97 galleries from 20 countries were represented. There was a little bit of this, a little bit of that. There was the same number of exhibitors as last year. However, 2024 and 2025 were lower than in 2023. Personally, I felt the Fair which I attended on VIP Thursday prior to the general opening on Friday, was more staid than in the past. The crowd seem lighter for the same pre-day opening. Overall, he artworks were less dynamic or arresting than in past years. By this I mean there were fewer memorable works or pieces I coveted regardless of cost. I did purchase a painting by Chico da Silva (b. 1910, d.1985 Brazil). Thursday sales were boosted with the purchase of a $2.8 million painting by Elizabeth Peyton. Gladstone Gallery reported a $2 million sale for a Haring painting on glass. Hufken's gallery sold a Tracey Emin painting for $1.5 million. There were works by noted artists such as Hockney, Thomas, Turrell, Pousette-Dart, Gaines, Katz and Muniz. The artist Charles Gaines was seen on Thursday hobnobbing with those in attendance. The well dressed, dressed to be seen crowd came out in colorful, artsy garb wearing thigh high leather boots and miniskirts with dogs in tow. (I love dogs but when did it become okay for them to be omnipresent, especially in grocery stores?) I digressed. The well dressed stood out and they brought their best to stand out and air kiss one another. I'm glad I attended and I'm ecstatic with my purchase. I'm going to give LA ART FRIEZE a hall pass for being somewhat less than in the past in large part due to the fires. I anticipate a more engaging and successful 2026 LA FREIZE. Michael Rosenthal gallery at LA FRIEZE which is based in NYC is known for over pricing  artworks. This year Rosenthal's asking price for a Pousette-Dart was $850,000 and his Alma Thomas paintings were priced upwards of six figures. I do not give this ass a hall pass or my business. 

a little b it of this, a little bit of that, 

FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT-It's a Half Baked Idiotic Play STAY AWAY

The world premiere of  FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT at the Mark Taper in LA has a long way to go before it's ready for discerning theater goers. Written as a farce, it had a kernel of a premise; Native American cultural appropriation and indigenous race discrimination. Set in Arizona inside a suite of offices for non-profit org. providing grants and services serving local Native Americans. The incomprehensible, impossible plot is the nefarious plotting of Wynona (Tonantzin Carmelo) to bring down her nemesis, River (Julie Bowen, "Modern Family) a white woman who is the Director of the organization. Wynona rightly resents River for being in charge as she's posing as a fraudulent Native tribe woman. Theo (Noah Bean "Damages") soon returns from months away working to save the indigenous environment from invasive plants to the warm welcome of his lover, Wynona. However, nonsense soon runs rampant starting with the running gag of River's cat under attack by Wynona to spite River or the cat attacking the actors. The stuffed cat was tossed around in a myriad of absurd, painfully droll scenarios. The other continually confusing conceit is a misconstrued identity charade that misfires repeatedly. At the beginning of the 90 minute, one act play, Theo and Wynona are happily reunited following his environmental work removing non-indigenous shrubs that threaten local vegetation. Wynona remains steadfast against marrying Theo because he's white. She tells him she owes it to her tribe to proliferate only with "her people." Wynona wields her womanly wiles to entice Theo into applying for a job working for River in order to sabotage River's employment. Tossed into this confusing mess is a gratuitous, gay love affair and an advocate who defends "race-shifters".  River is easily convinced by Theo a.k.a. Mark, to perform a ribald, ritual water dance that is offensive and threatens her job. Playwright Larissa FastHorse missed out on writing a provocative parody with a prevailing message. Furthermore, the production is a poor imitation of the slapstick comedy "Noises Off". "FAKE IT" is a cacophonous catastrophe and a crying shame because cultural appropriation is a pressing issue which bears being called out. This new production needs reductions and a rewrite to become a farcical comedy to convey the travesty of the treatment of Indigenous People in history and today.  A comedic satire is warranted but there's nothing to recommend in FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT. 

The Plays the Thing-A Local Play Reading that Is

In a local art gallery, in the presently overrun tourist town of Healdsburg, a small group of locals ventured out to hear a play reading of Healdsburg's own playwright, Ron Nash entitled "A Good Deal." "A Good Deal" is an apropos title because it was free and the artistic director of our local Raven Performing Arts Theater, Steven Martin, invited the attendees and cast to join him at the Raven following the reading for a talkback with complimentary wine and beer. What a deal! But, here's the real deal. Come and support our local talent and socialize with your neighbors. Original works are not only special, they're "the lifeblood of live theater". (S Martin) The Raven Theater's mission includes the performance of an original play annually in a fully staged production. In addition, several one act plays are also selected and then produced, cast and performed for audiences every year. The reading step is crucial to the process of  writing and reworking a play. Feedback from an audience is vital in bringing a new play to fruition. Monday night was the reading of "A Good Deal", a two act, three character play set in the present day Dec. 23rd -mid Jan. inside a rustic home in the Catskill Mountains. Dir. Martin set the scene in a work room with tools, wood, shavings and carved birds in various stages of completion. Martin also read all stage directions. The three actors were Lee, a psychologist from Santa Fe (Mary DeLorenzo), Bo, Lee's love interest (Craig Peoples) and Leaf,  Lee's estranged adult daughter (Skylar Saltz). The play is a tragic, romance/family drama. All three actors fully inhabited their characters. Perhaps, more than necessary as in  most play readings actors don't move on stage and are not required to make contact with each other. However, the actor playing Lee and Bo didn't miss an opportunity to kiss during the run through. A line used in the play, "taking one for the team" may have been literally taken to heart here. Saltz as Leaf was exceptional in her role which was underwritten and given too swift an arch regarding her embitterment towards her mom. Overall it was too mawkish a love story with a posthumous recording. The allegorical flying birds were too heavy handed. However, Ron Nash wrote some deft dialogue between Bo and Lee. Lee's one-sided telephone conversations were also credible. Not believable was the burning down of Lee's home for her advocating for minorities. Lee arrives at Bo's home, now homeless which makes her motive for moving back disingenuous and was unwarranted. An easy edit from the audience was to change Leaf's name as it is too similar to Lee.  I think the metaphors used of leaves falling outside was a tad too much, too. But, do make a point of participating in making live theater thrive while being out and about with your local community thespians and members. 

Japanese Film LOVE LIFE-Life in Japan is Compact and Complex

The Japanese film LOVE LIFE is a contemporary drama that follows a young married woman, Taeko (Fumino Kimura) and her young son, Keita living in an urban setting. Taeko and her husband, Jiro, appear as a happily married couple. We meet them celebrating Keita's eight birthday along with Taeko's father-in-law's 65th. The celebration is marred by Taeko's hostile father-in-law who is rude to Taeko. The father-in-law is resentful of Taeko for marrying his son because she brought her son from her previous marriage. Taeko remains dignified and extracts a submissive apology from him with the aid of her mother-in-law. The party resumes happily until a terrible tragedy occurs. While playing with his new toy airplane in the bathroom, Keito strikes his head and drowns in the tub which was filled with water. This haunting film explores how Taeko and Jiro cope with their grief individually and its harrowing impact on their relationship. Taeko blames herself for forgetting to drain the tub. Taeko's in-laws' response to the child's death is also examined. The mother-in-law, the family peace maker, questions her need for religious convictions or spirituality. The father-in-law becomes remorseful and convinces his wife to move out of the city, distancing them from Jiro and Taeko, This suppressed film is intermittently jolted with major life-upsetting events along with earthquakes. The eerie earthquake warnings arrive over cell phones moments before they strike. Much of the movie is filmed within the tight confines of the minuscule space inside the couples apartment which contributes to a realistic fly-on-a-wall lens.  LOVE LIFE is a quietly churning film that is ruptured from the son's death. I was drawn into this congested drama viewed behind the decorum of polite, restrained Japanese society. The movie may prove slow and turgid for fans of fast paced predictable love stories which get neatly resolved. I recommend LOVE LIFE for the more discerning audience as a film which resonates with anguish, life's loneliness, and unrequited love, and ripples throughout with pensive moments of dignity and beauty.    

SEPTEMBER 5-Lives Lost are Lost in this Homage to ABC Lost Me

During the 1972 Olympics in Munich the Israeli Wrestling were held hostage by the PLO and then all killed in a failed rescue attempt. The newly released SEPTEMBER 5 which received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and critical acclaim defames the Israelis who died by taking their tragic story and honoring the crew in the newsroom as heroes.  The cast which portrays ABC's news staff include the talents of Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge, John Magaro as Geoffrey Mason and Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader are commendable in their roles. However, I condemn the perspective of this film which focuses on the pressures and cunning of covering the situation whose significance is contemptible compared to the fatal events that never should've happened. Was it fascinating to see behind the scenes of how resourceful, manipulative and under pressure the staff were in bringing the tragic events into our homes on live TV? Perhaps. Were the actors compelling? Perhaps. Used in the filmmaking to portray actual events was archival footage of this historic flashpoint. The Olympics held in Munich were the first time the Olympics were broadcast live and the first time since the 1936 Games in Berlin held under the hateful eyes of Hitler. A militant group of the PLO broke into the Olympic Village where there were no armed police and killed two Israeli team members and took the other nine members hostage demanding the release of PLO prisoners held in Israel. Massacre of the remaining Israelis resulted in the debacle rescue attempt under the authority of the German police at an airbase 15 miles outside the Olympic Village. Altogether, this well-acted and craftily made film takes horrific events that happened 50 years ago which bear reminding, into a commercial thriller that aims recognition towards people who were behind the cameras at the time. In my mind, the film sullies the memories of those lives killed by making their stories subliminal to the confines of broadcast studio executives. Perhaps the film passes as an entertaining, taut drama about how the media covered a historic event under extreme circumstances. I maintain this movie skews the perspective away from calamitous life and death situations. The most I attribute to this historic, drama, newsroom story that happened half-a-century ago, is maybe this will inform those who may have no knowledge or recollection of the 1972 Summer Olympics, other than perhaps the American, Jewish Athlete Mark Spitz who brought home seven gold medals for swimming. SEPTEMBER 5 is based on a tarnished script that doesn't deserve Oscar gold.  

Doc. WITHOUT ARROWS-Life on Reservation after Years Is Long and without a Point

The well intentioned and oftentimes beautifully filmed doc. made for PBS "Independent Lens" focuses  Derwin Fiddler, Jr. and his family on the Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Derwin was a champion grass dancer living in Philadelphia before returning to his family's home after being away for more than a decade. Now  The thoughtful filmmaking feels unobtrusive initially. Without any narration or direct interviewing, the camera captures Derwin and his parents, brothers, nephews, nieces in their natural, uninhibited daily routines. We see them lounging in their untidy, overcrowded small home or outside working on the property, playing with each other, riding horses or sitting around a crackling fire. The doc. stays with the family for nearly 13 years. In this time, there are a few plaintive dialogues. Derwin's mother imparts to him his responsibilities to mentor the young on the reservation; many who are suicidal and implores him to impart the legacies of his tribe. Derwin's younger brother talks about their younger, troubled brother who killed himself at age 14 and the impact that made on the family. However, the duration of filming and complete absence of narration leads the documentary down a long, lonely road without a focal point. Derwin falls from the center leaving a gaping hole that is mostly filled by his mother, Shirley. Shirley shares old photos, ancient tribal relics and their family's history. Eventually, Derwin finds work as an exterminator to earn money. We watch him in his hazmat suit and spray can working which is dreary. The film has no urgency, overriding drama or conflict to impart. After a while, the artistic cinematography of horses, tempests stirring or smiling faces becomes banal. The invisible camera morphs into an intrusive voyeuristic lens that you want turned off. Perhaps, the shapeless documentary is meant to just meander but in so doing, it lacks emotion or purpose rendering itself dull.

THE ORDER-Makes Chaos of.True White Supremacist Terror Group Despite Jude Law as FBI Agent

Just released for screening on Fandango, THE ORDER takes on the true events of in the early 1980s of a fledgling group that branched off from a white supremacist order in order to speed up their deranged  mission to "restore the country to its rightful inheritors" white people like themselves. Especially onerous to them are blacks, Jews, Mexicans and anyone who stands in their way. Headed by the charismatic Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult) the figure most standing in his way is FBI agent the ruggedly handsome Terry Husk (Jude Law).  Both Law and Hoult are guilty of brandishing their cobalt blue eyes so often as to appear starry eyed and distant from the business at hand. Under Matthews' Svengali orders the business is robbing banks, blowing up synagogues and porn theaters and getting drunk. Namby-pamby stuff until Matthews orders a hit on one of his own foot-soldiers for being sloppy and the Jewish, CO radio host, Alan Berg (an incredible Marc Baron) for calling out the cowardice of white nationalistic groups. The movie gets off to a bloody start with the murder of Matthews' henchmen which brings agent Husk riding into town. Quick as a gunshot, Husk locates the body in a shallow grave and things continue to stay murky, making mulch out of material that may have grown into a tantalizing true detective story. The story is choppy and disjointed. Solving for the mayhem of Matthews' lackeys lacks suspense. Also missing is any meaningful backstory as to Matthews misaligned mania. Husks' team consists of local, young officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) and FBI agent Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett). Both officers were compelling until Bowen got killed in a shootout that played out like an old western. Carney lost her credibility when she shed crocodile tears reading the Aryan racist plans and propaganda. Worst offense is the mirrored storytelling which parallels both Matthews and Husk modi operandi so as to make them seem co-conspirators or allied zealots rather than as adversaries. The final, fatal flaw is when Husks runs inside the burning house to bring Matthews out alive. Both navigate the hell fires without a singe or hair out of place. The two stare at each other doe eyed, looking like members of a mutual admiration society. THE ORDER was a tall order to screw-up. But, any glimmer of intrigue as a true crime, psychological thriller or sociological/political picture was decimated with a script full of holes and those unabashed ole blue eyes.    

SING SING-Colman Domingo Stars as an Inmate in a Theater Program

Colman Domingo stars as John Whitfield, the man who served a 25 years on a wrongly convicted murder charge. While incarcerated, Whitfield immersed himself in a theater program known as "Rehabilitation Through the Arts" (RTA). SING SING is the maximum security prison located just outside NYC along the scenic shores of the Hudson River. Whitfield and his fellow inmates served their sentences at SING SING and devoted themselves to putting on plays for the prison population. What makes this film sing so to speak, is the healing and friendships achieved by the inmates while working in the theater group. The most heartfelt message came from one of the inmates who explained their motivation, "We do this so we can feel human again for a while." Incarceration without rehabilitation is dehumanizing and feeds the cycle of recidivism. The astonishing ensemble of actors in SING SING are mostly former inmates portraying themselves as prior members in this theatre program. Domingo's acting talents soar in his Oscar nominated portrayal along with the other two professional actors, Sean Jose as inmate Mike Mike and Paul Raci as the group's director. But the real stars are the former inmates. Though based on real people, the movie is not a documentary. It's disingenuous to see prison life portrayed in a cleaner and calmer setting than the brutal and harsh environment expected. Rather the artistic lighting and appealing cinematography soften the lens in which we view prison life. But the camera lights upon   feelings of isolation and longings for the outside world. The scenes between Whitfield and Mike Mike across their prison cells on a hot summer night cast a golden hue that mitigate a sense of desolation. Furthermore, the emotional impact of Whitfield's release from prison or his parole denial don't resonate with heartless injustice or utter jubilation as warranted. The arch of redemption for Clarence' redemption having jioined RTA and befriend by Whitfield is too swift and total to be credible. Still, when the actors played themselves auditioning or rehearsing, their vulnerabilities and enthusiasm make this well worth watching. The most poignant scene has the actual John Whitfield visit his former cast mates as an ex-con. He describes his life on the outside as both liberating and lonely. SING SING cleverly mocks itself when a stoic panel of philanthropists watch the inmates perform prior to deciding whether to fund their program.The film SING SING is astounding in a myriad of ways and serves to advocate for funding redemptive programs such as RTA.The finale shows footage of actual performances by RTA providing resounding Reasons to Admire the power of the arts to inspire. 

A REAL PAIN-Makes a Meaningful Holocaust Movie that Resonates in the Present

A REAL PAIN ("ARP") is a contemporary film that centers around two first cousins who join a tour group in Poland culminating in a tour of a concentration camp. The film was written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg who also stars in the film as Benji Kaplan, one of cousins. Eisenberg received an Oscar nomination for his thoughtful and unsettling screenplay. David Kaplan is the other cousin and is played by Kieran Culkin who rightly received a Best Supporting Oscar nod for his ingratiating and infuriating portrayal of a deranged narcissist. It could be argued Culkin should've received his nomination for lead actor rather than supporting. There's no argument from me that Eisenberg was robbed of an acting nomination. Eisenberg has perfected the whinny, incessant mumbler who always plays second fiddle. However, in ARP he reprises this trope to an advantage by under-scoring the horrific tragedies of the Holocaust by keeping them at arm's length while questioning their imprint on the second or third generation of survivors. Secondly, Culkin's is entertaining as a self-absorbed, attention hound; both incredibly charismatic and intensely off-putting. Furthermore, this remarkable film is honest, humbling and honors the Holocaust. David and Benji are fortunate to be alive today. As Benji says repeatedly, "Thanks to 101 miracles that allowed Grandma to survive." In an amusing and sombre scene, people in the tour group state their reasons for participating. One gentleman spoke of having survived the genocide in Rwanda and  identifies with the Jewish people. One man shares how his grandfather connived his way to survive and struggled to make a living in America which grew into his family business. David stole the limelight from Benji and regaled the group with his tale although Benji was the one who orchestrated the trip. The American expression, "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" resonates in the context WWII descendants having the luxuries and leisure to enjoy life but nonetheless, still battle with woes seemingly insignificant in comparison to the victims of nazi persecution. David raised the disturbing irony of making the trip to the camps on a train only this time with meals in first class. Eisenberg is the only one who has ever been granted permission to film inside Poland's concentration camps after convincing its directors of his intent to preserve its memory with respect. Observing the group walk silently into the gas chambers, the barracks and past the ovens is a harrowing and poignant tribute to those who perished. ARP is a really powerful film that marks its place in history. It's also amusing in a self-deprecating manner that makes it palatable and relevant in the present. I recommend renting A REAL PAIN and I contend both Eisenberg and Culkin deserve Oscars.  

David Foster and Katherine McPhee at Luther Burbank Center

David Foster is a musical genius known for composing, producing and arranging music for a multitude of A list recording artists you probably didn't realize. He's earned 47 Grammy noms. 3 Oscar noms. and sold over 4 billion albums. Katherine McPhee is a recording artist who first rose to fame on American Idol as the runner up. She's starred on Broadway and television series. For those unaware, Foster and McPhee are married and have a young son, Ronny. McPhee is Foster's fifth wife and Renny, his first son. He has 5 daughters from previous marriages. These tidbits aside, Foster sauntered on stage after a brief video of illustrious superstars he has collaborated with including Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire*, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban to name a few. After playing a quick medley of songs on a Yamaha concert piano he simply announced, "Ladies & Gentlerewmen, Katherine McPhee". She  came onto the stage wearing a shimmery gold gown with her long brown locks, loose down her back. She came out singing "Cry me a River". The subject of their marriage became a flirtatious banter between them.  Their 30 year age difference, Foster joked "is hard for Katherine to keep up with me." Katherine said "We first met 20 years ago when I was a contestant on American Idol and sang "I Have Nothing". Simon told me never to sing that song again." Foster pronounced Simon, "a dick. He got that one wrong." Katherine redeemed herself with her rendition and her beautiful, velvety voice.  Accompanying the pair on stage were John Robinson regarded as the most recorded drummers in history and Peter Cetera on bass ("Chicago" band member and award winning arranger). The evening was filled with Foster's crowd pleasing music and deserved hubris. This was a concert that was a hit from start to finish. In-between Foster asked for singers from the audience who think they sing better than Celine and Groban, "You don't. You've just heard your friends and family tell you that." However, Carlos from the audience sang a Bocelli operetta hit that was stupefying. Foster had to qualify that Carlos was not a plant but "He was great with the song I wrote, not Andrea.) An added bonus was acclaimed American tenor, Daniel Emmett, who sang Groban's hit, "You Raise Me Up," arranged for Groban by Foster. Emmett sounded very much like Groban. Foster quipped, "Don't get excited. You're not getting Josh at the prices you {the audience} paid," The price I paid was $100/seat in mid-orchestra which is on the high end for LBT but an amazing bargain for an evening of entertainment from a musical genius and his talented wife, During the finale, McPhee danced in the aisle with audience members including a man in a wheelchair, a 10 year old boy and back on stage with their son. This was Foster and McPhee's first time performing in Santa Rosa and I certainly hope not their last. (Hopefully, their collaboration will be an everlasting love** for both.) 

* ("After the Love is Gone" wrriten/arranged D Foster)

** (arranged by D Foster)

WE LIVE IN TIME with Andrew Garfield/Florence Pugh is Out of Sync

The 2024 film WE LIVE IN TIME now screening on Apple+ is a love story starring Andrew Garfield ("Spiderman") and Florence Pugh ("Oppenheimer"). Both actors are wonderful on screen and together but the structure of the film jumps around in time too much so that it becomes frenetic and disruptive to the emotional impact of the story. Almut (Pugh) is a chef who inadvertently "runs over" Tobias (Garfield) in a scene that looked deadly but brought the two together in the hospital hallway. (Why he isn't in a bed recovering is just one of the minor enigmas that mount into a stupefying placement of scenes that are somewhere between the couple's auspicious beginnings to Almut's infertility struggles and pregnancy, to their breaking-up, to Almut's burgeoning career, her two bouts with cancer and to giving birth in the convenience store's crapper.  Some of the scenarios are ridiculously lame as in the later, but some are very touching as well as when the two discuss Almut's option whether to pursue more treatments or the shaving of Almuts scalp aided by Tobias and their adorable daughter. The montage of celebratory moments at a carnival riding the carousel and bumper cars is delightful. However, the movie is plagued by its confusing structure intended at being clever by inferring life's momentous events are relived in our non-chronological memories. Furthermore, some superfluous scenes should have been edited out all together, as in the first family dinner where it was revealed Almut was an olympic figure skater or the pregnant belly laden with chocolate biscuits bobbing in the bathtub. The movie was entertaining thanks to the charms of Garfield and Pugh who were easy to watch and root for. The director of WE LIVE IN TIME should've entrusted their appeal and not have bandied about the movie fraught with its misfirings of scattered sequences in time. 

ANORA-A Dark Comedy that Shines with Mikey Madison as Its Star

ANORA is not your typical heroine. Nor is the movie ANORA your typical comedy. It's atypically disarming with Mikey Madison in the lead as Ani, an exotic dancer who gets romanced by a young Russian, Ivan. Ivan (Mark Eydelsheyn) plays the prodigal son of wealthy oligarch parents meets Ani at the topless strip club where she works. Ani gets assigned to entertain Ivan because she speaks Russian. Luckily for her, Ivan is a big tipper and she happily agrees to see him outside of work. Ani arrives at his home and thinks she hit the jackpot with a wealthy client who can't seem to get enough of her. The two negotiate a rate for her to spend a week with him (not unlike "Pretty Woman"). However, unlike "Pretty Woman" Ani has a lot more going for her than just a dazzling smile. Ani is more than just a street smart sex worker. She's totally captivating and heartbreaking. When Ivan proposes marriage on their Vegas spending spree we watch her fairytale romance become a nightmare. Ivan's extravagant lifestyle and hard partying dazzled Ani, as did the three carat ring and sable fur coat. The appeal begins to wear thin as she realizes that her spouse after a quickie Vegas wedding, is a louse. Ivan is a loser with no interests outside of sex and video games. The honeymoon is definitely over after Ivan's parents get wind of this whirlwind marriage and send their lackey Priest and Russia thugs to end it. Ivan makes a break for it when the Russians barge into their home and abandons Ani who gets tied up by the bumbling Russian mobsters but not before she lands a few blows of her own. The movie takes an energetic turn for the better as the battered thugs with Ani in tow, head out to find Ivan. The Russians in order to end this marriage and Ani to prove their marriage is the real deal. Their search takes them on an excruciatingly exhausting and hilarious escapade over night through Brooklyn haunts. They locate an inebriated and in-flagrant Ivan. He's dragged out and taken to meet with his furious parents who've just landed in their private plane. His parents commandeer the situation and their  son. With the dawn of day Ani sees things in a clear light but she does not go quietly into the night. Madison's tour-de-force performance portrays a tough broad with unabashed intensity so convincingly that when her carapace finally cracks, we're taken aback by her vulnerability and emotional pratfall. The biting, social parody of the wealthy and entitled assuming a given supremacy is vicious. Even so, the affecting power of ANORA is the budding alliance that arises between Ani and the young Russian thug; who were both being exploited. ANORA is oftentimes salacious and sexual but it's more often an alluring and touching film thanks to an incredible performance by Madison which is sure to be noted. 

Demi Moore THE SUBSTANCE-More Crap DON'T PARTAKE Big Mistake

Demi Moore just won her first acting award, a Golden Globe for THE SUBSTANCE which is a film that is full of crap. Whether Moore or her co-stars, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid do an admirable acting job is not questionable. It's just inconceivable how something this terrible ever made it to the big screen. There's no substance of merit to mention. I won't bother to belabor how laborious it was to watch.  I watched it on fast forward and it was still horrid. I will not waste anymore time on this disastrous mistake. Please, don't make the same mistake - forsake THE SUBSTANCE, it's shit!

Community Narrative Night at 222 in Healdsburg

Who comes out on a Sunday night during the NFL playoffs and the Golden Globes? Almost no one. The community narrative night, which is open mic and free to the public, offers the opportunity for writers to share their craft in an intimate setting. There were only four courageous souls who showed up to share for only two attentive audience members (myself included). One woman shared her writing of a contemplative hike she took through somewhat muddy and treacherous trails. "The wind swept the side of indeterminate distance that marked the curve - Every step must be taken carefully." I found the presenter an appealing raconteur with a melodic and expressive voice that was pleasing to the ear. Her syntax was simplistic,  "I look down, I look down. How much further to go?" She ran into some inclement weather although she found herself "a cozy spot, till it stops." But, perhaps that was more a metaphor for life as the next day she received news of a close friend in ICU in a coma. "Can I go on? Make it back? "

Another woman. Erin shared her affinity to caring for a black crow, Joey Crow, that she nursed back to health. Unfortunately, she wasn't as successful with other birds she took under her wing. Her grief with the bird who flew off, those never able to and the children she reckoned she would never have were inconsolable. "It's hard to love something knowing how much you need them." I found her reading very intimate and brave. 

A 60 something gentleman shared a writing on his lifelong desire to become an underwater photographer. His childhood ambition began as a fan of Lloyd Bridges' TV show from the 60s where he was a scuba diver. His childhood dream took a backseat to his teens but resurfaced in midlife with a wife and child and construction business. I found his traversing life and passion for tuba diving diverting and inspiring. I was taken aback by a harrowing experience on the beach where a man in scuba gear was rushed on shore and his instructor ran to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation until emergency workers took over. His instructor told him, "I hate sucking face with a deadman." 

Bravo to all those who shared and the two (one is me) who cared to listen.

ONCE UPON a MATTRESS with Sutton Foster-The Show that Should R.I.P,

Sutton Foster is your triple threat theatrical star who can sing, dance and act to some degree but she is not reason enough to sit through this tired, silly musical whose appeal has long since dried up. I saw this show at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles at it's closing Thursday matinee performance. Matinees typically bring out the grey haired set and perhaps the precocious preteen theater kids and this matinee's demographics leaned heavily to both ends; over 75 and under 12. For the minority of attendees in the majority age range, it was a tedious musical to wallow through with little to do but grin and bear it. The talents of Foster in the lead as the likable, laughable Princess Winnifred wishing to marry Prince Dauntless (Michael Urie, "Shrinking") were well cast but alas, they were not able to breath life into this dated show derived from a Hans Christian Anderson tale. This Anderson tale had appeal only for the fairytale fan club. The original music for the Broadway production which opened back in 1959 was by Mary Rodgers, the daughter of legendary composer Richard Rodgers. It did not need to be revived for Broadway or any other large scale theatrical release. The campiness, cartoonish characters and slapstick humor were all long in the tooth and short on charm. The Queen (Ana Gasteyer,  former SNL cast member) makes those wishing to marry her son pass impossible tasks thereby holding onto her reign of her kingdom. The humor is inane throughout. The childlike King is mute due to a wicked spell. He tries to explain the birds and bees in a ridiculous pantomime to his dolt of a son. The other parallel love story between a nitwit knight and a lady in waiting, waiting to marry him, belabors the moronic storytelling. Watching ONCE UPON a MATTRESS was onerous for most of us who attend the theater intending to be entertained.