Time-travel plots bring out the earthy humor in films
I have not yet fathomed the causal link between time travel and bowel movements. Then again, I have not yet determined the causal link between bowel movements and Hollywood entertainment _ metaphorical parallels, yes, but not the direct link that other minds (and apparently other body parts) have fathomed. Two…
A NEW YOU; OFFBEAT OFFERINGS GIVE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION A NEW LOOK
SOME CULTURES have the decency to celebrate their New Year come spring. The sun’s out, flowers are blooming, chicks are cheeping — it’s much easier then to come through on a New Year’s resolution to, say, sweep out the detritus from your psychological landscape or pick up Spanish. But think…
NO KISSES FOR “KATE & LEOPOLD”; EVEN SOME LAST-MINUTE TINKERING IS UNLIKELY TO SAVE THIS SOULLESS ROMANTIC COMEDY SET WITHIN A TIME-TRAVEL FRAMEWORK
It’s Christmas, so maybe in the game of bait-and-switch, you actually get a better present. Unlikely in the case of “Kate & Leopold,” however. The version screened to sneak-preview audiences and critics has gone through last-minute editing (some merciful: more on that later). But post-production magic probably can’t fix the…
DECADES LATER, RETURNED TO SENDER
The return address read “Alex Gibson, 32268741 455, Air Squadron, APO San Francisco, USA.” Cara Addison of Rossmoor took one look at the envelope addressed to her maiden name — Cara Gibson — and thought, “‘Oh my gosh, has my brother flipped? He’s reliving the war.’” When she opened to…
SEASONAL SALUTATIONS
Like so many simple acts, the message of goodwill takes on a distinct resonance this holiday season. Reaching out to touch those about you is at once a comfort and an indulgence, for it’s an acknowledgment of the humanity that binds us together. For those far away or next door,…
A MIDNIGHT FELLOWSHIP; A SEDATELY ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD LINES UP FOR AN ADVANCE SHOWING OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED “LORD OF THE RINGS”
Fantasy epic or no fantasy epic, the no-bare-feet rules apply, even to hobbits. Which is what Teddy Spencer, 17, of Clayton and his friends discovered Tuesday evening as they lined up at the Brenden Theatres in Concord for the movie they had been anticipating since they’d first gotten together three…
JEWELRY, HAMSTERS THE CHARMERS THIS YEAR; WARBLING WARRIOR AND HIS FISTS OF FURRY HAVE UNBEATABLE APPEAL IN THE NOVELTY-TOY RING
Everybody was kung fu fighting! (Whoo! Hah!) With hamsters fast as lightning. (Whoo! Hah!) In fact, it’s a little bit frightening. (Whoo! Hah!) But they bought with expert timing. (Whoo! Hah!) Get this: The reigning black belt champion of coveted novelty toys this season is — The Kung Fu Hamster….
MENDOCINO COAST A WINTER RETREAT; NORTH COAST OFFERS AN ABUNDANCE OF INNS AND B & BS, PERFECT FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY
Winter in Mendocino has a bit of a split personality. The weekend my fiance and I were there, the sun rose enough to lure us into making plans for garden walks and beach strolls, then decided to nap under a blanket of gray fog. Scuttling our plans didn’t faze us,…
A SHOW WITH STRINGS ATTACHED; A TWIST OF FATE, AND A LARGE HEAP OF CREATIVE JUICES, HELP BRING THE WORLD OF PUPPETRY TO ADULTS
NO LONGER considered the exclusive province of children, puppetry has entered the world of adults. From a simple napkin to elaborate larger-than-life creations, puppets have breathed wondrous new life into film, theater, opera and other genres, for works ranging from the mainstream to the avant-garde. With artists crossing geographic and…
OPENING TODAY; A “KNIGHT” TO FORGET
If you like Martin Lawrence’s shtick, then go. Otherwise, stand in line for “Harry Potter.” Whether “Black Knight,” the feudal flashback comedy is better or worse than Lawrence’s last film (the mercilessly misbegotten and mercifully forgotten “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?”) depends on your tolerance for manure — not…