‘AIR’ Rated R

There was a time when Adidas and Converse were all the rage for their sneakers, and Nike did not have the cachet of being cool or hip, given that athletes did not flock to the brand established by Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight.

Then along came 1984 and a rookie by the name of Michael Jordan, destined to become the greatest of all time star of the basketball court, became, albeit unknowingly, the catalyst for transforming sports marketing.

“Air,” based on the players behind the scenes from Jordan’s parents to the sports agent and the Nike executives, is a fable about capitalism, publicity, and marketing, with the rise of a superstar player more incidental to the overall picture.

Going into the movie theater, no surprise is in store for the outcome of determined Nike’s basketball expert Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) putting his career and even the fortunes of his company on the line in a bold move to sign a deal with a player who was sold on Adidas.

How do you go about creating tension, let alone any suspense, in behind-the-scenes plotting and negotiations with the ultimate result already known? Leave it to Ben Affleck’s dual role as director and playing the Zen-like corporate honcho Phil Knight.

Early scenes depict Sonny as an inveterate gambler at the craps tables in Las Vegas, acting with reckless abandon in high-stakes play. Sonny takes the same rash attitude with his conviction that he can recruit an untested rookie into a lucrative deal.

Obstacles are in Sonny’s path as his colleagues, Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), the VP of Marketing, and Howard White (Chris Tucker), a former college player and NBA draft pick, are somewhat dubious of securing Jordan, even though they recognize his potential greatness.

With absolute confidence, Sonny confronts his boss with a daring call to take a huge financial risk on Jordan. Phil Knight apparently needed some reminding of the 10 principles from a wild Nike memo, most of which get flashed at one point or another during the film.

Sonny also flagrantly ignores the protocol of dealing directly with a player’s agent when he jets off to North Caroline to make a direct pitch to Jordan’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis).

The upshot of that breach of professional decorum is when Sonny becomes the target of a barrage of profane abuse from fast-talking agent David Falk (Chris Messina). This scene alone earns an R rating, but it is brutally and outrageously hilarious.

Sonny is fully on his game when in a meeting with the Jordan family at the Nike offices he delivers an eloquent, if somewhat maudlin, extemporaneous pitch that seals the deal that results in a shoe designed around a single player.

Sports is mostly a backdrop for “Air” as most of the action takes place in boardrooms and meetings. It succeeds as a fascinating tale, which may “grow on you” as Phil Knight might say.

‘APPLES NEVER FALL’ COMING TO PEACOCK

Australian author Liane Moriarty has already seen two of her New York Times bestseller list books, “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers” turned into limited drama series on streamers HBO and Hulu, respectively.

“Big Little Lies” was snapped up by Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon for the film and television rights, and they proceeded to star in a series that went on to win multiple Emmy Awards.

Nicole Kidman returned to a star-studded cast for the series adaptation of “Nine Perfect Strangers,” which included Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, and Michael Shannon.

Her latest novel “Apples Never Fall,” another bestseller on the New York Times list, has been picked up by Peacock for a drama series now in the works.

Annette Bening and Sam Neill star as Joy and Stan Delaney, former tennis coaches that are still winning tournaments with an enviably contented family by all appearances.

Now that they have sold the family business, Joy and Stan have all the time in the world to relax, as their four adult children are busy living their own lives.

However, Joy Delaney has disappeared and her children are re-examining their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh eyes.

Is her disappearance related to their mysterious house guest from last year? Or were things never as rosy as they seemed in the Delaney household.

Alison Brie (AMC’s “Mad Men”) plays the role of Amy, the oldest Delaney child and the black sheep of the family. Still renting a room in student housing and jumping from one career path to another, Amy is a mess.

Jake Lacy (HBO’s “The White Lotus”) plays the role of Troy, the second-oldest offspring whose competitive edge he developed as a young tennis player is now his greatest asset as a venture capitalist.

Set against the milieu of competitive tennis, “Apples Never Fall” takes us into a family’s darkest secrets and asks, “Can we ever really know the people closest to us?”

With the author’s track record, this adaptation could turn out to be interesting.

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

‘LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN’ ON NETFLIX

Idris Elba is a terrific actor, and anything on television or the movies in which he’s got a key role is almost always worth watching. Case in point would be his British detective in the TV series “Luther.”

I still feel strongly that he would make a great James Bond. Some say he may be getting too old, but he’s eight years younger than Keanu Reeves, who’s proving in the “John Wick” series that age is not determinative for action chops.

After five seasons as a series, now comes the feature film “Luther: The Fallen Sun” on Netflix, with Idris Elba in the role of DCI John Luther, now disgraced for having committed illegal acts as a London police officer.

“Luther: The Fallen Sun,” a psychological crime thriller, is a continuation of the TV series, albeit with some new characters, most notably with Andy Serkis, brilliantly creepy as wealthy serial killer David Robey.

Luther inhabits a world so dark and grim that in his pursuit of the scum of the earth he often bends or breaks the rules. This proves to be his Achilles heals when he’s assigned the kidnap case of young janitor Callum Aldrich (James Bamford).

As the kidnapper, Robey is a psychopath who collects individuals against their will that he either manipulates into self-destructive acts or imprisons at a remote mansion where they are tortured and brutally murdered.

Knowing that Luther has been assigned the case of Callum’s disappearance, Robey orchestrates the detective into being fired and jailed for breaking the law, but not before Luther promises Callum’s mother Corinne (Hattie Morahan) to find her son’s killer.

Once in prison, Luther is taunted by Robey delivering recordings of the murder of Callum. Now a pariah with the police force, Luther is unable to persuade DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo), now heading the investigation, that he could lend a hand.

Helped by a former associate and an inmate riot, Luther escapes prison, because he’ll let nothing stand in the way of taking down Robey, even if DCI Raine hunts down Luther with as much zeal as chasing the serial killer.

Making the deranged Robey even more despicable is that he operates the dark website “Red Bunker” for sick voyeurs who are drawn to the gore and brutality of watching murder online.

Steeped in violent action and psychological warfare, “Luther: The Fallen Sun” works for the most part as a standalone film. Idris Elba’s Luther is charismatic, and the other key players are equally good. Andy Serkis’ Robey is beyond chilling as the villain.

Apparently, Idris Elba has taken himself out of contention to be the next Agent 007. That’s our loss. But if he cranks out a franchise of “Luther” movies, this will be our compensation, an obvious win for dedicated fans.

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULING

The TCM Classic Film Festival’s starting date of April 13 is fast approaching, and the scheduling of films for the four-day extravaganza looks to be fairly complete with only a few open slots.

Exclusively for passholders, Club TCM is a private locale in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel where movie fans have the opportunity to attend special presentations and events with many of the celebrity guests.

Given the celebration on hand for Warner Bros. 100th anniversary, the “Warner Bros.: Hollywood’s Ultimate Backlot – A Trip Through the Iron Gates” will provide an insider’s look at the soundstages and outdoor sets where the studio produced its most famous films.

Presenters of this special event include the studio’s archivist and author Steven Bingen and filmmaker and author Cass Warner, the granddaughter of the studio’s co-founder and original president, Harry Warner. They will discuss anecdotes about filmmaking on the Warner Bros. lot.

Who doesn’t love movie trailers? “You Gotta Have a Gimmick: The Warner Bros. Trailers Show” will celebrate the studio’s advertising wizards who packed theaters with clever early glimpses of some favorite films.

Passholders at Club TCM will join Randy Haberkamp of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to experience “42nd Street” (1933), “Mildred Pierce” (1945), “House of Wax” (1953), “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), and more as you’ve never seen them before.

Open to all in a theater will be “Bless This Mess: Laurel & Hardy Shorts,” a program of Stan and Ollie’s cherished short comedies. In “Going Bye-Bye!” (1934), the pair testify against a dangerous criminal, who breaks out of prison to seek revenge but becomes a victim of hijinks.

“Them Thar Hills” (1934) find Laurel and Hardy going to the mountains for a rest and accidentally get high on moonshine dumped into a well by locals trying to evade the law.

In “Tit for Tat” (1935), an Oscar nominee for Best Comedy Short, the duo known for their slapstick comedy run into trouble when opening an electrical repair shop next to a grocery run by their old nemesis from “Them Thar Hills.”

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

The deadline for a new grant program to fund artistic endeavors across the state has been extended.

The state of California is making an unprecedented investment in the arts. The “California Creative Corps” program will award 60 million dollars in grants statewide to implement media, outreach, and engagement campaigns.

The goal is to increase awareness related to issues such as public health, water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery.

The Nevada County Arts Council is the administering organization for the upstate region, which covers 19 counties in the northern part of the state. It will award more than $3 million in grants for artists, as well as for arts and social service organizations that will employ artists between Spring 2023 and Spring 2024.

Supporting local outreach with local knowledge, as well as technical assistance for artists, and program development and evaluation, are multiple county arts agencies serving what amounts to the largest, most diverse, geographic area in California.

“We are identifying issues that are specific to communities across our service region, and inviting artists to position themselves to create awareness around them and get paid for it,” says Eliza Tudor, executive director at Nevada County Arts Council. “We want our process to be as inclusive and accessible as possible and to draw upon creative processes that spur conversation around how to create lasting change that our diverse populations can take pride in.”

The launch of a statewide Creative Corps pilot program is the result of a recommendation from the governor’s economic and jobs recovery task force and is the first of its kind in the nation. Grant applications are now open and will run until 11:49 p.m. April 28, 2023.

There are multiple mechanisms in place for support in the grant application process, both regionally through Upstate Creative Corps, and locally, through county arts partners. These include informational webinars, grant writing workshops, training and panel discussions. To learn more visit www.upstatecreativecorps.org.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Arts Council and the Main Street Gallery will present “Visionary Art” for the month of April.

Visionary artists Doug Volz, Mark Henson, Marie de la Paz and Nan Sea Love will be featured.

“‘Visionary Art’ is, in its purest sense, the expression of true ‘Self’ for the visionary artist,” said Volz, the Main Street Gallery’s creative coordinator. “They each define what is the path we take, and different artists might take decidedly different roads, on their Journey of Discovery. We descend from the highest of heights, true witnesses of the Divine in us all, to the extreme depths of the true Nature of Life on this Earth, always with an inspiration, a way out. Into the Dark, and up to the Light.”

What matters to a true visionary artist is to be a clear path of inspiration, for the viewer, and for themselves.

The community is invited to the April 7 “First Friday Fling” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to meet the artists and discuss this innovative concept in art.

The Lake County Arts Council is excited to bring a show of this magnitude to Lake County.

The Main Street Gallery is located at 325 N. Main St., Lakeport. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., telephone 707-263-6658.

‘JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4’ RATED R

Retirement is not in the cards for Keanu Reeves’ titular character in “John Wick: Chapter 4.” He sought to leave behind his days as an assassin but he’s constantly pulled back in by the international crime syndicate known as the High Table.

Ardent followers of the franchise are already well aware that Wick’s world is fraught with danger at every turn, from the time he had to avenge the brutal killing of his puppy by Russian thugs to fending off deadly foes of all stripes.

What exactly is the High Table? It’s akin to a secret society like the Yakuza or the Illuminati, and in this case, the group is a council of twelve crime lords that governs the underworld’s most powerful organizations.

For some time now, John Wick has been seeking his freedom from the unseen crime bosses, and his defiance of their rules results in multimillion dollar bounties for his elimination.

The stakes are much higher now in this fourth chapter, where even old friends turn into lethal adversaries. Nevertheless, some remain allies most of the time, as is the case with Winston (Ian McShane), the owner of the New York Continental Hotel, a refuge for assassins.

During the course of the franchise, Wick committed the unpardonable sin of breaching the rules of the Continental, a sanctuary for hired killers where the conduct of business is forbidden.

You could say that Wick conducted “business” on hotel grounds by killing a despicable adversary in a situation that was unavoidable. Yet, penalties ensued as he broke the laws of Winston’s establishment.

The High Table is under new management, and maybe Wick had something to do with that when a horseback trek through the desert results in him killing an elder of high standing.

In the early going, a High Table functionary known as the Harbinger (Clancy Brown) shows up at the Continental Hotel and informs Winston and his concierge Charon (the late Lance Reddick) that the hotel is to be demolished within the hour.

Losing his hotel is a real blow to Winston. The hotelier is a suave figure who becomes more dangerous when what he values is stripped away. He may be Wick’s only hope when he cunningly devises a strategy for the on-the-run hitman to be finally free of the High Table.

With some help from underground crime boss Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), Wick is going to take the fight to the overlords. He will not be deterred by the appearance of the High Table’s emissary, Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard).

The sadistic and pompous Paris-based Marquis hangs out in opulent places like the Paris Opera House. He fancies himself too refined to do any dirty work, so he’s got a plethora of henchmen at his behest.

With a dwindling number of friends, Wick seeks refuge at the Osaka Continental Hotel which is owned by Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada), thereby earning the wrath of the High Table for helping an old friend.

The Osaka hotel is quickly besieged by a relentless number of expendable thugs armed with swords and guns as well as martial arts skills. Shimazu and his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama) are soon in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the odious Marquis has coerced Wick’s old friend, Caine (Donnie Yen), a retired blind assassin, to employ his lethal skills against Wick under the threat of harm to his daughter.

The presence of Caine as the martial arts master creates a fascinating scenario in that there is no personal animosity with Wick. A complex being, the blind assassin proves believable as someone that Wick may not be able to defeat.

Another player engaged by the High Table as a pursuer is known only as the Tracker (Shamier Anderson), who’s assisted by his faithful canine, a Belgian Malinois with a killer instinct.

Like most other assassins, the Tracker is motivated by money, and yet he’s also very mysterious in that we are not really sure what side he’s on at any given moment. Tracker does appreciate that Wick sees to it that no harm comes to his dog.

Wick is also drawn back to his adoptive Russian family that raised him in the underworld. He’s tasked with taking out a villain named Killa (Scott Adkins), which results in a frenzied action scene in a pulsating Berlin nightclub.

At nearly three-hours long, one might think “John Wick: Chapter 4” could have used some editing. In truth, the pace is so fast that the thought of overkill may be easily discounted.

To be sure, the mayhem may feel excessive with the body count seeming to be almost higher than the previous installments combined. One of the best scenes involves a mad car chase around the Arc de Triomphe with guns blazing.

Details of a climactic duel at dawn at the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre shall not be spoiled here. By this point in time, the hand-to-hand combat and the surfeit of gunplay have been relentless and thrilling. Fans of this franchise won’t be disappointed.

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

BISHOP, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management is currently accepting applications for the Fall Artist in Residence program at the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area near Lone Pine, California.

Selected artists will have the opportunity to speak with Park Rangers and be inspired by the many scenic areas within the Alabama Hills, located amongst the Sierra Nevada skyline.

The residency is available for a one-week period between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11, 2023.

During their stay, artists will share their vision in a 45-minute public presentation.

Following their residency, artists donate at least one digital image of their completed artwork to the Alabama Hills, representative of their stay. Housing or a stipend may be provided by partner organizations.

“The Artist in Residence program is a wonderful way to bring artists into our communities and inspire visitors to care for and protect public lands,” said Bishop Field Manager Sherri Lisius. “We are excited to continue this program this year and enhance opportunities for the community and Alabama Hills.”

This is the second year of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area Artist in Residence program. The art from the first year of the program is on display at the BLM Bishop Field Office located at 351 Pacu Lane, suite 100, Bishop.

The Alabama Hills consists of rounded rocks and eroded hills set between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley. In March of 2019, Congress designated 18,745 acres of the Alabama Hills as a National Scenic Area.

The BLM encourages artists of all mediums to apply, including but not limited to painters, photographers, printmakers, illustrators and graphic artists; all will be given equal consideration.

Interested artists may obtain more information here or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Applications must be submitted by April 30.