CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Second Sunday Cinema’s Nov. 11 featured film will be “Buck.”
The venue is the Clearlake United Methodist Church at 14521 Pearl Ave. in Clearlake.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for snacks and socializing. The film starts at 6 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend for free, as usual.
Buck Brannaman, the original “horse whisperer,” is celebrated in “Buck,” a fine documentary, short-listed for an Oscar in 2011.
When he was a child, Buck and his older brother were brutalized by their father and trained to be remarkable ropers, even appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Just as too many horse trainers set out to “break” horses, Buck’s dad wanted to break and train him.
But thanks to Buck’s own inner strength and the caring of great foster parents, he escaped and grew into an extraordinary man – both strong and gentle – who trains both horses and their riders with compassion and understanding.
Viewers see Buck holding what he calls “clinics,” achieving phenomenal results with both horses and riders.
But it’s important to note that you don’t have to love horses to get a lot out of this beautiful and moving film.
It is frankly inspiring to meet a man who could leave his past behind, and embrace success on many levels.
Here’s what John Defore of the Washington Post had to say: “You don’t have to be a horse nut to fall for ‘Buck,’ one of those rare documentaries whose subject is so inherently fascinating that a fictional character could hardly compete.”
While not for young children, teens and their families will enjoy this wonderful film.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake Community Pride Foundation will present a concert by the Ukiah Symphony Strings on Saturday, Nov. 10.
The concert will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lower Lake High School Little Theater, the most intimate Little Theater in Lake County, located at 9430 Lake St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The concert will feature Haydn to Mozart to Beethoven.
All proceeds go to support youth performing arts in Lake County.
Tickets cost $10 at the door. For tickets and information visit www.aneveningwith.org or call 707-331-8445.
Film director Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”) appears to be outside of his comfort zone with “Flight.” But then, anyone contemplating an airline trip shortly after watching this film may be slightly edgy and not in a comfortable place.
“Flight” opens with a terrifying scene. No, I am not referring to Denzel Washington’s Captain Whip Whitaker enjoying an all-night party of sex, booze and cocaine with a hot flight attendant (Nadine Velazquez).
This hotel room party scene occurs prior to Whitaker’s morning flight to Atlanta. The thought that he pulls himself together with lines of coke at the hotel and a few snorts of vodka on the plane may be the scary part.
Captain Whitaker, notwithstanding an addiction to drugs and alcohol, is an exceptional pilot, having earned his wings in the Navy. In the cockpit, he is a commanding, steady presence.
On the ground, Whitaker’s personal life is an entirely different story. His ex-wife only wants to talk about financial support. His teenage is resentful of his father’s emotional absence.
Two portraits of Whitaker’s character begin to emerge after the fateful plane crash, which by now must be familiar to most moviegoers who have seen the TV ads or trailers.
After initial exposure to Whitaker’s lifestyle, “Flight” delivers what is inarguably the most harrowing flight disaster ever conceived and put on film.
In a terrible storm, Whitaker artfully steers his passenger jet to smooth skies and away from severe turbulence, much to the joy of grateful passengers.
Yet, from the beginning, his younger co-pilot (Brian Geraghty) appears to be extremely nervous, but that’s more likely due to his suspicion that Whitaker may be operating at less than the optimal level.
Shortly thereafter, the calm skies fail to offer any confidence when the plane’s hydraulic system malfunctions and the airplane plunges into a steep dive, causing extreme panic for the frightened passengers.
Actually, everybody is afraid, even the flight crew. Except for Whitaker, who maintains surprising equilibrium as he tries to figure a maneuver that will avert a crash from which no one would walk away.
Whitaker inverts the plane, flying it upside-down so as to pull out of the uncontrolled descent, thereby buying some time in which to right-size the aircraft in time to land in an open field.
Of the 102 persons on board, 96 survive, thanks to Whitaker’s brilliant if unorthodox efforts. Suddenly, he’s a hero, sort of like Captain Sully Sullenberger, and eagerly pursued by news reporters.
Despite his heroics, Whitaker was also injured in the crash, and after getting out the hospital, he hides out at his grandfather’s old farmhouse to avoid the media glare.
At first, Whitaker dumps all the booze hidden in cabinets and drawers. He befriends pretty, young Nicole (Kelly Reilly) at the hospital, and invites her to stay with him when she is evicted from her shabby apartment.
Oddly enough, Nicole, a recovering drug addict, seeks to convince Whitaker to clean up his act, even taking him to an AA meeting where he can barely sit still.
Meanwhile, the feds start investigating the crash site and the remains of the plane, and a toxicology report reveals Whitaker’s excessive levels of booze and drugs in his system. The pilot faces serious criminal charges.
Whitaker’s old Navy buddy Charlie (Bruce Greenwood), a pilots’ union official, wants to help, and brings aboard a hotshot lawyer (Don Cheadle) to work some legal magic.
The pressure builds on Whitaker. He is not exactly cooperative with the legal team or the airline honchos. The inevitable relapse to more booze and drugs soon follows.
In less capable hands, Washington’s flawed Captain Whitaker would be likely viewed as a rather unappealing, selfish drunken loser with few redeeming qualities.
To the contrary, Washington brings his considerable charm and affability to a role that might not otherwise elicit sympathy from the audience. Still, it is rather uncomfortable to keep rooting in his corner.
“Flight” is not a spiritual journey, but it does take substantial measure of a fallible man’s soul, probing many of the dark corners of his self-destructive behavior.
Just like the jetliner featured so prominently, “Flight” has its share of flaws. The startlingly crash sequence is a stunner, and Denzel Washington is steadfastly on top of his game. But there are some plot holes.
It should be noted that John Goodman, channeling his character from “The Big Lebowski,” brings comic relief as Whitaker’s drug-dealing enabler.
“Flight” is definitely a worthwhile entertainment, delivering one unapologetically hellacious ride.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
Like a broken record, this space keeps touting the release of favorite classic TV series on DVD. “Mr. Lucky” and “Peter Gunn” were truly vintage shows.
Now we are back to the more recent past, celebrating the DVD release of another season of “The Streets of San Francisco,” a gritty police drama from the 1970s.
“The Streets of San Francisco: Season Five: Volume One & Volume Two” brings back Michael Douglas as the college educated Inspector Steve Keller, teamed up with veteran detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden).
Season Five heralds the arrival of a new colleague. Richard Hatch stars as inspector Dan Robbins, who has a lot to learn about being a police detective on the streets of San Francisco.
The DVD is presented in full screen format, with a total running time for both volumes clocking in around 1,200 minutes of excitement and thrills.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
COBB, Calif. – Come join the The Cobb Mountain Artists at the Holiday in the Pines Art and Craft Faire, Saturday, Nov. 10, and Sunday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The show is hosted by the Mariah Meadows Resort and Spa (formally Salminas Resort). This rustic yet elegant resort is a spectacular venue to enjoy viewing a wide variety of art and craft.
On display for purchasing will be pottery, glass, fiber art, basketry, jewelry, paintings and prints, masks, woodwork, and many other types of arts and crafts.
Located at 10848 Highway 175 in Loch Lomond, the resort has a marvelous spa, so come do some early holiday shopping and have a massage, too.
The spa is wheelchair accessible.
For more information about this event, contact Joanne Sharon, 707-987-8827 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Senior Activity Center has announced “Garden Art Works!”, an exciting activity that will be available at the Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Blvd. in Lakeport, on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 9:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided.
Participants are asked to bring a brown bag lunch and to wear “grubbies” or an apron so they don’t ruin any good clothes.
Gardening and landscaping enthusiasts alike will enjoy decorating stepping stones and spheres of varying sizes as a unique feature to their landscape. These enhancements also make wonderful gifts just in time for the holidays.
The cost of the workshop includes all materials and accent pieces to make your project special.
The senior rate is $25 (for ages 62-plus), the regular rate is $35, and a discount is available for those wanting to make more than one art feature at the workshop.
The workshop is open to all age groups, so make it a social event and bring friends, relatives and children (over 10 preferred) to participate with you. They have had very creative workshop participants as young as 90.
A portion of the proceeds from the workshop will go towards the Meals on Wheels program.
For more information and to register for the workshop please contact Marie Ulvila by phone at 707-263-4941 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
It’s a good thing to have a poem about voting in the week of the election, and here’s a fine one by Judith Harris, who lives in Washington, D.C.
My Mother Goes to Vote
We walked five blocks to the elementary school, my mother’s high heels crunching through playground gravel. We entered through a side door.
Down the long corridor, decorated with Halloween masks, health department safety posters— we followed the arrows to the third grade classroom.
My mother stepped alone into the booth, pulling the curtain behind her. I could see only the backs of her calves in crinkled nylons.
A partial vanishing, then reappearing pocketbook crooked on her elbow, our mayor’s button pinned to her lapel. Even then I could see—to choose is to follow what has already been decided.
We marched back out finding a new way back down streets named for flowers and accomplished men. I said their names out loud, as we found
our way home, to the cramped house, the devoted porch light left on, the customary meatloaf. I remember, in the classroom converted into a voting place— there were two mothers, conversing, squeezed into the children’s desk chairs.
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