BRAVE (Rated PG)

Indeed, 13 is a lucky number for Disney and Pixar, as the mystical legend of a courageous princess in “Brave” represents the 13th full-length animation feature coming from the collaboration of two studios known for animation.

“Brave” is an unusual combination of “Braveheart” and “The Hunger Games,” in which the main protagonist is a high-spirited Scottish girl, skilled in archery, with a wild mane of untamed red hair and a fiery disposition to match.

Determined to carve her own path, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is the headstrong daughter of the physically imposing King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and cultured Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).

Her independent streak was evident from a childhood interest in becoming a proficient archer, developing the same kind of unladylike talent perfected by Katniss Everdeen.

Merida is the product of her father, King Fergus, a loud, boisterous Highland warrior of immense size and unbridled passion, who lost his leg to the demon bear Mor’du during a fierce fight.

Fergus delights in endlessly regaling his daughter and her younger triplet brothers (all with bright red hair) with stories of his wild outdoor adventures.

By the time Merida reaches her teen years, she’s a chip off the old block – sword fighting, scaling cliffs and shooting arrows while riding her trusty steed Angus through the woods.

But as far as mother Queen Elinor is concerned, Merida’s destiny is not galloping through the rugged Highlands with her bow in tow.

The Queen’s plan for her lovely but obstinate daughter is to uphold age-old royal custom and accept an arranged marriage to one of three suitors representing the kingdom’s unruly clans.

The clans are summoned to Castle DunBroch to compete in the Highland Games, but the lords are soon outraged when Merida defies a sacred tradition.

The offspring of the lords are lacking in many ways. In a contest for Merida’s hand, they compete in an archery tournament, but are disgraced by the princess’ nimble marksmanship.

As the clans revert to their history of fervent feuding and brawling, Merida gallops away from the castle on Angus, heading for the darkest reaches of the forest where a Stonehenge-like plateau leads to the home of an ugly old sorceress.

Moving into the familiar territory that comes with animated stories involving royalty, “Brave” turns to the supernatural sorcery that comes when a spell is cast by a hideous, toothless ancient witch (Julie Walters).

At this point, I would rather not reveal the outcome of the magic spell, but the story pivots even more to the difficulties of the conflicted mother-daughter dynamic.

Human actions and desires often have unintended consequences, a truism which becomes painfully obvious and a thorny dilemma for a regretful Merida.

Not only did Merida’s earlier exploits unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, the witch’s grant of an ill-fated wish compounds the troubles that the rambunctious red-haired princess is unable to avoid.

The charm of “Brave,” apart from celebrating the appealing heroine’s pluck, is the heartening message of the importance of loyalty to family, overcoming the rough patches of fleeting discord and hardship.

The exuberant Merida appears destined to enter the pantheon of great Disney animated characters, a spirited heroine equipped with physical talents unmatched by any of the other female royal figures.

 “Brave” is visually complex, with Scottish Highlands beautifully illustrated. It’s a period piece with historical references, and as such, the film is anything but formulaic.

While “Brave” involves great storytelling and humor, it has its dark, violent moments that might be a bit too bleak and scary for really little kids. Otherwise, it is, as they say in the vernacular, all good.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

It’s been mentioned several times before in this space that the detective drama “Mannix” was one of the best of its kind on network television.

Now being released in a DVD set is “Mannix: The Seventh Season,” an action-packed series in which the episodes are as fresh and original as the first season.

Mike Connors is the hard-boiled and gritty private eye Joe Mannix, who defies all the rules and protocols as he fights crime on the streets of Los Angeles.

While he gets help from his pals at the LAPD, Mannix’s most loyal secretary Peggy (Gail Fisher) is a key player in running his investigation business.

Another classic 1970s police drama starring Hollywood icon Michael Douglas returns to DVD with “The Streets of San Francisco: Season Three, Volume One.”

In addition, “Season Three, Volume Two” is also being released on DVD, so you have to buy two sets to get the full season.

The extra expense may be worth it considering that Douglas, playing a young, college educated Inspector Steve Keller, was tutored by Karl Malden’s veteran detective Lt. Mike Stone.

“Mannix” and “The Streets of San Francisco” make a great combination of thrilling TV crime dramas from a golden age of this genre.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Audiences were reminded it's never too late to quit on Friday night, June 22, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Kelseyville and again on Saturday, June 23, at the Lucerne Senior center.  

The play “Second Chance” was performed by a new group of actors called Pollett Players in Lakeport.

June 22 was a benefit for the Kelseyville Methodists, the Unitarians and Meals on Wheels from Lucerne. June 23 was a benefit for Meals on Wheels.

The play was performed by Sheryl Murphy and Beatrice (Lue) Ward. It was directed by Linda Schreiber and Deon Pollett.

Characters Evelyn and Rita show how it is never too late to follow your dreams in this 45-minute play about the elderly.

Audiences reacted favorably with comments like, “Every Senior should see this show” and “I loved the interaction of the performers.”

The last performance of “Second Chance” will be on Friday, July 13, at 7 p.m. at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 10th and Country Club Drive.

The cost is $20 for dinner and the performance, or $10 for the performance only.

The dinner will take place at 6 p.m., before the show.

The menu will include chicken Parmesan, rice, vegetables, soup and dessert.

Reservations are required for the dinner so the cook knows how many meals to fix.

This last performance will be a benefit for Meals on Wheels.

For reservations call the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 707-274-8779.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Singer and songwriter Jim Scott will perform in Kelseyville on Friday, June 29.

The performance will take place at 7 p.m. at Kelseyville Methodist and Unitarian Universalist Church, First and Main streets.

Tickets cost $15 per person at the door, and will benefit the Methodist and Unitarian congregations.

Scott’s lyrical melodies, well-crafted words, guitar mastery and humorous surprises moved Pete Seeger to call him “some kind of magician.”

From his work with the Paul Winter Consort where he co-wrote the celebrated “Missa Gaia” – “Earth Mass” – and many other pieces, Scott has gone on to create an extensive body of work, recording seven albums of original music, and creating “The Earth And Spirit Songbook,” an anthology of 110 songs of earth and peace by many contemporary songwriters plus some of his own.

For more information call 707-256-8134.

An exchange of stories is frequently one of the first steps toward a friendship. Here’s the recollection of one of those exchanges, by Dorianne Laux, who lives and teaches in North Carolina.

Family Stories

I had a boyfriend who told me stories about his family,
how an argument once ended when his father
seized a lit birthday cake in both hands
and hurled it out a second-story window. That,
I thought, was what a normal family was like: anger
sent out across the sill, landing like a gift
to decorate the sidewalk below. In mine
it was fists and direct hits to the solar plexus,
and nobody ever forgave anyone. But I believed
the people in his stories really loved one another,
even when they yelled and shoved their feet
through cabinet doors, or held a chair like a bottle
of cheap champagne, christening the wall,
rungs exploding from their holes.
I said it sounded harmless, the pomp and fury
of the passionate. He said it was a curse
being born Italian and Catholic and when he
looked from that window what he saw was the moment
rudely crushed. But all I could see was a gorgeous
three-layer cake gliding like a battered ship
down the sidewalk, the smoking candles broken, sunk
deep in the icing, a few still burning.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2000 by Dorianne Laux, whose most recent book of poems is The Book of Men, W.W. Norton & Co., 2011. Poem reprinted from Smoke, BOA Editions, Ltd., 2000, by permission of Dorianne Laux and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

THAT’S MY BOY (Rated R)

The mere mention of Adam Sandler’s involvement in another raunchy comedy will send some smug, high-brow film critics into paroxysms of utter despair and contempt.

For that reason alone, it’s a guilty pleasure to see the Brooklyn-born comic gleefully poke the snooty type right in the eye. “That’s My Boy” does the trick, in spades.

The film is rated R for the following reasons: crude sexual content throughout, nudity, pervasive language and some drug use. That’s the least of this film’s offenses.

Hide the women and children from the multiplex. This Adam Sandler production is clearly intended for a male audience that revels in juvenile humor and stunted emotional development.

“That’s My Boy” is a comic variation of the Mary Kay Letourneau story, the middle-school teacher who gained national notoriety for a torrid affair with her 13-year-old pupil, resulting in not one, but two, offspring.

The outrageous film story begins when Sandler’s young teen Donny Berger meets the girl of his dreams. Only trouble is she’s his smoking hot teacher, Mary McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino).

While serving detention for Ms. McGarricle, Donny picks up lessons that are not on the curriculum. It all goes bad during a very embarrassing moment at the school assembly.

The teacher is sent to the women’s state prison for statutory rape, leaving Donny to raise their love child after he turns 18 years old.

Not surprisingly, Donny was not prepared to be a dad; his parenting skills were nonexistent. For starters, he named his son Han Solo Berger and had a large tattoo of the New Kids on the Block etched on his back.

Because the young Donny was involved in a scandalous affair, he became a minor celebrity who enjoyed a period of tabloid fame for being seduced by a sexpot teacher. For a short time, he cashed in on the infamy of this scandal with a reality TV show.

Now, 30 years later, Donny is an obnoxious, blustering alcoholic loser from the wrong side of Boston. Wearing his hair in the style of an 80s boy band member, Donny is hardly ever without a can of Budweiser in hand.

Meanwhile, Han Solo, who left home and changed his name years ago, is now successful Wall Street executive and hedge fund manager Todd Peterson (Andy Samberg).

Remaining the perpetual slacker, Donny is in big trouble, owing tens of thousands to the IRS. He figures that getting in touch with his son is the only way to get the money he needs to stay out of jail.

Todd, who suffers from anxiety, is about to be married to the lovely Jamie (Leighton Meester), who comes from a snooty rich family living in a seaside mansion.

The desperate Donny shows up for the wedding weekend, introducing himself as an old friend of Todd and bringing the bride-to-be a totally inappropriate wedding gift.

Donny’s scheme is to arrange a father-son reunion with the mother (Susan Sarandon) at the correctional facility, where a big payday awaits with a filmed interview on a tabloid TV news program.

For the time being, the self-absorbed Donny, misguided in his attempts to reconnect with his estranged offspring, turns the weekend of wedding festivities upside down.

To liven up things, Donny enlists the help of his old pal Vanilla Ice (playing himself) so that a dull bachelor party evening is not ruined by Jamie’s uptight family.

Donny gets the bachelor group to visit Classy Rick’s Bacon and Legs strip club, where the featured stripper is very overweight black dancer Champale (comedienne Luenell).

Sandler affectionately populates the film with a group of interesting characters. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan appears, improbably, as an extreme New England Patriots fan who advises Donny on financial matters. James Caan is a belligerent priest.

Tony Orlando (yes, the singer) plays Todd’s slimy boss. Singer/actress Ciara plays Champale’s daughter Brie. Even former child star Todd Bridges makes an appearance as Vanilla Ice’s colleague at a fast food joint.

The odd thing about Adam Sandler is that even when he plays the most outrageous, juvenile loser, he manages to retain a certain measure of sweet-natured personality.

As for “That’s My Boy,” this offensive, over-the-top comedy is filled with unrelenting raunchiness, gross-out humor and bad taste. Still, there are plenty of laughs in this film, if you let yourself go.

FILM BOOK UPDATE

Once in a while, an interesting film book comes to my attention, thanks to the efforts of a vigilant publicist.

Those who love horror films, the cheesier and sleazier variety, will probably get a kick out of “The Slasher Movie Book.”

This book, by J.A. Kerswell, chronicles the glory days of the horror subgenre that brought murder, mayhem and corn-syrup blood to the big screen.

Greatly illustrated with stills and colorful posters, “The Slasher Movie Book” provides an unmatched exploration of the early foreign influences of the slasher genre.

The book serves as a guide to classic cult hits “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” as well as more obscure flicks such as “Savage Water” and “Bloodbeat.”

Filled with trivia and interesting facts, the best feature of this book is the graphic retro poster art. Horror aficionados will love this artful tribute.

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

SAUSALITO, Calif. – A very special event will happen at Presidio Yacht Club on Thursday, July 5, when the Blues Hall Of Fame's San Francisco Ambassador Monica Dupont presents certificates inducting several great blues artists into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Musicians being inducted are Alice Stuart, Lake County's Mike Wilhelm, Ron Thompson, Volker Strifler, Addie, Mitch Woods and Stompy Jones.

Legendary blues artists from the Bay Area will be posthumously honored as well. In her personal invitation to participants Dupont writes, "Many talented people will be there, sitting in and showing their love and support. This will be a great evening!"

The house band for this historic event is Mike Wilhelm & Hired Guns augmented by special guest stars including Dupont, multi-instrumentalists Gary Novak and Buzzy Linhart, guitarist/vocalist Volker Strifler, Stompy Jones vocalist Christopher Binnings, drummer Bill Baron, the Ravines, vocalist/guitarist Rev. Rabia and many more outstanding players.

The event will be recorded on video for the BHOF archives.

Presidio Yacht Club is on Somerville Road in Ft. Baker, Sausalito and offers a striking and unique view of the Golden Gate Bridge from its Horseshoe Cove location on the water's edge. It has a dance floor and full bar.

Hostess Maria Perrin starts serving a home-cooked dinner at 5 p.m. for the nominal cost of $8.

The music starts at 7 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. A $5 donation is requested for the musicians. Yacht Club members gratis.

Maps and directions are available at www.presidioyachtclub.org .

The Blues Hall of Fame Web site is www.blueshalloffame.org .

Monica Dupont's Web site is www.reverbnation.com/monicadupont .

Mike Wilhelm's Web site is www.mike-wilhelm.com .