Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.
It is estimated that one out of five Americans enjoys spending time bird watching, or birding, and here’s a poem for some of those people by Kathleen M. McCann, who lives in Massachusetts. I especially like the way she captures the egret’s stealthy motion in the second stanza.
Nazis always make great cinema villains. Working off this premise, “Captain America: The First Avenger” delivers the goods for a rousing World War II yarn of bravery and heroism, along with a good dose of patriotism.
As fans of the Marvel Comics know well, the scrawny Steve Rogers, a Brooklyn kid yearning to join the Army to fight for his country, is the unlikely titular superhero.
In true American fashion, the proverbial 90-pound weakling, socially inept and constantly harassed by bullies, shows true grit and heart as he tries to enlist in the Army by using a series of pseudonyms.
Contrary to the wishes of his best friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Steve Rogers finally succeeds in getting enlisted, and in doing so catches the attention of German-American scientist Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), who is working on a secret program for biological enhancement.
Portrayed by Chris Evans, first by CGI magic on the body of a puny kid, Steve Rogers is an implausible recruit, but he demonstrates an abundance of heart as well as brains, particularly to British military liaison Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).
During his basic training, while still in his pre-enhanced mode, the scrawny Steve outwits his bigger and more muscular fellow boot camp recruits by being the only one able to snatch the battalion flag from high atop the flagpole. Cleverness trumps brute strength every time.
The courageous Steve also captures the attention of the tough-talking Col. Phillips (the perfectly gruff Tommy Lee Jones), who marvels at his recruit’s pluck before reluctantly consenting to the scientific experiment that will transform the skinny kid into a superhero.
Under the watchful eye of scientists, military leaders and even politicians, Steve volunteers to be the guinea pig for the physical enhancement serum administered by Dr. Erskine.
Entering an airtight contraption emitting sparks and fumes from which could emerge either the human fly or the Son of Frankenstein, the blond-haired Steve is magically and ironically transformed into what looks like the muscular poster boy for the Aryan race.
Almost immediately, the augmented Steve Rogers proves his worth as a fighting force by single-handedly tracking down and eliminating an enemy agent in spectacular fashion on the Brooklyn docks.
Though Steve becomes the All-American hero, taking on the moniker of Captain America, he is relegated to a nationwide tour to raise funds for the war effort.
Paradoxically, Steve’s talents are wasted as a costumed song-and-dance man, backed up a chorus of pretty showgirls dressed in patriotic colors, causing him to yearn for battlefield action.
His wish comes true while on his Captain America theatrical assignment to entertain troops on the front lines of the European theater.
Carrying his trusty star spangled shield and dressed in the superhero part, Steve takes off on an unauthorized mission to liberate 400 American soldiers being held behind enemy lines by the secret Nazi program called Hydra.
Assisted by Peggy Carter and inventor Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Steve and a platoon of skilled soldiers embark on a quest to hunt the Third Reich’s rogue unit under the command of Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), whose villainy is fully realized in the identity of his alter ego, Red Skull.
Schmidt’s renegade Hydra unit is so powerful that its troops pledge allegiance to the maniacal world domination ambitions that come to the fore when Schmidt unleashes his Red Skull persona.
Most of the action, fittingly for the story’s comic book origins, consists of Steve Rogers in full bloom in his Captain America guise, devastating his enemies with mortal blows, often with the help of his Frisbee-like shield, in a fury of fast-paced action.
“Captain America’s” sense of old-fashioned wartime melodrama is oddly contrasted with the futuristic weapons at the disposal of the Hydra soldiers, who look more like storm troopers in “Star Wars” than Hitler’s goon squad.
One must bear in mind that “Captain America,” after all, achieves its brilliance at the hands of its comic book origins, where the notion of a bionic wartime superhero is pure science-fiction.
In this summer’s sweepstakes of high-octane action pictures, “Captain America” deserves to be saluted as an impressive entertainment that easily surpasses other entries in the superhero genre. Go and enjoy.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
The mind-bending action thriller “Source Code” might play better now that it is being released on Blu-ray and DVD.
This sci-fi, action thriller found Jake Gyllenhaal’s soldier Captain Colter Stevens waking up in the body of an unknown man as part of an experimental government program that enabled him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last eight minutes of his life.
Armed with the task of identifying the bomber of a Chicago commuter train, Stevens must relive the incident over and over again, gathering clues until he can solve the mystery and prevent an even deadlier second terrorist attack.
While both editions of “Source Code” are packed with bonus features, only the Blu-ray version gives viewers the option to explore different aspects of the film as the movie plays.
This interactive feature offers scene-specific behind-the-scenes information, Including exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, pop-up trivia, animated shorts, commentary from scientific experts on time travel and more.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee will host an artists' reception on Saturday, Aug. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. during the Annual Quilt and Textile Exhibition.
Featured artists will include the Clear Lake Quilt Guild, renowned weaver Sheila O'Hara and her students, and members of the Sheep Thrills Spinning and Weaving Guild.
Works include quilts, weavings, tapestries, clothing and other fiber art items, in soft and subtle pastels to bold colors and textures.
The Exhibition runs from Aug. 6 through Aug. 27 at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St.
Open hours are 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the museum at 707-995-3565.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rising Stars Music Showcase is a multi-musician, multi-genre competition in which musicians from Lake and Mendocino counties will be competing for prizes and supporting local area non-profits.
Presented by 94.5 K-Wine, Max 93.5 and Russian River Records, this fourth annual event is held to benefit multiple local charities.
The daylong event on Oct. 1 will be held at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds from noon to midnight.
Rising Stars will encompass as many musical genres as possible showcasing the often-unheard talents of musicians of all ages.
Solo musicians and group musicians from all genres are encouraged to enter the competition.
Bands from all genres are encouraged to enter this competition by going to the Web site at http://www.risingstarscompetition.com and submitting their entry.
Bands will be placed in divisions according to their genre of music and be judged on an individual basis with each judge scoring individual acts on stage performance and presence, talent and audience reaction.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each genre with overall winners receiving the grand prize of studio time at Russian River Records.
The deadline for entry is Aug. 31.
Being a family-friendly event, Rising Stars is an opportunity for local nonprofit organizations to raise much-needed funds.
Nonprofits and businesses alike are welcomed to rent booth space at this popular event. For-profit businesses must select a designated nonprofit to which they will donate a portion of their proceeds. Booths can be anything from selling items to participatory games. Vendors must sign up by Aug. 31.
Limited food vending spaces are available for certified food businesses wishing to rent them. Inquiries about booth spaces may be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
This showcase of talent is an effort to promote awareness of all of the musical talent in the area along with helping community organizations.
Musicians, businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in some way to help keep the music alive and help keep vital services for those in need.
Information can be obtained at the Web site, through email or through calling Mary Chadwick at 707-272-6514.
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