BRIDESMAIDS (Rated R)

Judd Apatow, the prolific producer of raunchy comedies such as “Superbad” and “Knocked Up,” has normally focused on a male-centric view of what is comically bad behavior.

With “Bridesmaids,” Apatow takes a detour into the uncharted waters of equal opportunity purveyor of humorously bad taste goofiness, as the female sensibilities attendant to an impending wedding are upended.

For a shorthand understanding of what is at stake, just think of “Bridesmaids” as the somewhat female rendering of “The Hangover,” if only slightly less crude.

The real jewel of this coarse chick flick is Kristen Wiig, the “Saturday Night Live” comedian, who shines in her disarming ability to be awkward, self-destructive and genuinely funny all at once.

Wiig’s Annie is careening through life as a thirtysomething failure at life, love and even business. Her Milwaukee cake shop just went under as the result of the sour economy.

As the story in “Bridesmaids” unfolds, where Annie is supposed to be the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding, we discover her inescapable knack at tumbling even further into depths of despair.

The lifelong friend of Lillian (Maya Rudolph), Annie instinctively knows that she’s crucial to the success of the impending nuptials.

However, she does not reckon with the emergence of the annoyingly perfect Helen (Rose Byrne), who makes herself nearly inseparable from Lillian, thus threatening a longstanding relationship.

Snooty and fabulously wealthy, Helen has no compunctions about insinuating herself into a starring role in the wedding, setting up fittings in fancy dress shops and hosting social gatherings.

Meanwhile, as Annie struggles to hold on to her role of maid of honor, competition between Annie and Helen set up amusing battles at a reception and on the tennis court.

Comic disaster ensues when Annie insists on hosting a bachelorette party luncheon at a downscale Brazilian restaurant which leads to food poisoning.

The effects of the gastronomical fiasco strike when the bridesmaids visit an exclusive dress shop and while trying on expensive garments they become violently ill at virtually the same time.

An even greater calamity occurs when the girls decide to take a flight to Las Vegas, not figuring that Annie’s fear of flying would result in total comic mayhem aboard the airplane.

Meanwhile, an element of humanity is introduced when Annie meets cute with Wisconsin state trooper Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd), a likable fellow with an inexplicable Irish accent.

Nevertheless, Annie does her best to try to mess up the putative romance with the offbeat cop, even continuing shallow trysts with a despicable, conceited male chauvinist (Jon Hamm).

Other obstacles in Annie’s life include the oddball British brother and sister that awkwardly share her apartment and the strained relationship with her mother (Jill Clayburgh).

The best supporting role in the bridal party goes to the larger-than-life Megan (Melissa McCarthy), an assertive woman who throws around her considerable weight to great comic effect. In fact, she has some of the best lines.

Overall, “Bridesmaids” belongs to Kristen Wiig, since the movie chronicles her slide to the rock bottom of desperation, and she carries it off with great humor.

“Bridesmaids” may be the greatest comic anomaly of all time: a chick flick that might actually be enjoyed more by men than the opposite sex.

This is one hilarious, twisted comedy well worth watching and ranks high on the list of Judd Apatow comic masterpieces.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Korean genre master Kim Ji-Woon delivers the ultimate revenge tale, filled with gory violence, in the DVD release of “I Saw The Devil.” Be warned that this film is not for the squeamish.

“I Saw The Devil” is the shockingly violent tale of murder and revenge.

Choi Min-Sik plays a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. The embodiment of pure evil, he has committed horrifying and senselessly cruel serial murders on defenseless victims, successfully eluding capture by the police.

On a freezing, snowy night, his latest victim is the beautiful daughter of a retired police chief and pregnant fiancée of an elite special agent (Lee Byung-Hun).

Obsessed with revenge, the agent decides to track down the murderer, even if doing so means becoming a monster himself.

When he finds the killer, turning him in to the authorities is the last thing on the agent’s mind as the lines between good and evil fall away in this diabolically twisted game of cat and mouse.

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

Knut Erik Jensen will perform in concert at Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville, Calif., on Sunday, May 22, 2011. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Knut Erik Jensen returns for his third musical engagement at Galilee Lutheran Church sponsored by the Vikings of Lake Lodge of Sons of Norway on Sunday, May 22.

The concert begins at 2 p.m. in the Galilee Lutheran Church sanctuary, 8860 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.

This talented 31-year-old, originally from Hell, Norway, will be entertaining vocally, on piano and with accordion.

A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow the concert.

Meet the artist, enjoy Smørbrød (Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches), Scandinavian cookies, coffee and tea. Wine will be available for purchase. The Norwegians will be celebrating their “Constitution Day” – Syttende Mai (May 17).

The suggested donation is $10 per person

Proceeds help benefit the Adopt-a-School Program which provides book bags with supplies to needy students in Lake County.

Visit the Vikings of Lake Lodge's Web site at www.vikingsoflakelodge.org.

Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.

When I was a little boy, the fear of polio hung over my summers, keeping me away from the swimming pool. Atomic energy was then in its infancy. It had defeated Japan and seemed to be America’s friend.

Jehanne Dubrow, who lives and teaches in Maryland, is much younger than I, and she grew up under the fearsome cloud of what atomic energy was to become.

Chernobyl Year

We dreamed of glowing children,

their throats alive and cancerous,

their eyes like lightning in the dark.

We were uneasy in our skins,

sixth grade, a year for blowing up,

for learning that nothing contains

that heat which comes from growing,

the way our parents seemed at once

both tall as cooling towers and crushed

beneath the pressure of small things—

family dinners, the evening news,

the dead voice of the dial tone.

Even the ground was ticking.

The parts that grew grew poison.

Whatever we ate became a stone.

Whatever we said was love became

plutonium, became a spark

of panic in the buried world.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2010 by Jehanne Dubrow, whose most recent book of poems is Stateside, Northwestern Univ. Press, 2010. Poem reprinted from West Branch, No. 66, 2010, by permission of Jehanne Dubrow and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2011 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.

Judging by the calendar of the cinema gods, the summer season has already started, which may be news to everyone still waiting for Memorial Day weekend. But for the second week in a row we have another traditional summertime popcorn adventure.

Last week, it was “Fast Five,” which speedily raced to the top of weekly grosses. Now along comes “Thor,” another Marvel Comics creation, a noisy superhero flick with plenty of thunder to ignite the summer season.

“Thor” operates in alternate universes, from the ancient kingdom of Asgard that floats somewhere in the great beyond to modern day earth in the dusty desert areas of New Mexico. In between, there is a planet of the weird Frost Giants that thrive on frozen tundra.

As the film’s titular character, the Norse god Thor (Australian actor Chris Hemsworth) is a brilliant warrior, but too arrogant and cocky for his own good, if he desires to ascend to the throne.

Thor’s father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is in failing health. Thor is the chosen one to rule Asgard, but Odin fears his son Thor’s eagerness to do battle with the reptilian Frost Giants will prove dangerously reckless.

Meanwhile, standing in the wings, if not in the shadows, is Thor’s younger half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who covets the royal power for himself. I’m not giving anything away, because you can spot jealousy on Loki’s face within two seconds.

But Thor launches a commando raid on the Frost Giants that does not go well. If only he had the training of a Navy SEAL, there would probably have been a different outcome.

Instead, for his heroism in spite of a failed mission, Odin banishes Thor from the kingdom, sending him on a journey to present day New Mexico.

His first encounter is with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her sidekick Darcy (Kat Dennings) and mentor, Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard).

As the Viking god out of his element, Thor speaks like a Shakespearean actor in an Olde English dialect and is obviously puzzled by the modern world.

Thor is also a wonder to behold, with his rippling muscles and charming demeanor. No wonder then that Jane is soon smitten. The chemistry between Thor and Jane is quite good, and sometimes very comical.

The action shifts back and forth between Earth and the realms of mystical worlds in the distant past. The effect of these changing spheres is very intriguing and goes far to explain the predicament for Thor.

On the terra firma of New Mexico, Thor finds that his powers elude him, thereby becoming a mere mortal who must survive on his wits. Odin sought to teach him a lesson in humility, and it appears to work.

Meanwhile, Loki has no interest in seeing his brother welcomed back into the Asgardian fold. His duplicity reaches new lows when acts of treachery betray the family heritage.

When Thor was cast from the kingdom, so too was the magical hammer that affords him superpowers. It is now in the hands of federal agents in dark suits who guard its presence at a secret desert location as if it were a new Area 51.

Thor and his human friends also encounter a new great danger in the arrival of a huge mechanical cast-iron destroyer who tears about the New Mexico village, tossing automobiles like they were milk cartons.

Retrieving the magical hammer becomes an imperative to saving the Earth and returning Thor to where he rightfully belongs. The use of it is just one more terrific special effect that is magnified on the IMAX screen.

“Thor” is brilliantly directed by Kenneth Branagh, a Shakespearean actor who knows a thing or two about epic tales and also has the masterful ability to bring a light, comic touch to the film.

For a summer blockbuster, “Thor” is a rousing adventure carried on the shoulders of another exciting Marvel Comics superhero.

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL WRAP-UP

Don’t say I didn’t alert you to the good times of the TCM Classic Film Festival, recently concluded in Hollywood.

The festival sold out its passes, resulting in visitors from 49 states and five foreign countries.

Organizers have officially announced the third festival will happen in 2012, probably around the same time of year.

Meanwhile, I can tell you from personal experience that there is nothing better than seeing a nicely restored or digitally enhanced classic film on the big screen.

The Marx Brothers’ “A Night of the Opera” is hilarious, and all the better when seen with an audience.

I liked the little gem of Roger Corman’s low-budget “The Little Shop of Horrors,” which included a weirdly funny performance by a very young Jack Nicholson.

My only disappointment was that for the glorious screening of “Goldfinger” the director Guy Hamilton was unable, apparently due to health issues, to keep his appearance to discuss this classic James Bond film.

I am already looking forward to next year.

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

Congressman Mike Thompson and regional Congressional Art Competition finalists, from left to right, including Erika Quezada, Nick Christen, Katelynn Meade-Malley, Thompson and Nilla Marie Mercado. Courtesy photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) announced on Friday that Nick Christen from Woodland High School is the winner of the 2011 Congressional Art Competition.

Christen's artwork, a photograph titled “Yolo Bypass,” will represent California’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be displayed for one year. He and a guest will be flown to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June.

“I am always impressed with the talent and creativity of the students who participate in this competition,” said Rep. Thompson. “Nick is an extremely talented artist with a bright future, and I am honored to feature his artwork in the U.S. Capitol. Our entire community should be proud of his achievement.”

Christen was one of six regional winners chosen by Rep. Thompson’s district staff.

The five other finalists were Katelynn Meade-Malley from Lower Lake High School in Lower Lake; Mira Weidman from Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy in Arcata; Joshua Lobue from Fort Bragg High School in Fort Bragg; Nilla Marie Mercado from American Canyon High School in American Canyon; and Erika Quezada from Cloverdale High School in Cloverdale.

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

Since then, more than 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.

Congressional Art Competition finalist Katelynn Meade-Malley of Lower Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.