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Arts & Life
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘THE RUNNING MAN’ RATED R
Arnold Schwarzenegger, former professional bodybuilder and erstwhile politician, remains to this day late in the eighth decade of his storied life an actor and producer, though not as prolific in this line of work as during his heyday.
The moniker of “The Terminator” will linger forever as his trademark. Even when he was California’s leader, he was often called the Governator, maybe derisively, but nevertheless in recognition of his cinematic persona.
Nearly 40 years ago, Schwarzenegger starred in the dystopian action thriller “The Running Man,” where memory serves, his character, Ben Richards, was a California police officer framed for a massacre of rioters and then falsely imprisoned.
The nation had turned into a totalitarian police state, where the government operated Soviet-style to control the populace through force, intimidation and media manipulation, while keeping the masses entertained through a popular game show called “The Running Man.”
Escaping from a prison labor camp along with a pair of resistance fighters, Richards was later recaptured and accepted an offer to participate in the game show where his survival depended on eluding “Stalkers” dispatched to kill him. It was all about entertaining the proletariat.
An interesting fact about 1987’s “The Running Man” was that the movie was based on the 1982 novel of the same title written by Richard Bachman, who turned out to be the nom-de-plume of horror fiction writer Stephen King.
The 2025 remake of “The Running Man,” still based on Stephen King’s book, stars Glen Powell (best-known for “Top Gun: Maverick and “Hit Man”) as Ben Richards, with a backstory unlike that of the Schwarzenegger version.
For all the intensity, grit and determination he brings to the role, Powell is nonetheless not even vaguely like “The Terminator” in physical strength or the innate ability to utter cheesy one-liners.
The near future dystopian world now looks like a crumbling Detroit, where the masses endure desperate lives steeped in poverty, and relief from a bleak existence only comes in the form of the TV reality show where a runner can win one billion dollars if they survive for 30 days.
The challenge for a participant in the game show is to outwit and outrun a cadre of assassins called the “Hunters” and as well as bloodthirsty and despairing citizens eager to cash in on reward money.
The violent game show is run by the despotic media empire known as the “Network,” and the show is produced by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin, doing the best he can to be a cartoonish, smirking villain), whose motivation is delivering the best ratings for his show.
Not a policeman or prison escapee like Schwarzenegger, Powell’s Richards is a working stiff, with a strong moral code, fired from his job for insubordination and overall hostility to authority.
Living in a cramped apartment in dreary Co-op City, Richards is distressed that his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) must work at a sleazy nightclub because the family can’t afford the expensive medicine needed for their baby daughter suffering from a lingering flu-like illness.
While Richards promises his wife that he’s not going to be a contestant on the most violent reality show, with the offer of the billion-dollar prize money no one has ever won, you already know he’s reckless enough to take the plunge.
The interview process to be a contender is interesting alone. Hordes of downtrodden people are lined up to get on any show that offers a payout. A quick-thinking Richards uses his temper and bravado to get a jump ahead of the others.
The contest for “The Running Man” requires at least three initial participants who fall into certain categories. Richards is joined by daredevil Jenni (Katy O’Brian), who looks like a punk rocker, and goofy Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy), who would be lucky to survive more than two days.
Of course, the detestable Killian knows that the longer a contestant stays alive, and on the run, the greater the boost in ratings as the runner attains a celebrity-like image that fuels the lust of viewers to witness his demise.
Richards gets help from a variety of people, from an old friend (William H. Macy), who provides disguises and fake identities, to Michael Cera’s writer of underground conspiracy pamphlets wanting to avenge his policeman father who was pushed out of the force for being an honest cop.
What if Richards becomes a folk hero and inspiration for rebellion against the tyranny of the Network? Is it possible that the masses, once satiated by a violent TV show, could turn to insurrection against authority? This could be where “The Running Man” is headed.
The original “Running Man” seemingly attained cult classic status in certain circles, notwithstanding that it hardly rises above popcorn entertainment. The remake is likely to fall short of an exalted standing in the future, but at least, it works as mindless entertainment.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Middletown Art Center
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center, or MAC, invites the public to the opening reception of its 62nd exhibit, “Configurations” on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.
This compelling display features new and returning artists’ work in a variety of media. As a whole, the exhibition explores a variety of ways in which the artists create a sense of order, structure, and connection within a single piece or a grouping of pieces.
Some artists build literal configurations through multi-part works, while others reveal more subtle relationships through recurring shapes, colors or themes.
“The works offer a dynamic meditation on how meaning can emerge from the interplay of elements, symbols, and associations,” said curator and MAC Artistic Director Lisa Kaplan.
“Configurations” will be on view from Dec. 6 to Feb. 16, Thursday through Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment, and is free to the public. A virtual tour will be available on MAC’s website after New Year’s.
Don’t miss the annual Posada Navideña during Christmas in Middletown on Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m., featuring piñata breaking, vendors, kids’ art making, and community caroling in Spanish and English at MAC.
The MAC is located at 21456 State Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29 in Middletown.
To find out more about the art center’s broad palette of programs, events, arts and culture engagement opportunities, and ways to support MAC’s efforts to weave the arts and culture into the fabric of life in Lake County, visit middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Center Stage Studios and North Bay Ballet Theatre is proud to announce that tickets are on sale now for their annual production of “the Nutcracker Ballet,” featuring music by Peter Tchaikovsky in four separate shows.
The shows will take place at the Marge Alakszay Center at 250 Lange St. in Lakeport on the following dates and time:
• Friday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 7, 1 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Center Stage website and following the link on the home page to purchase tickets now.
Ticket prices range from $15 to $17 per person and there is available floor seating for wheelchairs.
“We strive to give our performers and the audience a true theatre experience without having to leave the county. Our performers have worked hard all year to bring this production to the stage and we invite anyone and everyone to come enjoy the show,” said Studio Director Jeanette Marchais.
Join them as they bring the magical story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince to life on stage.
This production is open to children over 3 years old and makes an awesome field trip for schools, youth groups and large families looking for a way to kick off the Christmas season with the arts.
There will be complimentary refreshments and goodies available along with special Nutcracker Ballet 2025 merchandise for sale at each show (as supplies last).
Follow them on Facebook to stay in the loop with all the exciting things happening at Center Stage Studios, or to find out more about how you can financially support the performing arts in Lake County.
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘LAW & ORDER TORONTO: CRIMINAL INTENT’ ON CW NETWORK
No matter where the “Law & Order” franchise lands, even in Canada, the one familiar constant is the voice of the narrator that should trigger memories of other iterations.
Indeed, for the opening narration of “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,” a Canadian production based on the American franchise created by Dick Wolf, the voice of Steven Kirnkilton remains instantly recognizable.
“In Toronto’s war on crime, the worst offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit. These are their stories,” intones the narrator, whose imposing tone suggests a satisfying police procedural is on offer.
The good news is that the Canadian series is now running on the CW Network, beginning with the first season that has already been eclipsed by the second season enjoyed by our neighbors to the north.
The cast is primarily Canadian, with the notable exception of British-born actress Karen Robinson in one of the key roles as Inspector Vivienne Holness, to whom the two main detectives report their ongoing investigations.
Like the original, starring detectives in the New York-based “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, Aden Young and Kathleen Munroe make a great team as Detective Sergeants Henry Graff and Frankie Bateman, respectively.
The fourth central character, Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester (K.C. Collins), brings authenticity to the role that in the United States would be that of an Assistant District Attorney.
Showing great promise for the series, the first episode focuses on shady crypto investor Daniel (Ali Kazmi), recently married to trophy wife Sophie (Amber Goldfarb), entertaining clients on his private yacht, only to fall off the side of his boat and later be found washed ashore.
Working together with good chemistry, Detectives Graff and Bateman start their probe into the mysterious death, unearthing the possibility that Daniel stole hundreds of millions of client money, leaving Sophie in a precarious spot when she becomes the victim of a hit-and-run accident that is hardly coincidental.
Graff and Bateman play off each other nicely, with the former proving to be quirky with his endless knowledge of art, literature, and cultural issues, while the latter is more balanced and direct in questioning.
That Graff has infinite familiarity with fine art is amusing when, during a visit to Sophie’s home, he informs her that a painting hanging upside-down is by a French artist no one has probably heard of.
The fan base for “Law & Order” series is so strong that it may come as a surprise if the Canadian version fails to get traction in the United States. The “Toronto” edition merits more than a look; it’s a winner that should run for many seasons.
‘NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T’ Rated PG-13
A dozen years have passed since the original “Now You See Me” brought a team of illusionists known as the Four Horsemen working their magic to commit heists during a performance, drawing the attention of an FBI agent and Interpol detective.
My memory has faded on the 2013 film and its first sequel only three years later. The Four Horsemen are a little older now, but maybe not much wiser, since they cannot resist their Robin Hood impulse to fleece the well-connected.
The group leader is J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), backed up by the exuberant card shark Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Isla Fisher’s Henley Reeves, an escape artist who returns after an absence during the second film.
Woody Harrelson’s Merritt McKinney, a mentalist who appears to be either stoned or missing a few cells, is back. Rounding out the gang is Lizzy Caplan’s Lula, and thus, unless it’s magician’s misdirection, it looks like the group is really the Five Horsemen.
Well, no matter, because the group expands with a younger generation of three social activist illusionists. Feisty June (Ariana Greenblatt), Bosco (Dominic Sessa), and Charlie (Justice Smith), draw attention for their antics at a show to swindle and redistribute an obnoxious crypto huckster’s bank accounts.
When the Gen-Z magicians team up with the Horsemen, the action gets rolling with a grand design to heist a diamond larger than a baseball from the wicked Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), a rapacious, unctuous diamond heir from South Africa.
A true villain, Veronika partners with drug traffickers and war criminals to launder money for their criminal enterprises. Naturally, the group can’t resist the challenge of stealing what is most precious, to say nothing of boosting one of her race cars for a high-speed joyride.
The biggest mystery of this third “Now You See Me” is what possessed the creative team to generate another sequel after nearly a decade. Was there a push from a fanbase to unleash a budding franchise? If a fourth film is forthcoming, maybe the answer was in the affirmative.
“Now You See 3” does have its moments of awe and excitement, but it may prove to be forgettable as early as the next day.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.