How to resolve AdBlock issue? Arts & Life
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From 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, Wild About Books will host lunch with Lake County Poet Laureate Sandra Wade.
Bring a sack lunch and listen to the spoken word. After hearing poetry for lunch you'll be invigorated and energized, ready for the rest of your day.
Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake. For more information call the store, 707-994-9453.
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The film follows nine appealing children in the red light district in Calcutta, India who met an American documentary film maker. They fell in love with her, and she fell in love with them, and they formed a group. She gave each of them a new camera for free, and then recorded what happened on videotape.
When she first arrived, the kids' situation was dire, in that all the girls in the group were expected to join "the line" of prostitutes that forms each night in their slum. Their relatives, including aunts and mothers, told them regularly they'd be "in the line" very soon. The boys had no hope. None of them knew the world outside their red light district.
What follows is really magic (and a lot of work).
Many people have been requesting films that inspire us to positive action. This is that kind of film. It won an Academy Award for Best Documentary and is beautifully rendered, with both real suspense and many photos taken by the children.
Of course, Second Sunday films are always free of charge. The venue is the Clearlake United Methodist Church, at 14521 Pearl St., near Mullen, in Clearlake. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for snacks and chat. The film is shown at 6 p.m. and is followed by friendly talk and discussion. The group hopes to see you there!
Feedback about Second Sunday Cinema, its films and its purpose are always welcome at 9164ster@gmail. com. The group is very interested in what you think and in your involvement.
An email discussion group has formed at Second_Sunday_ Cinema@yahoogrou ps.com.
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The Farrelly Brothers (Peter and Bobby), already known for their outrageous brand of humor in such films as “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something about Mary,” have returned with a vengeance for a comedy to push the boundaries of taste.
It’s seems ironic, somehow, that they achieve raucous, gross-out humor at the expense of a vast revision to a screenplay written by the classy Neil Simon. But then, the whole idea is to take “The Heartbreak Kid” and turn its story of a guy who falls for another woman while on his honeymoon into a wild mix of lewd and crude humor, strong sexual situations, and irritating behavioral conditions.
This remake of “The Heartbreak Kid” puts Ben Stiller into the role of the shallow, picky confirmed bachelor who is egged on by his lascivious father and henpecked married best friend to take the plunge. Stiller’s Eddie Cantrow owns a San Francisco sporting goods store and finds himself on the romantic sidelines while attending the wedding of his former fiancée.
His foul-mouthed octogenarian father Doc (real-life father Jerry Stiller) is constantly talking about sex and trips to Las Vegas. Eddie’s buddy Mac (Rob Corddry) advocates marital bliss, though he seems programmed to mouth happy platitudes as if to mollify his demanding spouse. Together, Doc and Mac both taunt and prod the sad-sack Eddie to get hooked up.
In short order, Eddie meets Lila (Malin Akerman), after coming to her rescue during a street mugging. The pair embarks on a whirlwind romance, which leads to a hasty proposal. On the drive down the California coast for their honeymoon in Mexico, Eddie discovers the annoying quirks of his new bride, which at first include her incessant desire to sing along loudly with every song on radio, even bad ones like “Muskrat Love.”
Though Lila looks sweet and cute, she talks like a trucker and her deviated septum, due to an undisclosed cocaine habit, causes all kinds of food products to drop from her nose. Her insatiable appetite for sex is more like an endurance contest than an act of sweet intimacy.
By the time the newlyweds reach the swanky Cabo San Lucas resort, Eddie is aghast that his life partner has turned into a crass, tequila-swilling wench with a sordid past. Every time Lila reminds him they will be together for 50 years, Eddie’s face has a look of pain and disgust.
After being stricken with a severe case of sunburn, Lila refuses to leave their hotel room, and Eddie consoles himself at the hotel bar where he strikes up casual talk with Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a lacrosse coach on vacation with her entire family from Mississippi. Soon, Eddie is cooking up excuses to leave his bride behind and spend time with Miranda. They hit it off, but only because Eddie neglects to say anything about his marital status.
All sorts of complications arise as Eddie tries to think of ways to ditch his wife. Events conspire to keep Eddie from confessing his situation. On the other hand, some bratty kids spread a rumor that Eddie’s wife was killed in a brutal slaying. Miranda’s cousin Martin (Danny McBride) becomes increasingly suspicious and hostile to Eddie. The sleazy hotel clerk Tito (Carlos Mencia) doesn’t help matters by indulging Eddie’s every whim, while at the same time undermining his romantic intentions. And, of course, Eddie keeps digging a hole for himself with every passing moment.
“The Heartbreak Kid” sustains its crude, raunchy, over-the-top humor in fairly decent fashion, as long as you enjoy the Farrelly Brothers’ brand of comedy, up until the point that Eddie is unmasked in front of Michelle and her entire family. At this juncture, the film is looking desperately for a way to arrive at some sort of satisfactory conclusion, but it simply doesn’t happen. If you don’t realize that Eddie has become a jerk, the last scene should clinch it.
Along the way, however, there are laughs for this gross-out adult sex comedy. Just be warned that this raunchy film is strictly an adult affair, and there’s an outrageous moment involving a very private female body part.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
If you recall the release of “Grindhouse,” a collaboration of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, you know it involved two separate Grade B movies that would have been released at drive-in theaters thirty years ago.
Not surprisingly, “Death Proof,” released last month, and “Planet Terror” are not packaged together as a single DVD.
The two-disc edition of “Planet Terror,” containing extended and unrated footage, becomes available on Oct. 16.
I am betting that one day “Grindhouse” will be released as one package with both films, and hopefully will include the phony trailers that were considered the highlights.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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On Wednesday, Oct. 10, it's Teacher and Librarian Appreciation Night from 4 to 6 p.m. Lake County Teachers and Librarians will be celebrated with food, fun, and 20 percent off purchases.
A writers' workshop entitled “Writers– Start your Novels” will take place beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. Anyone who has thought about writing a book can benefit from this workshop. Vicki Werkley is a freelance writer, editor and consultant based in Lake County and specializes in fiction and non-fiction. Sign-up early seats fill fast.
Local author Alethea Eason will sign copies of her first book, “Hungry” on Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 1 p.m. “Hungry” is a fun-filled sci-fi for ages 9-12, although a great read out loud book for the younger ages. The book shares important messages about fitting in. Join them for some alien fun and crafts, alien foodies, meet the author and don’t forget to get your first edition copy signed.
An artists reception will take place beginning at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. Meet the artists who are currently showing and selling their works at Wild About Books. Some will demonstrate or share their works in progress. Receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases today only.
Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, telephone 707-994-9453.
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