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Cape Vincent Foreign and Independent Film Series

Update: Lars and the Real Girl.

This is one of my favorite films of 2007.  This is such a sweet story that is the perfect mix of reality and fantasy.  The tone is amazing.  This film was nominated for a best original screenplay Oscar but beat out by “Juno” - which I also liked, but not as much as “Lars and the Real Girl,” which is much more “original.”  Part fairytale, part love story, it is perfectly beguiling, disarming and heartfelt.  Very Good Flick!

Check This Out:

For those of you who are spending your winter (don’t say the “W” word) in the North Country, the eagerly anticipated Cape Vincent Foreign and Independent Film Series has a show tonight, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20thh at 7pm.

The Series runs the first and third Thursday every month through April 2009 except January due to New Year’s Day- in January the movies switch to the second and fourth Thursdays of the month - one month only.

At the Community Room at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Market Street.

The film series is sponsored by the Cape Vincent Community Library

Films are intended for mature audiences.

For more information call 654-2132

FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I’m very excited about this week’s pick.  “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” are coming to Ogdensburg.  No, the election is over, I don’t mean politicians I mean the Musical based on the Broadway hit.

Inspired by the hit movie comedy from 1988, the original Broadway musical opened in March 2005 and played over 600 performances and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards.

Two con men, gigolos for the mature set, haunt the French Rivera and Cruise liners in search of their next meal tickets, usually lonely rich and widows.

There are a lot of twists in the plot and hummable tunes in the jaunty score by David, Yazbek, famous for the score of “The Full Monty.”

Even though this musical is about crime, the criminals are suave and charming and it’s all done in fun.  The movie starred Michael Caine and Steve Martin and the original Broadway cast starred John Lithgow and Norbet Leo Butz.

Lithgow is presently on Broadway, starring in “All My Sons,” with Mrs. Cruise, Katie Holmes.  I saw Norbet Leo Butz in the 1990’s revival of Cabaret and he was great.  As a matter of fact he beat Lithgow for the Tony in the original production of this show as Best Actor in a Musical.

Fact check:  Check out this great website - Internet Broadway Database.

If you haven’t been to an Ogdnesburg Command Performance show this is a great time to start.  Even though it won’t have Lithgow and Norbet, it will have a talented Broadway caliber cast.  Trust me.

Showtime is 7:45, this Sunday, November 23.

Quantum of Solace - Movie Review

by BJ Clary

Warning: Potential Spoilers

The many adventures of 007 have created one of the longest running action series on the big screen. The cunning and charming James Bond has graced the screen 22 times and has yet to disappoint an audience. Quantum of Solace is the latest addition to the series and the second Bond film for the sixth man to play the role, Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, The Golden Compass).

Quantum of Solace joins Bond after the events of Casino Royale. Vesper, the first woman Bond actually loved, is dead thanks to a mysterious and ever present organization known as Quantum, which has given him a great deal of motivation to try and take it down. A brief bit of interrogation and some computer work courtesy of MI6 points Bond in the direction of Dominic Greene, head of a faux environmental group called Greene Planet. Greene and Quantum are moving national powers around for something big that has everyone guessing, incorrectly at that.

During his investigation of Greene, Bond meets Camille (Olga Kurylenko, Max Payne, Hitman) a woman using Greene for his connections to the man who killed her family. Unfortunately, Greene and his connections aren’t the only things the two have to worry about. Bond’s more aggressive attitude has MI6 doubting his ability and loyalties, causing a stop on his credentials and an order to bring him in as soon as possible.

As far as Bond movies go, this is…another one. That’s not the say the movie isn’t good. The action sequences are true to Bond form and the acting is flawless. 007 has not lost his touch. This film just does not seem to add anything new to the series as a whole. If anything, the movie takes some things away (which some people may see as adding something new). The spy gadgets are gone, with the exception of a business card tracking device, so all you techies out there will have to get your fix from the touch screen moments at MI6.

This film also lacked the essential Bond Girl. There were girls present with Bond, but I would not classify them as Bond Girls. Their roles do not carry throughout the film, forcing their entry and exit to take place in one block of time. Not only that, but gone are the days of the supporting female with a name rife with innuendo. At least for now.

Casino Royale began a reimagining of the Bond universe that is continued in Quantum of Solace. Some die hard fans of the series may not be happy with the missing pieces in this film, but in terms of action and excitement, Bond delivers. This story line is far from over, so if you want to keep up on the world of Bond, or are just looking for an action movie to get your heart racing, Quantum of Solace is worth watching.

Carlene Carter Comes to Clayton

The Clayton Opera House, one of the North Country’s best venue for music is up to it again.

After 10 years away from the musical scene, Carlene Carter is back with her new album “Stronger” and will perform Wednesday, November 19th at 7:00 pm at the Clayton Opera House.

Born Rebecca Carlene Smith, the child of country music royalty, daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, Carlene has lived a life in the music scene.

Early in her career Carlene found a way to blend the line between rock and country, bringing country music into a more popular light. On her country album “Stronger”, Carlene’s unique musical blend creates a smooth sound which she will bring to the Clayton Opera House stage.

Tickets for this event will be $20 and are available by calling the box office at 315.686.2200.

For more information:

Clayton Opera House

Carlene Carter’s My Space

Carlene Carer’s Fan Club

November 14-16 Weekend

CELEBRATE HIGH SCHOOL THEATER

There are several Local High School Productions Worth Note this Weekend. All are worth a look.

For anyone who has been in a high school production, can you remember the excitement of it?  I remember the thrill of being onstage and can’t understand why I was always cast as the smug, condescending villain.  Go Figure.

Although I may be able to remember being in the play, I certainly don’t remember the cast party.  Here’s hoping all the kids involved in these productions have a safe and fun time at their cast parties.  They deserve to let loose after all their hard work.

Let’s go by community.

WATERTOWN

The big Kahuna of schools has a stellar reputation and rightfully so.  Their musical productions under the talented and dedicated Russ Faunce are spectacular and don’t feel like you are watching community theater at all.

AIDA is the challenge they have taken up this time.  The story of a kidnapped Nubian Princess that played on Broadway from 2000-2004 to packed houses has a Tony Award winning score by one of the biggest pop stars of all time, Elton John.  This time he teams up with famous lyricist, Time Rice, most famous for writing the lyrics to “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita.”

I haven’t seen this show as I write this, but hope to get to it this weekend.  Despite this, I will recommend the show based on Faunce’s reputation and the pool of young talent WHS is famous for.  Besides I saw their production of “A Chorus Line” a few years back and loved it.

Friday and Saturday 7:30pm $7 adults $5 Students

SOUTH JEFFERSON

The high minded South Jeff students are tackling Shakespeare with an ambitious production of “Othello” as the young actors who appeared on the air this morning promoting their show said, basically its about love, jealousy, revenge and murder.  Just your run of the mill day in Shakespeare Land.

The buzz on this show is good, and I commend any group that tackles the Bard, let alone a high school group.  There are always lessons to learn from Shakespeare once you get past the “thous” and “thuses.”

Othello features one of Shakespeare’s most notorious and colorful villains, Iago, played this weekend by Tyler Graves.  I have always wanted to have a cat named “Iago.”

Friday and Saturday at 7pm $4 adults

CANTON

Agatha Christie’s Famous Mystery Play “The Mousetrap” is on at Canton Central.  This thriller has the distinction of being the longest continuously running play in history.

It opened in London England in 1952 and is still running.  So far over 23,000 performances and still going.  It’s the Ever Ready Bunny of productions.

The production in Canton won’t be running nearly as long, after all these students want to graduate someday.

Friday and Saturday at 7pm Adults $8, Students and Senior Citizens $6.

LOWVILLE

“Get Smart” a comedy mystery is presented by Lowville Academy and Central School Drama Club. This comedy spoof is rumored to be  a riot.

One Night only tonight Friday, 7:30pm

$6 adults, $5 students and Senior Citizens.

COOL EVENT - FUNDRAISER

Holiday, Food and Wine Festival at the Jefferson County Fair Exhibition Hall.

35 Vendors, offering local wine, food and crafts.

A great way to kick off the holiday shopping season!

Best Buy will be on hand to display the hottest video games and electronics for the kids to play while Mom and Dad shop.

EDIBLE STUFF INCLUDES:
Chocolate, nuts, cheeses and breads.

Oh and did I say, WINE!

Starts at 10am

For more information call: 315-212-4096

A Watertown Wizards event.

MUSIC NOTE

At the Paddock Club Tonight 9pm-1am “Ivory’

Aida Opens Tonight

Watertown High School will present the Elton John/Tim Rice musical this weekend.  It starts tonight, Thursday and plays Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm.

The original Broadway production which ran from 2000-2004 won four Tony Awards including best score.

Watertown High School is noted for its classy professional musical productions.  I saw their production of “A Chorus Line” a few years back.  Great Show.  Loved it.  And I am tough critic.

Check out Aida.  You won’t be disappointed.

$7 Adults.  $5 Students.

Tuesday November 11 DVD Releases

Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his team (Selma Blair, Doug Jones) are back again to save the world in the sequel “Hellboy II: The Golden Army“.

Fans of dark fantasy will like this new release.

Star Wars is back yet again with the release of the CGI-animated theatrical film Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It’s up to the Jedi Knights to maintain order and restore peace as the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy. Long time Star Wars fans should be aware this is more of a kids movie.

“Kung Fu Panda” is an animated comedy that will have you laughing from the beginning.

Po the Panda (Jack Black) dreams of becoming a Kung Fu Master. Unexpectedly he is chosen to study alongside legendary fighters and Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). His training is put to the test when a vengeful snow leopard (Ian McShane) heads there way and it’s up to Po to defend everyone.

 

TV shows on DVD this week are the complete 7th seasons of “Scrubs” and “7th Heaven”.

Role Models - Movie Review

by BJ Clary

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

It has been said that comedy is one of the most difficult forms of entertainment to do well. The comedies I have seen lately, with the exception of Zack and Miri, prove that statement beyond a shadow of a doubt. Movies like Nick and Noras Infinite Playlist promise hilarity but then fail to deliver once I hit the chair. Thankfully, in the past few weeks, good comedies have been hitting the big screen that make me hope the holiday movie season will soon be in full force. The newest dash of optimism to hit the screen this week is Role Models, a gem that makes up for all the comedic tragedies of the last few months.

[caption id="attachment_11568" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd "][/caption]

Seann WIlliam Scott (The Promotion, Mr. Woodcock) and Paul Rudd (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Over Her Dead Body) play Wheeler and Danny, two energy drink spokesmen who tour middle schools trying to keep kids off drugs and on Minotaur (the energy drink). After ten years with Minotaur, Danny has grown tired of his job and has become quite cantankerous (a friendlier adjective), but his partner Wheeler could not be happier.

Danny’s newly developed attitude drives his girlfriend Beth, played by Elizabeth Banks (Zackand Miri, Meet Bill), to end their relationship, which does little to help to situation. A confrontation with the police later that day causes Danny to make some bad decisions and drag happy-go-lucky Wheeler down with him.

Lucky for this duo, Danny’s now ex-girlfriend is a lawyer and manages to reduce their sentence to 150 hours of community service with Sturdy Wings, a Big Brothers Big Sisters type of organization. Wheeler is paired with Ronnie, the most difficult child in the roster, while Danny is assigned to Augie, one of the older children in the program who dawns a cape and enjoys live action role playing. As you can imagine, though it is a bit cliche, hilarity does ensue.

[caption id="attachment_11569" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott and Bobb'e J. Thompson"][/caption]

This movie is filled with one liners and monologues that will keep you rolling in the isles. The majority of the humor comes from Rudd, who is quick witted and cynical, and young Bobb’e J. Thompson (as Ronnie), who steals the show with his insults and sex crazed attitude. This is a very impressive feat considering the movie feels like it is centered mainly on Rudd and his character transformation.

Christoper Mintz-Plasse, as Augie Farks, comes in a close third with his nerdy mannerisms and the army of role players who make up the magical, medieval world of LAIRE. The role playing action may seem strange in the beginning, but as the movie progresses these scenes become more and more intriguing until you are fully engrossed in the foam combat by the end.

The only problem I can find in the movie is that, as I mentioned earlier, the movie seems to be Rudd centered. His transformation is significant but all the characters, other than William Scott, undergo a change as well. These changes, however, take a back seat to Rudd as you will only see about a minute or so of any noticeable difference in the other characters. Given that the movie was co-written by Rudd, one can see where this issue comes from.

Role Models is a movie I can not recommended enough. I must warn you though that just because there are children in this movie, do not think it is family friendly. If you are opposed to cussing and mild nudity, you might want to take the family to Madagascar 2. If, however, you are just looking for a night of belly laughs, Role Models should be your first choice.

Weekend November 7-9

Now that the election is finally behind us and we don’t have to deal with all those negative ads anymore, maybe we can enjoy ourselves.

ART

As mentioned last night during the Thursday Night 10pm Fox news–I love, love this event:

ARTISTS’ STUDIO TOUR

St. Lawrence County Arts Council presents this great event, which runs all weekend and kicks off with a reception TONIGHT, November 7th 6-8pm, with the Rustic Riders playing at the St. Lawrence Arts Council Gallery, 51 Market Street, Potsdam.

315-265-6860

Grab a map and make your way around the BIG BEAUTIFUL St. Lawrence County.  Hop from Studio to Studio or pick a specific place.  You can pick up brochures which include maps at the SLCAC office or click here and download the 21st Annual Studio Tour brochure.

You can see sculptures, quilts, pottery, wooden bowls, stained glass, designer hats, jewelry, and of course paintings.  All made locally. THAT MEANS IN AMERICA FOLKS.  When is the last time anyone bought something made in America?

All by hand by great local craftspeople.  Grab a hot chocolate, and maybe an umbrella (I will check with Rick De Franco) and make your way to Colton, Parishville, Norwood, Potsdam, Ogdensburg, Canton and Rensselaer Falls.

Support local artists, even if you just stop and say “AHHH.”

THEATER

Fiorello! Continues Tonight (Friday) and Tomorrow (Saturday) at the Dulles State Office Building.

The musical inspired by the life of Fiorello H. LaGuardia. Presented by the Watertown Lyric Theater is rousing musical by the genius composing team (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) behind “Fiddler on the Roof.” It tells the story of the “little flower,” beloved New York mayor.

The Cast includes Sean Devito, Lauren Angelo, Kevin Kitto, Becca Dyke and Sarah Zaffora-Reeder.  The Lyric theater has been a staple of entertaining musical theater in Watertown for decades with quality productions.

7pm General admission is $12, $10 for students and Military.

Eurydice

A play by Sarah Ruhl (living playwright and Pulitzer Prize nominee) at Gulick Auditorium, St. Lawrence University, Presented by SLU Department of Performance and Communication Arts.  Tonight Friday 8pm and tomorrow Saturday at 8pm. Tickets at the box office 229-5748.  Information (724) 351-4997.

IT’S A CIRCUS

KID FRIENDLY-

FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE - recession schmession - this is a FREE EVENT and KID FRIENDLY

“The Circus Show” a fun and family-friendly production created by students under the direction of Fullbright Scholar-in-Residence Miguel Cortazar is at 11am Saturday.

Performed in the European clown tradition, the story chronicles a family of clowns coming from far away to perform their Circus Show at SUNY Potsdam.  They are a unique family and each one of them is a unique clown-character.  There are acrobats, jugglers and musicians, but most of all, they are clowns with craziness, emotions and conflicts.  Dunn Hall Theater, SUNY POTSDAM.  For More information click here.

A COUPLE of HIGH SCHOOL THEATER EVENTS

Hammond

“Alibis” mystery-comedy spoof: Presented by Hammond Central School Senior Class. 7pm tonight and 7pm tomorrow (Saturday). BARGAIN! $5 Adults. $3 Students.

Can you sing “Feelings.. nothing but feelings…”?

Lip sync and Karaoke CONTEST Presented by Indian River Central School Drama Department. 7pm tonight. Okay you closet shower singers, come out and put your money where your beautiful, classically trained, singing voice is.   $5 admission.

MUSIC NOTE

Check out Fred and the Eds at the Paddock Club tonight! Friday November 7th.

9pm to 1 am.

Fiorello!

Fiorello! The musical inspired by the life of Fiorello H. LaGuardia is playing for three nights only in Watertown.  Presented by the Watertown Lyric Theater, this rousing musical by the genius composing team (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) behind “Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of the “little flower,” beloved New York mayor.

The Cast includes Sean Devito, Lauren Angelo, Kevin Kitto, Becca Dyke and Sarah Zaffora-Reeder.  The Lyric theater has been a staple of entertaining musical theater in Watertown for decades with quality productions.

This crowd pleasing show will play at the Dulles State Office Building Thursday, November 6th, Friday November 7th, and Saturday November 8th at 7pm General admission is $12, $10 for students and Military.

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