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‘GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE’ RATED PG-13

Only three years ago, the Monsterverse’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” pitted the monster ape against the gigantic lizard in a spectacular battle where the fate of humanity hung in the balance.

Even though Kong, along with the orphaned girl Jia, from the Iwi tribe, took a hazardous journey to find his true home, an enraged Godzilla on the warpath across the world was itching for an epic clash between the two titans.

Getting these two fearsome creatures together is like the ultimate cage match. Much like the audience at a UFC fight, fans of the Monsterverse are hoping for a spectacle of a bruising battle.

In what is considered the fifth installment of the ongoing monster saga, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” takes a different path when the almighty Kong and the terrifying Godzilla need to team up against a colossal threat hidden within the deep recess of Earth.

While Godzilla resides on the surface world, taking a rest inside Rome’s Colosseum, Kong dwells in Hollow Earth, nursing a bad toothache for which the wild adventurer and veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) is intrepid enough to perform oral surgery.

Rebecca Hall’s scientist Ilene Andrews, working for the Monarch group, and her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), are once again in the Kong camp, along with podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) for some comic relief.

The villain that brings Kong and Godzilla together is Skar King, the cruel ruler of enslaved simians, who with his sidekick Shimo poses a real threat to Kong until Godzilla shows up and the two join forces, and Mothra makes a cameo appearance.

Unlike the Japanese film “Godzilla Minus One” that won an Academy Award, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” has no pretensions to anything other than being a critic-proof entertainment. The less said the better about this film because the legions of fans won’t care, nor should they.

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE

The 15th TCM Classic Film Festival is now just around the corner, and the schedule is as firmly settled as might be possible. Time slots marked “TBA” usually turn out to be for popular films that sold out, and that’s why all the TBAs show up on the final day.

The thrill of the festival includes getting reacquainted with old favorites, sometimes newLY restored, or discovering hidden gems. The latter might be the case with 1966’s “Gambit,” a comic caper with exotic locales.

Con artist Michael Caine spots Eurasian nightclub dancer Shirley MacLaine and notes her resemblance to a priceless Chinese bust owned by the world’s richest man (Herbert Lom). MacLaine looking like a stereotypical Chinese girl would at least be cultural appropriation in today’s world.

It’s best to look at cinema, much like history, in the context of the times. Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American film star, would have been perfect for the part, but she was no longer around.

Fortunately, Michael Caine, a nonagenarian, is still with us, and it’s interesting to note that “Gambit” was originally written for Gary Grant, but MacLaine wanted Caine as the leading man, so the script was rewritten to make the British gentleman thief a Cockney upstart.

One of the most memorable cinematic lines is delivered by Clint Eastwood pointing a .44 Magnum at a bank robber and saying, “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya punk?”

In “Dirty Harry,” Eastwood’s steely-eyed Harry Callahan, a San Francisco police detective on the trail of a serial killer (Andy Robinson, going full creepy), was perfect, even though the script had been written for an older actor and scheduled with Frank Sinatra, who dropped out.

Watching “Dirty Harry” on the big screen will cement the image of Clint Eastwood making the transition from star to icon. If only Don Siegel, who directed this and four other Eastwood films, were with us to tell stories about his friend.

A special event with the hand-and-footprint ceremony that occurs on Friday, April 19th in front of TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX (still fondly called Grauman’s Chinese by many) will honor Jodie Foster for her illustrious career as actress and filmmaker.

Foster began her career at age three, appearing as “The Coppertone Girl” in television commercials. Of course, she went on to bigger and better things as a regular on several television series, including “My Three Sons” and “Mayberry RFD.”

Widespread attention of the actress came with her powerful portrayal of streetwise Iris in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976), wherein Robert De Niro’s disturbed cabbie focused his attentions on rescuing Foster’s 12-year-old hooker.

As a rape survivor in “The Accused” and Special Agent Clarice Starling in the thriller “The Silence of the Lambs,” Foster’s stunning performances earned her two Academy Awards for Best Actress.

Fortunately for film buffs, after the ceremony Foster will be the special guest for the screening of “Silence of the Lambs,” the only horror film according to TCM to be named Best Picture. Others would say the film fits the crime thriller category, but why quibble?

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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Artists and community members at the Raíces Hermosas exhibit opening. Photo by MAC staff.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center, or MAC, invites the public to “Raíces Hermosas: Conversations with Artists,” on Saturday, April 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the MAC gallery.

The Raíces Hermosas ~ Gorgeous Roots group exhibit highlights contemporary expressions of Latinx art and culture.

Conversations with Artists and the Raíces Hermosas exhibit are free and open to the public.

This conversation with selected artists will be facilitated by the exhibit’s guest curator, Jez Flores-García, Ph.D. The event offers an opportunity to hear directly from the artists about their creative processes, inspirations and concerns as Latinx artists. The artist panel includes five exhibiting artists. Alex Blas, Jaymie de la Torre Hernandez, Maria Mariscal, Manuel Rios and Martín Zúñiga.

Lake County resident Alex Blas has exhibited his richly detailed figure paintings in galleries including Lyons Weir Gallery (New York) and George Billis Gallery (Los Angeles). Sculptor Jaymie de la Torre Hernandez of Angwin works in clay and found objects and is an instructor of fine art at Pacific Union College.

Maria Mariscal and Manuel Rios are based in Sacramento. Mariscal’s work focuses on intersectional Latinx identities and mental health. In his work, Rios explores the nuances of Latinx identity in rural versus urban environments. He is a professor of art at Woodland Community College. Martín Zúñiga creates art that focuses on community and facilitates collaborative youth art projects and art events as a member of the Raizes Collective in Santa Rosa.

Flores is a curator and art historian specializing in contemporary art and Chicano art. Her research focuses on the ways artists navigate burdens of representation and forge intersectional alliances of resistance. “The Raíces Hermosas exhibition brings together work by artists across generations who identify as Latinx. However, that identity is complicated, at both individual and community levels. During the panel we will hear from the artists about representation—in every sense of the word—and its burdens.”

The event will be accessible via Zoom through the MAC website at www.middletownartcenter.org. Live Spanish translation will be available.

Raíces Hermosas is on view at MAC through May 27, Thursday to Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery hosts school field trips on most weekdays until 1 p.m.

Please visit MAC’s website or contact 707-355-4465 to learn more.

Funding for the Raíces Hermosas project is provided by the Specified General Fund for the Museum Grant Program under the California Cultural and Historical Endowment

The Middletown Art Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and cultural enrichment in the Middletown community and beyond. Through exhibitions, workshops, and events, MAC strives to inspire creativity and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts.

To learn more and contribute to support Raíces Hermosas and other MAC arts and cultural programs, visit middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118. The MAC is located at 21456 State Highway 175 in Middletown.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Arts Council will host performers from around the county to share their love of dance with the community this spring.

The 43rd Annual Spring Dance Festival hits the stage at the MAC Theatre at Clear Lake High School on Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Doors will open 30 minutes prior to showtime.

Admission is $15, children 5 and under are free, and tickets are available at the door and online at lakearts.org.

The Spring Dance Festival is a time honored tradition, showcasing a variety of styles — from classical ballet to funky hip-hop, and everything in between.

This year’s theme is “Dance the Night Away” and will feature local dance studios, including Antoinette Goetz’s School of Dance, Jeanette Marchais’s Studio Ballet, Claire Zimmerman’s BiZi Dance Co., Michelle John Smith’s Clear Lake Clikkers, Brianna Rojas, Elaine Johns, Audrey Showen, Jaimie Bracisco, and other talented choreographers and soloists.

You can learn more at https://lakearts.org/spring-dance-festival/.
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‘GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE’ Rated PG-13

Forty years ago, the start of the “Ghostbusters” franchise began with perfect casting of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis as parapsychologists forced out of their positions at a New York university (maybe it was Columbia, just not sure).

Denied their research grant funding, the trio became ectoplasmic exterminators working out of an old firehouse in Manhattan, tooling up in a converted Cadillac ambulance for their forays throughout the city in response to distress calls.

The original 1984 “Ghostbusters” was ripe with humor and wisecracks, the latter coming mostly from Bill Murray’s Dr. Peter Venkman with his knack for snarky remarks, often directed to the officious, arrogant EPA inspector Walter Peck (William Atherton).

Four decades later, Bill Murray’s Venkman is joined by Dan Aykroyd’s Dr. Ray Stantz, Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore, and Annie Potts’ Janine Melnitz as original members of the team, who also appeared in 2021’s “Afterlife” installment with Sigourney Weaver.

But first, the story of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” starts with a prologue in 1904 when New York firemen lead by a daring captain (Stephen Whitfield) discover frozen scientists, setting up the scenario implicit in the film’s title that comes to fruition with the release of a demon god.

This fifth installment (if you count the all-female version from 2016) brings back from “Afterlife” members of the Spengler family, including Callie (Carrie Coon), estranged daughter of the late Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace).

The Spenglers, along with former science teacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), relocate from small town Oklahoma where they uncovered Egon’s equipment to the Ghostbusters’ firehouse headquarters in the original film.

For his part, Grooberson is a Ghostbuster and a father figure to the Spengler kids, while the whole family wheels around town in the old reliable Ecto-1 mobile in chasing the usual ethereal creatures with the help of Phoebe’s new gear.

This kind of film works best with the right kind of villains. The return of Slimer brings welcome familiarity. But an ancient evil monster released from the prison of a metal orb results in the kind of fearsome creature similarly found in the climactic challenge of the first film.

The loathsome Walter Peck (William Atherton) returns this time as the Mayor of New York City, even more obnoxious than when he was just an annoying environmental bureaucrat with a grudge.

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” like most sequels in any genre, does not match the thrills and excitement of the classic 1984 original, but it does have enough nostalgic moments that fans of the franchise should find enjoyably entertaining.

What does the future hold for the franchise? The original Ghostbusters are getting long in the tooth, even though they remain delightful mainstays.

New characters on the scene would be welcome to return. Kumail Nanjiani’s Nadeem, taking on the role of Fire Master, brings much needed comic relief, as does Patton Oswalt’s library researcher.

It’s also great to see the Stay Puft little Marshmallow Men wreak havoc (be sure to stay for the end credits), and one would hope these silly creatures (think Minions) would return and play a bigger role in future mayhem.



‘Mr. Bates vs The Post Office’ on PBS

How often does a miscarriage of justice prompt a swift reply by political leadership following a firestorm of public indignation? The answer may be found in what happened in the United Kingdom in a scandal involving the British postal system.

“Mr. Bates vs The Post Office” tells the story of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history, and this comes from the unforgivable errors of the Post Office’s own computer system.

Imagine the nightmare of being a sub-postmaster wrongly accused and charged with fraud crimes due to a faulty technical system. Hundreds of sub-postmasters within the system got caught up in a terrible situation years in the making.

Lives were needlessly ruined, but the four-part drama has British actor Toby Jones in the role of Alan Bates, a postmaster standing up in a David versus Goliath heroic story ripped straight from the headlines.

Following a broadcast of this program in the United Kingdom, the public outcry over injustice to the postal workers forced the hand of the British Prime Minister to announce a new law to pardon the victims who had been wrongly convicted.

When money started to seemingly disappear from local postal branches, the government-owned Post Office wrongly blamed their own managers for its apparent losses. For more than a decade, hundreds were accused of theft and fraud.

Many were even sent to prison, leaving lives, marriages, and reputations in ruins. With the problems triggered by their own computer system, the Post Office denied they caused these errors.

“Mr. Bates vs The Post Office” is the story of the fight for justice by the decent ordinary people who were relentlessly pursued, coerced, and vilified by a powerful government entity, and their ongoing battle against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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Elena Casanova. Courtesy photo.

UKIAH, Calif. — Beloved concert pianist Elena Casanova will storm the stage in stilettos for the grande finale of the Ukiah Community Concert Association season.

The concert will take place beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at the Mendocino College Center Theatre, 1000 Hensley Creek Rd, Ukiah.

Casanova’s brilliance is well known to American audiences where she is renowned equally for her spirited performances of both the European masters and Latin American composers.

Her recordings, “Ensuenos de Cuba,” “Fuentes sin Igual,” and “Recordando” have been met with rave reviews. Critic Joel Thompson wrote of the Cuban native: “The rhythms of this music that Casanova has so skillfully and passionately rendered may grab hold of your soul, allowing you to become Cuban for a while — the mark of a great pianist.”

In addition to numerous solo piano recitals, Casanova has performed as soloist with orchestras throughout Northern California, including Symphony of the Redwoods, Ukiah Symphony, and Pacific Union College Orchestra with a repertoire including Mozart’s “Piano Concerto no. 21,” the “Khachaturian Piano Concerto in D-flat Major,” Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto,” and Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.”

She has also performed in a variety of popular idioms with Grammy Award winning reed player Paul McCandless, Grammy nominated guitarist Alex DeGrassi, and with recording artist and pianist Spencer Brewer in his annual Professional Pianists concert at the Mendocino College Theatre.

In a tour de force program created especially for the UCCA audience, Casanova will perform Cuban music with multimedia, multi-sensory and evocative elements including poetry and dance.

It promises to be a spectacular multi-media event celebrating Elena's Cuban heritage with exquisite piano compositions and snappy rhythms as well as participation by members of Cantabile (opera theater), Eloquence Ensemble (piano quartet), Paloma Victoria Rodriguez Irizarry (choreography and dance), and guest artist Adrian Casanova.

Tickets for non-season subscribers are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Advance tickets are available online at www.ukiahconcerts.org and at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah and Mazahar in Willits.

As part of their ongoing educational outreach program, free tickets are available to youth 17 and under when accompanied by an adult, and to full-time (12 units) college students. Free tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 707-463-2738 with name, phone number and email address.

For more information, please contact the UCCA at 707-463-2738 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ukiah Community Concert Association has been presenting nationally acclaimed talent since 1947.

This all-volunteer nonprofit’s mission is to build and maintain a permanent concert audience and cultivate an interest in fine music of all genres among the citizens of the community and surrounding area. It is also their goal to encourage music appreciation in the schools of the community.
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‘MOYNIHAN’ AND ‘INCOMPARABLE MR. BUCKLEY’ ON AMERICAN MASTERS

Not likely to escape any sentient being’s notice is that 2024 is a presidential election year, and PBS’ “American Masters” continues its quest to examine influencers and disruptors of American political thought with “Thought Leaders,” its strand of programming focused on changemakers.

The “Thought Leaders” series returns with two new documentaries on Daniel Patrick Moynihan and William F. Buckley, Jr., two political titans who helped shape the current landscape of American democracy.

Narrated by Academy Award nominee Jeffrey Wright, “Moynihan” is the first-ever feature-length documentary to follow the life of former U.S. Senator and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

An interesting connection, of sorts, between Moynihan and William F. Buckley, Jr., is that Moynihan, who had already served in the Nixon administration and then as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was elected to the Senate in 1976 as a Democrat, beating Buckley’s brother James, the incumbent.

James L. Buckley had the distinction of being elected to the Senate representing the state of New York, running as the nominee of the Conservative Party of New York State, beating appointed Republican incumbent Charles Goodell and Democratic congressman Richard Ottinger.

An interesting fact about the 1970 election was that Charles Goodell had been appointed to the Senate by Governor Nelson Rockefeller to fill the vacancy created by the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Senator Goodell’s son is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Moynihan had a distinguished career of serving as an Assistant Secretary of Labor under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, devoting much of his time to the War on Poverty.

In a bipartisan spirit, Moynihan served as an Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in Richard Nixon’s first term, and after leaving the administration, he later accepted an appointment to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President Gerald Ford in 1975.

Moynihan authored the controversial report, “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action,” commonly known as “The Moynihan Report,” a document intended for Lyndon B. Johnson and his appointees that outlined Moynihan’s perspective on the forces that impact Black families in America.

“Moynihan” includes interviews with President Biden; New York Senator Charles Schumer; Eleanor Holmes Norton, the delegate to U.S. House of Representative from the District of Columbia; the late Henry Kissinger; and controversial author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

“The Incomparable Mr. Buckley” follows the personal and political journey of conservative writer, strategist, candidate and provocateur William F. Buckley, Jr., one of the architects of the modern conservative movement.

Born in 1925, Buckley joined the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in the United States. After the war, he studied at Yale University, and after graduation penned “God and Man at Yale,” a book critical of his alma mater.

A short stint with the Central Intelligence Agency had Buckley, fluent in Spanish, stationed in Mexico City, where his boss was E. Howard Hunt, later known for his role as a central figure in the Watergate scandal of the Nixon administration.

A prolific author of books that could fill a library, Buckley did not focus on politics and history alone. He penned at least a dozen novels in a series that featured the exploits of fictitious CIA officer Blackford Oakes.

Aside from being a nationally syndicated columnist, Buckley may be best known as the founder and editor of “National Review” and host of the public affairs program “Firing Line” for over thirty years.

Rising to prominence as a public intellectual of the conservative movement, Buckley influenced a generation of politicians, including Senator Barry Goldwater’s presidential run in 1964 and the campaigns of Ronald Reagan.

More than just a political influencer, Buckley helped launch the conservative “Young Americans for Freedom” political activist group, which became involved in his brother’s run for the Senate.

Most notably, Buckley tossed his hat into the political ring with a quixotic run for Mayor of New York City in 1965 as the candidate of the Conservative Party. When asked what he would do if he won, Buckley replied, “Demand a recount.”

“The Incomparable Mr. Buckley” includes interviews with his only son, Christopher Buckley; Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of “National Review;” Jeff Greenfield, journalist and “Firing Line” moderator; Sam Tanenhaus, former editor of “The New York Times Book Review;” and Jay Nordlinger, Buckley’s biographer.

“Moynihan” premieres on Friday, March 29th, and “The Incomparable Mr. Buckley” on Friday, April 5th.

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE

TCM announces that the festival’s closing night screening of “Spaceballs” will be presented by writer and director Mel Brooks, a genius in the comedy genre if there was ever one.

Famed director Steven Spielberg will have a Q&A with UCLA Film School’s Howard Suber ahead of the director’s cut screening of Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” a classic science fiction adventure.

Filmmaker Nancy Meyers (”Private Benjamin” and “Father of the Bride”) will introduce the world premiere restoration of one of her favorite movies, Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest,” completed by Warner Brothers and The Film Foundation.

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

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