Theater and dance join forces in the 'House of Usher'

The Resort Players of Mount Washington Valley has teamed with Axis Dance Company for a well mounted but flawed production of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” which continues its run at the Eastern Slope Playhouse in North Conway, N.H. Oct. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.

“The Fall of the House of Usher” is among Edgar Allen Poe’s most famous works and could be a fertile source for drama, but the adaptation by playwright Steven Berkoff stretches the material of the story far too thin. At 90 minutes, including an intermission, the production still feels too long. The show would’ve made a great 30- or 40-minute one-act, but at this length it feels needlessly padded.

Poe’s story was about the sickly Usher siblings, Roderick (Tom O’Reilly) and Madeline (Rae McCarey), who are visited by a friend (Dan Phelps), who attempts to put Roderick’s unstable mind at ease. Berkoff’s adaptation does little to expand upon this simple premise, and what additions he does make are more confusing than compelling.

There is an allusion to vampirism that is made early on and never referenced again. At times the actors will switch from being a third-person narrator back into their characters. Berkoff’s script becomes particularly desperate when one character actually pulls a copy of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” from a bookshelf and begins reading from it. It is as if this was the only way Berkoff could work these lines into his adaptation.

The play’s shortcomings fall squarely on Berkoff’s script. Undoubtedly this material can be extended successfully, but Berkoff doesn’t do Poe’s work justice. It is a shame the script wasn’t stronger, as all the elements of the Resort Players' production are top notch.

The lighting design by Christopher S. Chamber generates a moody atmosphere. The music comprised of disjointed string and piano arrangements paired with black and white video footage reflect the unstable minds of the characters. Tom Rebmann’s sparse set design, with chairs hanging from the ceiling and a slanted floor, creates the feeling of a decaying house.

There are several modern dances inserted into the show choreographed by Jeanne Limmer and performed by Miriah Mosher, Eliza Dubie and Erica Perry. These dances, particularly one set during a rainstorm in the second act, are effective at enhancing the sense of madness and horror of the material.

The actors can’t be faulted either. O’Reilly, speaking in a hushed, mousy voice, seems like the quintessential slightly-mad Poe character. McCarey doesn’t have much in the way of dialogue, but gives a physically expressive performance. She has some priceless facial expressions during a dinner scene that provide the production with its few moments of levity. Phelps is required to play straightman to the peculiar Ushers, and he fills the role well.

When the show allows for Poe’s language to stand on its own, it is spectacular to hear it spoken. The juiciest parts of the production don’t come until the second act, which is genuinely frightening and, if you make it through the meandering first act, worth the price of admission.

Top 50 Halloween movies: Part 1

Halloween is the time of year to get together with friends and family and scare yourselves silly. In the spirit of that idea, I give you part one of my top 50 Halloween movies. The list includes not only scary movies, but ghoulishly-themed comedies.

50. "Friday the 13th" (1980)
The original 1980s slasher film is basically a poor man’s version of the far superior "Halloween," but it still managed to spawn one of the longest running horror franchises. The counselors of Camp Crystal Lake are getting set for the reopening of the camp 23 years after a horrible tragedy. It is no surprise what happens next. Gratuitous sex and nudity, grisly deaths, high body count, it is all here.

49. “Saw” (2004)
The 1980s had Jason, Freddy and Michael. The 21st century has Jigsaw, a killer who challenges social deviants to change or die through terrible torture. In this first installment, two men are trapped in a bathroom with one told he must kill the other or his family will die. The rest of the series has become increasingly more gory, but this one is more based in the mind and all the better for it.

48. "Dead Alive" (1992)
If you thought Norman Bates had mother problems just wait until you meet Vera. Poor Lionel not only does he have an oppressive mother, but after a bite for a mysterious monkey she turns into a bloodthirsty zombie. Before director Peter Jackson made the Academy Award winning "Lord of the Rings" he was the man behind some of the most creative horror movies ever, including this hilarious, but gruesome comedy. An iron stomach and a twisted sense of humor are pre-requisites for viewing.

47. "The Ring" (2002)
Based on the Japanese film "Ringu," this remake in some ways out-does the original. The film quickly made its way into our cultural lexicon with the premise of a tape that promises death seven days after viewing it. What sounds like nothing more than a gimmick transcends its somewhat silly premise thanks to atmospheric direction by Gore Verbinski and strong performances from Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson and Brian Cox.

46. “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)
The first, but not the last, musical to appear on this list tells the story of the nebbish Seymour (Rick Moranis) and Audrey II, his man-eating plant from outer space. Director Frank Oz successfully captures the zaniness of the Motown-flavored off-Broadway show and peppers the film with hilarious guest appearances by the likes of John Candy and Bill Murray. Steve Martin steals the movie, though, as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello, DDS.

45. "Gremlins" (1984)
When a boy is given a cute fuzzy little pet, he is told three rules: Sunlight kills him, don't get him wet and don't feed him after midnight. But you can't give kids anything. Before long the nice Gizmo has spawned the gross, mischievous gremlins. Director Joe Dante makes a scary and funny homage to monster movies. If your tastes lean more toward comedy than scares, check out the more slapstick, but worthy sequel.

44. "The Others" (2001)
The first of many haunted-house films to appear on the list, this is the best of the most recent entries to this horror sub-category. A mother (Nicole Kidman) and her light allergic children live in a house that is poorly lit by oil lamps and candles, leaving all kinds of creepy shadows for ghosts to hide in. The film gets scares the best way — by not showing things and leaving the mind to assume the worst.

43. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948)
The comic duo behind "Who's on First?" not only meets Frankenstein's monster, but Dracula and the Wolfman. This was the last hooray for the original Universal Studio monsters including Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman. Bud and Lou made a series of creature feature comedies and this one is best, if not their best movie period. The monsters are in great form as is the comedy duo.

42. "House on Haunted Hill" (1959)
When it comes to campy horror films, this is hard to beat and is probably Vincent Price's most entertaining film. Price asks five strangers to spend an evening in a haunted house for $10,000 each. Naturally all sorts of sinister things start to happen. Is it the eccentric Price the whole time or is the house really haunted? It really doesn't matter, it is all just cheesy fun in the best kind of way.

41. "The Haunting" (1963)
Somewhat similar in premise to "House on Haunted Hill" this time around a doctor doing research in the paranormal invites a group of researchers to the supposedly haunted Hill House. Through voice-over, we hear the thoughts of Eleanor (Julie Harris) as the house slowly drives her mad making the film's bumps-in-the-night all the more psychological. Sets the standard for haunted house films.

'Lakeview ' is a failure as both commentary and thriller

“Lakeview Terrace” is the worst kind of bad movie. It is the sort of bad that makes you angry because it dangles the possibility of a truly engaging movie-going experience and then pulls it away at the last second.

There’s something far more frustrating about watching a movie with a potential for greatness, however buried it may be, than watching a movie that is straight-up awful. If a movie has terrible acting, writing, directing and no chance of ever approximating something of quality, it is easier to shrug off.

“Lakeview Terrace” was directed by Neil LaBute, a talented filmmaker and playwright who has lost his way, at least in the world of cinema. Following the laughable remake of “The Wicker Man,” this is LaBute’s second Hollywood film, and the edge he showed in earlier films such as “In the Company of Men,” “Your Friends and Neighbors” and “The Shape of the Things” is nowhere to be seen.

It is easy to see why LaBute, an incendiary voice that pushes audiences’ views on society, was drawn to “Lakeview Terrace.” The film focuses on an interracial couple (Patrick Wilson, “Hard Candy” and Kerry Washington, “I Think I Love My Wife”) that moves into a Los Angeles suburban community much to the dismay of their neighbor (Samuel L. Jackson), a widowed black cop attempting to raise two children.

LaBute could’ve made provocative and challenging statements about racism with this premise, but the problem is he didn’t write it. The script is by David Loughery and Howard Korder. Glancing at their resumes, Loughery is the heavy hitter with such shining credits as the 1993 remake of “The Three Musketeers” and “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.”

Loughery and Korder’s script thinks it is mature and serious because it is dealing with racism, but they don’t really have anything to say on the subject. The depth of their social critique is that being in an interracial relationship is difficult and that racism can end in violence. Both of these statements are true, but the screenplay only addresses these issues as devices for the plot with Jackson going to increasingly elaborate and dangerous extremes to force the couple out.

The movie is heavy-handed and obvious where it should by nuanced and complex. There’s a scene in which a drug dealer calls Jackson out for his racism that is insulting to the audience. A little subtleness would’ve gone a long way.

As if being cliché and familiar wasn’t bad enough, the film also throws pretentious into the mix. Throughout the film, the fires in California are referenced and wouldn’t you know that when things finally come to blows between Wilson and Jackson that the fires are right on top of Lakeview Terrace? You can almost hear the writers saying: “The fire represents the racial tensions, get it, aren’t we clever?” This attempt at a metaphor is more eye-rolling than profound.

On a base level it may sound as if there could be some cheap thrills in the battle of wills between the couple and Jackson, but the film feels like a wait for the inevitable final confrontation than a real tension-filled thriller. There is no suspense. It is clear exactly where this is going.

Jackson, who, granted, is good at being menacing, spends too much of the film glaring and glowering. Wilson and Washington are fine, but their performances are undermined by what the script forces them to say and do.

The film does have one great scene, in which Jackson delivers a monologue about how his wife died that reveals the root of his racism. It is the first time the film is truly compelling, but unfortunately it is at least an hour into the film before you get it. It is shortly after that the film goes completely off the rails into utter stupidity.

10 song for your Halloween party

There are plenty of obvious choices for tunes for a Halloween party, but for those looking for something different than mashing monsters, purple people eaters, werewolves in London and dancers stuck in a time warp, here is a list of alternatives.


“Boris the Spider” – The Who (1966)
From The Who’s second album, this odd little song chronicles the life and death of the title arachnid. Its weird mix of menace and whimsy in a way makes it the perfect Halloween song. Is it a trick or a treat?

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” – The Beatles (1969)
Join in the exploits of young Maxwell, a serial killer with a penchant for carpentry. Don’t be fooled by the upbeat carousal-like feel of the music or the cheery way in which Paul McCartney delivers the lyrics, this is perhaps The Beatles’ darkest song.

“Psycho Killer” – Talking Heads (1977)
This is another song about a killer, but one that seems to be fed up with society in lyrics like “We are vain and we are blind/I hate people when they're not polite.” The French language has never sounded more menacing than in David Bryne’s singing here.

“Dead Man’s Party” – Oingo Boingo (1985)
Cryptic lyrics combined with a danceable beat describe the coolest party thrown by the dead. Danny Elfman, the front man and songwriter for Oingo Boingo, went on to score many films and to write the songs for Tim Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Corpse Bride.”

“Pet Sematary” – The Ramones (1989
The Ramones scored one of their last big hits with the theme song to the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. The song features the creepy and yet completely silly chorus “I don’t want to be buried in a pet sematary/I don’t want to live my life again.”

“I’m Going Slightly Mad” – Queen (1991)
This is a goofy song about a descent into madness full of such lyrics as “I’m knitting with only one needle.” The laughs have a bittersweet under current when you realize that Queen front man Freddie Mercury was quite literally dying while recording what would be his final work.


“Season of the Witch” – Dr. John (1998)
Coming from the unlikely source of the “Blues Brothers 2000” soundtrack this more aggressive reworking of the Donovan original drenches the song in an ominous atmosphere. Dr. John’s gravelly voice just makes the proceeding all the more unsettling.


“Farewell Ride” – Beck (2005)
Beck takes on mortality in this chronicling of the ride to our final destination: our grave. The song, with its disjointed, twanging guitar and clanging, chain-rattling percussion, creates a sinister soundscape in which Beck lays his dark lyrics.

“The Boogie Monster”– Gnarls Barkley (2006)
The soulful pop group creates an eerie piano based story of a monster lingering in closets and under beds. The song seems like straightforward child’s fare, but throws in a lyrical twist: “I used to wonder why he looked so familiar /then I realized it was a mirror.”

“This is Halloween” – Marilyn Manson (2006)
The shock glam rocker’s cover of one of the songs from “Nightmare Before Christmas” works the quirky, murky lyrics for all they are worth. Marilyn Manson takes the song to a higher level of creepiness while keeping it all in good fun.

Coens leave the 'country' for big city espionage spoof

Leave it to the Coen Brothers, filmmakers who refuse to be pigeonholed, to follow up their Academy Award winning thriller “No Country for Old Men” with “Burn After Reading,” a goofy espionage farce.

The Coen’s seem to make two sorts of films. There are films like “Blood Simple,” “Fargo” and “No Country,” where their brilliance is immediately evident. Then there are movies like “The Big Lebowski,” “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “The Hudsucker Proxy,” where at the end they seem nothing more than a solid good. It isn’t until later, and with repeat viewings, that their appeal truly starts growing on you. “Burn After Reading” with its scatological, offbeat humor falls into the latter category.

The plot centers on a CD containing the memoirs of a recently fired CIA agent (John Malkovich) that ends up in the hands of two gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who first attempt to black mail the agent and then to sell the disc.

Also in the mix are Tilda Swinton as Malkovich’s wife, Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”) as Pitt and McDormand’s boss, and George Clooney as a U.S. Marshal. Clooney’s character seems to spend more time sleeping around than doing any work for the government. Not only is he having an affair with Swinton, but he eventually works his way into McDormand’s bed as well. All these characters get involved in an increasingly tangled web.

In terms of style, the film is a dead ringer for modern political and spy thrillers like “Michael Clayton” and “Syriana.” The big difference here is that all the players involved are more or less idiots — and self-obsessed idiots no less. The escalating plot builds huge in each character’s mind, when in fact nothing of true import has transpired.

The screwball antics of the plot are made all the funnier because the Coens keep the look and tone completely straight. There is a nerve-rattling score drumming up suspense for the most mundane actions, and when there are occasional bursts of violence they aren’t sugar coated.

Everyone in the exceptional cast is in good form. Pitt is outrageously funny as Chad, a sweet-natured exercise nut, who in a cast of dimwits shines dimmest. As an actor, Pitt doesn’t get enough credit. He is a diverse performer who has played a wide assortment of unique characters and you’ve never seen him quite like this.

The always reliable McDormand, who was so charming earlier in the year in “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,” is effortlessly funny and likable. Her desire to get plastic surgery is the driving force of the plot. The CD is her means to an end.

Clooney brings the same wide-eyed bewilderment that he showed in “O Brother Where Art Thou” and scores perhaps the film’s biggest laugh with the unveiling of the secret project he has been building in his basement.

Malkovich basically does what he always does, but he does it so well. A few do eloquently vulgar and violent as well as Malkovich. The scene Pitt and Malkovich share as Pitt attempts to blackmail him is just about perfect, with each actor giving precisely timed and measured performances.

Swinton, alas, is playing a variation of the cold witch that she’s been playing in such films as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Michael Clayton.” She does it extremely well, but she has more range and it would be nice to see her break out of this current typecasting.

The film also features brief but hilarious turns by David Rasche and J.K. Simmons (“Juno”) as CIA men trying to figure out the mess “the league of morons” have gotten themselves into.

Coming off of “No Country,” this may be seen as a let down, and it is true this is not of the same caliber, but then it isn’t trying to be. The Coens have an absurdist, dark sense of humor and, like “Raising Arizona” or “The Big Lebowski,” this is film that showcases that sensibility.

Above all else, this is an exceptionally well-crafted film that will have those who possess a quirky sense of humor laughing hard consistently — and that’s an achievement in itself.

'Dangerous'ly dull

Foreign directors remaking their own film in Hollywood is an exercise in futility. It is a feeble attempt to get a wider audience by playing off the cynical assumption that most Americans are too lazy to watch a subtitled film, even an action based one. They’re probably right.

“Bangkok Dangerous” is the latest foreign film to get made over for American audiences. The Pang Brothers of Hong Kong were brought into retool their 1999 film of the same name. The original centered on a deaf-mute assassin, but in an effort to pander to the masses the new version stars Nicholas Cage hearing just fine and talking up a storm through a cliché laden narration.

The Pangs' first Hollywood film was the uninspired “The Messengers,” which, while not a remake of an Asian horror film, was so derivative it might as well have been. Now the Pangs are dumbing their own work down. What’s the point in coming to Hollywood to simply make conventional junk? Hopefully they’re taking their paychecks and making more interesting films back home.

Cage is a good actor with a terrible eye for scripts. With the right material he is very good as can be evidenced in “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Adaptation,” “Matchstick Men” and “Lord of War.” With bad material he can be just plain dreadful as was the case in 2006’s “The Wicker Man,” one of the most unintentionally hilarious films of recent years.

Sometimes Cage’s quirky way of delivering lines and his oddly dynamic screen presence is just enough to make a bad or mediocre film watchable. Such is the case with “Bangkok Dangerous,” at least for awhile. Cage is just fine as Joe, a lone assassin who grows a conscious when he breaks one of his cardinal rules of not making any human connections.

The film opens promisingly with a prologue in Prague that reveals Joe’s methods. Soon Joe arrives in Bangkok for a series of hits that will take place over the span of a month. He hires an errand boy (Shahkrit Yamnarm), who becomes his student, and falls in love with a mute girl who works at a pharmacy (Charlie Young).

The dynamic between Yamnarm and Cage, though awfully familiar and not presented with any freshness, works in spite of itself, but any of the scenes with Young bring the film to a halt. The love story is boring at best and completely extraneous at worst. Young is meant to help Cage see the error of his ways, but Yamnarm serves the same purpose more effectively.

This is an action movie, so at the very least it should deliver the goods in that regard. The assassinations are well-staged and paced. One set underwater in a pool is particularly interesting. Another leads into an elaborate chase that wears out its welcome but has a jaw-droppingly unexpected outcome.

The film barely gets by for awhile on its stylish direction and muted cinematography that utilizes its Bangkok locations well. Things completely unravel, though, in a laughably bad final sequence in which Cage essentially becomes Rambo. These final scenes are set in the most over-used, unimaginative action setting: the abandoned factory.

In the final moments, the film nearly redeems itself with a surprisingly unconventional end, but even that is undermined by lingering too long on a critical moment. Cage can do better. And so can the Pangs.

10 fave teen movies

This week students headed back to school. In their honor, let’s look at that hallowed genre: the teen movie. Such films are typically coming-of-age stories centered on first love and/or the pursuit of a good time. Here are 10 teen favorites.

“American Graffiti” (1973)
A group of high school graduates enjoys one last night of cruising before heading off to college in perhaps the first modern teen film. The film was co-written and directed by a pre-“Star Wars” George Lucas and starred such soon-to-big names as Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford and Ron Howard. Set 10 years earlier, the film was already a nostalgic piece when released, but its portrayal of that nebulous time between high school and college remains funny and relevant.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979)
Riff Randell (P.J. Sole) loves The Ramones. Her life will be complete if she can see them in concert and hear them perform the song she’s written for them. Not only does she get her wish, she also convinces the band to take over her school in true punk rock fashion. This rock musical has a loopy, kitsch sense of humor and is actually quite education. Did you know that rock music can make mice explode? You learn something new everyday.

“Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982)
Cameron Crowe, at the time a writer for Rolling Stone, went undercover as a high school student to write an expose on teen life. Crowe’s screenplay would provide plenty of crude laughs, but it also addressed serious issues such as abortion in a realistic manner, making it a cut above most of its kind. All that aside, it is Sean Penn as the definitive stoner Jeff Spicoli and the notorious Phoebe Cates pool scene that makes this a classic.

“The Breakfast Club” (1985)
This John Hughes film is the perennial teen movie. It should probably be required viewing for every high school freshman. Five students from different cliques are forced to spend Saturday detention together and in the process learn that they were “brainwashed” into hating each other. The film is hilarious and perceptive with iconic performances from Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

“Ferris Buller's Day Off” (1986)
Another Hughes mainstay with a never-more-charming Matthew Broderick skipping school with his best friend (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend (Mia Sara) for a day of adventure in Chicago. Full of classic bits from the keyboard that plays coughs, to Ben Stein’s economic teacher, to the “Twist and Shout” parade scene. And of course there’s that Ferrari. Oh yeah.

“Say Anything…” (1989)
After the success of “Fast Times,” Crowe returned as writer and director to the teen genre and came up with one of the sweetest, most genuine film romances ever. John Cusack stars as the ultimate nice guy, who asks out the valedictorian of his class. The film is remembered most for the infamous “In Your Eyes” boom box serenade, but it has so much more to offer. Crowe’s dialogue is full of knowing laughs and feels honest, natural and smart.

“Clueless” (1995)
This loose teen updating of Jane Austin’s “Emma,” shifts the setting to Los Angeles and puts the reins of the story in the hands of cheery, fashion savvy rich girl Cher (Alicia Silverstone). Writer/director Amy Heckerling, helmed Crowe’s script for “Fast Times,” but her own writing proves to be just as perceptive about teens. Silverstone, who never matched her work here again, is spot on, as is the rest of the cast which includes Paul Rudd, Brittney Murphy and Donald Faison (“Scrubs”).

“American Pie” (1999)
The premise of a group of high school guys making a pledge to lose their virginity by prom is hardly original and has spawned too many bad so called comedies to count. But This wasn’t just another “Porky’s,” in spite of the very crude humor — you’ll have a hard time thinking of apple pie and band camp the same way — there was a lot of surprising heart. Plus Eugene Levy is fantastically awkward as Jason Bigg’s well-intentioned father.

“Mean Girls” (2004)
In many respects this a PG-13 version of 1989’s similarly themed “Heathers,” but that doesn’t make this film any less sharp with its satire of high school cliques. Tina Fey’s script is full of pointed observations that add an extra sting to the laughs. Lindsey Lohan is sent into the vapid “Plastics” clique as a mole only to become one herself. Everyone in the cast is excellent, especially Lohan, Rachel McAdams as the head Plastic, Fey as a math teacher and Tim Meadows as the principal.

“Superbad” (2007)
A couple of friends (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) spend one of their last nights together before going off to college desperately trying to score alcohol in hopes of maybe getting lucky. Like “American Pie,” the film avoids having its material turn sour, because the raunchy script by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg allows for an unexpected sweetness to seep in. You genuinely care about these characters by the film’s end. Of course there’s also Christopher Mintz-Plasse's instant classic portrayal of Fogell AKA McLovin.

'Clone Wars' fails to replicate the 'Star Wars' magic

When the original “Star Wars” came out in 1977, people lined up around the block to see it again and again. Oh, how things have changed. A theatrical release of a “Star Wars” film use to be an event, but the cheapy computer animated feature “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is nothing more than a shameless cash in.

The original “Star Wars” trilogy had a sense of wonder and excitement, and yet, in addition to their visual splendor, the films were character-driven. The new trilogy lost most of that magic. The snappy dialogue that marked the earlier series was replaced with seemingly endless exposition of some of the most boring political intrigue put to celluloid.

Now we have “Clone Wars,” which is set between “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.” The release is basically an extended episode of the Cartoon Network’s forthcoming series of the same name. Based on what’s on display here, it is not something to look forward to. This is a sub-par Saturday morning cartoon at best.

The Cartoon Network already covered this material in an award-winning hand-drawn animated series also entitled “The Clone Wars.” That series, while not perfect, had imagination and style to spare and in many respects was more entertaining than the new trilogy. So why does this new film and series exist? Because there’s more money to be made even if the “Star Wars” soil is not nearly as fertile as it once was.

There’s no point in getting into the details of the plot which centers on Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his new pupil trying to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped baby son. The movie is just an excuse for a series of monotonous battles that are never exciting. The movie’s 98-minute run time feels much longer.

“Star Wars” appeals to both kids and adults because George Lucas reworked the motifs of legends and fairy tales to create a fresh story of princesses and knights in a timeless struggle between light and dark. So it is rather odd that “Clone Wars” is targeted squarely at very young children. It is safe to say no one over the age of 10 — and I am being generous with that number — will get anything out of this. Not even “Stars Wars" fans.

Here’s the quality of writing that managed to get by: Anakin and his student give each other nicknames. He’s Sky Guy and she’s Snips because she’s snippy. They give a nickname to Jabba’s kid too: Stinky.

You know things are amiss from the start when the iconic words that scroll up the screen setting up each “Star Wars” film are replaced with a laughably bad voiceover. They are clearly removed because really little kids can’t read — further evidence of who the true audience of this is.

The sweeping, majestic John Williams score is also largely missing accept for briefly at the beginning and near the end. In its place is a generic action score that adds nothing to the lifeless proceedings.

And then there is the animation. Computer animation has come along way in the last decade, so the only excuse for the inconsistent and second-rate animation on display here is money. This was done on the cheap, which might get by on the small screen, but doesn’t cut it theatrically.

Spaceships and foregrounds look fine and have the same clarity as in the films, but the characters look blocky and as if sculpted out of Play-Doh. The character designs are often ugly with lines too sharp and angular.

In a summer with the beautifully animated “WALL-E” and the excitingly rendered “Kung-Fu Panda,” “Clone Wars” looks embarrassingly bad. Both “WALL-E” and “Kung-Fu Panda” played well to kids and adults alike, but “The Clone Wars” ignores adults and condescends to children viewers.

The voice work is unremarkable with only Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels as C3PO returning from the live action movies. I’m still deeply confused by the fact that Jabba’s cousin Zero the Hutt was given an effeminate Southern accent.

On all fronts “Clone Wars” is drenched in mediocrity as Lucas continues to tarnish his legacy. Whatever magic Lucas had is gone. In other words: By George, I think he’s not got it.

'Thunder'ous laughter

“Tropic Thunder” is a raunchy, outrageous comedy, but that’s nothing new in today’s market. After all, this summer we’ve already had “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” “Step Brothers” and “Pineapple Express.” Is there room for any more over-the-top ridiculousness?

When a film is as sharp as “Tropic Thunder,” the answer is unequivocally yes.

Ben Stiller co-wrote, directed and stars in “Thunder,” a piercing satire on the movie industry centered on a group of actors who don’t realize the Vietnam War movie they are starring in has become real, or at least real enough with a drug ring standing in for the Vietcong. The motley crew of actors are so self-involved that after being told the jungles have been rigged with hidden cameras to capture a raw, guerilla-style look, they assume everything they encounter is part of the movie.

The movie opens with hilarious fake commercials and trailers introducing the stars of the movie within the movie. Stiller is
Tugg Speedman, a fading action star whose one attempt at serious acting, “Simple Jack,” was a disaster. Jack Black is Jeff Portney, the heroin addicted star of a series of films called “The Fatties.” Robert Downey Jr. is Kirk Lazarus as Australian method actor who has a special treatment so he can play the black lieutenant in the film — much to the chagrin of Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), a rapper who is forced to take a second fiddle role.

A few weeks ago I complained about “Step Brothers” being vulgar for the sake of being vulgar, and now I am praising “Tropic Thunder,” which features dialogue that would make the rude characters in “Step Brothers” blush. The difference is that here the crude humor actually has a point and is given a context. The film’s satirical edge makes the more shocking humor more palatable.

Stiller and Black are good here — Black gets a particularly huge laugh for a particularly obscene line of dialogue while he’s tied to a tree going through withdrawals — but they are doing variations on their standard shticks. It is Downey who takes the film into the comedy stratosphere.

Following his knockout performance in “Iron Man,” this is turning out to be a very good year for Downey. That Downey is able to pull off a performance in a black face that is non-offensive just goes to show how a great an actor he truly is.

The performance works because Downey commits completely to the character of a pretentious actor who believes he can play anyone and who becomes so lost in his performances that he doesn’t "break character until the DVD commentary.” It also helps that any accusations of racism are addressed directly in the film in a series of amusing confrontations between Downey and Jackson.

Outside of the leads, there are unexpected supporting performances from big-name stars. Tom Cruise’s presence in the cast was kept low-key until the film’s release, and you’ve never seen him like this. He plays the foul-mouthed, bald, hairy and pudgy studio head, and he is riotously funny. Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you. It has to be seen to believe.

Matthew McConaughey, a talented actor who has been sludging around in lame comedies of late, gets some big laughs as Speedman’s agent whose top priority is getting his client his TiVo. Nick Nolte as the Vietnam veteran who wrote the film brings a gruff intensity that creates a humorous juxtaposition to the actors and crew members around him.

The film also gets strong support from Danny McBride, (“Pineapple Express”) as the explosion effects guy, and Jay Baruchel (“Knocked Up”) as the one non-star cast member who must put up with all the conflicting egos around him.

As a director, this is Stiller’s strongest film, although few realize he directed the underrated Jim Carrey vehicle “The Cable Guy.” Stiller paces the comedy just right, and in the case of a scene involving the fate of the film’s fictional director (Steve Coogan, “A Night at the Museum”), he allows the audience a lengthy amount of time to laugh before moving onto the next joke.

Be warned: Even for an R-rated comedy “Tropic Thunder” features some outlandish dialogue and visuals. The film is consistently funny, as long as you don’t mind your humor a bit raw.

'Pineapple Express': Stoner comedy with an edge

Thirty years after Cheech and Chong gave birth to the stoner comedy, we have “Pineapple Express” — an audacious blend of the stoner buddy comedy with the action buddy comedy that, while hardly perfect, is very funny. And you don’t even need to be under the influence of a certain illegal substance to enjoy it.

It seems like every other comedy released in the last couple years is either directed, co-written, or co-produced by Judd Apatow. The better Apatow films mix crude humor with surprising sweetness. “40-Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” “Superbad” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” remain the best of the Apatow branding because, for all their scatological humor, there are moments that feel genuine and relatable.

“Pineapple Express” is among the stronger Apatow productions, but is more abrasive than some of the above titles. All Apatow films have language that could shock the easily offended, but “Pineapple Express” adds some brutal violence to the mix that at times sits uneasily next to the comedy.

The set-up is pretty simple. A pothead process server named Dale (Seth Rogan, “Knocked Up’) sees a drug lord (Gary Cole, “Office Space”) and crooked cop (Rosie Perez, “White Men Can’t Jump”) murder someone. Dale drops a joint of extremely rare marijuana — the Pineapple Express of the title — at the scene of the crime that links him to his drug dealer Saul (James Franco, the “Spider-Man” movies), and thus the duo must go on the run.

Even though this is a stoner comedy, there is certain level intelligence here that raises it above the bar of other films of the same ilk. A lot of movies featuring potheads automatically make them stupid, but like the recent “Harold and Kumar” movies, Dale and (maybe) Saul are actually pretty smart. They are just unmotivated and perpetually high.

The film’s quality is increased by its director David Gordon Green. This is Green's first mainstream film. His previous works were introspective independent films like “George Washington,” “Undertow” and “Snow Angels” that lyrically searched through the human condition.

Green may seem like an odd match to this material, but he brings an unforced quality to many of the scenes. He stages a car chase that deserves to be in a comedy time capsule. I don’t doubt it was all on the page, but kudos to Green for making it work on the screen. There is also a silent scene of Dale and Saul frolicking in the woods that is absolutely hilarious, but also beautifully shot.

Although the film works, you need to have a taste for the subversive. If the idea of the 25-year-old Dale dating a barely legal high schooler (Amber Heard) makes you cringe, this probably isn’t the movie for you. If a scene of Dale and Saul selling pot to middle school kids on school property makes you red in the face with anger, this is definitely not the movie for you.

For those not bothered by marijuana, then an enjoyable time can be found hanging out with Dale and Saul. They are amicably played by Rogan and Franco who are able to elicit laughs with just facial expressions. Their conversations, though dazed and confused, are more sharply written by Rogan and his writing partner Evan Goldberg than in most stoner comedies.

Franco, who isn’t known for his comedic talents, creates quite possibly the funniest pothead since Sean Penn’s Spicoli in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” His line delivery and timing are right on the mark. Franco’s chemistry with Rogan is easy-going and fun. Their relationship, like in any good buddy film, holds the movie together.

The rest of the cast is good too, although at times uneven. The villains, including a pair of bickering hit men played by Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson, alternate between being cartoonish and serious.

Danny McBribe, as Saul’s middleman who reluctantly teams up with Dale and Saul, appears on the film’s poster as if he was a third lead, but he is really only a supporting character. McBribe has a funny fight scene with Dale and Saul, and the film’s closing scene with the trio chatting in a diner ends the film on a high note. No pun intended. I swear.

A 'tomb' best left alone

This summer has had a surprisingly high quota of quality popcorn films from “Iron Man” to “The Dark Knight.” We were given blockbusters with a bit more brains and imagination than usual, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” lacks both.

Like its predecessors, the third movie in this modern “Mummy” franchise has more in common with “Indiana Jones” than Boris Karloff. This series was never high-brow entertainment, but the first time Brendan Fraser and crew suited up to battle the undead in 1999’s “The Mummy” there was a sense of fun and energy that carried the day. Few would confuse it with a good film, but it succeeded at being a mindless diversion.

The same could not be said for 2001’s “The Mummy Returns,” which replayed the first film but added more of everything including an annoying kid and proved that more is definitely less. At least this new film benefits from a new villain and a new setting: China.

The film opens promisingly with a prologue showing the rise to power of the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) and how he and his army were cursed by an immortal witch (Michelle Yeoh, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). Following “The Forbidden Kingdom,” which also featured Li, and “Kung-Fu Panda” this is the third Hollywood film to borrow Eastern mythology and imagery this year. Where “Forbidden Kingdom” and “Kung-Fu Panda” was fun and loose, “Dragon Emperor” is dull and stiff.

After the prologue things jump to 1946 and start getting clunky. Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Fraser and Maria Bello, replacing Rachel Weisz) have retired in England after a career of espionage during World War II. They are shaken out of their boring new lives by one last call to duty. They are to bring an artifact to China. They agree, because, after all, Evelyn’s brother (John Hannah) has a night club there they can visit.

Unbeknownst to them, their now-grown son (Luke Ford) has followed in the family business and has discovered the tomb of the dragon emperor. A family reunion is just as inevitable as the awakening of the now mummified dragon warrior. Yeoh’s immortal daughter (Isabella Leong) is thrown in as a love interest for Ford.

There are special effects galore, but there’s little excitement because it is all so familiar and there’s no vision or sweep behind the staging of these elaborate action set pieces. “Hellboy II” was equally light on its plot, but made up for it with astonishing and inventive visuals.

A subplot with a group of friendly yeti is the most entertaining aspect of the film simply because it is so completely out of left field. Sure the appearance of abominable snowmen is utterly laughable, but at this point in the movie you’re desperate for anything new.

The acting, let’s just be blunt about it, is bad. Movies like this don’t need Oscar-worthy performances, but there’s a certain tongue-in-cheek acting style that if done right can go a long way. Fraser, who is usually the go to guy for live-action-cartoon heroics, seems bored this time around.

Bello is a talented actress as her work in movies such “The Cooler” and “History of Violence” can prove, but you’d never know it based on her work here. Burdened with a terrible fake British accent, she seems uncomfortable and gives a completely flat performance. Good thing she’s an established talent because this does nothing to further her career. It may even be a step backward.

Ford looks dashing, and that’s about it. His love subplot with Leong is undernourished and completely hollow. There are way too many poorly written lovey-dovey scenes between the two couplings, and none of them have a single genuine moment. All these scenes do is drag the pacing down.

It is only Li and Yeoh who bring any sort of flavor to the proceedings. Li and Yeoh are both legends within the world of martial art films and they provide a touch of grace and class to the proceedings, unfortunately their screen time is limited to the beginning and end. The two share an all too brief sword fight that for martial arts fans may be worth checking, but give it some time and I’m sure it’ll show up on youtube.

A 'rich' night of theater

'Fiddler on the Roof' comes to North Conway, N.H.'s Eastern Slope Playhouse

Following on the heals of the provocative “Cabaret,” the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which is running nightly at 8 p.m. — except Monday — through Aug. 16 at the Eastern Slope Playhouse in North Conway, may seem like much tamer fare. While this is true, the two shows have more in common than at first glance.

“Fiddler on the Roof” is the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company’s second show in a row to deal with persecution of Jews. “Cabaret” and “Fiddler” follow a similar structure, with the first act of each show being light, frothy and fun, but with an underlining danger that becomes overt as act one transitions into act two.

“Fiddler’s” ending is not nearly as dark as “Cabaret’s,” but both effectively use the musical-theater tradition to showcase serious themes in a way that still entertains and doesn’t trivialize the issues at hand.

Set in the small Russian town of Anatevka in 1905, the show focuses on the milkman Tevye (George Piehl) and his daughters. Tevye is part of a resilient Jewish community that quietly and happily co-exists with the gentiles in town, at least at the start of the play. That conflict is really secondary to a struggle between tradition and change.

Three of Tevye’s five daughters will marry by the show’s end, and each marriage represents a bigger challenge to the longstanding traditions of the Jewish community. Tevye is willing to bend to see his daughters happy, but even he has a limit. The show presents an intriguing debate over the importance and dangers that come with both tradition and change.

This production, directed and choreographed by Andrew Giant Linden, features strong performances and lively song and dance numbers throughout. In terms of the production’s design, the only disappointment is a rather lackluster set design by Brad Archer, but this is a minor fault that is largely rectified by the lighting design by Sara Houston.

This is Piehl’s show. He ably steps into the role originated by Zero Mostel on Broadway and Topel in the 1971 film version. Piehl makes it all seem so easy in what
appears to be an effortlessly charming performance. His one-sided conversations with God are delivered close to perfection, as are Tevye’s internal monologues. Piehl’s is also effective in the interactions with Tevye’s daughters. There is an especially affecting scene with Tevye saying goodbye to his daughter Hodel (Liz Clark Golson) at a bus stop.

The rest of cast is also solid. Rachel Brown, Clark Golson and Amanda Philips as Tevye’s three daughters with marriage on the mind strike just the right notes. Each actress shows chemistry with their respective matches and possesses charming and sweet stage presences.

Craig Holden as Lazar Wolf, the butcher, Shannon Connelly as Yente, the matchmaker, and Brendon Stimson as the Rabbi and other characters are also standouts. Holden and Connelly in particular provide some good laughs.

The weakest link in the cast is Grant Golson, and that only becomes apparent if you saw his performance in “Cabaret.” Golson, who once again is romantically paired with his real life wife Clark Golson, gives the same performance he did in “Cabaret” and reveals a limited range as an actor. His inflection, tone and delivery are nearly identical. Clark Golson, on the other hand, is just as charming as she was in “Cabaret” and doesn’t repeat herself.

The show is populated with great songs and there are several highlights. The classic “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” is sung and danced with gusto and humor by Brown, Clark Golson and Philips. “If I Were a Rich Man,” another song that has slipped into our cultural lexicon, is sung with vigor by Piehl, although the staging could have been a bit more dynamic.

“The Dream” is both a musical and comedic high point of the show, with Tevye desperately trying to cook up a way out of a tight spot with his wife (Megan Thomas). “Do You Love Me?” features Tevye asking that question to his wife 25 years into their arranged marriage. The song is awfully sweet without giving the audience a toothache.
“To Life,” “Bottle Dance” and “Wedding Dances” feature some astonishing dancing that is truly impressive and full of infectious, joyous energy.

“Fiddler on the Roof” isn’t a flawless production, but, oy vey, what is? A little imperfection never hurt anybody, and at the end of the night this production will leave the audience entertained. What more can you ask for? Tickets are $27 and are available at the box office or by calling 356-5776.

'Step Brothers' is a couple steps below good

Will Ferrell is a love-him or hate-him comedic performer. If you love him, you may give “Step Brothers” a pass, but if you hate him you are really going to hate his third film with director and co-writer Adam McKay.

After showing he was capable of a genuine performance in 2006's "Stranger Than Fiction," Ferrell has been taking roles in movies like "Blades of Glory" and "Semi-Pro" that don't force him to stretch and allow him to tread water instead of truly diving into a juicy role.

In "Step Brothers," Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who were such a dynamic comedic duo together in “Talladega Nights,” star as two obnoxious 40-ish losers who still live at home and act like incredibly immature adolescents. When their sweet, intelligent parents played by Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”) fall in love and get married, the two men are forced to live together.

A little of this premise goes a long way. In fact it would’ve worked wonders as a reoccurring “Saturday Night Live” sketch. But as a feature film it doesn’t sustain comedic energy. There are isolated scenes that are hilarious, as when Ferrell and Reilly realize they aren’t enemies, but best friends. This scene appears in the trailer; in fact, most of the best scenes do. This is a definitely a case of if you’ve seen the trailer you’ve seen the film.

I laughed out loud once every 10 minutes, which makes the film just good enough. Compared to “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights,” Ferrell’s two previous collaborations with McKay, that laugh ratio is not nearly high enough.

The film is vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. There’s nothing wrong with being vulgar per se, and there are far more obscene films than this, but listening to a couple of adults belittle each other with obscenity-laced schoolyard insults becomes tired quick. It doesn’t help that every scene that works is repeated at least once.

If you actually care about characters or if they are at least somewhat recognizably human, it does help balance a film’s crude humor. Writer/director Kevin Smith knows this and laces his films with an underlining sweetness or at least attempts to say something about society. Similarly, “Bad Santa” is one of the most obscene films around, but it also works as a well-observed character study of a certain kind of person.

“Step Brother” doesn’t really have anything to say about adulthood or growing up, and not that it should, but the film is lacking that slight satiric edge that gave “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights” a bit more mileage out of the more outrageous humor.

The set-up also could’ve been aided by a surreal or absurdist touch. These characters are more than immature adults, they seem borderline insane or mentally handicapped. Surprisingly, once the basic premise is established, it really isn’t taken anywhere that a bad sitcom wouldn’t have gone.

Ferrell and Reilly play these characters as teens in adult bodies. This can work as a comedic device — just look at Tom Hanks’ work in “Big,” for example, but that film gave a reason for Hanks' behavior.

Steenburgen, who previously brought a touch of class to Ferrell’s “Elf,” and Jenkins are wasted as the parents. They are both giving good performances, but they are not true characters; rather, they are just a mechanism of the plot. It is a shame because there is chemistry between the actors and they deserve better than this.

“Step Brothers” isn’t awful, it is just merely OK. Don’t waste your money seeing it in theaters, but if you’re looking to kill time it is decent renter. Of course, at that point you are better of renting some of Ferrell and Reilly’s better films. I recommend Ferrell’s aforementioned previous collaborations with McKay and Reilly’s under seen, but hilarious “Walk Hard.”

'The Dark Knight' is a great movie...period

“The Dark Knight,” the highly anticipated new “Batman” film that broke opening weekend box office records, is so much more than just a superhero movie. This is a dark, sweeping, epic movie powered by the late Heath Ledger’s brilliant portrayal of The Joker.

For those out of the loop, “The Dark Knight” is a sequel to “Batman Begins” which rebooted the series and brought it back to square one after the disastrous “Batman and Robin.” Thus we have the reappearance of The Joker, but this is a Joker like you’ve never seen before.

As entertaining as Jack Nicholson’s take on The Joker was in 1989’s “Batman,” Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain”) tops him in every way in quite simply one of the greatest acting achievements in recent years. Ledger, who died from an accidental prescription drug overdose in January, is mesmerizing. He is darkly comic and utterly terrifying. A “magic trick” with a pencil will make you laugh and cringe at the same time. Ledger’s performance will get under your skin and in your head and linger their days and weeks after seeing the film.

Ledger’s Joker is the driving force of the plot. Unlike Nicholson’s Joker, or other comic book villains, for that matter, this Joker has no back story and no motivation. He is simply an anarchist, a self-proclaimed “engine of chaos.” Or as Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler and confidant Alfred (Michael Caine) phrases it “some people just want to watch the world burn.”

Through The Joker, director Christopher Nolan (“Memento”), who co-wrote the script with his brother Jonathan, shows that the line between good and evil is a thin one. This theme has come up in previous “Batman” film, but never quite as substantially as it does here. Nolan asks complex morality questions as The Joker escalates his deadly games.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, “American Psycho”) is looking for a way out of being Batman. He has cleaned up the streets of Gotham, but the dual life is taking its toll. Wayne thinks he sees hope in Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart, “Thank You For Smoking”), Gotham’s new district attorney, who appears to have an incorruptible soul and the drive to keep Gotham safe without having to wear a mask and cape.

Those familiar with “Batman” lore already know Dent’s destiny will follow a different path than Gotham’s savior. Eckhart is charming and earnest as Gotham’s knight in shining armor, and, when things take a sinister turn, Eckhart turns with it in a well-acted plot development. This development is somewhat rushed but fits completely within the tone and logic of the film. Even if Dent’s story is resolved too quickly, it is not likely to anger “Batman” aficionados.

Although it is in many ways Ledger’s show, all the acting is tops — and that’s one of the keys to the film’s success. Even small supporting roles are filled by some of the world’s best actors. Gary Oldman as Lt. Gordon; Caine as Alfred; Morgan Freeman as Wayne’s man behind those wonderful toys; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Wayne’s former love and Dent’s new one; and even Eric Roberts as a mob boss are all just about perfect. No one plays this for camp. It is played for real.

As with “Batman Begins,” Bale is excellent in the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman. If it wasn’t for Ledger’s performance, which is working on a completely different scale of acting quality, Bale would be getting more notice for his work here. Bale brings subtle layers to the performance. You can sense the weight and burden of being Batman weighing on Wayne. The struggle to stay good in the face of evil and to stay Batman in the face of losing his own life is played delicately.

This is easily the darkest, most thoughtful “Batman” film, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. Caine’s Alfred helps provide a deadpan wit to the proceedings, as does Freeman’s Lucius Fox. And Ledger does provide twisted laughs.

The action sequences are well paced and directed. A huge grin popped across my face when the new Bat-motorcycle emerged from the downed Batmobile. The scene continues on to a thrilling battle of chicken between Batman and The Joker in a tractor trailer. The payoff of this scene is unexpected and one of the most exciting scenes in any movie this summer.

Here’s the bottom line: If you see only one movie this summer this is the one. Don’t let any bias about this being a superhero movie stop you. This is not just a great superhero movie. It is simply a great movie.

Life is a 'Cabaret' at the Eastern Slope Playhouse

The Eastern Slope Playhouse has been transformed into the seedy and oh-so-sensual Kit Kat Klub for The Mount Washington Theatre Company’s lively and entertaining rendition of “Cabaret,” which is running — except Monday — at 8 p.m. through Aug. 2.

Director/choreographer Clay James’ production of “Cabaret” is an immersive experience. Even before the show begins, actors have already been mingling with theater patrons and chatting them up in character.

In the opening number, “Willkommen,” the emcee (Jesse Luttrell) welcomes the audience to the club, and the musical itself and ventures into the audience as he introduces the men and women of the cabaret. It kicks the show off with a bang and is the sort of pull-out-all-the-stops number you expect much later in a show. The tone is set for a show that isn’t afraid to be flamboyant, a bit crass and very sexual.

“Cabaret” is set in Germany during the 1930s as the Nazis are coming to power and alternates between the stage shows at the Kit Kat Klub and the romance of its star performer Sally Bowles (Liz Clark Golson) and Clifford Bradshaw (Grant Golson), an American writer seeking inspiration.

At its core, “Cabaret” is a love story that turns tragic with the inevitable arrival of Nazism in Berlin. The first act is buoyant and lighthearted as Sally leaves the Kit Kat Klub to live with Cliff. Cliff and Sally allow their love to blind them to everything around them as they join in Berlin’s non-stop party.

There’s a sweet parallel love story involving Cliff’s landlady Fraulein Schneider (Megan Thomas) with one of her tenets Herr Shultz (Craig Holden). Although their love story is secondary, Thomas and Holden’s endearing performances make it the heart of the play.

Clark Golson and Golson, who got married this summer, have a playful chemistry, with Golson playing straight-man to Clark Golson’s impetuous and naïve Sally. Clark Golson has the big shoes of Lisa Minnelli to fill, and while she doesn’t match that high watermark — few could after all — her take on Sally is fun and, when it has to be, quite affecting.

Those familiar with the 1972 film adaptation of the original 1968 Broadway staging of “Cabaret” are in for a surprise, because James’ production is more in line with the 1998 revival of the show. That reworking of the show turned up the volume on the show’s innate sexuality and bisexuality.

The emcee of the Kit Kat Klub was originally played by Joel Grey in a Tony and Academy Award winning performance. The character was re-imagined by Alan Cumming in a Tony Award winning performance. Cumming’s take was more sexualized and boisterously over-the-top than Grey’s. Luttrell follows closely to Cumming’s interpretation, but that is not a criticism. Luttrell has a vibrant and mischievous presence that is a exhilarating whenever he comes on stage.

The cabaret song and dances such as “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Two Ladies” and “Money” are full of infectious energy and are inventively choreographed by James. The subversive natures of the lyrics are well matched by the provocative dance routines that feature numerous dancers often in elaborate synchronized routines. Everything is delivered with an impressive precision.

The songs that take place off the Kit Kat stage may seem dull in comparison, and in some cases, with more conventional ballads like “Maybe This Time,” it seems the production is dragging. But these quieter “real life” performances are in their own way just as irreverent as those of the Kit Kat Klub and are a nice balance to the musical’s more outrageous moments.

As the real life scenes turn bleak — the first appearance of a swastika arm band is a shocker — so do the scenes at the Kit Kat Klub. When the curtain rises on the second act, the tone has shifted and James’ production handles the change well and earns its emotional payoffs.

The Kit Kat Klub performances, which in the first act were frivolous, begin to reflect the growing atmosphere of fear and persecution. “I Don’t Care Much” and the title song, sung by Luttrell and Clark Golson, respectively, are delivered with heart-wrenching bravado, and their one-two punch will stir even the most stone-faced.

The production’s final scenes become progressively darker, as what was previously just an ominous feeling becomes a harsh reality. For a show that starts out so frothy, it may be a shock for some how profoundly and deeply affecting the show’s final moments are. There is a real sense of pain that gives the whole show an extra weight and makes “Cabaret” more than just light escapism.

For tickets call the box office at 356-5776 or visit www.mwvtheatre.org.

Del Toro's imagination makes 'Hellboy II' a helluva good time

In a market saturated with comic book adaptation, don’t count out “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” out. It is a film that is more in of a robust fantasy adventure than a slam-bam superhero movie.

“Hellboy II,” based on the comic books by Mike Mignola, is directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro also directed the first film, but in the interim made the visionary “Pan’s Labyrinth,” an astounding fantasy film for adults that played on fears both real and fantastic. The “Hellboy” films are more mainstream, but Del Toro brings visual panache and imagination to the films that raise them above run-of-the-mill Hollywood fare.

The first film was released by Sony, but that studio passed on the sequel. In came Universal Studios, which — banking on Del Toro’s talent — grabbed up what Sony tossed out. It would seem in the wake of the critical success of “Pan’s Labyrinth” that Universal gave complete creative freedom to Del Toro.

In the first film we learned that Hellboy (or Red, as he’s affectionately called throughout both films) was a baby demon sent through a portal from another dimension and then raised by a kindly professor (John Hurt) to battle evil instead of being a force of darkness.

Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a cigar smoking, cat loving and Baby Ruth eating wise-guy with an attitude problem, but a good heart who works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. His partners are Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), a fish-man with psychic abilities; his girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a woman with pyrokinetic powers; and Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy”), a gaseous spirit kept alive by a containment suit.

The plot of this new film involves a prince (Luke Goss, “Blade II”) of a parallel world of mythic creatures who have decided to end a long standing truce with humanity. He plans to bring back the indestructible golden army. The back story of the army is told by computer enhanced marionettes in a visually compelling opening sequence.

There is a sweet subplot involving Abe falling in love with the prince’s twin sister, who joins Hellboy and his team in an attempt to stop her brother. There’s a moment about midway through the film involving the lovelorn Hellboy and Abe that is unexpected and completely inspired. Many critics have ruined the surprise. I won’t, but needless to say beer and Barry Manilow don’t mix well.

The plot of “Hellboy II” is nothing special. It is mere set-up for Del Toro to create some wonderfully unique creatures. One such creation, an angel of death with eyes on his wings, will linger in your memory long after the credits roll.

A sequence set in a hidden black market run by mythic creatures is a rich setting full of things happening in every corner. It is that attention to rendering a fully realized world that gives Del Toro’s films an edge.

Those wanting action shouldn’t worry, there’s plenty, most memorably a sequence involving creatures called tooth fairies because they have a fondness for eating teeth, but they don’t mind devouring the rest of a victim either. Another scene involving Hellboy protecting a baby while he does battle with a large plant creature has imagination and humor to spare.

Like its predecessor, “Hellboy II” has a droll, off-beat sensibility that gels nicely with the dark visuals. Perlman, a quirky character actor who previous to his success as Hellboy was probably best known for the 1980s TV series “Beauty and the Beast,” is ideal for this sort of character.

Perlman is required to toss off a lot of quips, and he delivers them with a deadpan perfection that never feels forced. He as a dynamic and forceful screen presence, but can also be tender and vulnerable especially involving scenes with Blair’s Liz. As with the original, their love story is the heart of the film.

With “Iron Man,” “Hulk,” “and “The Dark Knight,” summer 2008 has definitely been the summer of superheroes. It is hard to say where “Hellboy” fits in that mix, but here’s hoping he doesn’t get lost.

M&D's 'Bash' packs a punch

Playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute is a dark guy. There’s a good chance his work will leave an audience angry and on edge. He takes a look at the underbelly of humanity and addresses the terrible that lurks in the mundane and under the facade of normalcy. All this makes a LaBute play a perfect candidate for M&D Productions.

LaBute’s “Bash,” a collection of three one-acts, opened last night in M&D’s summer location, the old shoe factory next to Curves in Fryeburg, Maine, and is running July 18-19 and July 24-26.

“It is a show I liked on many levels,” said managing director Mark DeLancey. “It was very interestingly written. I thought it was a beautiful piece that was easy to orchestrate and easy to technically produce and still pack the punch and pack the wallop that M&D’s mission was known for.”

The three pieces focus on seemingly harmless people, who happen to be Mormon but are capable of terrible things. In “Medea Redux,” a woman tells of her complex and ultimately tragic relationship with her junior high school English teacher; in “Iphigenia in Orem,” a Utah businessperson makes a confession to a stranger in a Las Vegas hotel room; and in “A Gaggle of Saints,” a young couple separately recounts the violent events of an anniversary weekend in New York City.

Like LaBute’s other work, which includes the films “In The Company of Men,” “Your Friends and Neighbors” and “The Shape of Things,” “Bash” takes the everyday people that we as a society think we know and trust — co-workers, family, friends, and neighbors — and challenges our perception of them and ourselves.

“He [LaBute] makes you so angry at these people, and yet you know them,” said director Clayton Philips, the former artistic director of Barnstormers. “You feel like you know these people and you can’t understand why they do the things they do and they somehow justify it.”

For Philips, how people justify their actions, no matter how terrible, through faith, is the over-arching theme that links the three one-act plays.

“There’s a lot in this piece about people’s acceptance and people taking responsibility for the things they do,” said Philips. “Frequently in the world we can look to a higher power or fate or other things to justify our behaviors, and, in this particularly piece, quite frequently people find justification in things that are beyond them.”

“Bash” is not an easy play to watch because it does make its audience work. There are two different poles of theater and the middle ground where they bleed together. There is the light and fluffy show that is meant to purely entertain, and then there’s the show that sets out to challenge audience members and make them think. “Bash” is definitely in the latter category.

“It pushes your envelope and not just morality as a subject to talk about, but your own morality compared to other people’s moralities,” said Delancey. “He [LaBute] really sucks you in with the writing by making you feel these are common everyday people that you can relate to on whatever manner you want to relate to them on, and then he turns it around so you see something obviously immoral happen. But then your mind goes to the place, 'Well, wait a minute this person was fine a minute ago, but now there’s something wrong with them, how am I suppose to react to this?'"

It’s LaBute sharp ear for naturalistic dialogue that becomes the audience’s entry point for subject matters that if addressed in a less realistic approach would feel ham-fisted or contrived.

“Quite frequently I can sit here listening to it and I feel like they’re making up the words, that’s how well it is written,” said Philips. “It really is amazing.

Rarely can you find a writer that writes that naturally.”
The quality of the writing is something that has excited the actors in a way most productions they are involved in rarely do.

“I didn’t see or read the other two [acts] and then we met this week and I just watched it and I was like, ‘They’re all really good,’ ” said Brian Chamberlain, who appears in “Iphigenia in Orem.” “I e-mailed all my acting friends that I do other shows with in other places, and I usually don’t do that because a lot of shows I am in I don’t want them to see because they’re just crap, but they might pay.”
As an actor Chamberlain is thrilled to have the opportunity to explore a character that is richly written and with multiple facets.

“That’s why I love M&D, they do these shows that actors want to do,” said Chamberlain. “If I do my job right, they [audience members] are going to like me, then they are going to get mad at me, they are going to be scared by me, they are going to be sad for me. They are going to go through this whole gamut of emotions.”
Rae E. McCarey, who appears in “A Gaggle of Saints,” agrees with Chamberlain that being able to appear in “Bash” has been a wonderful experience that, as an actor, has forced her to discover and learn things she wouldn’t have otherwise.

“It is a privilege for me and I consider it an honor to be a part of this production,” said McCarey. “It is so different from anything I’ve ever done. It is the biggest challenge for me as an actor because it is dramatic and intense and so charged and it is difficult to separate yourself.”

But it is not only the actors who are excited about their work, but their director. Clayton has only high praise for their performances.

“These performances are amazing, and I don’t always say that but they really are,” said Clayton. “They just went to these wonderful places and all I’d say was, ‘That was really good, can you take it a step further?’ When you have actors that find these things and are wiling to really go into these dark places themselves and find these complex things going on, it makes my job real easy.”

Tickets are $15 adults and $10 students and seniors. All performances are at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call the box office at 662-7591.

'WALL-E' is complete magic

“WALL-E,” a robot love story with a social conscience, may be an animated feature, but adults would be wrong to dismiss it as merely kid fare. Like last year's “Ratatouille,” the Pixar Animation studio is working on another level and telling a simple story with a sophistication and eloquence that is so often lacking in both animated and live action films alike.

Pixar has the best the track record in Hollywood. Starting with 1995’s “Toy Story,” the studio hasn’t had a dud yet. It pioneered the computer-animated feature and is rarely matched in terms of visuals and storytelling.

The key to Pixar’s success is its refusal to condescend to its viewers, whether they are adult or child. Its films deal with universal stories and time-worn messages, but present them with imagination, intelligence and unforced sincerity.

With “WALL-E,” writer-director Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”) has created something truly special and quite magical. The title character is the last of a team of robots left to clean up Earth after humanity left its trashed planet to float around in hover chairs in a giant ocean-linear-like spaceship called the Axiom.

During his 700 years of trash compacting, WALL-E has developed a personality. While going about his business he also picks up items he likes and brings them back to his pad, which he shares with a roommate of sorts: a cockroach. Believe it or not, you’ll grow fond of that cockroach.

WALL-E’s most prized possession is a video of “Holly Dolly” from which he has learned about love. He gets to experience love first-hand when a spaceship drops off EVE, a robot sent to see if plant life has returned to Earth. The love story that unfolds on Earth and eventually on the Axiom is engaging, sweet and even touching.

You wind up caring a lot about these two little robots, which is all the more amazing since their conversations almost exclusively consist of saying their names to each other. The emotional range attached to simply calling out someone’s name is larger than you might expect.

Large portions of the film play like a silent film, with WALL-E a stand in for Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. This does mean there is a lot of slapstick comedy, but it has the same grace and beauty of those pre-sound comedies. Just as with Chaplin’s best work, Stanton has managed to add a lot of pathos to the comedy antics on screen.

While this isn’t a dark movie, the underlining message is a sobering one. After all, WALL-E is roaming around an Earth decimated by humanity. Humans are shown as blobs of fat lulled into that state by centuries of robot pampering. There are quiet commentaries about the dangers of the path humanity is currently on.

The film is not heavy handed or forceful with its message. It simply presents a cautionary view of one possible future. Although there is a happy ending, the film is certainly not recommending staying our course.

The film features very little voiceover work. The bleep and blops that make up WALL-E’s speech were created by Ben Burtt, who created the sound design for R2D2 in the “Star Wars” movies.

Fred Willard (“Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind”) makes a funny live action appearance as the president of Buy N Large, the conglomerate that apparently not only monopolized all businesses but all governments, too. Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is also amusing as the captain of the Axiom, who upon meeting WALL-E and EVE is knocked out of his apathetic state.

The animation in “WALL-E” is at times absolutely stunning, as when WALL-E looks on in wonder at celestial bodies while hitching a ride to the Axiom. There is also a lovely sequence where WALL-E and EVE “dance” through space that is both visually and emotionally beautiful.

The joys to be had watching “WALL-E” can’t be overstated. If you have children and they have yet to drag you to see it, then drag them with you. If you don’t have children, go anyway. It is one of the best films of the year.

Five films for Independence Day

The colonists who formed the United States left England because they felt persecuted and sought a land where they could be free. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, 11 score and 12 years ago our fathers brought forth a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. As we honor Independence Day, I give you five films that aren’t about patriotism, but rather focus on equality. These are films that challenge us to embrace our differences and remind us that we’re all just people.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951)
The 1950s were full of campy films featuring alien invasions and men dressed in cheap monster suits, but “The Day the Earth Stood Still” was something more. A humanoid alien arrives in Washington D.C. with his loyal and powerful robot to present a simple message of peace, but decides to explore Earth life before delivering it. Though somewhat dated this still remains a surprisingly relevant and potent milestone in the science fiction genre.

“My Left Foot” (1989)
Based on the true story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy but overcame his handicap to become a renowned painter, “My Left Foot” challenges our perception of those with disabilities as being defective. Daniel Day-Lewis won his first Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of Brown, who is shown as vibrant individual who refuses to be victimized. He’ll even start a bar fight if he has to. It is a truly uplifting story that is honest and affecting where other supposedly heartwarming films are false and cloying.

“Orlando” (1992)
Tilda Swinton (“Michael Clayton”) stars as a lord who is told by Elizabeth I to never grow old — and remarkably he does remain forever young in feminist filmmaker Sally Potter’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel. Along his journey the lord gets a big lesson about society’s perception of gender roles and differences when he awakes one morning a woman. Not as pretentious or inaccessible as it may sound, this is an intelligent, funny and beautifully-shot meditation on gender.

“Remember the Titans” (2000)
The true story of the successful season of a racially integrated high school football team in the early 1970s is presented as a straightforward feel-good story by Disney. But even though audiences know every beat the story takes, the film works. A strong cast led by the always solid Denzel Washington delivers the message of equality with humor and a lot of heart. The film ultimately comes across as genuine when it easily could’ve become preachy and heavy-handed.

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (2001)
A rock musical in the tradition of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” but with bigger ideas, “Hedwig” is the story of a transsexual who escapes East Germany in hopes of becoming a punk rock goddess. The music is infectious and presented with the gusto of Broadway. The story and humor are subversive to say the least, but at its core the film is also sweet and rather touching as Hedwig tries to find his/her place in the world.

'Get Smart' gets it right

When Hollywood is bereft of ideas, one of the wells it lowers its bucket into is classic TV. Everything from “The Beverly Hillbillies” to “The Mod Squad” to “I Spy” to “Bewitched” have been given the big-budget, big-stars treatment. The results are usually dire. So it is with a sigh of relief that I can say the great 1960s spy spoof “Get Smart” will not be tossed into the same rubbish bin.

“Get Smart” then and now centers on the misadventures of Maxwell Smart, an inept field agent for the spy agency CONTROL who does battle with Russian adversaries at KAOS. Then Maxwell was played with deadpan perfection by Don Adams. Now, in a masterstroke of casting, he is played Steve Carell who is so good at deadpan deliver on NBC’s “The Office” that sometimes it is hard to see the line between serious and funny.

Maxwell’s partner who is usually left with the chore of getting him out of jams is Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway, “The Devil Wears Prada”). Hathaway may seem like an odd replacement for Barbara Feldon, but she proves an excellent choice. Previously, I hadn’t been won over by Hathaway, who always seemed pretty and perky, but little more. Here she showcases fine comedic timing. It could be that the Carell’s comic energy upped Hathaway’s game.

Carell and Hathaway earn their biggest laughs together in a dance sequence that brings their rivalry to a head. The duo projects a genuine chemistry that falls flat only when the script by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember tries to force more serious or romantic moments. These moments are small and don’t drag film’s pacing to a halt.

This isn’t just Carell and Hathaway’s show, though. The whole cast is pitch-perfect. This is definitely a case of a cast making good material — at least at times — reach excellence. Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) as The Chief steals the movie in the final act and earns the film’s single biggest laugh with his reaction to a car accident.

Terence Stamp (“The Limey”) as the head of KAOS exudes menace with a knowing wink. Arkin and Stamp are such old pros that their mere presence elevates everything around them to another level.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continues to show a knack for comedy as Agent 23, and Masi Oka (“Heroes”) earns laughs as one of CONTROL's gadget inventors. There are also funny cameos by Bill Murray and James Caan.
“Get Smart” doesn’t feel like a shameless cash in. There seems to be a real affection for the series from everyone involved, which is refreshing since most film adaptations of TV shows are in name only.

The few adaptations that have worked balanced paying tribute to the source material while finding their own voice. This held true for the first “Charlie’s Angels” film, “Starsky and Hutch” and “The Brady Bunch Movie,” all of which took a self-parody tone that was perhaps the only way to approach the kitsch factor associated with those series.

But “Get Smart” was already a parody of James Bond and Cold War politics, so a self-parody would’ve fallen painfully flat. Thankfully, this update finds the right tone of nostalgia for the original, while creating something new that will have appeal to those who wouldn’t know Maxwell Smart from Maxwell Edison.

The “Get Smart” film is more action-oriented than its television counterpart, but, although there are explosions and car chases, these set pieces are played for laughs not thrills. There is a great sequence with Agent 99 having to save Maxwell from a parachute-less free fall, and another involving Maxwell dangling from a plane.

Although there are catch phrases and in-jokes for fans of the show, this is a stand-alone piece. It has its own style, but doesn’t negate the spirit of it predecessor. You get the impression that show creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, who were consultant on the film, would’ve tried similar gags if they had the budget that director Peter Segal was afforded.

On a side note, film buffs will appreciate a nice homage to the classic War Room scenes from “Dr. Strangelove.” It is a nice above-and-beyond touch.