Film Review: Arrival

Arrival arrives at just the right time to make us pause and think.

Amy Adams thinks about things, as we do, in ARRIVAL.
Amy Adams thinks about things, as we do, in ARRIVAL.

It feels like it’s been quite some time since a thought-provoking science-fiction film has come along — one that makes you really think. Now, before you come to the conclusion that “more thinking” equals “less entertaining”, think again! Arrival is a spectacular blend of drama, suspense, intelligence, and engaging visuals. Arrival also employs sound and music in an interesting way, aiding in the gradual fusion of the viewer experience with that of the characters. Once you emerge from the 118 minute cinematic trance you’ve been pulled into, you’ll realize that you’ve sat through one of the better films of the last year. And that realization, somehow, will be the same whether you loved the film or hated it.

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Show Review: Live in the Vineyard 2016 at Uptown Theatre Napa, 11/4/2016

o.a.r. headlines Live in the Vineyard 2016 Night 1
o.a.r. headlines Live in the Vineyard 2016 Night 1

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again: Live in the Vineyard. For those unfamiliar, this is a biannual celebration of food, wine, and music, featuring a mix of hit artists and those that are up-and-coming. Events take place in locations all over the Napa Valley, typically culminating each (weekend) day in a concert at Napa’s Uptown Theatre. The event is exclusive in the sense that essentially the only way to attend is to win tickets via one of many contests available via the internet or the radio. This year’s fall event took place last weekend, with Friday night’s show a representative mix of the new and the tried-and-true: Britain’s Got Talent star Calum Scott, bluesy soul married duo JOHNNYSWIM, up-and-coming singer/songwriter Wrabel, American Idol winner Phillip Phillips, and celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, o.a.r.. Continue reading “Show Review: Live in the Vineyard 2016 at Uptown Theatre Napa, 11/4/2016”

Film Review: Doctor Strange

It takes an amazing cast to make goofy material work, and this movie has both.

 

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Marvel movies have been around so long, they’ve transitioned from feeling like momentous events to being like episodes of a very expensively made television series. We see the same characters interacting with each other in different ways, with plot threads being left open for the next film to pick up on. The newest movie from the series, Doctor Strange, breaks this pattern and creates an entirely new set of characters set in both the universe we’ve seen and ones we haven’t yet seen. Continue reading “Film Review: Doctor Strange”

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 1

Photos by Paige Parsons unless otherwise noted
All photos by Paige K. Parsons unless otherwise noted.

For 10 years, the Treasure Island Music Festival has been one of the best-run and best-booked music festivals in the world. Situated on Treasure Island’s west lawn, we got to experience picturesque views of San Francisco, along with some of the best weather and some of the most innovative performers of our time, often just before breaking out to the mainstream. For 9 of those 10 years, everything went off pretty much perfectly; this year, however, mother nature decided that things were going a little TOO well for the festival, and it was time to see how the good people of Noise Pop and Another Planet would handle, well, everything she’s got. In my own humble opinion, they handled it rather nicely, and the 10th year was, once again, extraordinary.

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Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 Journal, Day 2

Photos by Paige Parsons unless otherwise noted
Photos by Paige K. Parsons unless otherwise noted

Day two of Treasure Island started out significantly easier. The winds were calm, and only light sprinkles were on the horizon. Still, I think people were a little nervous about the weather (Or simply stayed out partying late the night before), as when I arrived at 11:30 am on Sunday, the park looked pretty deserted. However, the ferris wheel was up and running, and the coffee line was short, so it made for a very good morning for me.

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Film Review: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Reacher reaches, finds Hallmark sentimentality and TV crime thriller predictability.

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I found myself chanting ‘blood from a boot’ in my theater seat as I anticipated the start of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Yes, that’s how excited I was to witness the surprising return of Tom Cruise’s take-no-prisoners/take-no-sh*t former military police investigator. Unfortunately, Never Go Back never does go back to the violent charm (if there is such a thing) of the first film. Instead, an overly predictable plot and forced sentimental subplot strip the young franchise of the addictive macho humor and Taken-esque one-man-army action that brought it off the pages of author Lee Child’s work into cinemas.

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Film Review: The Accountant

Convoluted, violent story doesn’t add up to a picture worth seeing   

Accountants Dana (Anna Kendrick) and Chris (Ben Affleck) are puzzled by some discrepancies they discover on the books at a robotics firm.

Ben Affleck has always had a sort of a cold, distant quality; showcasing warmth and deep emotion isn’t his strong suit. Such chilliness is what made him both a decent Batman and so good in a role like the one he had in Gone Girl, in which he played such a standoffish husband that he easily seemed capable of murdering his wife. So it’s not surprising that director Gavin O’Connor (best known for the 2011 cult hit Warrior) would cast Affleck in his new film The Accountant, an action thriller in which Affleck plays Christian “Chris” Wolff, an imperturbable accountant and assassin with a high-functioning form of autism who connects better with numbers than with people. The problem, though, is that O’Connor and screenwriter Bill Dubuque (The Judge) play much of Chris’s condition for laughs, and the Rain Man-as-Jason Bourne premise doesn’t succeed nearly as well as the filmmakers probably hoped it would.
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Win Tickets to Letters To Cleo at Rickshaw Stop — Thursday, October 20th

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A long time ago, as young teen, I used to stay up late and sneak into the TV room to watch a show called Alternative Nation. It played music videos from popular alternative rock bands. One night, I saw a video to a song where the singer had a voice like sugar, which layered wonderfully with the song’s crunchy guitars, and I thought it was the coolest thing on Earth. Then we got to the chorus, which was song at a break neck speed. At that point, I decided that I wanted nothing more than to see this band live. However, I kept looking for a show, and, sadly, it never happened.

Well, it never happened until NOW! Letters To Cleo are making, as far as I know, their first visit to the Bay Area. And I would like YOU to attend. They are playing Thursday, October 20th. This is an all ages show, so this contest is open to EVERYONE! Click here to enter!

The deadline for entering is Tuesday, October 18th at midnight. The winner will be notified via email.  And if you prefer not to leave things to chance, you can buy tickets here!

Now watch that video that changed my life:

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2016)

timf-map-590x453This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes. And if you just found this article while looking for a place to buy tickets, just click here! (Updated for 2016 by Dakin Hardwick)

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MVFF39 Spotlights: The Eagle Huntress/The Architect/A Late Style of Fire: Larry Levis, American Poet/Love is Thicker Than Water/Moonlight

The 39th Mill Valley Film Festival, showcasing over 200 films from more than 50 countries, opened last Thursday evening, and runs until this Sunday, October 16th. The Festival is screening some titles already garnering Oscar buzz: Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, which opened the Festival (and will open widely this fall), the stunning Manchester by the Sea (which already received deserved acclaim back in January at its Sundance premiere), and Loving, the Jeff Nichols historical drama that closes the Fest.

With a full week to go, there is still plenty of time to head over to Marin to catch some great new films. Below we spotlight five Fest titles you may want to check out. Full schedule, tickets, and more information are available here. Continue reading “MVFF39 Spotlights: The Eagle Huntress/The Architect/A Late Style of Fire: Larry Levis, American Poet/Love is Thicker Than Water/Moonlight“