Page 62 - Sonoma County Gazette December 2017

Superheroes on DVD
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“I want a hero” said the poet, Lord Byron. Throughout the evolution of our species, our collective unconscious has cried out for a hero gure. We need them. It is programmed into our DNA. They have de ned our
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values and beliefs. Modern psychologists have explained our proclivity and passion for these archetypes. They have looked at how the syndrome has been vital to our development as sentient entities. There are certain characteristics that describe heroes that transcend culture and are identi able in
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e communities. In our democratic societies there has been an equalization process and too often the omnipresent media has
shown that our staunch leaders have feet of clay. But we apparently still want our champions so we have created The Superhero.
Do not disdain the Marvel cinematic universe, comic book super person.
As Americans all these guys are part of our mythology. They are just contemporary manifestations of deeply held beliefs. Spiderman: Homecoming
is the story of an ordinary kid who was bitten by a radioactive spider which gave him his powers. There must be an origin story of m1agical proportions and this is his. The new incarnation of Spidey is Tom Holland who has the look of
Thru Dec 10 ~ “Daddy Long Legs” at Main Stage West - Lyrics by Paul Gor- don and music by John Caird Based on the novel that inspired the 1955 mov- ie. $15-$30, Th-Sat, 8p, Sun, 5p, Main Stage West, 104 N Main St, Sebasto- pol, 707-823-0177, mainstagewest.com
Thru Dec 10 ~ “Inspecting Carol” So- noma Arts Alive – “A Christmas Carol” meets “Noises Off.” W-S, 7:30p, Sun, 2p. $22-$37, Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Center, 276 E Napa St, Sonoma, sonomaart- slive.org, info@sonomaartslive.org
Thru Dec 17 ~ “Little Women: The Musical” at Spreckels - Musical ver- sion of Little Women, bringing life to the semi-autobiographical classic by Louisa May Alcott. F&S, 8p, Sun, 2p, Dec. 9 & 16, 2p. $18-$30, Spreckels Per- forming Arts Ctr, 5409 Snyder Ln, Rohnert Park, ci.rohnert-park.ca.us
Dec 1 & 2 ~ Left Edge Theatre – “Ba- kersfield Mist.” A down-on-her luck bartender buys a painting at a local thrift store. Directed by Argo Thomp- son and Kimberly Kalember. Featur- ing Sandra Ish and Mike Pavone. $25, Dec 1, 8p, Dec 2, 5p, Left Edge Theatre, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Luther Bur- bank Center for the Arts, SR, leftedge- theatre.com, info@LeftEdgeTheatre.com
Dec 1-3 ~ SRJC presents “The Little Mermaid” - Based film inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s story. F&S, 7:30p, Sat & Sun matinees, 1:30p. Age 6 and above. $12-$22, Maria Carrillo HS Theatre, 6975 Montecito Blvd, SR, the- atrearts.santarosa.edu/current-season
Dec 1-10 ~ Raven Players’ “A Vintage Christmas” – Written by local playwright Tony Sciullo, directed by Steve Thorpe. $10-$25, 8p, Trione Winery, 19550 Gey- serville Ave, Geyserville, 707-433-6335
Dec 1-23 ~ Irving Berlin’s “White Christ- mas” at 6th Street Playhouse Score features “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and “White
Christmas.” Th&F, 7:30p, Sat, 2&7:30p, Sun, 2p, $15-$38, 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W 6th St, G.K. Hardt Theater, SR, 707-523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com
Dec 1-16 ~ “Rapture Blister
Burn” - Curtain Call Theatre. Pulitzer Prize finalist hit comedy from “House of Cards” writer Gina Gionfriddo. Champagne Buffet Gala, Dec 16, $20-$50 Doors open 7p, F&S, 8p, Sun 3p, Rus- sian River Hall, 20347 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio, 707-524-8739, russianriverhall.com
Dec 2, 7, 16 ~ National Theatre Live Ri- alto Cinemas. “Young Marx” by Rich- ard Bean and Clive Coleman. $18-$25, Dec 2, 10a, Thu, Dec 7, 7p, Sat, Dec 16 10a, Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St, Sebastopol, 707-525-4840, rialtocinemas. com, sebastopol@rialtocinemas.com
Dec 2-10 ~ Forestville Elementary and West County Charter students pres- ent “Arsenic and Old Lace” - An uproarious farce involving murder. $5-$7, Dec 2,8,9; 6:30p, Dec 3,10; 1p, Forestville School Auditorium, 6321 Hwy 116, Forestville, 707-887-2279
Dec 6 ~ West Side Stories Petaluma - Story Slam, 1st Wednesday each month gather to tell true personal stories. 10 tellers max tell 5-minute true story based on evening’s theme. Audience picks favor- ite for $50 cash prize. $10, 7p, Sonoma Portworks, 613 Second St., Petaluma, 707-477-4416, davepokornypresents.com
Dec 8-23 ~ Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge - 6th St. Playhouse. Mrs. Bob Cratchit takes center stage this year in flurry of holiday hilarity. Call for ticket prices & times, 6th St. Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa, 707-523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com
Dec 9 ~ Sebastopol Center for the Arts - Mendocino Dance Project, a dynamic and athletic dance company from the Men- docino Coast. $5-$20, 7:30p, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S High St, Brent Auditorium, Sebastopol, 707-829-4797
a befuddled teenager. Because he is so young he is mentored by another super fellow in the person of Robert Downey, Jr. otherwise known as Ironman. His opponent in this lm is Michael Keaton who has con scated some potent material from an extra-terrestrial event and plans to weaponize it. This is the wickedness that Spiderman must overcome as all heroes must have a journey where they confront evil and destroy it.
Rory Kinnear as Karl Marx. Photograph by Manuel Harlan.
Caesar in War for the Planet of the
Apes has all the required features. There
was something surreal about how he was
conceived, a mad experiment gone awry.
For Caesar and his coterie of apes it has
given them what appears to be skills and
compassion that somehow have been
drained from the human race. Caesar is
played by Andy Serkis who is motion
captured in a marvel of modern technology.
Caesar is interested in interspecies harmony
and regards with revulsion as humans kill other humans and sustains even more disgust when a dissolute colonel has enslaved hundreds of primates. Woody Harrelson as the colonel is a blatant replication of colonel Kurtz
in Apocalypse Now right down to the shaved head. There are many metaphors about building walls, etc. Caesar is half animal, half human but all hero as he defeats Harrelson and rescues his furry compatriots and leads them to safety.
Because there is a trend in bringing these superheroes to lm we can only speculate what makes them so indispensable to our society at this point in time. Could it be that we have not produced enough every day heroes to supply our lust for the scenario of pitting good against evil or has technology made us painfully aware of our heroes’ tragic aws?
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