Page 64 - Sonoma County Gazette October 2018

There’s a lot to see at your local movie theaters in October.
Starting with “Venom”. Kids of all ages will love this movie. It stars Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams. It opens October 5th. Also opening October 5th is “A Star is Born” starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Cooper also directed this remake.
Crazy Rich Asians
(the book and the movie)
is over 500 pages long. In the introduction
there is a genealogy chart which describes the interrelationships of the three most prominent families. Also the text contains many footnotes mostly to explain Chinese phrases or idioms but, at times, to give pertinent information about a particular geographical area or enhance the meaning of a local custom. Crazy Rich Asians was written by Kevin Kwan and is
the first in a trilogy that includes China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Kwan lives in New York, but he was born in Singapore where most of the novel is set.
Which remake is your favorite?
The one with Judy Garland or Barbra Streisand? Netflix these gems before you see the new one. Also opening October 5th is “The Old Man and
By Diane McCurdy
To begin with the book, Crazy Rich Asians,
the Gun” starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck. All Oscar winners. In fact Redford and Spacek won big in 1980. Reford won best director for “Ordinary People” and Spacek won best actress for “Coal Miner’s Daughter”.
Opening October 12th is “First Man” starring Ryan Gosling and Kyle Chandler. It’s the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969.
Opening October 19th is “Halloween” starring Jamie Lee Curtis. She returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers.
The book begins with a prologue featuring an
Asian family coming in from the rain with their
unruly children to a ritzy hotel and requesting
lodging. They are snubbed by the snooty hotel clerk whereupon they just buy the place. The tone has been set. Flash forward many years to the near present and to Rachel Chu and Nicholas Young two professors at NYU. They have been boyfriend and girlfriend for some time but no commitments have been made. Nicholas invites Rachel to come with him to Singapore where he will be best man at his friend’s wedding. Up until this point Rachel has no idea that Nick’s wealth rivals that of some small countries. She gets a clue when on the airplane that have a private compartment and Nick admits that his family is “comfortable”.
Opening October 26th is “Hunter Killer”. Deep under the Arctic Ocean, submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is on the hunt for a sub in distress.
Stephen King fans will be going to the Rohnert Park movie theater throughout October because five of his scariest films will be playing. On October 3rd “Carrie” plays and on October 10th it’s “Misery”. On October 17th it’s “Pet Sematary”. October 24th it’s “The Dead Zone” and finally on Halloween it’s the best one. “The Shining” will still scare the pants off of you. All films start at 7pm.
One of my favorite film festivals is the Mill Valley Film Festival.
I always say if you’ve always wanted to go to the Sundance film festival
but don’t want to fly, you have the best film festival 30 minutes away. This year’s highlights include “A Private War” starring Rosamund Pike and Jamie Dornan. Pike will be attending! Fans of last year’s “Lady Bird” will want to see “Beautiful Boy” starring Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell. It was filmed in San Francisco and Marin county. Chalamet will be attending. Fans of Nicole Kidman will want to see “Destroyer”. Anna Paquin will be attending her screening of “The Parting Glass” which also stars Melissa Leo. “Boy Erased” stars Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. Joel Edgerton directed and he will attend his premiere. Fans of Viola Davis will want to see her star in “Widows” and the one I’m very excited about is “If Beale Street Could Talk” directed by Barry Jenkins, the director of “Moonlight” which one the Oscar for best picture two years ago. And yes, he will be there! Go online for more information.
Upon arriving they are greeted warmly by the bride and groom and immediately the foursome check out the delicious treats of the hawker center which the author describes in detail. Soon Rachel is plunged into a whirlwind of activities. The gossip that percolates on this
tiny island republic is prodigious. Nick’s ex-
girlfriends make Mean Girls look like pikers.
His mother is an elegant, judgmental ice queen.
The hoi poloi are so stratified that even an
American accent is considered tacky. British
pronunciation is preferred.
For my LIVE THEATER fans you have to definitely see “Addams Family Musical” at Spreckels in Rohnert Park. It’s directed by one of Northern California’s best directors, Carl Jordan. He has won many awards and directed one of my favorite productions, “Clybourne Park” at 6th Street Playhouse. One of the actresses from “Clybourne” stars as Morticia. Her name is Serena Elize Flores and she actually played an Ancestor in “The Addams Family” four years ago at 6th Street Playhouse. Very excited for her. One of the best actors
The film is very much like the book. It is a crowd pleaser and has, in a four week period, raked in 150 million domestically. I have noticed with several films that I have seen lately after having read the book that film interpretations oftentimes tweak endings. American audiences, it seems, prefer no ambiguity and want moral justification. Rachel’s field of expertise has been changed from economics professor to a field that has emphasis on gaming statistics probably in order to stage a major showdown with Nick’s mother when they play Mah Jong.
in Sonoma County is Erik Weiss who plays Uncle Fester. He played Snoopy
in last year’s “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at 6th Street Playhouse. Remember that you saw him locally when he later becomes an Oscar winning actor. Also from “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is Cooper Bennett who plays Lucas. He also starred in “In the Heights” last year at the SRJC. Playing Ancestors are two very talented local actors, Nate Mercier and Ryan Whitlock. Nate starred in “Footloose” three years ago and you’ll remember Ryan from “The Rocky Horror Show” at 6th Street. The show runs October 12th through October 28th. Call 707 588 3400 for tickets.
Not being the least familiar with this game its impact was lost on me. But, the film contains dashes of Bollywood excesses which work beautifully. Rachel’s mother lives in Manhattan in the film not Cupertino as the author intended.
I sort of missed the exclusion of that local touch. The rapper Awkafina, as Rachel’s college friend, steals every scene that she is in. She is a hurricane of delight and should get an Oscar nomination for best supporting player.
64 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/18
Both interpretations present the reader or the viewer with a Cinderella soap opera. But, the soap is a luxury brand. Enjoy the bubbles!