Peacock’s ‘Genie’ will get you in the holiday spirit

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes

This is no “Aladdin” or “Kazaam,” but it will leave you feeling good with the spirit of the season. When Bernard misses his daughter’s birthday, his wife decides to take their daughter to her mother’s place through the holidays. Bernard happens upon a jewelry box that releases a genie who grants him unlimited wishes.

Bernard needs to decide if he can make time for his daughter and wife before it’s too late; maybe the genie, Flora, can help. With a great soundtrack featuring Otis Redding, Louie Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, Solomon Burke and Bubba Sparxx, this movie is an all-around winner.

‘Genie’ stars Melissa McCarthy, Paapa Essiedu, Denee Benton, Jordyn Mcintosh, Alan Cumming, Marc Maron, LaChanze and Ellen Cleghorne.

Bernard (Essiedu) misses his daughter, Eve’s (McIntosh) birthday and afterward his boss (Cumming) fires him.

Bernard’s wife Julie (Benton) decides they need some time apart through the holidays.

Alone in his apartment, Bernard rubs a jewelry box and releases Flora

(McCarthy), a genie who grants him unlimited wishes – as is the custom, that three wishes stuff is for fairytales.

Flora explains she was put in the box by an angry sorcerer many, many years ago and Bernard’s wish is her command.

Bernard explains his problems to Flora; she sweetly offers to kill his boss, but Bernard turns her down.

Flora said that wishes cannot change people’s feelings and you cannot time travel.

Flora and Bernard travel to see Julie at her mother’s house. It does not go well and ends up solving nothing.

Julie’s mother says that silence and solitude will make Bernard realize what’s important.

Back at the apartment, Bernard introduces Flora to pizza.

“It’s just a triangle of red bread,” she says.

After taking a bite she says, “This is Heaven.”

Flora then discovers Spot-iffy, as she calls it, in this funny scene.

When Bernard and Flora go shopping, Flora gets a new outfit and discovers hand sanitizer which she finds zesty.

Bernard explains Christmas to her. As it turns out, Flora knew Jesus and thought he was kidding about the whole Son of God thing.

“Christmas is also a time where kids learn all about disappointment,” says Bernard.

Bernard uses his wishes to do some good. Flora joins in.

When the two go to a movie, she falls in love with Tom Cruise. Then she strikes up a thing with Lenny the Doorman (Maron).

Bernard can be there for Eve and Julie. They have ice cream together, but Bernard is less-than-thrilled when they are joined by Julie’s childhood friend.

Later, a surprise visit from Bernard’s family only complicates matters.

Flora suggests “WWTCD – What Would Tom Cruise Do?” a Wishion Impossible mission to get Julie and Eve back. She suggests Bernard spruce up his apartment.

When the Louvre discovers the Mona Lisa is missing, (because it’s in Bernard’s apartment), it could be trouble for Bernard.

Eve gets to spend the night with her dad. Afterward, Julie and Eve have a nice dinner at Bernard’s apartment. Julie wants to talk about what their relationship might look like long-term.

A fire breaks out in the apartment, the Mona Lisa gets noticed and Bernard and Flora are taken to jail. Flora takes some excellent mug shots.

This is one of Melissa McCarthy’s best performances. Flora is such a fun

character. This is a feel-good movie the whole family can watch around the holidays. It’s definitely worth signing up for Peacock just to see this movie. As far as I’m concerned, it’s worth buying this movie and not signing up for Peacock, sorry NBC.

It’s a nice, happy story about the power of friendship and what’s really important in life. It gets a little emotional at times and shows that with effort – and a little magic – second chances are possible. I watched this twice and enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time.

Two Tom Cruise sweatshirts up.

Available to stream on Peacock or to buy.<

Collaboration between students ignites passion for reading

By Lorraine Glowczak

The Raymond Elementary School (RES) library was filled with intergenerational bibliomania on a Friday afternoon in late November as 10 Windham High School (WHS) students traveled to Raymond to read books to third grade students, eagerly waiting in anticipation. The 25-minute “read to me’ experience fostered a love for the written word and built a sense of community and mentorship between the two schools.

During a recent reading adventure, third-grade
students from Raymond Elementary School
were enthralled as Windham High School
students read to them. Beatriz De Sturdze,
a third grader, right, attentively listened
as WHS senior Lydia Wilson read
'Horton Hears a Who' to her class.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK   

The 25 third graders, who were divided into groups of five and paired with a high school mentor, had the opportunity to listen to and then discuss books from popular childhood literature. This cooperative event was spearheaded by Valerie Carpentier, WHS Library Media Specialist.

“I initiated this collaboration between the high school and RES to empower all students in their reading,” she said. “I was building upon the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Read to ME Challenge that begins in February every year. I hope to increase the program to include more students within the district very soon.”

According to the DOE website, The Read to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign to promote childhood literacy in Maine. The Challenge is an opportunity to contribute to a child’s literacy growth by reading aloud in any language to one or more children for at least 15 minutes a day.

Carpentier also mentioned that countless research shows reading out loud to children helps develop their language skills, early literacy, as well as their social-emotional intelligence. 

"Pairing all that wonderful learning with being read to by a high schooler has such a positive impact on children,” she said.

A few students were willing to share their experience of the day including third grader Beatriz De Sturdze. The young bookworm said that her mentor made the afternoon of storytelling fun and interesting.

“She actually used a funny voice and spoke louder and raised her voice up and down while she told the story.”

De Sturdze said that her mother reads to her every day, but it was fun having another person to look up to.

“She made me want to read more because of her funny voice,” she said. “It made me giggle and laugh.”

An avid reader and third grader Kieran Allen shared a different experience.

“It was sort of like an adventure,” Allen said. “I read sometimes on my own but there are times it is nice to take a break and have someone I don’t know read to me. It’s nice to just listen to the story and relax.”

De Sturdze’s reading mentor, WHS senior Lydia Wilson, said her participation in this collaborative opportunity was two-fold.

“I decided to take part in reading to the RES students because I like kids,” Wilson said. “But not only that, I was a RES student and I wanted to go back to see the teachers and the spaces where I first learned to read myself.”

According to the Nationwide Children’s® pediatric organization, reading with young children can help them develop a skill they will use for the rest of their lives while fostering a love of an activity that also enhances brain development.

“Children who are exposed to reading before preschool tend to develop larger vocabularies and are more likely to succeed during their formal education. If a child is not proficient in reading by third grade, they are at a higher risk for not graduating from high school,” the organization’s pediatrics say.

Carpentier plans to increase the reading program to all elementary schools in the district and to become a regular occurrence throughout the school year. It’s her goal to spread the love of reading and connect the school communities on a greater level while building bridges between younger and older students, fostering a culture of mentorship, compassion, and a shared passion for the written word. <

‘The Holdovers’ tells a good, but somewhat flat story

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 13 minutes

Every year at Barton Academy, students, faculty and staff depart the campus for a two-week winter break; but there are always an unfortunate few who have nowhere to go for the holidays. They are known as the holdovers. Curmudgeonly professor Mr. Hunham draws the task of staying with this group over the break. 

When a chance skiing trip gives four out of the five students the ability to leave campus for the break, Hunham, Tully and cafeteria manager Mary are left by themselves. How will they pass the time? Can they maintain their cool and sanity and maybe learn from each other?

“The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Naheem Garcia, and Andrew Garman.

It’s 1970 and the students at Barton Academy are ready for their two-week winter break.

Cranky professor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) has pulled the duty of staying with four boys who are the holdovers and will not be leaving campus for the break.

Angus Tully (Sessa) is looking forward to going to Saint Kitts over the break when he receives an unexpected call from his mom that she and his stepfather will not be coming to pick him up. He is now one of the holdovers. Also staying is cafeteria manager Mary (Randolph) who recently lost her son in Vietnam.

One of the boy’s fathers arrives to take everyone skiing. Everyone is able to go except Tully, who is now stuck at the school with Hunham and Mary.

Tully is upset about this and attempts to run away. Hunham catches him, but in the process, Tully dislocates his shoulder. They go to the hospital.

Afterward, Hunham and Tully go to a diner where they run into Ms. Crane (Preston) who invites them to her Christmas party. Hunham is skeptical to go but he is talked into it.

On Christmas Eve, Hunham, Tully, Mary and Barton custodian, Danny (Garcia) attend the party. While there, Hunham and Ms. Crane have an interesting conversation.

“I used to think I could prepare them for the world, provide standards and grounding ... but the world doesn’t make sense anymore; it’s on fire” said Hunham.

Crane says if that’s true, now is when they most need someone like him.

Mary breaks down mourning the loss of her son and she, Tully and Hunham leave early.

On Christmas, Tully suggests a field trip to Boston. However, he has a secret ultimatum. He wants to visit his father who is in a psychiatric hospital. Hunham reluctantly agrees.

I don’t think you need to see this in the theater unless you are really interested in doing so. It’s long and didn’t have the holiday cheer I was looking for. It has moments of cheeriness and humor, but there are also more somber moments, like Mary mourning the loss of her son at Ms. Crane’s Christmas party, or when Tully meets his dad.

Paul Giamatti’s portrayal of this character is good; I found him to be incredibly obtuse and irritating at times; sometimes you just felt bad for him. There is a bit of language in this movie and very brief nudity. It has heartfelt moments, such as when Tully dislocates his shoulder and Hunham takes him to the hospital, or what happens at the end. Despite its length, it does tell a consistent story that doesn’t drag much. It did make me feel good at the end.

Three-and-a-quarter stars out of five.

Now playing in theaters and available to rent. <

‘Elemental’ another home run for Pixar

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes

Element City has many residents, air, earth, water, and fire. Ember, a fire element, immigrated to Element City with her parents Bernie and Cinder Lumen. Bernie runs a shop where he sells a variety of goods. He has promised his shop to Ember someday. When Ember damages a pipe in the shop’s basement, it causes a leak and city inspector Wade threatens to close them permanently.

Wade falls for Ember, but she is very focused on saving her father’s shop and is not interested in a relationship. The two band together to find a way to patch the leak and save Bernie’s shop. Along the way, Wade learns that Ember has other dreams that don’t include running her father’s shop. Will Ember tell her father how she really feels? Can Wade and Ember save the shop?

The new film “Elemental” stars Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Catherine O’Hara.

Bernie (Del Carmen) and Cinder (Ommi) arrive at Element City where they face xenophobia because elements aren’t supposed to mix. They are unable to find a place to stay. When they finally do, Cinder gives birth to Ember (Lewis).

Bernie runs a shop called “The Fireplace” which has been promised to Ember someday. Ember has a bit of temper when it comes to dealing with customers. Bernie tells her when dealing with a tough customer, take a breath and make a connection.

Bernie is sick and cannot run his shop forever. He tells Ember if she can manage a big sale the shop is having without losing her temper, the store is hers.

Ember cannot do this; she loses her temper and breaks a pipe in the basement. City Inspector Wade (Athie) stops by, notices this and writes Ember several citations which could close the shop forever.

Ember tells him if the shop gets shut down it would crush her father, who worked hard and sacrificed a lot to give her and her mother this life in Element City.

It’s too late; Wade already submitted the tickets. The two go to Wade’s boss Gale (McLendon-Covey) and try to strike a deal. Gale says if they can find the source of the leak and patch it, the citations will be forgiven.

Ember and Wade go looking for the source. Wade learns Ember might not want to take over her father’s store but is afraid to tell him. Ember is softening toward Wade. Ember finds a way to patch the leak, but it won’t hold forever.

Wade tries to convince Ember to tell her father.

“Embrace the light while it burns because you don’t have forever to say what you need to say,” said Wade.

Bernie announces his retirement, but Ember still doesn’t want to tell him.

Ember tells Wade it’s over ... but it might not be.

Pixar usually does a phenomenal job with movies appealing to kids and adults, and “Elemental” is no different. It deals with some heavier themes than a Pixar favorite like “Toy Story” did. And expect a lump or two in your throat.

This is a fantastic movie the whole family can watch together. It has a great message about following your heart and not being afraid to go after what you really want. It’s a nice love story, but not too lovey-dovey. While it took me in an unexpected direction, I would recommend it.

Two Vivisteria flowers up.

Available to rent and on Disney+ <

Watercolor Workshop on tap at Raymond Village Library

By Kendra Raymond

Located in the heart of town, the Raymond Village Library hosts a variety of events throughout the year and a watercolor workshop is in the queue for early December with more excitement expected for the new year.

The library staff at RVL are committed to providing educational and engaging gatherings for patrons of all ages.

Local artist Cathy Dodge will lead a watercolor painting session from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 where you can create your own art to take home. This is a great opportunity to learn something new, hone your existing skills and maybe even create a meaningful holiday gift.

Dodge’s work has been featured during RVL art exhibits in the past. Trained in oils and watercolor, her work specializes in the still life of subjects such as flowers and seashells.

Librarian Rachel Holden says there is a limit of eight participants, so early registration is recommended by calling the library at 207-655-4283 for this 18-and-up event. Best of all, the workshop is free of charge and all materials are provided.

The Raymond Village Library shares its mission statement on its website as follows, “The Raymond Village Library is a community based informational, educational, and recreational facility dedicated to providing quality library services and resources in a welcoming atmosphere. The library will be responsive to the changing needs of the community, cooperate with other entities and strive to fulfill its role as a service oriented, dynamic library.”

RVL offers many regularly scheduled gatherings including Baby Storytime and Preschool Storytime where babies and tots can enjoy short stories, songs, and crafts. These one-hour gatherings foster an approachable appreciation of books for youngsters in a casual and fun setting.

Book Group meets on the last Monday of the month at 5 p.m. in person and by ZOOM, excluding December (because of the holiday season). Participants can expect some great titles, lively discussions, and plenty of access to the month’s book selection check out at the circulation desk.

Bridge Group is held every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon. Attendees can play bridge and occasionally mahjong, socialize, and utilize the library resources.

Holden says that attendance at weekly events is down a bit during winter months but should pick back up in summer.

For those less inclined to venture out to the library in person, the RVL website serves as a portal to several on-line services such as CL newsstand where you can access magazines, Kanopy, a movie streaming service, and LearningExpress, a career and educational program funded by the Maine State Library.

The RVL annual summer book sale has become an iconic event and is typically well-attended. Books are organized by genre at this outdoor sale. Donations are accepted year-round. A smaller selection of titles can be purchased during the on-going indoor sale as well.

Friends of the Raymond Village Library is a recently incorporated non-profit group. Their mission is to help support the library by sponsoring events, purchasing items, and raising awareness about the library’s offerings. Meetings are open to the public, and anyone with a RVL card can become a member.

A lesser-known resource offered by RVL is a discount opportunity to visit Maine museums and parks. Holden said, “(This program) offers a variety of discounts and/or free passes to parks, museums, and things like that. We are lucky to offer these resources.”

By simply calling or visiting the library, families can receive free admission to Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, Railway Village and Museum and Southworth Planetarium during summer months, and a discount at Maine Wildlife Park.

Families of up to four people can receive half price admission to the Children’s Museum and Theater in Portland year-round. A Maine State Parks pass is also available, via a pass which should be displayed in your vehicle’s windshield.

Raymond Village Library is located at 3 Meadow Road, just off Main Street in Raymond.

The library is open daily, excluding Thursday and Sunday. They will be closed Thanksgiving weekend, early on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. Check out the website for their hours, as they do vary. http://www.raymondvillagelibrary.org/

Friends of the Raymond Village Library can be contacted via email: friendsofraymondvillagelibrary@gmail.com. Donations and volunteering are encouraged. <

Windham High School presents musical comedy ‘Spamalot’

By Masha Yurkevich

It’s the season for Windham High School’s annual musical and this year, they have prepared for us Spamalot, a comedy and musical about King Arthur and his knights in the search for the Holy Grail and the problems they run into along the way.

Windham High School's production of the musical comedy
'Spamalot' based on the Tony Award-winning Best Musical
and the 1975 cult-classic film 'Monty Python and the 
Holy Grail' opens Friday at the Windham High
School Performing Arts Center. SUBMITTED PHOTO

The show will be held at the Windham Performing Arts Center at the high school and will run for two weekends: Friday Nov. 10 through Sunday Nov. 12 and Friday Nov. 17 through Sunday Nov. 19. The Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. and the Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors.

Director Rob Juergens says that Spamalot is uniquely British in its outlook and style of humor.

“It is a show that I have been wanting to do for years, because I love the movie it is based on, Monty Python and The Holy Grail,” he said.

Juergens role is to provide an overall vision and structure for the show. Important input also comes from the Musical Director, Dr. Richard Nickerson, and the Choreographer, Vanessa Beyland.

“The costumer and the set designer also have key roles, and it is my job to make sure all the elements coalesce to provide a consistent picture,” says Juergens. “In addition, I focus on the blocking and acting aspects of the musical.”

Ashlynn Cuthbert is a freshman and plays Sir Lancelot in Spamalot.

“I am relatively new to theater, this being my third show, but ever since I started, I have loved the feeling of performing live, as well as getting to be a person that you would not normally get to play,” says Cuthbert. “I decided to be part of this musical in particular this year because Spamalot is so very different from any other musical you will ever experience. The comedy is such that you will laugh either because it's a genuinely good joke, or because it's so ridiculous that you can't help but laugh. Plus, as an actor, it is such a great way to learn how to play different roles in different styles of theater.”

For Cuthbert, her favorite aspect of Sir Lancelot is the difference between the Lancelot people know outside of the show, and how he is portrayed in the show.

“I love trying to connect the two different sides of the character. It's also very fun to play with a sword and mess around with it on stage,” she said.

Molly Plati, a junior, plays Patsy and is also the Student Producer for the production.

“I have been involved with the musical since freshman year so naturally I was excited to audition,” says Plati. “When Spamalot was first announced I was not familiar with the show. However, my parents were thrilled. That night we watched Monty Python's version and instantly I was excited. The dry humor and overall hilarity of the show is what really drew me in.”

Plati’s favorite part about playing Patsy is the tap number I have at the beginning of the second act.

“Patsy is a full comedic role and has many silly moments,” Plati said. “I love playing the funny character because I love making people laugh.”

King Arthur is played by junior Stuart Gabaree who said that he has always felt that he gravitates toward humor when it comes to expressing himself.

“I had never watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail before auditioning, but I had heard of it. I got together with some friends and finally watched the film, and I feel like from that point forward I was sold on the show,” he says. “The humor was up my alley with the way some things barely make any sense at all. Weirdness and randomness has always been my thing.”

His favorite part about his role is how he is not allowed to hold back with it.

“The role calls for me to be the most stuck up, self-centered, egotistical, and dimwitted king there ever was,” he said. “I am able to ham it up and overact to a concerning degree. This might be my only chance to do such a thing, so I am going to take it.”

Senior Kaitlyn Farrin plays Sir Robin and is a Student Director.

She has been doing theater for the past eight years and has truly grown to love it.

“I decided to do Spamalot in particular because I love comedy and I was drawn to the crazy musical numbers,” said Farrin. “My favorite part of my role is how ridiculous and energetic it is. I've always preferred playing more comedic roles, and Robin is definitely one. I love being able to be goofy and make people laugh.”

Windham High School musicals have a strong reputation for high-quality productions.

“People should come to this show to support live, local theater,” says Juergens. “There is no doubt that this show will be an absolute blast.” <

‘Freelance’ film doesn’t quite deliver to full potential

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes

Mason Pettits has always wanted to help people. He became a lawyer but found that just wasn’t for him. So, he enlisted in the Army and became a special forces operative. He found his life now had purpose. Until, one day his helicopter was shot down and he injured his back. He went back to being a lawyer which is crushing his soul. When he lands a freelance gig to protect a journalist who is interviewing the man who shot down his helicopter, he is taken on an action-filled journey of modest proportions.

“Freelance” stars Alison Brie, John Cena, Alice Eve, Christian Slater, Marston Csokas, Juan Pablo Raba, and Molly McCann.

Mason Pettits (Cena) has returned to being a lawyer after being in the Army and having his helicopter shot down which injured his back. He’s not happy with being a lawyer. When Sebastian Earl (Slater) offers him a freelance job to protect journalist Claire Wellington (Brie) who will interview Paldonian President Venegas (Raba) Mason reluctantly accepts, although Venegas may have had something to do with his helicopter being shot down.

Mason and wife Jenny (Eve) are having problems. They separate. Mason heads to Paldonia with Claire. When a coup breaks out, their vehicles are attacked. Mason takes charge and saves Claire and Venegas. Mason wants to leave; Claire wants to stay and get the story of a lifetime.

A short time later, Mason and Claire split from Venegas. Claire says this is her chance for a Peabody Award. Mason says you can’t get a Peabody if you’re dead.

Claire gets separated from Mason. As Claire is about to be attacked, Mason interferes. They all meet back up with Venegas. They all learn more about each other and their situations. Claire interviews Venegas.

Claire and Mason kind of have a moment.

Mason finds out the real reason he was sent here. Jenny wants Mason to come home. Mason tells Claire they’re headed for the border. Claire is captured.

All along, Venegas’ nephew was trying to kill him. Mason and Venegas travel together; they need to save Claire.

The only expectation I had going into this movie was that it be half comedy, half action. It’s more action than comedy. I was looking for a light-hearted movie and, unfortunately, this isn’t it. However, it was better than I expected, and the story is relatively fast-moving with little drag time. No disrespect to John Cena – he may read this – but I felt like his character could be interchangeable with any big action star. 

You could easily put The Rock or Schwarzenegger in there and it would be almost exactly the same movie. Cena can be a very funny actor and I feel like his talents weren’t fully represented here. Alison Brie shows she is no longer naïve Annie from “Community.” As a heads up, this movie is pretty violent in parts with some language. It’s a decent action-adventure, but I don’t see any reason you need to see it on the big screen. If you do see it on the big screen, stick around through the credits for outtakes.

Two and a half out of five stars.

Now playing in theaters. <

‘Talk to Me’ horror flick a bit overwhelming

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes

At a party, Mia and her friends Jade and Hade’s brother Riley play a game where you hold an embalmed hand and say,

“Talk to me.”

Your body becomes possessed momentarily and what or who you see is anybody’s guess. When things get out of hand after Riley plays, Mia must find a way to save him, all while having visions of her own. This was an OK horror movie, but I found it complex and kind of busy, with almost too many intense things happening.

“Talk to Me” stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Marcus Johnson, and Ari McCarthy.

At a big party, Cole (McCarthy) is looking for his brother. When he eventually finds him, his brother has marks on his body and says,

“They’re inside me.”

After this some very serious stuff happens.

Mia (Wilde), who recently lost her mother, convinces her friend Jade (Jensen) to go to a party. Jade’s brother, Riley (Bird) goes with them. At the party, Mia plays a game that has gone viral where you hold an embalmed hand and say,

“Talk to me. I invite you in.”

Mia becomes momentarily possessed and sees visions of dead individuals. You need to stop after 90 seconds otherwise the spirit will stay with you. Things at this party get creepily out of hand.

The next night Mia wants to try it again and this time, Riley plays and things get very strange and grotesque. On a side note, this is a very violent, bloody scene which took me by surprise.

Riley is injured and Mia gets blamed. Mia realizes that there is still some sort of presence with her; she sees visions of her mother in mirrors.

She wants to see her mother again so bad that she plays the game on her own.

In the hospital, Riley gets worse. This scene is pretty gross, so be forewarned.

Jade and Mia go to talk to Cole about how to save Riley. Mia has a plan about how to bring him back.

Mia continues to see her mother who has a warning for her.

This is a dark, heavy at times, gruesome horror movie. A lot happens that, as much as I wanted to, just couldn’t get into. I will say, it was good, but was more creepy than scary and may have held more gravitas on the big screen. I also found it to be a little confusing. There were good and evil versions of people and sometimes, more toward the end, it was hard to figure out who was who. The end left me with questions. On the plus side, if you are looking for a reasonably decent movie to watch on Halloween, this might be the one for you – if you’re interested. Otherwise, I’d recommend something else like “Smile” or “Us.”

Only one flickering candle up.

Now available to rent. <

Netflix’s ‘Happiness for Beginners’ a feel-good story about challenging yourself

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: TV-14
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Helen and Mike have been divorced for six years and Mike is having a harder time letting go. He calls and texts Helen more frequently than she would like. Helen decides she needs to challenge herself and signs up for a wilderness survival course, where they hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Along the way she learns more about what she is capable of and even runs into an old friend of her brother’s, who she may have underestimated.

“Happiness for Beginners” stars Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Julia Shiplett, Gus Birney, Esteban Benito, and Alexander Koch.

Helen (Kemper) sits alone at a party while groups of people dance around her. She gets a text from her ex-husband, Mike from whom she has been divorced for six years.

Helen is planning a wilderness survival tour of part of the Appalachian Trail because she feels she is stuck in a rut and wants to stop breaking promises to herself.

At this party, she runs into Jake (Grimes), her brother’s best friend. Jake says he remembers when she used to be fun. She insists she’s still fun.

Helen has experienced a lot of grief and loss over her life.

When she starts orientation for the hike, it has a real motley crew of hikers. Their trail leader, Beckett (Cook) is more than a little intense. Helen realizes that one of the hikers is Jake.

Starting out, Beckett points out a lot of the things Helen does wrong.

As the hike goes on (it’s multiple days and nights) Jake and Helen bond. After more time, Jake admits a hard truth to her.

When a hiker gets injured and breaks their leg, it’s Helen who helps him and makes her way back to basecamp to alert the rest of the hikers and Beckett.

She heads home a little better than when she left. But what about Jake? They had a connection during their time hiking the Appalachian Trail, but what does all that mean? Could Helen have underestimated Jake? What’s next?

After my last review, I was looking for something lighter and more upbeat and I definitely found it. This is based on the book of the same name by Catherine Center. I should have noticed from the movie’s poster this was a romantic comedy. However, it’s not an overly lovey-dovey movie. It can be heavy at times, but I found it very positive, uplifting, while being a bit funny, too. The soundtrack is a good one. Aside from the romance aspect of the movie, the characters who go on this adult hike of the Appalachian Trail are looking to make a change or prove something to themselves. They discover people are more than the sum of their parts. I’d recommend this movie.

Two water bottles up.

Now streaming on Netflix. <

Windham Center Stage Theater begins preparing for Christmas production

By Masha Yurkevich

With the production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" closing last month, the Windham Center Stage Theater (WCST) has shifted gears and is now starting to prepare for their Christmas production, “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)” which will run from Dec. 8 through Dec. 17.

As a show with only three roles, this new production promises to be one of the highlights of the year for the theatrical troupe.

“Three actors have decided that instead of doing yet another production of “A Christmas Carol” they are going to tell another Christmas story… or rather, all of them,” says Mel Quackenbush, Vice President of the WCST Board of Directors and the director for the “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)” presentation. “Rudolf, Frosty, even George Bailey make an appearance in 90 minutes of hilarity and hijinks.”

Quackenbush says that this production is special because it has a small cast which is always fun and takes traditional stories that we all know and love and turns them on their head.

The roles are very fluid and adaptable to be played by anyone of any age, race, gender, or physical ability, she said.

Loosely speaking there is one actor who plays as the “serious actor” and who simply wants to do their planned production of “A Christmas Carol” and their two friends who are doing their best to do anything else, Quackenbush said.

This show has not been cast yet. In-person auditions will be held this week and Zoom auditions can be arranged by contacting WCST either through our social media or by emailing the theater at windhamcenterstagetheater@gmail.com.

“This show will have an eight-week rehearsal schedule, which is fairly standard,” says Quackenbush. “The biggest challenge for a show like this is making sure the chemistry of all the actors is very strong. With such a small cast if one actor is even a little off on the timing of their lines or misses their mark it really shows so the other actors have to be very adept at covering each other’s slips while making sure the show stays quick-witted and on track.”

Quackenbush says that everyone should attend this production because it’s going to be a great time with 90 minutes of comedy and shenanigans the whole family can enjoy. And it even includes a sing-along of Christmas songs.

Tickets for “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)” are $15 for adults and $12 for children and seniors. The show will be at the Windham Town Hall, located at 8 School Road. Dates are Dec. 8 to Dec. 17 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. and the Sunday shows are at 2 p.m.

According to Quackenbush, tickets will be available on the WCST website, which will open for presale during the week of Thanksgiving. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Following this production, WCST will stage the children’s show “James and the Giant Peach Jr.” in March 2024, to be followed by “The Music Man” which will run in May 2024. More information about those productions will be available soon.

“We believe that theater is for everyone,” says Quackenbush. “If you’ve been acting your whole life or if you’ve never set foot on a stage before but always wanted to, we would love to be the place where you can do that. We are working diligently to be a place of joy and inclusivity. Don’t want to be on stage but still want to work in the theater? We are always looking for volunteers, props masters, set builders, sound designers and the like. Reach out, we can find somewhere for you to be.” <

‘The Nun II,’ a somewhat scary movie, which offers unexpected occurrences

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes

It’s close enough to October, that it’s time for a scary movie – or two. As part of “The Conjuring” movie universe, “The Nun II” is the sequel to the 2018 movie. In France in 1956 a priest is mysteriously killed. Sister Irene returns in this movie and is told by the Cardinal that she is the only one who can stop the demon, Valak. The demon is responsible for a series of deaths across Europe. I enjoyed this movie on the big screen and although it’s not one of the scariest movies I’ve seen, it did have me jump in my seat a few times.

“The Nun II” stars Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid, Bonnie Aarons, Jonas Bloquet, Katelyn Rose Downey, Anna Popplewell, Maxime Elias-Menet, Suzanne Bertish, and Peter Hudson.

It opens in France where an altar boy, Jacques (Menet), notices something peculiar in the shadows after serving in a mass. He quickly realizes there is an evil presence in the chapel. He witnesses Father Noiret being viciously killed.

After these events, Sister Irene (Farmiga) is told by the Cardinal she is the only one who can deal with the demon Valak because of her previous experience with the demon. She travels to Tarascon, France with Sister Deborah (Reid).

At the convent, where there is also a boarding school, a student makes a delivery and sees Valak possess handyman Maurice (Bloquet). Later bullies pick on and lock student Sophie (Downey) in the chapel. The girls told Sophie that the Devil is always there, you just have to look. Valak is in the chapel, but Maurice intervenes and helps Sophie escape.

Sister Irene is shown where Father Noiret was killed, and discovers she has a connection to Maurice. After looking for Jacques, and coming up short, she sees the presence of Valak at a magazine stand in a visually very cool scene. Valak appears to the headmistress after she encounters a possessed Maurice. It doesn’t end well for her.

Sister Irene and Sister Deborah meet with a librarian who tells them he thinks Valak is looking for a specific relic, a pair of eyes, and that is the key to getting rid of the demon.

Valak attacks Sister Irene and Deborah through Maurice. They tie up Maurice. Sophie, schoolteacher Kate (Popplewell), Sisters Irene and Deborah must now find the relic and stop Valak before it’s too late.

I want to be scared when I watch a horror movie and while I was startled, I didn’t find this that scary. While this movie is a bit gruesome and violent in parts, I found it over-the-top in some of the scarier parts, usually when Valak makes its presence known.

On the plus side, I thought this was quite suspenseful, with the creepy music often leading up to sometimes shocking events. It featured a few moments that really caught me off-guard. It had me jumping in my seat a few times and overall, I would recommend seeing this on the big screen for the maximum horror effect.

Two thumbs up; make sure you stay through the credits.

Now playing only in theaters. <

Review: ‘Champions’ more about team and less about wins

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes

Marcus Marakovich is an assistant coach for the collegiate basketball Iowa Stallions. He has an incident where he pushes the head coach. He’s thrown off the team and spends a night in jail after driving drunk. The judge then imposes a sentence of 90 days of community service at a local recreation center where he will coach a team of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Can this big-time coach find a way to give back to this team? This comedy has a lot of heart while also being funny.

“Champions” stars Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Matt Cook, Madison Tevlin, Joshua Felder, Kevin Iannucci, Ashton Gunning, Matthew Von Der Ahe, Tom Sinclair, James Day Keith, Alex Hintz, Casey Metcalfe, Bradley Edens and Cheech Marin.

Following an incident where Iowa Stallions coach Marcus Marakovich (Harrelson) pushes head coach Peretti (Hudson), Marcus hits a police car while driving drunk. After spending a night in jail, he is offered a deal by the judge instead of more jail time – 90 days coaching a recreational basketball team of adults with developmental disabilities. Marcus is not thrilled about this but accepts.

Coach Perretti tells Marcus he knows the game but needs to cultivate relationships. The recreational team is a good place to start.

When he meets the team, most of them are open to him, except Darius (Felder). Johnny (Iannucci) takes a liking to him and as it turns out, Marcus has already met Johnny’s sister, Alex (Olson).

Recreation Manager Julio (Marin) tells Marcus the team doesn’t have to be the Lakers, but they need to feel like a team.

Marcus finds out the previous coach quit partway through the season and it devastated the team.

The more time Marcus spends with the team, the more he realizes they are more capable than he originally thought. Despite this, he’s not the most encouraging to his players during games.

Over time, he begins to bond and connect with them. One such moment is when he convinces Johnny, who is afraid of water, to take a shower.

The team wants to make it to Regionals, so they cannot afford any forfeits.

When a pipe bursts in the gym, Marcus takes the practice outside to a local court where they challenge a group of players after being referred to in a derogatory way.

When Marcus’ 90 days are up, he stays with the team. They are one win away from the Regional Tournament. Marcus also has an offer from the NBA he plans to accept.

After Marcus talks to Darius, he agrees to play for them.

However, they don’t have the money needed to travel to the tournament. Marcus and Alex have an idea.

This is a funny, charming, awkward, emotional feel-good movie. It has a great message about teammates playing for each other and not to discount or overlook someone just because they have a disability. It has mild language and sexual situations, watch out for the sprained finger scene toward the end. “Champions” can be defined in many ways, not just by winning it all. This one is worth a stream.

Two thumbs up.

Available on Amazon Prime and to rent. <

‘You Hurt My Feelings’ a heartwarming drama-comedy

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes

When novelist Beth overhears her husband vehemently saying how much he doesn’t like her current novel, it upsets her and makes her question what else he could have been lying about. This drama-comedy deals with the hard truth of being honest with one another, not just our significant others, with sometimes subtle, sometimes dark humor. Julia Louis-Dreyfus gives a solid performance in this sincere movie.

“You Hurt My Feelings” stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Owen Teague, Amber Tamblyn, David Cross, and Jeannie Berlin.

Beth (Louis-Dreyfus) is a published author and teacher who has written a memoir and is working on her second book, a work of fiction. She is married to Don (Menzies) who is a therapist. Her agent doesn’t think her second book is as strong as her first.

When Beth and her sister Sarah (Watkins) overhear Don telling Sarah’s husband, Mark (Moayed), how much he really dislikes Beth’s second book, she is upset. She’s been working for two years and has given Don many drafts to read and every single time he says they are good. Beth says her hands are numb and she thinks Don probably doesn’t respect her or understand why she teaches. Beth says she needs Don’s approval.

Sarah admits to lying to her husband from time to time when he is part of something she doesn’t think is good.

When their son, Elliot’s (Teague) girlfriend breaks up with him, he visits them and brings up the topic of trust. Beth is very cold toward Don.

The fears of being not good enough are only reinforced when she discovers no one in her class has read her first book.

Beth finally confronts Don during a dinner with Sarah and Mark. She says she might stop writing altogether.

Don claims what she heard was taken out of context. Beth says she can never trust him again.

Each of the characters in this movie struggles with not feeling good enough; although Beth is the only one who overhears someone bashing her work.

While this drama-comedy was funny, it’s not like my sides hurt from laughing, but it may bring a tear to your eye. We all may have told a small lie to protect someone’s feelings. It’s a hard subject to broach. I found this movie relatable in that it’s an uncomfortable experience that may be pretty common. How do you tell someone you care about you may not like something they did?

Beth’s mother (Berlin) is a funny character and I related to adult children dealing with their older parents. I can’t say I felt like a solution to what Don did to Beth was reached, I think they just moved on. Julia Louis-Dreyfus gives a fantastic performance which in no way reminded me of her Seinfeld role as Elaine Benes. This is worth a rental, and I give it two thumbs up.

Available to rent on most major streaming platforms. <

Review: ‘The Out-Laws’ action-packed silliness

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes

What if you suspected your to-be in-laws were current bank robbers? What would you do? This is exactly what happens to Owen when he meets his fiancé Parker’s parents, Billy and Lilly, whom he suspects robbed the bank where he is manager.

His intimidating in-laws know he’s on to them, and he’s having trouble proving their guilt and his innocence. When Parker is kidnapped by Billy and Lilly’s boss, Rehan, he must work together with his in-laws to save his to-be wife from a gruesome fate – all in time for their upcoming wedding in this outlandish comedy.

Produced by Adam Sandler, “The Out-Laws” stars Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, Michael Rooker, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind, Julie Hagerty, Blake Anderson, Lil Rel Howery, Lauren Lapkus, and Dean Winters.

Owen (Devine) and Parker (Dobrev) are getting married. Owen is mapping out the seating chart for the wedding using a variety of action figures. When Parker asks if there is room for two more seats, Owen is psyched her parents are coming; he’s never met them. Parker is less than thrilled and says her parents can be a bit much.

Despite Owen’s parents (Kind, Hagerty) not being crazy about Parker, he is excited to meet her parents. He assures her it’s OK if her parents are a lot.

“Have you met my parents?” said Owen. “I only picked Medusa and Skeletor [as representatives for his parents in the seating chart] because they don’t make Stalin and Lizzie Borden dolls.”

When Parker’s parents, Billy (Brosnan) and Lilly (Barkin) arrive early, it’s a surprise. To say they’re intimidating is an understatement.

Billy, Lilly and Owen all go drinking and Owen tells Parker it was like hanging with the cool kids.

Later, Owen’s bank is robbed, and the robbers know Owen by name. Detective Oldham (Rooker) has been tracking notorious criminals, the Ghost Bandits, for years and he suspects this is their handywork.

After carefully considering several details from the robbery coupled with initially meeting Billy and Lilly, he thinks they may have robbed his bank.

Billy and Lilly’s boss, Rehan (Jagannathan), tells them she wants more money than the $1 million they’ve already given her, otherwise Parker is in trouble.

While Agent Oldham is tracking the Ghost Bandits, he finds the equipment they used to rob Owen’s bank in the trunk of Owen’s car. Owen turns them in almost immediately and Agent Oldham wants him to wear a wire.

While Parker and Owen are cake tasting, Rehan bursts in and kidnaps Parker.

Owen tells Billy and Lilly they need someone familiar with how to get in and out of bank vaults in order to get the rest of the money they need to save Parker. The three come up with a plan to rob the heavily secured Atlas Reserve Bank run by Phoebe King (Lapkus).

I liked this movie. It was funny in parts with a lot of action; the scenes in the cake shop and the cemetery are intense. It is a little raunchy, with mild violence, a little bit of blood, and moderate language. While there are many great actors in this movie, Richard Kind in typical Richard Kind fashion is over-the-top ridiculous, especially when working with Agent Oldham. I felt like it started strong and lost a bit of momentum as it progressed, but this is still a fun one.

The fifth James Bond gives it two thumbs up!

Available to stream on Netflix. <

Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ a fun ride on the big screen

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Gabbie and her son Travis are moving to and starting over in a new house, Gracey Manor, with the intention to open a bed-and-breakfast. When strange things begin happening in the house, they are both convinced it’s haunted. They soon call on a dream team of experts to help rid their home of these unwelcome guests. 

They enlist the help of Ben; an astrophysicist, Father Kent, Harriet; a pyschic, and Professor Bruce Davis. They must join forces to banish the Hatbox Ghost, also known as Alistair Crump in this spooky adventure.

“Haunted Mansion” stars LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chase Dillon, Jared Leto, and Charity Jordan.

Ben (Stanfield) is a grieving astrophysicist who developed a camera to detect dark matter. After the loss of his wife, Alyssa (Jordan) he takes over her ghost tours, despite being a non-believer.

When Gabbie (Dawson) and Travis (Dillon) move into Gracey Manor to open a B&B, they discover their house gets frightening, especially after midnight. They call on Ben to see if he can photograph some ghosts with his “ghost camera.” Ben meets Father Kent (Wilson) who has considered doing an exorcism on the manor.

Gabbie tries to convince Ben that setting foot in her home could change the course of his life. Ben’s not buying how scared they are. After being in the manor, Ben experiences strange occurrences at his apartment and now believes the ghost may have followed him home.

He returns to the manor and Gabbie and Travis tell him the hauntings have gotten worse. Ben thinks they need an exorcism, but Father Kent is hesitant.

After Ben explores the house on his own, he says they’ll need more help. They bring in Professor Bruce Davis (DeVito) and psychic Harriet (Haddish). Professor Davis has newspaper clippings detailing the deaths that took place in the manor.

While examining the attic of the manor, they find an old trunk with a crystal ball which houses Madame Leota (Curtis). The group finds a secret séance room and contact the spirit of William Gracey, who owned the manor previously. She explains there is a terrible evil that was summoned long ago; this is Alistair Crump (Leto). If Crump is not banished, the ghosts will remain at Gracey Manor.

Crump wants Ben as his last soul. A reverse séance is performed, and Ben goes looking for Crump.

Crump locks Gracey Manor down, but Ben, Travis and Father Kent have escaped, and traveled to Crump Manor, now a historical site with guided tours, to stop Crump. In Crump Manor, Travis finds Crump’s hat, which can be used as part of the ritual to banish Crump.

One of my favorite rides at Disney World is the Haunted Mansion. This movie has many elements from the ride, from changing picture frames to rising walls, and just an overall air of spookiness. It’s not super scary, though I did jump in my seat once. This is a perfect pre-Halloween treat. It’s funny and sweet in places, but the realistic abundance of ghosts may be too scary for younger audiences. I really enjoyed this action-packed movie and its special effects. Pay attention to the background in Gracey Manor for anything unusual. If you’re a fan of the Disney ride, haunted houses and ghouls, you have to see this one on the big screen.

Crump Manor tour guide Vic gives this movie two thumbs up.

Now showing only in theaters. <

Windham varsity boys’ basketball wraps up successful summer session

By Matt Pascarella

It’s been a busy and productive summer for the Windham High School boys’ basketball team. They became Gold Rush champions during a basketball camp at Thomas College in Waterville. The entire team has been working hard each morning showing up for early morning practices. In the final game of the summer season, Windham boys’ varsity beat Edward Little at home, 56-49, on Thursday, July 27 in a game that showcased their hard work and dedication.

Windham junior Conor Janvrin dribbles past two Edward
Little opponents on Thursday, June 27 during a summer
basketball game at Windham High School.
PHOYO BY MATT PASCARELLA

For the first time, the boys’ high school basketball program invited Windham seventh and eighth graders to join them in a week of practices as they finished their summer season.

“We couldn’t wait for the summer to start, just because of the guys we had coming back,” said Windham varsity boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen. “Summer has been great, because we get to hang out with these guys, but also helping fuel their passion for the game. It’s very rewarding for me.”

During the final game of the summer season, Edward Little jumped to an early lead. Windham tied the game with the Red Eddies several times and the game was tied at 22 at the half.

At the start of the second half, Windham really increased their intensity and took the lead. Windham remained out in front and made it difficult for Edward Little to get this win.

Windham junior Creighty Dickson said they pushed the pace, finished at the rim and played fast pace on defense; it was a solid game.

When Pulkkinen opened practice up to seventh and eighth graders, he said he’s seen his players start to understand their roles as role models and that gives them a sense of how to hold themselves as players and athletes. It’s a win-win for both sides. It’s been very collaborative and powerful for the program.

“It’s been good we all work out together a lot,” said Windham junior Conor Janvrin. “We all worked together, everyone knows their role and plays a part in the team; I’m looking forward to the upcoming season [this winter].”

Windham sophomore AJ Moody sunk 3 three-pointers during the Edward Little game and said this was the last summer with some of the seniors. He really wanted to show up for them and put everything on the line; he couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff. He likes teaching the upcoming high school players new things and he can’t wait to play with them.

The varsity players got to show the middle school players how they do things offensively and strategically. The overall comradery has been really fun. Pulkkinen enjoyed seeing his team as a great set of role models. It was fun for him to see varsity players giving back to the youth program.

“It was really fun to watch and play against a bunch of high-level players and being able to learn from them,” said Windham eighth grader Sean Lebel. “They showed me the pace that high school basketball is played at and is a very big step up from middle school. It was a great way for me to work on fundamentals and get up a lot of shots. It was nice to build relationships with a lot of the high schoolers too.”

Windham junior varsity and assistant varsity coach Geoff Grigsby said the commitment and dedication he’s seen on the court from players of all ages this summer really proves Windham is a basketball community on the rise. <

Hulu’s ‘Rye Lane’ a nice, candid, romantic comedy

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 22 minutes

Dom and Yas are two 20-somethings in South London who recently left their significant others. Dom is struggling to get over his ex and inadvertently meets Yas at a gallery. The two are different personalities but have a connection. As they learn more about each other’s past relationships, their bond increases. Although Dom and Yas may be discouraged with love, could they be right for one another?

“Rye Lane” stars David Jonsson, Vivian Oprah, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Karene Peter, and Simon Manyonda.

At an art show, Dom (Jonsson) goes into a unisex bathroom stall to have a cry while scrolling through his ex-girlfriend’s posts. Yas (Oprah) goes into the stall next to him and hears his whimpers. She asks if everything is OK. She leaves without seeing Dom’s face.

In the gallery, Yas notices Dom’s shoes and the two get to talking. Yas takes an interest in Dom and his messes. She says everyone has a mess. Dom, interested in Yas, finds out she just left her boyfriend.

Dom is on his way to meet with his ex-girlfriend, Gia (Peter), who cheated on him with his best friend. He says he wants to clear the air. Dom has been so heart-broken this is the first time in three months he’s left the house.

Yas wants to go with him to this meeting, but Dom says no.

At the meeting, Dom confronts Gia about why she cheated. She says it’s because they were unhappy and had grown apart. This is a cringe-worthy scene and Dom is at a loss for words until unexpectedly, Yas shows up; she quickly fabricates a story of how they met. This visibly upsets Gia.

Dom is so thankful to Yas for stepping in he offers to buy her something to eat.

Their personalities are very different; Yas is an outgoing person, not above complimenting a stranger, whereas Dom is more reserved and describes himself as a grand gesture guy when it comes to relationships.

Yas says Dom should try to “see what happens” more, as that is good for the soul.

When Yas tells Dom her breakup story, she adds that she left an album of hers at her ex-boyfriend’s place. She and Dom go on a mission to get it back. They end up doing karaoke in order to get help to break into her ex’s place.

Yas is hesitant, but Dom is excited to do karaoke, until it starts, and goes badly. At this point Yas steps in and the two bring the house down with a popular song from the 1990s. This is a very sweet scene.

Yas gets upset going for the album and they get caught by her ex who badmouths her to Dom – who won’t hear of it though. Things spiral; it comes out that lies were told. Dom and Yas go their separate ways.

This romantic comedy is a sincere story about not giving up, even if you feel there is no hope in your romantic future. It’s somewhat funny but doesn’t have the fastest moving plot. Jonsson and Oprah had real on-screen chemistry and their characters and relationship issues were relatable. It’s not the strongest romantic comedy, but I still enjoyed it.

I’m giving this one 3 out of 5 stars.

Now streaming on Hulu. <

Author and Illustrator promotes new graphic novel series in Windham

By R.D. Frum

Graphic novel author and illustrator Seny may not exactly be famous yet, but she’s hoping to change that as more readers explore her graphic novel series which combines inspired storytelling with her passion for art. On Saturday, July 1, Seny met readers and discussed her graphic novels at a book-signing event at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham.

Graphic novelist and illustrator Seny was at
Sherman's Maine Cost Book Shop in Windham
on Saturday, July 1 to promote 'Saigami
Volume 2,' a continuation of her fantasy
manga-inspired series. 
PHOTO BY R.D. FRUM 

Born and raised in Hungary, Seny now lives in Maine. She was in Windham to promote Saigami Volume 2, a fantasy manga-inspired series that continues from where Saigami Volume One left off. The main characters are thrust into an action-packed turn of events where they must face challenges and endure a series of tests in order to be able to fit into a group with the Saigami people, who command the elements with varied powers.

“Manga and graphic novels have been a passion of mine ever since middle school.” Seny said. “I personally started doing comics and graphic novels because I started writing my own novels as a kid and I found that describing certain things was hard so I thought surely drawing them will be easier,” Seny says.

“This is somewhat true because I find that I really like drawing environments, expression, and all those things rather than just describing them but also, it's a lot more work and it's definitely more time consuming than writing.”

Saigami Volume One took Seny around six months to complete from the moment of the contract signing. Seny joined Saturday AM Publishing at the beginning of 2014 where the story was running in magazine issues biweekly. Seny said Saigami Volume One would’ve taken longer if she hadn’t completed 70 percent of the illustrations already.

Then there was a previous Saigami Volume One version that was self-published and then in 2020 Quarto Publishing gave the series a soft tribute and so it was recreated with name changes and several scene additions. Saigami Volume Two took about eight months to finish with multiple new scenes.

Seny’s inspiration came from wanting to draw something she would have loved to read herself in middle grade. “As I got older and a little bit more refined in taste and storytelling, I rebooted the whole story and while still trying to accommodate something that I wish my younger self could have read, but also making sure that it's a good enough story that can be pitched to publishers and it can be a good story for people to read,” Seny says.

However, writing and illustrating graphic novels does have its obstacles.

“I would say the most challenging part was trying to find a middle ground between what my publisher thought should be done with the story and what my vision is like with the story and the characters,” Seny said. “For me, as someone who was raised in a very conservative environment and later got out from that...I wanted to incorporate that in the story to focus on that and hopefully inspire young readers. My publisher had other ideas, focusing more on just the hype and the action aspects, so there’d be a little bit less depth. Apart from that, the rest is pretty much just an endurance game, because drawing all those pages is a lot of work.”

Seny said that there is not much of a scene for comics back in Hungary.

“I started to pitch for publishers, and I was lucky enough that I got my first publication at the age of 19 while I was there in university,” she said. “But that was also pretty much a reality check for me, that my home, Hungary, is so small that there's no way of making a living for comics there. So that's when I started to try and self-publish online on various platforms.”

Seny created a YouTube channel (@saigmaiproject) to teach others how to draw comics and other various things, and that’s how she was led to the publishing company Saturday AM.

Currently, Seny is focusing on promoting Saigami Volume 2, but she does have a couple ideas for future projects.

“My wife and I are actually working on a story together. It's set in Maine,” Seny says. “So we are very hopeful that can be a series we get to work on, even just as a single graphic novel.”

Seny is also working on adapting a novel series into graphic novel volumes.

“Apart from that, of course, if Sagami has more volumes that is something that would be great, but I also have another series that I would like to work on in the future, which is about women's volleyball, which is very close to me,” she said.

Saigami Volume 2 is now available at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham. <

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ a fun ride for summer’s start

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours, 34 minutes

Your favorite archeologist is back for one last adventure. And this fifth installment is action-packed. After the death of his colleague Basil and following the success of Apollo 11, Jones is forced to retire from Hunter College. He meets Helena Shaw, Basil’s daughter and Jones’ goddaughter, who tells him of the Archimedes Dial that is believed to locate fissures in time, allowing its owner to travel through time. Shaw tells Jones her father was obsessed with its secrets. Jones has half of the dial from a previous expedition and Shaw wants to find the rest of it. She needs Jones’ help – and maybe he needs hers. Prepare for some edge-of-your-seat action.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” stars Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Shaunette Renee-Wilson, Mads Mikkelsen, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethan Isidore and John Rhys-Davies.

It’s 1944 and a young Indiana Jones (Ford) and his colleague Basil Shaw (Jones) are captured by Nazis working for Dr. Jurgen Voller (Mikkelsen). They try to kill Jones and Shaw but are unsuccessful. There is some great action and special effects here.

In 1969, America has just landed on the moon. Jones is a history professor at Hunter College in New York City; he lectures to an unenthusiastic class. Later Jones is thrown a retirement party and in a bar he meets Shaw’s daughter Helena (Waller-Bridge), whose father is now deceased. She is an archeology student looking for Archimedes Dial.

Shaw has a map and tries to talk Jones into going on one last adventure.

“Why are you chasing the thing that drove your father crazy?” Jones says.

“Wouldn’t you?” says Shaw.

Voller is well aware of Jones’ whereabouts and his henchmen are always nearby.

Shaw was untruthful and Jones is captured, but escapes. There is an excellent chase scene through a parade-filled street and narrow subway tunnels.

Jones meets an old friend who helps him follow Shaw, who has the dial, to Tangier. Here Jones prevents her from selling the dial in an auction.

We meet Shaw’s sidekick/friend Teddy (Isidore) who helps her escape when Voller shows up. Shaw needs to find the other half of the dial before the Nazis do. She can’t do it without Jones.

Jones takes the two to his friend Renaldo’s (Banderas) boat who will help them look for the other half of the dial in the Aegean Sea. Voller appears again, and Shaw makes a deal with Voller. She assures Teddy she is still in control.

Voller kidnaps Teddy.

Shaw and Jones find the Tomb of Archimedes and the other half of the dial just in time for Voller to show up; Jones is shot and Voller escapes. But there’s much more to this story.

I enjoyed this fifth installment. Is it as fun as one of the original films? I didn’t think so, but this was a very fun movie on the big screen. It is a long, but moves quickly and is action-packed. It’s mildly funny and I’d even go as far as to say this is one you could watch with the whole family. It even has a little heart. Ford steals the show again as the tough Indiana Jones who won’t be stopped. Waller-Bridge is a great accomplice to Jones in the hunt for this rare artifact. Going in, it helps to see this one with some previous knowledge of the story of Indiana Jones.

A whip and a fedora up.

Now playing only in theaters. <

WCST preparing to stage Oscar Wilde play this fall

By R.D. Frum

The curtain is about to rise for Windham Center Stage Theater as it continues its 49th season with the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Windham Center Stage Theater will present
'The Importance Of Being Earnest' by
Oscar Wilde from Sept. 8 through Sept. 24
in Windham. COURTESY PHOTO 

Melanie Quackenbush, vice president of the Board of Directors, and Chelsea Richardson, treasurer of the Board of Directors, will serve as the directors for this play.,

The Windham Center Stage Theater has been around since 1974 when Harry Grey shared the story of a theatre company he had once directed in Canada at a meeting with Frank Brautigum. Intrigued by the concept of community theater, Brautigum asked Grey if such a group could be started in Windham. They were immediately motivated by the idea and quickly published a notice of the organizational meeting in the local newspaper.

The earliest program, which is still kept in the theater group’s archives, was created for the production “The Apple Tree” and was presented at Saint Joseph's College in Standish on Feb. 28 and March 1, 1975. Tickets were only $2.50 each. On March 18, 1978, a grand opening event was conducted to mark the Windham Community Theater's relocation to the Community Center at the Windham Town Hall. The use of the garage area there was granted to WCST in 1985.

Like other community theater groups, Windham Center Stage Theater had to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual fundraisers took place to keep the theater going.

“This year we sat down…and we want to do something that doesn’t cost us a lot of money because we had two years where we didn’t really make any…because everything was virtual, and we were shut down,” Quackenbush said.

Choosing what show or set of shows to put on for each season is a year-round process for WCST.

“We have one big meeting where we sort of hash everything out,” Quackenbush says. Over the course of the season members of the Board of Directors collect show ideas to go over at the annual meeting. Each season consists of one straight play, a children’s show that is always a musical, and at least one musical.”

Quackenbush says that WCST can perform what the theater group already has rights for, because obtaining theater rights, especially musical theater rights, are a process.

“What can we get that isn’t going to cost a bunch of money? How much things are going to cost really plays into it, musicals are always more expensive than straight plays,” she said. “Musicals I find to be more fun, but there’s also a lot more that goes into it because you have a music director, a choreographer, all these people, and there’s a lot more moving parts to it.”

While auditions for shows at the Windham Center Stage Theater usually occur in person, those trying out for The Importance of Being Earnest were allowed to do either a self-taped, on Zoom, or by in-person audition. For a play, people will then act out a certain scene or monologue from the show.

“When they read, we’re having them read once in their normal voice, and we’re having them read a second time with a British accent,” Quackenbush said. “When you do a musical, it’s very much the same thing for the acting, but then you also have...a singing performance of some kind...and they have you do a dance audition as well where they will teach you 16 bars of a dance.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde,” Quackenbush said. “The whole premise of the story is that there are these two gentlemen who have essentially created alternate personalities for themselves, so they can be one person when they’re in town and they can be someone else when they’re in the country. There are these two young ladies that these gentlemen are enamored of who think that both of their names are Earnest.”

The play is set during the Victorian era, but Windham Center Stage Theater plans to update it to bring the play into the 21st century when it is performed.

“It’s…silly, funny, mistaken identity and what happens when the person you’re pretending to be and the person you are…come to a head,” Quackenbush says.

The Importance of Being Earnest is taking center stage in Windham from Sept. 8 through Sept. 24. <

'Knock at the Cabin’ an unsettling ride keeps you guessing, slow to deliver

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Wen and her dads are vacationing in an isolated cabin in the woods. Wen is collecting flowers outside when she is approached by Leonard who tries to befriend her. He and three other individuals soon tell Wen’s dads, Eric and Andrew that they must make a grave decision in order to save humanity. Is this true? Could someone be lying?

I was excited to see this M. Night Shyamalan movie because I’ve enjoyed several of his movies in the past, but while this one is quite tense and unsettling in numerous parts, I wasn’t as surprised as I would have liked to have been when it ended.

“Knock at the Cabin” stars Kristen Cui, Dave Bautista, Johnathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn.

Wen (Cui) is learning about insects. She is outside catching grasshoppers when she is approached by Leonard (Bautista) who asks if he can talk to her. She says she’s not supposed to talk to strangers. He tells her if they can talk maybe they’ll be friends and no longer strangers.

Leonard tells her he has a broken heart because of what he has to do. Leonard and his associates Redmond (Grint), Sabrina (Amuka-Bird) and Adriane (Quinn) have the most important job in the history of the world.

Wen tells her dads Eric (Groff) and Andrew (Aldridge). When Leonard and the others come to the door, they are told to go away.

Leonard and crew force their way in and tie Eric and Andrew to chairs. They each introduce themselves.

The way this possible invasion is slowly taking place, is one of the movie’s most unsettling, but beneficial characteristics. Four strangers force their way into a home and are so meticulous about their process, that they let the terrified party get to know them. I found that creepy.

The group tells Eric and Andrew that they are here to prevent the apocalypse and the couple must make a tough decision or humanity will begin to suffer.

Eric tells them they need help, but this only makes Leonard double down on his reason for being there.

“For every no you give us, we will unleash a plague for the sins of humanity,” Leonard says.

There are ceremonial actions that take place between the group, some worse than others.

As all this is going on we see flashbacks to when Eric and Andrew first met. Other points in their life play out at various points during the movie, sometimes depicting Eric and Andrew being hurt or not accepted for their relationship.

At one point, breaking news comes across the TV. This may have confirmed something said by Leonard earlier.

Sabrina says to Eric they are all on the same side; the group won’t let up; a choice must be made.

Eric and Andrew try to poke holes in everything that has happened in the last 12 to 16 hours.

Eventually, Eric and Andrew break free from the chairs. Things get worse. The tables turn. There are several tense moments and things take another turn.

This definitely is a slow burn as horror movies go. I did appreciate the creepy and unsettling nature of unwanted visitors who are there for reasons that go beyond human abilities. This movie is based on the 2018 novel “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul G. Tremblay. The ending was not as straightforward as I would have liked. Unfortunately, I’d lump this in with Mr. Shyamalan’s 2022 movie “Old,” which I also felt failed to deliver.

One thumb up.

Streaming only on Peacock and available to rent. <