Movie Review: ‘My Spy: The Eternal City’ falls short of expectations

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Several years after the first “My Spy” movie in 2020, JJ and Sophia are back. When JJ chaperones a trip to Italy, Sophia’s friend Collin is kidnapped and there is threat from terrorists that could affect the entire Vatican City. It’s up to JJ, Sophia, Bobbi and others to save the day. While this isn’t the best action-packed movie, it’s decent, although I wasn’t overly impressed.

Amazon’s “My Spy: The Eternal City” stars Chloe Coleman, Dave Bautista, Kristen Schaal, Anna Faris, Ken Jeong, Flula Borg, and Craig Robinson.

JJ (Bautista) is the bodyguard for popstar King Kerr and when he’s attacked, Sophie (Coleman) is there to get them out of the plane. She saves them both – kind of, but not really.

Sophie wakes up to the sound of JJ telling her it’s time to get ready for school. JJ is her stepfather, and her mom is in Rwanda.

JJ is no longer working in the security field but is an analyst who is orchestrating a takedown at a Russian Black Site.

JJ has acquired data for Soviet nuclear weapons. Bishop Crane (Borg) wants that information. JJ’s boss, David Kim (Jeong) wants him back in the field, but JJ is reluctant.

Sophie is now in high school and is part of a choir group preparing to go to Italy.

JJ is training Sophie in kickboxing and wants her to be an agent. Sophie thinks JJ needs to let up on her a bit; she wants her space.

At the office, JJ’s partner, Bobbi (Schaal) points out he’s not as tough as he once was and compares him to an aging avocado; one of my favorite lines.

As the choir group gets ready for Italy, JJ is a chaperone, but is not well-versed in dealing with high school girls.

Vice principal Nancy (Faris) has assured JJ there better not be any funny business with the group he’s chaperoning.

When Kim’s son, Collin, is kidnapped, Kim and Bobbi arrive in Italy to save him. It turns out JJ and Crane know each other. Crane captures JJ and Kim. Crane is working for someone else though. This person poses a large threat to the entire city of Rome.

I enjoyed the original “My Spy” and while I’ve found that sequels can fall short of their originals, I had higher hopes for “My Spy: The Eternal City.” I enjoyed the return of many of the original cast along with several new additions who I thought played excellent characters. I wanted this to have more action and a faster-paced story; what I got was kind of a middle ground. It does start out with a very high intensity action sequence, but then there is a lot more setup for the third act. This may just be me being too impatient.

I liked that it still had a family sweetness to it; parents adjusting to kids growing up and kids trying to distance themselves from their parents – I found that relatable. It had a couple well-placed twists and turns. It was mildly funny, with some physical comedy that reminded the viewer you weren’t watching a serious action movie. Flula Borg is one of my favorite comedic actors and his portrayal of Crane had a real Hans Gruber feel at times. I thought Kristen Schaal’s dialogue was some of the best parts of the movie. It’s not overly violent but does have mild language.

Good, but not great; one thumb up.

Now streaming on Amazon Prime. <

Windham sculptor creates memorable works of art

By Masha Yurkevich

It was love at first sight for a Windham resident and Windham High School substitute teacher Anne Alexander when she first saw the beauty of sculpture. From the time she was a junior in college, she knew sculpture was her thing. Teachers, seeing her talent and great potential, guided her along the way.

Windham sculptor Anne Alexander carves a shell design into 
a log piece for a sculpture she is working on at the
Boothbay Railway Village. She hopes to have the sculpture
completed this summer. COURTESY PHOTO 

Alexander went on to obtain a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture from Alfred University, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sculpture from Bard College, a Certificate in Art Education from Elmira College, and has completed Sculpture Technique Courses at the Maine College of Art in Portland, at The Carving Studio in Vermont, Stone Carving at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, and Advanced Woodcarving with Chris Pye. With so many years of experience, Alexander’s sculpture art is truly breathtaking.

“Being an artist is my main purpose in life,” says Alexander. “I am really looking at nature and trying to create things more realistically.”

She works in three mediums: wood, stone and clay.

“I love them all for different reasons. Clay is a much faster medium; I can make a lot of sculptures in a day,” she says. “With wood carving, I can only do it for so long because my arm gets tired. Clay is easier and wood takes longer with repetitive motions of hitting the mallet; clay is more of a relief. Stone also requires upper body strength. I work in alabaster, which is soft stone, and sometimes granite.”

Her sculptures vary in size and in the time that it takes her to complete them.

“Some sculptures take me years to finish; I put them aside and go back to them,” Alexander says.

On her website, she has a page where she shows her sculptures locally as well as in other states: https://annealexandersculptor.com/outdoor-site-sculpture/

While her clay sculptures tend to be on the smaller side, her wood and stone art can get much bigger.

“My wood pieces I create things as big as humans,” says Alexander. “I’m working on one right now that I started last summer at Boothbay Railway Village where I carve for the public every Tuesday in July through September. I am carving a big log, and the theme is shells. I started this project last summer and hope to finish it this year.”

Alexander says that she gets her inspiration from nature.

“I am always looking at nature around me,” says the sculptor. “I get out into nature just about every day; I either walk or paddle or ski.”

It is the smaller tiny parts of nature that Alexander enlarges and abstracts to create her forms. She said she is concerned with inspiring emotional or kinesthetic responses in the viewer. She also wishes to enhance one’s awareness of his/her body, size, and surrounding space as it relates to the natural world.

“I might look at a seed pod of a plant, a part of a flower, an acorn, a shell, or a little piece of seaweed,” she says.

She also sells much of her work at art fairs.

“At these fairs, I sell my affordable ceramics in a booth full of sculpture. Come say hello to me in person and see numerous pieces on display,” she said.

Her upcoming exhibits are at:

Art in the Park Bridgton, Saturday July 20 with a rain date of Sunday July 21

The Beach Club at Higgins Beach Friday and Saturday Aug. 2 and Aug. 3

Art in the Park, Mill Creek Park, South Portland, Saturday Aug. 10

Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival, On the Grassy Mall, Brunswick, Aug. 17

Salt Pond Studio, Friendship, NYSCC Alfred University Alumni in Maine, Aug. 11 to Aug. 31

Casco Bay Artisans at The Library Park in Ocean Park, Maine, Thursday, Aug. 31

Parsonage Gallery, Searsport, Summer Group Show through Sept. 2

Her work can also be found on display at the Yarmouth Frame Gallery in Yarmouth and at the Hole in the Wall Studioworks in Raymond, as well as other art galleries in Maine.

“I also do open studios from time to time,” Alexander said.

Anyone interested can sign up for Alexander’s mailing list on her website at https://annealexandersculptor.com/. And you can also find Alexander on Facebook and Instagram under Anne Alexander Sculptor. <

‘Christmas in July’ Boat Parade a festive tradition in Lakes Region

By Ed Pierce

Every Christmas, it’s inevitable that someone wishes that the holiday spirit could last all year long. Here in the Lakes Region, the ‘Christmas in July’ Boat Parade in Naples has become a beloved tradition and revives the magic of the holiday season when it’s most needed.

Participants easily find the holiday spirit during
last year's 'Christmas in July' boat parade in
Naples. This year's event will start at dusk on
Saturday, July 20 and the parade route includes
Long Lake, the Naples Causeway and Brandy
Pond. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Launched by Naples resident Mark Maroon during the COVID pandemic as a safe way to bring people together to celebrate community, this year’s parade is hosted by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and the Naples Marine Safety Patrol. The boat parade will begin at dusk on Saturday, July 20 and turn Long Lake, the Naples Causeway and Brandy Pond into a festive occasion featuring holiday-themed lights and decorations.

Harbor Master Shawn Hebert of Naples Marine Safety said it’s tough to know in advance how many boats will participate in this year’s parade.

“The first few years we averaged between 48 and 62 boats,” he said. “Last year we only had 18. We attribute that to the amount of rain we received last summer. It is our hope we can get as many boats as we can to put on a great event.”

Hebert said the parade is a fundraising event to the Naples Marine Safety Association with members donating their time and efforts to put this event on.

“All of the sponsorship donations and any donations raised help purchase needed equipment, tools or specialized training that we would not be able to obtain through our annual operating budget,” he said. “This parade was developed during the height of COVID. It was a means of bringing members of the community together even when we needed to social distance. Over the years this parade has taken on a life of its own. We are seeing business participation, spectator participation on shore as well as ever increasing spectators watching the event from the shoreline, causeway or from a boat. In the midst of summer, this event brings people together, businesses prosper and just an overall feeling of joy.”

According to Hebert, the long-term benefits of the event help bolster the local economy.

“We see spectators coming out early to the venue,” he said. “Before they set up their seats, they are going to a local restaurant or ice cream parlor and even purchasing merchandise from local vendors. It is our goal for this event to help bolster our association’s mission but to also bolster the local Naples economy.”

Joanne Jordan is serving as a volunteer and committee member helping to organize this year’s boat parade.

“This event is unique for this area. There are other boat parades around the country, but the Naples Causeway provides a unique opportunity for this to happen in fresh water with a beautiful viewing area that allows the boats to get up close to the crowds when going under the causeway or visiting one of the waterfront businesses,” Jordan said. “The event is free for boaters to participate and free to watch. It creates a feeling of joy for both groups. We have been lucky to have talented music producers create a fun atmosphere for the crowd while waiting for the boats to arrive and when the boats reach the crowd, everyone is excited, and everyone feels like a kid at Christmas.”

She said anticipation for the parade in the community is always fun to watch.

“Every year the momentum builds. Many of our marina sponsors compete for the best decorated marina boat and some of the local shops and restaurants have started decorating their businesses with lights and trees and blow-up characters. Safety is key for this event so much of the committee's time is spent on route and boater safety. This year members of the Naples Marine Safety made up 800 packets with the information on the parade, and how to register, and dropped them in boats on Brandy Pond and Long Lake to encourage boaters to participate. Of course, letting the community be aware of when and where it is happening is key so they can enjoy the festivities and patronize our sponsors.”

Jordan said staging a parade on the water is interesting and challenging.

“Standard parades are able to close the streets and keep spectators in a safe viewing area,” she said. “We cannot close the waterway and the people who watch from their boats can create a challenge. We have not had any serious issues and have designated people along the route communicating with boat spectators.”

Friendly competition between the marinas makes the annual event special, Jordan said.

“One of our past marina boat winners is vowing to get the trophy back this year. After the parade some of the local kids will come up to me and tell me about their favorite boats,” she said. “Ice cream shops will tell me they had lines down the causeway while waiting for the parade. Restaurant owners on the waterfront say their patrons enjoy having prime seating for the parade while we have one restaurant sponsor not on the water who has sponsored every year just to support the community. People who own waterfront property have started launching fireworks when the parade passes by while other waterfront owners request that we go past their house. We love the enthusiasm of the community but know we can't go around the entire shoreline because of the size of the lakes. Luckily, we have a photographer who volunteers to capture the boats as they approach the causeway so everyone can enjoy the work the boaters put into making this a great event.”

The parade line-up for registered boats begins at 8 p.m. July 20 on Long Lake and the parade is sponsored by Captain’s Club members Brother Flecker’s, Dingley’s Wharf, Freedom Café, Naples Marina, and the Songo River Queen II.

To view the parade route map or to register a boat, visit the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce website at www.sebagolakeschamber.com. <

Movie review: ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ a wild, hushed ride on big screen

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes

“A Quiet Place: Day One” begins at the start of the problems witnessed in the first two movies. Samira has cancer and is struggling in hospice care. When a chance field trip into New York City gets cut short because of an unknown emergency occurring, Samira finds herself at the center of an evacuated city, but not out of harm’s way. It’s been discovered that noise attracts giant monsters. In her efforts to survive she meets Eric; can the two escape the city before it’s too late? This third installment delivers in being more a fear-based thriller than a straight-up horror movie.

“A Quiet Place: Day One” stars Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, Eliane Umuhire, Thea Butler and Elijah Ungvary.

Samira (Nyong’o) or Sam, is in a hospice center and, understandably, is not happy about it. When center director Rueben (Wolff) gives his support group the opportunity to see a show in New York City, Samira jumps on the chance. She brings her cat, Frodo, along.

Shortly into the show, Rueben tells Sam they need to leave because something is happening in the city. Sam gets on the bus and there is a giant explosion. She gets off the bus and the city is covered in a dusty smog. She’s told to take cover.

People are screaming and then quickly disappearing. There’s another explosion and this one knocks out Sam. She then wakes up in the theater with a man (Hounsou) covering her mouth and emphasizing she needs to stay quiet. Noises are attracting monsters that have destroyed the city.

Frodo runs away and Sam follows him. She stops short in front of some broken glass so as not to make any noise. TVs and radio are issuing warnings worldwide.

After Sam’s group leader is killed, she goes outside the theater to get supplies. Helicopters circle the city and say to seek shelter on water because the monsters can’t swim.

People flood the streets. Lives are lost. Sam hides under a car with Frodo to stay safe.

She later meets a man, Eric (Quinn) who follows her. She insists he stop following; he continues. The two eventually rely on each other for support.

Sam returns to the hospice center to get some of her things. She learns Eric has no nearby family.

Sam wants to go to Harlem to get pizza. Eric wants to go with her, but she doesn’t want that. A while later she goes out on her own, walking through a once populated city that is now desolate, silent and crumbled. She ends up running into Eric. Sam is struggling and needs her medication.

There are very good, very intense subway scenes that will have you gasping and nervous. The lack of dialogue adds to the intensity of this movie. This is a not a typical creature feature.

Since I saw the first “A Quiet Place,” I was instantly a fan of this unique and straightforward concept for a horror movie. I was slightly underwhelmed with “A Quiet Place: Part II,” although it was still quite good. If you haven’t seen the first two, I recommend it, but it’s not necessary for the viewing of this prequel. This third installment was full of jump scares and had an emotional aspect to it that I was not expecting but improved these fear-based movies. The special effects were good, and I liked getting a closer look at the mysterious creatures. I found the character’s confusion and panic with dealing with a completely new world relatable. I didn’t find it particularly gory or violent, although there are a couple parts – there is a lot of darkness though. I would say this is not as good as the first one but better than the second one; see it on the big screen.

Two thumbs up.

Now showing only in theaters. <