MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (Rated PG-13)

Fourteen years ago, writer and star Nia Vardalos delivered a sleeper hit with the romantic comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” one that navigated the culture clash of her marriage to the Anglo Ian Miller (John Corbett), unprepared for the unruly energy of a large Greek family.

Now all these years later, in a timeline that goes even a few years beyond the lapse of time from the first, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” remains, with its easy charm and likable tone, a pleasant though predictable story that returns all of the original characters.

In that sense, “Greek Wedding 2” is not constructed, per se, for anyone stepping into this time machine of Greek culture that happens to be unfamiliar with Vardalos’ central character of Toula Portokalos, still held captive by the bonds of her immigrant Chicago-based family.

The patriarch of the Portokalos clan is Gus (Michael Constantine), so consumed with the old ways that he questions why his 17-year-old granddaughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) is letting herself age without any prospects of matrimony of her own.

Well, the wedding in this sequel turns out to be Gus’ own, as he discovers to his chagrin that the marriage certificate to Maria (Lainie Kazan) from the old country was never signed by the local priest.

So technically speaking, Gus and Maria, in the eyes of God (but not common law), are not married.

At his advanced age, he just wants a quickie ceremony. The brash, rowdy Maria has other thoughts, namely a full-blown wedding that would not only be romantic but fit with the Greek heritage.

The film is populated with a lot of Greek relatives, most of them hard to distinguish from each other.

Standing out in the animated family is Andrea Martin’s Aunt Voula, who wants to organize the event in such a grand, over-the-top manner that the wedding planner quits the job.

A subplot to the wedding business is the fact that Toula and Ian’s daughter Paris is considering attending an East Coast college, if only to be free of the constraints of her suffocating family, when her mother desperately tries to persuade her of the virtues of nearby Northwestern.

Though Ian has little to do as he appears crowded out of most scenes with the drama of Greek relatives constantly meddling, there is also a predicable story about Ian and Toula trying fitfully to rekindle romance that has been slowly depleted from their own lives.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” though not particularly original or even necessary to have been revived at this late date, has its genial moments of levity and humorous situations.

The goodwill of the original will have to carry this sequel the best way it possibly can.

SHOWTIME’S “DICE” COMEDY SERIES

Showtime also appears to be relying on public memory to launch the six-episode comedy series “Dice,” an apparent semi-autobiographical account of the once top-billed standup comedian Andrew Dice Clay’s attempt at a comeback after two decades in the entertainment wilderness.

In his heyday (well, even now to be sure), the comedian known as the Diceman built his career on being so edgy in his routines that his divisive comedy managed to offend every ethnic, racial and sexual identity group that felt abused and vilified by his barbed rants.

His comedy routines appeared patterned upon Don Rickles, but without any of the charm and occasional restraint.

Now, the Diceman is in Las Vegas, hoping to gear up his faltering career, all the while struggling with his finances and employment prospects.

Meanwhile, his live-in girlfriend Carmen (Natasha Leggero), constantly fretting over his irresponsible behavior and seeming inability to focus, tries to bring a semblance of order to his life. Good luck with that.

Dice can’t help but mess up everything, including not following through on his simple promise to be ready for the wedding of Carmen’s brother at a Vegas chapel, because he’s too busy arguing with the casino manager about the $5 fee for use of the hotel’s ATM machine.

Actually, it’s worse than that. Rather than pony up a Lincoln for a simple cash transaction, Dice obtains a marker for $100,000 to play many bad hands of poker, and he ends up fighting with an Elvis impersonator that he accuses of being bad luck.

Showtime’s “Dice” is set to explore the highs and lows of the stressed comedian’s frenzied life. Be warned that Andrew Dice Clay, having made his career with an extremely liberal use of profanity in his acts, is uncensored in his frequent rants.

It’s not just the vulgarity of unvarying swearing that may offend so many, but Dice also has very graphic ways of talking about sexual activities.

“Dice” may run on cable, where it’s no-holds-barred, but this short series is likely to be limited in its appeal. But it’s only six half-hour episodes, so you won’t have to invest much time.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center Theatre, under the direction of Natalie Smith, is creating a live multimedia theater performance about the experience of the Valley fire, which swept through south Lake County beginning on Sept. 12, 2015.

“It Was So Sudden, I Wasn’t Prepared” will premiere on the one-year anniversary of the Valley fire in September 2016 at the Middletown Art Center. Detail on show times and tickets will be available in the coming months.

This documentary theater production will tell the story of the Valley fire by weaving together experiences of those directly impacted and those who risked their lives.

Stories have been collected and will be used to create a through-line of the events as they unfolded on that fateful day.

“It Was So Sudden, I Wasn’t Prepared” promises to stimulate courage and a survival spirit in the face of tremendous losses.

As stewards of the arts, the Middletown Art Center Theatre is creating this production to capture both tangible and intangible losses and give the community a language which hopes to heal and bring back a sense of identity and belonging by putting the experience into dramatic context.

Auditions for the show will take place Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 19, at 6 p.m.

They are looking for several children ages 5 to 12 years old, women ages 13 to 80, men ages 13 to 80, and expressive movement artists/dancers (teens and up). Please visit www.middletownartcenter.org/theatre.html for details.

If you are interested in volunteering as support staff, there are many opportunities for organized, dependable people with good communication skills for jobs including set design, lighting and sound tech, prop and costume management, electrical and more. Email Natalie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Web site to learn more.

Originally from Germany, Natalie Smith received her BFA in Experimental Theatre/Applied Theatre Sciences from the University in Giessen, Germany.

While working on her MFA in directing/acting at the University of Montana, she also choreographed several spring and fall showcases for the University of Montana inspired by Pina Bausch’s works.

After graduation, she became artistic director of the Kauai Community Players and has directed and choreographed more than 40 productions which include musicals, opera, plays and circus in Germany, Boston, Hawaii, and San Francisco before settling in Hidden Valley Lake with her family.

Find out more about MAC at www.middletownartcenter.org , email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call 707-809-8118 or visit at 21456 Highway 175 (at junction Highway 29).

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (Rated PG-13)

At a recent press and promotional screening, a short introductory film clip to the highly anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” features director Zach Snyder asking the audience not to reveal plot details that could give away surprises.

I think we already know that Clark Kent’s alter ego is Superman and that the same is true for Bruce Wayne’s Batman.

As if the audience for this film is unaware, there’s a flashback to young Bruce Wayne witnessing the murder of his parents by a gun-toting thug.

If director Snyder had been serious about not disclosing some revelations or plot twists, then perhaps the trailers should have omitted the appearance of Wonder Woman for what looks like an epic showdown.

I don’t know if I dare say more. But what emerges from the premise of a superhero smackdown, staged like a UFC cage match, is almost a tedious affair given the talking and dream sequences that swallow a big chunk of the film’s running time of two-and-one-half hours.

Let’s face one immutable fact. The superhero franchise is impervious to criticism, at least in the minds of fanboys eager for the epic battle between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel that is promised by the title of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Henry Cavill is back again as Clark Kent/Superman, while Ben Affleck is new to the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Affleck, though, has already demonstrated a comfort level with being a masked superhero in the titular role of “Daredevil” more than a dozen years ago.

As far as looking good in costume, Cavill’s Man of Steel has the right feel of the righteous champion now coming under unwanted scrutiny by a crusading U.S. Senator (Holly Hunter) for his part in collateral damage during aerial fights with General Zod.

Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Caped Crusader is developed as a more complicated character. Often brooding and coming across as bitter and vengeful, Bruce Wayne remains understandably upset that Superman’s showdown with General Zod resulted in the death of scores of employees at Wayne Industries’ Metropolis high-rise headquarters.

Given the mood that Superman’s reckless encounters with alien forces are proving to be far too destructive in Gotham, it’s interesting to note the growing concern, evidenced by Senate hearings and media coverage, that Superman just might be an undesirable alien who needs to be contained if not expelled from Planet Earth.

This feeling of national malaise is an interesting twist because all the while Clark Kent, working closely with his trusted colleague and love interest Lois Lane (Amy Adams), is using the front page of the Daily Planet for blaring headlines about Batman’s vigilante mistakes.

The maniacal Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is occasioned to observe that the dawn of greatest gladiator match of all time would be the showdown, in his words, “between the Son of Krypton and the Bat of Gotham.”

Luthor is not a disinterested party to the coming mayhem. For his part, this billionaire madman is all too eager for a battle royale.

Eisenberg’s Luthor may be one of the most annoying, grating villains of all time. To no avail, I kept hoping for his early demise.

We’ve always known Bruce Wayne to be under the tutelage and care of the family butler Alfred. Here the role goes to Jeremy Irons, who’s serviceable as the trusty confidante, but seems okay but not fully appropriate, in terms of age at least, as the wise mentor.

Other notable characters appear to be shoehorned into the action. Laurence Fishburne’s Daily Planet editor Perry White exists only to bark orders to Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

Meanwhile, Diane Lane’s Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Clark, figures in a small role as a pawn in the epic battle.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman holds the most promise, not so much as a pivotal character in this film but as a precursor of what is to come later. Other than the fact she looks stunning in a cocktail dress as Diana Prince, we learn little about her alter ego.  

Above it all, “Batman v Superman” may be more than a film devoted to comic book fantasy violence and mayhem, with plenty of explosions and destructions, a significant number of deaths, and a scary monster that emerges from a primordial toxic swamp.

The bonus points, though not fully explored to any meaningful extent, come with the moral ambiguity of the superheroes’ benefit to society, where one practices vigilante justice and the other, an alien being, represents a force not subject to the laws of the land.

The moral and legal questions get cursory examination from a Senate investigation, but director Zach Snyder’s “Batman v Superman,” a title that suggests a court case, is more interested in a dark, bleak world of violence, mayhem and brutal destruction.

No bright light will shine on the superhero conundrums, at least not now on Snyder’s watch. In fact, there is very little actual sunlight in “Batman v Superman,” considering that what is crucial here is the visual context of the dark sky and the dank, grim interiors of decrepit warehouse buildings where fights are staged.
  
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Dubbed one of the country’s best female saxophonists, Nancy Wright performs at the Soper Reese Theatre on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m.

Wright has played her wailin’, soulful blues alongside John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King and Lonnie Mack.

She first appeared on the Bay Area music scene in 1984 with the critically acclaimed New Orleans rhythm and blues band, Hot Links.

Following a successful North American tour, Wright and Hot Links were tapped to perform with Swamp Boogie Queen Katie Webster, appearing on her Arhoolie Records release, “You Know That’s Right.”

Wright and Webster also performed together at the Chicago Blues Festival and appeared together on B.B. King’s album, “Blues Summit,” winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

In 2015 Wright’s CD “Puttin’ Down Roots” was voted one of the top 20 blues albums of the year in the Downbeat Readers Poll.

While the blues thread remains the strongest in the tapestry of Wright’s music, in the late 1990s a new thread appeared – the opportunity to work with local Hammond B3 organ artist Jackie Ivory (who also worked with sax luminaries Junior Walker and Willis Jackson).

This rekindled her love of organ combo music, which led to a performance with monster Hammond star Tony Monaco and to the release of her critically acclaimed debut CD “Moanin’” (produced by Monaco and backed by his trio) featuring a mix of soul jazz, blues, ballads, and boogaloo,

Playing with Wright on April 15 is the Rhythm & Roots Band which features Paul Revilli on drums, Anthony Paule on guitar, Tony Lufrano on keyboards and Paul Olguin on bass.

Revelli has performed with many great acts including Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton, Tracy Nelson, Marcia Ball and Charlie Musselwhite.

Paule has worked with Johnny Adams, Bo Diddley, Louisiana Red, and Boz Scaggs. Lufrano has also played with Boz Scaggs as well as Bonnie Raitt, and Huey Lewis & the News. Olguin has performed with Mary Wells, The Drifters, Roy Rogers and Augie Meyers.

Major sponsor for the concert is Strong Financial Network, with additional support from KXBX 98.3 and KNTI 99.5.

Tickets are $15. Tickets are available online at www.SoperReeseTheatre.com ; at the theater box office, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; or at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information call 707-263-0577.

The Soper Reese Theatre is at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Susan Aizenberg lives and teaches in Omaha, and the following poem is from Quiet City, published by BkMk Press.

My father and perhaps yours, too, found a little pleasure in an early morning walk.

Mornings

Before the train screamed him through tunnels
to his windowless office, the idiots
he had to "sir," my father needed a space
without us, so in a crack of light from the bathroom,
he dressed, held his shoes by two fingers,
and left us sleeping. That walk

to the diner, the last stars fading out,
the sky lightening from black to blue to white,
was his time. He walked in all weather,
let each season touch him all over,
lifted his face to rain and sun. He liked
to watch the old houses stir awake
and nod to the woman in her slippers on 27th,
smoking as she strolled her little mutt.
To step back, smooth as Fred Astaire,
from the paperboy's wild toss.

Milk bottles sweated on doorsteps,
sweet cream on top, and once, he lifted a quart
from its wire basket, drank it down
beneath our neighbor's winking porch light,
and left the empty on the stoop.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It does not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Susan Aizenberg, “Mornings,” from Quiet City, (BkMk Press, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Susan Aizenberg and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Join the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum docents and the California Old Time Fiddlers Association on Sunday, April 3, for the monthly Fiddlers’ Jam in the Ely barn. Musicians will jam round-robin style from noon until 2 p.m.

Spring has sprung on the museum property so make it a day. Bring a lunch and maybe some wine and picnic in the Oak Grove. View the stagecoach, chuck wagon, buckboard and other large display items on the grounds around the barn.

Celebrate local musicians and the American music heritage from the Ely Stage Stop Victorian Era. Take a ride up to the house on the hay wagon where you can enjoy the newest displays and learn about antique cookware.

Beverages and tasty treats will be provided by the docents in the barn. Donations made during the fiddling benefit both the Ely Stage Stop, helping to fund the blacksmith shop, and the Old Time Fiddlers Association, District 10, who uses it to partially fund their scholarship programs.

The stage stop, operated by the Lake County Historical Society, is located at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281) in Kelseyville. Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Visit www.elystagestop.org or www.lakecountyhistory.org , check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop or call the museum at 707-533-9990.

Come join the Lake County Historical Society and become a volunteer at Ely or our sister museum, the Gibson Museum & Cultural Center in Middletown. Applications are always available.