IRON MAN 3 (Rated PG-13)

Shane Black made his mark in Hollywood mainly for original screenplays of high-octane action films such as “Lethal Weapon” and “The Last Boy Scout.”  

For “Iron Man 3” Black performs the double duty of writer and director.

This duality explains, in large measure, why “Iron Man 3” has its fair share of loud noise and explosions, including the surreal destruction of Grauman’s Chinese Theater carried out by the red-eyed minions of a mad scientist.

To its credit, “Iron Man 3” works fairly well as a stand-alone entertainment, beginning with a flashback to New Year’s Eve 1999 at a swank affair in Switzerland, where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) rebuffs the entreaties of a tech geek.

Flash forward to the present, the nerdy scientist, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), though still weird, now looks like a male model for Abercrombie & Fitch, albeit one with a diabolical plan for world domination, or possibly nothing short of global annihilation.

Killian holds a grudge that Tony Stark, whose alter ego is Iron Man, rejected his program for a project called Extremis, so now he’s in cahoots with an Osama bin Laden-style terrorist named the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Apparently, Killian’s thugs are an army of zombie-like characters who outwardly look like normal humans, but they turn their bodies into a red-hot fury of molten flesh and then explode like human grenades for maximum devastation.

Worn out from too many superhero duties, the eccentric billionaire Tony Stark, suffers from anxiety, causing him to ceaselessly tinker with refinements to his armored Iron Man suit. This results in our hero being a mere mortal for much of the film.

His old pal, Captain Rhodes (Don Cheadle), ends up carrying the load of action heroism. Meanwhile, Stark is also paying little attention to his love interest Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Spurred on by taunts from Stark, the Mandarin launches a full-scale rocket assault on the industrialist’s Malibu seaside mansion, blowing the entire estate into a pile of rubble at the bottom of the ocean.

In the manner of bin Laden’s videotaped threats, the Mandarin interrupts global television programming with diatribes intended to inflict fear of the latest terrorist assault.

Still fiddling with his metal suit, Stark tests a new system that allows him to fly through the air only partially armored while the other pieces hurtle in his direction as if he were a large magnet.

Testing his prototype armored suit leads him to the backwoods of Tennessee where his only ally is a young orphaned kid (Ty Simpkins) who helps the superhero piece together the mystery of the Mandarin.

The clock is running because the Mandarin continues to hijack the airwaves and threatens to bring America to its knees if President Ellis (William Sadler) does not exceed to his outrageous demands.

As expected in the Iron Man franchise, there are plenty of great action set-pieces, even if Stark spends much of his time outside his alter ego comfort zone.

Most spectacular of all is the hijacking of Air Force One, resulting in Iron Man having to fly through the air to rescue about a dozen people blown out of the plane, turning the exercise into what resembles an aerial circus act.

Of course, as with all action-fueled adventures in the superhero genre, the climax is a spectacular battle on the massive loading structure at an unidentified shipping port.

The climactic showdown proves to be too big a job for just one man, so Iron Man is joined by his War Machine colleague, Captain Rhodes. The reunion of the pair allows for them to engage in easygoing banter.

What makes the “Iron Man” franchise entertaining in many ways is the ease with which Robert Downey, Jr. infuses his character with affable wit and charm, along with a superb knack for delivering biting one-liners with facile nonchalance.

Without a doubt, “Iron Man 3,” fittingly as it is based on a comic book, has its cartoonish aspects. Nevertheless, it strives for a higher purpose than just being loaded with special effects.

Though it is hard to imagine the “Iron Man” character inhabited by anyone other than the quirky, fevered Downey, the best of all this time around is Ben Kingsley, whose surprises should not be revealed.

If you are game to sit through endless minutes of credits (where it appears that half of everyone in Hollywood was involved in the production), there’s an amusing session of Tony Stark in a bit of psychoanalysis at the very end.

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

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Unity Clear Lake Center will host a concert of original music by Will Tuttle on Saturday, May 18.

The concert will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the center, 15898 Kugelman St.

Tuttle, an acclaimed pianist, composer and recording artist, will present “Piano Passion.”

A Dharma Master in the Zen tradition, Tuttle has performed widely throughout North America and Europe for the past 15 years.

This concert will include visionary art by his spouse, Madeline, who is a nature artist from Switzerland.

This concert is offered for freedom, for Earth healing and for the happiness of every being. Donations are appreciated.

Call 707-592-5818 for more information.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This year’s Lake County Symphony’s annual Mothers Day concert will feature the words and music of Broadway, presented under the talented direction of conductor John Parkinson.

The concert will take place beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

Entitled “Salute to Broadway” the show will feature some of the most beloved numbers from the Great White Way, including those from a virtual who’s who of noted composers, most of whom did their best work during the so-called Golden Age of Broadway Musicals, namely the 1920s through the 1960s.

The opening medley will consist of themes from “Give my Regards to Broadway” (George Cohan); “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Fats Waller); “My Funny Valentine” (Rogers & Hart); “I’ve Grown Accustomed to her Face” (Lerner & Lowe); and “Thou Swell,” (Rogers & Hart).

Other selections are from George and Ira Gershwin’s “Strike up the Band” which was a 1930 musical hit satirizing America’s tendency toward gunboat diplomacy, and dance sequences from “Fiddler on the Roof,” the 1964 play with Zero Mostel playing the part of Tevye in turn-of-the-century Russia and his attempts to marry off his daughters in traditional ways.

The wedding dance No. 1 features second daughter Hodel and her beloved Perchik, while the second – “To Life” – is the sequence for Chava, the third daughter. The lyrics were written by Jerry Bock, with music by Sheldon Hornick.

No tribute to Broadway would be complete without Rodgers & Hammerstein, and Parkinson fills the bill with selections from “The King and I” followed by the “American in Paris Suite” by George Gershwin. It is one of his best-known compositions; inspired by the years he had spent in Paris, evoking the sights, sounds and energy of the city during the 1920s.

Some of Lake County’s favorite vocalists return to the Soper-Reese Theatre to perform with the Symphony.

Soprano Shelly Trumbo-Mascari will take the stage to sing “I Get a Kick Out of You” the Cole Porter classic from his hit musical “Anything Goes” which was later released as a movie under the same name.

She also will sing “summertime” from the opera “Porgy and Bess” by George and Ira Gershwin and Dubose Heyward.

“As Time Goes By” is another selection arranged by Parkinson for soloist Trumbo-Mascari. It was written originally by American composer Herman Hupfeld for the 1931 Broadway musical “Everybody’s Welcome” but the song long outlived the play when it was reintroduced in the Academy Award winning 1942 movie “Casablanca” and served more recently as the title and theme of the popular British television series “As Time Goes By” starring Judy Dench. On this number Trumbo-Mascari will be joined by other members of her musical family including her father and mother Walt and Bonnie Trumbo and 18-year-old daughter Jade Holling, a senior at Lower Lake High School.

The CLPA Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Susan Condit, will present two pieces during the performance.

The first, “Tango Espressivo” by Matt Turner is an energetic and passionate accompaniment for the most popular of the South American dances.

The Turner composition features a strong, rhythmic bass driven by the lower strings that complements the g-harmonic minor melody presented by the violins. Turner is known internationally as a highly talented improvisational cellist and pianist and has shared the stage with such noted artists as Natalie MacMaster, Marilyn Crispell, Randy Sabien and Bobby McFerrin.

The second number is the theme from the hit Broadway musical and movie “Les Miserables.” On this piece members of the senior Symphony will sit in with the young performers. They are Andi Skelton, Sienna S’Zell, Jeff Ives, Clovice Lewis, Patricia Jekel and Austin Ison.

Conductor Condit said that playing with the professionals gives her students invaluable experience. “We hope all of them will play with the Symphony some day, and this is one way to prepare them” she said.

The concert will end with a rousing orchestral version of “76 Trombones” from the musical “The Music Man” by Meridith Willson.

The annual Mothers Day Symphony concert has become a holiday tradition in Lake County, and therefore advance ticket purchases are advised.

They are $20 for members of Clear Lake Performing Arts and $25 general admission and can be obtained online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by calling 707-263-0577.

There will be an open rehearsal at the theater at 11 a.m., to which young people under 18 are invited to attend free of charge. For others a modest admission fee of $5 will be charged.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Soper-Reese Community Theatre will present the local musical group Twice As Good during its Third Friday Live concert on May 17.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the theater, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

The May 17 performance will be the 10 year celebration show for Paul and Rich Steward, the father and son musical duo that makes up Twice As Good.

Come and dance to the dynamic duo's high energy blues, soul, and rock and roll with screaming guitar and soulful vocals, backed up by their own Twice As Good band.

The theater has an open dance floor with table or loge seating. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase.  

Tickets cost $10 per person and can be purchased through the theater's Web site, www.soperreesetheatre.com , or at the theater box office from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays; at The Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center in Lakeport from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; or at the Tallman Hotel on Main Street in Upper Lake.

For more information visit www.soperreesetheatre.com
 or call 707-263-0577.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A two-week acting camp that will give young people an experience with theater and drama takes place in Middletown next month.

The camp runs 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays through Fridays, June 10-14 and June 17-24.

The acting camp is open to students ages 6 to 13. Healthy snacks will be provided.

The cost is $200 per child.

“Acting builds confidence, self-esteem, and helps discover new talents. That, plus it’s a lot of fun,” said camp director Jessica Sage.

Sage has been teaching acting as well as directing theater for 17 years. She hopes this camp will be a place for young people to be expressive, creative, and spontaneous in a noncompetitive environment.

“Young people need a healthy and safe way to express themselves,” Sage said. “Creating characters allows them to do that.”

Campers will have the full experience of putting on a show – everything from learning lines to performing in front of an audience.

They will rehearse a play, “The Not So Grimm Fairy Tales,” and perform on the last day of camp.  

All campers will have their own parts in this spirited and funny tale. Children also will play improvisation games, have daily talent shows and learn vocal skills.

Campers will perform for invited friends and family on the last day of camp at 11 a.m., followed by a cast party.

To enroll and for more information go to www.actlakecounty.com , call 415-328-6363 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

COBB, Calif. – The Cobb Mountain Artists will host Marlene Healey as its second Wednesday artist on May 8.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place beginning at 7 p.m. at The Artisan Realm 16365 Highway 175, Cobb.

English born artist Marlene Healey has enjoyed a successful career for 30 years.

Her formal education in the arts and sciences began in the 1970s and early 1980s at community colleges and Arizona State University.

In 1984 she entered a juried exhibition at ASU and was awarded an exhibition in the Wood Gallery in Tempe, Arizona.  

She has been creating and showing widely since. Her work is in collections of many well known corporations and celebrities.

Her abstract style is derived from textures and colors witnessed in the natural world and transformed through her active imagination into sophisticated modern works of art.  

Healey’s inspiration comes from the natural world: in rust forming on old pipes and trickling downward; in the La Brea tar pits with cracks of jagged earth splitting open; in life giving water dancing its way along with bright green fronds of wild grasses.

Her burning desire to make art is a winning formula for this local successful artist.

For more information contact Glenneth Lambert, 707-295-6934 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .