THE THREE STOOGES (Rated PG)

The Farrelly Brothers (Peter and Bobby) have been pushing the comedic envelope ever since their first feature film, “Dumb & Dumber,” and right up to the recent “Hall Pass.”

Given their affinity for uncultured humor, it seemed only fitting that the Farrellys would be drawn to the unique style of physical comedy found in the wacky misadventures of Larry, Curly and Moe.

Surprisingly, “The Three Stooges,” which does not compromise the iconic slapstick physical antics of the cinema’s most famous knuckleheads, is at its core a heartwarming story.

Set to three episodes, the first one involves their childhood story, starting from the day that three little tykes in a duffel bag were tossed on the doorstep of a Catholic orphanage.

Even as babies, Larry, Curly and Moe had the same distinctive physical features carried to adulthood, from bad haircuts to the complete lack of physical dexterity and agility.

The orphanage is run by the no-nonsense Mother Superior (Jane Lynch), assisted by the singing nun Sister Rosemary (Jennifer Hudson) and the tyrannical Sister Mary-Mengele (crusty comedian Larry David in drag).

From day one, the good nuns of the Sister of Mercy Orphanage try to get the boys placed with adoptive parents, but to no avail, though Moe comes awfully close to being adopted by a wealthy couple.

At the start of the second episode, the boys are fully grown, at least physically, but they still live at the orphanage, serving as handymen, performing the type of jobs that take comic advantage of their misuse of hammers, mallets, saws and ladders.

The bossy, overbearing Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), the dark-haired leader with the ridiculous bowl-style haircut, constantly expresses his intolerant indignation.

Will Sasso’s rotund, bumbling Curly is a spot-on imitation for the original Stooge whose trademark “nyuk-nyuk-nyuk” speech and outrageous physical mannerisms made him stand out from the rest of the trio.

Even in childhood, the sour-faced Larry (Sean Hayes) had two shocks of bushy hair sprouting from a bald pate, and his sad sack demeanor grew gloomier with age.  

Sadly, the only place they have ever known as home is about to be foreclosed unless someone comes up with $830,000 by the end of the month.

The troika of lunkheads heads off to the Big City in search of quick cash to save the orphanage. Hilarity ensues as they try to cope with a world completely foreign to them.

Then, the bumbling buffoons encounter a hot tamale named Lydia (Sofia Vergara, oozing sexuality), who offers the Stooges a chance at some easy money; all they have to do is put her poor suffering husband out of his misery.

Despite their relentless valuelessness, the Stooges smell something fishy in Lydia’s scheme, especially when they find out that the mark is their boyhood friend Teddy (Kirby Heyborne), a former orphan adopted by a wealthy family.

In typical boneheaded Stooge fashion, the involvement of Larry, Curly and Moe in an oddball murder plot leads to so many complications and misdirection that you can’t help but laugh at the fallout.

Another strange bit of happenstance is when Moe is mistaken for a brilliant actor and is enlisted as a new cast member of “Jersey Shore,” where he gets to slap around Snooki, the Situation and the others.  Now, that’s truly rewarding and funny stuff.

The history of the cinema has brought us many great comedy teams, from the Marx Brothers to Laurel and Hardy as well as Abbott & Costello. In this pantheon, the Three Stooges stand out for their brutal physical antics.

What the Farrelly Brothers have achieved with “The Three Stooges” is a loving homage as well as a contemporary take on the trio of time-honored boneheads.  

Causing innumerable laugh-out-loud moments, this film brilliantly recreates the classic and iconic Stooge sound effects, including “boinks,” finger snaps and Curly’s nyuk-nyuk-nyuking.  

One may be tempted to claim that the original Three Stooges invented lowbrow comedy, but their slapstick antics were hilarious. The new guys live up to this great tradition and deliver a truly funny entertainment.      

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

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – The American Philharmonic-Sonoma County will host a concert on Sunday, May 6, focusing on the work of Beethoven and Saint-Saëns.

The concert will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center For the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa.

The orchestra concludes its season with some of the most majestic music ever written, featuring the piano and organ and fit for emperors and kings.

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 – the “Emperor” concerto – and Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3 will be performed, featuring Conductor Norman Gamboa, pianist Brigitte Armenier and organist James Warren.

Ticket prices include adult, individual reserved – $20; adult, premium reserved – $30; children age 16 and under – $5.

Individual tickets are available online at http://www.apsonoma.org or by calling the Wells Fargo Center Box Office at 707-546-3600.

Additional fees are charged for online and phone orders.

There are no fees for tickets purchased at the box office or by mail, Wells Fargo Center Box Office, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

The Wells Fargo Center Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and one hour before concerts.

AMERICAN REUNION (Rated R)

For today’s youth market, the delectably humorous “American Pie,” though familiar in pop culture, will not be as fresh as, let’s say, baked goods straight from the oven.

The sexual frustrations of high school seniors in 1999 was the foundation for plenty of raunchy humor, and by contemporary standards, “American Pie” is now almost dated.

In the intervening years, we’ve been subjected to the crude humor generated by Judd Apatow’s school of comedy, from “Superbad” to “Knocked Up” to “Bridesmaids,” just to name a prominent few.

Now, for no apparent reason other than to cash in on the good name of the “Pie” franchise, along comes “American Reunion,” which wants to recapture some of the original film’s underlying sweetness. And in spite of the misfires of previous sequels, it actually does.

Yet, the modern climate almost requires descending to the elemental nature of crude humor, whether brilliantly realized in “The Hangover” or uncouthly hewing to “American Pie’s” unfortunate straight-to-video disasters.

“American Reunion” is a gamble by any measure, as its focus on a high school reunion that takes place, oddly enough, 13 years later is a sign of something off-kilter.

To enjoy a sequel happening so many years later, “American Reunion” demands familiarity with all the lovable characters, from the Stifmeister and Finch to Jim’s dad and Stifler’s mom.

The nominal protagonist is the awkward good guy Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs), who married his high school sweetheart Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Now, they have a toddler son, but a sex life gone stale.

Jim, of course, remains famous for a viral YouTube posting of his sexual antics in his school days. A return to East Great Falls for the reunion will rekindle a lot of memories, many of them embarrassing.

The reunion brings together the other familiar old school pals.  Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) travels the world on his motorcycle, and we wonder if we will reunite with Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge), who remains as lustful as ever.

Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), now also married, is an architect. The flamboyant Oz (Chris Klein) has found his place as a sportscaster and competitor on “Celebrity Dance-Off.”

Both Kevin and Oz, one married and the other in a committed relationship, find some old passions rekindled when their former loves, Vicky (Tara Reid) and Heather (Mena Suvari) respectively, also show up.

Only Stifler (Seann William Scott), eternally crash and rude, with his wicked smile expressing unrestrained mischief, lingers in a state of perpetual adolescence.

Whether it is doing something unspeakable to someone’s beer cooler or hitting on high school girls by faking interest in “Twilight,” Stifler continues to be game for adventure and temptation.

Come to think of it, Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy), always ready to give his son unwanted advice on sexual matters, is a comforting constant presence, because he’s so damn funny.

Some of the best humor involves the discomfiting and embarrassing situations that usually ensnare the often inept and clueless Jim, even now that he’s all grown up.

A classic case is when Jim ends up in a compromising position with the drunken, naked body of the hot 18-year old neighbor Kara (Ali Corbin) that he used to babysit.

As Jim tries to get Kara back up into her bedroom undetected, Oz, Stifler and Finch fumble through clumsy efforts to preoccupy Kara’s parents from discovering an unpleasant truth.

The agreeable reality of “American Reunion” is that, even if it is an irrepressibly ribald comedy with plenty of coarse gags, it is just outright funny.  

To fully appreciate the bawdy humor one must be familiar with the “American Pie” franchise, but only the films that made it to a theatrical release.   

 TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL

One of the few good reasons to come to Los Angeles, other than for nice weather and great beaches, is the third annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, from April 12 to April 15.

Many of the classic films will feature prominent celebrities or film directors leading discussions.  For instance, Mel Brooks will be on the program for a screening of “Young Frankenstein.”

As noted in this space a few weeks ago, legendary filmmaker Stanley Donen will appear to talk about his films “Charade,” “Funny Face” and “Two for the Road.”

To honor the 50th anniversary of James Bond, there will be a special screening of “Dr. No.”  Eunice Gayson, memorable as Sylvia Trench, will be the host, along with later Bond girl Maud Adams.

Notable stars will appear in discussions at many screenings. Kim Novak will do the honors for “Vertigo,” Kirk Douglas for “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Angie Dickinson for “Rio Bravo,” and Robert Wagner for “The Pink Panther.”

The appearance of producer Robert Evans and screen writer Robert Towne for the classic noir film “Chinatown” is certain to be one of the many TCM highlights.

Opening night features the World Premiere Restoration of “Cabaret” with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey participating in the discussion.

The TCM Classic Film Festival just keeps getting better and more impressive. Film buffs should not miss out on this grand adventure.

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

UKIAH, Calif. – Hip hop, contemporary, jazz, Mexican Folkloric, Middle Eastern, traditional Chinese dance – just a handful of dance forms that will delight those who attend Mendocino College’s Spring Dance Festival.

The festival will be held on Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 6, at 2 p.m. in the Mendocino College Center Theatre.

“Our Spring Dance Fest has become one of our most popular performing arts events at Mendocino College,” said Leslie Saxon West, director of the dance program. “The production this year will not be as expansive as it has been in recent years, however the show will include a wide variety of dance that will surely be enjoyed by all ages.”

Diversity is a key component of this annual event. In addition to the theatrical forms of dance that most people are familiar with, such as jazz and modern dance, the production will feature many forms of dance that represent the diverse populations in our communities, the college and the world.

This year’s festival will include traditional Chinese dance presented by the Developing Virtue Boys and Girls Schools.

The boys' school will perform the spectacular Dragon and Lion dances which feature huge dramatic costumes with moving eyes and tails.  

The girls' school will present three beautiful dances reflecting traditional Chinese dance fused with elements of martial arts and storytelling.

One dance, entitled “Compassion,” explores compassion as the eternal state of the spirit. Elly Shulee, who choreographed the piece, said, “Guanyin is the manifestation of great kindness and great compassion. Her thousand hands rescue beings from the ocean of suffering, and her thousand eyes behold all beings.”

College instructor Bernadette Alverio-Gray has choreographed five dances for this year’s festival. Her dances include a wide variety of accompaniment and flavor.

“'Old School' is a fun upbeat piece that explores hip hop at an older age in life,” she said. “From wheelchairs to walkers, these folks know how to get down!”

In a lyrical contemporary dance that she has choreographed, entitled “Letting Go,” she explained that the piece represents a collection of personal stories.

“In our journey through life, we all have to let go of things,” she said. “The duets in this piece were choreographed by the dancers and represent their personal stories related to letting go, especially of significant people in their lives.”

Many Mexican Folkloric dances also will be featured in this performance. Under the direction of college dance instructor Juvenal Vasquez, a variety of festive and colorful dances will be performed by many of his students.

These festive and colorful folk dances are a highlight of the shows and this year include La Moda, El Gusto and Luz y Sombras.  

Another highlight of this year’s show will be Troupe Satya, a Middle Eastern Dance group directed by Janice Re, who will be appearing as guests in this performance. This exquisite group of dancers will be performing two dances, “Unknown Hand II” and “Saplak II.”

All tickets are $5 for everyone and may be purchased in advance at the Mendocino Book Co. in Ukiah, the Mendocino College Bookstore on the Ukiah campus or by calling 707-468-3079.

Tickets also may be purchased at the door, if available.

The Mendocino College main campus is located at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.

My mother kept a handwritten record of every cent she spent from the day she and my father were married until the day she died. So it’s no wonder I especially like this poem by Jared Harel, who teaches creative writing at Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Numbers

My grandmother never trusted calculators.
She would crunch numbers in a spiral notebook
at the kitchen table, watching her news.
Work harder and I’d have more to count,
she’d snap at my father. And so my father worked
harder, fixed more mufflers, gave her receipts
 
but the numbers seldom changed.
There were silky things my mother wanted,
glorious dinners we could not afford.
 
Grandma would lecture her: no more garbage,
and so our house was clean. The attic spotless.
In fact, it wasn’t until after she died
 
that my parents found out how much she had saved us.
What hidden riches had been kept in those notebooks,
invested in bonds, solid blue digits
etched on each page. She left them
in the kitchen by her black and white television
we tossed a week later, though it seemed to work fine.

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. Poem copyright ©2010 by Jared Harel, whose chapbook, The Body Double, is forthcoming from Brooklyn Arts Press. Reprinted from Cold Mountain Review, Volume 39, no. 1, Fall 2010, by permission of Jared Harel and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 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. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

The winning entry in California’s 2012 Upland Game Bird Stamp art competition will be selected at a judging event on April 16 in Davis.

The public is invited to attend the judging, which will take place in the conference room of the Yolo Wildlife Area Headquarters beginning at 10 a.m.

Eight artists from around the country have entered the competition, which is sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

Each artist submitted their own original depiction of a Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata).

The setting and details were determined by the individual artists, but entries had to include at least one adult band-tailed pigeon and if background detail was included in the design it needed to be accurate and representative of the species’ natural habitat in California.

The entries will be judged by a panel of citizens selected for their expertise in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing.

Designs will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy, and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and a print.

The winning entry will be reproduced on the 2012 California Upland Game Bird Stamp.

An upland game bird stamp is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California.

Money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on upland game bird-related conservation projects, the creation of hunting opportunities, and outreach and education.

DFG sells about 200,000 upland game bird stamps annually, including sales to stamp art collectors.

For more information about the California Upland Game Bird Stamp program, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/upstamp .