X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Rated PG-13)

That the original “Star Wars,” released in 1977, was one of the best action adventure movies of all time is nearly indisputable. The prequels that came later, well not so much.

“The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones” are, to be charitable, forgettable. Few would even likely recall the name of the actor who played Anakin Skywalker before he became Darth Vader.

Why do I bring this up, you ask? Simply to illustrate that prequels are often inferior to the real thing. Yet, “X-Men: First Class” stands, on its merits, as a forceful argument to the contrary.

Without any doubt, “X-Men: First Class” is so far superior as a prequel to the “X-Men” franchise that I would only consider viewing the sequels once again out of a vague sense of curiosity.

For a comic book series that had become increasingly tedious, “X-Men: First Class” is a refreshing boost of adrenaline, injecting much needed vitality into a bland exercise of superpower heroics.

I only fear that the brilliance of this newest “X-Men” may be wasted on a younger generation largely ignorant of Cold War history and the frightening relevance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It’s possible to imagine that some of the dolts walking among us may come to think that nuclear Armageddon was averted solely due to the manipulations of the mutants with superpowers.

For those who know history, you may have figured that the setting of “X-Men: First Class” is circa 1962, when tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are at a fever pitch.

A brief prelude set during World War II introduces a young Erik Lensherr as a concentration camp internee subjected to brutal treatment by the Nazi camp doctor (Kevin Bacon).

Meanwhile, a young Charles Xavier befriends a young Raven when she breaks into his suburban New York mansion in search of food. The lonely Charles adopts her as the sibling he’s never had.

Moving forward to the 1960s, Xavier (James McAvoy), the future Professor X, is completing his doctorate at Oxford and uses his brilliant academic observations and telepathic powers to court the ladies.

When not tweaking her brother Charles, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), struggles to find her place in the world, as her shape-shifting tendency to turn into blue-skinned mutant Mystique is off-putting to mankind.

Bent on revenge, the adult Erik (Michael Fassbender) hunts down old Nazis in Argentina. An explosive scene at a pub frequented by ex-pat Germans demonstrates the extent of Erik’s pent-up rage, whose power to bend metal puts him on track to become Magneto.

The former Nazi doctor turns up as villainous mogul Sebastian Shaw, whose partner in crime is the sexy Emma Frost (January Jones, who looks really hot in white lace underwear and garters).

Like one of those larger-than-life James Bond villains in search of world domination, Shaw’s evil scheme is to start World War III as the result of a showdown in the Caribbean seas.

Plucky CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), after going undercover in her lingerie at a Vegas strip club, argues with her oblivious superiors that it is necessary to recruit Xavier and other mutants.

Working with another offbeat CIA agent (Oliver Platt), Moira brings Erik and Xavier together in a concerted effort to pursue the malevolent Sebastian Shaw.

A remote CIA facility becomes a training camp for all kinds of mutants, including a sonic screamer, a fire breather, a storm-tosser, an adaptive chameleon and a human fly.

The CIA-trained mutants get the chance to put their full talents on display, but unfortunately learn that they must fight a group of bad mutants who have been seduced by Shaw’s spiel of a dominant race soon to take world power.

“X-Men: First Class” is at its best for the formative character development of Xavier and Erik leading up to the adversarial relationship that is inevitable to come between Professor X and Magneto.

Insofar as this prequel has much to do with conjuring the psychological underpinnings of the mutants’ developing awareness, there is still an extremely effective focus on the sheer energy of their nifty physical talents.

On an emotional and effects-laden basis, the ultimate showdown during the Cuban Missile Crisis is undeniably thrilling. The resultant mayhem is well orchestrated by director Matthew Vaughn.

“X-Men: First Class,” a really great blockbuster thriller, has a terrific overall cast, made all the better by Kevin Bacon’s deliciously twisted arch-villain.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

USA Network’s top-rated shows “Burn Notice” and “White Collar” come to DVD, for their seasons 4 and 2 respectively, at the very same time, leading to double thrills for those who love action-packed series.

“Burn Notice Season 4,” which pairs master-spy Michael Westen with Jesse Porter, another burned spy, puts these guys in plenty of dangerous situations, assisted by their pals Sam and sexy Fiona.

“Burn Notice Season 4” contains never-before-seen bonus footages such as “Sam Axe’s Guide to Ladies and Libations,” “Burn Notice Roasts White Collar,” and “White Collar Roasts Burn Notice.”

Meanwhile, “White Collar Season 2” continues the exploits of sophisticated conman Neal Caffrey as he teams up with FBI Agent Peter Burke to investigate an intriguing array of crimes ranging from extortion to murder.

“White Collar Season 2” includes bonus footage on fan-favorite Mozzie, a gag reel, and the same “Roast” specials, just in case you don’t pick up “Burn Notice Season 4.”

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

Connor Gill, 12, rocked the Soper-Reese Theatre last April, and was chosen to play Cobbstock on June 11, 2011. Photo by TAC Studios.

COBB, Calif. – The fifth annual Cobbstock, set for June 11, will feature a local music teen wonder who got his start right here at home.

One of the event's youngest performers is 12-year-old Connor Gill, who will perform as the second act at 1:30 p.m.

The wunderkind performer has been taking guitar lessons from Mark’s Mountain Music since he was 7, and started his musical career at the age of 10 when he was called to the stage to play with blues legend Buddy Guy at the Marin Civic Center.

That same year he placed second at the “Lake County Has Talent” contest with a blues jam, and took home a first place ribbon from the Lake County Fair Talent Show the following summer.

He is a regular performer at the Mountain High Coffee “Open Mic Night” night on Cobb, and has appeared as a special guest with The Lost Boys.

He recently opened a sell-out show for The Lost Boys at the Soper-Reese Theatre in Lakeport.

For more information on Connor Gill, visit Facebook, or view his YouTube Channel, http://youtube.com/connorgillbrosband.

Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.

Joe Paddock is a Minnesota poet and he and I are, as we say in the Midwest, “of an age.” Here is a fine poem about arriving at a stage when there can be great joy in accepting life as it comes to us.

One’s Ship Comes In

I swear

my way now will be

to continue without

plan or hope, to accept

the drift of things, to shift

from endless effort

to joy in, say,

that robin, plunging

into the mossy shallows

of my bird bath and

splashing madly till

the air shines with spray.

Joy it will be, say,

in Nancy, pretty in pink

and rumpled T-shirt,

rubbing sleep from her eyes, or

joy even in

just this breathing, free

of fright and clutch, knowing

how one’s ship comes in

with each such breath.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2009 by Joe Paddock from his most recent book of poetry, Dark Dreaming, Global Dimming, Red Dragonfly Press, 2009. Reprinted by permission of Joe Paddock and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2011 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 call will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 55 First St. in Lakeport.

Actors will meet in the lunch room on the second floor's east wing.

They are creating a database for a variety of paid, nonpaid and deferred projects.

Please bring a headshot and resume if you have one, as well as any demo reels, voice over samples and your identification.

You will come in, fill out an application, pay $20 – which will go toward processing and a Web site that will be available to casting directors and directors – and be interviewed.

While you await you also will have the opportunity to have new headshots done or updated. The cost for headshots is separate.

The company will hold more auditions to be open to union actors in the future.

For questions or to RSVP call 707-413-0413 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Old Time Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park will not be affected by the fact that the park is among the 70 parks slated for closure by the state Department of Parks and Recreation, according to the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA), producers of the event.

AMIA has been assured that any park closure will not occur until after the Festival is held on Sept. 10.

The Sixth Annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival features continuous music on two stages, with an array of Northern California and local musicians and bands that are well-known in the world of bluegrass.

The event also features day-long activities for children, an art exhibit, craft vendors, great food, a wine and beer garden, musicians’ workshops and fiddling, clogging and spinning demonstrations.

The festival is a wonderful community event that also serves as a fundraising opportunity for many local groups, says Henry Bornstein, who is helping to organize the Festival for AMIA.

Organizations participating include the Explorer Scouts, the Children’s Museum of Art and Science (CMAS), school groups that have booths to sell food or drinks and Carlé Continuation High School, which raises vital funds by helping to set up and break down the event.

The Bluegrass Festival is an important fundraiser for AMIA, which works to support the Park in a variety of ways, including funding vital maintenance at the Park and leading interpretive nature walks and tours of the historic ranch house.

According to AMIA Board President Roberta Lyons, the members of AMIA are committed to working to keep the Park open despite the current closure notice.

The state Department of Parks is working on a mechanism that will allow an operating agreement to be entered into with non-profits and other organizations that would allow the Park to remain open, at least on a limited basis.

When this mechanism is approved, AMIA, along with other local partners, plans to pursue such an agreement.

For more information, go to www.andersonmarsh.org or call 707-995-2658.

THE HANGOVER PART II (Rated R)

Director Todd Phillips’ followup to his blockbuster comedy film “The Hangover” is just about as good as it gets. For one thing, the successful formula remains the same in “The Hangover Part II.”

The setting has changed from the tawdry glitz of Las Vegas to the dingy back alleys of Bangkok. But the story of regular guys looking to have a good time remains the same.

As we well know, these regular guys have a knack for ending up in serious trouble after a hard night of debauchery, public drunkenness and other unspeakable acts.

The usual suspects travel to exotic Thailand for the wedding of their pal Stu (Ed Helms), the nerdy, excitable dentist, who is marrying the lovely Lauren (Jamie Chung) in her homeland.

Stu, you may recall, was previously married briefly to a hooker during their misadventures in Vegas. But this time, he has found true love and doesn’t want to mess it up.

The fact that Lauren’s father, a physician, strongly disapproves of this union is a source of great amusement. His toasts at the rehearsal dinner snidely disparage Stu’s career and equate his personality to that of soggy white rice.

Not wanting to lose any more teeth, Stu had proposed, before the overseas trip, a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch, with pancakes, coffee and no alcohol, at the local IHOP.

His pals, Phil (Bradley Cooper), the smooth talker, and Doug (Justin Bartha), the prospective groom during the ill-fated Vegas trip, want a real bachelor party.

Joining the Wolfpack for the trip to Thailand is Doug’s brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the foolish nitwit and walking man-child disaster who constantly wreaks havoc and offends with his tactless remarks.

As fate would have it, the four guys who ended up in so much trouble in Sin City are headed unexpectedly for more of the same in the sinful city of Bangkok.

Once at the beautiful beach resort in Thailand, Phil rekindles the idea of some form of a bachelor party, at least one that might avoid the problems that come from unwittingly ingesting roofies.

With the blessing of Stu’s future bride Lauren, the boys gather around a campfire on the beach for one drink from unsealed beer bottles, while bringing along Lauren’s younger brother Teddy (Mason Lee), a teenage prodigy and gifted pre-med student.

Next thing you know, Stu, Phil and Alan wake up in a stupor in a sleazy, dingy Bangkok hotel room. Teddy is missing, but apparently his finger, complete with a school ring, is found floating in an ice bucket.

What’s more, Stu has a raw, fresh tattoo on his face that resembles the one adorning Mike Tyson. Alan’s head is now shaved. A chain-smoking Capuchin monkey runs loose in the bathroom.

Just like the original “Hangover,” the dazed bachelor party celebrants must piece together clues of their night of revelry to not only find out what happened, but to locate the missing Teddy.

What comes next is an adventure through the seedy underbelly of Bangkok, including unsavory encounters with thugs, Russian mafia, a Buddhist monk and pole dancers of dubious sexuality.

The gangster Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) has also returned, losing none of his swagger as he goes up against crime lord Kingsley (Paul Giamatti), who in turn threatens the Wolfpack for the delivery of bank account numbers.

“The Hangover Part II” is rated R for its “pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.”

By all accounts, the MPAA seems to have gone easy on a film that is filled with raunchiness and plenty of gratuitous sexual images and depraved humor.

But, hey, “The Hangover” is all about pushing the boundaries of good taste in pursuit of outrageous laughs. If you loved the original, you will feel the same about this one.

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