For the months of August and September, the Long Island Game Farm will offer a new social club for seniors. Every Tuesday morning from August 1 through September 26, senior citizens (65 years+) can visit the animals, walk the grounds (get your steps in!), attend a presentation in the newly renovated Woodland Hall, and enjoy a beverage and snacks with fellow seniors.
Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park and Children’s Zoo was founded in 1970 by Stanley and Diane Novak. As the largest combined children’s zoo and wildlife park on Long Island, they offer families a natural environment where they can learn about wildlife and animals through education and entertainment. A member of American Association of Zookeepers and Zoological Association of America, the farm is located at 489 Chapman Boulevard in Manorville.
“Inspiring a love of nature through educational programming is important to our mission,” shares Long Island Game Farm president Melinda Novak. “Being able to launch a special social club for seniors and utilize the newly renovated Woodland Hall for this purpose is pretty exciting for us. I’m also excited to give the first presentation about life on the game farm, including my family’s 50+ year history.”
Each week guests will begin a walk on the grounds at 10 a.m., visiting animals and learning more about the various species at the game farm. At 11 a.m., seniors will gather in Woodland Hall for talks that will vary weekly. Topics include rescued animals, birding, nature photography, and more.
Tickets are $10 per person and for seniors only. Please do not bring grandchildren. Pets are not allowed. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 631-878-6644. For more information about the game farm and upcoming programming, visit longislandgamefarm.com.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SUMMER
The Terryville Carnival returns to Port Jefferson Station on July 26. File photo by Giselle Barkley/TBR News Media
Ongoing
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
Heckscher Park’s Chapin Rainbow Stage, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington hosts the Huntington Arts Council’s 58th annual Summer Arts Festival with music, theater and dance Wednesdays through Sundays from July 1 to 30. Free. Bring seating. For the full schedule, visit www.huntingtonarts.org. 631-271-8423
Thursday July 20
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
Long Island’s largest Fireman’s Fair is held at the Henry L. Stimson Middle School, 401 Oakwood Rd., Huntington Station, and adjoining Peter Nelson Park today, July 21 and 22 from 6 to 11 p.m. Featuring amusement rides, games, food andgambling. FireworksFriday and Saturday nights. P.O.P bracelets for the rides are $35. 631-427-1629, ext. 4.
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by One Step Ahead tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson continues its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. with a performance by Southbound. Bring seating. 631-473-4724
Northport Community Band
The Northport Community Band will host a concert at the Robert W. Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park tonight and July 27 starting at 8:30 p.m. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. www.ncb59.org
Friday July 21
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
See July 20 listing.
Wet Paint Festival Reception – This event has been moved to the rain date of July 22.
Join the Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook for a Backyard Picnic Reception to celebrate the artwork and artists of Gallery North’s 2023 Wet Paint Festival from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Featuring an awards ceremony, live music by the Bayport Jazz Band, coffee and cake. Bring your own picnic spread. Rain date is July 22. 631-751-7707
Happenings on Main Street
Northport Arts Coalition continues its Happenings on Main Street series, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor at 7 p.m., with a performance by Godfrey Townsend of The Yardbirds on July 21. Bring seating. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org
Walking the Line in Concert
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its summer concert series with Walking the Line: A Tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter at 8 p.m. The band takes you on a musical journey that has become the Johnny Cash legacy by performing material from every decade of Cash’s legendary career. Vintage costumes, period accurate instruments, and microphones complete the package. All seats are $59. 631-928-9100, www.theatrethree.com.
Travel Back to the 80s Experience
Join the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown for a Travel Back To The 80s Experience tonight and July 22 at 8 p.m. Immerse yourself in the fun, the fashion, and the sounds of the 80s! Meet familiar characters and personalities while being thrown back in time to a story straight out of the 80s, all set to the tunes you know and love. Arrive dressed up to enjoy yourself to the max! Featuring a live performance by the Ronald Reagans tonight and Pour Some 80s on Me on July 22. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $35 (each ticket includes one drink from the bar). Call 1-800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org to order.
Saturday July 22
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
See July 20 listing.
Travel Back to the 80s Experience
See July 21 listing.
Sunflower & Corn Festival
Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville hosts a Summer Sunflower and Sweet Corn Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy a day filled with vibrant sunflowers, delicious sweet corn, and an array of exciting activities and entertainment. Festival admission is $10 per person, and children aged 2 and under free. For a full line-up of events, visit www.LennyBrunoFarms.com/events 631-591-3592.
Deepwells Art & Craft Festival
Deepwells Farm, 2 Taylor Lane, St. James presents a Summer Art & Craft Festival today and July 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with artisans featuring original art, pottery, jewelry, fiber, candles, handmade soap and lotions, gourmet food and more with kids activities, food and music. Free admission. 631-307-0477
Sherwood-Jayne House Tour
Preservation Long Island will host tours of the Sherwood-Jayne House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a self-guided tour at noon. The house contains period furnishings and features original late eighteenth-century hand-painted floral wall frescoes. Tickets are $10, $5 children ages 6 to 15, under age 6 free at www.preservationlongisland.org/tours.
Craft Fair Weekend at The Shoppes
The Shoppes at East Wind, 5720 Route 25A, Wading River will host a Craft Fair today and July 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 pm. Enjoy local craft vendors as well as all The Shoppes have to offer. New vendors each day. Bounce house and Carousel are open for kids. 631-929-3500
Superheroes of the Sky
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown presents a family program, Superheroes of the Sky, from 11 a.m. to noon. Take a walking tour with Jim while he feeds the Center’s birds of prey and tells you about their incredible adaptations that help them survive in the wild. You’ll be seeing and learning about Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, owls, hawks and many more. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children under age 12 at www.sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344.
Carriage Highlight Tours
Join a docent at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook for a tour of the Museum’s state of the art Carriage Museum today and July 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn about the world before cars through conversation, photographs and artifacts. All ages welcome. Free with paid admission to the museum. 631-751-0066
Wet Paint Festival Reception
See July 21 listing.
Huntington Folk Festival
The 17th annual Huntington Folk Festival returns to Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington from 12:30 to 10 p.m., with a dinner break from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Co-presented by the Huntington Arts Council, Folk Music Society of Huntington and AcousticMusicScene.com as part of the 58th Huntington Summer Arts Festival, an evening concert featuring internationally touring singer-songwriters Lucy Kaplansky and Cliff Eberhardt will be preceded by a series of amplified song swaps and an open mic during the afternoon. Free. www.fmsh.org
Concert on the Lawn
The North Shore Community Band kicks off its annual Summer Concert Series with an outdoor concert at St. Mark’s Church, 105 Randall Road, Shoreham at 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of patriotic favorites. www.northshorecommunityband.org
One Hit Wonderers in concert
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents a concert by the One Hit Wonderers at 8 p.m. Enjoy number one hits of the 60s and 70s including “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl),” “It’s Magic,” “Go All the Way,” and many more. All seats are $49. 631-928-9100, www.theatrethree.com
Sunday July 23
Deepwells Art & Craft Festival
See July 22 listing.
Craft Fair Weekend at The Shoppes
See July 22 listing.
Carriage Highlight Tours
See July 22 listing.
Sea Glass Festival
The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor hosts its 2nd annual Sea Glass Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The indoor/outdoor event will feature a Sea Glass of the Year contest, glass artists, vendors and exhibitors, presentations on glass bottle history and sea glass identification as well as sea glass art workshops (extra fee). Admission fee is $15 is advance at cshwhalingmuseum.com, $20 at the door. 631-367-3418, www.cshwhalingmuseum.org
Huntington Independence Day
The Huntington Militia hosts a Huntington Independence Day event at the Arsenal Museum, 425 Park Ave., Huntington and Village Green from noon to 4 p.m., with a re-enactment of the news of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at 1 p.m. Featured events include musket and cannon drills, practice musket drills for children, period craft, cooking demonstrations and tours of the Arsenal. Free. Rain date is August 6. 631-223-8017, www.huntingtonmilitia.com.
Wind Down Sundays
The popular summer concert series continues at Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with the Toby Tobias Ensemble at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org
Willy & The Poor Boys in Concert
Celebrate St. James continues its summer concert series at Celebrate Park, 369 Lake Ave., St. James with music by Willy & The Poor Boys Band from 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-984-0201, www.celebratestjames.org
Summer Concert on the Green
Summer concerts are back in front of the Stony Brook Post Office at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 20, courtesy of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. Tonight’s concert features Gene Casey & the Lone Sharks.Free. Bring seating. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org
Funtastic 2023 Benefit Concert
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with special guest Taylor Dayne will perform at a Funtastic 2023 Benefit Concert for the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame at the Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill in Farmingville at 7:30 pm. For tickets, visit www.limusichalloffame.org.
Monday July 24
No events listed for this day.
Tuesday July 25
NSJC Social Club event
North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a screening of“Appointment in Tokyo,” which sheds light on the four years of the Pacific war detailing the defeat of Japan, in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737
Water Color Painting
Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket continues its summer programs series with Water Color Painting with Gretchen Smith at 11 a.m. For all ages. Meet at Hap’s Red Barn. Event is held rain or shine. Free. 631-689-6146
Northport Harbor Family Nights
The Northport Chamber of Commerce hosts a Northport Harbor Family Night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Village of Northport’s Main Street will be closed to traffic from Gunther’s to Skippers. Enjoy live music, outdoor dining, vendor sidewalk sales and antique cars. 631-754-3905
Comedy Night at the Engeman
John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport continues its Special Event series with a night of comedy at 8 p.m. Come have some laughs, enjoy some cocktails, and listen to some very funny comedians! Tickets are $45. 631-261-2900 www.engemantheater.com
Concerts at The Gazebo
Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconsetthrough Aug. 15, courtesy of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s concert will feature Bon Journey at 7 p.m. Rain dates are the next day. Bring seating. 631-672-5197, www.nesconsetchamber.org
Concert in the Courtyard
Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport continues its Concerts in the Library Courtyard at 7 p.m. with a performance by Sugar and Spice Soul Band. Rain date is July 26. No registration required. Seating will be provided.
Sip & Paint Fundraiser
Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket hosts a Sip & Paint fundraiser event at Hap’s Red Barn at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a night of fun and relaxation as you paint Japanese Cherry Blossoms. $55 per person includes step by step painting lessons, 11” by 14” canvas, all painting materials, wine and light snacks. Register at www.frankmelvillepark.org/fundraisers. 631-689-6146
Smithtown Community Band
The Smithtown Historical Society hosts the 37th annual Smithtown Community Band concert series, By Land, Sea, & Sky, on the grounds of the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown tonight and Aug. 1. Concerts begin at 8 p.m. 631-275-0443
Wednesday July 26
Terryville Carnival
Terryville Fire Department, 19 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station invites the community to its annual family carnival on July 26, 27 and 28 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., July 29 from 5 p.m. to midnight, and July 30 from 5 to 10 p.m. Enjoy rides, games and carnival food. $25 entry fee includes all rides. Fireworks on July 28. 631-473-1224
Sunset Concerts
Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continues its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a performance by Paige Patterson. Held rain or shine. Bring seating. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org
Summer Concert Wednesdays
Join the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce for Ice Cream Night at the Chamber Train Car Park, corner of Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station with live music by School of Rock from 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-821-1313, www.PJSTChamber.com
Thursday July 27
Northport Community Band
See July 20 listing.
Terryville Carnival
See July 26 listing.
Eco-Printing Workshop
Join the Huntington Historical Society for an Eco-Printing Workshop at the Conklin Barn, 2 High St., Huntington from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The basic principle of eco printing is that various leaves and plant materials (fresh or dried) possess tannins that have the innate ability to print permanent color onto fabric fibers when combined with the proper technique, and procedure. At this workshop, you will be making a scarf using an eco print of leaves and flowers. Fee is $55, $50 members. To register, visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org or call 631-427-7045.
Music Behind the Barn
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead hosts a free outdoor concert featuring Black and Sparrow at the historic Naugles Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy the music and the beautiful North Fork sunset over the farm fields. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnics, blankets, and chairs to set out on the field. No registration required. 631-298-5292
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by Penny Lane tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Native American Drumming
All Souls Parish House 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook hosts an evening of Native American Drumming from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. 631-655-7798
Theater
‘Pippin’
Community Playhouse of Northport presents a Bucket List Production of Pippin at Harborfields High School Auditorium, 98 Taylor Ave., Greenlawn on July 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30 p.m. with a July 22 matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 at www.communityplayhousenorthport.org. 631-683-8444
‘Macbeth’
The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with Macbeth on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. from July 7 to Aug. 6. Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
‘Escape to Margaritaville’
Up next at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is Escape to Margaritaville from July 13 to Aug. 27. This upbeat and energetic new musical features all your favorite Jimmy Buffett classics including “Volcano,” “Fins,”,“Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and of course “Margaritaville.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. See review on page B13.
‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
Minstrel Players presents Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Trinity Episcopal Church’s Houghton Hall, 130 Main St., Northport on July 22 and 29 at 8 p.m. and July 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and students. To order call 516-361-7232.
Adam Pascal
‘Rent’
From Stage to Screen Performing Arts Academy presents four performances of Jonathan Larson’s musical masterpiece Rent at Five Towns College, 305 North Service Road, Dix Hills from July 28 to July 30. Directed by Adam Pascal. Tickets range from $45 to $50. To order, visit https://fromstagetoscreen.ludus.com. 631-423-4440
Film
Stony Brook Film Festival
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host the 28th annual Stony Brook Film Festival from July 20 to July 28. Line-up includes 36 feature films and shorts from over 26 countries. Opening night includes a screening of feature film Sea of Time and the short film The Red Suitcase at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15, $13.50 seniors at wwww.stonybrookfilmfestival.com. 631-632-2787
Class Reunions
• Hauppauge High School Class of 1978 will hold its 45th reunion on July 22, 2023 with a reunion party on July 21 and a reunion picnic on July 23. For details, email [email protected].
• Port Jefferson High SchoolClass of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion on the weekend of August 4-6. For information, email Lori Sternlicht Lucki @ [email protected] or call 631-495-8604.
• Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].
• Save the date! Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].
Symptoms of diverticular disease include fever and abdominal pain. METRO photo
Physical activity and fiber make a difference
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Diverticular disease, or diverticulosis, becomes more common as we age. In the U.S., more than 30 percent of those aged 50-59 are affected and, for those over 80, approximately 70 percent are affected (1).
The good news is that modest lifestyle changes can potentially prevent it. Here, I will explain simple ways to reduce your risk, while also debunking a pervasive myth — that fiber, or more specifically nuts and seeds, exacerbates the disease.
What causes diverticular disease?
Diverticular disease is a weakening of the lumen, or wall of the colon, which results in the formation of pouches or out-pocketing referred to as diverticula. Pressure from constipation may be part of the cause.
Its mildest form, diverticulosis may be asymptomatic. In other cases, symptoms may include fever and abdominal pain, predominantly in the left lower quadrant in Western countries, or the right lower quadrant in Asian countries. It may need to be treated with antibiotics.
Diverticulitis affects 10 to 25 percent of those with diverticulosis. Diverticulitis is inflammation and infection, which may lead to a perforation of the bowel wall. Emergency surgery may be required if a rupture occurs.
Unfortunately, the incidence of diverticulitis is growing. In 2010, about 200,000 were hospitalized for acute diverticulitis, and roughly 70,000 were hospitalized for diverticular bleeding (2). For those between 40 and 49 years old, the incidence of diverticulitis grew 132 percent between 1980 and 2007, the most recent data on this population (3).
How do you prevent diverticular disease and its complications?
There are several modifiable risk factors, including diet composition and fiber intake, along with weight and physical activity.
In a study that examined lifestyle risk factors for diverticulitis incidences, adhering to a low-risk lifestyle reduced diverticulitis risk almost 75 percent among men (4). The authors defined a low-risk lifestyle as including fewer than four servings of red meat a week, at least 23 grams of fiber a day, two hours of vigorous weekly activity, a body mass index of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, and no history of smoking. They estimated that a low-risk lifestyle could prevent 50 percent of diverticulitis cases.
How do we know fiber helps?
A prospective study published online in the British Medical Journal extolled the value of fiber in reducing the risk of diverticular disease (5). This study was part of the EPIC trial, which involved over 47,000 people living in Scotland and England. It showed a 31 percent reduction in risk in those who were vegetarian.
But more intriguing, participants who had the highest fiber intake saw a 41 percent reduction in diverticular disease. Those participants in the highest fiber group consumed more than 25.5 grams per day for women and more than 26.1 grams per day for men, whereas those in the lowest group consumed fewer than 14 grams per day. Though the difference in fiber between the two groups was small, the reduction in risk was substantial.
Another study, which analyzed data from the Million Women Study, a large-scale UK study of middle-aged women, confirmed the correlation between fiber intake and diverticular disease, and further analyzed the impact of different sources of fiber (6). The authors’ findings were that reduction in the risk of diverticular disease was greatest with high intake of cereal and fruit fiber.
Most Americans get about 16 grams of fiber per day. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends daily fiber intake for those under age 50 of 25-26 grams for women and 38 grams for men (7). Interestingly, their recommendations are lower for those who are over 50.
What if you consumed at least 40 grams of fiber per day? This is what I recommend for my patients. Some foods that contain the most fiber include nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. In a 2009 study, those men who specifically consumed the most nuts and popcorn saw a protective effect from diverticulitis (8).
Does obesity have an effect?
In the large, prospective male Health Professionals Follow-up Study, body mass index played a significant role, as did waist circumference (9). Those who were obese (BMI >30 kg/m²) had a 78 percent increased risk of diverticulitis and a greater than threefold increased risk of a diverticular bleed compared to those who had a BMI in the normal range of <21 kg/m². For those whose waist circumference was in the highest group, they had a 56 percent increase risk of diverticulitis and a 96 percent increase risk of diverticular bleed. Thus, obesity puts patients at a much higher risk of diverticulosis complications.
Does physical activity make a difference?
Physical activity is critical for reducing diverticular disease risk, although the exact mechanism is not yet understood. Regardless, the results are impressive. In a large prospective study, those with the greatest amount of exercise were 37 percent less likely to have diverticular disease compared to those with the least amount (10). Jogging and running seemed to have the most benefit. When the authors combined exercise with fiber intake, there was a dramatic 256 percent reduction in diverticular disease risk.
If you are focused on preventing diverticular disease and its complications, lifestyle modifications may provide the greatest benefit.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Welcome to the 19th edition of Paw Prints, a monthly column for animal lovers dedicated to helping shelter pets find their furever home!
Simon
Meet Simon
This charming 9-year-old canine at Little Shelter in Huntington is eager to find his forever home. With a friendly and curious personality, he has been exploring various ways to attract his perfect family. His latest strategy involves an open invitation to “Adopt Simon Day” — and it just so happens that today is the day! Come down to the shelter to meet Simon today! 631-368-8770, ext. 21
Maisy
Meet Maisy
This ten-year-old Maltese Mix always looks chic and stylish when she goes for a walk at Little Shelter in Huntington. She is the perfect guest for a tea party, as long as you provide pearls and petit fours! Maisy loves going for walks, learning new things, and staying engaged with her surroundings. Her friendly and outgoing personality make her a fan favorite at the kennels. Maisy possesses all the qualities of an ideal family member and is ready to find her forever home. Head to Little Shelter and discover this precious gem for yourself. 631-368-8770, ext. 21
Orchard
Meet Orchard
This sweet girl was picked up as a stray by an animal control officer and brought to the Brookhaven Animal Shelter. Sadly, no one has come forward to claim her so she’s ready for a new start in a loving home.
Orchard is estimated to be between 6 to 8 years old and weighs approximately 55 pounds. She’s housebroken, crate trained, and knows some impressive commands like sit, down, stay, and paw but would like to be in a home with no cats.
Orchard is an absolute sweetheart who loves wiggling her way into your heart. She’s happiest when she’s by your side or curled up at your feet. Her gentle and affectionate nature makes her the perfect companion.
If you would like to meet this well-mannered couch potato, please fill out a Matchmaker application at Brookhavenny.gov/AnimalShelter. 631-451-6950
Amazing Grace
Meet Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is a short-haired calico adult currently up for adoption at Little Shelter in Huntington. She is a calm young lady, who does enjoy finding high spots for naps! Stop by and meet her today! 631-368-8770 ext. 36
Frenchy and Rizzo
Meet Frenchy & Rizzo
These sweet siblings were abandoned in cat carriers on the side of the Long Island Expressway on June 26. Rescuers brought these two young girls, estimated to be 1 1/2 years old, to the Smithtown Animal Shelter where they needed a little time to adjust. Now they are little balls of affection and love and are ready for their furever home. The shelter staff hopes to have them adopted together. 631-360-7575
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Free rabies clinic
The Town of Brookhaven Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, 300 Horseblock Road, Brookhaven will hold a free Rabies Clinic on Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The clinic is open to all Town residents and offers free rabies vaccinations for all dogs, cats and ferrets and free cat/dog FVRCP or DAPPCV vaccine. Dogs must be on a leash. Cats and ferrets must be in a carrier. No appointment necessary. For more information, call 631-451-6950.
Check out the next Paw Prints in the issue ofAugust 10.
Paw Prints is generously sponsored by Mark T. Freeley, Esq.
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
The second annual Port Paws Dog Festival returns to Port Jefferson this weekend. Photo by Dianne Ferrer
Ongoing
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
Heckscher Park’s Chapin Rainbow Stage, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington hosts the Huntington Arts Council’s 58th annual Summer Arts Festival with music, theater and dance Wednesdays through Sundays from July 1 to 30. Free. Bring seating. For the full schedule, visit www.huntingtonarts.org. 631-271-8423
Thursday July 13
Summer SWAP Concert
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook continues its free “Summer Stage With a Purpose” (Summer SWAP) concerts on its front lawn from 6 to 8 p.m. with Nikos Chatzitsakos Big Band with Alexandria DeWalt on vocals. Guests may purchase refreshments in the Basie Garden beside the venue. Bring seating. 631-751-1895, www.thejazzloft.org
Author Talk at the LIM
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook will host an Author Talk with Art Shamsky from 6 to 8 p.m. Join the former NY Met and 1969 World Series Champion for a talk and signing of his 2019 New York Times best selling book, After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets. This event is free but registration is preferred at www.longislandmuseum.org. 631-751-0066.
Art History Lecture
The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook hosts a free art history lecture with award winning artist and Art History enthusiast, Kevin McEvoy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. McEvoy will discuss Brunelleschi and the creation of Duomo. Light snacks will be served for your enjoyment. No reservations required. 631-751-7707
Music Behind the Barn
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead hosts a free outdoor concert featuring the Yazoo Brothers at the historic Naugles Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy the music and the beautiful North Fork sunset over the farm fields. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnics, blankets, and chairs to set out on the field. No registration required. 631-298-5292
Northport Fireman’s Fair
The Northport Volunteer Fire Department will hold their 97th annual Firemen’s Fair today through July 15 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the fire department grounds on Steers Ave, off of Ocean Ave in Northport. The six day event will feature carnival rides by Blue Sky Amusements, festival food, games and more. 631-261-7504
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by Any Way You Want It tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson continues its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. with a performance by the Bangos. Bring seating. 631-473-4724
Northport Community Band
The Northport Community Band will host a concert at the Robert W. Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park tonight, July 20 and July 27 starting at 8:30 p.m. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. www.ncb59.org
Friday July 14
Northport Fireman’s Fair
See July 13 listing.
Happenings on Main Street
Northport Arts Coalition continues its Happenings on Main Street series, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor at 7 p.m., with a performance by Christine Sweeney & The Dirty Stayouts. Bring seating. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org
An Evening of Opera
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 109 Browns Road, Huntington welcomes Opera Night Long Island for a concert featuring arias from popular operas at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will follow. $10 donation, students free. 631-261-8808
Psychic Medium Robert Hansen
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson welcomes Psychic Medium Robert Hansen to the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Hansen will share with the audiences his psychic gifts of communication with loved ones that have crossed over to the other side. Messages of love will be randomly demonstrated to the audience and sensitively shared. Tickets are $49. 631-928-9100, www.theatrethree.com
Travel Back to the 80s Experience
Join the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown for a Travel Back To The 80s Experience at 8 p.m. Immerse yourself in the fun, the fashion, and the sounds of the 80s! Meet familiar characters and personalities while being thrown back in time to a story straight out of the 80s, all set to the tunes you know and love. Arrive dressed up to enjoy yourself to the max! Featuring a live performance by Guilty Pleasures. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $35 (each ticket includes one drink from the bar). Call 1-800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org to order.
Saturday July 15
Northport Fireman’s Fair
See July 13 listing.
Summer Craft Fair
Time to shop! Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 716 Route 25A, Rocky Point will hold a Summer Craft Fair today from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and July 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The indoor event will feature handmade crafts, unique gift items and home and holiday decor. 631-924-8143
Port Paws Dog Festival
Come see dogs fly as the second annual Port Paws Dog Festival heads to the Joe Erland Baseball Field, Caroline Ave., Port Jefferson today and July 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The two-day festival will feature a Dock Dogs® aquatic competition, canine vendors, food trucks, activities, live music and more. Tickets are $12 per adult at www.portpawsdogfest.com, kids under 12 and canines are free. Questions? Text 516-939-8960.
Sunflower Festival
Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville hosts a Sunflower Festival today and July 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Admission to the festival area is $10 per person, children ages 2 and under free, and includes live music, strolls through a sea of sunflowers, 5 oz. tasting, vendors, toddler play area, petting zoo, jumbo garden games, unique photo opportunities, food trucks, artisan vendors, face painting, other children and teen activity vendors, hayrides, u-pick, and jumbo garden games. 631-591-3592.
Sherwood-Jayne House Tour
Preservation Long Island will host tours of the Sherwood-Jayne House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a self-guided tour at noon. The house contains period furnishings and features original late eighteenth-century hand-painted floral wall frescoes. Tickets are $10, $5 children ages 6 to 15, under age 6 free at www.preservationlongisland.org/tours.
Pop Up Saturdays
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization hosts a Pop-Up Saturdays event in Stony Brook Village’s Inner Court (by Crazy Beans and/or the Waterfall Garden) from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Come enjoy live R&B, Roots, Blues and Contemporary Acoustic music from Brenda & Burke, as well as Caricatures by Marty. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org.
Concert in the Park
Wildwood State Park, 790 Hulse Landing Rd, Wading River welcomes The East End Trio in concert at 7 p.m. Come enjoy songs you know by heart with music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. $10 vehicle fee. 631-929-4314
The Brooklyn Bridge in concert
Back by popular demand, The Brooklyn Bridge returns to Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 8 p.m. Enjoy such hits as “Sixteen Candles,” “Trouble In Paradise,” “Step By Step,” “The Wanderer,” “Runaround Sue,” and many others. All seats are $59. 631-928-9100, www.theatrethree.com
Sunday July 16
Summer Craft Fair
See July 15 listing.
Port Paws Dog Festival
See July 15 listing.
Sunflower Festival
See July 15 listing.
Mazarin in Concert
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will host a concert by Mazarin from 3 to 4 p.m. Free with admission to the museum. For more information, call 689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.
Wind Down Sundays
The popular summer concert series continues at Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with Rod Borrie and Free Range at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org
Common Ground in Concert
Celebrate St. James continues its summer concert series at Celebrate Park, 369 Lake Ave., St. James with music by Common Ground from 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-984-0201, www.celebratestjames.org
Summer Concert on the Green
Summer concerts are back in front of the Stony Brook Post Office at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 20, courtesy of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. This week’s concert features Country Rhythms. Free. Bring seating. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org
Monday July 17
No events listed for this day.
Tuesday July 18
NSJC Social Club event
North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a presentation on the Long Island Coastal Environmentby a representative from the Department of Environmental Conservation in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737
The Art of Gardening
Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket continues its summer programs series with The Art of Gardening at 11 a.m. Master gardener Haig Seferian will answer your questions about your vegetable and flower gardens. He may even have a few bonus plants to share with you. Meet at Hap’s Red Barn. Event is held rain or shine. Free. 631-689-6146
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
Long Island’s largest Fireman’s Fair heads to the Henry L. Stimson Middle School, 401 Oakwood Rd., Huntington Station, and adjoining Peter Nelson Park today to July 22 from 6 to 11 p.m. (Parade on July 19 at 7:30 p.m.) Featuring amusement rides, games, food andgambling. FireworksWednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. P.O.P bracelets for the rides are $35. 631-427-1629, ext. 4.
Northport Harbor Family Nights
The Northport Chamber of Commerce hosts a Northport Harbor Family Night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Village of Northport’s Main Street will be closed to traffic from Gunther’s to Skippers. Enjoy live music, outdoor dining, vendor sidewalk sales and antique cars. 631-754-3905
Concerts at The Gazebo
Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconsetthrough Aug. 15, courtesy of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s concert will feature Pump (Aerosmith tribute band)at 7 p.m. Rain dates are the next day. Bring seating. 631-672-5197, www.nesconsetchamber.org
Concert in the Courtyard
Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport continues its Concerts in the Library Courtyard at 7 p.m. with a performance by Just Sixties. Rain date is July 19. No registration required. Seating will be provided.
Community Band Concert
The Smithtown Community Band continues its 37th annual concert series, By Land, Sea, & Sky, on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society’s Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown at 8 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-275-0443
Wednesday July 19
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
See July 18 listing.
St. James Summer Nights
For the 5th year, St. James Elementary School, 580 Lake Ave., St. James hosts a St. James Summer Night from 5 to 9 p.m. featuring live music, food and vendors and musical acts. It’s a perfect family outing and a chance to mingle with your neighbors and community under the summer stars. 516-220-8217
Sunset Concerts
Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continues its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a performance by Arbutus & Vine. Held rain or shine. Bring seating. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org
Summer Concert Wednesdays
Join the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce for a Luau Night at the Chamber Train Car Park, corner of Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station with live music by One Step Ahead from 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-821-1313, www.PJSTChamber.com
Thursday July 20
Northport Community Band
See July 13 listing.
Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair
See July 18 listing.
Summer Thursdays at the LIM
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook presents a free family show, Bash the Trash, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pack a picnic supper, enjoy the show and view the latest exhibits at the Art Museum. In the case of rain, concert will be held in the Carriage Museum’s Gillespie Room. 631-751-0066 See more events for children on page B22
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by One Step Ahead tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson continues its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. with a performance by Southbound. Bring seating. 631-473-4724
Theater
‘Macbeth’
The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with Macbeth on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. from July 7 to Aug. 6. Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
‘Escape to Margaritaville’
Up next at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is Escape to Margaritaville from July 13 to Aug. 27. This upbeat and energetic new musical features all your favorite Jimmy Buffett classics including “Volcano,” “Fins,”,“Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and of course “Margaritaville.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
Minstrel Players presents Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Trinity Episcopal Church’s Houghton Hall, 130 Main St., Northport on July 22 and 29 at 8 p.m. and July 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and students. To order call 516-361-7232.
‘Pippin’
Community Playhouse of Northport presents a Bucket List Production of Pippin at Harborfields High School Auditorium, 98 Taylor Ave., Greenlawn on July 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30 p.m. with a July 22 matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 at www.communityplayhousenorthport.org. 631-683-8444
Film
Stony Brook Film Festival
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host the 28th annual Stony Brook Film Festival from July 20 to July 28. Line-up includes 36 feature films and shorts from over 26 countries. Opening night includes a screening of feature film Sea of Time and the short film The Red Suitcase at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15, $13.50 seniors at wwww.stonybrookfilmfestival.com. 631-632-2787
Movies on the Harbor
Village of Port Jefferson presents its Movies on the Harbor at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson Tuesdays at dusk with Here Today on July 18; Dream Horse on Aug. 1; and In the Heights on Aug. 8. Rain date is the next evening. 631-473-472
Class Reunions
• Hauppauge High School Class of 1978 will hold its 45th reunion on July 22, 2023 with a reunion party on July 21 and a reunion picnic on July 23. For details, email [email protected].
• Port Jefferson High SchoolClass of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion on the weekend of August 4-6. For information, email Lori Sternlicht Lucki @ [email protected] or call 631-495-8604.
• Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].
• Save the date! Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].
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CALENDAR DEADLINEis Wednesday at noon, one week before publication. Items may be mailed to: Times Beacon Record News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733. Email your information about community events to [email protected]. Calendar listings are for not-for-profit organizations (nonsectarian, nonpartisan events) only, on a space-available basis. Please include a phone number that can be printed.
Harrison Ford in a scene from 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. Photo courtesy of
Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
The Indiana Jones films are among the most popular blockbusters of all time: beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), followed by the prequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), then Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade (1989). It was almost twenty years before the fourth chapter was released: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). This last received the poorest reviews and the weakest response. Stephen Spielberg directed all four films, with Harrison Ford starring as Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr., an archeology professor. Worldwide grosses have approached two billion dollars.
In between the third and fourth films, a television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, followed Jones as a child and youth. Twenty-eight episodes and four made-for-television films ran from 1992 through 1994. In addition, dozens of books, comic books, toys, and other tie-ins surround the Jones icon.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, as Helena, and Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, star in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.’ Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny opens in the closing days of World War II. Jones faces Nazi adversaries as he attempts to recover the Lance of Longinus. The German officers reveal Hitler believes the relic to contain extraordinary powers that could reverse the course of the war. The Lance is a fake, but Nazi astrophysicist Jürgen Voller has found half of Archimedes’ Dial, an invention of the ancient Syracusan mathematician said to be able to locate fissures in time.
After an extended fight and chase on a train, Voller is killed (spoiler alert: he is not), and half of the Dial is supposedly lost (spoiler alter: it is not). Of course, Jones and sidekick, archaeologist Basil Shaw, survive.
The action jumps from 1944 to July 1969, just after the moon landing. Borderline alcoholic Jones, a passionless professor at New York City’s Hunter College, instructs indifferent students on the eve of his forced retirement. His son, Mutt, died in Viet Nam, and his wife, Marion Ravenwood, left him. Enter his goddaughter, Helena Shaw, Basil’s only child. Helena seeks the Dial, and while Jones had promised the near-insane Basil to destroy it, he preserved it in the college storeroom.
While retrieving it, Jones and Helena are attacked by muscle sent by Voller, now a scientist working for NASA. During this melee, Helena reveals herself to be less a student of archeology and more a mercenary treasure hunter planning to sell the Dial fragment in a Tangiers black-market auction. What ensues is a world-crossing journey, with a plethora of fights and escapes. These—the film’s raison d’être—are slightly cartoonish but grandly, energetically executed. However, they are too long. Much, much too long.
Somewhere along the way, the series traded its signature humor and bold but neatly developed characters for impressive but bloated action sequences: extended chases in narrow streets and open spaces, replete with rooftop leaps, helicopters, planes, motorcycles, and innumerable cars. There is even an escape on horseback through a parade, invading the New York City subway.
With a few exceptions, the body count is composed of expendable characters. The almost bloodless violence borders on heightened slapstick, with square-landed punches usually followed by an attempt at a wry quip. The core villain, Voller, could be straight out of a Hollywood propaganda film; his henchmen are the usual obedient thugs. Helena’s sidekick, Teddy Kumar, vaguely replicates Short Round from the earlier films.
So much of The Dial of Destiny is an homage to Indiana Jones, one through three. While the trio paid tribute to the serials of the 1930s and ‘40s, Dial celebrates the trilogy. As soon as the chords of John Williams’ unmistakable underscore play, Jones saves the day (or at least the moment). But building an entire two hours and twenty minutes on waves of nostalgia comes up, if not empty, certainly less than satisfying. The film’s climax, a bizarre sword-and-sandal sequence, becomes uncomfortably comical and slightly clumsy.
While Ford announced this would be his final performance in the role, he remains in fine form as the curmudgeonly Jones, with his have-hat-and-whip-will-travel presence. He continues making the most incredible situations palatable. (Perhaps the CGI that renders the prologue’s younger Jones is the most extraordinary special effect.)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge creates a quirky, amoral Helena, a great foil for Jones. She infuses the grifter with a mix of noir femme fatale and girl-next-door charm. Mads Mikkelsen’s Voller succeeds as the typically erudite fascist with requisite lip-curling contempt. Ethann Isidore manages to avoid precociousness as Teddy.
The supporting cast play mostly enlarged cameos. Antonio Banderas twinkles as Renaldo, a boat captain. John Rhys-Davies is delightful in his return as Jones’ old friend, Sallah. Toby Jones strikes the right balance between sanity and madness as Basil. Shaunette Renée Wilson gives one of the more dimensional performances as a government agent.
While forging no new ground, those looking for another chapter in the saga will be either disappointed with its failure to compete with the earlier films or delighted with its improvement over the fourth, ill-conceived outing. With exotic locations, Teutonic villains, time travel, giant bugs, eel-filled waters, and enough stolen car chases for a dozen films, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny neither improves nor weakens the franchise.
Disney recently announced that The Dial of Destiny is the final entry. And while not perfect closure, it is good enough to draw the curtain on four decades of epic adventure.
Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.
CIVIL WAR FLICK
Theatre Three hosts a special screening of
‘I Now Take Up My Pen’ on July 10. Photo courtesy of Darren St. George
Ongoing
Huntington Summer Arts Festival
Heckscher Park’s Chapin Rainbow Stage, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington hosts the Huntington Arts Council’s 58th annual Summer Arts Festival with music, theater and dance Wednesdays through Sundays from July 1 to 30. Free. Bring seating. For the full schedule, visit www.huntingtonarts.org. 631-271-8423
Thursday July 6
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson kicks off its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson at 7 p.m. with a performance by Solid 70s. Bring seating. 631-473-4724 www.portjeff.com
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by Just Sixties tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Northport Community Band
The Northport Community Band will host a concert at the Robert W. Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park tonight, July 13, July 20 and July 27 starting at 8:30 p.m. Bring seating. Rain location is Northport High School. www.ncb59.org
Music Behind the Barn
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead hosts a free outdoor concert featuring Black and Sparrow at the historic Naugles Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic and seating. No registration required. 631-298-5292
Friday July 7
Musical Moments
Musical Moments in Kings Park return to Russ Savatt Park, 14 Main St., Kings Park from 7:30 to 9 p.m. tonight with a free concert by Endless Summer, courtesy of the Kings Park Civic Association. Bring seating. 516-319-0672
Happenings on Main Street
Northport Arts Coalition continues its Happenings on Main Street series, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor at 7 p.m., with a performance by Ashley Monique Menard (opener Jasmine Goare) Bring seating. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org
Long Island Comedy Festival
The 17th Annual Long Island Comedy Festival returns to Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 8 p.m. for yet another hilarious installment featuring top comedians from around the country including Dennis Rooney, “Banjo” Les Bayer, Kendra Cunningham, Mick Thomas, and John Zeigler. Tickets are $49. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
Saturday July 8
Early Summer Seasonal Stroll
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington hosts a seasonal stroll from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. with a focus on summer wildflowers. $4 per person. Adults only. Advance reservations required by calling 631-423-1770.
Antique & Working Truck Show
The Long Island Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society presents its 21st annual Antique, Classic & Working Truck Show today and July 9 at 5951 Sound Ave., Riverhead from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Held in conjunction with the Long Island Antique Power Association’s 31st Annual Antique Farm Tractor Show & and Hit & Miss Engine Run with garden and large tractor pulls, truck and engine exhibits, kids corner and craft vendors. Admission is $10 adults, children under 12 free. 631-339-3065.
Sherwood-Jayne House Tour
Preservation Long Island will host tours of the Sherwood-Jayne House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a self-guided tour at noon. The house contains period furnishings and features original late eighteenth-century hand-painted floral wall frescoes. Tickets are $10, $5 children ages 6 to 15, under age 6 free at www.preservationlongisland.org/tours.
Rocky Point Garden Tour
Rocky Point Civic Association will hostits annual Rocky Point Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are available at Flowers on Broadway, 43 Broadway, Rocky Point and Heritage Paint, 637 Route 25A, Rocky Point. $20 per person, children under 12 free w/parent. 631-521-5726
Heckscher Museum turns 103
In honor of the 103rd anniversary of the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington, the community is invited to enjoy free admission today and July 9 from noon to 5 p.m. August Heckscher and his wife, Anna, dedicated the Heckscher Museum to the people of Huntington, “and especially the children,” on July 10, 1920. 631-380-3230
Corn Festival & Pow Wow
Join the Setalcott Nation for their 16th annual Corn Festival & Pow Wow at the Setauket Elementary School, 134 Main St., Setauket today and July 9 from noon to 6 p.m. The weekend will feature Aztec Dancers, Taino Dancers, storytelling, specialty dances, flute players, traditional drums and audience participation. Grand Entry at noon. Bring seating. Free will donation. 917-415-5139, 631-698-5517
Saturdays at Six Concert
All Souls Church, 61 Main St., Stony Brook continues its Saturdays at Six concert series with a performance by Tom Manuel and the Gospel Road ensemble at 6 p.m. The group brings together a wonderful mix of some of the most impressive performers from the scenes of jazz, bluegrass, country, gospel and western traditions. Free. Call 631-655-7798 for more information.
Concert on the Lawn
As part of its annual Summer Concert Series, The North Shore Community Band will present an outdoor concert at Wading River Congregational Church, 2057 North Country Road, Wading River at 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of patriotic favorites. www.northshorecommunityband.org
Sunday July 9
Antique & Working Truck Show
See July 8 listing.
Heckscher Museum turns 103
See July 8 listing.
Corn Festival & Pow Wow
See July 8 listing.
Mustang and Shelby Car Show
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport will host a car show by the Mustang and Shelby Club of Long Island on the Great Lawn from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors pay only museum admission of $10 adults, $9 students and seniors, $7 children 12 and under, which includes estate-grounds access. 631-371-1432
Weaving Demonstrations
Huntington Historical Society (HHS) will host Historic Weaving Demonstrations at The Arsenal, 425 Park Ave., Huntington on today and Aug. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. HHS Curator Emily Werner will be weaving a historic plain weave linen fabric just like the linen sheeting and chemise exhibited in the Society’s current exhibit From Farm to Fabric: Early Woven Textiles of Long Island at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building. Free. 631-427-7045
Northport Garden Tour
Join the Northport Historical Society for its 2023 Summer Splendor Garden Tour from noon to 4 p.m.Enjoy a one-of-a-kind summer experience as you explore the gardens of homeowners in and around Northport on this self-guided tour with refreshments and raffles. Fee is $45 in advance, $50 day of event. 631-757-9859, www.northporthistorical.org
Ray Lambiase in Concert
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will host a concert by Ray Lambiase from 3 to 4 p.m. Free with admission to the museum. For more information, call 689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.
Wind Down Sundays
The popular summer concert series continues at Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with Eric Dubin and the Whiskey Crows at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org
Summer Concert on the Green
Summer concerts are back in front of the Stony Brook Post Office at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 20, courtesy of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. This week’s concert features the Just Sixties Band. Free. Bring seating. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org
Monday July 10
Monday on Main
The Kings Park Chamber of Commerce presents Monday on Main from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy an antique car show, Art in the Park, live musical performances, rides and games for the kids. 631-269-7678, www.kingsparkli.com
Northport Fireman’s Fair
The Northport Volunteer Fire Department will hold their 97th annual Firemen’s Fair today through July 15 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the fire department grounds on Steers Ave, off of Ocean Ave in Northport. The six day event will feature carnival rides by Blue Sky Amusements, festival food, carnival games and more. 631-261-7504
Civic Association Meeting
Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a meeting at the Sound Beach Firehouse, 152 Sound Beach Blvd., Sound Beach at 7:30 p.m. On the agenda is the NYS Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program. All are welcome. For more information call 631-744-6952.
Tuesday July 11
Northport Fireman’s Fair
See July 10 listing.
Job Fair heads to PJS
Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station hosts a Job Fair on Tuesday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet job recruiters from Stony Brook University, New York State Police, AHRC Suffolk, American Regent, Options for Community Living, SCO of Family Services, U.S. Army and many more at this event offered by the Suffolk County One-Stop Employment Center. Bring a resume and dress to impress. No registration is required. 631-928-1212
NSJC Social Club event
North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to come dance and enjoy the wonderful songs of one of Long Island’s favorite singers and entertainer Susan Capri in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737
Community Band Concert
The Smithtown Community Band continues its 37th annual concert series, By Land, Sea, & Sky, on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society’s Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown at 8 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-275-0443
Concerts at The Gazebo
Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset through Aug. 15 kicking off with That 70s Band tonight at 7 p.m. Rain dates are the next day. 631-672-5197, www.nesconsetchamber.org
Wednesday July 12
Northport Fireman’s Fair
See July 10 listing.
Sunset Concerts
Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continues its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with Quarterhorse. Held rain or shine. Bring seating. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org
Paint Night Wednesday
Join the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce for Paint Night with One River School of Art & Design at the Chamber Train Car Park, corner of Nesconset Highway and Route 112, Port Jefferson Station from 7 to 9 p.m. $10 per person. Reservations required. 631-821-1313, www.PJSTChamber.com
Music Under the Stars
Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach celebrates summer with its Music Under the Stars concert series in its parking lot featuring Bon Journey (Bon Jovi and Journey Tribute) at 7 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand for attendees to grab a bite to eat, Bring seating. 631-585-9393
Thursday July 13
Northport Community Band
See July 6 listing.
Northport Fireman’s Fair
See July 10 listing.
Art History Lecture
The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook hosts a free art history lecture with award winning artist and Art History enthusiast, Kevin McEvoy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. McEvoy will discuss Brunelleschi and the creation of Duomo. Light snacks will be served for your enjoyment. No reservations required. 631-751-7707
Music Behind the Barn
Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead hosts a free outdoor concert featuring the Yazoo Brothers at the historic Naugles Barn from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy the music and the beautiful North Fork sunset over the farm fields. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnics, blankets, and chairs to set out on the field. No registration required. 631-298-5292
Summer SWAP Concert
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook continues its “Summer Stage With a Purpose” (Summer SWAP) concerts on its front lawn from 6 to 8 p.m. with Nikos Chatzitsakos Tiny Big Band. Guests may purchase refreshments in the Basie Garden beside the venue. Bring seating. 631-751-1895, www.thejazzloft.org
Dennis Cannataro Concert Series
The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series returns to the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by Any Way You Want It tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150
Harborside Concerts
The Village of Port Jefferson continues its annual Harborside concerts at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. with a performance by the Bangos. Bring seating. 631-473-4724
Theater
‘Macbeth’
The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with Macbeth on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. from July 7 to Aug. 6 Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.
‘Escape to Margaritaville’
Up next at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is Escape to Margaritaville from July 13 to Aug. 27. This upbeat and energetic new musical features all your favorite Jimmy Buffett classics including “Volcano,” “Fins,”,“Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and of course “Margaritaville.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.
‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
Minstrel Players presents Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Trinity Episcopal Church’s Houghton Hall, 130 Main St., Northport on July 22 and 29 at 8 p.m. and July 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and students. To order call 516-361-7232.
Film
‘Tower to the People’
Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington in celebrating Nikolas Tesla’s birthday with a screening of Tower to the People on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. Discover the truth about Nikola Tesla’s most ambitious experiment for humanity at a lab called Wardenclyffe in Shoreham. Featuring Q&A with filmmaker Joseph Sikorski and Jane Alcorn of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. Tickets are $25, $20 members. www.cinemaartscentre.org.
‘I Now Take Up My Pen’
Join the Port Jefferson Documentary Series and the Historical Society of Port Jefferson for a special screening of I Now Take Up My Pen, the heart-wrenching tale of two Long Island brothers who fought in the Civil War, at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. followed by a Q&A. Preceded by a reception downstairs at Griswold’s Cafe (cash bar) from 6 to 7 p.m. and a musical performance by Fairchild and Becherer at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com or at the door (cash only). 631-473-5220
‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’
As part of its Comic Gems series, the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will screen Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein on July 12 at 7 p.m. with an introduction from film historian Glenn Andreiev. Tickets are $15, $10 members. www.cinemaartscentre.org.
Who doesn’t love sunflowers? Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville hosts a Sunflower Festival on July 15 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.This year’s Sunflower Festival features a variety of family-friendly activities.
Admission to the festival area is $10 per person, children ages 2 and under free, and includes live music, strolls through a sea of sunflowers, 5 oz. tasting, vendors, toddler play area, petting zoo, jumbo garden games, unique photo opportunities, food trucks, artisan vendors, face painting, other children and teen activity vendors, hayrides, u-pick, jumbo garden games, and more!
Margot Robbie in a scene from 'Barbie'. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment
By Tim Haggerty & Jeffrey Sanzel
This summer’s cinematic offerings range from blockbusters to independents, with Hollywood stars intermingled with well-known character actors and a handful of up-and-coming personalities.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
First up is the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Three decades in, Harrison Ford continues his adventures three decades in as the titular professor of archeology, Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. Approaching retirement, Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact, the Antikythera, doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays his goddaughter.
Rated PG-13 · Release date June 30
Insidious: The Red Door
Patrick Wilson makes his feature directorial debut with The Red Door. Wilson and Rose Byrne appear in this last entry of the Insidious run, in which the original Lambert family attempts to (finally?) exorcise the demons plaguing them. (As with most horror movies of this ilk, demons surprisingly can be resurrected by decent box office returns.)
Rated PG-13 · Release date July 7
Joy Ride
Joy Ride stars Oscar-nominated Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu in a buddy comedy about a quartet of friends who embark on a trek across Asia to help one of their group search for her birth mother. Directed and co-written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians).
RatedR · Release date July 7
Mission: Impossible 7
Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson join headliner Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part One. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team embark on “their most dangerous mission,” tracking down a weapon that threatens humanity in this action-franchise. The claim is that Dead Reckoning, Part Two (due out June 28, 2024) will be the final chapter.
Rated PG-13· Release date July 12
Theater Camp
Budding thespians are the target of the satirical Theater Camp whichfollows the eccentric staff of a rundown theatre camp in upstate New York as they come together with a less-than-theatrically-inclined member of the camp family to keep the program going following the sudden absence of the beloved founder with Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt playing a counselor guiding the campers in their summer’s big show.
RatedPG-13 · Release date July 14
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer promises to be a dark, powerful, and cutting-edge biopic of the scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, chronicling his work on the atomic bomb and the repercussions on his professional and personal lives. Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer, supported by an extraordinary cast: Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Kenneth Branagh, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek, and Josh Hartnett.
RatedR · Release date July 21
Barbie
Possibly the most anticipated release is Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. With an all-star cast—Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa and many others—the meta-comedy shows a particular Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) as they venture into the real world. If the trailers reflect the finished production, it should be one of the summer’s best.
Rated PG-13· Release date July 21
Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion is Disney’s latest foray into bringing amusement park rides to the big screen. A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. All -star cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Jared Leto, Winona Ryder, Tiffany Hadish and Jamie Lee Curtis.
RatedPG-13 · Release date July 28
Talk to Me
The Australian horror film Talk to Me was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and has already garnered excellent reviews. The traditional plot centers on friends who unwittingly unleash malevolent forces when conjuring spirits with an embalmed hand.
RatedR · Release date July 28
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phenomenon returns with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The movie’s revival is due to longtime fans Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and is computer animated feature emphasizing the “teenage” element of the original comics.
RatedPG-13 · Release date August 2
Strays
Will Ferrell leads an all-star voice cast (Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Josh Gad, Will Forte, Sofia Vergara) in the adult live-action animal adventure Strays. A naive border terrier (voice of Ferrell), abandoned by his deadbeat owner, decides to trek back home to exact his revenge.
RatedR · Release date August 18
Blue Beetle
Those seeking a superhero infusion will embrace Blue Beetle. Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña plays the title character in this DC origin story about a recent college grad who becomes possessed by the Scarab, an ancient alien biotechnological relic, which turns him into the Blue Beetle. With Susan Sarandon and George Lopez.
Not Rated· Release date August 18
Bottoms
After her dark comedy Shiva Baby, director Emma Seligman’s sophomore outing is Bottoms. Seligman reunites with Shiva Baby’s Rachel Sennott for this teen sex comedy in which two high school seniors create a fight club so they can hook up with cheerleaders.
Not Rated· Release date August 18
Brief Encounters
Brief Encounters is the summer’s most unusual opening. Filmed in 1967, the movie was banned in the Soviet Union and is finally getting its formal American release. Romanian-born director Kira Muratova (generally identified as Ukranian) sets a romantic triangle amid the casual shortages and shoddy apartments of professional-class Odessa.
Not Rated· Release date August 25
With a mix of comedy, drama, thriller, and pure escape—along with the usual sequels—summer 2023 promises something for every filmgoer.
This article originally appeared in Summer Times, TBR News Media’s seasonal guide supplement.
Scarlett Johansson in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Focus Features
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
Auteur Wes Anderson’s first feature film was Bottle Rocket (1996), based on a short he made in 1994 with Luke and Owen Wilson. His sophomore outing, Rushmore (1998), brought him to prominence. The quirky, line-crossing comedy follows a high school student (Jason Schwartzman) with a crush on a fifth-grade teacher (Olivia Williams).The film featured Bill Murray in the first of nine collaborations with the director.
With a focus on (and often delight in) the dysfunctional and a sense of heightened reality, Anderson’s works (for which he not only directed by served as writer and producer) have included The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and The French Dispatch (2021).
His films have received fifteen Academy Award nominations (winning four, all for The Grand Budapest Hotel). In addition, the works have 20 BAFTA nominations (winning five) and 10 Golden Globes (winning two).
To discuss Anderson’s latest offering, Asteroid City, two terms are helpful. The first is “meta.” Definitions of “meta” vary slightly. The most accessible is Merriam-Webster’s informal explanation: “showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category; cleverly self-referential.” It goes on to cite various examples:
“The Bar?” she said. “I know the place. Been meaning to drop by. Love the name. Very meta.” — Gillian Flynn
A new comedy about fantasy football, which follows a group of armchair quarterbacks as they try to tackle life. How meta would it be if people started betting on what was going to happen on the show? — TV Guide
Leave it to Larry [David] to contort public desire for a Seinfeld reunion into a meta plot that chronicles his not-necessarily-noble struggle to pull off a Seinfeld reunion. —Dan Snierson
The second term is “shaggy dog story.”
Again, let us turn to Merriam-Webster: “of, relating to, or being a long-drawn-out circumstantial story concerning an inconsequential happening that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless.”
And therein explains the meta-comedy/shaggy dog story Asteroid City, one hundred and five minutes of tedious indulgence that evokes an occasional strained chuckle but otherwise ceaselessly plods to a non-conclusion.
A Rod Serling-like host (Bryan Cranston) introduces a television show following the creation of a play penned by world-famous writer Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). The black-and-white framing device evokes the earliest days of television. Earp’s play, Asteroid City (presented widescreen in vivid shades of sherbet), tells of the titular desert town hosting a youth astronomy convention. The action shifts between the presentation of the play and the television special. Some might complain that the documentary gimmick interferes with the narrative action. However, this is a minor cavil since the story plays in virtual stagnation.
Anderson creates a story where everything means something, even if it doesn’t. The 1955 world of the Cold War, atom bomb testing, a movie star, singing cowboys, a grieving widower, and a host of odd types and situations parade limply through the convoluted plot. Eventually, the assorted characters end up under government quarantine when an alien briefly appears, stealing a meteorite fragment.
There is enormous potential for commentary and outrageous, pointed humor between the two worlds- the theatrical and the narrative. However, Anderson misses on almost every count. Even his concept of a three-act play bears no sense of understanding, with its only true reference to the indication of scenes.
He has assembled an all-star cast (many veterans of his films), headed by Jason Schwartzman (as the widower) and Scarlett Johansson (as the movie star), supported by first-rate talents including Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Matt Dillon, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, and Margot Robbie.
Sadly, they all give the same performance—or rather, the idea of a performance of a performance. Everyone speaks in an identically flat cadence, lips barely parting like poorly skilled ventriloquists, mouthing pretentious dialogue, wanting—but failing—to be outrageously quippy or metaphorically deep. Rarely has so much talent gone for so little.
The only interest rests in the two-dimensional visuals, alternating between crisp black-and-white and hyper-rich colors, the work of cinematographer Robert Yeoman. A few whimsical pieces—vending machines that dispense martinis complete with lemon twists or others that offer valueless desert real estate—evoke a weary smile. But again, not enough to sustain the short but interminable running time.
Great art manifests best when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What happens when there is no center? When the whole is a hole? Several times, the lead actor complains, “I don’t understand the play.” The director’s response: “But just keep doing it.” Well, perhaps not.
Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.
Welcome to the 19th edition of Paw Prints, a monthly column for animal lovers dedicated to helping shelter pets find their furever home!
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