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Jeffrey Sanzel

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Scott Peterson is currently serving life in prison for the murder of his wife, Laci. Photo courtesy of Netflix

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The facts are these:

On Christmas Eve 2002, 27-year-old Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant with her first child, disappeared from her home in Modesto, California. Her husband, Scott, claimed to have last seen her at 9:30 a.m. Originally, Scott announced he was golfing but later revealed that he had gone fishing at the Berkeley Marina. When he returned home that afternoon, he found their dog, McKenzie, still leashed in the backyard. After showering and washing his clothes, Scott contacted Laci’s mother to see if Laci was there. Both Scott and Laci’s stepfather reported Laci missing. While investigating, detectives found Laci’s keys, wallet, and sunglasses in her purse and closet.

Scott Peterson is currently serving life in prison for the murder of his wife, Laci.
Photo courtesy of Netflix

Immediately, a massive search was underway. Initially, Laci’s in-laws defended Scott, but as the investigation continued, the police became more suspicious. On Dec. 30, Amber Frey contacted the hotline, revealing that she had been dating Scott since November as she believed he was single. She recorded their conversations over the next month. On Jan. 24, 2003, the information went public.

On April 13, the fetus remains of Conner, Laci’s unborn child, was discovered in San Francisco Bay. The following day, the remains of a woman—later identified as Laci—washed up a mile away from where Conner’s remains were found. The area was just a few miles from where Scott had been fishing.

Police arrested Scott Peterson on April 18 in La Jolla, California. In addition to knives and credit cards (and his brother’s I.D.), Scott had fifteen thousand dollars in cash. He had grown a mustache and beard and dyed his hair.

Scott’s trial began on June 1, 2004, with jury deliberations beginning on Nov. 3. On Nov. 12, Scott was found guilty of first-degree murder for Laci’s death and second-degree murder for Conner’s death. On Dec. 13, the jury recommended the death sentence, which a judge enacted on March 16. After years of appeals and accusations of an unfair trial (2012 to 2015), the death sentence was overturned on Aug. 24, 2020. He was resentenced on Dec. 8, 2021, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On Dec. 20, 2023, Scott Peterson’s request for a new trial was denied, and in January 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project began its representation of Scott Peterson, claiming that he was innocent.

Since 2002, millions of words have covered the tragic death of Laci Peterson. Thousands of articles and hours of media coverage. The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story aired on USA Network in 2004. In 2005, CBS broadcast the movie Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution. 

The case featured on The E! True Hollywood Story, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones, Murder Made Me Famous, Crime Junkie Podcast, The Laci Peterson Story: A Dateline Investigation, Snapped, Truth and Lies: The Murder of Laci Peterson, How It Really Happened, 48 Hours, 20/20, etc. A&E produced a six-part series, The Murder of Laci Peterson (2017).

Netflix now presents American Murder: Laci Peterson. Directed by Skye Borgman (Girl in the Picture, Abducted in Plain Sight), the three-part documentary offers little new information. It mostly focuses on interviews intercut with archival footage and blurry, slow-motion B-roll recreations. 

Part 1: “What Do You Mean, Missing?” highlights the first six days and establishes the Petersons as the “perfect couple.” Part 2: “I Wasn’t a Mistress” follows Amber Frey, Scott’s girlfriend, as she aids the police by taping their conversations. Part 3: “Nothing Can Change the Truth” takes the story from arrest through trial and conviction.

There is no question that this is a heartbreaking story. Laci’s disappearance and murder was terrible in every respect. However, the point of revisiting the murder is to shed new light and a new perspective. For the most part, American Murder fails to do this. 

Throughout the two-and-a-half hours, the filmmakers fail to address why this particular case grabbed the country’s attention from the first moment. It acknowledges that Scott Peterson was tried on a great deal of circumstantial evidence (no DNA, no witnesses, no definitive weapon) but goes no further, emphasizing his disturbing behavior and questionable personality. It almost celebrates the mob mentality at the announcement of the verdict. It also never addresses the Innocence Project taking up his case, suggesting that Laci was murdered by the burglars of the neighbor’s house. In short, the documentary leans into ominous chords, peripatetic cuts, and eerie images.

For the most part, the interviews add little insight. The detectives revisit the same material and perspectives. Journalist Gloria Gomez speaks of the media frenzy but takes no responsibility for being part of that circus. There is an uncomfortable interview with two of the jurors that offers little perspective. 

The one powerful throughline is Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha. While reliving this is painful, she maintains dignity and clarity. She divides her life between before Laci and after Laci and knows that this changed everybody’s lives. One of the last things she states is, “You don’t get over it; you just get through it.” Her interview is the most valuable part of the documentary.

On Aug. 20, Peacock presents Face to Face with Scott Peterson, featuring his first interview in decades. Undoubtedly, this will be a different perspective, emphasizing alternate theories. 

Stepping back from pure objectivity, Scott Peterson was a liar, a cheat, a narcissist, and most likely murdered his wife, Laci, a kind, gentle person. Like any victim of a violent crime, her story deserves and needs to be told—but always with integrity, sensitivity, and raw honesty. Unfortunately, American Murder does not rise to this standard.

The three-part documentary is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Colleen Hoover’s romance novel It Ends with Us, released in 2016, drew inspiration from her complicated family history. By 2019, the book sold over a million copies and was translated into over twenty languages. In 2021, the novel and Hoover’s other works gained renewed popularity from the #BookTok on TikTok. In 2022, It Ends with Us reached number one on both The New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestsellers lists, with nearly three million in print. The sequel, It Starts with Us (2018), became Simon & Schuster’s most pre-ordered book ever. (In full disclosure, this reviewer has read neither.)

Blake Lively in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Justin Baldoni (best known as Jane the Virgin’s Rafael Solana) directs his third film, following Five Feet Apart and Clouds. Christy Hall, the director/screenwriter of Daddio and co-creator of the Netflix series I Am Not Okay with This, penned the adaptation. 

The writer and humorist Dorothy Parker once wrote of how often people would say: “Well, you might like it.”

Lily Blossom Bloom (Blake Lively) reluctantly attends her father’s funeral, where she attempts to deliver a heartfelt eulogy. Unable to say anything positive, she flees the church and returns to Boston. Contemplating life out on a random roof (unexplained), Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) enters in a rage, kicking a chair. Anger management issues, perhaps? Warning signs? He reveals he is a neurosurgeon who just lost a patient. This claim is much more complicated, revealed later in the narrative.

The emotionally elusive Lily and the player Ryle meet cute(ish). “Love isn’t for me; lust is nice,” he confesses. They embark on a friendship that is quickly aborted when Ryle leaves for emergency surgery. Lily opens her dream flower shop and meets quirky Allysa (Jenny Slate), who hires herself to work for Lily. The “twist” is Ryle is Allysa’s brother. Lily and Ryle rekindle the friendship, which shifts to passion. A generic build-up results in an unintentionally sparkless kiss. Love follows, ending up with marriage. 

Through flashbacks, the filmmakers reveal Lily’s father (Kevin McKidd) abusing her mother (Amy Morton). Additionally, high school student Lily (Isabela Ferrer) falls in love with a homeless boy, Atlas (Alex Neustaedter). Thrown out by his mother, Atlas bided his time until he could enter the military. 

In the present, Lily and Ryle coincidentally dine at Root, the restaurant the adult Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) opened upon completing his service. A love triangle results in jealous and violent reactions from Ryle, eroding the already tenuous bond. 

While little new is on offer, It Ends with Us contains enough plot and potential dynamic to make for a passable film. Unfortunately, the characters are so oddly and unevenly drawn that it feels simultaneously repetitive and confusing, as if the story was told over a soundtrack of white noise. The leaden pace emphasizes the clumsy dialogue composed of sentence fragments: “Uh … uhm … okay, okay … sure … yeah … okay. Yes.” Lily describes herself as an unreliable narrator—an intriguing concept if it were true. However, she seems to be almost unimpeachably upfront. 

The entire film seems to be what-you-see-is-what-you-get, down to the predictable montages: “Let’s go have fun” (karaoke and bowling), dating, and cleaning up the shop. Everything plays excruciatingly by the numbers. 

It Ends with Us is a meditation and—appropriately—an indictment of abuse. Eventually, it gets to the point but still pulls its punches. Just as with its whitewashed portrait of Atlas’s homelessness, the approach is facile and softens what should be even sharper and more brutal. The idea that we hurt the ones we love hovers in the background. 

One moment rises above the rest. After Ryle and Atlas lock horns, the next scene teams with raw desperation and emotional confusion. After this, it’s back to business as usual. The story’s final resolution is fair, uncompromising, but unsurprising. 

Lively is a solid actor and always watchable, but the forced layers of faux mystery do not help. Between the incomplete sentences and the nervous laugh, the character is less than indelible. Baldoni tries to balance Ryle’s two sides, but neither is fully realized. Unfortunately for Sklenar, he is saddled with the least variety. Slate’s Allysa is no different from her career’s other oddballs. As Lily’s mother, Morton is capable but uncomfortable. These are strong actors, but the material fails to reach their level. One bright spot is Ferrer, who captures the essence of Lively’s grown-up Lily; it is rare for two actors to assume a role at different points in their lives and truly seem like one person. 

The above opinion will most likely end up in the minority. The film grossed seven million dollars in its Wednesday and Thursday previews and is well on its way to a possible forty million dollar opening weekend. As with the novel, the story will satisfy most viewers. Just not this one.

Rated PG-13, the film is playing in local theaters.

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Photo courtesy of Theatre Thre

By Tara Mae

Peace, love, and music!  Time to get your groove on and party like it’s 1969 when “Woodstockmania: Woodstock in Concert” returns to Theatre Three, 412 Main Street in Port Jefferson. The tribute concert will take the stage for the first time since 2019 on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17 at 8 p.m. 

Its 17-member band includes ten instrumentalists and eight individual vocalists singing at least two songs each, covering music from the original 1969 Woodstock lineup — an experience so organically soulful its reverberations are still felt today. 

“Woodstock performances have become part of the fabric of Theatre Three. This is a group of outstanding musicians…It’s extraordinary to see these exceptionally talented artists brought together,” said Theatre Three’s Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel.

Held on the 55th anniversary of Woodstock, “Woodstockmania” features approximately 34 numbers from 21 of the artists who played the stage at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, including Jimi Hendrix; Sly and the Family Stone; The Who; Grateful Dead; Janis Joplin; Jefferson Airplane; Country Joe and the Fish; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; The Band; Santana; Sweetwater; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Joan Baez; and Joe Cocker.

“This music is from a highly creative time in our culture. There was so much varied music to become attached to; everyone could find something that resonated with themselves,” Musical Director Michael Chiusano said. 

More than just a harmonious homage, “Woodstockmania” is a musical tribute to the passionate artists whose creative contributions continue to inspire today. 

Having not performed “Woodstockmania” together in 5 years, the show is an opportunity to reconnect with friends as they honor the woman who first brought many of them together: Theatre Three’s longtime musical director Ellen Michelmore, who passed away in 2016.

“It’s a reunion of friends that have been through the fire together…Mostly though, it’s a tribute to Ellen; to keep the memory of her fresh in our minds and hearts. She was a special lady,” Chiusano said. 

Michelmore developed “Woodstockmania” from Summer of ‘69: Return to Woodstock, which she co-created with Bill Van Horn. The original musical, using songs performed at the Woodstock festival, was a hit for Theatre Three and had an off-Broadway run. 

Following that success, Michelmore organized annual Woodstock tribute concerts. After her death, the show was dubbed “Ellen Michelmore’s Woodstockmania,” according to Sanzel.

While Chiusano has added other songs and musical numbers to the show, much of its repertoire was originally chosen by Michelmore. 

Eight of the songs have been in every incarnation of the show: “Going Up the Country” by Canned Heat; “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane; “Dance to the Music” by Sly & the Family Stone; “Star Spangled Banner” as done by Jimi Hendrix; “The Weight” by The Band; “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin; “With a Little Help from My Friends” as done by Joe Cocker. 

“That era, roughly 1965 to 1975, was the golden age of pop music. It will never be like that again. I also believe that people need to be reminded of all the great tunes there were,” Chiusano said.

Tunes are not the only entities enjoying this encore; the musicians recognize it as an opportunity to embrace an era that still enraptures performers and patrons. 

“Everyone who’s ever been involved in the production always remembers it fondly when they talk to me…we’re thrilled to be a part of it,” said Theatre Three’s Artistic Associate/Director of Development Douglas Quattrock. An original company member of Summer of ‘69: Return to Woodstock, he is now in the “Woodstockmania” band as the emcee and a vocalist. 

Such consistency underscores the steadfast surety of music. Personal classics and timeless songs are the soundtrack to our lives, dependable narrators of enduring emotions. In this shared language, “Woodstockmania,” is a dialect understood by artists and attendees. If “Woodstockmania” is a celebration of legacy and life, it’s main theme may be appreciating community synchronicity. 

“I think the legacy of the show over the years is that it has brought so much joy and kept so much wonderful music alive for the audiences in our area,” Quattrock added.

“Woodstockmania” is part of Theatre Three’s annual Summer Concert Series that includes special one or two night only performances on its main stage. Tickets are $65 per person. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Josh Hartnett and Ariel Donoghue star in 'Trap.' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Studio

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Will it have the craft of The Sixth Sense? The clumsy mess that was Lady in the Water? Or the true horror of the disastrous Old? Few directors inspire the puzzling mix of hope, disappointment, and divisiveness than M. Night Shyamalan. As the director, producer, and screenwriter, the king of the “twist” must take complete responsibility for his work.

His newest film, Trap, focuses on firefighter Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett), who happens to be a serial killer dubbed “The Butcher.” Cooper takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) concert as a reward for her stellar report card. With a massive police presence, Cooper quickly learns that, somehow, law enforcement knows he is attending the concert. Under the guidance of Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), an FBI profiler, every man of a certain age and type will be checked before they can leave the arena.

The premise is simplistic but not without interest. A concert setting is naturally charged—a closed universe of organized chaos—screaming teen fans, food counters, and a warren of dressing rooms, storerooms, and connecting doors. The scenario and location open a world of possibilities. Unfortunately, Trap fails to spring, plodding and creaking as the resourceful Cooper evades capture in a series of “close calls.” 

Eventually, Trap builds to a half dozen false endings, one more predictable than the last. The film’s minimal tension escapes like the air from a bicycle tire (a specifically selected metaphor). The Oedipal layer to the killer’s motivation has played in myriad films since the 1970s, and the revelation lands with a thud.

Hartnett (exceptional in last year’s Oppenheimer) seems to be vying for the Most Excruciatingly Goofy Dad Award in a performance of painful grimaces, pasted grins, and “gosh-heck” incredulity. He punctuates every line with a waggle of the eyebrows that would make Groucho blush. In the opening moments, his daughter urges him to drive faster so they do not miss the opportunity to glimpse Lady Raven leaving her tour bus. He responds that they do not want to break any laws:  “Trust me.” The aggressive lack of subtlety is almost impressive. Riley comments more than once, “You’re acting strange, Dad.” Strange acting, indeed. 

Hartnett and company are failed by a script composed solely of cliches. A subplot about a mean girl, Jody, who has been freezing out Riley, amounts to several shrill exchanges between Cooper and the girl’s mother (Marnie McPhail). After Cooper manipulates Lady Raven’s uncle and promoter (M. Night Shyamalan), Riley goes onstage as Lady Raven’s “Dream Girl.” Outraged by her peer’s opportunity, we glimpse Jody throwing a cup of soda in her mother’s face. 

Alison Pill is a strong actor but does not appear until the final act when she takes the mantle of clueless wife. Even with the character’s few extra shades, she cannot rescue the absence of surprise and dimension. 

The concert portions are grating. In another film, the director might comment on pop culture’s empty self-indulgence and repetitive nature. However, one suspects Shyamalan is showcasing his daughter’s singing career. (Social media also helps to save the day.) As an actor, Saleka is decent, but like Pill, given few notes to play. As for Jonathan Langdon’s duped t-shirt seller, Jamie—the stereotype borders on offensive, especially in the film’s tag. Hayley Mills’ Dr. Grant amounts to an extended cameo, but she lends a hint of gravitas with her rich voice and regal bearing. 

Shyamalan populates the world with enough police and SWAT extras to fill a Batman franchise. Visually, the shots are strangely static, often screaming, “Look here—he’s going to do something clever.” He liberally “borrowed” elements from The Hitcher, Silence of the Lambs, Dressed to Kill, Dexter, and even A Clockwork Orange. 

In particular, he saddled Hartnett with elements of these famous psychopaths but then directed him to play Cooper with the vigor of a middle school Thanksgiving pageant. Trap is less Hitchcock and more Parent Trap. 

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Fool the moviegoing public repeatedly—Shyamalan on all of us.

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
'Pinocchio' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

Theatre Three’s Children’s Theatre closes its summer season with Pinocchio, a musical for the entire family.

Based on Carolo Collodi’s late nineteenth century Italian novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio, the story has been seen on stage and screen, both in animated and live action versions. As with all Theatre Three children’s theatre, the company creates its own musical based on the original material. Pinocchio has a book by Jeffrey Sanzel, with new songs by Jeffrey Hoffman and Douglas J. Quattrock.

Anabelle (Emilia Guzzetta), underling apprentice fairy—third class, is assigned by Ondine, Queen of the Fairies (Ginger Dalton), to help an angry and withdrawn woodcarver, Geppetto (Steven Uihlein). 

After failing to change the recluse through song, the nervous fairy teams with the energetic and outgoing Cassandra, the Enchanted Cricket (Michelle LaBozzetta). Together, they enchant a stick of wood. Hearing the wood speak, Geppetto fashions it into a wooden companion, Pinocchio (Kiernan Urso). When they realize that the puppet is alive but lacks a sense of right and wrong, they cast a spell on his nose to grow when he does not tell the truth.

Meanwhile, two wily crooks—Carpacious Cat (Gina Lardi) and Ferdinand Fox (Ryan Van Nostrand)—set up their scam “Festival El Grande” to fleece the villagers. When they discover the magic wooden boy, the pair embark on yet another scheme. 

Along with the professional acting company, Pinocchio features two dozen students from Theatre Three’s Summer Dramatic Academy.

The score features the original songs “Lovely Thoughts,” “Bad Harmony,” “You Can Count on Me,” “Taran-Tella Da Truth,” “Put Tomorrow in Your Hands,” “Keep Your Chin Up and Smile,” and the calypso “Festival El Grande.”

The production is directed by Sanzel while  Quattrock and Hoffman, who musically directed, form the two-keyboard combo. Choreography is by Kiernan Urso, costume design is by Jason Allyn and Melissa Troxler is the production stage manager.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Pinocchio through Aug. 10. Running time is one hour with a 15 minute intermission. Photos with the cast are available in the lobby after the show. Final performances are Friday, August 9, at 11 a.m., and Saturday, August 10, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

Children’s theater continues with Theatre Three’s annual productions of A Kooky Spooky Halloween from Oct. 5 to 19, and and Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 23 to Dec. 28. 

All seats are $12. Call the box office at 631-928-9100 or visit theatrethree.com for tickets and information. 

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Screenshot

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Author Sarah Beth Durst

It is no surprise that Sarah Beth Durst’s latest novel forges intriguing new territory. The gifted author of over two dozen books (six reviewed in this publication) has penned a highly original fantasy novel: The Spellshop. While fantasy is not new terrain for Durst, she has populated her world with a blend of magic and humanity, creating a delightful but wholly grounded universe. 

Librarian Kiela is at the center of The Spellshop. She lives in Alyssium, the capital of the Crescent Island Empire, where freedom fighters instigated a revolution to bring free elections and knowledge sharing.

As the novel opens, the Great Library of Alyssium is on fire. “Its hallowed stacks were filled with centuries-old treatises, histories, studies, and (most importantly, in Kiela’s opinion) spellbooks. Only the elite, the crème de la crème of the scholars, were allowed to even view the spellbooks, as only the rarefied few were permitted, by imperial law, to use magic.” The narrative hinges on this last point. 

Kiela gathers up five crates of books and her sentient spider plant pal, Caz, and escapes in one of the library’s boats, heading to her birthplace, the island of Caltrey. “Behind them, the great city burned, with its people (both good and bad) and its history (both good and bad) and its books and its flowers. And she knew she wasn’t coming back.” Durst deftly sets the story in motion with quick, tense strokes, evoking a perfect intersection of fantasy and reality.

Kiela arrives on Caltrey, taking up residence in the family’s long-abandoned cottage. A loner by nature (and afraid of anyone discovering her literary contraband), she is reluctant to connect with the locals. “It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more.”

To her dismay, Kiela discovers that her native island is depressed and desperate. Bryn, the local baker, shares with her the current state: “It used to be that the emperor would send his sorcerers on a regular rotation to tend to the outer islands, and they’d cast spells that balanced whatever nonsense they’d done in the capital city to throw them out of whack, but then they stopped coming.” 

This absence resulted in a scarcity of fish, dangerous changes in weather patterns, and depletion of crops. The capital’s abandonment of its responsibilities leads Kiela to the realization that “no matter who was in charge, the powerful always wanted to keep power for themselves.”

With serious poverty looming, Kiela delves into the rescued and forbidden tomes. Creating a jam shop as a front, she embarks on healing many of Caltrey’s problems, claiming her magic offerings are “old family remedies.” In Alyssium, Kiela was friendless by choice. Gradually, in Caltrey, she finds a welcoming community, a circle of friends, and a new sense of self. Eventually, the outside world threatens the enclave in the specter of imperial investigators. 

Along the way, romance appears in the form of her neighbor, Larran, the strapping merhorse herder and jack-of-all-trades. At first, she resists any interaction and then questions if he—or anyone—could be interested in her. But collaboration blossoms into more than just companionship.

Durst populates The Spellshop with a wonderful integration of the expected and fantastical. Here, four-armed harpists dwell side-by-side with centaurs. The forest is full of cloud-like bear spirits and unicorns. Winged cats take up residence on roofs and shelter in attics during storms. 

Possibly Durst’s greatest creation is the resourceful but angst-ridden spider plant, Caz, whose first words in the novel are “We’re going to die.” The anthropomorphic sidekick is hilarious, strangely human, and unique. “[Caz] crossed his leaves like a professor, preparing to listen to a student’s wildly incorrect theories. All he needed was a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his roof to complete the look.” (Later, he is joined by a non-binary cactus whose sole vocal communication is the single word, “Meep.”)

The Spellshop celebrates the power of books: Anything can be accomplished by reading, researching, and studying. “If everyone failed her, whatever they did, she had all the immortal voices caught in pages.” However, Kiela learns that it is not solely what you learn but the application of that knowledge. Her life transforms from clerical and theoretical to harnessing information in active, productive, far-reaching results.

Ultimately, the story traces Kiela’s emergence from a narrow and disconnected academic to a risk-taking hero embracing life. Durst writes with rich, engaging prose; even her most whimsical ideas resonate with deep truth. The story takes on several contemporary issues in subtle but formidable ways. She highlights sustainability. It is not who you love but how truly you care. Parallels between magic and science are sharply drawn. Laws should protect and elevate the population and keep it safe. And, finally, that “law” and “right” are not synonymous—but should be. 

The Spellshop is a far-reaching and insightful novel that speaks great and important truths. But, first and foremost, it is a terrific read.

Pick up a copy online at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. For more information, visit sarahbethdurst.com.

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The cover of Beverly Tyler's latest book.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Imagine sailing five months on a ship from New York to China, while not knowing whether you will survive storms at sea or attacks by pirates.

Imagine living in a Japanese temple recently made over to accommodate British and American visitors in a country where most of the population has never seen a person from another country or another race.

Imagine exploring a country where you are not sure of your own safety and where many men, including Samurai warriors, carry two visible swords.

The cover of Beverly Tyler’s latest book.

These are just some of the thoughts posited by author Beverly C. Tyler in his latest book, Mary Swift Jones: Love and Letters from Japan, published by History Close at Hand and the Three Village Historical Society. The multi-hyphenate Tyler (writer-photographer-lecturer-local historian) is the author of Caroline Church, Founders Day, Down the Ways—The Wooden Ship Era, and Setauket and Brookhaven History (all reviewed in this paper). 

Mary Swift, who was Tyler’s great- grandaunt, married Captain Benjamin Jones sometime in the mid-1800s. In September of 1858, at only twenty-four years of age, she embarked with him from New York on an extraordinary journey on the Mary and Louisa, a 145-foot square-rigged medium clipper bark that was constructed in Setauket. 

The voyage would last three years and take Mary to China and Japan. While abroad, she wrote extensive letters to family and friends and returned with remarkable furniture, fine china, fabrics, and spices. Tyler touches on the ship’s traveling from port to port, carrying cargo between the Chinese ports of Hong Kong and Shanghai to the Japanese ports of Nagasaki and Yokohama. 

Mary’s letters give the perspective of an American in a world completely foreign to her knowledge and experience. She reflects on the Mary and Louisa’s shifting crew; she shows fascination with the citizens of the various towns and cities; she pays tribute to the breathtaking landscapes. 

Tyler highlights the appreciation of the countries and cultures with quotes from a range of visitors, often selecting lyrical passages from a variety of letters.

Voyages of this breadth faced storms, strong winds, illness, the threat of piracy, and the fear of the ship sinking. Additionally, violence was a shadow cast by the Japanese, who were less welcoming to a foreign presence. 

The Mary and Louisa

In his journal on April 15, 1860, a passenger on the ship, New York Tribune reporter Francis Hall wrote, “It seems odd to start out for a walk by putting a revolver in one pocket and a copy of Tennyson in the other.” The possibility of losing family members at home was something that deeply concerned Mary. Of course, the Civil War broke out during their time at sea. 

Tyler gives perspective on the perils of such undertakings. Quoting from the memoir of Egbert Bull Smith (the ship’s cabin boy, who later published Voyage of the Two Sisters): “Mrs. Jones did not know, nor did I, at the time, that when we sailed none of her friends expected to see her again in this life, and that all of the necessary articles for preserving her body had been placed on board.” 

Mary survived the journey but contracted consumption, dying shortly after her return to the States at the age of 26. She is buried in the Setauket Presbyterian Cemetery. 

Like all of Tyler’s work, the material is meticulously researched with exceptional documentation, details extracted from both primary and secondary sources. The book is highlighted with color illustrations, photographs, maps, and woodcuttings, giving his “narrative alive” tomes an almost three-dimensional quality.However, Tyler’s inherent sense of history and commitment to telling the American story are what truly imbue his works.

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Copies of Mary Swift Jones: Love and Letters from Japan by Beverly C. Tyler are available for purchase for $10 at the Three Village Historical Society’s gift shop at 93 North Country Road in Setauket. Tyler will also be selling  and signing copies of the book at the Three Village Farmer’s Market at the same location on Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.

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From left, John Ashton, Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold reunite in the fourth installment of Beverly Hills Cop. Photo courtesy of Netflix

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) introduced Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, the street-smart Detroit detective who comes to Beverly Hills to solve the murder of his best friend. The blockbuster won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture, along with nominations for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. More importantly, Murphy garnered a nomination for the Best Actor Golden Globe. His two previous films—48 Hours (1982) and Trading Places (1983)—made the stand-up comic a household name. Beverly Hills Cop made him a superstar. 

Two sequels followed: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994). After several aborted attempts at a new installment (including a television series), Netflix presents Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.  Murphy is joined by Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot, reprising their roles from previous films in the series, joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon. Mark Molloy makes his feature film debut, directing the serviceable screenplay by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten. 

The film opens in Detroit, where Axel (Murphy) stops a changing room theft during a Red Wings hockey game. This leads to the first of many of the film’s car chases—here with Axel driving a city snowplow. After the usual dressing down at the station, Axel receives a call from cop-turned-private investigator Billy Rosewood (Reinhold), who is pursuing a case involving a young man (Damien Diaz) framed for a cop’s murder. The boy, a drug mule, is the nephew of a cocaine trafficker (a flamboyant Luis Guzmán). Foley’s estranged daughter, Jane (Taylour Page), represents the young man, but powers-that-be threaten Jane, leading Billy to reach out to Foley, who gets on the next plane.

His first drive through Beverly Hills effectively contrasts with the Detroit opening, emphasizing Axel’s fish-out-of-water vibe. Like the entire movie, it does not aim for subtlety but makes its point about California’s mecca of facades. (There seem to be myriad pampered canines whose presence permeates restaurants, cars, and sidewalks.) A predictable but wholly enjoyable action comedy follows with the requisite number of car chases, shootouts, and generic hoodlums. At the center is a corruption ring led by a dirty cop, Captain Grant (Kevin Bacon, in a performance that seems lifted from Gotham City). The entire plot hinges on a missing SD card and a page Axel rips from a calendar. 

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley works because Murphy is not just in his element but is at home. Unlike in 2021’s painfully misguided Coming 2 America, the ageless actor easily lands every joke, quip, and aside. The writers crafted the screenplay to Murphy’s style, ably balancing the comedic with the human. After being arrested following the commandeering of a parking patrol vehicle, he shrugs, “I’ve been a cop for thirty years and black for a whole lot longer.” His response is smart, funny, and to the point—which describes the entire film.

One of the best moments is his reunion with Jane. After a beat, he says, “It is extremely good to see you.” The usually comical Axel is stiff and formal. His face registers a mix of pain, loss, and joy—but above all, a palatable discomfort, one of the most complex emotions to signal. The gifted Murphy shows himself as a great actor, infusing a single glance with a lifetime of regret. The lone “swashbuckler,” married to his job, yearns to know his only child. 

Finally, Murphy is one of the great cinematic scene partners. He not only connects but elevates the supporting cast. His rapport with Page is equal but wholly different from his wonderful work with Reinhold. While many stars seem to pull complete focus, Murphy allows us to see the other characters fully develop through Axel’s eyes. Page evokes a strong and human Jane—clearly her father’s daughter. Their scenes spark adversarial energy, underlaid with the need to connect. 

Newcomer Gordon-Levitt balances the snark and the concern in Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby Abbott. While initially bland, he manages to grow the detective’s dimensions. The returning entourage makes the brief appearances work within the confines of some of the creakier writing: Reinhold is a mix of charm and caring. Ashton’s ulcerated Chief John Taggart is a blend of crusty and caring. Reiser’s retiring Deputy Chief Jeffrey Friedman is long-suffering and caring. Pinchot’s Serge is over-the-top and caring (if shockingly politically incorrect for 2024). 

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is a film with no surprises. There are no twists and no revelations. Even the refrain “a child is always the child, and a parent is always the parent” is not just projected but stated repeatedly. However, the thematic sentiment does not detract from a well-paced and thoroughly enjoyable two hours. In June, Murphy and Jerry Bruckheimer announced a fifth Beverly Hills Cop. If they can maintain the charm and energy of Axel Foley, it is worth the anticipation.

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong'o in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The A Quiet Place franchise premiered in 2018. The well-received film followed parents (Emily Blunt and John Krasinski) attempting to protect their children in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. Krasinski directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. 

The equally lauded A Quiet Place Part II (2020) gave slightly additional background of the invasion and continued the first film’s timeline, with Krasinski appearing, directing, and penning the screenplay solo. The series will (perhaps?) culminate with the Krasinski-helmed A Quiet Place Part III (scheduled for release in 2025). 

In the meantime, the clock has been rolled back for the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One.

Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong’o in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

For A Quiet Place: Day One, Krasinski turned the reigns over to Michael Sarnoski (Pig), who directs his screenplay based on a story created in collaboration with Krasinski. The film opens at the Little Firs Hospice Center, where Reuben (Alex Wolff), a nurse, negotiates with Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a terminally ill cancer patient connected only to her cat, Frodo, to go on a New York City outing. 

Reluctantly, she agrees, with the proviso that they have pizza afterward. Much to Sam’s annoyance, the field trip is a marionette show. Immediately following the performance, meteor-like objects fall from the sky, unleashing extraterrestrials that attack, murder, and destroy. Within minutes, the City is post-apocalyptic, with burning cars and hollowed-out buildings. 

Sam takes shelter in the marionette theatre, along with a handful of survivors. The government bombs the bridges surrounding Manhattan to keep the aliens, who cannot swim, on the island. Since the beings are blind, they track their prey by sound. Silence becomes the sole means of survival. 

Announcements via helicopter instruct the remaining citizens to head for the South Street Seaport. A chillingly silent trek of refugees travel downtown. However, as the evacuee number increases, the sound turns the march into a bloodbath. 

Soon, Sam meets Eric (Joseph Quinn), a law student from Kent, England. Though hesitant, Sam allows Eric to join her and Frodo as she works her way north to her Harlem home. A series of scenes follow in which the monsters almost catch them. The film relies almost exclusively on the tension built as they navigate any possible action that could create noise. 

The plot is simple, and the result is a hybrid of traditional science fiction/creature feature with its requisite jump-out scares and action thriller, containing numerous explosions. The film calls to mind elements of I Am Legend and any number of alien and zombie movies. 

Over the three entries, the filmmakers teased bits and pieces of the aliens’ background, but they remain mostly a mystery. (Krasinski has revealed more in interviews about the “Death Angels” than is covered in the films.) 

The creature designers used various elements of prehistoric fish, black snakes, and bats to create the monsters. They also referenced “bog people”—cadavers mummified in peat, turning the skin black to create a sagging, leathery look. Somehow, they are more effective in close-up, with their moist gaping maws of sharp teeth, than in the CGI-swarming over buildings and streets. 

Two aspects raise A Quiet Place: Day One above the predictable. The first is the extremely taut sound design. Whether it is the overwhelming chaos of New York City or a balloon that pops with the crack of gunshot, the sound—and its absence—is the driving design element. The opening of a tin can, feet on gravel, or the dragging of a suitcase result in well-crafted moments of dread. The filmmakers made a less effective choice with a musical soundtrack that is more intrusive than supportive.

The second piece is the chemistry between the two leads. The film is basically a two-hander, with a handful of moments given to a few briefly seen characters. (As Henri, from A Quiet Place Part II, Djimon Hounsou has a particularly powerful and brutal interaction with shades of the Warsaw Ghetto.) 

Nyong’o first came to prominence with her brilliant, raw performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013). Again, she shows she is an actor of rich, resonant truth, who makes every situation visceral and real. Her Sam roils with fear, pain, frustration, and resolve. Glimpses of wry humor peek through her emotional wall. She is the rare actor who conveys a sense of the character’s thoughts, even in the stillest moments. 

Quinn makes an excellent partner, a beta searching for guidance, but with a kindness that plays underneath the terror. A highlight is the moment in which they share primal screams masked by thunder. (Special mention must be made of Nico and Schnitzel, the two cats who share the role of Frodo. Somehow, they convey an honest sense of caring.)

While A Quiet Place: Day One offers nothing new, the result is a mildly entertaining ninety minutes showcasing two strong performances in a world of heightened silence—where even a single breath or the slightest inhale means life and death.

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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June Squibb and Fred Hechinger in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Grandparent Scams — often referred to as “Gram Scams” — most commonly take the form of a young man calling with an urgent financial crisis (overdue rent, car repairs, accident, jail bond) and requesting gift cards, a money transfer, or some other mode that does not require identification to collect. Elder fraud has sharply increased, with $3.4 billion in losses in 2023 (up 11% from the year before). 

Thelma, the wonderful film written and directed by Josh Margolin, follows 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) as she embarks on a quest to recover a scammed $10,000. The simple, linear storyline opens with the nonagenarian coached by her loving grandson (Fred Hechinger) on how to scroll through emails. She is simultaneously independent and reliant on the support of her family. When the police cannot help recover her ten grand, she takes matters into her own hands.

A plot of this nature could easily devolve into a series of comic capers, forced hijinks, and geriatric jokes. Instead, Margolin skillfully opts for a quieter, more methodical, and ultimately honest approach. Thelma first attempts to reach out to friends for help and discovers in a montage of phone calls that most are ill or dead. The awareness is one of many beautifully crafted “ah-hah” beats in a film that never skews to the easy choice.

Eventually, she teams up with the initially reluctant Ben (Richard Roundtree), a friend residing comfortably in an assisted living/nursing home. Using Ben’s two-person scooter, their first stop is the home of their friend Mona (Bunny Levine). In one of the most subtlety touching but equally raw scenes, neglect and isolation are brought into clear focus. (Levine is flawless in her few minutes of screen time.) 

Running parallel is Danny’s story, with his protective but often disappointed parents, Gail (Parker Posey) and Alan (Clark Gregg). As they hover and worry over Thelma, they also fret about the underachieving Danny, who cannot get his life together. The brittle family dynamic plays an important part of the action and the resolution. 

Thelma is peppered with “don’t-I-know-you” encounters that reflect decades of living but also loss. The screenplay is smart, sharp, and wholly sincere without ever being saccharine or sentimental. Lines that would seem predictable or even pablum resonate: “I didn’t expect to get so old” is not a lament but a statement of fact. This approach to reality is a hallmark of the film’s delicate blend of humor and poignancy. And Thelma is truly funny, with many laugh-out-loud flashes but none that ever cross into farce. (The production of Annie, in which Ben stars as Daddy Warbucks, is hilarious but not ridiculous.) The use of cell phones connected to hearing aids seems almost like a bit, but later comes into important play. Nothing in Thelma ever feels less than truthful. 

June Squibb’s early career included appearances on Broadway in Gypsy (1959), The Happy Time (1968), and The Public Good (1975). Her first television role was in a 1985 CBS Schoolbreak Special and her film debut was in Woody Allen’s Alice (1990). Her many appearances made her a reliable and recognizable character actor, with a breakthrough in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, where she played opposite Bruce Dern. She received over two dozen nominations, including one for an Academy Award. With Thelma, she will most likely receive equal accolades and a second nomination if not a win. The 93-year-old Squibb (who cameos as the voice of Nostalgia in Inside Out 2) offers a nuanced, touching, and completely connected performance. She is incapable of anything less than being fully present with each triumph and setback. Squibb’s Thelma is unmatchable and so far one of the year’s strongest performances. 

In his final role, Richard Roundtree gives Ben true dimension. Best known as Detective John Shaft from the 1971 film Shaft and its numerous sequels, Roundtree infuses Ben with a mix of insight and melancholy, somehow showing contentment and resignation. He and Squibb seamlessly present the tenuous connection that grows to a newfound affection. In one of the most memorable interactions, a fall leads to a scene of deepest compassion and, even more so, understanding. 

As the grandson, Hechinger avoids the usual slacker traps by balancing familial love with barely masked anxiety. Posey and Gregg’s parents come across as slightly goofy, but their palpable concern gives weight to their frustrations. Nicole Byer and Quinn Beswick elevate the minor supporting roles of assisted living staff. Malcolm McDowell offers levels in what could be a one-note performance.  

Thelma is not The Golden Girls or the lowest-common-denominator of “Where’s the Beef?” Age is central but not an easy punchline. Thelma is heartfelt and sometimes painful — it confronts hard truths even in its lightest moments. But it is a memorable journey and certainly one worth taking.

Rated PG-13, Thelma is now playing in local theaters.

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