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Jeffrey Sanzel

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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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The cast of 'Raggedy Ann & Andy' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
Isabella Scarpa and Will Logan star as 'Raggedy Amy & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
"Jazz Hands!" A scene from 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Julianne Mosher

A heart-filled tale of friendship and adventure headed back to Theatre Three this week with their latest children’s theater production of Raggedy Ann & Andy — also known as “Friends and Friends and Friends.”

Based off of characters created by Johnny Gruelle, this special and unique tale, written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Kevin Story, brings these two lovable rag dolls to life in a comical musical that the family is sure to enjoy.

Directed by Sanzel with musical direction by Doug Quattrock, the show starts off at the Tiwilliger sisters’ toy shop where they specialize in creating toys that come to life to bring joy to children in need. They hear of a little girl named Marcella who is ill and decide to make a brother for one of their favorite toys, Raggedy Ann (played by Isabella Scarpa), named Andy (Will Logan).

However, the toymakers, Martha (Gina Lardi) and Abby (Louisa Bikowski) have an evil brother, Mortimer (Steven Uihlein) who wants to use his family’s magic selfishly and to not use it to help local boys and girls. Casting a spell and with the help of his (reluctant) sidekick Rose Carpet (Emilia Guzzetta), the evil Mortimer steals Andy’s heart and the toys team up to get it back.

With the help of the tin soldier (Jason Furnari), the clown (Ryan Van Nostrand), the lion (Liam Marsigliano) and the queen doll (Julia Albino), the group heads to find Mortimor and retrieve Andy’s heart. Through a quest full of twists and turns, the audience waits to see if Andy will go back to his lovable self so he and Ann could help Marcella feel better.

Choreographed by Josie McSwane, the show is full of catchy tunes with themes of friendship, loyalty and love as the actors dance along. This musical will also show children the importance of friendship and how it’s nice to help when a friend is in need. 

And the best part is, while the show is geared for younger audiences, adults can reminisce about their own childhood toys thanks to Jason Allyn’s costume design — Raggedy Ann and Andy’s outfits are to a T, looking as if they just came off the shelves at the store.  Plus, the cast is available in the lobby after the show for photos. It’s a great afternoon out that is sure to bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Raggedy Ann & Andy on Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. through July 27. Children’s theater continues with Pinocchio from Aug. 2 to Aug. 10 and A Kooky Spooky Halloween from Oct. 5 to Oct. 19. All seats are $12. 

Theatre Three will also present a special program, The Silly Sorcery Showcase on July 21 at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $20. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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From left, Raimundo Espinoza, founder and executive director of Conservación ConCiencia in Puerto Rico, is interviewed by Baratunde Thurston in Episode One of the docuseries. Photo courtesy of PBS

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

PBS’s Hope in the Water is a three-part docuseries investigating the world of aquafarmers and fishers. The series shows viable alternatives to providing food for an ever-growing population while supporting and sustaining the environment. Unlike many documentaries narrowing on the doom-and-gloom aspects, Hope in the Water leans into its name, celebrating individual and group efforts and emphasizing cooperative undertakings that have already made a difference. Climate change is touched upon but rarely central.

Baratunde Thurston in Episode One of ‘Hope in the Water’. Photo courtesy of PBS

Hope in the Water comes from the multi-award-winning producer David E. Kelley (Love & Death, Lincoln Lawyer, Big Little Lies) in association with four-time James Beard Award and Emmy Award winner Chef Andrew Zimmern and his production company, Intuitive Content (What’s Eating America, Family Dinner, Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen, Feral).

Episode One, The Fish in the Sea, which premiered on June 19, breaks down into three sections. The first details the evolution of COAST—Community of Arran Seabed Trust—a Scottish grassroots movement that set out to “manage the seas on behalf of the next generation.” Inspired by a No-Take zone in New Zealand, COAST “campaigned to stop mobile fishing that damages [their] seabeds, jeopardizing future livelihoods and wildlife.” COAST saw the change and suspension of legal protections and faced governmental roadblocks but ultimately triumphed. The new approach led to a revitalization of the waters as well as a species abundance increase of 102%. 

A joyously energetic Baratunde Thurston provides much of the narrative drive in the second section, which takes place in Puerto Rico. Thurston is the host and executive producer of America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston and the creator and host of How to Citizen with Baratunde. The Emmy-nominated hyphenate (host-producer-writer-public speaker) is the ideal cheerleader for issues that intersect technology, politics, and climate. 

A scene from Episode 2 of ‘Hope in the Water’/ Photo courtesy of PBS

Devastated by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, the middle of the documentary tells of the founding of the World Central Kitchen (preparing and feeding over four million survivors) and the grants given to fishers for boat repairs, new engine purchases, and repairing the fishing ecosystem. At the heart is the fishing of the diamondback squid. The large sea creature, often up to sixty pounds and fished from depths as deep as 1,700 feet, is almost entirely meat. The shift promotes resilience and moves away from a dependence on imports.

The final segment shows Hawaii’s He’eisa Fishpond, eighty-eight acres and an eight-hundred-year-old location of traditional Hawaiian aquaculture. Here, one indigenous woman strives to grow fish traditionally, keeping one hundred percent of the resources local. (Hawaii is the largest consumer of fish per capita in the nation yet imports most of its seafood. The market economy overturned the long-standing fishpond culture early in the twentieth century.) This third chapter is the most intimate and personal, highlighting the power of the individual to engage the community.

The film is quickly—if often peripatetically—paced, with a constant cutting from interviews to broad oceanic vistas—rarely holding for more than fifteen seconds. (There is a vague sense that creators fear losing their audience.) In addition to an array of talking heads—activists, scientists, environmentalists, fishers, politicians—historical footage, personal photos, legal documents, and newspaper clippings flash and integrate throughout. 

A scene from Episode 3 of ‘Hope in the Water’. Photo courtesy of PBS

Episode One opens with a storm in Puerto Rico, played for dramatic effect. The entire sequence repeats when the narrative returns to this thread with a mostly tacit conclusion, justified with a tag: “These are real people, and the story is dangerous,” which is all “part of the cost of the food that we eat.” These are minor cavils in an otherwise engaging and refreshing boost of optimism. While the film presents a variety of facts—we eat twice as much seafood now as we did fifty years ago—statistics never bog down the film or obscure the story’s humanity.

In a predominantly upbeat approach, Hope in the Water embraces the oceans as the heart of the earth’s survival. The film’s message is not one of “hands off.” It expresses the necessity to be aware of the environment but also acknowledges the “need to feed.” The film is a worthwhile fifty minutes that is a tribute to the strength of community and the power of individuals to make change for the greater good. It “starts with us.”

The series continues on PBS with Farming the Water on June 26, which highlights solutions to the pollution and environmental issues surrounding farmed fish, and concludes with Changing the Menu on July 3, taking up a diversification of seafood. To view the entire series online, visit www.pbs.org/show/hope-in-the-water/.

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‘Inside Out 2’ is one of the most anticipated movies this summer. Photo courtesy of Disney/Pixar

By Tim Haggerty & Jeffrey Sanzel

This summer’s movie calendar offers something for everyone, with a great range of genres and a strong blockbuster Hollywood talent.

Inside Out 2

Probably the most awaited summer film is the sequel to the 2015 animated feature. Pixar’s modern classic followed eleven-year-old Riley and her emotional ups and downs from moving to a new city. Now a young woman, Riley is dealing with a host of new feelings, including Anxiety. Original voices Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black join newcomers Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, and Liza Laira.

Rated PG · Release date June 14

Ghostlight

Construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) is drawn into the world of a local Romeo and Juliet theatre production, enabling him to bond with his troubled teenage daughter, Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). A Sundance favorite, the indie drama from directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, could be this summer’s sleeper hit.

Rated R · Release date June 14

The Bikeriders

Inspired by photographer Danny Lyons’ book on a real-life Chicago biker gang, director Jeff Nichols splits his focus between the gang’s leader (Tom Hardy) and a younger biker (Austin Butler). The cast includes Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, and Toby Wallace.

Rated R · Release date June 21

Twisters

Another entry into the ever-popular weather-related genre. Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung helms the film, promising more than CGI Sturm und Drang.

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 19

Kinds of Kindness

Yorgos Lanthimos’ follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Poor Things features a trio of stories and an all-star cast (Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Hunter Schafer, and Mamadou Athie) each playing multiple roles over the three chapters. Kinds of Kindness will surely feature Lanthimos’s signature heightened reality and disturbing absurdism.

Rated R · Release date June 21

Thelma

Ninety-four-year-old June Squibb is the titular action hero. After being conned in a phone scam, the nonagenarian sets out on a course of revenge, aided by her best friend (the late Richard “Shaft” Roundtree). Parker Posey and Clark Gregg co-star. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date June 21

Daddio

Originally conceived by writer-director Christy Hall as a two-hander stage play, Daddio focuses on a woman (Dakota Johnson) and the cabbie (Sean Penn) who drives her from JFK to her midtown Manhattan apartment. What ensues is an informal therapy session that covers everything from the dangers of romance, commitment, and the difference between the sexes. 

Rated R · Release date June 28

Horizon: Chapter 1

Kevin Costner directs and stars in this multi-chaptered Western. Subtitled “An American Saga,” the stories view the shaping of the West from a variety of viewpoints, including the forced relocation of indigenous people. Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Jena Malone, Will Patton, Dale Dickey, and a roster of big names co-star. 

Rated R · Release date June 28

A Quiet Place: Day One

In this third installment, the series returns to the alien invasion that began with the 2018 debut. Michael Sarnoski, of the Nicolas Cage thriller Pig, directs the prequel that will most likely explain the space invaders’ presence on Earth. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date June 28

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to investigate the death of an old friend. Having just revisited Coming to America, Murphy unsurprisingly returns to the fish-out-of-water Foley, exposing corruption in local police ranks. 

Rated R · Release date July 3

MaxXxine

The horror trilogy, which began with X and Pearl, features the lone survivor of the inaugural 1970s-slasher entry. Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Debecki, Giancarlo Esposito, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, and Michelle Monaghan feature in another outing with deranged killers in the heyday of the infamous Night Stalker. 

Rated R · Release date July 5

Longlegs

It Follows’ Maika Monroe is an FBI agent investigating a series of killings that may or may not have some occult leanings; Nicolas Cage is the eccentric who may or may not be solely responsible for the murders. Director Osgood Perkins takes on the familiar federal agent versus the serial killer plot made popular by the Oscar-winning Silence of the Lambs.

Rated R · Release date July 12

Sing Sing

This story focuses on a convict (Colman Domingo) and several felons involved in a theater program designed for occupants of the titular penitentiary. While creating an original production, they find solace in treading the boards. Many of the prisoners are played by real-life former members of the prison-based theater groups.

Rated R · Release date July 12

Fly Me to the Moon

Rom-com meets the Space Race with PR whiz (Scarlett Johansson) and alpha astronaut (Channing Tatum). Best known for his superhero oeuvre, Greg Berlanti directs a cast that includes Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson, and Jon Rash. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 12

Deadpool & Wolverine

Ryan Reynold’s third Deadpool movie also stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, along with Jennifer Garner as Elektra. This Marvel Cinematic Universe/X-Men crossover gives the summer a hyper-doze of superhero power.

Rated R · Release date July 26

Cuckoo

Euphoria’s Hunter Schaefer enters the world of horror with a tale of a family vacation at a Bavarian resort, replete with residents who vomit and walk the halls like zombies. In addition to family drama, the owner (Dan Stevens) adds an additional creepy vibe.

Rated R · Release date August 2

Borderlands

Based on the best-selling videogame, the film follows a group of misfits on the planet Pandora on a mission to save a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power. Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt, and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this action-adventure. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date August 9

Alien: Romulus

Little has been revealed about this new addition to the Alien franchise except that it occurs between the first and second films. Best of all, Aliens’ creature design team developed the look and feel of this entry’s Xenomorphs.

Rated R · Release date August 16

The Crow

Bill Skarsgård takes on this controversial reboot as a late musician brought back from the dead to avenge the murder of his soulmate. Based on James O’Barr’s comic series, the role is associated with Brandon Lee, and the tragic circumstances surrounding the original 1994 cult movie.

Rated R · Release date August 23

With a mix of comedy, drama, thriller, and pure escape—along with the usual sequels—summer 2024 promises something for every filmgoer. 

This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Summer Times supplement on June 20.

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Joy and Anxiety (voiced by Amy Poehler and Maya Hawke) meet in Riley's head in Inside Out 2. Image courtesy of Disney/Pixar

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Pixar has produced over two dozen animated features. Among the best are Up, Coco, Soul, Finding Nemo, and the Toy Story franchise, which managed to maintain its integrity through three sequels. 

The unique and wonderful Inside Out (2015) explored and explained the complicated inner feelings of young Riley and how she reacts to her family’s relocation. The film personified her basic emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger—in colorful (and color-coded) beings. 

Director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up, and Soul) co-wrote the screenplay with Meg LeFauve and Joshy Cooley. Docter gathered an all-star cast of voices, including Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, and others. It became one of the year’s most successful films, grossing over eight hundred and fifty million dollars and receiving nearly unanimous critical acclaim. 

Inside Out 2, the much-anticipated sequel, picks up a year later with thirteen-year-old Riley. Director Kelsey Mann makes an extraordinary feature debut, working from a beautifully fashioned screenplay by LeFauve and Dave Holstein. (Docter served as executive producer.) It is easy to be hyperbolic. (For example, “This is the worst film ever made.”) However, Inside Out 2 is, quite simply, perfect. 

On the verge of entering high school, Riley learns that her best friends and fellow hockey teammates, Bree and Grace, will attend a different school. Seemingly overnight, Riley goes from child to teenager, with mood swings and doubts becoming the norm. That summer, the trio attend a three-day hockey intensive, with Riley hoping success will lead to a place on the varsity Fire Hawks. At the camp, Riley meets her idol, high school hockey star Valentina Ortiz, and decides to court favor with the older girl and her entourage in exchange for her allegiance to Bree and Grace.

Inside Out 2 meets the original material directly and then logically—and brilliantly—elevates it as Riley enters the struggle that is puberty. Joining and fighting to replace Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust are Envy, Ennui, Embarrassment, and, most importantly and most present, Anxiety. 

Ultimately, the story is the battle between Joy and Anxiety for control over Riley’s life. This significant metaphor embodies the steps from childhood to adolescence. At the heart is the idea that experiences become memories that generate belief, leading to a Sense of Self. Grappling with the need to manifest a Sense of Self fires the conflict. The ultimate resolution is heartfelt, honest, and cathartic. 

Once again, Poehler heads up a terrific company; she mines every bit of humor in Joy but never sacrifices the emotional integrity. Black and Smith return as Anger and Sadness, respectively. Like Poehler, they never lose the heart for the laughs. Lisa Lapira replaces Mindy Kaling as Disgust, and Tony Hale takes over from Bill Hader as Fear. (The sour note surrounds the film as Kaling and Hader ended up in a pay dispute with Disney, being offered only one hundred thousand dollars to Poehler’s five million.) Lapira and Hale both acquit themselves well. 

Maya Hawke brings dimension to Anxiety, allowing the emotion’s potential value to weigh against its damage. Ayo Edebiri’s Envy matches Disgust, and Paul Walter Hauser’s almost mute Embarrassment works well. However, the funniest addition is Ennui, with Adèle Exarchopoulos playing the boredom as a beatnik Parisian existentialist. Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan are back as Riley’s parents, and while they have limited screen time, they manage to imbue the parents with the right mix of love and frustration. Kensington Tallman’s Riley (replacing Kaitlyn Dias) truly holds center in a nuanced and wholly believable performance.

The designers and animators (and hundreds of artists and craftspeople) seamlessly shaped two parallel worlds: Riley’s almost hyper-realistic outside (down to the braces and single unmentioned pimple) and the softer, slightly two-dimensional inside (giving the world of emotions a hint of old Disney). The spherical memories, the islands, and the control consuls return, only to be taken to the next step. 

The script is smart, and the dialogue is clever, but neither ever becomes self-conscious, finding unique voices for every character. The film does not trade on its predecessor but builds, expands, and matures it. (It also contains one of the greatest puns in any film—but no spoilers here.)

Inside Out 2 offers great truths with remarkable awareness: growing up is messy, change is complex, and everyone is a roiling sea of turmoil. It also shows that every emotion and experience—every color, every shade—lead us to who we are and who we can be. If art’s purpose is to reflect the human condition, then Inside Out 2 is art and much, much more.

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

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A scene from 'The Watchers'. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

By Jeffrey Sanzel

Author A.M. Shine set his 2022 Gothic horror The Watchers in his native Ireland. The debut novel dealt with an uncharted forest that ensnares people within its woods. At the heart of the mystery is folklore dealing with fairies best known as changelings, malign shapeshifters studying their captive human quarry. 

Ishana Night Shyamalan (daughter of auteur M. Night Shyamalan, who produced) directs and pens her first film, having only worked on episodes of the television series Servant (for which her father was showrunner) and directed the second unit on the films Old and Knock at the Cabin (her father’s films). Additionally, she collaborates with her older sister, the R&B singer-songwriter Saleka, on the latter’s music videos. Her first solo outing has distinctly mixed results. 

A scene from ‘The Watchers’. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

First seen vaping in the pet shop where she works, Mina (Dakota Fanning), an American artist living in Galway, leads a disconnected life. Sent to deliver a parrot to a zoo, Mina finds herself trapped in the forest along with Ciara (Georgina Campbell), Daniel (Oliver Finnegan), and the self-appointed leader, Madeline (Olwen Fouéré). 

They live in a cement structure with a two-way mirror that prevents the inhabitants from seeing out into the night. They have dubbed this strange dwelling the Coop. Here, they are surrounded by the nocturnal Watchers. With shades of Black Mirror, Shyamalan manages to crank up the atmosphere and “creep” factor before losing steam. She wisely eschews jump-out scares, but she fails to explore the claustrophobic nature of the Coop’s dwellers as well as the conversely frightening sense of being completely exposed by the ceiling-to-floor window. 

Eventually, the four discover an underground bunker in the Coop that leads to explanations of their entrapment and the nature of the ancient entities that hold them prisoner.

Shyamalan goes to great lengths to establish Mina’s lack of identity, a theme that will play throughout the film. Sometimes a bit heavy-handed, the definition of self and self-reflection are given less-than-subtle imagery but do not hamper the story’s progression. In the novel, Madeline explains the creatures: “What do they look like?” [Mina] asked. “Like us, I suppose,” Madeline replied calmly. “But they’re not like us. They’re leaner and they’re longer, and I won’t describe their faces to you. I couldn’t, to be honest, even if I tried.” 

The film gets faster to the concept that the Watchers take on the visages of the people they study. (“Even when wearing the mask of man, still they are monsters to the eye,” writes Shine.)

As in the book, the film builds to a climactic twist. Here, Shyamalan slightly improves the source material, creating an extra layer in the reveal. Unlike the novel, she finds closure, where the book leaves off on a cliffhanger. (The book’s sequel, Stay in the Light, drops on October 2024.) Additionally, while hewing closely to the general plot and tone, she adds more background and clarification to the dark world of the fairies and their connection to the contemporary world. 

Fanning is a solid, grounded actor and leads the cast as best she can. Her performance is honest and introspective, and she never crosses the line into Scream Queen. Campbell is given less to play but is equally believable as the woman waiting for her husband to return. Finnegan’s Daniel has more spark than Shine’s sketch, which serves the actor but undermines the character’s doubts and frailties. 

As Madeline, Fouéré has the most interesting role and finds a slow-burn ferocity. Unfortunately, Shyamalan stripped most of Madeline’s most interesting aspects—a woman whose “silence was like a sleeping dragon.” Oddly, Shyamalan makes the quartet more resourceful, lowering the danger/struggle quotient.

Filmed on location, Eli Arenson’s cinematography contrasts city and forest and embraces some beautiful Irish vistas. Ferdia Murphy’s production design ranges from the gritty to the pastoral. As for the monsters themselves, they are adequate if little seen. Sadly, where the film succeeds least is Shyamalan’s strained dialogue, which is leaden and predictable and serves neither cast nor plot. 

In the universe of horror movies, The Watchers is a minor and easily forgotten entry. Not a failure on a large scale, but certainly one to be consumed (or not) and forgotten, the film marks the beginning—or ending—of a second-generation cinematic voice.

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

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