May 23, 2014
A Byrd’s Eye View N
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ABOUT MOVIES, TV, ARTS AND EVENTS IN THE VALLEY
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is Very Closely Based To The Comic. By Art Byrd
A Quote By
The Spider-Man movie franchise has gone through many changes with some parts based on the actual Spider-Man comics. Now, I consider myself a comic book nerd especially with Spider-Man. In 2012, The Amazing Spider-Man directed by Marc Webb was very close to the comic book by introducing Gwen Stacy and her father and how Peter Parker became Spiderman. Now, in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker seems very comfortable as SpiderMan. The opening sequence has Peter/ Spider-Man chasing down criminals in New York City, when he is supposed to be graduating from high school with Gwen Stacy, his girlfriend. The sequence was awesome. The Spider-Man web slinging flying sequences made me feel like I was flying through the air with Spider-Man seeing what he sees. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has a lot of things going for it, one, the relationship between Peter Parker play by Andrew Garfield and Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone is really great as they have an on and off relationship and then, there was the plot.
“You know how sports teach kids teamwork and how to be strong and brave and confident? Improv was my sport. I learned how to not waffle and how to hold a conversation, how to take risks and actually be excited to fail.” Actress, Emma Stone who plays Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 currently in theaters.
May 23, 2014
A lot of superhero movies make the mistake of having too many villains in them. Amazing SpiderMan 2 makes very good use of the villains: Electro, The Rhino and The Green Goblin. Jamie Foxx was brilliant as Electro, as his character as Max started off very meek and idolizing Spider-Man to being shocked and becoming very powerful and mean and wanting to kill SpiderMan. The glowing special effects that brought Electro to life were very cool. The Rhino played by Paul Giamatti was really tough and wore a huge metal costume with rockets. The Green Goblin played by Dane DeHaan look very different from the comic books, yet he was extremely frightening. The movie had some great fight sequences as all blockbusters do. The special effects were top notch. For those who have read the Spider-Man comics from the 70s, they know the situation with Gwen. It is very important plot line to the movie. Everything in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 sets up the next Spider-Man movie. If you enjoy the combination of a love story, lots of action and huge special effects. Then, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is for you.
First Festival on Phelps Street First Festival on Phelps Street with Art, Food and Music will be held in downtown Youngstown with several businesses on Phelps Street participating on Saturday, May 31. 12:00pm - 6:00pm More information: https://www.facebook.com/festivalonphelps? fref=ts
May 23, 2014
Mike’s Place Serves Up Fun, Great Food By Monnie Ryan Editor’s note: To read the full version of this review, visit http://mahoningvalleyeats.blogspot.com Have you ever happened on a restaurant you absolutely love from the minute you walk in the door? Well let me tell you, it’s a treat. Such was the case when my husband Jack and I went to a family get-together at Mike’s Place in Kent. Even before we took a bite, our eyes took in the decor - which might best be described as All-American Clutter - and knew we’d found a perfect match for our tastes. For the record, Mike’s has been around since 1987, and it’s divided into several rooms that boast interesting names like "Filthy Oar" Irish pub room and (my personal favorite) "Ship Happens.” At the party, we very much enjoyed poking around in all the other rooms and chowing down on wings and other munchies washed down with terrific margaritas. We also vowed to return soon, which we did a month or so later on our way home from drooling over the snazzy cars at the big auto show at the Cleveland I-X Center. Immediately, we learned is it’s absolutely impossible to review the entire menu in less than a couple of hours. The sandwich section alone had 39 entries (not counting burgers or wraps). We made a half-hearted attempt that lasted perhaps 15 minutes as we polished off the first of our beers, and then we simply gave up. The special of the day was all-you-can-eat breaded fish for $9.99, so we went for it. Then, of course, we were faced with choosing two sides apiece - not an insignificant challenge. In part, that’s because the food here is a bit out of the ordinary; yes, there are mashed potatoes and fries and a couple of other standard accoutrements, but other choices are spicy Baja rice, Texas style baked beans with sausage, sprats with bacon & kraut, Southern green beans and, well, you get the point. The fish turned out to be two rather large filets that were delicious, as was the homemade tartar sauce that came with it. Our sides included those baked beans with sausage for me, and I’m here to tell you I’ll be having it again. As for the fish, it was so good that next time we visited we ordered it once again ($9.99 for whitefish with two sides). I got mine blackened, while Jack opted for basic lemon butter. For our sides, he chose cole slaw and applesauce, while I couldn’t resist trying the sprats with bacon & kraut and (surprise!) the beans. The sprats were rather tasty - lots of paprika - but I probably won’t try them again.
If you go: Mike's Place 1700 S. Water St. Kent, Ohio (330) 673-650 http://www.mikesplacerestaurant.com Open 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; 7 a.m. -10 p.m. Sundays.
May 23, 2014
Burning Man is Smokin’ Hot Read By Monnie Ryan 5 stars out of 5 When I was offered the chance to get this book for 99 cents as an "earned credit" at Amazon.com, I read the synopsis, checked customer reviews and learned that Alan Russell, the author of 10 books, has won several writing awards. Satisfied that my almost-dollar probably wouldn't be wasted (and any event it wasn't a lot to lose), I downloaded it. And wow! This, my friends, is (pun intended) a real sizzler. Not only did I have trouble putting it down, but the closer I got to the end the more I realized I didn't want to get there. The story begins as LAPD officer Michael Gideon and his K-9 partner, dubbed Sirius, are reassigned to head up a new Special Cases unit after suffering bad burns while capturing a serial killer, who was severely burned as well and now is on death row. Essentially, Gideon is told, they'll take on out-of-the-ordinary cases, and the first is a doozy: a teenage boy is found crucified in a city park. At the same time, the body of a days-old infant - apparently left in a box to die by an uncaring mother - turns up near a bridge. Gideon identifies with the infant and vows to find the mother and see that she's prosecuted to the fullest extent. Juggling those two cases - one official and one unofficial - forces Gideon to come to grips with demons of his own (not the least of which are recurring dreams of burning alive). And, he must deal with an ongoing, but reluctant, relationship with the serial killer, who may hold the key to the boy's murder. Complicating matters even more is a budding romantic relationship with a woman who has made it her job to see that abandoned babies are not forgotten. There's no shortage of blood and guts stuff here, and it helps that Gideon is a bit of a jokester (well, no belly laughs for me, but I admit to chuckling at quite a few of the one-liners and groaning at a few others). Gideon tends to diffuse situations, including his own reluctance to deal with his own emotions, with humor, and it really works. Burning Man by Alan Russell (Thomas & Mercer, December 2012); 328 pp.
May 23, 2014
What Happening in The Valley from May 23-24 Maurice Sendak Memorial Exhibition The Butler Institute of American Art presents the Maurice Sendak Memorial Exhibition running through Sunday, July 6th. Fifty years ago, artist and illustrator Maurice Sendak created his classic children's book Where The Wild Things Are, and this exhibition includes some of his original drawings for the book, studies, and other materials related to his career. Information about this exhibition are available at (330) 743-1107. The Butler Institute of American Art is at 524 Wick Avenue, Youngstown
Pastel Paintings by Actress Kim Novak The Butler Institute of American Art Youngstown presents the exhibition Pastel Paintings by Actress Kim Novak running until Sunday, July 20th in the Giffuni Gallery. This exhibit features 27 works of portraits, interiors, and landscapes inspired by spirituality and nature. Museum hours and more information about this exhibit are available at (330) 743-1107.
Through The Lens Mill Creek MetroParks presents Through The Lens exhibit, until December 31st at the Melnick Museum in the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center. Through The Lens shows the evolution of photography through a collection of glass and acetate film negatives, produced by two local photographers, which chronicle scenes of Mill Creek Park from 1907 through 1926. Museum hours and more information about this exhibit are available at (330) 740-7116. D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center located at 123 McKinley Avenue in Youngstown.
Saturday, May 24 Mohnster Con Film, Memorabilia, & Pop Culture Festival Mohnster Con Film, Memorabilia, & Pop Culture Festival is coming to Austintown on Friday and Sunday The festival will offer the chance to meet with celebrities as well as purchase film merchandise from various vendors. Local talent will be given a chance to meet the new faces of future entertainment. All proceeds go towards Mohnster Productions new Horror Film being filmed in the valley. Showtimes are: Saturday, May 24th from 11am-8 p.m. Saturday, May 25th 10 a.m-6 p.m. Passes are 1 Day $5.00 and 2 Days $8.00 Children 12 & Under Free Festival is located at Best Western-Meander Inn 870 Canfield Niles Rd, Youngstown,
May 23, 2014
On Stage The New Castle Playhouse: Moonlight And Magnolias The New Castle Playhouse presents the comedy Moonlight And Magnolias. The comedy tells about a frustrated producer shooting the epic Gone With The Wind but the script isn't working. So he fires his director, calls another off of The Wizard Of Oz, and locks both of them, with a script doctor, in his office to rewrite the whole thing. The play runs weekends from Friday, May 30th through Sunday, June 8th in the Annex Theatre. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets and more information about this show are available at (724) 654-3437. The New Castle Playhouse 202 East Long Avenue in New Castle.
The Youngstown Playhouse: The Wiz This Tony® award-winning musical is brought to the stage by The Youngstown Playhouse from May 30-31 and June 6-7 at 7:30p.m; June 1 and 8 at 2:30 p.m. It’s the timeless classic you know and love, with a modern, soulful twist. Join Dorothy and her friends Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion on their fabulous journey as they ease on down the yellow brick road in an urban land of Oz. The Wiz celebrates the power of believing in yourself. Tickets are available at the box office at 330-788-8739. The Youngstown Playhouse is located at 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown.
May 23, 2014
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Excerpts from A Byrd’s Eye View can be read in The Review, Newspaper, available throughout the Valley and online at http://www.thereviewnewspapers.com/
Movie reivews from A Byrd’s Eye View can be read in The Buckeye Review Newspaper, available throughout the Valley at various newstands.
Art Byrd Jr. has won awards as a filmmaker and journalist. After working many years as a videographer and director for WFMJ TV News, he retired from broadcasting to share his experience and insight with students as an instructor at Youngstown State University. Art has written and produced numerous Indie films, which have been shown at prestigious film festivals. In addition to teaching and writing/ producing A Byrd’s Eye View newsletter, Art also does freelance media work. He is based in Youngstown, Ohio.
Monnie Ryan retired in 2003 after 14 years as managing editor of The Business Journal in Youngstown, where she continues to contribute to the print and online editions. Articles she has written have appeared in more than 20 national publications and at several travelrelated Web sites, and she has won numerous awards for photography. Contact her at mryan62692@aol.com.