Thursday, March 13, 2014
Maryville Daily Forum
Page 9
Entertainment ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS
Planet Comicon 2014 opens this weekend in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Planet Comicon 2014 opens this weekend at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo. This will be the biggest convention in Kansas City history with dozens of spectacular guests from movies, television, comics, cosplay, and beyond. This year the annual con is xpanding to three days and will run Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16. Media guests that will be appearing include: Margot Kidder (Superman), Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man). John Ratzenburger (Cheers and every Pixar movie ever made), and the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (not including Patrick Stewart). Creator guests include: Scott Snyder (Batman), Neal Adams (Batman, Superman, and Green Arrow), Phil Hester (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), and Greg Horn (Marvel cover artist) to name a few. Planet Comicon is Friday, March 14, noon-7pm, Saturday, March 15, 10am - 7pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm.
Book of Winfrey columns to be published in fall 2014
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Sherman (Max Charles), Penny (Ariel Winter) and, Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) face unique challenges as they race through history. © Dreamworks Animation, LLC. All rights reserved.
‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ is a boy & dog story that works Mr. Peabody & Sherman By Gary Darling Staff Writer
Going into this weekend there was a film I was looking forward to seeing and one I wasn’t. Considering the other was the ‘300’ sequel, ‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ wasn’t really high on my list of must-sees. I went to it because I have kids. That was my only reason for going. I had no preconceived notion about it and I hadn’t seen anything about the film leading up to it. As an adult, it didn’t really seem like it would appeal to me. Sure, I have liked animated features before, so there was always a chance that I was going to find something of value in this one. Even if it was just that my kids
enjoyed it. Then a funny thing happened. I watched it and found this film to be quite enjoyable. This could quite possibly be the best animated film that I have seen this year and ‘The Lego Movie’ was pretty darn good too. There was something about this one, though, something deeper than just the silly adventure of a dog (Ty Burrell) and his adopted son, Sherman (Max Charles). If you really delved deeply enough imto what the movie was trying to convey, you would see what I am talking about. Things like bullying, racism, and mixed families are all covered in this film. Yes, sure, with a light-witted twist to it, but thy are there, nonetheless. I like that in a film that stimulates a child’s imagination. As
far as the story, it was brilliant, funny, and kept my interest from the beginning until the very end. Secretly, I wanted it to be longer because I was enjoying it that much. The animation, itself, is top notch and incredibly well done. I couldn’t find a flaw or rough-edge in the entire film. Also, be sure to get there on time. There is a very cute and well-done animated short at the beginning of the movie that is almost as good, if not better, than the original. In the end, it all came down to how my kids enjoyed the film and they all gave me thumbs up on this one. And I would agree. If you are looking for an animated feature to take the kids to, you might want to get out to our local theater and see ‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’. It is pretty good.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s latest book project is a collection of magazine columns by a writer she knows quite well. Oprah Winfrey. “What I Know for Sure” features the monthly essays that Winfrey has written for O, the Oprah Magazine over the past 14 years. Flatiron Books, a new nonfiction imprint of Macmillan, announced Wednesday that “What I Know for Sure” will come out Sept. 2. It will be the imprint’s first release. According to Flatiron, the book will be organized around such themes as joy, gratitude and possibility. Winfrey has said she named her column “What I Know for Sure” after film critic Gene Siskel asked her “What do you know for sure?” during an interview. She has called the columns a way of “taking stock” of her life. Winfrey will write the book’s introduction.
Spike Lee to attend Roger Ebert film festival
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Director Spike Lee will attend a 25th-anniversary screening of “Do The Right Thing” at late movie critic Roger Ebert’s film festival. The festival announced Tuesday that the screening will take place April 25 during the 16th annual Ebertfest at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Ill. Ebert gave “Do The Right Thing” four stars when it debuted in 1989. The festival previously announced that director Oliver Stone would attend a 25th-anniversary screening of his film “Born on the Fourth of July.” Comedian Patton Oswalt will attend a screening of his 2011 movie “Young Adult.” Ebert died last April at age 70. The year’s Ebertfest is April 23-27. The full lineup will be announced soon. Ebert’s alma mater, the University of Illinois, is based in Champaign and neighboring Urbana.
David Cripe to Chair the Leno, Murdoch among 2014 Arts Fund Campaign TV Hall of Fame inductees ST. JOSEPH, MO— The Allied Arts Council proudly announces David Cripe as the chair of the 2014 Arts Fund campaign. Cripe is very involved in the community through his position as the Community Bank President, at UMB Bank, n.a., and through his community involvement with St. Joseph Downtown Rotary Club, Performing Arts Association, Family Guidance Center, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Saint Joseph Symphony and the Rolling Hills Consolidated Library. David, his wife Dina, and their three children, Michael, 18, Jenna, 13 and Jack, 11, moved to St. Joseph in 2009, and now proudly call St. Joseph their home. The arts are a part of everyday life for the Cripes. “The parental philosophy I was raised under, and the philosophy Dina and I believe in, is that to deny our children an education of the arts including a consistent exposure to a wide spec-
trum of art forms is on par with denying them decent balanced nutrition. I was taught at an early age, and I still believe, that children involved in art programs
David Cripe in school (band, choral, theater, etc.) generally perform better than those that do not. It’s simply good for you—psychologically and physically,” said Cripe. Cripe truly believes in the Arts Fund campaign, and wants this year to be truly successful. “The economic impact of the arts in our community is tremendous—not to mention
the cultural impact which may be immeasurable. Many non-profit organizations would not exist or at least would not be as capable to support their mission without the support of campaigns such as the Arts Fund. The arts are what make us human—the creativity, beauty, precision and emotion of quality art can define quality of life to some people, myself included,” said Cripe. The Arts Fund is an annual united campaign in support of the activities of the Allied Arts Council, Creative Arts Productions, Midwest Artist Association, Perfor ming Ar ts Association, RiverSong, St. Joseph Community Chorus, and Saint Joseph Symphony. For additional information about the Arts Fund Drive or related activities please call the Allied Arts office at 816-233-0231, visit the office at 118 South Eighth Street in St. Joseph, or the website http://www. stjoearts.org.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Bill Maher took advantage of pal Jay Leno’s Television Academy Hall of Fame induction to offer a spirited attack on what Maher called undeserved “bad publicity” for the former “Tonight Show” host. Introducing Leno at Tuesday night’s ceremony, Maher said his behavior never warranted the brickbats tossed at him over Conan O’Brien’s shortlived tenure as “Tonight Show” host. “Jay Leno reminds me a little bit of Israel,” Maher said. “He’s not perfect, but he’s held to a standard nobody is expected to live up to but him.” The media helped fan the myth that Leno “stole Conan’s dream” when NBC brought Leno back to host “Tonight” after the show’s ratings dropped in 2009 with O’Brien at the helm. Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” used an expletive to dismiss the idea that such a theft is possible, then offered himself as a tongue-in-cheek
example: He claimed that Tom Cruise robbed him of the starring role in “Top Gun.” Leno’s reputation among critics as a bland host compared with supposedly “edgy” predecessor Johnny Carson also is a falsehood, Maher said, and called Leno suited to his time just as Carson was when he hosted “Tonight.” After Maher’s introduction, Leno’s remarks proved mild. Repeating assertions he made when he ended his 22-year tenure as host in February, Leno, 63, said it was the right time to turn “Tonight” over to the younger Jimmy Fallon, who is 39. Leno said he watches Fallon’s show, and the two talk a couple of times a week. The other inductees included media baron Rupert Murdoch; Julia Louis-Dreyfus; prolific writer-producer David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” ‘’The Practice,” ‘’Ally McBeal”); and former ABC executive Brandon Stoddard, who shepherded breakthrough shows
including “Roots.” Sound pioneer Ray Dolby was inducted posthumously, with his wife, Dagmar, and son David accepting the honor. Murdoch noted that the TV academy ceremony fell on his 83rd birthday, which he called an annoyance: “As you well know, I’m not fond of looking back,” he said. The chairman of News Corp. and 21st Century Fox did offer reflections on his career, which he said has focused on providing consumers with more choices and taking the risks needed to do so — such as starting the Fox network in 1986 to compete with the big three broadcasters. Louis-Dreyfus, the Emmy-winning star of “Seinfeld,” ‘’The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Veep,” was saluted by friend Amy Poehler as “the best one on ‘Seinfeld’” and always the funniest in a room. Louis-Dreyfus shared advice she learned from her physics high school teacher: “Have fun at all costs,” she said.