GETTING OUT
Editor’s Pick
LIVE THEATER AT CAMINO REAL PLAYHOUSE 7:30 p.m. Have some laughs and watch actors perform in downtown San Juan Capistrano. Camino Real Playhouse is staging Young Frankenstein, an adaptation of the Mel Brooks comedy. The show runs through June 5. Camino Real Playhouse, 31776 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 949.489.8082. caminorealplayhouse.org.
The List What’s going on in and around town this week
SATURDAY | 21
THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH
FRIDAY | 13 FRIDAY NIGHT AT PADDY’S STATION 8-11 p.m. Grab a pint, order some fish and chips, and spend the night at a downtown Irish pub. Cover Fire will perform cover songs, so get ready to sing along with familiar tunes. Paddy’s Station, 26701 Verdugo Street, Suite B, San Juan Capistrano. 949.661.3400. paddysstation.com.
SATURDAY | 14 SEED CONNECTION 9-10 a.m. The Ecology Center is providing this hands-on lab about soil and seeds, so people can learn about gardening, saving seeds, and which food is appropriate to grow in a given season. The event is open to all ages, so you can learn something whether you have a kid just developing a green thumb or you are an adult looking to grow more plants in the backyard. The event is free. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano. 949.443.4223. theecologycenter.org. DOG ADOPTION OPPORTUNITY 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Promise 4 Paws is hosting
AT THE MOVIES
‘The Unbearable Weight’ of an Inside Joke BY MEGAN BIANCO, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH
I
hate sounding overly dramatic, but the first half of Tom Gormican’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent almost instantly set off my second-hand embarrassment. For a moment, I was worried it would affect
The Capistrano Dispatch May 13-26, 2022
FRIDAY | 20
Get some tips on bike safety from experts at Dana Hills High School this Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of Leandro Boogalu/Pexels
SATURDAY | 14 BIKE SAFETY LEARNING EVENT 9-10:30 a.m. Representatives from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) will teach bike safety skills to attendees at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point. CHP members will also check bicycles and helmets. The first 40 children to attend will receive a set of bicycle lights, while the first 50 children to attend will get reflective bracelets. The free event is in partnership with the cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, as well as the Orange County Transportation Authority, CHP, OCSD, and the California State Assembly. RSVP online. Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point. sanjuancapistrano.org. an open dog adoption event. Drop by, check out some cute canine companions, and maybe go home with one. The event will be in the Pets Plus parking lot. Pets Plus, 32022 Camino Capistrano, #A, San Juan Capistrano. 949.248.3400. promise4paws.org.
Band will perform. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.493.3188. swallowsinn.com.
TALK FROM AUTHOR JOE IDE 10 a.m. Crime novelist Joe Ide will give a talk about writing the “killer” crime novel, in an appearance presented by the Southern California Writers Association (SCWA). Ide is the author of the IQ series and also just released The Goodbye Coast, based on the Philip Marlowe detective character. There will be a champagne brunch before Ide speaks and a buffet luncheon afterward. Tickets are available on the SCWA website. Regency Theatres, 26762 Verdugo Street, San Juan Capistrano. southerncalwriters.org.
TUESDAY | 24
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT SWALLOW’S 2-6 p.m. Come enjoy a drink and enjoy some live music at this famous downtown bar. The Chris Daniels Project
HORSEMEN HAPPY HOUR 5-8 p.m. Join the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition and other horse enthusiasts for an afternoon get-together. Free appetizers will be provided by the Equestrian Coalition. Hennessey’s Tavern, 31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. sanjuanequestrian.org.
FIELD OF HONOR 9 a.m-4 p.m. Mission San Juan Capistrano is again partnering with Homefront of America to display American flags in the Mission courtyard in celebration of Memorial Day. More than 400 flags, each standing at 7 feet tall, will be available to view. Active-duty military, veterans, first responders and Mission Preservation Society members will receive free admission to the Mission during the Field of Honor display, which runs through May 30. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano. 949.234.1300. missionsjc.com.
my viewing for the rest of the film. I knew going into Massive Talent that it was going to be one giant, tongue-in-cheek meta joke. But fortunately, Gormican and his muse of sorts, Nicolas Cage, knew exactly what they’re doing with their picture. As can be seen in all the promos for Massive Talent, Nic Cage is playing Nick Cage in a film about Cage. No, it’s not a documentary, and it’s quite clearly a scripted story. We see Cage as an actor who was once a superstar and now struggling to land any kind of gig in Hollywood. This Nick Cage has a completely fictional wife and teenage daughter played by Sharon Horgan and Lily Sheen, respectively, while the actor’s real-life
legendary showbiz dynasty (the Coppolas) aren’t acknowledged in the film. But we get plenty of name-dropping, callbacks and references to Cage’s very real acting work. To make it even more obvious, Cage’s alter-ego is fictional; his on-screen agent (played by Neil Patrick Harris) notifies him he’s been invited to an extravagant birthday party of a very wealthy fan in Mallorca, Spain. Pedro Pascal plays the fan, who actually has ties to arms dealers. Massive Talent starts out as a self-aware comedy about celebrity life, with Cage even playing a CG de-aged imaginary version of his character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990), who represents Nick’s conscience. Once we’re in Mallorca for the rest of Un-
bearable Weight, it’s a mix of a buddy comedy and a traditional action flick, a la Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder (2008). Gormican and screenwriting partner Kevin Etten don’t break a lot of new ground with their new feature, but it is amusing enough to spend 105 minutes. Cage—though maybe predictable casting as a famous actor making fun of himself— pulls off the gimmick effectively. Pascal might be the best part of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, with a pleasantly surprising amount of comedic timing. If silly characters getting themselves into ridiculous situations to cartoony proportions is your bag, then you’ll probably get a kick out of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. CD
SUNDAY | 15
THURSDAY | 19
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