A Grain of ‘Salt’ Worth the Cinematic Ride By Art Byrd

Before I see a movie, I try not to read any review or talk to anyone who has seen it before I do, mainly because I would like to see the movie fresh -- without judgment.

With “Salt,” I broke my rule and watched a TV movie-review show. They referred to the film, starring Angelina Jolie, as lesser version of “Bourne Identity,” the popular movie series starring Matt Damon as bedeviled ex-spy Jason Bourne. They went as far as calling the movie “Sodium Identity,” declaring it an empty movie without much depth. I went to the film with low expectations.

Folks, this is a lesson in forming your own opinion after hearing others’ -- including mine -- and still going to a movie you want to see.

“Salt” was a cool roller-coaster ride of a movie. The movie was deep and good. Jolie is above amazing in this movie. She plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA operative who has a hidden past that surfaces when she interrogates a Russian defector, played by Daniel Olbrychski. The defector confides -- with a full CIA audience in another room -- that a double spy plans to assassinate the Russian president.

Then, he gives the name Evelyn Salt as the person who will commit the crime. She tells him that she is Evelyn Salt. He very coolly says, “Then you are a double spy.” Her colleagues react with disbelief and try to detain her. She agrees, but she wants to find her husband to make sure he is okay. Then, CIA agents start to question her motives and try to lock her down. She escapes by running down the streets of Washington, D.C.

Then all heck breaks looses (I know there’s another word, but you get my point).

I have most likely given away too much. This movie has some great twists and turns in it. You are not sure what side Salt really is on. She is married to a nice guy, played by August Diehl. There is a great plot going on with the Russians and a scheme that has played out recently -- for real -- with Russian spies.

The action sequences are the best I’ve seen in films for awhile. Jolie’s looks get a lot of attention, but she is a good actress and can really express pain and conflict. She is an action star.

The supporting cast is great, starting with Liev Schreiber, who plays Salt’s superior, Ted Winter, and the always solid Chiwetel Ejiofor as Counterintelligence Officer Peabody.

“Salt” moves fast with lots of details and hints, but the main question is whether Salt is good or bad. One thing I can tell you is that a cool ending sets up a sequel I can’t wait for. Those TV reviewers can get ready for Evelyn Salt to meet Jason Bourne for “Sodium Supremacy.”

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

‘Ramona and Beezus’ Shows Us It’s Alright to be Different By Art Byrd

Movies can make you feel good, bad, or confused. Last week, with “Inception,” I was confused. I needed to see a movie that was simple and made me feel good.

This week, after seeing “Ramona and Beezus,” I feel good. The movie is based on a popular books series by 94-year-old Beverly Cleary.

“Ramona and Beezus” is about a young girl named Ramona who is clearly not like most other kids, thanks to her vivid imagination. She is her own person but doesn’t know it yet. She is played by the wide-eyed cutie Joey King, a TV series and commercial veteran.

What makes the movie good and interesting is that the film doesn’t center on just Ramona and her adventures (or misadventures) but on her family as well, which includes her 15-year-old sister, Beezus, played by Selena Gomez, (“Wizards of Waverly Place”), and their parents, Robert and Dorothy Quimby, played by cool John Corbett and beautiful Bridget Mohanyan. Aunt Bee is played by Ginnifer Goodwin (“He’s Not Into You”), who is very close to Ramona.

The story is heartwarming and timely. In the beginning, we see how close the family is when Mr. Quimby comes home from work and is warmly greeted by the family. But there is a little sibling tension between Ramona and Beezus, who simply get on each other nerves.

Ramona has some situations at school. Her fellow classmates and teacher, Mrs. Meacham, played by Grey’s Anatomy's Sandra Oh, think Ramona is very different.

Then one day, the family’s fortunes change as Mr. Quimby loses his job. Ramona is wondering what is going to happen to her family and their house.

I like the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Quimby didn’t hide the job loss from their children. Ramona wants to help and starts doing odd jobs with strange results. King is adorable as Ramona, with her huge eyes that get bigger when she gets into trouble.

When Aunt Bee tells Ramona that she doesn’t want to be reeled in by Hobart, her high school sweetheart (played by Josh Duhamel) who left her years ago and is back, Ramona is very protective of her aunt. In one incident, Hobart’s truck lands in a garage covered with paint after Ramona accidentally removes a block from the wheel, causing it to roll without brakes.

There is a great scene involving a water fight between Ramona’s family and Hobart’s that ends with a tender moment for both families.

My favorite part of the movie is the relationship between Ramona and Beezus. Beezus is a nickname that came about when Ramona couldn’t say her sister’s real name --Beatrice -- when she was small.

King and Gomez make the movie work. I am fan of Gomez from “Wizards,” where is she is given some snappy comedic lines. In this movie, Gomez is great as the older sister who is annoyed by Ramona but starts to lighten up and give her little sister the strength and compassion to be herself.

King, who I am sure I will end up being a fan of as she does other films, is perfect as Ramona; her actions and situations come from the heart as opposed to doing things in a bratty way, as some child actors often do.

The movie is rated G and is geared towards families with kids in a certain age range. With a cast and storyline that everyone can relate to, “Ramona and Beezus” is a movie for every age and anyone who wants to feel good about family and life.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

‘Inception’ Is Mind Game for Moviegoers By Art Byrd

When a film is billed as a psychological thriller, I cringe. At the movies, I don’t want to think, I want to be entertained. During these movies, when I have to think, “Why did they do that? What is going on?” I am lost, then found, then lost again. By the end of the film I feel exhausted and empty.

That’s how I felt with “Inception.” One of the reasons I wanted to see the film is director Christopher Nolan. He is a great director who has helmed “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.”  Nolan has done some interesting films like “Insomnia” and the brilliant “Memento.”

The film has a great cast, starting with Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, as a different kind of thief; he can steal valuable information from a person’s mind while they are in a dream state. Cobb is hired by corporations to get secret information from the minds of competitors -- a sort of mental espionage.

Cobb’s career has cost him his children and his dead wife, Mal, played by Oscar winner Marion Cotillard. He is tormented by what he has lost, especially Mal, who comes back in his dreams with strange homicidal and suicidal tendencies.

Cobb is offered a chance to get his life back by businessman Saito, played by Ken Watanabe (“Batman Begins,” “Last Samurai”). Of course, the “one last job” plot comes into play. It is the most difficult thing to do -- an inception -- putting information for a future act into a person’s mind. The target is Robert Fischer Jr., the son of a dying billionaire, played wonderfully by Cillian Murphy, (“Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight”). Saito wants Fischer Jr. to break up his father’s company once he gains control so Saito can buy it.

Cobb must put together a team to help him place the inception. The team consists of long-time partner and organizer Arthur, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Third Rock from the Sun,” “Brick”), a “forger” who can change into things at will; Eames, played by Tom Hardy; and Yusuf, the drug guy who supplies the powerful sedative needed for an inception, played by Dileep Rao (“Drag Me To Hell”).

Rounding out the group is Ariadne, played by Ellen Page (“Juno,” “Hard Candy”), the architect who mentally constructs every street and building in the artificial world to deceive the dreamer.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the special effects with buildings and streets folding are very impressive and help give the film a feeling of an unreal and dream-like state.

I have noticed in many science fiction and “the world is doomed” films, actors explain what is going on, what the threat is and how much trouble they are really in. This happened in “Inception,” but it was too much information. I was totally confused. Still, the ending was good.

I didn’t like the film because it was over two hours of trying to work a puzzle. When the movie was over, I still had lots of puzzle pieces on the table.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

No Need to Fake Laughs with ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ By Art Byrd

Since being hooked up to the Internet, I have become a hunter of interesting material to watch.

While the Internet can be overwhelming and time consuming, Web series or Webisodes catering to short attention spans and limited have emerged as mini bursts of entertainment. There are such Webisodes as “The Guild” about video gamers, “In The Motherhood” about mothers, and “Wainy Days” about a strange guy’s life.  Each episode lasts two to six minutes.

With my trusty bow and arrow, I found the cool Web series “Fake It Till You Make It,” which can be found on hulu.com. It stars Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel on the sitcom “Family Matters.” All grown up now, White writes, produces and stars in this Web series. 

White plays Reggie Culkin, a former child star turned image consultant.  It is very funny when people recognize Reggie as they say his line from an old sitcom, “I Got Dibs.” White’s Culkin character has been likened to “Ari Gold” from Entourage and singer Usher.

The series is shot documentary style with hand-held shots, like the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” 

What makes the series funny is White’s Culkin as he interacts with three wannabes: two writers, Jack Garcia and Darren Kernin, played by Steve Rifkin and Chris Smith, respectively, and Kathy, an actress played by Betsy Rue, whose claim to fame was a small role on “CSI Miami.” 

Kathy has some of the best lines in the series, such as, “I will choke a b*** for food.” But it’s Culkin who gets them into strange situations, for instance, tricking Jack into doing something really crazy like stealing old checks from Culkin’s mother, played by guest star Debbie Allen.

The series has other famous guest stars: Blake Gibbons from “General Hospital” and actor/host Wayne Brady. One of the episodes takes a funny twist when Kernin  impersonates Brady on Twitter to meet women. Culkin tells Brady because they are friends. Brady and Culkin come up with an idea to “shake the money tree,” their words for making a show about catching “Twitter” impersonators with a “How to Catch a Predator” theme. So they setup the unsuspecting Kernin with a camera crew and real police waiting. Crazy funny stuff.

The dialogue, written by White, is original and snappy, though you may have to rewind to get the actual meanings.

If you are in the mood for a quick laugh with outrageous situations, the eight-episode run of “Fake It Till You Make” is a web series so worth the hunt.

As Reggie Culkin says, “Love is love.” You can find the series on Hulu.com.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

Let Us Introduce You Profiles of players and their projects on the local arts & entertainment stage. Interview conducted by Art Byrd Meet: JOHN CHECHITELLI Position: DIRECTOR AND EDITOR, “YOUNGSTOWN: STILL STANDING”

ABEV: YOU ARE A VALLEY NATIVE LIVING IN LOS ANGELES. WHY MAKE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN?
JOHN CHECHITELLI, “YOUNGSTOWN:STILL STANDING”:  After graduating from high school (Austintown Fitch, 2003), I moved to Winter Park, Florida, and studied film at Full Sail University. Most of the people I met from other states had never even heard of Youngstown. Then one day in class, a guest speaker talked about the importance of documentaries in telling true stories that the masses didn't know about. That is what initially sparked thoughts about telling Youngstown's story through a documentary. By the time I graduated with my degree in Film Production, I had a treatment registered with the Writer's Guild, then called, There's No Place Like Home. 

Like my grandfather, who moved to Youngstown looking for work in the steel industry, I headed West to Los Angeles with the hopes of breaking into the film industry. The first thing a lot of people in Hollywood do once they get here is forget where they came from. For me it was the opposite. I'm proud to come from a blue collar family and blue collar town, and I knew that I had a chance to show people where I came from.

ABEV: THE FILM IS BRUTALLY HONEST ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN’S PAST. HOW WAS THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED?
CHECHITELLI:   You can't make a documentary and withhold facts. It wouldn't be telling the whole story and that was a priority with this project, tell the whole story! That turned out to be a tall order. Every chapter in the film could have made its own 90-minute documentary. But you have to start somewhere and for me it was best to start with the steel industry. 

I'm the third John Chechitelli in my family but the only one to never work in a steel mill. While my grandfather eventually retired from US Steel, my father was laid off from the mills just before I was born. I turned to my father first, asking questions about the mills and absorbing the details of life in that era. 

Next, I focused my attention on a darker side of the city's past. Growing up, I had always heard the jokes & nicknames bestowed to Youngstown, mostly from residents, and I had a basic knowledge and curiosity of the Mafia's presence in the area. Thanks to the Internet, researching this topic wasn't too difficult. I was able to amass binders full of newspaper articles, reports, essays etc... I knew I was on to something when I started discussing my research with other film students. These were fans of “Goodfellas,” “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos,” and all of their interests were piqued when I relayed the assassination attempt of Paul Gains when I was 11, or the expulsion of Jim Traficant from Congress when I was in high school. The other students would all say the same thing, "The mob... In Ohio?" That reaffirmed that the story needed to be told. Still, it was overwhelming to take in all the details of organized crime's control in the Mahoning Valley dating back to the early part of the 20th century.

From organized crime, I moved on to the area's long love affair with sports and then to the successful business people who germinated from Youngstown. After collecting all the information I could from Internet documents, books and magazines, I reached out to local news stations. I was looking for old news reports when I was pointed in the direction of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. This wonderful organization contained everything I was looking for and then some. They had film footage dating back to the ’20s and ’30s. All in all, collecting the research materials for this project took several years. 

ABEV: DURING THE RECENT SUMMER OF THE ARTS SCREENINGS OF “YOUNGSTOWN:STILL STANDING,” THE BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART’S AUDITORIUM WAS FULL. THE REACTION WAS FAVORABLE.  YOUR REACTION?
CHECHITELLI: It feels great! First of all, I wish that I was able to attend those two screenings and am sorry that I couldn't. When I originally set out to make this movie, the reception was less than ecstatic to say the least. I understood why... The town's name had been dragged through the mud time and time again in the national press. Then, I was lucky enough to get a very loved hometown hero behind the project. When people heard that Ray " Boom Boom" Mancini was helping to make the film, doors that were deadbolt locked suddenly opened. When we premiered earlier this year, I was relieved by the reaction the film received. Now, months later, after the news has been out for a while, it feels wonderful that the film is still getting such a warm reception. Ray and I understood the importance of telling the story ourselves, why it couldn't be left to outsiders. We did our best to tell the story of how Youngstown got to this point in history, to show what the city has been through, and it is great to know that the people of Youngstown are still in our corner. 

ABEV: THE FILM IS POPULAR IN THE YOUNGSTOWN AREA. HOW IS IT DOING OUTSIDE THE VALLEY?
CHECHITELLI:  Our first goal was to cover Youngstown, to get the news out locally. It worked out great that our first film fest was the 2010 Cleveland Intl. Film Festival followed by other screenings in the area. We continue to showcase the film in Ohio, playing in Canton on Thursday, July 15th  at the Canton Palace Theatre.

ABEV: WHAT ARE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE PLANS FOR “YOUNGSTOWN: STILL STANDING”?
CHECHITELLI: The current plan is to keep showing the film at various venues in the Mahoning Valley and to ride the film festival circuit throughout the year. I'm currently waiting to hear back from a few film festivals outside of Ohio and hopefully we'll be able to begin our push in other states later this year. We will also be looking to attain wider distribution, perhaps through cable or other methods.

The overall goal is to reach the largest audience possible, to let the world know that Youngstown, Ohio, is an undeniably unique American city that has been through a heck of a fight, but is still standing.

IMDB (Internet Movie Database) credits John Chechitelli with film work in many capacities, and as an actor, crew member and editor on such TV series as “The West Wing,” “Ugly Betty” and “Recipe TV featuring The World’s Greatest Chefs.”
“Youngstown: Still Standing” is available on DVD at www.mancini-smith.com.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

We Don’t Have to Hunt for ‘Predators’ Plot, We Already Know It By Art Byrd

A few days before seeing “Predators,” I watched “The Bachelorette” with some friends who are fans. Ali, the bachelorette, had to choose one of four bachelors to go. It was like a game for my two female friends to guess which bachelor would be kicked to the curb. They were right, too. Remember that for later.

It’s been a long time since a Predator movie has been in theaters. The first “Predator” in 1987 was a wild ride, the action was insane and the Predator creature was an awesome alien with the dreadlocks, strange eyes and the funky mouth. The wrist band with the codes was a nice touch.

I’m not even going to delve into “Predator 2” or “Alien vs. Predator.” Now there is a new Predator movie with a different twist. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City,” “Spy Kids”) is not directing but producing the film. Nimrod Antal is directing. I believe Rodriguez should have directed and given the movie his spin.

The cast is top notch with faces we have seen before. Oscar winner Adrien Brody plays Royce, the leader, who of course gets a big-hero moment; Alice Braga (niece of Sonia Braga) is Isabell, the lone woman; Walton Goggins (“The Shield,” “Justified”) plays death-row inmate Stans; Danny Trejo (upcoming “Machete”) makes a brief appearance as Cuchillo. Hmm, I wonder what happens to him…wink, wink!  

A good casting move comes in the form of Topher Grace (“Spiderman 3,” “That ’70s Show”) as Edwin, a doctor who is wondering what is going on and has some comedic moments. Lawrence Fishburne (“CSI,” “The Matrix” movies) plays Noland, a crazy guy who has survived the Predators by himself.

The story centers on the cast being dropped in the jungle with guns. They don’t know why they’re there and don’t know each other. One good twist is that there are about four Predators. After a few encounters with the Predators and new creatures that are like Predator Dogs, because they look Predators on four legs, the group realizes that they are on a different planet -- and being hunted.

The movie falls-back on the classic storyline where the Predator creature starts killing the group one by one. Now here is where “The Bachelorette” factor comes into play. The movie became a game for me. Could I pick who was going to be killed by the Predators, and in which order? 

The action was good with lots of gunfire. The gore -- except for some hanging corpses -- was kept to a minimum. The special effects were a little cheesy. The infrared shots the Predators use to detect the body heat of prey were still cool.

But “Predators” didn’t give me any “wow” moments. We’ve seen the Predator creature before, quite a bit, so it’s not so scary. The Predators seem invincible, but we know there is a weakness and the hero will find it. I would like to know why is it is so much fun for the Predators to hunt down humans. They must have something else better to do.  

As for picking who was going to be killed, that was fun, and I was right on who was going to be killed -- but wrong in the order. I guess I needed my two friends, Milly and Choochie, to help me out.  Maybe for the next sequel, “Predators, Predators,” I’ll get a better score.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

‘The Last Airbender’ Bends Your Interest By Art Byrd

In recent months, the fantasy-action film genre has not done well -- especially the film “Prince of Persia,” which did not thrill audiences. Now comes “The Last Airbender.”

I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing “The Last Airbender,” but parts of the trailer did interest me. The film is based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” I haven’t seen the series, so I was going into the theatre cold.

The film centers on a young boy named Aang, played by Noah Ringer, who has the power to control the elements: air, fire, earth and water. He is an Avatar who must master control of all the elements. Aang ran away from his Avatar duties because he wanted a regular life with a family – something he could never have as an Avatar. Now he’s limited in his element skills and can only control air. Aang must seek out those who are masters in the elements to fulfill his destiny.

Of course, there has to be evil, and that evil is in the form of the Fire Nation, which wants to control everything on Earth. There is Zuko, a disgraced prince from the Fire Nation, played by Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”), who is trying to capture Aang, the last airbender, so he can return to the good graces of his father, Fire Lord Ozai, played by Cliff Curtis.

Along the journey, Aang become friends with Katana (Nicola Peltz), who has the ability to control water, and her brother Sokka, who’s played by Jackson Rathbone of “Twilight: Eclipse”.

Most fantasy stories have a princess.  This film has one of the most beautiful ones in films to date with Princess Yue, played by Seychelle Gabriel (“The Spirit”). She has white hair and really deep blue eyes. The back story of Princess Yue is very original and deals with the moon.

All in all, the fight scenes in “The Last Airbender” are nothing we haven’t seen before, but they fit the story and are not over the top. They are very Matrix (without flying bullets) but physically graceful.

The movie is filmed on an epic scale with beautiful locations shots. The CGI effects -- especially of fire -- were good.

“The Last Airbender” is directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who directed “The Sixth Sense.” But other of his films, like “Lady In The Water” and “The Happening,” have had a hard time at the box office.
 “The Last Airbender” was a little confusing for me, but the movie used a lot of flashbacks to explain who the characters were and what their roles in the story are.

The mythology of the story is interesting and makes me wonder where the story is going next. The film is definitely setup for a sequel. But it isn’t yet clear if fans will want to bend their wallets for another “The Last Airbender” film.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

“Eclipse” Doesn’t Overshadow A Great Story. By Art Byrd

I have never read a “Twilight” series book. My first contact with the series was seeing “Twilight” at the theatre well after its release. I was surprised that I really enjoyed it. I am not a horror or vampire film fan except for “ Blacula” but that is another story.

“Twilight” had some depth with the love and angst among the characters. In the second film,  New Moon, I was okay with it. I didn’t enjoy watching Bella (Kristen Stewart) going through her pain from the leaving of Edward (Robert Patterson).

Now, there is “Eclipse” which has the classic love triangle going on between Bella, Edward (Robert Patterson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner). The way the film handles the triangle is done very well.

In one scene, Edward and Jacob have a man to man about their situation with Bella and it was so honest. That is what makes the Twilight series so good is that you feel that there is a huge amount of honesty in them.

I liked that the film took time to give back stories of background characters and how they become vampires like Rosalie played by Nikki Reed and Jasper played Jackson Rathbone.

They are interesting twists such as the “newborns” which are newly made vampires who are stronger because of mix of vampire and human blood.

An army of newborns are coming to kill Bella led by Riley (Xavier Samuel) who is undermined by a vengeful Victoria played Bryce Dallas Howard whose great love was killed by Edward in saving Bella. The Cullens (vampires) must team up with Jacob and the wolves to take on the newborns.

Surprisedly, for all the action like the vampire biting and fighting; the film is not very violent. The makers of the Twilight films are smart enough to know their audience and that over the top violence is not needed.

“Eclipse” was more interesting for me because of who I was sitting around. There were three moms, their daughters and their girlfriends. The girls ranged from 10-12 years old sat in the row in front of me. The moms were seated one seat away from me in the same row.

There was one scene where Bella and Edward are making out heavy. One of the moms leans forwards and tells the girls to cover their eyes. It was funny to see a row full of young girls covering their eyes with their arms and hands.

In the movie, Edward tells Bella he can’t made love to her until they are married. The same mom leans forward and tells the girls, “ See wait until you are married.” I started laughing silently. I can’t make this stuff up. That is why I love being in a theatre. You never know what will happen.

I do know this, “Eclipse” keeps the ongoing story of love, vampires and wolves moving forward to keep the Twilight book reading fan satisfied and the non Twilight book reader like myself entertained.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts