By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com
One
of the great things about being a book lover is the fact that you never
know when you're going to discover a great new (to you) author.
I
made just such a discovery recently when I read "Wake," by Robert J.
Sawyer. I had never read any of Sawyer's work, but he is one of only
seven authors to ever win all three of the world's awards for top
science-fiction novel. He has a Nebula for 1995's "The Terminal
Experiment," a Hugo for 2003's "Hominids" and a John W. Campbell Award
for 2005's "Mindscan."
By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com
Let's
preface this by saying I'm a bit of an "Alice" fan. I've read "Alice in
Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." I've seen Disney movie,
the live action made-for-TV movie with Joan Rivers, and I even played
American McGee's "Alice" on the computer.
This new incarnation
finds an older, skimpy, perhaps waif Alice (Mia Wasikowska, "Amelia")
returning to Wonderland (Underland). The familiar characters there
expect Alice to fulfill her destiny and slay the Jabberwocky. You know,
because that was a poem from the book.
By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com
When
you come right down to it, there's no way to predict if a film will
become a cult hit. Sometimes, people just fall in love with a movie,
often long after the movie has come and gone from the big screen.
"Boondock
Saints" was one such movie. Despite a lukewarm response from moviegoers
upon its 1999 theatrical release, the film gradually built up a fairly
small but passionate fan base. The combination of stylized
hyperviolence, quotable dialogue, a high-octane performance from Sean
Patrick Flanery ("The Whole Truth") and Norman Reedus ("Pandorum") and
the frantic, high-energy tour-de-force portrayal of Paul Smecker by
Willem Dafoe ("Fantastic Mr. Fox") resulted in a film that, while not
great cinema, was great fun to watch. Not to mention the Maine
connection with comedian Bob Marley holding it down hilariously in a
supporting role.
LOS ANGELES
- Sandra Bullock paid her dues in Hollywood for more than 20 years,
beloved by the moviegoing public if not always the critics. She was
rewarded Sunday, winning the best-actress Oscar for playing a tough
white Southern woman who adopted a black child in "The Blind Side."
Bullock
had repeatedly said she didn't think she was going to win for the part
she initially turned down, although the 45-year-old actress was a heavy
favorite.
By Michael Fern edge staff writer mfern@themaineedge.com
BANGOR
– The Bangor Breakfast Rotary will host its fifth annual All That Jazz
concert at Peakes Auditorium on March 18 at 7 p.m. Scott Levy,
producing artistic director of the Penobscot Theater, will emcee the
charitable event, which features concert bands and jazz ensembles from
three area high schools. Proceeds of the event will benefit the Good
Shepard Food Bank.
By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com
SKOWHEGAN -
I'll be honest – I'm a bit of a curmudgeon. As a rule, I have
relatively little use for the young people of today. To be truthful,
though, I didn't have much use for young people even when I was one of
them. And I enjoyed my curmudgeonly attitude. Relished it, even.
So
imagine my surprise when my fist-shaking, "Get off my lawn!"-shouting
ways were met full on by a group of teenagers whose passion, enthusiasm
and talent forced me to reconsider my sweeping generalizations about
the younger generations.
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