360 February 14 2013

Valentine’s DayIT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE

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Skagit Valley Herald

Thursday

February 14, 2013

Richard RoeperNeed your “Twilight” fix? “Beautiful Creatures” will fill the void

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ReviewsMusic: Veronica Falls, Eels Video Games: “Dead Space 3”

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Tuning UpShameless Hussy plays Cyndy’s Broiler in Stanwood on Saturday

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E2 - Thursday, February 14, 2013 Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

“Skyfall”: Daniel Craig takes his third turn at playing 007 in “Skyfall” (a James Bond movie title that actually makes sense). It’s not the world that’s in dan-ger this time; the challenge hits closer to home as MI-6 comes under attack. Bond must stop the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem) before he destroys the British spy agency.

Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan have written one of the most understandable Bond scripts, given that some of the past movies have lost focus. They also created a story with some nice connections to the past. There’s at least one major shocker to make “Skyfall” a beautiful gift to fans for the film fran-chise’s 50th anniversary.

James Bond films usually feature a white-knuckle opening action sequence, a sexy credits montage, a world-threat-ening event, beautiful locations, cool gadgets, the exotic Bond woman and a superb villain. “Skyfall” has five of the seven. It also has five Oscar nomina-tions, including for cinematography, music (original score) and music (origi-nal song).

“The Sessions”: A man (John Hawkes) in an iron lung contacts a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt).

These are the kind of acting roles the Oscar voters love to honor and Hunt picked up a nod in the supporting actress category. It’s a worthy nomina-tion because Hunt turns in the best performance of her career. She’s playing a woman secure enough of herself to engage in the most personal of acts with a stranger, but not so clinical as to hide the painful realities that haunt her own life.

Hawkes is magnificent, despite being stripped of almost all his acting tools. All he has is his very expressive face and the emotion he brings to every word of dialogue to create a performance that will emotionally connect with anyone who sees it.

Hawkes and Hunt manage magical transformations for the film.

“Loretta Young: 100th Anniversary Edition”: The weekly anthology series, which ran from 1953-1961, was hosted by the actress who appeared in more than 100 movies during her long career. Young, who won an Oscar for Best Actress for “The Farmer’s Daughter,” also starred in the stories that ranged from melodramas to light comedies. The DVD set is a great example of the qual-ity work being done during the early days of television.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”: Emma Watson stars in this bittersweet coming-of-age drama.

“Gossip Girl: The Complete Sixth and Final Season”: Includes 10 epi-sodes, a featurette, audiobook, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

“The Man with the Iron Fists”: A blacksmith must defend his village.

“Bully”: Documentary that looks at school bullies.

“Robot & Frank”: A retired cat bur-glar gets a new friend. Frank Langella stars.

“Bonanza: The Official Fifth Sea-son”: More adventures of the Cart-wright family.

“Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball”: Dora, Boots and Mariposa head to the Butterfly Ball.

“Matlock: The Eighth Season”: Includes 20 episodes of the legal drama starring Andy Griffith.

“Storage Wars: Volume 4”: Reality series about those who buy abandoned storage lockers.

“Weeds: Season Eight”: Mary-Louise Parker wraps up her work as the pot-selling mom.

“The Hardy Boys: Season Three”: Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson play the sleuthing siblings.

n The Fresno Bee

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK

Upcoming movie releases Following is a partial schedule of com-ing movies on DVD. Release dates are subject to change:

FEB. 19Atlas Shrugged: Part II - FoxAnna Karenina - UniversalFun Size - ParamountSinister - Lionsgate/ SummitUndefeated - Anchor Bay

FEB. 26Chasing Mavericks - FoxChicken With Plums - SonyHoly Motors - IndominaHow to Survive a Plague - MPI/ IFCThe Loneliest Planet - MPI/ IFCThe Master - Anchor Bay

MARCH 5The Bay - LionsgateThe Intouchables - Sony/ WeinsteinPlaying for Keeps - SonyRed Dawn - FoxWreck-It Ralph - Disney

MARCH 12 The First Time - SonyLife of Pi - FoxSmashed - Sony

n McClatchy-Tribune News Service

YOUR ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKAGIT COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

This Weekend / Page 5

[email protected] [email protected] (recreation items)

Phone360-416-2135

Hand-deliver1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274

Mailing addressP.O. Box 578 Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Online events calendarTo list your event on our website, visit goskagit.com and look for the Events Calendar on the home page

HAVE A STORY IDEA?w For arts and entertainment, contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or [email protected] For recreation, contact staff writer Vince Richardson at 360-416-2181 or [email protected]

TO ADVERTISE360-424-3251

Cannery Underground performs Saturday at the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner

Inside

Music, Game Reviews .................6-7

Travel ...........................................8-9

On Stage ....................................... 10

Tuning Up..................................... 11

Get Involved ................................. 12

Richard Roeper ............................ 16

At the Lincoln Theatre ................. 17

Movie Listings, Mini-Reviews ..... 17

Out & About ............................18-19

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com Thursday, February 14, 2013 - E3

HOLIDAYS

So, who actually celebrates Valentine’s Day?By AISHA SULTANSt. Louis Post-Dispatch

Other than schoolchil-dren, who is most likely to celebrate the Hallmark holiday of love?

Unsurprisingly, it’s a moment more for singles still looking to impress their dates, according to a survey by investor web-site MillionaireCorner.com.

And if your date involves a good book or movie, take heart, you’ve got plenty of company.

Twenty-one percent of people have no plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day at all, the survey found. It’s worse if you’re mar-ried: 35 percent won’t be celebrating compared to 16 percent of unmarried people.

The day typically does not involve a big demon-stration:

n 2 percent say they plan to give the gift of jewelry.

n 6 percent are plan-ning a getaway weekend.

n 10 percent will buy chocolates.

n 15 percent will buy flowers.

The most common plans: 41 percent plan to exchange cards and 38 percent are going out to dinner.

A Valentine’s Day gift can always come from putting pen to paper, rather than anything from a box.

By SANDRA PEDICINIOrlando Sentinel

The holiday that celebrates love is met by many with apathy, and others with downright dread.

Only about 60 percent of Ameri-cans will celebrate Valentine’s Day today, making just about every other holiday except St. Patrick’s Day more popular.

And no, not everyone who sits on the Valentine sidelines is forlornly single.

For Tracy and Karen Wilson of Apopka, Fla., married 22 years with three children, both time and the economy have taken their toll on the holiday of love.

“We’ll still tell each other Happy Valentine’s Day and maybe get a card,” said Tracy Wilson, 42, who works for a paint-sales company. “That’s usually about as far as it goes.”

His wife was unemployed for a while, he said, and “we’ve kind of chosen to use the money for other things rather than ourselves.”

The slowly recovering economy is still putting a damper on the holi-day, with 55 percent of consumers in a PriceGrabber survey saying it has affected how much they spend on their sweeties.

The National Retail Federation predicts Americans will shell out an average of $130.97 on Valentine’s Day in 2013, up from $126.03 last year. Total spending will reach $18.6 billion.

But for some who forgo the fes-tivities, it can be a matter of prin-ciple rather than money.

“I think Valentine’s Day has gotten sort of commercialized. The opinion we hear is, it’s sort of a Hallmark holiday,” said Cathy McBreen, whose Millionaire Corner investors’ website found in a survey that 16 percent of married couples don’t celebrate.

Valentine’s Day actually started

hundreds of years ago. Still, count Sheryl Kurland of Longwood, Fla., among those who consider it too contrived.

“When you’re in a committed relationship or married, Valentine’s Day should be every day,” Kurland said.

The author of a book about cou-ples married half a century, Kurland has been wed 23 years herself. She and her husband, Steven, don’t con-sider celebrating Valentine’s Day a secret of marital bliss.

“I try to stay off the chocolate. It’s bad for you. Flowers die,” said Kurland, 55. “It’s just not something that I need.

“He’ll get me a card and write something real sweet on it, and we

kiss each other, and that’s our cel-ebration.”

Not everyone, of course, ignores Valentine’s Day by choice. People who aren’t married or dating often feel left out when they see all the celebrations of love surrounding them.

“It gets frustrating,” said Veronica Smith, 33, of Orlando, Fla., who has been single for several years. “It’s one of those holidays, if you’re by yourself, you know it for sure.”

But some restaurants are try-ing to court diners such as Smith, a high-school-attendance clerk. Maitland, Fla.-based Tijuana Flats is planning a singles’ night tonight, giv-ing out free beers. The chain wanted to bring in business on what used to

be a slow night, marketing director Ashley Montgomery said, because “it may not be the most romantic setting for a Valentine’s Day.”

Lil Indies will host Speed Hating, with drink specials and “appropri-ately sad tunes.” The bar encourages people on Facebook to “prepare yourself a list of things that you hate and cross your fingers that you can bond over grievances ... with some-one of the opposite or same sex.”

Smith, who used to watch the romantic movie “Sleepless in Seat-tle” at home alone each Feb. 14, has had a change of heart about how to spend the holiday.

This year, she’s considering tak-ing her nieces out to dinner at Ethos Vegan Kitchen, which will have din-ner, drink and dessert specials.

“You have to step outside and say, How can I make this day work for me and not feel lonely on it?’”

LOTS OF US DON’T LOVE VALENTINE’S DAY

Valentine’s Day events in the area

VALENTINE’S DERBY BOWL: Don’t have a Valentine this year? Come and join the girls (and a few guys) from Skagit Valley Roller Derby for a fun night out, from 7 to 9 p.m. today, Feb. 14, at the Commu-nity Bowling Center, 612 Met-calf St., Sedro-Woolley. Part of every dollar spent benefits the new local roller derby team. Games cost $3.50, shoes $2.25. 360-399-6188.

CONCERT d’AMOUR: with Jean Mann: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Anacortes Center for Happiness, 619 Commercial Ave. Enjoy live music, choco-late and more. Advance tickets: $15, $25 couple. $20 at the door. 360-464-2229 or www.anacortes centerforhappiness.org.


MOVIES

I t works like this. Girl meets boy, preferably in a quaint seaside town.

Happiness. They clash. Sad-ness. Gradually they realize opposites attract and fall in love. Happiness. But they cannot be together because of leukemia/dif-ficult parents/war/Alzheimer’s/a psychotic ex.

Sadness. They get together anyway. Happiness. Somebody dies. Huge sadness. But the sur-vivors lead richer, fuller lives for having known each other.

Happiness. Publish, collect mil-lions, turn the story into a film, collect more millions, repeat. Massive happiness. That’s the algorithm that has fueled Nicho-las Sparks’ success for the past decade and a half.

Sparks, a business finance major who sold pharmaceuti-cals before trying his hand at fiction, knows the value of a well-defined, reliable brand. Every romance novel he’s writ-ten — one a year since his 1996 debut, “The Notebook” — has been a New York Times best-seller. “Safe Haven” currently sits in the top three, and the film version, starring Julianne Hough (“Footloose”) and Josh Duhamel (“Transformers”) opens today.

It’s Sparks’ eighth film adap-tation, and we’re only halfway through his bookshelf. Mean-while, he’s developing a trio of TV series for ABC Family, TNT and Lifetime.

A 47-year-old “small-town guy,” Sparks lived in Watertown, Minn., as a child, and now lives with his wife and five kids in his-toric New Bern, N.C., not far from scenic Southport, where “Safe Haven” was filmed last year.

Sparks believes that what women want from a love story is “female characters that feel abso-lutely real. Characters that are flawed, because everyone is, yet self-aware enough to know their flaws and to try to get better.”

In “Safe Haven,” there comes a moment when Katie (the heroine, played by Hough) must decide to stay or go, and she decides based on her fear of what will happen to someone else. Combine all that and put

her in a situation where she can meet somebody. The kind of male character that when he loves, loves deeply, and not just for a couple of hours.

Duhamel, who had read the script the year before, was the first to be cast. He came to the project with some misgivings. “I wanted to do a Nicholas Sparks movie, but I wanted to do it in a different way. They run the risk of being compared to the ones

he’s done in the past. You want to separate yourself with something a little different.”

It wasn’t until he reconsidered it a year later that the story’s thriller and suspense elements convinced him it would stand apart.

“Even though the character didn’t feel the most dynamic” — his recently widowed shopkeep-er, Alex, spends a fair amount of time bashfully pining after

Hough’s Katie — “I loved the package. I’m a big fan of Lasse Hallstrom,” who directed the film straight off “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.”

He, Hallstrom and Sparks talked at length about how to make the character “less perfect,” Duhamel said. “He is having a hard time raising his kids and getting over the death of his wife.”

After repeatedly saving Planet

Earth from rampaging robots, his new part dials back Duhamel’s heroic stature considerably. “Safe Haven” features a peril-filled climax in which he does some brave things but doesn’t save the day. That turn of events allows Hough’s Katie, who has been fleeing a violent relationship, to step up and “fight the battle she needs to win,” the actress said. “People need to be secure and strong in their own beings before they can be with anybody else.”

The film dealt Hough, whose background is in dance, plenty of acting challenges, including an eyebrow-raising final revelation worthy of “The X-Files.”

“That actually came easy for me because I grew up very religious and spiritual. There’s something so beautiful about that moment in the book and the movie. It makes me cry.”

What came harder was to play a person who is mysterious and guarded. “It wasn’t easy to have my walls up and yet be accessible and likable and relatable so that we could have a relationship,” Hough said.

Sparks, who also produced the film, takes an active, hands-on, even argumentative role, he said. He decides who gets cast (he favors new actresses like Hough, having had good luck with Rachel McAdams) and who will direct (he had a good experience with Hallstrom on their earlier collaboration, “Dear John”).

When shooting commences, he backs off. “You don’t tell Josh, Julianne or Lasse how to do their jobs. That’s why you hired them.”

Hallstrom followed the same philosophy with his perform-ers, Duhamel said. “I never felt so trusted. He would listen to ideas, incorporate suggestions we made. What I love about his mov-ies, like “My Life as a Dog,” are these little slices of life that don’t necessarily move the movie for-ward but everybody can under-stand. We found an everyday thing for my character to deal with. The door to his store sticks, and he never gets around to fix-ing it. It’s not pivotal to the story, but everybody can relate to who that guy is.”

Sparks fly this Valentine’s Day with movie adaptation of ‘Safe Haven’

Story by COLIN COVERT / (Minneapolis) Star Tribune

Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough star in “Safe Haven.”Relativity Media via AP


THIS WEEKENDin the areaCELEBRATE BRAZIL The NWLA Cultural Center will host several events through Saturday, Feb. 13-16, at 5023 Langley Road, Langley: Capoeira workshop, with Mestre Silvio and mem-bers of Capoeira Seattle: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. Learn about this fluid and rhythmic Afro-Brazilian mar-tial art form. $35. Student discounts available. Preregis-traion required. “Medicinal Amazon”: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Satur-day, Feb. 16. Herbalist and ethnobotanist Dr. Steve Mor-ris, N.D., and his son Dr. Aaron Morris, N.D., will share their experiences of working with native healers and collecting medicinal plants in the Amazon rain forest. Participants will learn how to make their own healing salves and preparations with Amazonian botanicals. $35, includes all materials. Preregistration required. Brazilian cooking class: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Learn how to make authentic Brazilian feijoada, empadinhas, churrasco, pao de queijo and more. Learn how Brazil’s unique mix of cultures and nationalities has marked its cuisine. $35, includes a cookbook featur-ing the instructors’ recipes. Preregistration required. “Celebrate Brazil”: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. Enjoy an evening of food, dance and music, featur-ing a feast of traditional Brazilian specialties with enter-tainment by renowned Brazilian musician Eduardo Mendonca and ShowBrazil $75. Preregistration recom-mended. Package pricing is available for participation in mul-tiple events. Overnight accommodations are available in the Cultural Center’s guesthouse. For information or reservations, call 360-321-2101 or visit www.nwlanguageacademy.com.

GALAXIES, PLANETS & NEBULAS Explore the night sky and view distant galaxies, planets and nebulas beginning at dark Friday, Feb. 15, at Fort Nugent Park, 2075 SW Fort Nugent Road, Oak Harbor. No telescope is needed and all ages are welcome. Dress warmly. Canceled if cloudy. Free. For information, call Dan Pullen at 360-679-7664 or visit www.icas-wa.webs.com.

“ART ALOFT” The Stanwood Camano Arts Guild’s annu-al judged show will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16-17, at A Guilded Gal-lery, 8700 271st St. NW, Stanwood. The show will feature the best recent artwork by members of the guild, with prize ribbons awarded in five categories. Free admis-sion. 425-493-4422 or www.stanwoodcamanoarts.com

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL CONCERT Queens Bluegrass will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at Sedro-Woolley Community Church, 901 Talcott St., Sedro-Woolley. For information, call Ernest Queen at 360-856-1058.

Cannery Underground will perform original Northwest folk music with a touch of humor and a nautical twist from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Skagit County Historical Museum, 501 S. Fourth St., La Conner. Free with museum admission. $4, $3 seniors and ages 6 to 12, $8 families, free for members and ages 5 and younger. 360-466- 3365 or www.skagit county.net/museum.

IN CONCERT: CANNERY

UNDERGROUND


MUSIC CDS

Compiled from news services

REVIEWS

Eels“Wonderful, Glorious”

Fans of the Eels will be sur-prised to know that the band’s frontman, Mark “E” Everett, seems to have been lifted from his melan-choly — a sentiment that has inspired the band’s previous material. Even the title of the Eels’ 10th record, “Wonderful, Glori-ous,” oozes optimism.

The album’s opener exudes funk and sex appeal, thanks to E’s unique vocals. The song “Peach Blossom” is melodically interesting, with a pounding, rhythmical drum and angry guitar.

“On the Ropes” does hark back to the indie rockers’ original sad sound with lyr-ics like: “I’m not knocked out, but I’m on the ropes.” It’s reminiscent of moments on the band’s “Electro-Shock Blues” (1998) and “Blinking Lights and Other Revela-tions” (2005) albums. While “Wonder-ful, Glorious” is interesting and good, it doesn’t match up to the Eels’ previous work. We prefer E’s tortured soul.

n Sian Watson, Associated Press

Veronica Falls“Waiting for Something to Happen”

The second full-length album from indie pop’s Veronica Falls is a tasteful guitar pop set, brighter in tone than their first. The London foursome takes a communal approach to singing their lovely melodies and there is nothing remotely discordant about the affair.

The lyrics glorify the moments in between and aligned with the music play like anthems for the indecisive on “Wait-ing for Something to Happen.” These are songs about tiring of the people you hang out with, last conversations, the shortcom-ings of connectivity and the intersection of early adulthood.

It’s not that Veronica Falls shun respon-sibility (“They say act your age”) or compromise (“Driving late at night/I let you listen to the music you like”), they just don’t want to settle down (“Bury me alive”).

A few tracks take subtly winsome turns: the drizzle of classic British folk in the opener, the elliptical harmony on “Shoot-ing Star” and the chorus on “Falling Out” blossoming into their catchiest moment to date.

n Jake O’Connell, Associated Press

My Bloody Valentine“m b v”

Kevin Shields’ name belongs on the short list with such creators as Ralph Ellison, Henry Roth, Jeff Mangum (of Neutral Milk Hotel) and Axl Rose — guys whose towering artistic achievements in their youth loomed so large that for a pro-longed period they were either unable to continue producing new work or unable to stop fiddling with it and let it loose into the world.

In Shields’ case, the vehicle is My Bloody Valentine, the half English-half Irish, half male-half female rock band that invented and perfected the genre that came to be known as “shoegaze” with the 1991 gloriously messy, assaultive yet inti-mate 1991 Jackson Pollock drip painting of a rock album, “Loveless.”

In case you hadn’t heard, on Super Bowl eve Shields shocked the indie rock world by finally making good on his long-running promise to actually release the follow-up to “Loveless.”

The nine-song “m b v” is available for purchase only through mybloodyvalen-tine.net, and when it became available on Saturday it, “broke the Internet,” as they say, or at least caused the band’s servers to crash for a time, so it became quite dif-ficult to buy the thing.

“M b v” starts off sounding an awful like “Loveless” — not that that’s a bad thing — with cooing, Cocteau Twins-style whispery vocals by Shields or fabulously

named second guitarist Bilinda Butcher bleeding into a multilayered wall of guitar sound. In its middle passages, the martial drums and captivating melodies alive in the mix on songs like “If I Am” pull “m b v” in a pretty, almost pop direction.

Then the tone gets much more aggres-sive, as skittering drum ‘n’ bass beats work their way into the air-raid attack on not entirely successful tracks such as “In Another Way” and “Nothing Is.” Those songs suggest Shields is at long last searching for an MBV sound, but he hasn’t quite arrived there yet. Be patient: He just needs a little more time.

n Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite“Get Up!”

Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite first recorded together with the late blues legend John Lee Hooker. Listening to “Get Up!,” you can understand why the singer-songwriter and the harmonica great wanted to col-laborate more.

The 69-year-old Musselwhite is no slouch as a songwriter himself, but here he lets his harp do the talking — sweet and clean, storming and dirty, he provides all kinds of emotional shadings for Harper’s songs. And those songs are among the most hard-hitting of the 43-year-old’s career, both lyrically and musically. Harp-er’s got the blues, for sure, but he and Musselwhite skirt the usual cliches, from the acoustic-texture rumination “You Found Another Love (I Lost Another Friend)” to the Hookeresque strut of “I’m In, I’m Out, and I’m Gone,” the gospel-tinted “We Can’t End This Way,” and the heavy blues-rockers “I Don’t Believe a Word You Say” and “Blood Side Out.”

n Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Pi—ed Jeans“Honeys”

Pi—ed Jeans distill hardcore aggres-sion, working-class frustration and self-

conscious insecurity into a thick, heavy assault. The quartet won’t win over any-one not predisposed to the shouted and growled vocals and unrelenting volume of archetypal hardcore and sludgy, trudg-ing metal. But “Honeys,” their fourth album, is faultless on its own terms, mix-ing speedy punk rock (“Health Plan”), garage-psych blues stomps (“Loubs”), and scuzzy heavy metal (“Chain Worker”).

“You’re just another teenage adult, you’re frozen in time,” Matt Korvette yells, and he could be addressing him-self until he adds, “Still you’re past your prime.” From the lacerating address to a smug project manager in “Cafeteria Food” to the screaming chorus of “Bathroom Laughter” to the almost bouncy romp of “Cathouse,” “Honeys” is prime ugly, loud hardcore.

n Steve Klinge, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Wayne Shorter Quartet“Without A Net”

The title gives a big clue. Saxo-phonist/com-poser Wayne Shorter and his quartet engage in what his bassist John Patitucci calls “spontaneous composition,” pushing improvisation to the tune itself. The results make pianist Danilo Perez and drummer Brian Blade more powerful and the leader less so, although Shorter, 79, an elite jazz compos-er, seems to revel in the group creation.

But the CD should also come with an advanced-degree-of-difficulty warning, like a tough ski slope. The set of 11 origi-nals generates a good amount of quirky chaos along with the sublime spontaneity.

Take “S.S. Golden Mean,” where Short-er quotes the populist Cuban-jazz clas-sic “Manteca” before the tune devolves into rigorous swerves for initiates. The 23-minute “Pegasus” is oddly classical, the confluence of winds and orchestration making it sound stiff, albeit with spurts of jazzy froth and a calamitous, creative mid-section. It won me over by the end.

There are some mishits, but Shorter, to his credit, continues to be daring.

n Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer


By DIRK LAMMERSAssociated Press

Isaac Clarke has grown over the first two “Dead Space” games from a troubled systems engineer into a full-fledged action hero, so it would be naive to think that the series would not morph alongside its protagonist.

“Dead Space 3” (Electronic Arts, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, $59.99) has blossomed into a more pol-ished third-person sci-fi shooter, but it has lost a bit of its scare factor. It’s more tense than frightening, but it’s still a darn good game.

A more mentally stable Clarke returns for the game’s third installment, and he’s quickly called into battle to again fight scores of “necromorphs” — reanimated corpses — while investigating the mark-ers, the icons responsible for creation of the monsters.

Clarke again spends much of his time meandering through dimly lit spaceship corridors, but he does get to venture out onto the surface of the ice planet Tau Volantis, where maintaining body tem-perature is as important as cutting off creatures’ limbs. Other opportunities to float in zero gravity and rappel down a rocky cliff provide welcome diversions to cramped hallways.

The game’s biggest improvement is the new weapon crafting system, which can be used at any workbench in the game’s 19 chapters.

Bring the right parts and you can con-coct thousands of customized weapons with different combinations of frames, engines and tips.

Your creations can be further enhanced with acid-coated or electrified projectiles as well as circuits, which can improve

damage, reload speed, clip size or rate of fire. The goal here is to have a secondary weapon, such as an electric charge to stun or freeze the monsters, and a fast-shooting primary weapon like a pulse rifle to finish them off.

Thankfully, “Dead Space 3” didn’t change what has worked. Kinesis often comes in handy, allowing you to pick an object from a distance and toss it toward a necromorph. Who says you have to fight fairly?

Color-coded meters for health and sta-sis, Clarke’s special ability to slow down the necromorphs remain on his backpack, negating the need for the kind of heads-up display that too often clutters a game’s screen.

Ammo level is displayed just to the right of an aimed weapon.

A new co-op play mode adds a second protagonist, John Carver. He’s a great addition, though solo players will miss out on some optional quests that are available only when playing with two.

In either mode, the main story follows a linear track that has Clarke dismembering necromorphs as he gathers weapons parts or flight recorders, and solving puzzles to open doors or start up machines. Some of these missions begin to feel repetitive, but the fast-paced action makes up for a less compelling story.

Horror movie sequels have a hard time living up to the originals, and perhaps sci-fi video games face the same challenge. The yanked body trick in the flick “Para-normal Activity” is not going to get the same reaction in “Paranormal Activity 4.”

Still, unlike the aforementioned movie, “Dead Space 3” provides an enjoyable ride, even if you know there’ll be a leaper creeping up from behind.

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 4).

VIDEO GAMES

REVIEWS

Electronic Arts via AP

‘Dead Space 3’ a less scary, solid shooter


TRAVEL

VisitBritain via AP

Dr. Johnson’s House is a small museum in the 300-year-old townhouse where Samuel Johnson lived in London. Johnson was an author, critic and lexicographer who wrote “Dictionary of the English Language,” published in 1755.

By MICHELLE LOCKEAssociated Press

LONDON — Walking toward the George Inn on a drizzly evening, yellow light from its bustling Par-liament Bar spilling out on wet cobblestones, it’s easy to imagine the ghostly foot-steps of the past.

Is that a double-decker bus rumbling down the Borough High Street? Or a four-in-hand car-riage sweeping into the inn’s cobbled yard? And those commuters hurrying toward London Bridge — could one be an anxious Nancy bravely spiriting Oliver Twist to safety?

London is the kind of place where past and pres-ent, fiction and real-life swirl together in an ever-changing kaleidoscope. It’s why a fun way to explore the nooks and crannies of this sprawling city is to take a novel approach and look for places featured in your favorite books, or for the real-life hangouts of writers you admire.

Your choices are as var-ied as the many authors linked to London, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Look up a lexicon leg-end: “If a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” wrote author, critic and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, whose many pithy quotes also include “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.”

But did you know that Johnson worked as a hack writer to support himself before making it big with “A Dictionary of the Eng-lish Language” in 1755? You’ll learn about that and more — including his fond-ness for cats — at Dr. John-

son’s House, a small but charming museum set in the 300-year-old townhouse where he lived.

A statue of one of John-son’s cats, Hodge, sits in the courtyard in front of the house, while inside the col-lection includes 18th and 19th century prints as well as paintings, several manu-scripts and porcelain from the period.

If you are in need of refreshment, stroll around the corner to the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub on Fleet Street. Don’t be thrown off by the name, which sounds a little like the kind of place you might

find in the food court of an American mall.

This is the real deal: A tavern has been on the property since 1538, and what’s there now was rebuilt after the previous one burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. It’s associated with several literary figures, including Dickens.

Dickens of a time: Charles Dickens might be the quintessential London author. He lived here, worked here, campaigned for social justice here and set many famous scenes here.

When in London, take a page from a favorite book

Charles Dickens Muse-um: 48 Doughty St., www.dickensmuseum.com. Mon-day-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, 8 pounds ($12.40 U.S.).

St. Paul’s Cathedral: St. Paul’s Churchyard, www.stpauls.co.uk. Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last admission, 4 p.m.) Adults, 15 pounds ($23.40).

George Inn: 77 Borough High St., www.nationaltrust.org.uk/george-inn. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sundays, noon-10:30 p.m.

Dr. Johnson’s House: 17 Gough Square, www.drjohnsonshouse.org. From October-April, Monday-

Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. May-September, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays. Adults, 4 pounds, 50 pence ($7).

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese: 145 Fleet St., Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, noon-11 p.m.

Westminster Abbey: www.westminster-abbey.org/home. Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last admission 3:30 p.m.) and until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays (last admission 6 p.m.) Sat-urdays, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (last admission 1:30 p.m.). Sundays, worship only, no tourists. Adults, 18 pounds ($28).

Seeing the sites

AP file


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TRAVEL

Local travelSHORT TRIPS: Mount Vernon Parks

and Recreation offers travel opportuni-ties for participants ages 12 and older (adult supervision required for ages 18 and younger). For information or to register, call 360-336-6215.

Next up:Olympia Capitol Tour and Explora-

tion: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, departing from and returning to Hillcrest Park, Mount Vernon. Enjoy a private tour of the Legislature build-ing, no-host lunch and exploration of more local and historical attractions around Olympia. $61-$63. Register by Feb. 27.

Bellevue Botanical Garden and Washington Park Arboretum: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 19, departing from and returning to Hillcrest Park, Mount Vernon. Enjoy a docent-led tour of the botanical garden’s 53 acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands and natural wetlands. After a no-host lunch, check out the seasonal flora and fauna of the arboretum’s 230 acres on the shores of Lake Washington. Both

tours include walking up to one mile and uneven surfaces. $61-$63. Register by April 12.

TRAVELOGUE: “THRILL OF THE CHASE”: 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham. Travel on a mountain search for hidden treasures through prehistoric ruins in the Ameri-can Southwest. Learn about the life of 82-year-old Forrest Fenn, who hid his collection of American West artifacts valued at $3 million dollars, then left cryptic instructions on how to find it. The thrill? Whoever finds the 11th-century chest brimming with treasure can keep it! $3 suggested donation, free for museum members. 360-778-8930 or www.whatcommuseum.org.

STANWOOD SENIOR CENTER TRIPS: The Stanwood Senior Center offers occasional trips around the Puget Sound area and beyond, departing from and returning to the center, 7430 276th St. NW, Stanwood. For information or reservations, contact Sandy Kitchens at 360-629-7403.

A good starting point is 48 Doughty St., the house where Dickens lived and wrote from 1837-39. His first two children were born here and this is where he wrote “Oliver Twist” and “Nicholas Nickleby.”

The house, near the Rus-sell Square Underground station, is now home to the Charles Dickens Museum, which recently reopened after a major renovation. There are audio guides, a learning center and cafe and numerous artifacts, including the author’s writing desk and chair.

About a 20-minute walk from Doughty Street is St. Paul’s Cathedral, mentioned in several books and the place where David Copper-field took Clara Peggoty to show her the view of Lon-don from the top. You can get here by the Tube, taking Russell Square to St. Paul’s, which requires a change from the Piccadilly to Cen-tral line at Holborn.

From St. Paul’s it’s about a 15-minute stroll to Lon-don Bridge, which spans the Thames River. In Dickens’ “Great Expectations,” Pip crossed the bridge in great despair after learning that Estella was to be married to Drummle. In “Oliver Twist,” Nancy met with Mr. Brown-low on the bridge to conspire for Oliver’s safety. Of course, if you want to stand on the actual bridge from the 1830s, you’ll have to go to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where it was relocated, piece by piece, more than 40 years ago. The current London Bridge dates back to ye olde 1973.

Finish up your tour by crossing the bridge to the George Inn, which Dickens visited when it was a cof-fee house and mentions in “Little Dorrit.” This building, the last remaining galleried coaching inn in London, is a replacement, too, built after a fire destroyed the previ-ous inn. But in this case the “new” building was put up

in 1676.

See the final chapter: The Poets’ Corner at West-minster Abbey memorializes many of British literature’s greatest names. It’s a tradi-tion that started out slowly.

Geoffrey Chaucer was buried in the abbey when he died in 1400 because he had been Clerk of Works to the palace of Westminster, not because of his “Canterbury Tales.” But more than 150 years later, a bigger monu-ment was erected to honor Chaucer, and in 1599, the poet and author Edmund Spenser was buried nearby.

Other writers buried here include poets John Dryden, Lord Alfred Tennyson and Robert Browning, and authors Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy. A num-ber of other writers are buried elsewhere but com-

memorated at Poets’ Corner including John Milton, Percy Bysshe Shelley, T.S. Eliot, Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.

Some writers had a tough-er time than others making it into the corner. Shakespeare was buried at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616, but he didn’t get a monument until 1740. And the poet Lord Byron, a scandalous figure of his time, died in 1824 but he didn’t get a memorial until 1969.

Two of the graves are a fit-ting end to your literary tour. Johnson, who died in 1784 at age 75, is buried here, his grave marked by a plaque and a bust. And Dickens’ grave is also here, marked, at his instructions, only by a simple plaque inscribed with his name and the dates of his birth and death, Feb. 7, 1812, and June 9, 1870.

VisitBritain via AP

This photo shows a letter written by Samuel Johnson and a copy of the dictionary he wrote, which was published in 1755, beneath a stained glass plaque at Dr. Johnson’s House, a small museum in the 300-year-old townhouse where he lived in London.

E10 Thursday, February 14, 2013 Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com Thursday, February 14, 2013 E11

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area February 14-23 TUNING UP Playing at area venues February 14-21

Thursday.14THEATER

“Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

“It Runs in the Family” (comedy): 7:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

Friday.15OPERA

“Lucia Di Lammermoor”: Skagit Opera, 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyre hall.org.

THEATER“Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama):

8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.


Saturday.16MUSIC

What The Chelm (Klezmer): 7:30 p.m., Maple Hall, 104 Commercial Ave., La Con-ner. $15-$17, free for ages 17 and younger. 360-466-2665 or www.laconnerarts.com.

“Concert d’Amour” with Jean Mann: 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Center for Happiness, 619 Commercial Ave. Advance tickets: $15, $25 couple. $20 at the door. 360-464-2229 or www.anacortescenterforhappiness.org.

Cannery Underground (Northwest folk music): 6 to 8 p.m., Skagit County Histori-cal Museum, 501 S. Fourth St., La Conner. Free with museum admission. $4, $3 seniors and ages 6 to 12, $8 families, free for mem-bers and ages 5 and younger. 360-466-3365 or www.skagitcounty.net/museum.




Sunday.17OPERA

“Lucia Di Lammermoor”: Skagit Opera: 2 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. (special closing night repast after opera concludes, $75). 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER“It Runs in the Family” (comedy):

2:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

Monday-Thursday.18-21No events submitted

Friday.22THEATER

“Late Nite Catechism”: 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $25. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org.

Saturday.23THEATER


THURSDAY.14

FRIDAY.15

SATURDAY.16

NOMEANSNO: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $10-$12. 360-778-1067.

Leah Natale & Ambience (jazz): 6 to 9 p.m., Rock-fish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Mardi Love, Rat-tletrap Ruckus: 9 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. Free. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

Fat Lips Slim, Shorty and Mama Gumbo, Sky Colony: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $7 cover. 360-445-3000.

Ben Starner (piano): 8 to 10 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edi-son. 360-766-6266.

Silver City Band: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Bryan Nelson and Boomer (acoustic rock): 9 p.m., La Con-ner Pub & Eatery, 702 S. First St., La Conner. No cover. 360-466-9932.

Red Fang, Federation X, Uh-Oh: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $12-$15. 360-778-1067.

Scratch Daddy: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Edison. No cover. 360-766-6330.

Crow Quill Night Owls, Gallus Brothers: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $8. 360-778-1067.

The Walrus: 8:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

Andy Brown: 7:30 p.m., Con-way Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Con-way. 360-445-3000.


Wreckless Spend-ers: 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. No cover. 360-445-4733.

Sandy Sanders Band: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Rock-fish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

The Fat Tones: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

Eagle Teeth: 10 p.m. to mid-night, Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. $5. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY.14-16“STEEL MAGNOLIAS”

7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18.

360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

Gary B’s Church of the Blues (blues, classic rock): 6 to 10 p.m., Castle Tavern, 708 Metcalf St., Sedro- Woolley. 360-855-2263.

Bow Diddlers: 5:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

Knut Bell & The Blue Collars: 5 to 9 p.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. 360-445-4733.

Wyatt Parks & The Mute Choir, Dillion Warned and The Dismal Tide, Tim Mechling: 9 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $3. 360-778-1067.

Dog Shredder: 10 p.m. to midnight, Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $5. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

Spoonshine Duo: 6 to 9 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Rattletrap Ruckus: 8 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. Free. 360-927-1949 or www.redlightbelling ham.com.

SUNDAY.17 MONDAY.18 WEDNESDAY.20 THURSDAY.21

SATURDAY.16THE FAT TONES9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

E10 Thursday, February 14, 2013 Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com Thursday, February 14, 2013 E11

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area February 14-23 TUNING UP Playing at area venues February 14-21

Thursday.14THEATER

“Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.


Friday.15OPERA

“Lucia Di Lammermoor”: Skagit Opera, 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyre hall.org.




Saturday.16MUSIC

What The Chelm (Klezmer): 7:30 p.m., Maple Hall, 104 Commercial Ave., La Con-ner. $15-$17, free for ages 17 and younger. 360-466-2665 or www.laconnerarts.com.

“Concert d’Amour” with Jean Mann: 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Center for Happiness, 619 Commercial Ave. Advance tickets: $15, $25 couple. $20 at the door. 360-464-2229 or www.anacortescenterforhappiness.org.

Cannery Underground (Northwest folk music): 6 to 8 p.m., Skagit County Histori-cal Museum, 501 S. Fourth St., La Conner. Free with museum admission. $4, $3 seniors and ages 6 to 12, $8 families, free for mem-bers and ages 5 and younger. 360-466-3365 or www.skagitcounty.net/museum.




Sunday.17OPERA

“Lucia Di Lammermoor”: Skagit Opera: 2 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. (special closing night repast after opera concludes, $75). 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER“It Runs in the Family” (comedy):

2:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

Monday-Thursday.18-21No events submitted

Friday.22THEATER


Saturday.23THEATER


THURSDAY.14

FRIDAY.15

SATURDAY.16

NOMEANSNO: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $10-$12. 360-778-1067.

Leah Natale & Ambience (jazz): 6 to 9 p.m., Rock-fish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Mardi Love, Rat-tletrap Ruckus: 9 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. Free. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

Fat Lips Slim, Shorty and Mama Gumbo, Sky Colony: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $7 cover. 360-445-3000.

Ben Starner (piano): 8 to 10 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edi-son. 360-766-6266.


Bryan Nelson and Boomer (acoustic rock): 9 p.m., La Con-ner Pub & Eatery, 702 S. First St., La Conner. No cover. 360-466-9932.

Red Fang, Federation X, Uh-Oh: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $12-$15. 360-778-1067.

Scratch Daddy: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Edison. No cover. 360-766-6330.

Crow Quill Night Owls, Gallus Brothers: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $8. 360-778-1067.

The Walrus: 8:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

Andy Brown: 7:30 p.m., Con-way Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Con-way. 360-445-3000.


Wreckless Spend-ers: 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. No cover. 360-445-4733.

Sandy Sanders Band: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Rock-fish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

The Fat Tones: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

Eagle Teeth: 10 p.m. to mid-night, Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. $5. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY.14-16“STEEL MAGNOLIAS”

7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18.

360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

Gary B’s Church of the Blues (blues, classic rock): 6 to 10 p.m., Castle Tavern, 708 Metcalf St., Sedro- Woolley. 360-855-2263.

Bow Diddlers: 5:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

Knut Bell & The Blue Collars: 5 to 9 p.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. 360-445-4733.

Wyatt Parks & The Mute Choir, Dillion Warned and The Dismal Tide, Tim Mechling: 9 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $3. 360-778-1067.

Dog Shredder: 10 p.m. to midnight, Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bell-ingham. $5. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

Spoonshine Duo: 6 to 9 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Rattletrap Ruckus: 8 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. Free. 360-927-1949 or www.redlightbelling ham.com.

SUNDAY.17 MONDAY.18 WEDNESDAY.20 THURSDAY.21

SATURDAY.16THE FAT TONES9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.


GET INVOLVED

ARTMoNA VOLUNTEERS: The

Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St., La Conner, is looking for volunteers for its MoNA Link Program, which brings students into the museum for hands-on art lessons, student-centered discussion and literacy activ-ities. Volunteer tour leaders are given special training in the Visual Thinking Strate-gies, a method for encourag-ing student-led interpreta-tion of selected works of art.

The next training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the museum. Anyone with a background or interest in youth education and the arts is encouraged to apply. Con-tact Jasmine at 360-466-4446, ext. 106, or email [email protected].

WINTER GARDENS PHOTO CONTEST: Ama-teurs and professionals may submit up to two photos of previously unpublished images in Christianson’s Nursery’s 2013 Winter Gar-dens Photography Contest. Entries are due by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, at the nurs-ery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. The entry form can be downloaded at www.christiansonsnursery.com. Winners will be announced March 2; all entries will be exhibited March 2-3 during the annual Winter Hellebore Festival. 360-466-3821.

ART CLASSESBLACK CAT CONTEST:

Kids can enter the Black Cat Drawing Contest by March 1 as part of the 18th annual Black Cat Auc-tion in April to benefit the Humane Society of Skagit Valley. Children ages 5 to 16 can draw an animal or bird the shelter has offered for adoption, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, potbellied pigs, hamsters, rats, parakeets, cockatiels, chicken hens or roosters. A winner selected

from each age group — 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 — will be introduced during the April 6 evening auction, where the top 20 drawings will be featured as framed center-pieces and auctioned. Send or deliver drawings by March 1 to Ellie, Humane Society, 18841 Kelleher Road, Burlington, WA 98233, or call 360-757-0445.

FAMILY ART DAYS AT MoNA: The Museum of Northwest Art offers Fam-ily Art Days each month at MoNA, 121 S. First St., La Conner. Sessions are open to all ages and skill levels and include guided walk-throughs of MoNA exhibitions. Limited to 15 participants per session. To register: 360-466-4446, ext. 108, or [email protected]. Information: www.museumofnwart.org. Work-shops are free with museum admission. Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors, $3 stu-

dents, free for members and ages 11 and younger.

Next up:Line Wash Drawing:

with Rose Mary Tate, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23. Try this fun way to draw with india ink and a twig as a drawing tool, then add color with a watercolor wash.

INTRO TO ILLUSTRA-TION ART CLASSES: Bur-lington Parks and Recre-ation is offering a series of art classes for ages 8 to 14. Instructor Max Elam will introduce young artists to a variety of styles and art mediums. Each four-session class costs $45 (supplies included). To register, call 360-755-9649.

AUDITIONSFREE ADULT ACTING

CLASS: Anacortes Com-munity Theatre will present a series of acting classes for

adults from 10 a.m. to noon the third Saturday each month, beginning Feb. 16, at 918 M Ave., Anacortes. Classes will include scripted scenes and a variety of act-ing games, with a different topic each month: Feb. 16: audition technique; March 16: rehearsal; April 20: developing character; May 18: stage presence; June 15: performance. Each class will be independent; you don’t have to commit to every ses-sion. Information: 360-293-4373 or www.acttheatre.com.

DANCETHIRD FRIDAY DANCE:

Get moving with a rumba lesson at 7:30 p.m. followed by swing, ballroom, country and Latin dancing from 8:15 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the Sons of Nor-way Hall, 9910 270th St. NW, Stanwood. No partner necessary. Small fee at the door, includes predance lesson. 360-387-6842 or [email protected].

MUSICFREE MUSIC JAMS:

Come and play or just watch the fun at Cyndy’s Broiler, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. Free for participants and spectators.

Teen Jam: 7 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday each month.

Jam Night: 8 p.m. Thurs-days.

360-629-4800 or www.cyndysbroiler.com.

SKAGIT VALLEY MUSIC

CLUB: The club welcomes performers, listeners and guests at 1:45 p.m. Thurs-day, Feb. 28, at Vasa Hall, 1805 Cleveland St., Mount Vernon. Come and sing, play an instrument or just enjoy the music. Free. For information, call Marsha Pederson at 360-757-4906.

ON STAGEOPEN MIC: All ages: 7

p.m. Thursdays, The Soup Bowl at Common Ground, 351 Pease Road, Burling-ton. Signups begin at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome to perform or come to watch and listen. Free. For infor-mation, contact Tobie Ann at 425-870-6784.

OPEN MIC: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main St., Conway. Come and per-form or just enjoy the show. No cover. 360-445-3000 or www.conwaymuse.com.

RECREATIONPRESIDENTS DAY FUN

CLUB: For kids in grades K-6, noon to 5 p.m. Mon-day, Feb. 18, Skagit Family YMCA, 215 E. Fulton St., Mount Vernon. Activities will include LEGOs, swim-ming, art projects, gym games and more. $20 mem-bers, $30 program mem-bers. 360-336-9622 or www.skagitymca.org.

2013 SMELT RUN: The 16th annual 5K/10K Run, 2-Mile Walk and Kids’ Dash will take place Satur-day, Feb. 23, at La Conner Middle School, 305 N. Sixth St., La Conner. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., with the Kids’ Dash at 9:30 a.m., fol-lowed by the 5K/10K runs and 2-Mile Walk at 10 a.m. Dogs on a leash are wel-come to participate in the walk. Registration through Feb. 18: 5K/10K, $25; 2K Walk, $15, $30 families; after Feb. 18, add $5. Day-of-race registration available. Kids’ Dash, free for ages 18 months to 8 years, must be accompanied by an adult. T-shirts: $20, limited quanti-ty day of race. Trophies and other prizes will be awarded to the top male and female 5K/10K runners, with rib-bons to the top finishers in several age divisions. For information or entry forms, call 360-848-9336 or visit www.skagitsymphony.com.

WORKSHOPSBUILD YOUR OWN WEB-

SITE: Alternative Focus will offer two classes on design-ing and creating your own website at the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce Boardroom, upstairs at 819 Commercial Ave., Ana-cortes. No experience nec-essary, no software needed.

Part One: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. Class will cover choosing a tem-plate, choosing a domain name, planning a website and page layout. $25.

Part Two: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20. Topics will include advanced designing, key-words/meta data, linking, media and blogs. $25.

To register, call Karla Locke at 360-588-6968 or email at [email protected].

DIGITAL PHOTO EDIT-ING CLASSES: Alternative Focus will offer two classes on digital photo editing with Adobe Lightroom on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce Boardroom, upstairs at 819 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. Both class-es are suitable for novices to intermediate users.

Part I: Adobe Lightroom Library: 10 a.m. to noon. The class will cover import-ing, organizing and ranking images, editing basics, batch edits, exporting images, exporting tricks, presets and collections.

Part II: Lightroom Develop Module: Digital Darkroom Techniques: 1 to 4 p.m. Class will cover local adjustments, advanced editing, exploring unique images with the presets, develop module workflow and when to use Adobe Photoshop.

Cost: $40 afternoon ses-sion only, $65 both sessions. To register, call Karla Locke at 360-588-6968 or email at [email protected].

The 16th annual Smelt 5K/10K Run, 2-Mile Walk and Kids’ Dash will take place Saturday, Feb. 23, at La Conner Middle School in La Conner. See 2013 Smelt Run under Recreation.


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Wave Broadband | CABLE :: INTERNET :: PHONEHOT TICKETSLEFTOVER SALMON: Feb. 15, Nep-

tune Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

SEATTLE ROCK ORCHESTRA: Feb. 16, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

PILOBOLUS: Feb. 16, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. 425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org.

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Feb. 16-17, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.show boxonline.com.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS: Feb. 17, Comcast Arena at Everett. 866-332-8499 or www.comcastarenaeverett.com.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME: Feb. 19, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

EELS: Feb. 19, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com.

FEED ME, TEETH: Feb. 20-21, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

GALACTIC: FEATURING COREY GLOVER: Feb. 22, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

MICHAEL KAESHAMMER: Feb. 22, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds.

STS9: Feb. 22, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

AARON NEVILLE: Feb. 23, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham. 360-734-6080 or www.mountbakertheatre.com.

IVAN & ALYOSHA: Feb. 23, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.show boxonline.com.

PENNYWISE, LAGWAGON: Feb. 23, Show-box SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

TILTED THUNDER RAIL BIRDS: Banked Track Roller Derby: Feb. 24, Comcast Arena at Everett. 866-332-8499 or www.comcast arenaeverett.com.

HEY MARSEILLES: March 1, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

MARC MARON (comedy): March 1, Nep-tune Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

NEWSBOYS: March 1, Temple Theatre, Tacoma. 855-443-8499 or LMGconcerts.com.

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!: March 1-2, The Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND: March 2, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

MOE: March 2, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com.

ANBERLIN: March 3, Showbox at the Mar-ket, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE: March 6, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT: March 8, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: March 9, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds.

425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org.MAROON 5, WITH NEON TREES & OWL

CITY: March 11, KeyArena, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.livenation.com.

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO: March 13, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. 425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org.

BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS: March 14, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

LUCKY 2013: March 15, WaMu Theater, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

HOODIE ALLEN: March 20, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

NICK OFFERMAN: March 21, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation.com.

MOISTURE FESTIVAL: comedy/variety: March 21-April 14, Seattle. www.moisture festival.org.

VOLBEAT: March 22, Showbox at the Mar-ket, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

BRIAN REGAN: March 23, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.live nation.com.

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNK-ADELIC: March 23, Showbox at the Market. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

MAJOR LAZER: March 26, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com.

ANDREW MCMAHON: March 26, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

DEMETRI MARTIN: March 27, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

THE SPECIALS: March 27, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com.

DIRTYPHONICS: March 28, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND: March 29, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-745-3000 or www.livenation.com.

CLUTCH: March 29, Showbox at the Mar-ket, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

LOTUS: March 30, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

KMFDM, LEGION WITHIN, NIGHTMARE FORTRESS: March 30, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com.

PEARL DJANGO, ANNE GRIFFITH: March 30, Sudden Valley Dance Barn, Bellingham. 360-671-1709 or www.suddenvalleylibrary.org.

ANTHRAX, EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL: March 31, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com.

RIHANNA: WITH A$AP ROCKY: April 3, 2013, KeyArena, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.livenation.com.

STEPHEN LYNCH: April 4, Neptune The-atre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.live nation.com.

NANCI GRIFFITH: April 5, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. 425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org.


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By RICH HELDENFELSAkron Beacon Journal

Q: Onscreen credits that use “and” after so many stars are named seem unfair to those mentioned after the “and.” On “CSI” (the Las Vegas one) after everyone else is named we see “and” Paul Guifoyle. On “Law & Order: SVU” we see “and” Dann Florek. These people contribute greatly and the quality of the show would certainly suffer without them. Don’t you think these folks should be treated equally on the credits or is something else afoot?

A: Actually, that “and” is treating the actors better than regulars whose names are bunched together. The “and” sets the performers apart — not unlike the box you will see around some performers’ names in ads. Alec Baldwin, who was inarguably the second most-important player on “30 Rock” (after Tina Fey), was listed after other regulars in the opening credits — but with that “and.” Powers Boothe, an Emmy winner and distinguished actor who plays Rayna’s father on “Nashville,” gets the “and” in that show’s credits.

To be sure, credits can be complicated, as you can tell by noting there are stars, featured players, guest stars, special guest stars and so on — as well as names placed strategically onscreen, or in different type sizes. For instance, on “Two and a Half Men,” the names of stars Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher are onscreen side-by-side; Cryer is on the left, so your eye catches his name first, but Kutcher’s is higher up in the frame.

Q: I would like to know if the show “Leverage” is com-ing back for another season.

A: TNT decided not to continue the series. In fact, its future was uncertain enough that, like many shows, it designed a season finale that could also serve as a closing to the show if no more epi-sodes were made.

Q: I watched a movie the other day called “Enemy Mine.” I was very taken aback by the makeup on Louis Gossett Jr. My ques-tion is how long each day did it take to put it on?

A: In the 1985 film Gos-sett played an alien opposite Dennis Quaid’s earthling on a distant planet. Gossett’s makeup transformation was so considerable that the Los Angeles Times said that, except for Gossett’s height, “there is absolutely nothing recognizable about him.” According to the Chicago Tribune: “At the outset it was necessary for Gossett to spend seven hours in the makeup chair” although later that was reduced to three hours to get him made up (and a couple of more hours to remove everything). Still, said the Tribune, “Gossett’s face became raw and sore. The double set of contact lenses burned his eyes, caus-ing his vision to blur.”

Making the film overall proved very complicated; it changed directors after pro-duction began, which led to a shift in shooting locations and a redesign of Gossett’s make-up — all adding up to months of delays. But Gossett and Quaid were paid the entire time and, according to a 1985 Times story, Gossett “had never made so much money on a project in his life.”

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By RICHARD ROEPERChicago Sun-Times

W ith “Beautiful Crea-tures,” we continue the seemingly inevi-

table march toward a cin-ematic America with a pop-ulation 50 percent human and 50 percent “other,” including but not limited to superheroes, mutants, vam-pires, zombies, werewolves, mummies, fairies, angels, witches, ghosts, demons and the undefined undead.

Though not specifi-cally conceived to fill the void left by the merciful departure of the $2 billion “Twilight” franchise, com-parisons are inevitable, as we’re again presented with a story about a smart, seri-ous, semi-loner high school student with a single parent who falls for a mysterious newcomer with powers far beyond what the mere mortal can conceive. (Not to mention a seriously dys-functional extended family.)

One big difference: This time around it’s the boy who’s the human and the girl who has the ability to make magic, both wondrous and dark. Also, “Beautiful Creatures” has a much bet-ter sense of humor about itself than the “Twilight” movies, with most of the grown-up actors delivering performances leaning more toward the devilishly campy than the straightforward and dramatic.

Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Emma Thomp-son, Oscar nominee Viola Davis and the wickedly lovely Emmy Rossum are all having great fun in this movie. If only that approach extended to the two young leads, who spend so much time brooding and lament-ing and trying to figure out the rules of the supernatu-

ral game they don’t seem to be enjoying themselves at all.

Based on the first of the four “Caster Chronicles” young-adult novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and directed with consid-erable style by Richard LaGravenese, “Beautiful Creatures” is told mostly from the POV of teenager Ethan Wate (Alden Ehren-reich), who can’t wait to escape a town so backward you’d think they’d never

seen “Footloose.”Immersing himself in

seminal 20th-century lit-erature by the likes of Von-negut and Salinger, eager to shed the prayer-happy ex-girlfriend who refuses to believe they’re really over, Ethan is plagued and intrigued by a recur-ring dream on a Civil War battlefield not far from his home. When Lena Duch-annes (Alice Englert) arrives at school on the wings of a hundred rumors

about her family and their devil-worshipping ways, Ethan is convinced he’s met the girl of his dreams. THE dream.

The Bible-thumping townsfolk — and they come “thisclose” to actually thumping their Bibles — believe Lena and her clan are the spawn of Satan or at the very least witches, and you know what? They’re not far off.

Turns out Lena is a “Cast-er,” with her supernatural powers growing stronger every day as she approaches her 16th birthday, upon which she will be subjected to the Claiming, and ...

Well, suffice to say there are many stipulations and potentially tragic land mines ahead, and “Beauti-ful Creatures” stops in its tracks from time to time so Lena or one of her relatives can outline the rules, as if we’re all attending an elab-

orately costumed theme dinner party populated by actors who refuse to break character as they mill about, spinning their tale.

It would all be pretty tedious, goth-youth silliness if not for the considerable delights provided by the aforementioned veterans in the supporting cast. Dressed in elaborate finery that does not look like it came off the rack, Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons) lurks about the family mansion like a modern-day Boo Radley. (In case we don’t get the reference, we’re told flat-out he’s like a modern-day Boo Radley because, of course, Ethan has read “To Kill a Mockingbird,” even though it’s on the extensive list of the town’s banned books.)

All Casters are either Dark or Light (think “Oz” and good witch/bad witch), and Macon is a Dark Caster,

but he tries to keep those impulses in check as he carefully watches over Lena, who will learn her true nature on her 16th birthday.

There’s no such impulse control when it comes to the evil Sarafine (Emma Thompson) and the sala-cious Ridley (Emmy Ros-sum). They are Dark Cast-ers through and through, and they’re rolling in it. Sarafine can assume the identity of humans and cause all kinds of trouble from within, while Ridley is like a temptress in a Super Bowl commercial, roaring into town in a red BMW convertible and having her way with the boys.

“Beautiful Creatures” springs to life whenever Irons, Thompson or Rossum is center stage. (We also see fine work from Viola Davis, though she’s stuck with a cliched role as a perpetu-ally concerned mother fig-ure who knows a lot more about the town’s cursed history than anyone.) The grown-ups get to wear all the coolest costumes and spout all the juiciest lines.

Problem is, this isn’t their story. It’s first and fore-most a semi-plodding teen romance with supernatural overtones. Ehrenreich is saddled with a character whose primary strength is his irritating persistence. As was the case with Bella and her lip-biting, shoe-staring ways, we wonder why anyone in the super-natural community would be so smitten. Alice Englert (daughter of director Jane Campion) is a promising talent, but there’s not a ton of depth to Lena, either.

Maybe that’s because she’s 15, and even when you’re a Caster, at 15 your most interesting days are still in front of you.

MOVIES

Veteran cast, humor offset goth-youth nonsense

Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

Alden Ehrenreich and Viola Davis star in “Beautiful Creatures.”

‘BEAUTIFUL CREATURES’HH 1⁄2

Ethan Wate ...................................... Alden EhrenreichLena Duchannes .................................... Alice EnglertMacon Ravenwood ................................. Jeremy IronsAmma ..................................................... Viola DavisRidley Duchannes ................................ Emmy RossumLink .....................................................Thomas MannSarafine ......................................... Emma Thompson

n Running time: 124 minutes. MPAA rating: PG-13 (for violence, scary images and some sexual material).


MOVIES

MINI-REVIEWSCompiled from news services.Ratings are one to four stars.

“Argo” — Ben Affleck directs and stars in the incred-ible true story of how, at the height of the Iranian hostage crisis, a CIA agent and a cou-ple of Hollywood professionals dreamed up a cockamamie scheme to free six Americans who were not being held in the American Embassy but had found refuge with the Cana-dian Embassy. Kept top secret for 18 years, the operation created a fake sci-fi produc-tion named “Argo,” convinced the Iranians it was real and used it to spirit the Americans out of the country. With lots of tension and also some humor from John Goodman and Alan Arkin as the Hollywood pros involved. Drama, R, 120 min-utes. HHHH “Identity Thief” — The pair-ing of Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy in a road trip comedy seems inspired. They’re two unique comedic talents who always put an interesting spin on a line or a double take, whether starring in sitcoms or effortlessly swip-ing scenes in big-screen fare. Unfortunately, “Identity Thief” is a depressingly predictable road-trip buddy comedy that’s far more interested in car chases, lame shootouts, physi-cal shtick and cheap schmaltz than creating anything original. Comedy, R, 112 minutes. HH “Life of Pi” — A miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery. Inspired by a world-wide best-seller that seemed unfilmable, it is a triumph over its difficulties. It is also a moving spiritual achievement. The story involves the 227 days that its teenage hero (Suraj Sharma) spends drifting across the Pacific in the same lifeboat as a Bengal tiger. The movie quietly combines various religious traditions to enfold its story in the wonder of life. How remarkable that these two mammals, and the fish beneath them and birds above them, are all here. Fan-tasy, PG, 125 minutes. HHHH “Lincoln” — Steven Spiel-berg’s new film focuses on only a few months of Lincoln’s life, including the passage of the 13th Amendment ending slavery, the surrender of the Confederacy and his assas-sination. Rarely has a film attended more carefully to the details of politics. Daniel Day-Lewis creates a Lincoln who is calmly self-confident, patient

and willing to play politics in a realistic way. Not about an icon of history, but about a president who was scorned by some of his opponents as a hayseed from the backwoods. He understood them better than they did him. Sure to win many Academy Award nomi-nations. Drama, PG-13, 149 minutes. HHHH “Mama” — To the credit of director Andy Muschietti, his co-writing team and a first-rate cast, “Mama” succeeds in scaring the wits out of us and leaving some lingering, deeply creepy images, despite indulging in many horror-film cliches. Movies like “Mama” are thrill rides. We go to be scared and then laugh, scared and then laugh, scared and then shocked. And of course, there’s almost always a little plot left over for a sequel. It’s a ride horror fans would take again. Horror, PG-13, 100 min-utes. HHH “Safe Haven” — Directed by the versatile Lasse Hallstrom and starring the attractive duo of Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough, “Safe Haven” is yet another entry in the Nicholas Sparks book-to-movie factory that has given us “The Note-book,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Dear John,” etc. For 90 per-

cent of the journey, it’s a solid movie for those in the mood for some good old-fashioned, great-looking-couple-gets-caught-in-the-rain romance. Then something happens at the very end that’ll make you question the film’s sanity. Romantic thriller, PG-13, 115 minutes H1⁄2 “Side Effects” — Rooney Mara stars as an edgy young woman named Emily whose husband (Channing Tatum) has been released after four years in prison for insider trad-ing. Things don’t go smoothly for Emily and she’s referred to a psychiatrist (Jude Law), who prescribes a new drug named Ablixa. The drug causes some alarming behavior as director Steven Soderbergh draws us into a vortex of whispers that something haunted and pos-sessed is going on. Thriller, R, 105 minutes. HHH1⁄2 “The Impossible” — The tsu-nami that devastated the Pacif-ic Basin in the winter of 2004 remains one of the worst natu-ral disasters in history. Many around the world sat mesmer-ized, watching the news on TV -– again and again, that towering wall of water looming from the sea, tossing trucks, buses and its helpless victims aside. In this terrifying triumph

of special effects, Juan Anto-nio Bayona’s film becomes a powerful story of a family’s cohesive strength. With Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland. Drama, PG-13, 114 minutes. HHHH “Warm Bodies” — Here’s a bloody, fresh twist on the most popular horror genre of this century, with none-too-subtle echoes of a certain star-crossed romance that harkens back to a certain Bard who placed a certain young Romeo under a certain balcony. A well-paced, nicely directed, post-apocalyptic love story, it has a terrific sense of humor and the, um, guts to be unabash-edly romantic and unapologeti-cally optimistic. A lot of zombie movies have heart, but usually the heart ends up on some-one’s plate. Comedy horror, PG-13, 97 minutes. HHH1⁄2 “Zero Dark Thirty” — Two hours of watching a loner CIA strategist who knows she is right — and the payoff that she is. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, providing the film with a timely heroine. Lots of murky action in the big cap-ture and death, but lacking the split-second timing and relent-less action of director Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.” Thriller, R, 157 minutes. HHH

AT AREA THEATERSANACORTES CINEMASFeb. 14-21 One Life (NR): Thursday, Feb. 21: 7 p.m. The Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto (NR): Saturday: 9:55 a.m. A Good Day to Die Hard (R): Thursday: 1:20, 3:45, 6:50; Friday-Sunday: 1:20, 3:45, 6:50, 9:00; Monday-Wednesday: 1:20, 3:45, 6:50; Thursday: 1:20, 3:45 Safe Haven (PG-13): Thursday: 1:00, 3:35, 6:30; Friday-Sunday: 1:00, 3:35, 6:30, 9:05; Monday-Thursday: 1:00, 3:35, 6:30 Identity Thief (R): Thursday: 1:10, 3:40, 6:40; Friday: 1:10, 3:40, 6:40, 9:10; Satur-day: 3:40, 6:40, 9:10; Sunday: 1:10, 3:40, 6:40, 9:10; Monday-Thursday: 1:10, 3:40, 6:40 360-293-7000

BLUE FOX DRIVE-INOak Harbor 360-675-5667

CASCADE MALL THEATRESBurlington For listings: 888-AMC-4FUN (888-262-4386).

CONCRETE THEATREFeb. 15-17 Beasts of the Wild (PG-13): Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 5 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 4 p.m. 360-941-0403

OAK HARBOR CINEMASFeb. 14-21 Silver Linings Playbook (R): Thursday, Feb. 14: 12:55, 3:30, 6:30 Escape from Planet Earth 2D (PG): Friday-Sunday: 12:55, 3:00, 6:50, 8:50; Monday-Thursday: 12:55, 3:00, 6:50 Beautiful Creatures (PG-13): Thursday: 12:45, 3:20, 6:30; Friday- Sunday: 12:45, 3:20, 6:30, 9:05; Monday-Thursday: 12:45, 3:20, 6:30 A Good Day to Die Hard (R): Friday-Sunday: 12:50, 3:10, 6:40, 9:00; Monday-Thursday: 12:50, 3:10, 6:40; Thursday: 12:50, 3:10, 6:40 360-279-2226

STANWOOD CINEMASFeb. 14-21 One Life (NR): Thursday, Feb. 21: 7 p.m. The Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto (NR): Saturday: 9:55 a.m. Beautiful Creatures (PG-13): 1:00, 3:30, 6:30, 9:00 A Good Day to Die Hard (R): 1:20, 3:35, 7:10, 9:20 Safe Haven (PG-13): 1:10, 3:35, 6:40, 9:05 Identity Thief (R): 1:05, 3:15, 6:50, 9:10 Warm Bodies (PG-13): Thursday-Friday: 1:15, 3:20, 7:00, 9:15; Saturday: 3:20, 7:00, 9:15; Sunday-Wednesday: 1:15, 3:20, 7:00, 9:15; Thursday: 1:15, 3:20, 9:15 360-629-0514

AT THE LINCOLN THEATRE

712 S. First St., Mount Vernon360-336-8955 n www.lincolntheatre.org

‘Anna Karenina’7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14

The “Anna Karenina” story unfolds in its original late 19th-century Russia high-society setting and explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna questions her happi-ness, change comes to her family, friends and community. Directed by Joe Wright; starring Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen.

Rated R. $10 general; $9 seniors, students and active military; $8 members; $7 children 12 and under. Bargain matinee prices (all shows before 6 p.m.): $8 general, $6 members, $5 children 12 and under.

‘The Met: Live in HD – Rigoletto’ 9:55 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16

Director Michael Mayer places his new production of Verdi’s towering tragedy in 1960s Las Vegas. Inspired by the antics of the Rat Pack, Piotr Beczala is the woman-izing Duke of Mantua, Željko Lucic is his tragic sidekick, Rigoletto, and Diana Damrau is Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda. Enjoy a pre-opera lecture with Stassya Pacheco at 9:25 a.m. Box lunches available by pre-order. $23 adults; $19 seniors; $16 students and children, with $2 off for Lin-coln members.

‘Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock’7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16

Experience Hendrix’s August 1969 Woodstock concert on the big screen and in surround sound. The perfor-mance includes “Voodoo Child,” “Fire,” “Purple Haze,” “Foxey Lady” and his dramatic interpretation of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Directed by Grammy Award-winner Bob Smeaton. $14, with $2 off for Lincoln members.

‘Modern Times’3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17

Charlie Chaplin’s classic features his last outing as the Little Tramp and his first film to acknowledge the 20th century. Proceeds will benefit the Lincoln’s Digi-tal Futures Campaign. Free, donations to the campaign appreciated.

‘Argo’7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21

The Oscar-nominated film is based on the real-life rescue in 1980 of six Americans — including Mark Lijek and Cora Amburn-Lijek of Anacortes — from Iran. The movie follows a CIA and Canadian secret mission to extract the diplomats from the Iranian revolution. Lijek and Amburn-Lijek will talk about their experiences before and after the movie on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Rated R. $10 general; $9 seniors, students and active military; $8 members; $7 children 12 and under. Bargain matinee prices (all shows before 6 p.m.): $8 general, $6 members, $5 children 12 and under.


OUT & ABOUT

ARTLORNA LIBERT: OILS:

The show of new paintings continues through Feb. 25 at Scott Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave., Ana-cortes. Also showing are abstract oils by Carole Bar-rer, watercolors by Jan Gel-latly, photograph encaustics by Kathy Hastings and watercolors by Keith Sorenson. Gallery hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 360-293-6938 or www.scott milo.com.

NEW PAINTINGS: A show of new paintings on canvas and paper by Anne Martin McCool continues through Feb. 28 at Anne Martin McCool Gallery, 711 Commercial Ave., Ana-cortes. The show will also feature works by other gal-lery artists, including paint-ings and prints, sculptures, glass, ceramics, jewelry, turned wood, baskets and handwoven scarves. Gal-lery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or by appoint-ment. 360-293-3577 or www.annemartinmccool.com.

“GHOSTS”: The exhibi-tion continues through Feb. 24 at Anchor Art Space, 216 Commercial Ave., Ana-cortes. Participating pho-tographers and video artists reflect on the human desire to record and venerate our memories, exploring the ways memory shapes who we are and who we long to be. Featured artists include Bill Finger, Ford Gilbreath, Michelle Alexis Newman, Forrest Kahlil Perrine, Jus-tin Colt Beckman and Joe Rudko. Curated by Caitlin Argyle. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. www.anchorartspace.org.

ART FOR HEARTS & HAMMERS: The benefit

art show continues through Feb. 25 at Rob Schouten Gallery, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. More than 30 Whidbey Island artists will participate in the exhibit, with a portion of the pro-ceeds going to benefit South Whidbey’s Hearts and Hammers, whose volunteers help Whidbey residents who are unable physically or financially to care for their homes. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends (Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment). 360-222-3070 or www.robschouten gallery.com.

“ARTISTS IN LOVE: With Life and Each Other”: The sixth annual “Love Month” art show continues through Feb. 28 at Raven Rocks Gallery, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. The exhibition features Mary Jo Oxrieder’s latest miniature paintings, handmade art cards and more; new paint-ings in Windwalker Taibi’s “Ravens in Love” series; and whimsical lizard and fish pen and ink creations by Tim Potter. For infor-mation, including gallery hours and directions, call 360-222-0102 or visit www.ravenrocksgallery.com.

MASTERS OF CHI-NESE ART: Allied Arts of Whatcom County and the Chinese Cultural Festival is hosting “Masters of Chi-nese Art” through Feb. 23 at the Allied Arts Gallery, 1418 Cornwall Ave., Bell-ingham. The show features three well-known artists from China: Benxing Wang, specializing in seal cutting, currently on exhibit at the United Nations; Lipeng Wang, a contemporary Chi-nese painter with studios in China, New York and Can-ada; and Zhensheng Liu, a prominent Chinese cal-ligrapher. Gallery hours are

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. 360- 676-8548 or www.alliedarts.org.

“IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR GRANDMOTHERS: Contemporary Art of the N.W. Coast and Ancestral Tradition”: The exhibit continues through March 24 at Gallery Cygnus, 109 Commercial St., La Con-ner. The show features

artworks by John Goodwin, Macah and Peter Dun-thorne from Upper Skagit. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. 360-708-4787 or www.gallerycygnus.com. A reception for the artists will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. 360-708-4787 or www.gal lerycygnus.com.

MoNA EXHIBITIONS: Two new exhibits continue through March 13 at the Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St., La Conner.

“Eduardo Calderón: Portraits of 20 Northwest Artists”: Calderón inter-viewed a cross section of Northwest artists rang-ing in age, background and mediums each uses to make art, and photo-graphed the artists in their homes. The exhibition includes Calderón’s audio and transcribed interviews with the artists about influ-ences, backgrounds and what brought them to the Northwest (if the artist was not already a native). The show also includes works by each artist.

“Black and White Color Study from the Permanent Collection”: Presenting black, a symbol for sophis-tication and authority, and white, which suggests purity and neutrality, the exhibi-tion offers an atypical look at the Northwest palette. Plus, excerpts from studies that tackle the question, “Are black and white col-ors?” as well as the science and history behind black and white.

Museum hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. $8, $5 seniors, $3 students, free for members and ages 11 and younger. 360-466-4446 or www.museumofnwart.org.

“CHICANITAS: SMALL PAINTINGS FROM THE CHEECH MARIN COLLEC-TION”: The show continues through March 24 at the Whatcom Museum’s Light-catcher Building, 250 Flora St., Bellingham. The show features 65 paintings from actor/comedian Cheech Marin’s collection by 26 Mexican-American art-ists – averaging 16 inches square and smaller and

ranging from photo-realism to portraits to landscapes. Museum hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; open until 8 p.m. Thursdays and at 10 a.m. Saturdays. $10, $8 student/senior/military, $4.50 ages 4 and younger. $5 reduced admission on Thursdays. 360-778-8930 or www.what commuseum.org.

“SURFACE”: Artworks by Northwest printmakers Twila Tate, Theo Jonsson and Jean Behnke are on display through March 1 at the Skagit Valley College Art Gallery, located in the Gary Knutzen Cardinal Center on SVC’s Mount Vernon campus. The three Skagit Valley artists investigate surface tension through the use of pattern, texture, rhythm, line and color to create abstract and representational composi-tions. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon-day through Friday. 360-416-7812.

BIENNIAL ART SHOW: Western Washington Uni-versity’s “Departments of Art and Design Biennial” continues through March 9 at the Western Gallery, located on the WWU cam-pus in Bellingham. The show features a variety of work by 18 artists — fac-ulty from Western’s Art and Design departments, including invited tempo-rary and past faculty and staff members. One over-arching theme is collabo-ration, not only in terms of focusing on the artist team, but also in allowing the viewer to participate. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays when the gallery is open until 8 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. 360-650-3900 or westerngallery.wwu.edu.

LA CONNER QUILT MUSEUM REOPENSAfter weeks of interior restoration work, the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, 703 Second St., La Conner, will reopen today with a new show, “Color, Design, & Inspiration: Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably.” It continues through March 24. Fassett and Mably are well-known quilters, fabric designers, knitters and authors. The exhibit will feature both quilts and knitting. Sponsored by the Camano Island Quilters. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $7, $5 students and military, free for members and ages 11 and younger. 360-466-4288 or www.laconner quilts.com.


AT THE ANACORTES MUSEUM: “Young Man in a Hurry: The Life of Isaac Stevens and the 150th Anni-versary of the Civil War” is on display at the Anacortes Museum’s Carnegie Gallery, 1305 Eighth St., Anacortes. As Washington Territory’s first territorial governor and superintendent of Indian Affairs, Stevens pushed through treaties with Indian tribes that set off the region’s Indian Wars and still create controversy today. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Wednesday) and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 360-293-1915 or museum.cityofanacortes.org.

FESTIVALSSNOW GOOSE & BIRD-

ING FESTIVAL: The eighth annual Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23-24, with a variety of activities at the Floyd Norgaard Cul-tural Center, 27108 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. Events are scheduled both days at several locations around Stanwood and Camano Island. Enjoy guided and unguided birding tours, art shows, displays and presen-tations, kids’ activities and more. Advance registration required for guided tours. Some events require a small fee. www.snowgoosefest.org.

LECTURES AND TALKS

“MENTAL ILLNESS AND GUN VIOLENCE”: The Fidalgo Democrats will host a discussion at 7 p.m. today, Feb. 14, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Panelists will include Jonathon Vander Schuur, M.S., licensed mar-riage and family therapist; Paul Nielson, deputy pros-ecutor for the Skagit Coun-

ty Mental Health Court; and a representative from NAMI-Skagit, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. A moderated question and answer period will follow. Refreshments will be avail-able. Bring a nonperishable food donation for the food bank. 360-293-7114.

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: Noemi Ban will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Arntzen Hall, Room 100, at Western Washington University, Bellingham. The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp survivor will tell how she lost most of her family in the Nazi death camps, and how she shares her story to inspire current and future generations to prevent similar genocides from happening. Free, but reservations required: 360-650-4529 or www.wce.wwu.edu/NWCHE.

“THE ROAD NOT TAKEN”: Hilaree O’Neill will offer an inspirational look at the depths of human endurance and teamwork while sharing her journeys at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center, 7400 272nd St. NW, Stanwood.

In 2012, O’Neill climbed Mount Everest and its neighbor, Lhotse, within 24 hours. In doing so, she joined an elite group of alpinists who possess the endurance to link two 8,000-meter peaks in a single push and became the sole woman to accomplish this feat. Named by Outside Magazine as one of the most adventurous women in sports, she has skied from the 8,000-meter Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet, throughout the Andes, on volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, and in the tight couloirs of Baf-fin Island. $15, $7 students with ASB. Tickets are

available at the Stanwood and Camano branches of Coastal Community Bank or at the door. For informa-tion, contact Karla Jacks at 425-345-5106.

“ARGO” GUESTS: Ana-cortes residents Mark Lijek and Cora Amburn-Lijek will speak at the 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, show-ing of “Argo” at the Lin-coln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. Both are survivors of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, the central plot of “Argo.” www.lincolntheatre.org.

“PUSHING THE LIMITS”: The Sedro-Woolley Public Library is hosting a new four-part science discussion series for adults. Participants will meet for 75 minutes once a month for a book discussion, a short related video in a fun science café model, and a group discus-sion revolving around the monthly theme. Sessions will be led by scientist Bar-bara Johnson and library staff.

Nature: “When the Kill-ing’s Done” by T.C. Boyle, Feb. 19.

Survival: “Arctic Drift” by Clive Cussler, March 19.

Connection: “Thunder-struck” by Erik Larson, April 16.

Knowledge: “Land of Painted Caves” by Jean Auel, May 2.

Discussions will begin at 6:30 p.m. on designated Tuesdays at the library, 802 Ball St. Copies of the books will be available at the library’s front desk. RSVP: 360-855-1166.

MORE FUNFREE MOVIES: The

Skagit Valley Food Co-op will screen a series of free “films to get you thinking” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, in room 309, 202 S. First St., Mount Vernon. Free pop-

corn. 360-336-9777 or www.skagitfoodcoop.com.

Next up:Feb. 20: “Fat, Sick and

Nearly Dead”: 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoim-mune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. This inspiring film chronicles Joe’s personal mission to regain his health. Along the way, he meets Phil, a mor-bidly obese man who joins him on his quest for good health.

Feb. 27: “We are Not Ghosts”: Fifty years ago, Detroit was booming with 2 million hardworking people living the American Dream. When the auto industry crashed, so did the Motor City. Most moved away; whole neighborhoods turned into wastelands. But some didn’t give up on the city they love. This film tells the tales of Detroiters remaking their city with vision and spirit.

WHALE MUSEUM REOPENS: The Whale Museum will reopen at 10 a.m. today, Feb. 14, at 62 First St. N. Friday Harbor. After six weeks of closure for renovation, the museum will feature a variety of new exhibits on whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 360-378-4710 or www.whalemuseum.org.

TRAINS, TRAINS, TRAINS: The Whatcom-Skagit Model Railroad Club will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat-urday, Feb. 16, at 1469 Silver Run Lane, Alger. The club operates large, permanent HO- and N-scale model railroad layouts. Admission is by donation to help con-tinue building the layouts. www.whatcomskagitmrc.org.

DINOSAUR BONES: The Mt. Baker Rock & Gem Club will feature a dinosaur bone “show & tell” at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Mon-day, Feb. 18, at the Bloedel Donovan Community Cen-ter Building, 2214 Electric Ave., Bellingham. Club members will also share other recently acquired rock treasures. The evening will include door prizes, refresh-ments, a silent auction and brief business meeting. Visitors welcome, with or without rocks. For informa-tion, contact Lori at 360-961-7873, email [email protected] or visit www.mtbakerrockclub.org.

HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL: The 13th annual Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival will take place Feb. 21-March 2, with film screenings at the Fairhaven College Auditorium at Western Washington Uni-versity, The Pickford Film Center and other loca-tions around Bellingham.

The opening evening will feature free screenings of “Bidder 70” at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St., Bellingham. A silent auction will benefit the festival.

During the 10-day festi-val, 20 documentary films will be presented, followed by facilitated discussion, some led by the filmmakers themselves. For information, visit www.bhrff.webs.com.

S.P.O.T. AUCTION: Skagit County animal rescue orga-nization Saving Pets One at a Time (S.P.O.T.) will host its annual fundraising auction at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at St. Joseph Center, 215 N. 15th St., Mount Vernon. The auction will feature a variety of items for pets and their owners. Tickets: $25. 360-336-5388 or email [email protected].

WOODCHOPPERS’ BALL: The 26th annual Woodchop-pers’ Ball will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Guemes Island Com-munity Center. Enjoy a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., followed by an open mic from 7 to 8 p.m. and live music by Polecat from 8 to 11 p.m. The evening will also include a raffle, the popular wood-chucking contest and more. $8 adults, $7 seniors, $5 teens. For information, call Mike or Suzie at 360-293-5708.

“What the Chelm”

7:30pm Saturday Feb. 16th

The musicians perform lively Yiddish tunes, fast-tempo gypsy music and

compelling dance rhythms.

Sponsored by:

Tickets $15 & $17Advanced tickets available at

Next Chapter Bookstore: 360.466.2665

Danceable World Music at Maple Hall in La Conner

OUT & ABOUT

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360 February 14 2013