Cambria Rose

I finally had the chance to meet my great-niece two weeks ago when Tashena and Tucker were in town for a family funeral.  To say that I am smitten with her would definitely be an understatement!  I think she is the most adorable baby ever and I loved every minute that I got to spend holding her (I even got to feed her).  Marilyn and I plan on spoiling her (we already went on a big shopping spree while she was here) and we can't wait to take a road trip to Washington to see her again soon!  Here is more from her newborn photo shoot.

To add to the cuteness overload, here is the sweetest video of the sweetest baby ever!

Arsenic and Old Lace at the Empress Theatre

Last night I could not stop laughing at the Empress Theatre's entertaining production of the classic madcap comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. Two elderly spinsters, Abby and Martha Brewster (Rose Lagos and Diana Sorensen, respectively), are known in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity. However, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging with their homemade elderberry wine. Their nephew Teddy (J.D. Robison), who believes that he is President Theodore Roosevelt, helps them by burying the men in the holes he digs for the Panama Canal in the cellar. Chaos ensues when their other nephew Mortimer (Marc Reading) discovers one of their victims in the window seat and when their estranged nephew Jonathan (Mike Brown), a homicidal maniac, suddenly appears wanting to dispose of one of his victims in the same window seat. It takes an unwilling accomplice (Ryan Munsey), a bumbling policeman who really wants to be a playwright (Adrian Young), and a curious fiancee  (Rachel Felt) to end the mayhem. This show features a lot of physical comedy and the entire cast does a brilliant job with it. I especially loved Reading because his Mortimer is hilariously overwrought as events spin wildly out of control (I laughed out loud every time he shrieked in panic), Brown because his Jonathan is so menacing as he looms over everyone, Robison because his Teddy is completely over the top as he charges up the stairs fighting the Battle of San Juan Hill, and Young because their Officer O'Hara reenacts the play with a frenetic energy that is fun to watch. It is also so much fun to watch Lagos and Sorensen because their facial expressions are an absolute hoot (another laugh out loud moment came when Sorensen skipped to the cabinet to get the elderberry wine) and I loved the chaotic scenes involving the dead bodies in the window seat. There was also an amusing mishap last night involving the police officers and a baton but Brad Goodman (as Lieutenant Rooney) played it off so well it was a highlight of the show for me (the actors could barely hold it together as they exited the stage). The set for this show is impressive and filled with all of the fussy period furniture and objects you would expect two elderly spinsters to have in their drawing room. I loved the attention to detail, especially the books on the cabinet (the lady sitting next to me kept picking them up to look at them) and the cut glass decanters and goblets. My favorite elements were the wood wainscoting and family portraits along the upstairs hallway and the elaborate picture window and seat. I also enjoyed the period costumes, particularly those worn by the Brewster sisters (I loved the black bombazine gowns). Getting a ticket to this show (go here) is a guaranteed fun night out and it is a great way to support one of my very favorite community theatres!  Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through April 18.

Jazz vs. Nuggets

I always pick the Denver Nuggets game when my friend Angela offers me my choice of Utah Jazz tickets because I really love to hate them (I have lots of friends and family who live in Denver so it is a bit of a rivalry).  Last night's game is most likely going to be my last for the foreseeable future so I tried to enjoy myself despite the fact that I knew the Jazz would lose (more on that later).  As predicted, the Nuggets took an early 17-3 lead when they got 12 unanswered points, including three 3-pointers from Jamal Murray, in the first four minutes of the first quarter.  Several baskets from Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski got Utah to within 30-27 but Murray continued to impress with a dramatic half-court buzzer-beater to end the quarter up 39-28.  Sensabaugh, who ended the night with 28 points, and Filipowski, who added 25, continued to score for Utah but Cam Johnson's 14 points and more from Murray, including a really pretty step back three, put the Nuggets up 68-54 to end the half.  The Jazz stayed with the Nuggets to start the third quarter and, when Ace Bailey hit a pull-up three, they cut their lead to six which got the crowd cheering (I have to admit that I spent more time talking to Angela than watching the game but this play definitely got my attention).  The Jazz held the Nuggets to that six point lead until Nikola Jokic (who was pretty quiet during this game with just 15 points) scored and Murray hit another one of his 3-pointers (he ended the night with ten) to bring their lead to 14.  The Jazz got a bit of chaotic momentum late in the third to cut the lead to 97-90.  I have been very critical of how the Jazz have been tanking in the fourth quarter but I think they put forth a good effort last night and I was impressed by Cody Williams (9 points), Bez Mbeng (7 points), and Kennedy Chandler (16 points) off the bench.  The Nuggets still ended up winning 130-117 which means that they swept the Jazz for the second year in a row.  I hate it when the Nuggets beat us but, as always, it was fun to watch the game with Angela.  She has decided not to renew her tickets next season (it is disheartening to pay so much money to see them lose every game) so it looks like I will be attending more Mammoth games!

The AI Doc: or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

Up next in the double feature with my nephew last night was The AI Doc: or How I Became an Apocaloptimist.  I didn't really want to watch this documentary because I already have a lot of existential dread about the topic but my nephew talked me into it and it is probably a good thing that I did.  Award-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher decides to investigate what will happen if, or more likely, when Artificial Intelligence reaches its maximum potential after he learns that he and his wife, filmmaker Caroline Lindy, are expecting a baby because he is nervous about the kind of world his son will inherit.  He interviews several ethicists and critics of A.I., including Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin, and Eliezer Yudkowsky, who all warn that the technology is moving too fast and that it poses a threat on par with global nuclear war.  They also suggest that it is too late to do anything about the impending catastrophe.  These interviews leave Roher feeling incredibly anxious so Lindy urges him to find some hope.  He then interviews other experts who are optimistic about A.I., including Peter Diamandis, Guillaume Verdon, and Ramesh Srinivasin, and they suggest that it has the potential to solve the greatest problems facing humanity by discovering alternative sources of energy, creating scientific and medical breakthroughs, and providing automation to free people from the burdens of labor.  This gives Roher a measure of comfort but then he interviews Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, and Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, who are all in a race to create Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which would exceed human intelligence to the point that humans would no longer be needed, because the first company to do so would gain untold money, power, and control.  The documentary concludes with a call to action for people to demand transparency, regulation, and cooperation (which might be impossible with the current geopolitical situation).  Roher's intention is to present a balanced approach to the topic but, in my opinion, the optimism isn't earned because he fails to discuss access.  I have no doubt that A.I. is capable of improving lives (I recently watched the documentary The Thinking Game about how Google DeepMind solved the protein folding problem and its implications for science) but it is almost certain that only the elite will benefit from these discoveries.  He also fails to discuss the economic displacement that automation is sure to cause.  I think Roher is much more successful with his goal to provoke conversations about the topic (my nephew and I discussed it at length) and, even though this is a very difficult watch, these conversations are necessary.

They Will Kill You

Last night my nephew and I had a double feature and we started with They Will Kill You.  Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) takes a job as a maid at The Virgil, an exclusive high-rise apartment building in New York City.  She arrives and meets the eccentric building manager Lilith Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette) and, while the building and its wealthy inhabitants seem odd, she soon settles in for the night.  What Asia doesn't know is that The Virgil has been a temple to Satan for the past 100 years and the inhabitants must periodically perform a human sacrifice in return for their immortality.  She is selected for the ritual so Kevin (Tom Felton), Sharon (Heather Graham), Bob (Willie Ludik), Tall Steve (David Viviers), and Short Steve (Gabe Gabriel) attack her in the middle of the night but they are shocked when she is able to defend herself and kill them.  What the inhabitants don't know is that Asia is not who she pretends to be and has come to The Virgil to find her younger sister Maria (Myha'la).  Carnage ensues when Asia is forced to kill the inhabitants over and over again to keep her sister safe until they can escape.  The action sequences are hyper-stylized with a tone that is incredibly surreal and they become more and more unhinged as they go on (even if they do become very repetitive).  The kills are extremely gruesome (one involves a detached and bloody eyeball) but they are really fun to watch (my favorite is when Asia uses a burning ax to kill everyone single-handedly).  Beetz is great as an action star (I find her to be very compelling) but, when she isn't punching, kicking, stabbing, crawling, and climbing her way out of secret passages and locked rooms, she shows a lot of emotion as a someone trying to make amends for past mistakes.  There are flaws but it is entertaining and I really dug it.

King James at PTC

I have been a sports fan for almost all of my life and I have seen first-hand how the collective experience of cheering for a team can connect people so, needless to say, I have been anticipating PTC's production of King James ever since the 2025-2026 season was announced. I finally had the chance to see it last night and I really loved it! Matt (Eli Mayer) and Shawn (Khiry Walker) first meet during LeBron James' rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Matt is trying to sell the remaining games in the season package he has had with his father for decades in order to pay off some debts. Shawn hears about the tickets from a mutual friend and meets Matt at the wine bar where he works because he promised himself he would start going to games once he had some disposable income. Even though they are very different people with different backgrounds and goals for the future, they become close friends over their shared love of the Cavaliers and LeBron James. The ups and downs of their friendship seem to mimic the trajectory of James' career from his decision to take his talents to South Beach in 2010 to his return to Cleveland in 2014 and, finally, to his dramatic win over the Golden State Warriors for the Championship in 2016. Their discussions about the team often become the catalyst for more poignant and sometimes contentious conversations about love, loss, disappointment, success, failure, economic status, and race. Through it all, the two of them bond as they risk their emotional well-being on the outcome of an athletic competition (this line got a huge laugh) and to say that I could relate would be an understatement! I found the message that sports can bring people together to be incredibly moving because, even though my dad and I sometimes disagreed, we always found common ground in our love for hockey! Both Mayer and Walker are very compelling (my attention never wavered in a play that is very dialogue-heavy) and their performances are entirely believable because they have the easy back-and-forth rhythm that two people who have been friends for more than a decade would have. The more intimate Meldrum Theatre is perfect for this piece because it feels like you are right there in the bar overhearing a conversation between two fans after a game. The sets and costumes (I loved the #23 jerseys) are simple but effective and I loved the use of a buzzer at the end of each scene (the play is structured like a basketball game with four "quarters" and a "halftime" between the second and third). Finally, there are a lot of fun references that Cavs fans and basketball fans in general will pick up on but I think the show is accessible to everyone because it is ultimately about friendship. I highly recommend this production with the caveat that it does contain strong language. The run continues in the Meldrum Theatre through April 4 (go here for tickets).

Ben-Hur

There are just some movies that demand to be seen on the big screen and, in my opinion, Ben-Hur is one of them (I also put Lawrence of Arabia in this category because I always fall asleep when I watch it at home but when I see it on the big screen I am riveted). I was able to see this epic movie as it was meant to be seen yesterday afternoon as part of the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series and it was absolutely exhilarating!  Messala (Stephen Boyd) returns home to Jerusalem as the new Roman tribune and has a joyous reunion with his childhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a wealthy and influential prince.  Messala asks Judah to help quell the rebellion that is brewing in Jerusalem but they soon quarrel when Judah refuses to spy on his people.  During a military parade, a tile falls from Judah's house injuring the new governor and Judah, his mother Miriam (Martha Scott), and his sister Tirzah (Cathy Donnell) are arrested. Wanting to curry favor with the governor, Messala condemns him as a galley slave and imprisons his family so Judah vows to return and exact vengeance.  After several years, a Roman consul named Quitus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) is assigned to Judah's ship and notices his will to live.  Arrius has Judah's chains unlocked just before a battle which allows him to escape from the sinking ship as well as rescue him.  In gratitude, Arrius takes Judah to Rome where he learns to drive a chariot and soon becomes a champion.  Eventually, Judah returns to Jerusalem and challenges Messala to an epic chariot race.  A parallel story involves the birth, ministry, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and two brief but meaningful encounters between them allow Judah to forgive the Romans for what they have done to him and his family.  This movie is a spectacle in every sense of the word with a scope and grandeur that makes seeing it on the big screen an incredible experience!  It had the biggest budget of any movie up to that point with thousands of extras, horses, and costumes and a crew of 200 who built over 300 sets.  It was the highest grossing movie of 1959 and won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for William Wyler, and Best Actor for Charlton Heston.  I think the message is a bit heavy-handed and the final 30 minutes are strangely anticlimactic, despite the subject matter, after the build-up to the chariot race.  However, the runtime is worth it for this race alone because it is one of the most intense action sequences ever filmed (and it definitely holds up after more than 60 years).  I also really enjoyed the naval battle and Judah's subsequent escape from the sinking ship as well as the battle of wills between Judah and Arrius when the latter orders the slaves to row faster and faster.  I had a lot of fun seeing this with a big crowd of cinephiles and I highly recommend getting a ticket while it is back in theaters (go here for the remaining dates and times).

Father of the Bride at Parker Theatre

I love the 1950 movie Father of the Bride starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor (I also love the 1991 remake with Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams) so I was really looking forward to Caroline Francke's stage adaptation of Edward Streeter's novel (which inspired the movie) at Parker Theatre last night. It is incredibly funny and heartwarming! Kay Banks (Emma Widfeldt) turns her household upside down when she casually announces to her family, including her father Stanley (Michael Hohl), her mother Ellie (Hillary McChesney), and her brothers Ben (Truman Schipper) and Tommy (Jago Parker), that she is engaged to Buckley Dunstan (Brock Harris). Kay says that she wants a small wedding but it soon spirals out of control and Buckley is plagued with nerves and Stanley is stressed by the cost (and by the thought of losing his daughter). Mayhem ensues until Kay is able to calm Buckley down and convince her father that she is no longer a child and is ready to leave the nest. I was laughing out loud through the whole show, especially in a scene in which Stanley's secretary Miss Bellamy (Catherine Bohman) dramatically resigns in frustration when every member of the family secretly adds to the guest list and a scene in which the eccentric and flamboyant caterer Mr. Missoula (Lorin Bruns) tries to get Stanley to pick a wedding cake. I also loved the physical comedy as the caterers (Bruns and Brian Douros), florist (Nathan Chelf), dressmaker (Juliet Wendels), and furniture movers (Mitchell Wardell and Tara Berrett) cause pandemonium in the Banks house as the maid Delilah (Luana Parkes) tries to clean and the family tries to get ready one hour before the wedding. The entire cast does a great job but Hohl really carries the show! He is hilariously overwrought as the size and cost of the wedding keep increasing but he is also gives an emotional performance as an overprotective father struggling to adapt to his daughter's transition to adulthood (the scene before they leave for the wedding is especially poignant). All of the action takes place in one location, the Banks's living and dining room, and I was really impressed by the attention to detail with glimpses of other rooms as characters exit to the wings. I also loved the addition of props as the house becomes inundated by wedding preparations and presents. The period costumes are gorgeous (I really like the 1950s silhouette), particularly the tuxedos and dresses for the wedding, and there is a fun detail involving Kay's shoes so pay attention! This is a delightful show and fans of the movies are sure to love it (go here for tickets). Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays through May 2.

Hadestown at the Eccles

I love the musical Hadestown so, even though I just saw the Teen Edition two weeks ago, I was thrilled to be able to see the Broadway touring production again last night at the Eccles. I really enjoyed some of the subtle changes in characterization from the original. Orpheus (Jose Contreras) is a poor boy with the gift of music who dreams of the world as it could be. Eurydice (Hawa Kamara) is a hungry girl who has only experienced the world as it is. She falls in love with Orpheus when he promises her a song that will bring back spring after Hades (Nickolaus Colon) calls Persephone (Namisa Mdlalose Bizana) back to him early. But times are hard and Eurydice is lured to the underworld by Hades in exchange for food. Orpheus travels there to rescue her when she is trapped in a cycle of endless work and desperation and Hades allows him to leave with her after hearing his song but the Fates (Gia Keddy, Miriam Navarrette, and Jayna Westcoatt) intervene and Orpheus is ultimately plagued by doubt. However, Hermes (Rudy Foster) reminds us that, even though the song is a sad one, we must keep singing it if we want to change the outcome. The music in this show is amazing and the performances from this cast definitely do it justice! Foster is quite the character as Hermes and I laughed out loud every time he milked the crowd in "Road to Hell" and "Way Down Hadestown." Bizana is a hoot as Persephone and she really leans into the physical comedy in "Livin' It Up On Top" and "Our Lady of the Underground" but she can really sing the blues and I loved her emotional performance of "How Long?" with Colon. He has an amazing baritone voice and that, combined with an imposing physicality, makes his Hades very menacing. His phrasing is a little bit different and he uses a reverb in "Why We Build the Wall" that makes it even more intimidating (I always get goosebumps in this song). Keddy, Navarrette, and Wescoatt reminded me of a gospel choir because their vocals are so powerful in "When the Chips Are Down," "Nothing Changes," and "Word to the Wise." The way they harmonize in "Doubt Comes In" gave me chills! Contreras has a beautiful voice and I actually liked it more than Reeve Carney's (he originated the role on Broadway). His renditions of "If It's True" and "Epic III" brought tears to my eyes! I loved every performance but Kamara's was my favorite. Her Eurydice is incredibly defiant in "Any Way the Wind Blows" (this is my favorite song in the show and I loved this interpretation) and guarded in "Come Home With Me" and "Wedding Song" so when she shows vulnerability in "Flowers" (another favorite song) it is absolutely devastating. The choreography and staging are iconic, especially for "Chant," because the way the Workers Chorus (Jonice Bernard, Bryan Chan, Ryaan Farhadi, Erin McMillen, and Joe Rumi) is incorporated mimics a factory assembly line, and "Wait For Me (Reprise)," because the journey through the underworld is conveyed through dramatic lighting (I have seen this performed with large ensembles lately and I was surprised by how moving I found the simpler choreography). This musical is up there with Hamilton and Les Miserables for me so it was an incredible experience to see it again and I highly recommend it! There are five performance left in the run at the Eccles Theatre (go here for tickets).

Mammoth vs. Oilers

When I was a teenager I loved the Edmonton Oilers (I was a huge fan of Wayne Gretzky) and I used to watch every game with my dad.  I still enjoy following them because Connor McDavid is such a great player so I specifically chose to see the Utah Mammoth play them last night with my sister.  I was very excited for this game and it was so much fun when Alex Kerfoot scored in the middle of the first period on a really pretty drop pass from Sean Durzi!  The Oilers tied it up with a goal from Jack Roslovic to end the period 1-1.  Then the second period was absolutely wild!  Zach Hyman took a high sticking penalty to put the Mammoth on the power play.  Matthew Savoie scored a short-handed goal for Edmonton but then 35 seconds later Lawson Crouse scored a power play goal to tie it up.  It was so exciting and I loved seeing our new player MacKenzie Weegar get the assist.  Before the crowd had even taken their seats again after the celebration, Connor McDavid scored eight seconds later and I have to admit that it was a pretty goal (it was his 400th career goal).  Roslovic got his second goal of the game to end the second period up 4-2. Karel Vejmelka was replaced by Vitek Vanecek in goal to start the third period and he stopped all ten shots from the Oilers but it was really frustrating to watch the Mammoth because they lost all momentum.  I thought they had some good chances but they were not aggressive enough on offense and were often very sloppy in the neutral zone.  Utah pulled Vanecek in the final minutes and McDavid got the empty-netter to give Edmonton the 5-2 win.  It was a disappointing loss because we are in the hunt for a playoff spot (Utah is currently three points ahead of Nashville) but I had a lot of fun with my sister.  I still can hardly believe that SLC has an NHL team!

Finding Neverland at CPT

I love the musical Finding Neverland (both the Broadway and Broadway touring productions rendered me a sobbing mess) so, after being a bit underwhelmed by the version I saw at HCT, I was really eager to see what CPT would do with it. I went last night with both of my sisters and my brother-in-law (his niece plays Mary) and I absolutely loved it! JM Barrie (Ben Lowell) is caught between a world inhabited by his social climbing wife Mary (Jaycee Harris) who wants him to behave like a gentleman and his exasperated producer Charles Frohman (Blaine Hickman) who wants him to write another hit play and the world of his imagination. When he meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Madeleine Pew) and her sons George (Xander Wardle), Jack (Daniel Bush), Peter (Hunter Jones), and Michael (Will Hickman) in Kensington Garden, he is able to indulge his imagination. He eventually writes the play Peter Pan as a way to help the boys deal with their grief over the death of their father. I love the music in this show and both Lowell and Pew perform my favorite songs, "My Imagination," "All That Matters," "Neverland," and "What You Mean to Me," so beautifully that I had goosebumps during all of them. I had tears in my eyes when Lowell and Jones sing "When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground" because it is so touching and Jones has such a lovely voice (I was impressed by all four of the boys, especially in the song "We're All Made of Stars"). Even though this show is extremely emotional, there is quite a bit of comic relief and the choreography for "We Own the Night," "The World Is Upside Down," and "Play" is a lot of fun (I love the performers in the acting troupe because they are all over the top, especially Andrew Stone when he is left dangling in the air and Justin Lee when he learns that he is playing a dog). The staging is incredible in "Circus of Your Mind" as Barrie is trapped going through rotating doors belonging to Mary, Frohman, and Sylvia's mother Mrs. DuMaurier (Kassie Winkler) and in "Stronger" because the pirate ship in Barrie's imagination (shown with projections) is actually brought to life on stage but I was most impressed by the penultimate scene with Sylvia in the nursery because it is magical (it replicates the stage craft from the Broadway production and it gave me chills). The period costumes are beautiful and I love that the set is swathed in white curtains upon which projections appear because it emphasizes using the imagination. I loved everything about this production (it is now one of my favorites from CPT) and I highly encourage getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through April 23.

Note:  It is always fun to see Trent's niece Jaycee on stage!  I was especially impressed by her dog wrangling skills when Mary takes Porthos (Indie Blue, making her stage debut) for a walk in Kensington Garden.

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2

I was so excited for last night's Utah Symphony concert because the program included one of my favorite pieces performed by an exciting young soloist!  The orchestra began with the Utah premiere of Foggy Moon Over the Gorge by Matthew Jackfert (who was in attendance last night).  This piece was inspired by the New River Gorge National Park and Reserve in West Virginia and I really enjoyed it because it is very evocative of the ethereal atmospheric conditions found there.  I especially liked the themes played by the piccolo, vibraphone, marimba, and glockenspiel because they sounded so otherworldly.  The orchestra continued with Symphony No. 2 by Alexander Scriabin.  I had never heard this before (I had never even heard of this composer before last night) but I loved it because it is incredibly lush and represents the struggle to overcome obstacles.  I was particularly struck by the mournful theme played by the solo clarinet at the beginning of the first movement and by how it is developed throughout the rest of the piece to become joyful and then, finally, triumphant in the final movement.  The piece I was most looking forward to came after the intermission when the orchestra was joined by Alexander Malofeev for Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.  I love the chords played by the piano at the beginning of the first movement because they sound so quintessentially Russian.  I also love the swelling melodies played back and forth between the orchestra and the piano in the second movement because they are so romantic and full of yearning.  The themes in the final movement continue to build in intensity until they reach an electrifying conclusion and the audience leapt to their feet in appreciation for Malofeev's emotional performance (I always love hearing Rachmaninoff interpreted by a Russian soloist).  This was an incredible evening of music and I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance of the same program (go here) but act quickly because Rachmaninoff always brings a crowd to Abravanel Hall!

Project Hail Mary

I really loved the book Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (I read it multiple times and passed it around to several family members) so I was excited when I heard about the movie adaptation.  I got to see it last night with my sister and nephew at a Thursday preview and it is my favorite movie of 2026 (so far).  Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is a disgraced molecular biologist who now teaches middle school.  When a group of scientists discover that a microorganism they call astrophage is attacking all of the stars in the galaxy except for Tau Ceti and that this will cause a catastrophic cooling of the Earth within 30 years, he is approached by Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), the leader of a global task force, to study it.  He finds a way to make it multiply and other scientists discover that it can be used as a powerful fuel.  A plan, dubbed Project Hail Mary, is formed to send a spacecraft powered by astrophage to Tau Ceti in order to discover how it has survived.  He wakes up from an induced coma aboard the ship without any memory of how he came to be there and is dismayed to discover that the other astronauts on board, Yao Li-Jie (Ken Leung) and Olesya Ilyukhina (Milana Vayntrub), are dead.  As his memories return, he feels inadequate but soon reaches Tau Ceti where he comes in contact with another spaceship from the planet Erid.  He eventually learns that the Eridian, who he names Rocky (James Ortiz as both voice and puppeteer), has also come to Tau Ceti for the same reason.  They realize that they must work together in order to save both of their homes.  I think this adaptation is very faithful to the book and I love the way that Rocky, the two ships, and the tunnel that is built to connect them are depicted because they are surprisingly similar to the images I had in my mind while reading.  Gosling is absolutely perfect as Grace and his performance features both humor and emotion (I laughed out loud and had tears in my eyes at various times) as he discovers the bravery he didn't know he possessed and a friendship he didn't know he needed.  The visual effects are stunning, especially the vibrant imagery used in all of the sequences in space, and I love that Rocky is portrayed using practical effects rather than CGI.  Finally, this has a stand-up-and-cheer message about cooperation and friendship that is incredibly heartwarming.  I loved it so much and I highly recommend it!

Utah Opera's The Elixir of Love

I opted out of seeing The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti that last time Utah Opera programmed it (I tend to prefer the tragedies) so I was excited for the opportunity at a matinee yesterday.  The production was incredibly charming and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  A poor young man named Nemorino (Daniel O'Hearn) is hopelessly in love with Adina (Katrina Galka), the wealthy and capricious owner of an orange grove.  He declares his love to her but she is exasperated by his attentions and encourages Sergeant Belcore (Alexander Birch Elliott) when he and his soldiers come to the village.  The arrogant Belcore proposes and, when Adina does not refuse him, Nemorino falls into despair.  His hopes are reignited when Doctor Dulcamara (Daniel Belcher) and his assistant (Gemma Isaacson) arrive proclaiming that they have a cure for every ailment.  He asks for an elixir to make Adina fall in love with him and the assistant quickly creates one by adding orange juice to an old wine bottle.  Dulcamara tells him that it will take one day before it works to give himself time to leave the village before his fraud is discovered.  Nemorino is so confident the elixir will work he ignores Adina which, of course, gets her attention and she agrees to marry Belcore to make him jealous.  Mayhem ensues when Nemorino's wealthy uncle dies leaving him his fortune and all of the women in the village clamor for his attention.  Adina becomes jealous and, when she sheds a tear, Nemorino realizes that she loves him.  Dulcamara, believing his elixir to be a success, confesses to Adina what Nemorino has done and she finally realizes how much he loves her.  The libretto is so much fun and I loved seeing all of the hijinks on stage, especially when all of the women pursue Nemorino (everyone in the audience laughed out loud).  The music, performed beautifully by the Utah Symphony under the baton of Steven White, is delightful and the vocal performances from the entire cast are expressive and effervescent.  I especially loved Galka's lively performance of the aria, "Della crudele Isotta," which gives Nemorino the idea for an elixir of love, and O'Hearn's heartfelt interpretation of the famous aria, "Una furtiva lagrima," when Nemorino understands what Adina's tear means (I recognized this immediately but never knew what opera it came from).  This specific production was originally conceived by Minnesota Opera and changes the setting from a vineyard in Italy in the early 1800s to an orange grove in California in the early 1900s and, while I am not always a fan of doing this, I loved that the set features Mission-style architecture with a backdrop of orange trees and that the costumes feature World War I-era military uniforms.  I had so much fun watching this opera but, unfortunately, yesterday was the final performance.  However, I definitely recommend getting a ticket to the final opera of the year, La Traviata (go here).

Hadestown: Teen Edition at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Last night I went to see a production of Hadestown: Teen Edition by Acting Up (a theatre company of high school students) at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts. This is one of my very favorite musicals because it reimagines the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice to expose what is wrong with the world, including climate change, poverty, and the exploitation of workers, while espousing the hope that the the world could be better through the power of love and art. The teens in Acting Up always do a phenomenal job and last night was no exception because I was blown away by the amazing talent on the stage! This production does not feature musicians playing live on stage but this allows for a large ensemble of over forty which is quite impressive. The choreography for the expanded ensemble is especially powerful in "Why We Build the Wall," because seeing a large group of workers marching in formation is intense, and in "Wait For Me (Reprise)," because they become a maze for Orpheus and Eurydice to walk through, a tunnel for them to walk under, and obstacles for them to climb over and it is incredibly dramatic. I also enjoyed the choreography for the male ensemble in "Our Lady of the Underground" because it is really athletic. Gage Gillette is outstanding as Orpheus (one of the best I've seen in this show) because the role requires a tremendous vocal range as well as vulnerability and, not only does he hit all of those high notes, he gives impassioned performances of "Come Home With Me" and  "If It's True" (I found it entirely plausible that he could sway all of the workers to his side). I was also impressed by his guitar playing in "Epic I," "Epic II," and Epic III." Emma Stewart has a beautiful voice and she brings a lot of pathos to her performance as Eurydice. My favorite songs in the show are "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Flowers" and I loved her heartbreaking renditions (the latter brought tears to my eyes). Cedric Smith is a very compelling Hades because he has a rich baritone voice that is deceptively charming in "Hey, Little Songbird" but menacing in "Why We Build the Wall." Emma Pierson is a lot of fun to watch as Persephone because she is a great dancer and she can definitely sing the blues, especially in "Our Lady of the Underground." Her voice also blends really well with Smith's in "How Long?" My favorite performance was from William Madsen because he is a charismatic and appealing Hermes. He has a great voice and a captivating stage presence, particularly in "Road to Hell" and "Way Down Hadestown." I love the role the Fates (Katelynn Lee, Claire Moreira, and Lexi Williamson) play in the story and the three of them harmonize beautifully in "When the Chips Are Down" and "Doubt Comes In." The set features a brick mansion in an old New Orleans neighborhood with a wrought iron balcony on the top level and a large metal factory with train tracks that lead to a station on the bottom level (I think it is more elaborate than the Broadway production) and the costumes are very striking, especially all of the boiler suits worn by the workers. If you love this musical as much as I do, I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to this production because it is extremely well done. It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through March 28.

Undertone

I was excited to see Undertone at a matinee yesterday because it got a lot of buzz at Sundance this year.  I found it to be incredibly unsettling!  Evangeline "Evy" Babig (Nina Kiri), the host of a popular podcast about paranormal activity with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), has moved back into her childhood home to care for her comatose mother (Michele Duquet) who is in the last stages of a terminal illness.  The old house is filled with religious iconography which unnerves Evy because she is an unbeliever.  Justin receives an anonymous email that includes ten audio files of a couple named Jessa (Keana Lyn Bastidas) and Mike (Jeff Yung) as they seemingly become possessed by a demon known for driving mothers to murder their own children.  They decide to record an episode for their podcast using the audio files with Evy as the skeptic and Justin as the believer.  However, as they listen, Evy begins to experience the same phenomena as the couple and she spirals into madness.  Kiri and Duquet are the only actors who appear on screen so most of what happens is depicted through sound.  It is incredibly immersive, and disturbing, because the audience hears what Evy hears and it is easy to believe that the sounds are coming from inside the house because of the way the dark and empty spaces are filmed.  There were many moments when I thought I saw something lurking in the shadows in response to something I heard.  It is one of the most atmospheric movies I have seen and the escalating dread is unbelievably intense.  What I loved most is that, unlike many recent horror movies, the ending is ambiguous (Evy could be possessed or she could be the victim of her own isolation, grief, and guilt) so the tension painstakingly created in the first two acts is not derailed by a tedious explanation in the third.  See this in a theater with the best sound capability possible!

The Secret Agent

The second movie in my quest to see all of the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture yesterday was The Secret Agent (click on the titles to read my commentaries for Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams).  There is a lot to unpack but I found this to be absolutely riveting.  During the military dictatorship in Brazil in 1977,  Armando Solimoes (Wagner Moura) is a former science professor on the run from a phony corruption charge brought by Henrique Ghirotti (Luciano Chirolli), the head of a utilities company who is threatened by his research.  He arrives in Recife during Carnival to visit his son Fernando (Enzo Nunes) who lives with his maternal grandparents (Carlos Francisco and Aline Marta Maia) after the murder of his wife Fatima (Alice Carvalho).  He stays at a safe house for political dissidents run by Dona Sabastiana (Tania Maria), adopts the name Marcelo Alves, and is aided by a resistance leader named Anisio (Buda Lira) who inadvertently involves him with the corrupt chief of police Euclides (Roberio Diogenes).  He learns from another resistance leader named Elza (Maria Fernanda Candido) that Ghirotti has hired two hitmen, Augusto (Roney Villela) and Bobbi (Gabriel Leone), to kill him so he decides to flee with his son.  Mayhem ensues.  The action is nonlinear and there are a lot of characters to keep track of so I only had the vaguest notion of what was going on at any given time (it is definitely a slow burn with lots of colorful details specific to the time and place) but everything mostly comes together in the conclusion even if that conclusion is abrupt and a bit anticlimactic.  What I found most compelling is the portrayal of the sometimes absurd (the corrupt police chief is trying to cover up the discovery of a leg found in the body of a shark) and often cruel reality of living under a military dictatorship and the escalating tension surrounding Armando's uncertain fate is almost unbearable.  Moura's performance is captivating because he is playing multiple versions of himself in different timelines (he even plays the adult version of his son in present day) and the changes in characterization are subtle but powerful.  Finally, I loved the 1970s vibe in the costumes, production design, and soundtrack (the use of vintage camera equipment also adds to the period verisimilitude).  I have not been able to stop thinking about this and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Now that I have seen all of the nominees, I want Sinners to win Best Picture but I wouldn't mind if One Battle After the Other does.

Train Dreams

When the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture were announced last month, there were two movies that I had not seen yet (click on the titles to read my commentaries on Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners).  Since I always like to see each of the nominees on the big screen, I went to a double feature for the remaining movies yesterday beginning with Train Dreams.  It is a hauntingly beautiful and meditative look at the extraordinary story of America at the beginning of the 20th century through the eyes of an ordinary man.  Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) is brought to the Pacific Northwest on a train as an orphan with no recollection of his parents and spends his early years alone and without purpose until he meets and falls in love with Gladys (Felicity Jones).  They build a cabin on an acre of land near a river and have a daughter named Kate but he is forced to leave them for long periods of time to work in the logging and railroad industries which transform the country.  As he witnesses the rapid growth taking place around him, he has many experiences, including a series of tragedies involving strangers, co-workers, and family members, which cause him to search for meaning.  What I loved most about the narrative is that there is no answer and yet Grainier still continues to live with hope and the memories of those lost all around him.  It is slow but incredibly moving and I loved Edgerton's restrained performance (one of his very best) because he is able to evoke so many emotions with very little dialogue (so much so that the voice-over narration by Will Patton sometimes feels intrusive).  There is a large supporting cast of characters who drift in and out of Grainier's life but I especially loved William H. Macy as Arn Peeples, a grizzled explosives expert, and Kerry Condon as Claire Thompson, a surveyor for the U.S. Forest Service.  The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous (I lost count of how many times I was mesmerized by the beauty of a particular shot) and the atmospheric score by Bryce Dessner enhances the otherworldly vibe.  I really loved this and highly recommend it!

Little Shop of Horrors at the Empress Theatre

Last night I went to see a really fun production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Empress Theatre and I had a great time! Seymour (Riley Ernst) and Audrey (Taylore Cahoon) both work in a run-down flower shop on Skid Row owned by the persnickety Mr. Mushnik (Nate Fairclough). Seymour thinks that displaying a strange and interesting plant, which he found during a total eclipse of the sun, will bring more business to the shop but he can't find it in any of his reference books so he names it Audrey II because he is secretly in love with his co-worker. The shop becomes wildly successful because of Audrey II but Mr. Mushnik worries that it isn't thriving. Seymour inadvertently discovers that Audrey II likes drinking his blood after he cuts himself on a thorn and, eventually, it grows to a giant size and asks him to feed it more. When Seymour cannot spare any more of his own blood, his first victim is Audrey's boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Carl Smith), a sadistic dentist, which wins him the love of Audrey but now her namesake wants more and more. Seymour enjoys the notoriety that Audrey II brings him but soon feels guilty about everything he has done to feed it. He wants to destroy it but realizes too late that Audrey II has an evil plan for world domination! The music is a great mix of rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown. A girl group, including Crystal (Michelle Frierson), Chiffon (Leyla Vave), and Ronnette (Rebecca Meats), acts as a sort of Greek chorus narrating the action and the three of them bring a little bit of sass and a lot of vocal power to the songs "Little Shop of Horrors," "Skid Row (Downtown)," and "Da-Doo." They harmonize really well together and they were the highlight of the show for me. Smith is hilariously unhinged and his rendition of "Dentist!" was definitely a crowd favorite, Cahoon is over the top in her characterization of Audrey and she does a great job belting out "Suddenly Seymour" but she also shows some vulnerability in "Somewhere That's Green," and Ernst is so much fun to watch with all of his nerdy and awkward mannerisms in "Grow for Me" and his growing confidence in "Suddenly Seymour." I really enjoyed how Audrey II is portrayed.  The puppets (operated by Easton Fairclough), which grow larger and more elaborate as the show progresses, look great and they function really well (I was particularly impressed with how the largest one eats people) and I loved the smooth and seductive vocal performance from Joshua Adams in "Feed Me (Git It)." The set, which is dominated by Mr. Mushnik's flower shop, is now among my favorites at this theatre and it was fun to see all of the changes (I was impressed with how quickly they happen) as the shop becomes more successful and as it gets overtaken by Audrey II (I especially loved an effect used in "Don't Feed The Plants" at the end of the show). There are three more opportunities to see this fantastic show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Jazz vs. Knicks

Last night I went to see the Utah Jazz play the New York Knicks with my friend Angela.  I specifically picked this game because I wanted to see Jordan Clarkson's return to the Delta Center.  I really liked him when he played for the Jazz (Angela liked him, too) so it was bittersweet to see him playing for another team (especially since he had such a great game for the Knicks).  The fans gave him a very warm reception when he came on to the court and there was a nice tribute video during a timeout.  After the game he interacted with Jazz players, trainers, and coaches (I even saw him hug one of the team photographers), he gave multiple interviews, and he signed lots of autographs.  He is definitely a class act!  The game was really exciting and I think it was the most fun I've had watching the Jazz in a very long time (the crowd was really hyped up) because the Jazz got to an early lead when Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey, and Kevin Love combined for seven three-pointers to end the first quarter 41-26.  I saw a huge improvement in shooting and rebounding, both offensively and defensively, since the last game I saw and it gave me some hope that we could win.  In the second quarter, the Jazz let the Knicks cut their lead to nine to end the half 65-56.  I have often witnessed the Jazz have a disastrous third quarter and, true to form, they started to fall apart in the last few minutes.  Clarkson got them within a point when he hit two free throws and then the Knicks took the lead for good when Jalen Brunson made three points after being fouled on a jump shot.  The Jazz started the fourth quarter down by two but then Clarkson spurred a 20-4 run with two back-to-back baskets (he finished the night with 27 points) to push the lead to 22.  New York ended up winning 134-117 and, even though it was great to see Clarkson again, this game was frustrating because I really think we could have won it after such a great start.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame at HCT

I saw the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time at HCT in 2018 so I was thrilled to see a new production there last night (I was also thrilled to see Josh Richardson and Rebecca Burroughs reprise their roles as Frollo and Esmeralda, respectively). I find the story by Victor Hugo about outcasts who find sanctuary in a Gothic cathedral to be incredibly moving and I loved everything about this show. The cast is absolutely phenomenal! Alex Young is slight in stature so his Quasimodo has a vulnerability that often brought tears to my eyes. I especially loved his versions of "Out There" and "Heaven's Light" because they are full of longing. Richardson is an imposing and powerful Frollo and his performance of "Hellfire" is definitely a highlight of the show, both for his portrayal of Frollo's torment and for the spectacular way that it is staged (the special effects left the audience in awe). Burroughs is a beautiful singer and dancer who is able to portray so many different emotions through song and movement. She is alluring in "The Rhythm of the Tambourine," plaintive in "God Help the Outcasts" (my favorite song in the show), playful in "Top of the World" with Young, and heartbreaking in "Someday" with Ethan Kelso as Phoebus de Martin. Kelso is quite different from most actors I have seen play Phoebus and he is very nuanced in his performance, particularly in "Rest and Recreation" when he remembers the trauma of battle and in "Esmeralda" when he refuses to comply with the order from Frollo. Scotty Fletcher is by far the best Clopin I have ever seen! The character acts as the narrator for the show and appears in practically every scene. He is incredibly energetic and absolutely commands the stage in "The Bells of Notre Dame," Topsy Turvy," "Tavern Song," and "The Court of Miracles." This production features a young girl (Lydia Sandor-Pitcher) who stands in for the audience as Clopin tells the story and their interactions are very poignant.  I really liked this addition because it emphasizes the importance of teaching children to be kind. The set is amazing and it makes watching the show an immersive experience because it feels like you are actually inside the cathedral with statues and gargoyles all around the perimeter of the theatre and Gothic arches that come down from the rafters. A large multi-level bell tower, complete with bells that Quasimodo periodically rings, also comes down from the rafters and elaborate staircases leading to the tower come up from the pit.  Beautiful costumes (Frollo's purple cassock and the headdresses worn by the gargoyles were my favorite) and dramatic lighting add to the spectacle while the lively choreography and clever staging (the aforementioned staging of "Hellfire" is worth the price of admission alone) are very entertaining. This is one of my favorite musicals (I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it) and I really loved this production. It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through April 25 and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) but act quickly because most shows have low availability.

Note:  I am always so happy when I see Christian Johnston, a former student of mine, on stage. He is Saint Aphrodisius in this show and I loved his performance of "Flight into Egypt."

Hoppers

I thought the trailer for Hoppers was a bit weird but I decided to see it last night because the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  I am so glad I did because I ended up really enjoying it!  Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is an animal lover who learned an appreciation for nature from her grandmother (Karen Huie).  After her grandmother's death, she becomes determined to save the forest glade she visited with her as a child from a freeway overpass developed by Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm).  She turns to her biology professor, Dr. Samantha "Sam" Fairfax (Kathy Najimy), for help and inadvertently discovers her secret research project, known as "Hoppers," which allows human consciousness to hop into a lifelike animal robot in order to interact with real animals.  Thinking that she can encourage the animals to return to the glade by becoming one of them, she hops into a beaver and escapes from the lab even though Dr. Sam warns her against interfering with the natural order.  She befriends the Mammal King, a beaver named George (Bobby Moynihan), and persuades him and the other beavers to build a new dam in the glade.  However, when this effort fails, George appeals to the Animal Council which includes the Insect Queen (Meryl Streep) and her son Titus (Dave Franco), the Amphibian King (Steven Purcell), the Fish Queen (Ego Nwodim), the Reptile Queens (Nichole Sakura), and the Bird King (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.).  Chaos ensues when Mabel's impassioned plea persuades the Council, and the new Insect King Titus, to assassinate Jerry.  The narrative becomes a bit unwieldy at this point but I really loved the ultimate message about cooperation, compromise, and coexistence because it is both powerful and timely.  I also really loved Mabel's character arc because she thinks that she is the only one who cares about the environment and trying to make a difference all by herself feels daunting but she eventually succeeds when she finds community and is willing to listen to what others have to say.  The character design is adorable, the animation showing the natural world is beautiful, the action sequences are exciting (especially the scene in which a shark is used as an assassin), and the comedy is a lot of fun (the montage of building the dam to "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy made me laugh out loud).  I was very pleasantly surprised by this and highly recommend it!

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

I love the show Peaky Blinders (I recently rewatched all six seasons and was reminded again of how brilliant it is) so I was beyond excited to see Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man with my nephew.  I have been disappointed with some of my most anticipated movies lately but luckily, despite my impossibly high expectations, that was definitely not the case last night!  In the midst of the Blitz, Erasmus "Duke" Shelby (Barry Keoghan) is running the Peaky Blinders with a recklessness that worries Ada (Sophie Rundle).  She visits Tommy (Cillian Murphy), who is now living in self-imposed exile with Johnny Dogs (Packy Lee), to get him to intervene with his son but he is consumed by the ghosts of his past.  However, when Duke is recruited by John Beckett (Tim Roth), a Nazi sympathizer involved in a plot to destabilize the economy of England, Tommy is visited by a gypsy medium named Kaulo (Rebecca Ferguson) with a message from her dead sister Zelda, Duke's mother.  He will only find the peace he is searching for if he saves his son so he makes a dramatic return to Birmingham.  After another tragedy and a physical confrontation between the two of them, Tommy and Duke form a plan with Hayden Stagg (Stephen Graham) to stop Beckett but can Tommy trust Duke?  Much like the series, this is stylish and intense with a compelling plot that subverts expectations, outstanding performances (especially from Murphy and Keoghan), and an epic soundtrack.  The action sequences are thrilling and I loved seeing the Peaky Blinders do the iconic slow-motion walk in formation along the canal.  In fact, I was practically giggling out loud at all of the call-backs to the show, especially the scene in which Tommy rides through the streets of Birmingham on horseback with an updated version of "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds because it mimics the opening scene in the first episode.  I do think the villain is a bit underdeveloped compared to other storylines (a casualty of only having two hours rather than six) but I really enjoyed Duke's character arc and I think Tommy has a more emotionally satisfying conclusion.  I loved this and think fans of the show will love it, too!

Note:  I wish that I had worn a peaked cap because so many in the audience were wearing them!

The Bride

Last night my nephew and I went to see The Bride, one of my most anticipated movies of 2026, with a large crowd at the Broadway.  I appreciate Maggie Gyllenhaal's bold swing for the fences but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.  The spirit of Mary Shelley (Jessie Buckley) possesses a gangster's moll named Ida (Jessie Buckley), who lives in Chicago in 1936, because she was denied the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Frankenstein's story when she was alive.  While Ida is possessed, she identifies the victims of the crime boss Lupino (Zlatko Buric) to a crowded speakeasy so he sends his henchmen Clyde (John Magaro) and James (Matthew Maher) to deal with her and she dies after falling down a flight of stairs.  Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale), a lonely cinephile who idolizes the actor Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), visits Dr. Cornelia Euphronious (Annette Bening) and he convinces her to create a companion for him using the body of Ida.  She is reanimated but cannot remember who she is so Frank tells her that she is his bride.  Frank eventually kills two people who harass Ida and they are forced to go on the run while Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Malloy (Penelope Cruz) pursue them.  Ida is also forced to kill multiple times when possessed by Mary's rage and this incites a revolution of women who are tired of being silenced but it also gets the attention of Lupino who sends Clyde after her.  This leads to the inevitable confrontation.  There is a lot going on in the narrative and it is often very messy with wild tonal shifts.  Furthermore, the message is unclear.  I think I get what Gyllenhaal is going for (a woman finally finds her voice and a so-called monster is vilified by men who are the true monsters), but she doesn't quite get there because Ida speaks with Mary's voice, which often horrifies her, rather than her own and Frank's behavior is still very problematic.  Having said that, I loved the cinematography and the visuals, especially the use of Ida's bright orange dress against an almost black and white background because it is so striking.  I also loved the scenes in which Frank inserts himself into Ronnie Reed's movies and the scene in which he and Ida recreate a big production number is seriously cool.  Bale gives an incredibly nuanced performance as the lonely monster but Buckley is absolutely unhinged (in the best possible way) and you cannot take your eyes off her!  This is a mixed bag for me because it is definitely a case of style over substance but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the style!

Jazz vs. Pelicans

Last night I went to my first Utah Jazz game of 2026 with my friend Angela (she has season tickets and very graciously allows me to pick several games to attend with her) and it was a lot of fun despite the final score.  The Jazz, who were without Jaren Jackson, Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic, and Vince Williams, Jr. because of injuries, played the New Orleans Pelicans and lost to them for the second time this week in a very sloppy game.  They didn't even score until the middle of the first quarter when Ace Bailey hit two free throws (I joked at the beginning of the game that he was our only hope).  That seemed to give the team a bit of a spark and they went on a 14-6 run to end the quarter 27-22.  The Pelicans deflated the crowd by hitting two quick shots to increase their lead to 10 in the first few minutes of the second.  After that, the Jazz couldn't seem to get anything going offensively or defensively so they ended the first half down by 25.  Keyonte George, who was back after missing 9 games with an ankle injury, scored 12 points in the third quarter, including a really pretty three-pointer and several free throws, and Elijah Harkless hit back-to-back three-pointers to spur a 13-0 run (and to spur the crowd back into the game) to get the Jazz within 16 points at the end of the third quarter.  I got really excited when the Jazz went on a 9-0 run to begin the fourth quarter but the Pelicans answered back with a 8-2 run.  Isaiah Collier got 12 points (he led the Jazz with 21) and Brice Sensabaugh got an exciting three-pointer at the end of the quarter but it wasn't enough and New Orleans won 115-105.  It is a bit frustrating to be a Jazz fan (I've only seen them win once in two years) but I always have a good time at the games with Angela!

Scream 7

Despite the controversy surrounding Scream 7, I thought the trailer was really intriguing so I decided to see a Thursday preview with my nephew last night.  I am only a casual fan of the franchise but I was incredibly disappointed with this installment (I am 0 for 3 with movies this week).  When Ghostface sets fire to the Macher house in Woodsboro, California after killing a couple spending the night there as part of the "Macher Experience," there is speculation that Stu (Matthew Lillard) is still alive.  Sidney Prescott-Evans (Neve Campbell) now lives with her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and daughter Tatum (Isabel May) in quiet Pine Grove, Indiana.  When she receives a video call from Ghostface threatening Tatum, she is unnerved when the killer unmasks and it is Stu.  However, when her family is attacked, Ghostface is revealed to be a mentally ill serial killer.  She suspects that the call was AI and begins investigating with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) but soon all of Tatum's friends, including Hannah (McKenna Grace), Lucas (Asa Germann), Chloe (Celeste O'Connor), and Ben (Sam Rechner), are brutally killed.  Eventually, Tatum must confront Ghostface in a scene that mirrors what happened to Sidney 30 years ago.  I did not mind the nostalgia that some have taken issue with because I think the dynamic between Sidney and Tatum, and her fear of passing on generational trauma to her daughter, is very compelling.  I also liked the subplot with Gale as she passes the torch of reporting on Ghostface to the Meeks-Martin twins (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding).  There are even some really grisly kills and I did enjoy the opening sequence.  In fact, I liked the first two acts well enough despite the fact that the meta-commentary about horror tropes that makes these movies so much fun is largely missing.  What is most disappointing is the ridiculous and underwhelming Ghostface reveal because the motivation is convoluted and makes absolutely no sense (it also makes one of the kills truly diabolical).  What I also found incredibly frustrating is that, in my opinion, the perfect ending (to the movie and to the franchise if this is actually the final one) was right there.  Ugh!  Definitely avoid this!

Midwinter Break

The second movie in the double feature with my nephew last night was Midwinter Break and, based on the trailer, this looked like the kind of slow-burn drama that I usually enjoy.  However, I found it even more disappointing than the first movie we saw.  Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciaran Hinds) are an older couple who seem companionable but have grown apart so Stella surprises him with a trip to Amsterdam for Christmas.  They excitedly pack, gush about their hotel room, and begin seeing all of the usual sights.  However, as they visit churches for her and pubs for him, flashbacks slowly reveal that Stella was the victim of an attack forty years ago during the troubles in Northern Ireland.  She views her survival as a miracle and, as a result, she is extremely devout but he views what happened as a failure to protect her and buries his pain in alcohol.  Tensions, which appear after he mocks her piety and she criticizes his drinking, eventually force them to address their long-buried trauma.  There are way too many tedious scenes in which Stella and Gerry do everything but talk about what is wrong (she tries to pretend that everything is fine and he is completely oblivious) and I spent most of the runtime waiting for some kind of catharsis which, when it does happen, is incredibly rushed and anticlimactic.  The ambiguous resolution also left me feeling very frustrated and made me wonder what the point was.  Manville and Hinds are brilliant actors but not even they can elevate this dull material into something compelling.  I did enjoy the beautiful cinematography featuring the city of Amsterdam (and my nephew loved the soundtrack) but I recommend giving this a miss.