Rock of Ages at the Empress

Last night I went to the Empress Theatre for a double dose of 80s nostalgia and it was so much fun!  First up was Rock of Ages, which I saw when the Broadway touring production came to SLC about ten years ago but haven't seen since.  It is a jukebox musical featuring songs from 1980s glam rock bands and I may or may not have been singing along during every number!  Sherrie (Benzley Tinney), a small town girl living in a lonely world, and Drew (Aaron Allred), a city boy born and raised in south Detroit, both come to Hollywood to make their rock and roll dreams come true and end up working at the Bourbon Room on Sunset Boulevard.  The owner, Dennis Dupree (Brian Fuller), is desperate to generate some income because a German developer (Cassie Hurt-McLarty) wants to tear it down so he convinces Stacee Jaxx (KC Cook), who's seen a million faces and rocked them all, to perform one final concert with his band Arsenal at the Bourbon Room.  Drew opens for Arsenal and gets a record deal and Sherrie hooks up with Stacee Jaxx.  Complications ensue but, if they don't stop believing, their dreams might eventually come true!  I love all of the music in this show, especially "Nothin' But a Good Time," "Sister Christian," "Too Much Time On My Hands," "I Wanna Rock," "Waiting For a Girl Like You," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Shadows of the Night," "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "High Enough," "Oh, Sherrie," and "Don't Stop Believin'."  Both Tinney and Allred are fantastic and bring a lot energy and attitude to their performances (although Allred occasionally struggled to hit the high notes) but Cook absolutely steals the show as Stacee Jaxx (I could not stop laughing at his rock star poses).  The choreography is amazing and the ensemble does a good job with it.  I especially enjoyed the aerialists in the scene at the strip club.  The costumes feature as much acid wash denim, neon, and big hair as you would expect from an 80s show and the set of the Bourbon Room includes a stage and bar with vinyl records and posters advertising Arsenal's final concert on the wall.  I loved this show so much and it was really fun to be with a crowd that cheered louder and louder as it went on.  If you are a fan of the 80s, make sure you get a ticket (go here) for one of the remaining performances because it's nothin' but a good time!

Head Over Heels at the Grand Theatre

Last night I went to the musical Head Over Heels at the Grand Theatre.  I didn't know anything about this show beyond the fact that it features the music of the Go-Go's but that was enough to get me there because they were one of my favorite bands when I was a teenager.  I am so glad that I spontaneously decided to get a ticket because I loved it.  The story is an adaptation of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney and it has a wonderful message about acceptance and living authentically.  Basilius (Zac Freeman) rules the peaceful and prosperous kingdom of Arcadia but he is incredibly rigid and refuses to deviate from long-held traditions to the detriment of his family.  His youngest daughter Philoclea (Elizabeth Petrucka) is in love with her childhood friend Musidorus (Michael Scott Johnson) but he doesn't approve of the match because he is a lowly shepherd.  He also expects his oldest daughter Pamela (Michelle Lynn Thompson) to marry well but she keeps rejecting all of her suitors while her handmaiden Mopsa (Madison Melia) pines away for her.  His wife Gynecia (Melody Baugh) is unhappy with her role but he refuses to give her a voice in ruling the kingdom.  He is summoned by the Oracle Pythio (K.J. Leuthauser) who gives him four prophecies of doom.  In order to save the kingdom, Basilius has the family go on a journey to Bohemia filled with mistaken identity, love triangles, sexual awakening, and self-discovery along the way.  Philoclea is eventually allowed to marry Musidorus, Pamela discovers her love for Mopsa, Basilius and Gynecia rekindle their love for each other, and Basilius gives up the crown in favor of Gynecia which creates a more open society.  Of course I loved all of the songs, especially "Mad About You" when Musidorus proposes to Philoclea, "Good Girl" when Philocea is forced to refuse him, "Our Lips Are Sealed" when both couples get together but decide to keep their love secret, "Head Over Heels" when both Basilius and Gynecia develop feelings for Musidorus who is posing as an Amazon warrior named Cleophila, "Heaven is a Place on Earth" when Basilius and Gynecia have an encounter but both believe that they are with Cleophilia, and "We Got the Beat" when the kingdom is saved.  I was really impressed with all of the performances, especially Petrucka because I loved her voice and Johnson because he is hilarious (especially as an Amazon warrior).  Everyone in the ensemble does an outstanding job with the choreography, particularly when they portray Musidorus' sheep.  The elaborate Elizabethan costumes worn by the main cast and the set featuring thatched cottages, stylized trees, and pastel tents give the production a fairy tale vibe that is very effective.  This show is so much fun (I had a hard time stopping myself from singing and dancing along with the cast) but it is also a wonderful reminder to accept people for who they are.  I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of the remaining performances through June 18.

Jurassic World: Dominion

I liked Jurassic World so, even though I was very underwhelmed by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, I decided to conclude the trilogy by seeing Jurassic World: Dominion last night.  Unfortunately, I brought my sister and niece with me (and for that I am most profoundly sorry).  To say that the three of us hated it would be an understatement!  Four years after the events of Fallen Kingdom, humans are struggling to coexist with the dinosaurs that have reproduced and now roam the Earth.  Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) are trying to protect as many dinosaurs as they can while keeping Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the clone created by Hammond's business partner to replace his daughter, safe.  Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), through his company Biosyn, has created a sanctuary for dinosaurs in order to study their genetic makeup for the benefit of mankind but he has much more nefarious intentions and employs mercenaries and black marketeers to capture the dinosaurs.  He masterminds the kidnapping of Maisie (for reasons) and a baby velociraptior being cared for by Owen so he and Claire attempt to rescue them.  Meanwhile, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) has discovered that prehistoric locusts are destroying every crop except those genetically engineered by Biosyn and recruits Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to help her find evidence.  After Claire and Owen make a detour to Malta where they are harassed by the mercenaries and black marketeers and then recruit a pilot for hire named Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), everyone ends up at the Biosyn headquarters to rescue Maisie (whose backstory is retconned to fit the new narrative), find evidence about the locusts, and fight a bunch of dinosaurs.  Are you confused?  This is a bloated and convoluted mess that doesn't make sense half the time and is boring the other half of the time.  It doubles down on everything I disliked about Fallen Kingdom and emphasizes the evils of genetic engineering and corporate greed rather the compelling story of how humans and dinosaurs would actually coexist (the ending where humans and dinosaurs have suddenly found a way to coexist is so convenient and unearned that I actually laughed out loud).  Much of the action is derivative and literally copies exact sequences in The Bourne Ultimatum (a chase on the rooftops of a Mediterranean city), Raiders of the Lost Ark (running through an underground tunnel with a torch and a fedora), and Skyfall (characters trapped in a fighting pit except with dinosaurs instead of a komodo dragon).  It was fun to see the original characters (Goldblum is probably the highlight) but there is absolutely no reason for Dr. Grant to be a part of the narrative other than for the nostalgia factor (and Neill is definitely phoning it in).  There are some fun sequences with the dinosaurs but they are few and far between (if you remove the dinosaurs the story would essentially remain the same) and the characters evade them so easily that it is almost laughable.  Let me echo Dr. Malcolm's sentiments when he says, "Jurassic World?  Not a fan."  Skip this and see Top Gun: Maverick again for a legacy sequel done well!

The Lies I Tell

My June Book of the Month selection was The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark (the other options were The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier, The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn, Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan). This is a cat-and-mouse thriller with a twist and I found it to be so engrossing that I read it during every bit of free time because I had to know who was conning whom! Meg Williams, an expert grifter, has returned to her hometown of Los Angeles after an absence of ten years to perpetrate the ultimate con on a man who once wronged her and her mother. Kat Roberts is a journalist who holds Meg responsible for an incident that derailed her life ten years ago and has been waiting for the opportunity to expose her for her duplicity. She views Meg's return as the perfect opportunity to take her revenge and does everything she can to insinuate herself into Meg's operation without revealing her true intentions. But can you really con a con artist? What I enjoyed most about this novel is that it features two strong female characters who are both incredibly sympathetic and have compelling reasons for doing what they do. I also enjoyed that fact that I didn't know what to believe and kept going back and forth about who I wanted to succeed until the final resolution! The unlikely friendship that develops between the two characters, despite their best intentions, is also very moving. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the two women in the present with flashbacks to various times in the past so information about each of them is revealed little by little. It seems as if there is an a-ha moment at the end of every chapter and I kept reevaluating everything I thought I knew. I literally couldn't put it down! The ending is not at all what I was expecting but it left me completely satisfied and I think it is one of the best I've read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this selection and would highly recommend it to fans of domestic thrillers.

Eiffel

I was really intrigued by the trailer for Eiffel so I decided to see it last night at the Broadway.  I enjoyed aspects of the film but it wasn't as good as I was expecting.  An engineer named Gustave Eiffel (Romain Duris), renowned for providing the structural support for the Statue of Liberty, is persuaded to enter a competition to build the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair.  When Adrienne (Emma Mackey), a woman from his past with whom he had a passionate affair that ended abruptly, enters his life once again he decides to build a tower dedicated to her.  Construction on the tower is beset with many problems but, when he rekindles his affair with Adrienne, her husband Antoine de Restac (Pierre Deladonchamps) threatens to ruin his reputation in the press.  Eiffel must ultimately chose between Adrienne and the tower that she inspired.  The images on the screen are absolutely beautiful with sumptuous costumes and atmospheric lighting.  I enjoyed the two lead performances, particularly Duris during a scene in which Eiffel gives a stirring speech to motivate his unpaid workers to continue building the tower, but Mackey does not age at all even though she appears in flashbacks meant to be twenty years earlier.  I have been to the top of the Eiffel Tower many times so I was absolutely fascinated by the engineering required to build it, particularly the method by which the four feet are raised and lowered by sand in order to align perfectly to create the first level (I was holding my breath during this scene and wanted to see more of the actual construction of the tower).  It was also very interesting to learn about the difficulty in securing funds and the public backlash against building it.  I was so engrossed by the building of the tower that the fictionalized romance seemed like an intrusion that didn't really advance the plot and it bored me at times.  The narrative would have been so much better if it had focused on the real Eiffel and his accomplishments instead of a romance that seemed shoehorned into an already compelling story.  I was a bit disappointed by this and recommend waiting until it is available to stream.

Hairspray at the Draper Amphitheater

Last night I saw Hairspray at the Draper Amphitheater and it was so much fun!  I had never been to the Draper Amphitheater before but, since I love seeing outdoor performances in the summer, I decided to make the drive and I am so glad I did because it is a great venue and the show was fantastic!  Hairspray has always been a favorite of mine (I saw the Broadway touring production a few years ago and another touring production will be coming to SLC next year) because it has such a great message about loving who you are, following your dreams, and standing up for what you believe is right.  Plus-sized Tracy Turnblad (Linze Struiksma) wants to be one of the dancers on the Corny Collins (Weston Seiler) Show, to have Link Larkin (Austin Kimbell) notice her, to integrate the show so her Black friends can dance with her, and to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray crown.  Velma Von Tussle (Marilyn Oveson) and her daughter Amber (Kellie Seiler) do everything they can to stop her but Tracy proves that you can't stop the beat and makes all of her dreams come true.  The main cast is outstanding but I particularly enjoyed Struiksma's performance as Tracy because she could really dance and was very charismatic.  I also really enjoyed Gennell Goodman as Motormouth Maybelle, because her rendition of "I Know Where I've Been" brought the crowd to their feet, and Chad Smith and Joey West as Edna and Wilbur Turblad, respectively, because their antics were incredibly amusing in "Timeless to Me."  The ensemble is also very noteworthy, especially all of the dancers on the Corny Collins Show and the Dynamites (Ariana Marshall, Rebecca Meats, and Kimberly Teitter), because they execute the choreography very well.  I especially loved the staging of "The Big Doll House" (the tap dancing!), "Nicest Kid in Town," "I Can Hear the Bells," "Run and Tell That," "Hairspray," and "You Can't Stop the Beat."  My favorite song in the show is "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" and Struiksma, Kellie Seiler, and Kaitlyn Schreiner (as Penny Pingleton) did such a good job with it. I loved the costumes (the sheer number of costumes is very impressive) because they were so colorful and sparkly.  The set was a lot of fun with a giant LED television screen that featured live shots in black and white of the Corny Collins Show.  I really enjoyed every aspect of this show and it was wonderful to sit outside because the weather was absolutely perfect (although it did get a tad cold when the sun went down).  I highly recommend getting a ticket for one of the remaining shows (go here) through June 11.

Note:  Most of the seating is on grassy tiers so bring a blanket or a camp chair and grab some snacks because food is allowed.

Crimes of the Future

I have been looking forward to Crimes of the Future ever since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and I finally had the chance to see it last night.  It is incredibly bizarre and definitely won't be for everyone but I found it to be haunting and extremely thought-provoking.  In the near future, humanity has begun evolving to cope with a rapidly decaying environment but the government attempts to control the rate of evolution with a National Organ Registry and a police force dedicated to solving evolutionary crimes called the New Vice Unit.  Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) has developed the ability to grow new organs inside of his body but this is incredibly painful and causes severe digestive issues which require specialized machines to regulate.  He and his partner Caprice (Lea Seydoux) have turned the surgery required to remove his extra organs into performance art in front of a live audience who view mutilation as a form of pleasure.  This attracts the attention of a bureaucrat (Kristen Stewart) with the National Organ Registry who becomes enamored with him, a police detective (Welket Bungue) with the New Vice Unit who asks him to infiltrate a group of underground evolutionists, and the leader (Scott Speedman) of this group who wants to use his notoriety to publicly highlight an illegal but revolutionary advance.  I found the narrative to be a bit confusing in the beginning because the audience is dropped in the middle of a strange new world but there was a moment when everything suddenly came together for me and, by the time it ended, I was left wanting more because the themes are so compelling (the most fascinating, in my opinion, being that the destruction of the planet is actually changing our bodies).  The mood is quite unsettling (but it is not nearly as graphic as I was expecting) with a bleak production design filled with abandoned and rotting vehicles, atmospheric lighting, and a tension-filled score.  All of the performances are great but Stewart is brilliant and steals every scene she is in as a woman desperate for sensation in a world devoid of feeling.  I was captivated by this movie and I have not been able to stop thinking about it but it is not something I would recommend to everyone.

Montana Story

Last night I went to my favorite art house theater to see Montana Story and I really enjoyed it.  Erin (Haley Lu Richardson) and Cal (Owen Teague) are estranged siblings who return to the Montana ranch where they were raised after their father suffers a stroke and is placed on hospice.  They disagree over what should be done with an aging and decrepit horse named Mr. T once they sell the ranch.  Cal believes the humane thing to do would be to euthanize him but Erin reacts very emotionally to this plan and impulsively decides to haul him from Montana to upstate New York where she lives.  The disagreement over the horse triggers a past trauma between them involving their abusive father and another horse and, as they work out the logistics of transporting Mr. T, they begin to heal.  The plot unfolds very slowly and there are many long moments of silence so some viewers might become impatient with it but I found the narrative to be captivating because of the beautiful cinematography and the stellar performances from Richardson and Teague.  The expansive Montana scenery is used in juxtaposition with the tense and emotional drama that is playing out between the two characters in a claustrophobic setting and this is highly effective.  Richardson and Teague have great chemistry and their portrayal of siblings feels really natural.  You can feel the quiet animosity radiating off of them when they see each other for the first time in seven years and this tension continues to build until they finally confront each other in an incredibly powerful scene.  I loved the resolution between them but I loved the solution they find for the horse even more (a lovely metaphor for their relationship).  It is definitely a slow burn but it is ultimately very moving so I would recommend it.

Memorial Day Weekend 2022

My whole family (Marilyn, Kristine, Trent, Tashena, Sean, and I) went up to the property over the long Memorial Day weekend and we had so much fun together.  Friday was Marilyn's birthday so we celebrated with cake and yesterday Sean convinced me to go with him into town to get ice cream and then we went off-roading a little bit but the temperatures were a lot cooler than expected (we even had hail at one point) so we spent a lot of time around the fire pit making s'mores and in the trailer playing games and watching movies.  It was so nice to be able to relax!  The dogs were in heaven!

I hope to spend a lot more time at the property this summer!

Beethoven's Violin Concerto, Messiaen & Ravel

Last night was the final Utah Symphony concert of the 2021-2022 season and it was a great one to end with!  The orchestra and soloist Veronika Eberle began with Concerto for Violin by Ludwig van Beethoven and it was absolutely brilliant!  I loved the opening of the first movement because the timpani is so dramatic and the themes played by the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon are very lyrical.  I also really enjoyed the third movement because it features a hunting theme played by the horns.  Many have called this concerto "unplayable" but Eberle seemed to have no difficulty with it.  It was fun to watch her bow flying up and down the strings and I especially enjoyed the extended passage she played at the end of the first movement.  She received the most enthusiastic standing ovation I have heard all season and it was much deserved!  After the intermission, the orchestra, once again, played two movements from Des canyons aux etoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) by Olivier Messiaen with Jason Hardink on piano, Keith Carrick on xylorimba, and Eric Hopkins on glockenspiel as soloists.  These two movements represent the stars seen from the cathedrals of red rock found in the natural parks of Utah.  I loved all of the percussion, especially the chimes.  This piece will be performed in its entirety at the O. C. Tanner Amphitheater near Zion National Park in a few days (go here for tickets and information).  The concert concluded with Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 by Maurice Ravel.  I had never heard this piece before and I loved it!  The music was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and tells the love story of the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloe.  I especially loved the flute solo as Chloe dances for Daphnis and the all of the percussion used in the bacchanale featured in the dramatic conclusion.  I enjoyed this concert immensely and I highly recommend getting a ticket for the same program which will be performed again tonight (go here).

Note:  This is the first season that I subscribed to the entire Masterworks series and, even though I had to miss a few concerts because of family responsibilities, I thoroughly enjoyed every one!  I renewed my subscription for next season and I am really excited (go here for more information about next season).

The Eagles at the Vivint Arena

I love the Eagles.  I grew up listening to them because they were my Dad's music of choice for long road trips (along with the Beatles).  My whole family would sing every word of every song at the top of our lungs as we drove down the highway.  I really love seeing them perform live and last night's concert was absolutely amazing!  During the first half they performed the album Hotel California from beginning to end in order.  This included "Hotel California," "New Kid in Town," "Life in the Fast Lane," "Wasted Time," "Wasted Time (Reprise)," "Victim of Love," "Pretty Maids All in a Row," "Try and Love Again," and "The Last Resort."  Before this set, a performer came out on stage and put the Hotel California record on a turntable and then the band started playing when the needle hit the groove.  Another performer came out and turned the record over to play side two after "Wasted Time" and I thought this was fabulous (I own Hotel California on vinyl).  Other than "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane," which are always great to hear live, my favorite song from this set was "Wasted Time" because they hardly ever perform it and they had a full orchestra backing them which was really impressive.  I also really enjoyed "Try and Love Again" because Vince Gill, who joined the group after the untimely death of Glenn Frey, gave an incredible vocal performance.  It gave me goosebumps!  "The Last Resort," another song they don't perform very often, was also really powerful because Don Henley sang it with a lot of passion (I love his voice) and they were backed by the orchestra again along with a choir!  At the end of this set, Henley told the crowd that they were going to take a short intermission and come back to play every song they had ever recorded!  They returned to the stage with "Seven Bridges Road," which is how they often begin concerts, and I loved the five-part harmony.  Then they performed "Take It Easy," "One of These Nights," Peaceful Easy Feeling," a really bluesy version of "Witchy Woman," "Take It to the Limit," and "Tequila Sunrise."  Joe Walsh performed "In the City" and this really reminded me of my Dad.  He loved Walsh and we would sing this song very dramatically (Walsh is very dramatic) during our road trips.  It made me miss my Dad so much!  They continued with "I Can't Tell You Why," (one of my favorite Eagles songs), "Lyin' Eyes," a rousing rendition of "Those Shoes," and then they finally let Walsh off the chain for "Life's Been Good" and "Funk #49."  They ended this set with "Already Gone" and "Heartache Tonight."  For the encore, Walsh performed a epic version of "Rocky Mountain Way" and then Henley sang a beautiful rendition of "Desperado" with the orchestra.  Henley performed his song "The Boys of Summer" and the concert concluded with "Best of My Love."  I had so much fun at this concert (I amused the older gentleman sitting next to me to no end by singing every word and playing air guitar and air drums) because it was over three hours of listening to one of my favorite bands play every song I wanted to hear (and then some).  It was definitely one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time!

Note:  This is the fifth time I've seen the Eagles in SLC.  I didn't see the Hell Freezes Over Tour back in the day because I thought $75 was too much to pay for a concert.  I find this highly amusing considering how much I paid for this ticket!

Top Gun: Maverick

Last night my sister Marilyn and I went to an early access screening of Top Gun: Maverick and to say that we both loved it would be an understatement!  It is the most exhilarating movie I have seen in a very long time!  The large IMAX theater was absolutely packed and the crowd started cheering during "Danger Zone" in the opening credits and kept on cheering through the whole movie.  There was a lot to cheer for!  Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is now a navy test pilot but he is still breaking the rules.  His superior officer, Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain (Ed Harris), wants to permanently ground him but Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer) requests that he go back to Top Gun to train an elite group of graduates for a specialized mission, much to the displeasure of the commander of Naval Air Forces Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson (Jon Hamm) and to the delight of an old flame named Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).  The mission involves bombing a facility that will soon be capable of producing enriched uranium and it is extremely dangerous because it is located in a deep mountainous canyon protected by surface-to-air missiles.  Maverick is extremely conflicted because one of the candidates for the mission is Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his former wingman Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, and he doesn't want to send him on a mission he might not survive but knows that he will never forgive him if he doesn't.  The story is incredibly compelling and a lot more emotional than I was expecting (I had tears in my eyes three different times).  It pays homage to the original, with a lot of fun callbacks that fans will instantly recognize, while paving the way for a new narrative with a new group of pilots who are easy to root for.  The action sequences are thrilling and incredibly immersive (the audience is literally in the cockpit with the pilots thanks to all of the practical stunts) and the final dogfight in an F-14 Tomcat will have you cheering out loud!  I loved Cruise's performance and Maverick's character arc is a logical progression from the original movie because, even though he is still a bit cocky, he is more mature and feels his responsibility to his team of young pilots (he even has a love interest who is more age appropriate).  Kilmer's performance will tug at your heartstrings (his character arc is executed so well) and Teller is outstanding.  I loved everything about this movie and had a smile on my face during the whole runtime.  It is the perfect summer blockbuster and I highly recommend seeing it on an IMAX screen!

Men

Critics and audiences have been divided on Men but since I am a huge fan of Alex Garland (I loved Ex Machina and Annihilation) I decided to see it last night.  I initially enjoyed this tense and atmospheric psychological thriller until it was derailed by a truly bizarre ending and a message that didn't sit well with me.  Harper (Jessie Buckley) witnesses the death of her estranged husband James (Paapa Essiedu) and is haunted by the possibility that he killed himself and that she drove him to it.  She books a two week stay at a country house in a picturesque village hoping to heal from the trauma.  However, all of the men she encounters in the village, including an insensitive estate agent, a deranged stalker, a troubled schoolboy, a judgmental priest, and a dismissive policeman (all played by Rory Kinnear), seem to want to exact revenge for James' death.  Garland always excels at creating an oppressive and claustrophobic mood (even in nature) in his movies and Men is no exception.  He uses trippy lighting, menacing sound design, and both biblical and pagan symbolism to create a sense of dread that grabs you almost immediately and doesn't let up.  Buckley does an outstanding job at portraying both grief and fear but Kinnear is absolutely brilliant because each of his characters have distinct looks and personalities but they are all recognizably him (and they are all seriously creepy, especially the priest).  I'm not sure how I feel about the gory over-the-top final confrontation between Harper and all of the men (there was much nervous laughter during these scenes in my audience) even though I understand what Garland is saying about the cycle of abuse but I certainly didn't like the message that all men are bad and that women are responsible for their bad behavior.  My take might be completely off base (it is very different from others I have seen) but I don’t think so.  Having one actor portray every male character seems to imply that all men are the same and the repeated references to original sin (Harper even takes a bite of an apple in an early scene so it couldn't be more obvious) suggest that women are to blame.  I really wanted to like this but, honestly, it made me angry.

Note:  I may or may not have uttered an expletive out loud after a conversation between Harper and James at the end of the movie.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Whenever I visit Zion National Park I usually stay on the Mt. Carmel Highway which eventually leads to Bryce Canyon.  I like to drive through the park and stop at all my favorite viewpoints then take Highway 89 home.

I met a couple from Florida in Zion and ran into them at just about every viewpoint in Bryce.  They took my picture at both signs!