March 23, 2012
A Byrd’s Eye View N
e
w
s
l
e
t
t
e
r
ABOUT FILMS, TV, ARTS AND EVENTS IN THE VALLEY
John Carter Is Good Despite Bad Press By Art Byrd
A Quote By
“Word of mouth” can make or break a movie. Usually that happens after the movie is playing in theaters. The movie John Carter was not due in theaters for months when it started to get a bad rep -- people saying it was too expensive and would be a flop. The movie was reported to cost $250 million. Yes, that’s right, $250 million. It didn’t seem to matter if John Carter was good or not. The bad press was growing and growing, the snowball effect had the movie going downhill. John Carter opened with $30 million at the box office for the U.S., but made over a $100 million in the international market. Still, it is considered a flop. I feel that people who see John Carter on DVD or Blu-Ray will be kicking themselves because they listened to the bad “word” and didn’t see it on the big screen. John Carter is a really good movie. The Sci-fi genre is hard to do. The movie’s special effects were pretty good. The movie has a good storyline with the adventures of John Carter, played by Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), as the late 19th century Civil War veteran searching for gold who is transported to Mars. On the planet, he has superpowers such as strength and amazing leaping abilities. Carter meets a race of tall, four-armed green creatures. He is caught in the middle of a takeover of the regions of Mars by Sab Them, played by Dominic West (The Wire), with the help of shape shifter Matai Shang, played by Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes). In an agreement for peace, Princess Dejah Thoirs, played by ultra hot Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), is being forced to marry Them by her father. J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
“When a seed is planted in the ground, all you can do is water it and believe. That is what allowed me to be in this position right now, I would not stop believing...Don't wait for someone to green light your project, build your own intersection.” Actor, author, screen and playwright, producer, director, songwriter, Tyler Perry, currently starring in Good Deeds, in the theaters now.
March 23, 2012
Most Sci-fi movies have a love interest for the hero. Collins and Kitch have a good chemistry, which pushes up the hot and cool quotient of the movie. The movie floats back and forth between Carter on Earth and Mars. There is an interesting twist for love, which I really liked. John Carter is an innocent victim of bad press, but unfortunately, people listen to bad press. John Carter is a good movie, not a great one, but if you miss it on the big screen get those boots ready when you see it on DVD or Blu-Ray.
Former Valley Track Star Writes Two Books Former Valley native and Youngstown North High School 1978 graduate Adriana Jai Wynn-Yeldell has written two books: Climbing Trees and Hiding in the Bushes, and its sequel. The People Talking in My Head. Climbing Trees and Hiding in the Bushes begins with stories that character Aira Jacobs writes. Aira’s understanding of the truth and need for self expression is passionate and revealing. She sought perfection but found simplicity. Beautiful, talented and independent, she lived her life the way she chose, but under the watchful eye of those who loved her. Both books are self-published by AuthorHouse Publishing Co. To order your autographed copies go to: www.evnstardreams.weebly.com. You can also order copies at Barnes and Nobles.com, Authorhouse.com, Amazon.com. Wynn-Yeldell, a former athletic standout who held various track and field records in the city, sectional, district and state divisions, now lives in Sugar Land, Texas. Feel free to write her at wynnyeldell@aol.com or at Facebook/Author Adriana Jai Wynn Yeldel
Cleveland International Film Festival Expects Record Crowds The 2012 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) began Thursday and continues until Sunday, April 1. Last year’s festival had more than 152 feature films and 133 short films from 62 countries. Attendance was 78,000, a 9% increase over 2010 figures. CIFF expects an even bigger crowd this year. In addition to the main World Tour program, there are special film programs that add interest and diversity to the overall festival. These include 10% Cinema films (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender), American Independents, Cinema en Español, Family Films, It's Easy Being Green (films dealing with environmental issues), Jewish and Israeli Visions, Local Heroes (highlights films made about Cleveland, in Cleveland, or by Ohioans), Pacific Pearls, Pan-African Images and Women of The World (films about or directed by women). Dozens of filmmakers and other special guests attend the CIFF, where they introduce their screenings, discuss their work, and participate in FilmForums (which are panel discussions that give audience members a chance to talk about the films they've seen at the Festival). CIFF is not just going to the movies, it is experiencing them. For the online guide go to www.clevelandfilm.org. J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
Good Deeds Shows Value of Taking a Chance By Art Byrd In the past, successful Tyler Perry films relied on his character Madea, the gun toting, loud and wisecracking female character played by Perry. With his latest movie, Good Deeds, Madea is nowhere in sight. It is a good thing. I really like Madea, but this movie has a serious tone to it, unlike the all-out comedies we expect from Perry films. Perry plays the title role as Wesley Deeds, a man who’s been groomed throughout his life to be a society figure. He is a businessman who runs a software company founded by his late father. Deeds does everything the same, every day. His fiancée, Natatie, played by amazing Gabrielle Union, can correctly predict Deeds every move -- even to the breakfast he will have. From the outside, Deed’s life is picture perfect with a great career and a beautiful fiancée. However, there is a thorn in his side in the form of his jealous brother, Walter, who believes that his father should have left him in charge of the company. Good movies usually have two separate stories that soon intersect with each other; Good Deeds did a great job of weaving two plots. In the other storyline, Lindsey, played by Thandie Newton, is a struggling Iraq War widow whose job as a cleaning lady is still not enough to keep her and her young daughter from living in their minivan. Lindsey cleans Wesley’s office. One night while working late, he encounters her. Slowly he learns about Lindsey’s situation. Then she finds out about Wesley’s predictability. Wesley helps Lindsey and her daughter find a home. She assists him in finding a different side of himself never explored. One scene I like took place in an elevator with everyone inside: Natalie, Walter, Lindsey, Deeds and his mother, played by Phylicia Rashad. They are trapped together and secrets come out. The tension was very high, which made a great scene. Good Deeds is an enjoyable movie that showcases Tyler Perry’s acting skills. The situations were believable. The movie showed that two people have the possibilities to learn and like each other by being good and nice to each other.
J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
B B Rooners Lifts Spirits in Salem By Monnie Ryan Note: To read the full version of this review, visit http://mahoningvalleyeats.blogspot.com When my husband Jack and I head south from our home in Mineral Ridge, one of our favorite stops for food is in Salem at B B Rooners Food & Spirits. The atmosphere screams sports bar - TV sets tuned to football, basketball or whatever happens to be in season plus team trophies and even motorcycles parked on display inside. A fairly recent addition is lunch buffet that costs just $6.99 for a goodly array of that usually includes pastas, pizzas, soup, salads, sandwiches and such. On a recent lunch visit, we snagged one of the last remaining booths (this is a popular place). I was especially hungry, so I wanted an appetizer to take the edge off. The BB Spuds sounded good - potatoes with melted cheddar, bacon bits and sour cream for $7.20 – but in the end, I ordered eight wings with butter garlic sauce ($5.15). Choosing an entree took a while; several specialty pizzas, including white with garlic and oil, hot peppers and five cheeses ($9.25) sounded wonderful, as did the pasta dinner for $10.30 comes with a salad, bread and butter. There are several salads and soups, and many of the sandwiches have intriguing sports-related names: Triple Play Burger, World Series, Golf Club and Hook Line & Sinker, a breaded jumbo piece of fish on toasted bun. Finally, I chose the Pit Stop ($7.20), a DiRusso Italian sausage topped with peppers, onions and homemade sauce. Jack stayed on the lighter side with Post Time, a tuna salad sandwich on toast. The wings were outstanding; the breading was crispy, softened a bit by swimming in minced garlic and butter. The strong spices in my first taste of the wedding soup gave me pause, but once I found (and removed) the whole bay leaf that was lurking in the cup the flavor grew on me. By the time I got to the bottom I was wishing for more. Both sandwiches were very good, but my sausage link filled a large Italian hoagie roll, and there was so much sauce, peppers and onions on top that I literally couldn't get it to my mouth without spilling it. In the end, I gave up and tackled it with a knife and fork. Our next visit also came at lunch, and once again, we got the last available booth. Also once again, we deliberated for a while before ordering the Reuben lunch special with fries (me) and a turkey burger (Jack). My Reuben contained the requisite corned beef, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing on delicious grilled, buttery marble rye bread. Jack was happy with his turkey burger, which was rather sizable. Still, he polished it off with time enough to spare that he could help me finish my Reuben. If you go: BB Rooners Food & Spirits, 256 E. State St., Salem, Ohio 44460, (330) 337-0001; www.bbroonersfoodandspirits.com. Open at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE VALLEY: MARCH 2N -MARCH 9TH Saturday, March 24th The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Under the direction of Randall Craig Fleischer, the Youngstown Symphony will be joined by the Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Stephen Gage, for a Concert on Saturday, March 24th at 8 P.M. at the Edward W. Powers Auditorium in the DeYor Performing Arts Center (260 West Federal Street) in downtown Youngstown. This Concert will include Romeo and Juliet by Peter Tchaikovsky, Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto, featuring soloist Zuill Bailey, and Alexander Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia. Tickets and more information are available at (330) 744-0264. The Holborn Herb Growers Guild Symposium 9 A.M. until 3 P.M. at the Canfield Presbyterian Church (140 West Main Street, State Route 224). This Symposium will include lectures by Keith Kaiser, the Horticultural Director for Mill Creek MetroParks, who will speak on roses; Tim Parks, from Parks Garden Center; Karen Langan, from Mulberry Creek Herb Farm, who will demonstrate the uses of herbs in cooking and Paul Carmichael, from Beech Creek Botanical Garden. Reservations and more information are available at (330) 533-3802. Mill Creek MetroParks Nature Photography Exhibit Running from Saturday, March 24th through Sunday, April 22nd in the Weller Gallery of the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens. This exhibit will feature photographs of nature taken by local and regional residents who are amateur and professional artists. Gallery hours and more information are available at (330) 740-7116. Tween Scene Saturday – Open Art Studio Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, Howland Branch, 9095 E. Market St., Warren; 330-856-2011. Learn about different art techniques and create a masterpiece of your own design. For kids in grades 4-8. Registration is required by calling 330-856-2011. Ext. 106. 11 a.m. Free. Saturday Author Chat with Michele Gianetti Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave., Warren; 330-399-8807. Join us as Michele Gianetti talks about the journey that led her to write “I Believe in You.” In her book, she writes of travelling a road unfamiliar to most parents, into her daughter Elizabeth’s world of dyspraxia and sensory processing disorder. 2 p.m. Free.
J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE VALLEY: MARCH 2N -MARCH 9TH (CONT’D) Sunday, March 25th The Friends of Music at Holy Trinity will present The Gloria Consort Free concert at 3:30 P.M. at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (on the corner of Penn Avenue and Clinton Street) in Greenville, Pennsylvania. The Gloria Consort specializes in European music before 1800 and their programs are based on historically accurate performance practice and played on faithful reconstructions of instruments from that period. More information about this recital is available at (724) 588-8870.
Monday, March 26th News Women - Past, Present and Future As part of Women's History Month, The Trumbull County Women's History Committee and Trumbull County Woman will present Marilyn Geewax in the lecture at 5:30 P.M. at the W.D. Packard Music Hall (1703 Mahoning Avenue, North West) in Warren. Geewax is the Senior Business Editor for National Public Radio's National Desk. Tickets and more information about this event is available at (330) 637-4843.
Wednesday, March 28th Monthly: Write On, Write Now, Work in Process Creative Writing Workshop Pig Iron Press, 26 N. Phelps St., Youngstown; 330-747-6932. Pig Iron Literary and Art Works and Jim Villani, center director, continue their creative writing workshop the fourth Wednesday of each month. Sessions include readings of works and a discussion. Walk-ins or occasional visitors are welcome. 7-9 p.m. $3.
Thursday, March 29th The Jungle Inn Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave., Warren; 330-399-8807. Cleveland author and organized crime historian Allan R. May will discuss the Jungle Inn and some of the figures associated with the gambling spot that was located in a rural corner of Trumbull County, In “Welcome to the Jungle Inn,” May shares the story of the infamous gambling den and its near tragic demise in 1949. The book is also a concise history of organized crime in the city of Warren and surrounding Trumbull County, including stories about five of its most famous underworld personalities. May is also the author of “Mob Stories and Gangland Gotham: New York’s Notorious Mob Bosses.” He has written for the “Gangland News” website, Rick Porrello’s AmericanMafia.com, Court TV’s “CrimeLibrary”, and CrimeMagazine.com. 6 p.m. Free.
Saturday, March 31st 2012 Walk for Autism 9 A.M. at Buffalo Wild Wings (50 Federal Plaza East) in downtown Youngstown. This event will include entertainment and family-friendly activities. More information is available at (216) 538-9543. Treez Please A community reforestation project in Youngstown, will present a Celebration of Trees and Worldwide Earth Hour from 7 until 10 P.M. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (1105 Elm Street) in Youngstown. Tickets and more information about this event are available at (330) 941-3291.
J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
ON STAGE The Victorian Players: The Foreigner Running March 16-30. Evening performances will be at 7:30 pm. with matinees at 2 p.m. The Foreigner is set in a rural Georgia fishing lodge and tells the story of Charlie Baker and Froggy LeSueur. Froggy tells everyone that Charlie doesn’t speak English, so Charlie finds himself privy to assorted secrets and scandals freely discussed by the other guests. The theater is located 702 Mahoning Ave., near downtown Youngstown. Extra parking across the street at the former Flynn’s Tires. Oakland Center for the Arts: Distracted Running weekends from March 16-31. Evening performances will begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Distracted tells the story of two parents and their search for answers regarding their 8 year old son's behavior. The Oakland is located at 220 W. Boardman St., downtown Youngstown. For tickets or more information, call 330-746-0404. The Youngstown Playhouse: The 39 Steps Running weekends from Friday, March 23rd through Sunday, April 1st. The 39 Steps tells the tale of Richard Hannay, a man in London who tries to help an American spy, but when that agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and stop a spy ring from succeeding in their plans. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Reservations and more information are available at (330) 788-8739. The Playhouse is located at 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown. Salem Community Theatre: Greater Tuna Running weekends from Friday, March 23rd through Sunday, April 1st. Greater Tuna tells of Thurston and Arles on OKKK Radio as they share the daily happenings in Tuna, Texas, where the population is small but the personalities are big. Tickets and more information are available at (330) 332-9688. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. SCT is located at 490 E State St, Salem. Trumbull New Theatre (TNT): The Altos: Like the Sopranos, only Lower An interactive production presented by The HBO series The Sopranos is the most obvious inspiration for the comedy / parody play. The audience will have chance to guess who whacked Tony Alto, although their guesses won't change the outcome of the play. For the interactive part, the actors will be in the lobby before the ''funeral'' starts, among the other mourners. Theatergoers should plan on wearing black to theatre because they're going to a funeral for laughs and fun. The play enters its final weekend on Friday, Saturday and March 23-24 at 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25. Tickets are $10 adults and $8 students. For reservations or more information, call the TNT box office between 7 and 9 p.m. weekdays at 330-652-1103. TNT is located at 5883 Youngstown Warren Road, Niles.
Fundraiser Set for YSU’s Student-run Radio Station Youngstown State University’s student-run Internet radio station, Rookery Radio, is offering its firstever Rookery Radio Benefit Bash Saturday, March 24, at the Lemon Grove Café in downtown Youngstown. The event begins at 7 p.m. Local bands and DJs will provide entertainment with students from the radio station hosting. A silent auction and a Rookery Radio t-shirt sale are scheduled. The cover charge is $5 of which 100% of the proceeds will benefit Rookery Radio. More information may be found at the Rookery website www.rookeryradio.com J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w
March 23, 2012
PRIVACY POLICY Some of you on A Byrd’s Eye View newsletter mailing list came to us from other e-mails sent to us regarding stories about Arts events in the area. We thought you would be interested in reading about additional Arts-related information of interest in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, and added you. However, if you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, simply send a blank e-mail to artbyrdagain@yahoo.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
The e-mail addresses we have are NEVER shared in any way with anyone, nor are they sold. All copies of the newsletter are sent as blind carbon copies, so that no one receiving the newsletter knows the addresses of anyone else receiving it. If you have received this free newsletter as a forward and would like to subscribe, please send a blank e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to artbyrdagain@yahoo.com.
Excerpts from A Byrd’s Eye View can be read in The Review, Newspaper, available throughout the Valley and online at http://www.thereviewnewspapers.com/
Another Way To Get A Byrd’s Eye View Excerpts of our newsletter are now online in the form of a blog. You can view shortened versions of reviews and find documents from past newsletters. You can also give us feedback on the site. Be sure to bookmark us at http://www.artbyrd.blogspot.com
Art Byrd Jr. has won awards as a filmmaker and journalist. After working many years as a videographer and director for WFMJ TV News, he retired from broadcasting to share his experience and insight with students as an instructor at Youngstown State University. Art has written and produced numerous Indie films, which have been shown at prestigious film festivals. In addition to teaching and writing/ producing A Byrd’s Eye View newsletter, Art also does freelance media work. He is based in Youngstown, Ohio. Michele Ristich Gatts began her full-time career in journalism with WKBN TV News, where she worked closely with radio news as well. After a decade in broadcasting, she branched into print, working five years for The Business Journal in various reporting and editorial capacities. Michele was fortunate to be recognized with a few prestigious journalism awards along the way, and has done a little teaching for YSU. She currently works as a freelance writer, editor and media consultant, and is based in Youngstown, Ohio. Contact her at michelegatts@yahoo.com. Monnie Ryan retired in 2003 after 14 years as managing editor of The Business Journal in Youngstown, where she continues to contribute to the print and online editions. Articles she has written have appeared in more than 20 national publications and at several travelrelated Web sites, and she has won numerous awards for photography. Contact her at mryan62692@aol.com.
J o i n A r t o n T w i t t e r a t t w i t t e r. c o m / a r t b y r d v i e w