Ruckus September 29, 2023

‘Having a blast’

RACHEL HERGETT

For the Chronicle

Craig Johnson’s latest book “ e Longmire Defense” was at No. 7 on the New York Times Bestseller list for combined print and e-book sales when the author spoke with the Chronicle over the phone last week. e call found him in Philadelphia amid his latest book tour. Johnson will meet fans around the country before heading home to the ranch he built in rural Wyoming, some 20 miles outside Bu alo.

On the way, Johnson will visit Country Bookshelf in Bozeman to sign books at noon on Saturday, Sept. 30, and will read from and discuss “ e Longmire Defense” at Elk River Books in Livingston at 7 p.m. the same day. Both events are free and open to the public.

Tours are a bit di erent now than when Johnson premiered sheri Walt Longmire in “ e Cold Dish” in 2004. Publishers at the time o ered minimal support, suggesting a local tour and giving Johnson a chuckle thinking about touring his tiny town of Ucross, Wyoming, which he usually punctuates with “population 26.” ere was not a local bookstore. ere wasn’t a bookstore within 30 miles. Johnson, however, was already equipped with an old BMW GS dual sport desert bike, perfect for the dirt and gravel roads prevalent around the Big Horn Mountains that feature heavily in his book series.

Publishers at the time o ered minimal support, suggest-

More JOHNSON I 14

What’s Available NOW On

“The D’Amelio Show” - Season 3

(Available Now)

While the outside world beckons with bigger and better opportunities for the D’Amelios, their toughest challenges come from within their own relationships in this series’ third season. Sisters Dixie and Charli experience their highs and lows together, but without parents Marc and Heidi to mediate, things come to a head when they can’t see eye-toeye.

“The Conversations Project”Season

1 (Available Now)

A conversational series inspired by The Harlem Renaissance Salon — a dinner gathering of great Black American philosophers, writers, musicians, singers, dancers, comedians and actors of the period — this series is a reimagined take on these incredible gatherings; unscripted, candid and never dull.

celebrityscoop

BY JAY BOBBIN

Checking in with KRISTEN WELKER

“Movie: 27 Dresses”

(Available Now)

After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, Jane (Katherine Heigl) wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister’s (Malin Akerman) side as her sibling marries the man (Edward Burns) she’s secretly in love with. Along the way, a run-in with a cynical reporter (James Marsden) flips her life upside-down.

If NBC wanted a Washington, D.C., insider to inherit the moderator’s chair on “Meet the Press” – and clearly and obviously, it did – it already had Kristen Welker to fill that bill.

Previously a White House correspondent and “Weekend Today” co-anchor for the network, she has succeeded Chuck Todd in presiding over the Sunday-morning staple, a television destination for politics-driven conversation since 1947. (It had started two years earlier on radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System.) Welker’s tenure brings the program full-circle in a sense, since it originated with a female host, Martha Rountree. Welker is the first woman to have the job full-time since then; Lawrence Spivak, Bill Monroe, Roger Mudd, Chris Wallace, Garrick Utley, Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw and David Gregory are among others who have held the position.

Welker covered the Obama and Biden administrations extensively as a reporter, and she earned high marks as the sole moderator of the last of the Republican presidential debates in 2020. She has filled in on “NBC Nightly News” and the weekday edition of “Today,” and also on “Meet the Press” (co-hosting the streaming “Meet the Press NOW” as well), and she started what was her regular role on the Saturday version of “Today” early in 2020. (Laura Jarrett, NBC’s senior legal correspondent, has taken her former spot there alongside continuing co-host Peter Alexander.)

Though she was associated initially with ABC through her work at two of the network’s affiliates, Welker became part of

“Movie: The Devil Wears Prada”

(Available Now)

You thought your boss was difficult? A recent college graduate (Anne Hathaway) gets a crash course in landing arguably the most demanding boss on Earth (Meryl Streep) at a fashion magazine in this enjoyable 2006 comedy, adapted from Lauren Weisberger’s bestseller. The dismayed newcomer’s job is made even tougher by a competitive fellow assistant (Emily Blunt).

the NBC “family” in 2005 by joining WCAU, its station in her hometown of Philadelphia. Her first posting with the NBC network took her to its West Coast foothold in Burbank, California, as a general correspondent, before she became a part of the White House beat in 2011.

Twelve years of journalistic experience in the nation’s capital has given Welker a solid base for her “Meet the Press” duties … and while the show may be keeping the same mission, it has entered a new era with her on board permanently.

Birthdate: July 1, 1976

Birthplace: Philadelphia

Current residence: Washington, D.C.

Marital status: Married; has a daughter, delivered via surrogate (which Welker has discussed extensively via NBC News platforms)

Earlier television jobs included: KRCR-TV, Redding/Chico, Calif.; WLNE-TV, Providence, R.I.; WCAU-TV, Philadelphia

Education: Germantown Friends School; Harvard College (graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in American history)

College internship: She did that at “Today” while she was a Harvard student

Early off-camera jobs: Researcher for NBC’s “Weekend Today,” assistant producer at CBS Newspath

An organization to which she belongs: National Association of Black Journalists

Across

1. Peppa et al., in children’s TV, e.g.

5. Flit

8. University founder Cornell

12. Rings

13. Cuckoo bird

14. Lost power

15. Something to follow

16. Shade of gray

17. Reply to “That so?”

18. Star of “Only Murders in the Building”

21. Setting for the TV shows

“The Manhunter” and “Napoleon Dynamite”

22. Kang or Kodos of “The Simpsons”

26. Selena who stars in “Only Murders in the Building”

31. Poison ivy cousin

32. Logan Roy to Greg Hirsch on “Succession”

33. Conductor’s pages

BY JAY BOBBIN

For multiple reasons, it’s an appropriate time for “The Exorcist” to make a return.

The Halloween season is ideal for a showing of the 1973 scare classic – which AMC presents Saturday, Oct. 7, and the timing of the film’s return also serves as a tribute to its director: William Friedkin, who died in August. (In fact, Turner Classic Movies also is slated to show the picture as part of a Friedkin tribute on Nov. 26.)

William Peter Blatty adapted his own Washington, D.,C.-set best seller for the screen version, tracing the plight of young Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair, then a novice performer), an actress’ (Ellen Burstyn) daughter who becomes a target of demonic possession. Friedkin and Blatty build the unsettling feeling gradually, initially presenting Regan as a happy and reasonably ordinary child … until she crashes a party given by her mother and tells an astronaut guest, “You’re gonna die up there.”

It gets worse from there – a lot worse – as the physical effects of having the devil inside her give the previously cherubic Regan a truly horrifying appearance, prompting the recruitment of the troubled Father Karras (portrayed by playwright Jason Miller) to drive out the demon (who has the throaty voice of Oscar winner Mercedes McCambridge). Ultimately, he doesn’t believe he can handle the job alone, so the much more experienced Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) is brought in to share the dangerous duty with him. Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran and Kitty Winn are among other prominent cast members.

Though themes of “The Exorcist” have been borrowed and even parodied since – also in some sequels, one of which (“The Exorcist: Believer”) is about to hit theaters, and a Fox television series that ran for two seasons – nothing quite like it had been seen before, and news reports of audience members fleeing or fainting were bountiful during its initial theatrical run. The tale’s religious overtone also stirred controversy, as it had in print form, though the immediacy of a visual representation seemed to push certain buttons even harder.

34. “Who’s there?” response

35. Pokes (around)

39. Star of “Only Murders in the Building”

45. Agree

46. Realty unit

47. “The ___” (Joy Behar’s show)

49. Rights grp.

50. Female in a pasture

51. Setting for the TV show “Sister Wives”

52. Blubber

53. Add color to

54. Staff note

Down

1. Sports stat.

2. Markers

3. “True ___”

4. Webmaster’s creation

5. Looked (at)

6. Jung’s inner self

7. Washington of the blues

8. Polish language?

9. Tubes on the table

celebrity update

10. Bit attachment

11. Super Bowl highlights?

19. Price of horror films

20. Rascally

22. Obnoxious sort

23. Jean-__ Picard: “Star Trek: TNG” captain

24. Viewpoint intro on the Web

25. Audience

27. Neighbor of Que.

28. Some hosts, for short

29. Shade provider

30. Alphabet ender

36. Fixed a squeaky wheel

37. Very white

38. Cosmetician Lauder

39. Squeakers

40. Accomplished

41. Start another hitch

42. Female egg

43. Initiation, e.g.

44. Lions, Tigers, or Bears, e.g.

45. Gossip

48. Doctor ___ (TV time-traveler)

BY JAY BOBBIN

Rachel Boston OF “THE MORE LOVE GROWS” (RECENTLY) ON HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES

Q: I’ve enjoyed Rachel Boston in many of her cable movies. Where did she get her start?

A: Seen most recently in “The More Love Grows” on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the actress has been starting to play mothers more frequently … which is appropriate, since she became a first-time mom herself early in 2022. Her first big credit was the 2002-05 NBC series “American Dreams,” inspired by the legendary music show “American Bandstand” and featuring Boston as Beth, who became the sister-in-law of “Bandstand” dancer Beth (Brittany Snow).

Boston went on to do guest shots on many series including “NCIS,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Las Vegas,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER” and “Castle.” She landed continuing roles on “In Plain Sight” and “Witches of East End,” and in 2014, she began what has become her long association with the Hallmark brand, which started with the movie “A Ring by Spring” (still repeated fairly often).

The Christmas season has yielded a particular amount of work for Boston, who has worked again for Hallmark in “Ice Sculpture Christmas,” “Christmas in Angel Falls,” “Check Inn to Christmas,” “The Christmas Carousel” and “A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe.” “Stop the Wedding,” “The Last Bridesmaid” and “Dating the Delaneys” have been among Boston’s other Hallmark projects; she also has made films for Lifetime occasionally. Additionally, Boston has had a recurring role on “SEAL Team” that enabled her to keep working while she was in later stages of her pregnancy, since her character on the series – Hannah Oliver – also was expecting, with high-school friend and Bravo Team member Sonny Quinn (A.J. Buckley) the father of her child.

Linda Blair and Max von Sydow in “The Exorcist”

“The Exorcist” stirs up scares again on AMC

What’s Available NOW On

“Movie: Totally Killer” (Oct. 6)

35 years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ignores her overprotective mom’s (Julie Bowen) warning and comes face to face with the masked maniac and, on the run for her life, accidentally time travels back to 1987, the year of the original killings. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar and outrageous culture of the 1980s, Jamie teams up with her teen mom (Olivia Holt) to take down the killer once and for all before she’s stuck in the past forever.

in focus

“Awareness” (Prime Video — Oct. 11, Movie Premiere)

Ian (Carlos Scholz), a rebellious teenager living on the outskirts of society, can manipulate minds with his ability to generate visual illusions. He uses this power to survive, running small, indiscreet scams.

When one of his cons goes awry, his abilities publicly spiral out of control and Ian becomes the target of two rival organizations, each seeking to exploit his powers. María Pedraza, Pedro Alonso, Óscar Jaenada and Lela Loren also star.

“Movie: 2001: A Space Oddysey”

(Available Now)

After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.

“Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You”

(Available Now)

A high-school boy, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), cannot date Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) until her anti-social older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick (Heath Ledger), to charm Kat in this 1999 high school rom-com.

“Movie: Face/Off”

(Available Now)

To foil a terrorist plot, FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) assumes the identity of Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), the criminal who murdered his son, through facial transplant surgery, but the crook wakes up prematurely and vows revenge.

Solution on page 12

Meet the Directors

ailey Krause uneral Director

Funeral D Valley’

Bailey grew up in and attended the Univ of M lo the out enjoys ar the scener the moun B in in funer af classma

ew up in Wisconsin ended the University innesota. She loves outdoors and being around ener y that is mountains and Bozeman. She became interested funeral ser vice after she lost a classmate at 15.

What that funeral director was able to do not only for the family but for the community it changed my perspective, and I knew that I wanted to be that caring person.

c

BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT

This just in @ Bozeman Library

BETH BOYSON

Ready, set, carve: ‘Outrageous Pumpkins’ searches for its next jack-o-lantern champion

Damaris Phillips (“Food Network Star” winner, Season 9) expands her search for the greatest of Great Pumpkin carvers as Season 4 of “Outrageous Pumpkins” continues, airing new episodes Sundays on Food Network.

During the season premiere — which aired Sunday, Sept. 24 — eight talented pumpkin carvers joined Phillips on the series’ spooky carving stage, all eager to become the next “Outrageous Pumpkins” champion. The artists immediately began their first challenge: creating the most elaborate porch display in the neighborhood, showing off their unique artistic view in order to introduce themselves to judges Ralph Attanasia (“Cake Boss”) and Terri Hardin (“Men in Black, 1997). Only the most distinct, creative and downright spooky will continue, as eliminations take place following each round.

“common literary phrases with a deadly twist to life for the

NEW BOOKS

from DC’s “Batman,” with the titular crime-fighter facing off against one of his iconic enemies as he tries to save Gotham City.

The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by mike rucker. Whether you’re a frustrated happiness-seeker looking for a new approach, a success-oriented hustler trying to balance work with a fulfilling life, or someone who experienced a life-changing trauma and needs to regain their well-being with the best medicine available, this book will show you how to reap the serious benefits fun offers us all. Nonfiction.

This week’s episode — the second of four — follows the remaining carvers as they try their hand at defying gravity. A summary listed on Food Network describes: “Host Damaris Phillips is all about everyone’s favorite Halloween decoration, the jack-o’-lantern, so she tasks the carvers with creating topsy-turvy, gravity-defying stacks of jacks. Then in the ‘Big Carve,’ the competitors must impress judges Ralph Attanasia and Terri Hardin with a spooky jack-o’lantern skeletal structure to stay safe from elimination.”

Greetings from bozeman public Library. Have you been into see the Library recently? the renovation is nearly complete, and the staff is planning great things for the hundreds of patrons who visit daily. Such as … Noon Notes Chamber music, (monday, October 2, 12- 1 pm), a banned books Week Conversation about First amendment Legislation with the montana Free press staff ( tuesday, October 3, 6:30 – 7:45 pm), baby Storytime ( tuesdays & thursday, 10:15 am) or intro to 3d printing (Wednesday, October 4, 6:30 – 8 pm). all of these events are free, do NOt require registration and help strengthen the community bonds among people who attend. C’mon down to the Library! it’s right across the street from montana ale Works. We ‘serve’ materials in a variety of formats to nourish your brain, heart, and soul.

As the season continues, Phillips challenges the artists to carve three-dimensional pop culture pumpkins and

from the popular minnesota author. the book is a murder mystery set ibn a small town and involving the past, the future and seemingly everyone in town. Who shot wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn and left him floating in the alabaster river, dead from a shotgun blast? Sheriff brody dern, a highly decorated war hero, intends to find out. Fiction.

By the grand finale, only half of the competitors will remain, as the final four carvers must impress Attanasia and Hardin in not one, but two rounds. First, Phillips tasks the group with “creating the winning monster entry in the Miss/Mr. Underworld Pageant, complete with pageant talent,” says Food Network, continuing: “Then, it’s time for giants on parade as the competitors transform 2,000-pound Atlantic Giant pumpkins into a spooktacular Halloween parade float.”

Whoever can complete this last, massive feat and impress judges best earns the championship title and all its glory, including a $25,000 cash prize and the coveted “Outrageous Pumpkins” championship belt — a worthy feat for any Halloween heavyweight.

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. at last, a new novel

100 Places to See After You Die: a Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings. the popular Jeopardy host outlines journeys through the afterlife, as dreamed up over the past 5,000 years of human history by our greatest prophets, poets, mystics, artists, and t V

Season 4 of “Outrageous Pumpkins” continues through October, with new episodes airing Sundays on Food Network.

showrunners. Haven’t you wondered which circles of dante’s inferno have the nicest accommodations? Nonfiction.

The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by paterson Joseph. n 18th century London lived a man named Charles ignatius Sancho. this historical novel, based on his life, asks how he came to meet the king, write and play highly acclaimed music, become the first black person to vote in britain, and lead the fight to end slavery. Fiction.

DVDs – bozeman public Library lends out dVds. borrow one for 14 days and enjoy the movie and special features.

means to be a hero.

Joe Pickett Season 1 based on the best-selling book series from CJ box, Joe pickett is the new game warden of a town as beautiful and charming as it is corrupt and dangerous. When a poacher turns up brutally murdered, Joe decides to investigate it to keep his wife and young daughters safe, but that plan may backfire.

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret For over fifty years, Judy blume’s classic has connected with readers through its relatable story, achingly funny details, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions. in this big-screen adaptation, elevenyear-old margaret is uprooted from her life in New york City for the suburbs of New Jersey. Jersey? after NyC?

Damaris Phillips from “Outrageous Pumpkins”

Spider-Man: Across the SpiderVerse miles morales catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-people charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, miles must redefine what it

Beth Boyson is a programming Librarian and Cataloger at bozeman public Library. She can be reached through the library website www.bozemanlibrary.org.

What’s Available NOW On

“Movie: Race to the Summit”

(Oct. 4)

Ueli Steck was known as the fastest climber in the world until Dani Arnold broke his Eiger speed record in 2011. That incredible climb sparked a duel across the great north faces of the European Alps, many of which the pair climbed ‘solo’, without any safety equipment. This new documentary is directed by Nicholas de Taranto and Gotz Werner.

“Lupin” - Part 3 (Oct. 5)

Now in hiding, Assane (Omar Sy) must learn to live far from his wife and son. With the suffering they endure because of him, Assane can’t stand it any longer and decides to return to Paris to make them a crazy proposal: leave France and start a new life elsewhere. But, the ghosts of the past are never far away, and an unexpected return will turn his plans upside down.

celebrity quotes

“I’m nervous about remembering names [on night one at the mansion]. But really, the much more important thing, I’m really nervous about not finding the right words to carefully let someone down and tell them that they don’t have a rose.” - Gerry Turner speaking to Variety ahead of “The Golden Bachelor” premiere

“Everything Now” - Season 1

(Oct. 5)

When 16-year old Mia (Sophie Wilde) returns home after a lengthy recovery from an eating disorder, she is thrust back into the chaotic world of sixth form only to find that her friends have moved on with teen life without her. Along with an ever-evolving bucket list, three best mates and a major new crush, Mia throws herself headfirst into a world of dating, parties and first kisses, soon discovering that not everything in life can be planned for.

“Movie: Reptile” (Available Now)

Following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, hardened detective Tom Nichols (Benicio Del Toro) attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems, and by doing so dismantles the illusions in his own life. Justin Timberlake and Alicia Silverstone co-star.

“When Fox asked me to host their new show, I was flattered. But then they told me it was about a shady snake oil salesman, and I was a little less flattered to be the guy that immediately comes to mind.” -

“Snake Oil” host David Spade in a statement prior to the actors’ strike

“Snake Oil” host David Spade

“Leave it to Dan Harmon to turn the mythos of early Greek civilization into remarkably sharp commentary on today’s politics, celebrity and pop culture.” Michael Thorn , President of Scripted Programming for Fox, speaking about “Krapopolis”

Across

1. End up in a cast?

4. Doesn’t guzzle

8. Quilting party

11. Uma’s role in “Pulp Fiction”

12. The hunted

13. Redand-white

supermarket logo

14. The Celtics play on one

17. Lord’s Prayer start

18. Thanksgiving veggie

19. Pasta choice

21. Toy ball material

24. “___ better be off”

25. Weatherman Roker

26. Yes’s opposite

27. Enlisted soldier, for short

28. Staff symbol

42. Steak order

43. “Oh ___ is me!”

44. J.D. holder: Abbr.

45. Advantage

46. Letters on a Cardinal’s cap

20. Pedestal topper

22. Product with “Robusto!” flavors

23. Lose it

29. Pharaoh’s land

Down

1. Sound booster

2. The Company

3. Divination deck

4. Cowboy boot attachment

5. Choler

6. Cat, dog, or hamster, e.g.

7. “Ghost Hunters” channel

30. “It’s my turn!”

32. Image you can download

34. WNW’s opposite

35. Play instrument with a hammer

41. Dine

8. Ecological community

9. Self center

10. Mr. Potato Head piece

15. Temporary solution

16. Become weak

19. Brass component

31. Shelter sounds

33. ___ Festival (Bahamas disaster)

34. Fencing blade

35. Bagchecking org.

36. Away

37. Young chap

38. E-mail address ending

39. “As if!”

40. Electrifying swimmer

What’s Available NOW On

“Toy Story Funday Football: Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars”

(Oct. 1)

ESPN, The Walt Disney Company and the National Football League have collaborated on this first-of-its-kind NFL game presentation, as real-time action between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will be experienced in Pixar’s iconic “Toy Story” Universe. Fans of all ages can immerse themselves in a fully-animated offering at 9:30 a.m. ET, on Disney+, ESPN+ and NFL+ when the action of Wembley Stadium in London, one of the world’s premier sports stadiums and the host of NFL International Series game, is recreated simultaneously in Andy’s room.

“Movie: Haunted Mansion” (Oct. 4)

After moving into a mansion and finding it overrun with ghosts, single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help them rid their home of supernatural squatters. LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito and Jamie Lee Curtis also star.

I love this town.

I love being here to help in a community where people are making a difference every day. Thank you for all you do.

“Movie: Mrs. Doubtfire” (Oct. 6)

Loving but irresponsible dad Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), estranged from his exasperated spouse, is crushed by a court order allowing only weekly visits with his kids. When Daniel learns his ex (Sally Field) needs a housekeeper, he gets the job — disguised as a British nanny. Soon he becomes not only his children’s best pal but the kind of parent he should have been from the start.

in focus

“Frasier” - Season 1 (Paramount+ — Oct. 12, Series Premiere)

Filmed in front of a live studio audience in Los Angeles, the “Frasier” series reboot follows Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier has re-entered the building!

“Movie: Elemental”

(Available Now)

This computer animated family film follows along with the journey of an unlikely pair, Ember (Leah Lewis) and Wade (Mamoudou Athie), in a city where fire-, water-, landand air-residents live together. The fiery young woman and the go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.

trivia quiz

Questions:

Welcome back to Springfield

1) Now entering its 35th season on the air, “The Simpsons” surpassed which show to become the longest-running American prime-time scripted series in TV history?

2) “The Simpsons” started out as animated shorts aired on what TV show?

3) In which year did “The Simpsons” debut on Fox?

4) Which part of the opening credits is different in nearly every episode?

5) Which celebrity was the first guest star to appear as themselves?

6) What is the title of the annual Halloween-themed anthology episodes?

BY STAFF WRITERS

6) “Treehouse of Horror”

5) Tony Bennett

4) The couch gag

3) 1989

2) “The Tracy Ullman Show”

1) “Gunsmoke”

Answers:

Solution on page 12

BY JAY BOBBIN

Hello again to “The Goodbye Girl”

Directed by Herbert Ross, Neil Simon’s delightful 1977 romantic comedy “The Goodbye Girl” — which Turner Classic Movies shows Sunday, Oct. 1 — started out as a different project, but morphed into this highly entertaining tale casting Marsha Mason (the writer’s then-wife) as a single mother forced to share a New York apartment with a brash actor (Richard Dreyfuss) who initially gets on her nerves. That’s actually putting it mildly, but things eventually warm up between them after a long series of fits and starts.

Dreyfuss won an Academy Award for his performance, capitalizing on the screen persona he had made known through his successes in “American Graffiti” and “Jaws,” and he has considerable fun spoofing the acting profession as his character appears in a show-within-the-show. Also a vital cast member is Quinn Cummings as Mason’s wiser-than-her-years young daughter. The hit theme song is performed by David Gates, who was a member of the pop group Bread.

Puzzle Solutions

Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss in “The Goodbye Girl”

BY ROBERTO JOZEF

Chiefs, Kelce look to continue dominance over New York Jets

The 2023 Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are heading to the Big Apple this weekend as they get set to take on the New York Jets, Sunday Oct. 1, at MetLife Stadium, with all the action airing live on ESPN.

The last time these two teams met, the Chiefs put on an absolute clinic, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading the way by throwing for 416 passing yards and translating those into five touchdowns as they defeated the Jets 35-9.

Going into this season — and with Aaron Rodgers ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his first game of the season — the Jets will undeniably have their work cut out for them on all fronts, particularly on the defensive end.

Of the team’s 416 passing yards, 109 yards were completed by none other than tight end Travis Kelce.

With an incredible start to the year, Kelce also added one touchdown on eight catches, with the Jets having no answer, and continuing to prove why he is a handful for so many opposing teams.

Overall, the Chiefs continue to lead the series against the New York Jets 2019-1, and with the Chiefs largely the same squad from their previous match, look for Kelce and co. to follow a similar gameplan.

Catch all your Sunday football action as the Chiefs take on Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Oct. 1, with the broadcast airing live on ESPN.

Full name: Travis Kelce

Birthdate: Oct. 5, 1989

Birthplace: Westlake, Ohio

Height/weight: 6-5/ 250 pounds

Team(s)/number: Kansas City Chiefs (2013-present) No. 87

Honors and achievements: Two-time Super Bowl Champion (LIV, LVII), Four-time All-Pro (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022), Eight-time Pro Bowl (20152022)

“I like doing the research myself,” Johnson said. “I like going out and seeing the places Walt is going to be seeing and doing the things Walt is going to be doing, getting kind of a sense memory for the writing. It seems like it helps out a lot.”

Transportation secured, Johnson mapped out a loop around the northwest United States, knowing that the bike could travel 80 miles on a gallon of gas and there would be couches to sleep on along the way. At first, the “local” tour was grueling, and Johnson would find himself traveling more than eight hours on the bike between readings, essentially riding 5,000 miles to go to six different bookstores.

The Longmire mysteries have since gained traction, with new fans brought in by the Netflix series “Longmire” and a popularity resurgence of the Western as a genre. By the time Johnson stopped the “local” motorcycle tour about five years ago, it included 32 book stores in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Washington and Montana.

“People will write me and say ‘I slow down when I get to the end of your books because I don’t want them to end,’ and I always write them back and say ‘Yeah, me too,” Johnsons said. “It’s not like I don’t know that those characters are going to be back, but I’m losing them for one moment of their lives.”

The moment is short.

When Johnson finally writes that last page, he closes the document, opens a new one and starts the next book. Newspapers he picks up in his travels, especially those from small Western towns, provide source material. Each novel begins as a story from one of these papers, leaving Johnson

IF YOU GO ...

no shortage of ideas. Recently, he read about a woman with the longest postal route in the contiguous United States, driving some 304 miles each day.

“All I could think about when I read that article was ‘If she went missing, where would you look for her?’” Johnson said.

Though the Longmire mysteries may be novels, using real stories as a base keeps Johnson’s sheriff grounded in reality, dealing with things that Western sheriffs deal with. The setting also allows Johnson’s writing to dabble in truth.

“We really love your books because you have real locations,” Johnson recalls representatives of the Wyoming Office of Tourism telling him at a meeting.

“It’s a fictitious county and a fictitious town, but everybody knows that it’s Johnson County and it’s a version of Buffalo… You don’t change the street names, you don’t change the trail names up in the Big Horn Mountains.”

While nearly 20 years have passed in real time since Johnson introduced the world to Walt Longmire, the author said the books follow a “Vivaldi version” of time,

American West. If Johnson slid off of Interstate 90 and buried the front of his truck in a snowbank, Longmire is the person he hopes is behind the wheel when he sees headlights behind him. He describes his lead characters — the sheriff, his lover/undersheriff Vic, his daughter Cady, friend Henry Standing Bear and the retired sheriff Lucian Connally — as interesting and intelligent, each with their own sense of humor, and each grappling with the events life has thrown at them.

“I have to spend eight hours a day with these people,” Johnson said, recalling how he said the sheriff was “good company” in his last interview with the Chronicle in 2018. “So if they don’t have that ability to change and adapt and move on and all that, then I’m not really going to enjoy the time that I’ve spent with them.”

referencing composer Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” violin concertos. A year is a four-book cycle.

“The Longmire Defense” begins in the spring and centers on a very cold case that allows readers to delve into Walt’s relationship with his grandfather.

“Basically,” Johnson said, “it’s a murder case where he suspects that his grandfather may have been guilty of killing this man who was the accountant for the state of Wyoming’s treasury department.”

Though the murderer may be long dead, the case’s ties to the state mineral fund worth billions thrust Walt into a series of dangerous situations in and around the fictional Absaroka County.

Johnson describes Longmire himself as emblematic of the good people left in the

Though Walt continues to question if he should retire, Johnson assured that this does not mean he plans to have him hang up his hat any time soon. His character is aging, and questions like “Am I doing what it is I should be doing? Is it making any difference? How long should I do this? Do I still have the capacity to be relevant?” only make him more human. These are the questions we all ask ourselves as the years start to catch up with us.

“I don’t know what I would do if I retired Walt,” Johnson said. “I would be wandering the streets of Ucross, population 26. That’s a grim thought.”

Instead, he will continue to evolve with the characters he has created, continue touring to meet the fans and support his books, and continue coming home to the ranch in Ucross.

“After 19 years, I’m still having a blast,” he said.

prOVided imaGe

author Craig Johnson’s series of mysteries spawned a Nexflix series, “Longmire,” featuring robert taylor as the titular sheriff Walt Longmire and Lou diamond phillips as friend Henry Standing bear.

Wyoming author Craig Johnson will visit Country bookshelf in bozeman to sign books at noon on Saturday, Sept. 30, and will read from and discuss “ the Longmire defense” at elk river books in Livingston at 7 p.m. the same day. both events are free and open to the public.

Solution on page 12

in focus

“The Fall of the House of Usher” - Season 1 (Netflix — Oct. 12, Series Premiere)

From Mike Flanagan, the creator of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass,” this wicked horror series is based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ruthless siblings Roderick (Zach Gilford, Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline Usher (Willa Fitzgerald, Mary McDonnell) have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.

MLB Playoffs

Questions:

1) 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg recently announced his retirement - which future Hall of Fame pitcher did he outduel in his two World Series starts?

2) A disrupted 1981 season created a unique playoff format, as a result, this team defeated Philadelphia in the 1981 NLDS. Name the team.

3) This Hall of Famer should be nicknamed “Mr. Postseason” for his record-setting 158 career playoff games. Who is he?

4) Who was the unlikely hero of the 1960 World Series, hitting a walk-off home run in Game 7 against the Yankees?

5) Baseball fans in the Northwest fondly remember “The Double” in Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS. Who was the Seattle Mariners hero that night?

6) Going on a 14-year playoff streak - which MLB franchise holds the record for most consecutive playoff appearances?

7) There are 11 MLB players who have hit three home runs in one playoff game. Who is the only player to have done it twice?

8) Winning it all in just their fourth season - which MLB franchise holds the record for fastest expansion franchise to win the World Series?

9) Which two-sport superstar outran “The Triple Play That Wasn’t” in Game 3 of the 1992 World Series?

10) With 42 career postseason saves - this iconic closer has a considerable lead over his peers. Name the postseason record holder.

HENDRY

The Bay Bar and Grille

Answers:

10) Mariano Rivera

9) Deion Sanders (Atlanta Braves)

8) Arizona Diamondbacks (2001, fourth season)

7) Babe Ruth (Oct. 6, 1926 and Oct. 9, 1928)

6) Atlanta Braves (19912005)

5) Edgar Martinez

4) Bill Mazeroski

3) Derek Jeter (1996-2012)

2) Montreal Expos

1) Justin Verlander (Game 2 and Game 6)

Have you had your shrimp wonton

fix lately?