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Cache Magazine The Beehive State’s own

ROYAL BLISS is still ‘Livin’ the Dream’

The Herald Journal

MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2016

contents

May 27-June 2, 2016

COVER 6 SLC-based Royal Bliss brings ‘Heartland Rock’ sound to Brigham City

THE ARTS 4 Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre selling tickets for 2016 season

4 Youth Shakespeare set to present ‘Twelfth Night’ at the Bullen Center 5 Bridger Folk Society to host singer Eric Taylor 5 Lyric Rep Company

gears up for 2016 season

10 Tickets go on sale for Celebrate America show

MOVIES 3 One star: ‘Alice’ movie

sequel lacks in ‘substance’

9 Two and a half stars:

Latest ‘X-Men’ installment wastes great acting talent

COLUMN 8 Dennis Hinkamp shares another rapidly aging, gluten-free humor column

CALENDAR 15 See what’s happening this week in Cache Valley

Wayland lead singer Mitch Arnold belts out a song in front of an appreciative crowd last week at the Eagles Lodge in Brigham City.

On the cover: Royal Bliss bassist Dwayne Crawford, left, and vocalist Neal Middleton perform last week. (Jeff Hunter/Herald Journal)

FROM THE EDITOR Memorial Day is almost here, and things are really heating up.

Well, with the exception of the weather.

But with summer fast approaching, Logan is quickly undergoing its annual alteration from a college town to a Summer Citizen city.

So, if you are a newcomer to Cache Valley, there are a number of events coming up that are important to remember as the summer progresses.

Here are a few of my favorite: Summerfest Arts Faire — June 16-18: Held on the grounds of the Logan Tabernacle, I will forever remember this

celebration of art and music for the food.

Decades ago, Horlacher’s used to operate a booth that sold some amazing bratwurst ... and that’s been my sausage of choice ever since.

Cache Valley Cruise-In — June 30, July 1-2: It wouldn’t be summer in Cache Valley without the Cruise-In drawing thousands of people to our normally quiet little valley. The Main Street Parade on Saturday night is the best opportunity all year long to car watch and people watch.

Freedom Fire — July 1: Normally held on Independence Day Eve, the annual fireworks show at Romney/Maverik Stadium is bumped up even earlier than normal this year because of a calendar quirk (July 4 falls on a Monday). But that just means we’ll be able to enjoy a long weekend full of fireworks shows in 2016.

Cache Valley Mountain Man Rendezvous — July 22-24: This will actually be a new experience for me this year, as well.

Traditionally held up Left Hand Fork in Blacksmith Fork Canyon during this week in May, the rendezvous was moved to the Newton area last year. Since then, the time of year and the location — now the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville — have been changed.

That Famous Preston Night Rodeo — July 28-30: While there’s certainly a lot to love about the Cache County Fair & Rodeo (held this year Aug. 11-13), there’s just something about Franklin County’s annual celebration of cowboys, cowgirls and rough stock that feels like the perfect combination of past and present.

— Jeff Hunter

Alice returns in the ‘Looking Glass’ ‘Wonderland’ sequel lacks in ‘substance’ A garish green screen nightmare.

Well, maybe not a nightmare, but “Alice Through the Looking Glass” is a wholly unpleasant experience.

Disney’s sequel to the live-action “Alice in Wonderland” is a jumbled candy-colored mess of computer-generated nonsense.

It starts with a now grown-up, less naive Alice captaining a ship through shallow seas escaping pirates. She’s a ship captain now. Is this something that was hinted at in the first movie? Is there a significance here? Honestly, I can’t remember.

It’s been six years since Tim Burton’s Disneyfied twist of the classic fairytale.

Six years is a long time to wait for a sequel to a billion-dollar predecessor.

But, here we are thrown right back into Alice’s world without even a convenient “previously on” segment to catch us up.

This time around, the movie — in plot, characters and structure — resembles something akin to a “Spy Kids’” story. It’s less concerned with coherence or character, paying more attention to throwing out as many confusingly silly visuals as possible. It’s amazing that a movie with so much color and costume can feel so hollow and devoid of any discernible style.

The plot involves Alice returning to Wonderland through a magical mirror for reasons unknown. Once she steps through the looking glass, we get the best part of the movie, a final few words from Alan Rickman’s Absolem before Alice heads off to find her friends. After that brief moment of nostalgia remembering the specific timbre of Rickman’s voice, the rest is decidedly downhill.

Alice is confronted by the Hatter (Johnny Depp), who is just so sure that his family survived that fateful day

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By Aaron Peck Cache movie critic

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 2016

ALL MIXED UP

AP Photo

Johnny Depp is back in the role of Hatter in the new sequel, “Alice Through the Looking Glass.”

★ ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ Director // James Bobin Starring // Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Rhys Ifans, Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Sheen, Ed Speleers, Frances De La Tour, Stephen Fry Rated // PG for fantasy action/peril and some language

from the first movie that is hardly all that memorable. She doesn’t believe him. Surrounded by her forgettable friends (who are these people, dogs, creatures again?) Alice gets it in her head that she must time travel to save Hatter’s family because, when you’re out of story ideas: time travel!

So, she walks into a clock to meet Time (Sacha Baron Cohen), who has a whole lot of time-specific platitudes to dispense. Turns out at the center of Wonderland time is the Chronosphere.

If someone retains the Chronosphere for themselves they can travel into the

past. Don’t even begin asking why this piece of technology exists, even when Time himself agrees that it’s too dangerous to use and it could bring to pass the collapse of all things. Yeah, it’s best just to go along with it because otherwise there wouldn’t be a movie (which might be preferable, honestly).

Alice sails through time hoping to change the past in order to make things right for future Hatter. The plan isn’t well thought out, but how many time travel plans really are? Just go back in time, muck some stuff up and see what you changed in the future.

Although, scenes from the past, present, and future are simultaneously flipped through back and forth while Alice is time traveling, and nothing actually changes, so they’re not living by rigid time-travel principles.

Assuming we remember or care about any of these characters after a six-year absence is pointless. Even “Game of Thrones” provides a healthy recapping of events every year to reintroduce us to everyone. Without any real connection to these characters the screenplay — which is really a vehicle for gobs of saccharine computer animation — is left to its own devices.

There’s nothing of substance to be had here. It’s too dull for adults, and it is quite possibly too confusing for children. With the convoluted story and all the time hopping mixed together with a hodge-podge of eye-stinging visual effects, it’s hard to know who this movie is for. Maybe it’s for no one.

That’s probably for the best.

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 201

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all mixed up LYS presents ‘Twelfth Night’ In keeping with what has become Cache Valley tradition, the award-winning actors of the Logan Youth Shakespeare troupe have an exuberant comedy on offer to welcome you to the summer.

Filled with music, laughs, and revelry, Shakespeare’s beloved comedic masterpiece, “Twelfth Logan Youth Shakespeare will perform “Twelfth Night” Night” features an in-depth look on select dates from May 31 to June 6. at desire, identity and the perfor-

mance of gender.

Viola has been shipwrecked following a storm off the coast of Illyria. During the tempest, she also lost her twin brother, Sebastian. Viola disguises herself as a boy, assumes the name of Cesario for her own protection and soon becomes a page in the service of Orsino.

“Twelfth Night” opens at 7 p.m., Monday, May 30, with

additional performances at 7 p.m. on May 31 and June 2-4 and 6, at the Bullen Center, 43 S. Main Street.

Tickets are available online at cachearts.org or at the door. Cost is $6 for adults, and $3 for ages 5-18. No children under will be 5 admitted.

Come experience Shakespeare’s genius in the voices of Cache Valley’s young people.

Festival Opera tickets now on sale ‘Porgy and Bess,’ ‘Showboat’ to be featured in 2016 season Single tickets for the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre’s 24th season will go on sale at 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 25.

The Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre has assembled its largest group of musicians, performers and crew members in its history for this upcoming season. They will come from renowned stages across the nation, including Broadway and the Met, to the historic Ellen Eccles Theatre and the Utah Theatre to present 13 major productions and concerts and 139 events from July 6 to Aug. 6.

The 2016 season includes five Mainstage Productions in repertory: “Showboat,” the 1927 classic that defined the “new” form of the American musical; “Porgy and Bess,” the greatest of American operas; the Tony Award-winning “Ragtime”; and Puccini’s final completed work “Il Trittico” in its Utah premiere, all

Photo courtesy of Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre

Above, “Showboat” will be among the Mainstage Productions presented this summer by the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre. Top right, “Porgy and Bess” will also come to the Ellen Eccles Theatre stage.

held in the Ellen Eccles Theatre.

“Peter Pan” will soar across the stage of the newly renovated Utah Theatre, scheduled to open in June. “Peter Pan” will open June 24.

The productions will be presented in repertory with

full orchestra, and the season bursts with 139 concerts, lectures, interactive classes, backstage tours and more.

Concerts include The Pianists, the International Opera Semifinals and Finals, Tribute to Cole Porter, a Chamber Music series, Pioneers and

Patriots featuring the return of John Philip Sousa and J.S. Bach’s monumental “Mass in B Minor” conducted by Dr. Craig Jessop and featuring the American Festival Chorus, special soloists and the Utah Festival Orchestra.

Tickets will also be on sale

for backstage tours, breakfast with the stars, literary seminars and Academy classes where interactive courses will be taught by industry experts.

The affordable classes range from topics like Houdini to painting with Kent Wallis, to backstage magic, history and more.

Performance tickets will be available online at utahfestival.org, by calling 750-0300 or in person at the box office located in the Dansante Building at 59 S. 100 West.

Academy tickets are not available online. Ticket prices vary by performance, and discounts are available for season ticket purchases and groups.

Students of all ages receive a 25 percent discount with ID.

est Southern songwriters for four decades.

Known for anecdotal songs that defy easy categorization, Taylor has released seven solo albums and influenced such well-known artists as Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett (both of whom have covered several of his songs) and Steve Earle.

He was recently nominated for an Emmy award in musical composition for his work on a Storyworks television documentary “Road Kid to Writer: The Tracks of Jim

Tully.”

Taylor has appeared on “Austin City Limits,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “Mountain Stage” and BBC Radio.

According to Lovett, “I’m always the opening act when I’m around Eric. I love his voice, and he has a great narrative quality and sense of detail. He sort of takes you out of your own reality and into the reality of his songs. It’s good writing no matter how you cut it.”

Lyric Rep set to hit stage Utah State company to present four shows Utah State University’s Lyric Repertory Company — the Lyric Rep — brings audiences music, mystery, love and laughter in the summer 2016 season.

“The Caine Lyric Theatre has been an integral part of the community for more than 45 years,” said Richie Call, co-artistic director of the Lyric Rep. “We have a cast of amazing actors from all over the country.”

And, Call notes, a number of long-time audience favorites return this summer. The company offers four shows that, when all have opened, play in repertory.

Opening this year’s season is “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a comedy

by Joseph Kesselring.

This Lyric Rep favorite includes some of the most beloved characters of all time. Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal fam-

Trenton Chang concert

Local pianist Trenton Chang will hold a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, at the USU Performance Hall.

A senior at Logan High School, the concert will serve as a fundraiser for Chang, who will travel to New York City in June to perform at Carnegie Hall and other historic venues. At the concert in Logan, he will be performing Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with his teacher, Gary Amano.

Music at the Tabernacle

The Music at the Tabernacle Summer Concert Series will begin with a performance by the Cache Community Band on Monday, May 30, at the Logan Tabernacle. Concerts begin at noon and admission is free, Also scheduled to perform at the Logan Tabernacle this week are the USU Alumni String Quartet (Tuesday, May 31); Amanda Marshall (Wednesday, June 1); the Orpheus Wind Quintet (Thursday, June 2); and the Interlude String Trio (Friday, June 3).

Visit logantabernacle.blogspot.com for more information.

Freedom Fire tickets

Photo courtesy of Caine College of the Arts

The Lyric Repertory Company presented “Noises Off” in 2015. This summer, the troupe will present four productions: “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “You Can’t Take it With You.”

ily, scrambles to keep Brooklyn safe from the “charity” of his wellmeaning aunts. In the classic comedy, Martha and Abby Brewster leave Mortimer questioning his own sanity. The two aunts are played by Leslie Brott and Colleen Baum, both members of Actors’ Equity Association with extensive regional credits.

“Arsenic and Old Lace”

opens June 9 and continues through the summer June 10, 11, 18, July 8, 16, 23, 28 and Aug. 5.

Next is Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” opening June 16. In the Sherlock Holmes mystery, Ludwig puts his farcical spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Five actors play 45 characters

in the regional premiere by the playwright who brought audiences “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo.” Among the cast is Lee Daily, a Lyric Rep veteran and audience favorite.

Audiences can solve the mystery in “Baskerville” June 16-18, 25, July 9, 13, 16, 21, 29 and Aug. 6.

See LYRIC on Page 11

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 201

The Bridger Folk Music Society and First Presbyterian Church are pleased to present a concert featuring legendary singer/songwriter Eric Taylor.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at First Presbyterian Church, 178 W. Center St. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased in advance at bridgerfolk.org, or reserved by calling 535-1408.

Taylor is a master storyteller and has been one of America’s fin-

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Eric Taylor coming to Logan COMING UP

Tickets For the Freedom Fire Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Show go on sale Monday, May 16.

Join your family, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans on Friday, July 1, to celebrate the greatest country in the world at USU’s Maverik Stadium. The entertainment will include Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band, Journey Unlimited: The Tribute and Ryan Innes. Tickets are $8.

Tickets will be available the Logan Community Recreation Center (195 S. 100 West), Logan Aquatic Center (451 S. 500 West), Cache Valley Visitors Bureau (199 N. Main St.) and the USU Spectrum Ticket Office (850 E. 900 North), or online at pr.loganutah.org.

Bike with Brent Ride

The Cache Employment and Training Center will host the sixth annual Bike with Brent Ride at noon Friday, June 10, at Willow Park, 500 W. 700 South.

Brent Carpenter is a local celebrity who rides his bike all over Cache Valley, making friends as he waves and honks his horn. You can join Brent at this event as you walk, ride your bike, push a stroller or wheelchair or cheer from the side lines. The community will unite as CETC consumers and staff, family and friends come together with Brent to support services for people with disabilities at CETC. You can pre-register at bikewithbrent.com, at the CETC (275 W. 400 South) or on the day of the event beginning at 9:30 a.m. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children. Fee includes an “I Biked with Brent” T-shirt. The length of the ride is 1.4 miles.

ROYAL BLISS

“We’re All Livin’ the Dream”

Salt Lake City-based ‘Heartland Rock’ band fires up the bus and hits the road again in support of new EP, ‘The Truth’

H

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF HUNTER

alfway through his band’s 17-song set last Thursday night in Brigham City, Royal Bliss lead singer Neal Middleton took a moment to try and provide some inspiration to the crowd packed in front of the small stage at the Eagles Lodge.

“I fell off a building about 40 feet and was paralyzed. I wasn’t supposed to live through the night; I wasn’t supposed to walk again,” Middleton stated, referencing a potentially fatal fall off of a condominium balcony in Long Beach, California, in 2003, in which booze and pain pills admittedly played a significant role.

“And before that happened, I got stabbed with a six-inch Buck knife three times in the back, and I wasn’t supposed to live through the night,” Middleton continued, recalling a fight in a fastfood restaurant triggered by an attempt to stop a couple of punks from harassing an elderly couple.

“And people said, ‘You’ll never be a successful musician. You’ll never make it out of Utah.’ And I wasn’t supposed to make it,” added the native of St. Louis who moved to the Salt Lake City area when he was 10 years old.

“But I met these fine gentlemen right here, and now we’re starting to tour all over the country and all over the world. Sometimes it takes a long time, but just don’t listen to the naysayers who tell you you’re not going to walk again … don’t listen. Those that tell you’re going to die … don’t listen. And those that tell you you’re not going to make it in the music business … don’t listen.”

“So, it’s a damn good thing that I don’t listen,”

Middleton proclaimed before he and his bandmates broke into a song of the same name, a song that the Royal Bliss fans on hand presumably listened to as they raised their glasses and beer bottles in tribute to Middleton and his miraculous stories of survival.

J

ust after five o’clock, Royal Bliss bassist Dwayne Crawford and guitarist Taylor Richards are sitting on the band’s motor coach, which is parked directly behind the Eagles Lodge. Crawford has been inside the venue helping the opening act, Michigan band Wayland, set up their equipment, while Richards has been working on a laptop.

Just as Crawford sits down inside of the coach, an iPhone sitting on the table starts to blare “Fight Song,” a Top 40 hit released by Rachel Platten in 2014.

While the pop song isn’t exactly the kind of music one would expect to hear on the bus of a rock band that has shared a bill with the likes of Shinedown, Buckcherry and Rob Zombie, if you know some of the story behind the band — especially Middleton’s lengthy hospital stays — then it isn’t exactly a stretch to think Royal Bliss may someday play their own version of Platten’s “Fight Song” on a stage somewhere in the Beehive State or the Midwest.

This is my fight song Take back my life song Prove I’m alright song

My power’s turned on Starting right now I’ll be strong I’ll play my fight song And I don’t really care if nobody else believes ‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Founded in the Salt Lake Valley in 1997, Middleton, Richards and drummer Jake Smith — who survived a horrific car accident of his own in 2003 — are the last original members of Royal Bliss still in the band. Crawford, a native of Atlanta, joined the group about six years ago, while guitarist Sean Hennesey, who grew up in L.A. but mostly recently lived in Nashville, came aboard in 2014.

The band’s performance in Brigham City basically signals the restarting of the Royal Bliss machine, which hopes to be firing on all cylinders by the time its new EP entitled, “The Truth,” is released on June 3. The band’s previous album, “Chasing the Sun,” came out in 2014, and after touring in support of that record, the group had planned to lie low for a while.

“We decided last year we were going to take it easy and kind of coast, tour our markets and write some music that we wanted to write for a change and not write to fit any specific format,” Crawford explains. “But after we put something out that we wanted to put out, it got traction.

“It got attention in Nasvhille, and everything kind of started getting crazy again, just when we had decided to kind of calm down a little bit.”

See BLISS on Page 10

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 201

Things are getting old a lot faster every year, and I’m not just talking about myself. I blame the Internet, social media, television, movies, procreation, the development of speech and written languages.

Take fire, for instance. Whomever invented fire once had to carry it from place to place and hope that it didn’t go out along the way. There were no instructional videos, Snapchat, Instagram or Uber drivers to bring the thing to the masses: which were not nearly as massive as today.

“No seriously, this

Now, whatever is new and cool and paradoxically also hot travels around the world five times just during the time you are sleeping. You wake to old news on your various channels and feeds.

In terms of getting old, the election process couldn’t seem older if it had a MySpace page and an AOL email account.

The process stretches out over two years now with no significant changes pile of wood was emitin a process that used to ting warmth, and I cooked be managed with paper a mammoth burger on ballots and bribes in six it just yesterday. I don’t weeks. America, how can know what happened to you be so obtuse? it,” some nameless indig- Social media itself is enous savage would try to getting old. In a continuexplain in grunts and hand ing effort to escape their parents, the millennials gestures.

Slightly Off Center DENNIS HINKAMP

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Feast on gluten-free writing and old news — and whatever horrible name their young heirs may be — are inventing more time-wasting platforms. They are sort of like the off, off Broadway playhouses that strive to be so unique that there only two dozen people in the audience.

Professional sports are getting old despite all the performance-enhancing drugs. Right now the National Hockey League playoffs and the National Basketball League playoffs have not reached the finals, while Major League Baseball is more than 25 percent through the season. This could only happen in a world with 5,000 TV stations and Internet outlets.

Gluten-free is itself ironically on life support.

I give it six months to a year to disappear except for the .05 percent of the population who really needs it. I recently saw a package of paper plates labeled as “gluten-free.”

I’m imaging Biblical revisions where Jesus miraculously feeds the masses with gluten-free rice loaves and wildcaught GMO-free fishes.

So, I guess it was “our daily bread” that lead to the collapse of society?

Neoliberals and compassionate conservatives are both mixed marriages that are getting old; take a stand. Trans politicals will not have their own bathroom. Be a liberal

or a conservative and roll with it. Our political system is already confusing enough and now you want to create labels that we can’t hate? This country was founded on labels and hate.

Crowd funding is sort of a good thing, but there are so many options it is getting old. I believe that you have a dream, but unless you are Martin Luther King Jr., keep it to yourself. I like the idea of a $200 drone that will walk my dog, but I’m not sure its development should be treated like a charity campaign.

——— Dennis Hinkamp and Slightly Off Center have always been gluten-free.

Celebrate tickets go on sale Summerfest adds

The annual Celebrate America Show entitled “Thanks For The Memories” is a musical tribute to — and a celebration of — an era in America when music brought the nation together.

Tickets for the 2016 season are now on sale. “Thanks for the Memories” is a swinging musical show that captures the timeless sound and style of the Big Band Era with the lush harmonies of the Stardust Singers, the excitement of the Stardust Dancers and the Larry Smith Orchestra.

Together they provide a night packed with show-stopping music of the era including: “In the Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “Sing Sing Sing,” “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Thanks For the Memories” and many more. It’s a powerful production that has earned the reputation as “the premier big band entertainment in the Intermountain West.”

The 2016 Celebrate America Show will play nightly September 6-10 in the Evan Stevenson Ballroom on the campus of Utah State University Campus.

Tickets are available with or without dinner; Tuesday is for education groups only.

To purchase tickets, visit celebrateamericashow.com, or call 554-1049.

a Creation Station

Photo courtesy of Celebrate America

The Benson Sisters — Lisa, Connie and Julie — will perform as the Andrews Sisters in this year’s Celebrate America Show.

Summerfest Arts Faire has long had an art yard — an area for families to engage in artistic activities. But this year, with the loss of Logan City Schools as the primary sponsor of the art yard, the Summerfest board decided it was time for a facelift during this year’s event, scheduled for June 16 to 18.

Debuting this year is the Creation Station. It’s in the same place (south of the Logan Tabernacle along the north-south center sidewalk) and will run the same hours as before (noon to 6 p.m.).

“The Creation Station will have creative activities for all ages to participate in,” said Laura Hawley, the new Creation Station coordinator and an art teacher at River Heights Elementary.

“We’ll have rotating activities that engage people in painting, music, dance, improvisational theatre games, printmaking and more.”

Artists, including many with

teaching experience, will manage the activities. “We’re even looking at having an evening painting class for adults,” said executive director Elaine Thatcher.

Thatcher said that she called on the experience of several local arts experts to help re-envision the art yard. Aurora Villa-Hughes, arts coordinator for the Cache County School District, Nadra Haffar from the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art and Holly Conger from the USU ArtsBridge program all provided ideas for the Creation Station.

“As a result,” said Thatcher, “we’ve got some really wonderful activities planned.”

The Creation Station will continue to be free, though numbers of people allowed in at any one time will be monitored so everyone can have a chance to participate.

“A grant from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation helps us to keep the event free,” Thatcher said.

story about his wife and daughter offers a truly emotional experience that is bookended by soulless special effect-laden destruction.

At one point Magneto, whose powers came to the surface during the Holocaust while being imprisoned in Auschwitz, razes the prison camp with the help of Apocalypse, who once caged him. It’s a history-altering event that holds immense gravitas. One of those scenes in a movie where it’s hard to fathom what’s happening as it’s literally happening right in front of you.

Unfortunately, these sorts of scenes, packed with meaning and brimming with depth, are quickly abandoned so a purple Isaac can lay waste to humanity for whatever reason big, bad villains want to kill everyone. These past couple “X-Men” have done a phenomenal

Director Bryan Singer, who is no stranger to the “X-Men” franchise, desperately sets about introducing a glut of AP Photo new characters, all while Jennifer Lawrence, left, Rose Byrne, James McAvoy, Lucas Till and Nicholas Hoult appear trying to retcon known events to make them fit in in a scene from, “X-Men: Apocalypse.” this storyline. It’s an exerbody. In this alternate cise in futility. The more reality, the pyramids new characters introduced, were giant solar-powered whether or not they’re superconductors used for known mutants, creates a this elaborate purpose. bloated unsustainable cast Director // Bryan Singer Where the first two of characters who take Starring // James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, movies of this trilaway precious screen time Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, from the most important ogy stayed grounded in Rose Byrne, Olivia Munn, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till ones. espionage thriller mode, Rated // PG-13 for sequences of violence, action The only story with “Apocalypse” goes full and destruction, brief strong language and some “The Mummy” and never much resonance is Magsuggestive images really recovers, introduc- neto’s. Fassbender is still providing Magneto with This isn’t the comihe’s able to assume other ing the utterly fantastical the same sort of dramatic cal self-seriousness of mutant’s powers. He does into this new “X-Men” gusto he imbued Macbeth Henry Cavill and Ben universe feels foolish. this by transferring his with. A heart-wrenching Affleck from “Batman And is foolish.

See X-MEN on Page 11 consciousness into their v Superman,” instead it’s a heightened sense Action!

PROVIDENCE 8 UNIVERSITY 6 of character that adds a 535 West 100 North, Providence 1225 North 200 East, Logan depth to their relationship The Abolitionists** (PG-13) 11:30 1:35 6:05 Alice Through the Looking Glass 2D** (PG) 1:00 3:30 5:55 10:25 Alice Through the Looking Glass 2D** that doesn’t exist in most 2297 N. Main May 27 - June 2 Alice Through the Looking Glass 3D** MOVIE HOTLINE 753-6444 • WWW.WALKERCINEMAS.NET (PG ) 11:05 1:45 2:40 4:25 6:15 8:50 superhero fare. So, when (PG) 10:45AM 7:40 2D SEATS $4.00 • 3D SEATS $6.00 ** Alice Through the Looking Glass 3D MOVIES 5 Alice Through the Looking Glass “Apocalypse” decides that OpEN SuN-FRI AT 3:45 pM 2450 North Main, Logan 3D DBOX** (PG) 10:45AM 7:40 (PG) 1:00 6:30 OpEN SAT & MON AT 11:30 pM FOR OuR MATINEES their best resource for ** NO 9pM SHOWINGS ON SuNDAY ** Angry Birds 2D** (PG) 10:50 1:10 3:20 2D Alice Through The Looking Glass Angry Birds 2D (PG ) 12:10 5:20 7:45 TIMES EFFECTIvE FRI MAY 27 THRu THuRS JuNE 2 8:20 drama will take a back ** (PG) 2:50 4:30 8:45 ** Angry Birds 3D (PG) 10:30am Fu pANDA 3 zOOTOpIA (pG) ** Angry Birds 2D DBOX (PG) 1:10 3:20 seat to the oh-so-familiar, KuNG Captain America: Civil War 2D (PG-13) 3D Alice Through The Looking Glass Angry Birds 3D** (PG) 5:30 4:30 & 7:15 2D (pG) 4:50 end-of-the-world scenar(PG) 12:35 6:30 Angry Birds 3D DBOX** (PG) 5:30 Sat & Mon Matinees Sat & Mon Matinees 11:40 2:50 6:20 9:30 ** 11:40 & 2:10 12:00 & 2:30 Captian America:Civil War 2D (PG-13) Angry Birds io, it’s easy to see where The Darkness (PG-13) 10:10pm 10:30 1:25 4:20 7:20 10:20 (PG) 12:30 5:20 7:40 10:00 MOTHER’S DAY MIRACLES FROM the screenplay lost its The Jungle Book (PG) 1:40 4:15 6:50 Money Monster** (R) 10:40 9:00 Captain America: Civil War (pG-13) 4:20 HEAvEN (pG) Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising** (R) 10:55 9:25 way.

Sat & Mon Matinees 9:30 (PG-13) 12:40 3:45 7:00 10:15 ** 1:05 3:15 5:20 10:30 Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (R ) 11:15 12:20 “Apocalypse” introThe Jungle Book Nice Guys** (R) 1:15 3:45 6:15 7:30 10:10 3:50 8:15 10:30 X-Men: Age of Apocalypse 2D** (PG-13) duces a new big, bad vilMY bIG FAT GREEK THE DIvERGENT (PG) 1:00 3:30 6:05 10:20 Nice Guys** (R) 10:35 3:45 7:40 10:20 ** WEDDING 2 (pG-13) SERIES: ALLEGIANT 10:35AM 1:35 7:30 2D X-Men Apocalypse lain (Oscar Isaac), whose (pG-13) 9:20 7:30 & 9:50 X-Men: Age of Apocalypse 3D** (PG-13) X-Men Apocalypse 2D** (PG-13) 11:45 3:00 (PG-13) 1:15 7:10 name is the subtitle.

4:30 10:05 ** SATuRDAY’S 2D bATMAN vS 4:30 7:00 10:15 3D X-Men Apocalypse X-Men: Age of Apocalypse 3D DBOX** Apocalypse is said to be ** WARRIOR (pG) SupERMAN : X-Men Apocalypse 3D (PG-13) 1:15 9:15 (PG-13) 3:15 9:10 (PG-13) 10:05PM 4:00 & 7:00 DAWN OF JuSTICE the world’s first mutant.

Private Screenings & Events Showtime Updates: Sat & Mon Matinees (pG-13) www.MegaplexTheatres.com 12:40 6:45 & 9:35 Like Sylar from “Heroes,” 435-752-7155

★★

‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

**NO DISCOUNT TICKETS OR PASSES ACCEPTED *NOT ShOWINg ON SUNDAy AT MOvIES 5

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 201

The Reel Place Aaron Peck

Starting with “First Class” and following that up with “Days of Future Past,” these new “X-Men” installments revived a withering franchise. The first two jettisoned the hokey-jokey mutants — Banshee notwithstanding — dumped idiotic plots, and grounded the franchise in a quasi-reality which is as “real” as comic book movies come. So, it’s lament-worthy to note that the third film in this new trilogy, “Apocalypse,” returns to the same bad habits of the “X-Men” movies that put the franchise on life support.

At one point in the moviem a group of teenage mutants from Xaiver’s school exits a screening of “Return of the Jedi,” (the bulk of the narrative takes place in 1983). One remarks that it’s definitely no “Empire Strikes Back.”

A young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) retorts, “The third one is always the worst.” This seems to be a tongue-in-cheek shot at Brett Ratner’s dreadful “X-Men: The Last Stand.” The joke does, rather ironically, not bode well for this film either. Almost as if it’s setting itself up for failure.

The crux of these films, the real driving force of the narrative, has always been the strained friendship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender). While so many other superhero movies are content with trotting out barely-acting leads, McAvoy and Fassbender apply an admirable Shakespearian aplomb to their respective characters.

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Great actors wasted in ‘X-Men’ sequel

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 2016

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‘Angry Birds’ finally takes out ‘Captain’ at box office LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Captain America” has found a worthy competitor in a bunch of flightless birds. “The Angry Birds Movie” soared to $39 million in its debut weekend, knocking “Captain America: Civil War” off its first-place perch, while new adult comedies “Neighbors 2” and the “The Nice Guys” struggled to get their footing, according to comScore estimates Sunday.

Rovio Animation spearheaded the production of “The Angry Birds Movie,” which cost around $73 million to make, and it opened strong internationally last weekend. The film has already earned $150 million worldwide, according to estimates from Sony, which is distributing the film.

“The Angry Birds Movie” features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride and has

S I X T H

received mixed reviews from critics in its attempt to create a compelling story out of a fairly simplistic appbased game. But audiences under 25 gave the film an A CinemaScore, which should help the film continue to perform well over Memorial Day weekend.

The PG-13 rated “Captain America: Civil War” wasn’t too far behind “Angry Birds,” earning an additional $33.1 million this weekend for a second-place spot, which brings its domestic total to $347.4 million.

“Neighbors 2” brought in only $21.8 million — less than half of the first film’s $49 million opening in 2014. But the film from director Nick Stoller also cost only $35 million to make.

The R-rated 70s-set buddy comedy “The Nice Guys,” meanwhile, grossed $11.3 million for a fourth-place spot.

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Bliss

of support from — it’s just fantastic.

“It’s mindblowing to me. Everytime I see it, Continued from Page 7 I’m just like, ‘Holy …!’”

Recorded in Salt Lake Much of the credit for City, Crawford said Royal that belongs to Monty Bliss actually had enough Powell, the renowned songs for an entire album, songwriter who has but the group elected to helped write hits for just release five of them numerous country acts, at this time. including Keith Urban, “We just decided to do Lady Antebellum, Chris some songwriting with Cagle, Brooks & Dunn and Diamond Rio. Powell (Powell and Wilson) and and his wife, singer Anna not have any restrictions genre-wise,” Crawford Wilson, live in Ogden added. “We didn’t go into Valley near Snowbasin it saying, ‘OK, we need Resort, and according to you to help us write a rock Richards, have become album’ because they’re skiing buddies with the country people. We went boys from Royal Bliss. in and said, ‘We want to “We’ve been friends write music that we like, with them for about 15 we don’t care about the or 16 years, pretty much outcome. from the start of the “Let’s just be us. Let’s band,” Richards continues. “We had written two write music that we love and see what happens, and songs with them before that’s what we did.” that were on previous Of course, having records — ‘Singing For Monty Powell in the same Our Lives’ and ‘Fancy Things’ — but Monty’s a room during the writing busy guy. Usually it’s we process doesn’t hurt.

“He’s a tried and true go skiing, and then after professional, you know the ski thing, we go jam and sometimes something what I mean?” Crawford declares. “The dude’s got comes out of it.” a Grammy on his night Although Royal Bliss stand for a Keith Urban has released a few songs in the past that could pass song, so …”

But despite being excitfor country, “The Truth” ed about the new music, seems to suggest more pronounced shift towards Royal Bliss’ latest tour is off to an iffy start on a a Nashville-friendly sound. The band released rainy May day. Crawford “Drown With Me” last and Richards showed up year, and the latest single, in Brigham City an hour “We’re All Livin’ the later than scheduled, Dream” came out this while Middleton, Smith spring, complete with a and Hennesey had yet to music video that was pre- arrive in Box Elder Counmiered on CMT. ty as their fans started to “It’s also online — it’s show at the Eagles Lodge. on their website — and Smith and Middleton, they’ve done some Face- who made a brief appearbook promotions for us, ance on NBC’s “The posting about the video,” Voice” in 2012, had perCrawford notes. “It’s kind sonal matters to attend of surreal. I mean, we’ve to, while Hennesey was had some cool things flying into Salt Lake happen in the past, but City from L.A. where his something like that — father is in the hospital. especially support from an “I feel like it’s more outlet that you don’t nec- stressful,” Richards essarily except that kind replies when asked if it’s

different playing gigs in Utah. “Like today, we have half of the band here, and we had to call in crew to come chime in. But when we get out on the road, we become this well-oiled machine where everyone has their job and everyone knows what they’re doing.”

Crawford quickly adds, “Out on the road, you get on a schedule and know what to expect every day.

Here it’s a lot more difficult because you’re juggling both lives. I mean, three of us have kids and wives, Taylor’s got a dog and Sean’s got a girlfriend. So, everyone’s kind of got their personal lives, and it’s a lot easier to get lost in the balance between the two at home.

“It’s a lot easier to get in a groove on the road than at home. You have a lot fewer distractions from being at home.

Everybody’s where they need to be at the time that they need to be there, you know? Here it’s a little more hectic.

“And we also know more people here,” Crawford points out. “Everybody’s friends and family are coming out, which means you’ve got to split up your time and try and have face time with everybody. It’s just very stressful. And this wasn’t my first home, so I can only imagine what it’s like for Taylor and Neal and Jake, who have lived here the majority of their lives. All of their high school buddies are here, and their whole families.”

This brings a smile to the face of Richards, who says he has aunts, uncles and cousins who live in Cache Valley.

“It’s like, ‘Put me on the guest list. I know you, let me in for free.

And can I get a free T-shirt?’

“That’s OK, though.

It’s still fun.”

The Logan Iris Society invites all to its annual Flower Show from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 27, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at 155 Church St. (across from Caffe Ibis). Those who attend this free event will see a display of modern iris varieties and award winners, vote on their favorite iris, plus learn how to order, plant and grow iris. Contact Bryan at 757-5102 for more information about the show and/or how you can enter your own iris to be judged at this show.

SATURDAY The Cache Valley Gardeners’ Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 28, on the grounds of the Historic Cache County Courthouse at 199 N. Main St. In addition to craft, food and produce vendors, local guitarist Robert Linton perform. Visit gardenersmarket.org for more information.

The Hyrum City Museum will host its annual Memorial Day Weekend Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 28, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, May 30. If you have family that will be in town and/or

Lyric Continued from Page 5 Opening June 23 and adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name is “Singin’ in the Rain,” based on the original screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with songs

by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. One of the most popular movie-musicals of all time, the show follows a Hollywood film studio as it adapts its latest silent film into a musical “talkie.”

Katie Francis, who played the title role in last summer’s “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” is set to play Kathy Selden and

relatives that are veterans, be sure to bring them in to see the new digital veterans exhibit. For more information, call 245-0208 or visit hyrumcity.com.

Dead Desire will perform from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at Caffe Ibis, 52 Federal Ave. Australian guitarist Adam Miller will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave. Admission is $15.

KSM Music will hold its sixth annual Songwriting Competition starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at 50 W. 400 North. Local artists will perform one original song on acoustic instruments, and the top six will move on to play on Monday, May 30, for the final. Free to play and free to watch.

The 25th Street Market will be open form 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, May 28, at the North Logan Library, 475 E. 2500 North. Come enjoy fresh produce, live entertainment, handcrafted items, fun activities and demonstrations.

SUNDAY The Lark and the Loon will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. Sun-

day, May 29, at Caffe Ibis, 52 Federal Ave.

MONDAY Open Mic Night will begin at 7 p.m. Monday, May 30, at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave. Admission is $1.

The Hyde Park Lions will hold their “All You Can Eat” Memorial Day Breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the Hyde Park city building, 113 E. Center St. This year’s proceeds will go to resident Robert Reeder to help make his home accessible following a mountain biking accident.

The Music at the Tabernacle Summer Concert Series will begin with a performance by the Cache Community Band at noon Monday, May 30, at the Logan Tabernacle. Visit logantabernacle.blogspot.com for more information.

TUESDAY The Center For Pregnancy Choices is sponsoring a Downtown Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, at the mobile unit parked at 90 N. 100 East — across from Logan Tabernacle. Call 1-800-Red

Tyler Whitsides plays Don Lockwood.

Toe-tapping tunes from the show include “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Good Morning,” “Moses Supposes,” “Make ‘Em Laugh” and many more. The production opens June 23-25, July 2, 6, 9, 14, 22, 30 and Aug. 3 and 6.

The fourth show of the season is “You Can’t Take it With You” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. A charming, feelgood comedy, “You Can’t Take it With You”rounds out the 2016 Lyric Rep season. In the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Grandpa Vanderhoff, played by Patrick Williams, leads his family to question what matters most in life: money and security or love

Cross to pre register. All types are needed to make up for low donations in March/April. Free T-shirts will be offered to those who donate over the Memorial Day holiday.

Local pianist Trenton Chang will hold a concert at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 31, at the USU Performance Hall. A senior at Logan High School, the concert will serve as a fundraiser for Chang, who will travel to New York City in June to perform at Carnegie Hall and other historic venues. At the concert in Logan, he will be performing Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with his teacher, Gary Amano.

The Music at the Tabernacle Summer Concert Series will continue with a performance by the USU Alumni String Quartet at noon Tuesday, May 31, at the Logan Tabernacle. Visit logantabernacle.blogspot.com for more information.

The Logan Library will host Teen Tuesday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, in the Jim Bridger Room. This week, anything goes. Want to play video games? Board games?

Make a craft? Or how about something completely differ-

and happiness? Audiences can ponder that question June 30, July 1, 2, 7, 15, 23, 27, 30 and Aug. 4.

The Lyric Rep also offers four dates with its Dinner and Discussion series. Those purchasing the package can enjoy a meal by the river at Elements Restaurant with select Lyric Rep actors, directors and designers prior to curtain. Dinner and Discussion features special presentations, discussions and interactions with Lyric patrons’ favorite artistic team. Individual dinners are $30 per person with a discount when purchased in a package of four. All dinners start at 4:30 p.m. Dinner for “Arsenic and Old Lace” is Friday, June

ent?? Come roll the dice of fate to decide what you will do. Visit library.loganutah.org for more information.

WEDNESDAY The Music at the Tabernacle Summer Concert Series will continue with a performance

by Amanda Marshall at noon Wednesday, June 1, at the Logan Tabernacle. Visit logantabernacle.blogspot.com for more information.

Cruz Night will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Rumbi Island Grill (970 S. Main St.) and continue every Wednesday night through October. For more information, call 799-7149.

THURSDAY Silent on Fifth Street will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave. The Music at the Tabernacle Summer Concert Series will continue with a performance by the Orpheus Wind Quintet at noon Thursday, June 2, at the Logan Tabernacle. Visit logantabernacle.blogspot.com for more information.

10; dinner for “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” is Friday, June 17; dinner for “Singin’ in the Rain” is Friday, June 24, and dinner for “You Can’t Take it With You” is Friday, July 1.

The Lyric Rep company includes theater professionals and advanced university theater students. It is a professional program based in USU’s Theatre Arts Department and the Caine College of the Arts.

Tickets for the 2016 season are now on sale. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cca.usu.edu or stop at the Caine Lyric Theatre Box Office 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 1 to Aug. 5.

X-Men Continued from Page 9 job pitting Xavier’s faith in humanity against Magneto’s righteous anger, only to have it largely ignored here. Weightier questions, ideas and philosophies are left simmering, while we watch buildings crumble, bridges topple and people die. A big purple guy sneers; another super villain seeking to destroy humanity because it makes for expensive spectacle.

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 201

FRIDAY

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calendar

The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah, Friday, May 27, 2016

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CrossworD

By Myles Mellor and Sally York Across 1. “Dead Poets Society’’ director Peter 5. Lightly burn 9. Knock against 13. Old-time head covering 17. Decorated veteran, e.g.

18. Remove, in a way 20. Art prop 21. Land measure 22. Sandwich cookie 23. Like some passages 24. Pacific island republic under Australia 25. Household urges 26. Mike controllers 30. One of 26 across 31. Like some eyes 32. Big fuss 33. Wise one 35. Milky gems 37. “To do” list 40. Bring together 41. Impressionable 44. Shade maker 46. Paddy output 47. Humming sound 49. Nose ahead 50. Clown 51. Time zone 52. They eat their words 56. Bothers 57. Blackthorn fruit 59. Great Lakes salmon 60. Pinpoint 62. Gregarious one 68. Getting on 69. Jam ingredients 70. “For ___ us a child is born ...”

71. Egypt’s canal 72. Concerned 75. Criticise a lot 78. Price reduction

Deadlines

79. Habitual course of action 80. Pea holders 81. Exaggerated, of a tale 82. Till bill 83. Political upheavals 87. Shirk 88. Indo-Europeans 91. Guess 92. English socialist 93. Half-circle 94. Set off 96. Sir Lancelot’s battle garb 97. What DJs often do 103. See the sights 104. Doctor Who danger color 105. Die down 106. August event 110. Karen Carpenter, for one 111. It’s a plus 112. Neighbor of Oman 113. Durations of life 114. J. Lo’s scent 115. Requisite 116. The whole nine of it makes everything 117. Cozy spot Down 1. Doctor in space 2. Auction ending 3. Source of heat 4. College cohort 5. Daily event 6. Maternally related 7. Church recess 8. Kind of admiral 9. Bleated 10. Bad loan 11. Marginally sufficient 12. Well feathered 13. Howitzer, for example 14. Berry

15. Yen 16. ___ is more 19. Universal 20. Crate 27. Teenage woe 28. Hew 29. “___ to Billie Joe” 30. Remove 33. “You betcha!”

34. French cordial flavoring 35. Cut out 36. Henry VIII’s last wife 37. Word after a loss 38. Tree type 39. Louisa May 42. Cool 43. French hat 45. Shuffle about leisurely 47. Incorrect 48. Listen to 50. Tree that is the source of chocolate 53. Intense 54. Influence 55. “___ Calloways” (Disney film) 57. ___ the moment 58. PC linkup 60. Borrows opposite 61. Choose 62. Rope 63. Lizard creature 64. Trial balloon 65. Seasonal visitor 66. External 67. Colored 72. Group of atoms 73. Design detail 74. Silly talk 75. The lowest point 76. Water sludge particle 77. Band leader Miller 79. His stock is measured by the head 81. Winter ride 84. Swiss Alp’s abode

85. Catapult 86. Work site?

87. Censure 89. Milfoil 90. Carney, to pals 92. Facebook connection 94. Bullying, e.g.

95. No longer dirt 96. Doctor 97. Like bachelor parties 98. Cost to cross 99. Hatchback 100. Alleviate 101. Do as directed 102. Guru 107. Past 108. The Lion 109. Put it to

Cache Magazine calendar items are due Tuesday by 5 p.m. They will also run for free in The Herald Journal one to two days prior to the event. Calendar items can be submitted by email at hjhappen@hjnews.com. Any press releases or photos for events listed in the first half of Cache Magazine can be sent to jhunter@hjnews.com. Poems and photos can also be sent to jhunter@hjnews.com and run on a space-available basis if selected.

answers from last week

www.ThemeCrosswords.com