360 December 28 2017

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at area events Page 3

Skagit Valley Herald Thursday December 28, 2017

MOVIES PAGE 14-15 Jessica Chastain pulls winning hand in ‘Molly’s Game’ TUNING UP PAGE 9 Megs McLean plays Loco Billy’s in Stanwood

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK eron is now scheduled “Manhunt: UnUpcoming to hit stores. The film abomber”: Two of the is best remembered for most dominating imagmovie releases how Cameron teamed es at the end of the 20th Following is a partial with Industrial Light century were a police schedule of DVD releases & Magic to produce artist’s sketch of a hood(dates subject to change): the liquid metal special ed man wearing suneffect that allowed the glasses who would be JAN. 2 murderous robot from tagged the Unabomber n Brad’s Status the future, T-1000 (Robby the FBI, and the n Love Beats Rhymes ert Patrick), to morph actual photo of the n Rebel In The Rye into multiple shapes. scruffy man captured n Slumber There are only five for sending bombs to n Ten Days In The minutes of computuniversities and airlines, Valley – Season 1 er-generated moments Ted Kaczynski. They n The Stolen in the film, but because represented the focus of the technology was so the massively expensive JAN. 9 new at the time, it took manhunt waged to find n It 35 people working a the man who mailed n The Foreigner total of 25 man-years at and planted bombs n My Little Pony: The a cost of $5 million to across the country from Movie create the special effects.

1978 to 1995. n Marshall It was one of the most The story serves as n Friend Request aggressive uses of CGI the basis for the new n Mark Felt: The Man to that point in movie release that originally Who Brought Down the history. aired as a Discovery White House Cameron went back Channel miniseries n 68 Kill to the basics with “Terstarring Sam Worthingn Bullet Head minator 2: Judgment ton and Paul Bettany. n November Criminals Day” by taking the origThrough eight episodes, — Tribune News Service inal negative and makthe tale is told of how a ing a 4K digital transfer new FBI profiler with to make the images look a knack for linguistics as clear as possible. Cameron even finally helped bring the man who tercalled on the original “T2” director rorized the nation for 17 years to jusof photography, Adam Greenberg, to tice. Writer Andrew Sodroski doesn’t make sure the color work was as near just regurgitate the news coverage and to the original as possible. official reports, but presents the story The one thing Cameron didn’t have as if two intellectual prizefighters were facing off in the ring of public opinion. to worry about was the quality of the story of a robot from the future sent That approach makes the miniseries a back in time to save the person who captivating tale of obsession that evenwould one day lead humans in a war tually leads to destruction. against the machines. “Terminator 2” “Manhunt: Unabomber” is a very has been constantly heralded as a great different role for Worthington, whose action movie, but Cameron stresses past works include action-heavy that at the heart this is a “nuclear family productions such as “Clash of the drama.”

Titans,” “Terminator Salvation” and Whether you like drama or action, “Avatar.” He finally gets to show he can this is still a DVD you must have in play a character who’s deeply flawed, your collection. full of uncertainties and desperate for “The Mountain Between Us”: attention.

Two strangers must rely on each other Equally good is Bettany, who reveals to survive the extreme elements of a tiny glimpses of madness in Kaczynsremote snow-covered mountain. Idris ki, but generally plays him as a man Elba and Kate Winslet star. desperate to understand human inter“Acceptable Risk”: The thriller action after living through a life that follows a woman (Elaine Cassidy) as continuously stripped away any last she begins to realize how little she bits of humanity he had. knew about her husband before he was “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”: murdered.

After a production delay, the rerelease — Rick Bentley, Tribune News Service of the 1991 feature from James Cam-

YOUR ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKAGIT COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

TUNING UP / Page 9

Chris Eger plays the Longhorn Saloon in Bow.

INSIDE

SUBMISSIONS

Email features@skagitpublishing.com Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday for the following Thursday edition Phone 360-416-2135 Hand-deliver 1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274

New Year’s Eve Events................................3 Out & About................................................4 Get Involved............................................ 6-7 Tuning Up....................................................9 Travel..........................................................10 Hot Tickets................................................11 At the Lincoln...........................................13 Movies..................................................14-15

Mailing address P.O. Box 578 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Online events calendar To list your event on our website, visit goskagit.com and look for the Events Calendar on the home page HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

New Year’s Eve events in the area

New Year’s Eve is Sunday, Dec. 31.

Here are a few events to help you celebrate the journey from 2017 to 2018.

NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE: A New Year’s Eve Dance with Camano Junction will be held form 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road Camano Island. A free dance class will begin a half-hour before the dance. Snacks and a champagne or non-alcoholic toast provided. $25 a person or $15 a student.

360-387-0222.

HARVEY CREEK BAND AND SLINGS & ARROWS: 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s Wild Moon Saloon, 27021 102nd Ave., Stanwood. Reserved seats

$45. General admission $15 advance, $25 at door.

425-737-5144 or locobillys.com.

NEW YEAR’S SWINGERS: Gin Gypsy is the headlining act at New Year’s Eve 2017 at Eaglemont Golf Course, 4800 Eaglemont Drive, Mount Vernon. The event runs from 9 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 31, to 1 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. $25 advance $30 at the door includes entry and a champagne toast.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

More information is available at eaglemontnye.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE SOIRÉE: A fundraiser soirée benefiting Sylvia Center for the arts will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, at Leopold Crystal Ballroom, 1224 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham. The evening will include dinner, an auction and dancing, with music by The Hot House Jazz Band. Tickets starting at $125. idiomtheater.com/tickets.

Baby Cakes: 7 p.m., The Green Frog, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. $20, all ages. 360-306-8273 or acoustictavern.com/shows. php.

New Year’s Eve 2017 with Gin Gypsy: 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Eaglemont Golf Course, 4800 Eaglemont Drive, Mount Vernon. $25 advance, $30 at door. eaglemontnye.com.

Conway. $24-$32. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

New Year’s Eve Bash with Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues: 9 p.m., Conway Muse (Bard Room), 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $24-$32. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

Jukehouse Hounds: 5:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360-766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

Randy Norris and Jeff Nicely: 7:30 p.m.

Conway Muse (Parlor), 18444 Spruce/Main,

Cascadiacs: 8:30 p.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Country Jim: 6:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks Lodge, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon. Members and signed-in guests only. 360-848-8882.

Crazy Like a Fox: 6 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen and Stage, 513 1st St., La Conner. 360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage@ gmail.com.

Harvey Creek Band, Slings & Arrows: 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s Wild Moon Saloon, 27021 102nd Ave., Stanwood. Reserved seats $45. General admission $15 advance, $25 at door. 425737-5144 or locobillys.com.

Baby Cakes: 10 p.m., The Green Frog, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. $20.

360-306-8273 or acoustictavern.com/shows.php.

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT & ABOUT ART

ANNE MARTIN MCCOOL: Anne Martin McCool’s paintings will be featured at the Hadrian Stone Gallery, 5717 Gilkey Ave., Edison, until Jan. 14.

The Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday.

LUMINOUS POP-UP SHOW: ACME Creative Gallery will host the Luminous Holiday Pop-Up Shop through January at the gallery, 705 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. The hand-made products have been selected by local curator Evie Opp. The show will feature artisans and artists like Nikki McClure, M. Bueno Pottery, Isadoro, Barnacle Bags, Phil Elverum, Afterword, 112 James Street, Satterwhite Quilts, Things People Said, Slow Loris and more.

THE GOOD STUFF: The Good Stuff Arts Gallery, 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, welcomes featured art Peggy Woods in December. Woods is a watercolorist renowned for realism and detail. In addition, the gallery is host to more than 26 regional arts who painted their interpretation of the show theme “NW Moody Expressions.”

The Good Stuff Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mondays to Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sundays.

JENNIFER BOWMAN: See colorful paintings by Anacortes artist Jennifer Bowman at a new show

at Scott Milo Gallery in Anacortes through the month of January.

Also showing are still life photos by Randy Dana, photos on canvas by Lewis Jones, pastel landscapes

by Christine Troyer, encaustic paintings

by Marilee Holm and photo encaustic panels

by Kathy Hastings.

The gallery is located at 420 Commercial Ave., in Anacortes. It is open Monday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. scottmilo. com.

OBJECTIFICATION 10: Visit the Smith & Vallee Gallery during the month of December for its annual Invitational Arts Installation: Objectification 10, focusing on functional and 3-dimensional artwork. Smith & Vallee Gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 5742 Gilkey Ave. in historic Edison.

SMALL WORKS: The Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2345 Blanche Way, Camano Island, will host “Honey, I Shrunk the Art,” the 27th annual small works show until Jan. 14. The show features only small pieces.

The gallery is open 11 to 5 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and weekdays by appointment (call 360-387-2759). Information: matzkefineart. com.

MUSIC

MESSIAHSING: Experience the joy

of Christmas while singing along with Handel’s Messiah at the 10th annual community MessiahSing at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 1318 SR 532, Camano. The concert is free to attend.

EAGLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER

LECTURES AND TALKS

EAGLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Talks and a nature walk will teach people about the nature of the region.

Both will be at the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, 52809 Rockport Park Road, Rockport. n Amos Almy, Rockport State Park Interpretive Specialist, will speak at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, about “How Old Growth Brings New Life: The Story of the Forests.” n Steve Glenn, instructor, Skagit Valley College Environmental Conservation, will give a nature walk at 11 a.m. and then a presentation at 1 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31, on “Winter Birds of the Upper Skagit Region.”

MORE FUN

NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE: A New Year’s Eve Dance with Camano Junction will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road Camano Island. The dance is $25 a person or $15 a student. Snacks and a champagne or non-alcoholic toast provided.

Tickets are available at the door. Information: 360-387-0222.

SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD FILE

At the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, 52809 Rockport Park Road, Rockport, Steve Glenn will give a nature walk at 11 a.m. and then a presentation at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, on “Winter Birds of the Upper Skagit Region.”

JANUARY

ART

THE GOOD STUFF: The Good Stuff Arts Gallery, 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, will feature Carla Seaton as its featured artist for January. She will give a free demonstration of her mixed media pieces during the First Friday Artwalk Jan. 5.

Gallery artists will also present new pieces for the January-February show “Art Dynamics.”

The Good Stuff Arts is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mondays to Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sundays.

MUSIC

NEW YEAR’S CELTIC BLESSING: A “New Year’s Celtic Blessing” concert will be at 5 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 1, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oak Harbor. A famous family of Irish musicians

will give the concert, which is free to attend.

Donations will be accepted to help support Whidbey Homeless Coalition.

BAROQUE CONCERT: Join baroque violinist Aaron Westman, baroque bassoonist Anna Marsh and organist Henry Lebedinsky for a fun and illuminating exploration of repertoire at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at the Croatian Cultural Center, 801 Fifth St., Anacortes. Tickets are $25 a person and children are admitted free. anacortesartsfoundation.org.

LIVE AT THE CENTER: The Bill Anchell Trio will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island. Tickets are $20 for adults

and free for students.

Information: 360387-0222.

LECTURES AND TALKS

THAILAND AND NEPAL: The Anacortes Sister Cities Association will present “Whitney Hogge — An 8 Week Journey to Thailand and Nepal” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Information: b.smart@juno.com.

ISLAMAPHOBIA: Rev. Terry Kyllo will speak on “Islamophobia: A Challenge to Our First Amendment Rights” to Fidalgo Democrats at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes. A moderated discussion will follow. Questions?

Call Corinne Salcedo, 360-293-7114.

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Paul Thomas Anderson, collaborators unravel mysteries of ‘Phantom Thread’

By MARK OLSEN Los Angeles Times

Each new film from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson now arrives on a wave of expectation and mystique. With its evocative use of period and place, his work moves from a sweeping philosophical expansiveness to refined details with startling ease.

His new film, “Phantom Thread,” has added expectations because star Daniel Day-Lewis has announced he intends to retire from acting, so this could likely be his last screen role.

Anderson and Day-Lewis collaborated on 2007’s “There Will Be Blood,” which resulted in three Oscar nominations for Anderson and the second of his now-record-breaking three best actor Oscar wins for Day-Lewis.

That film was recently named the best film of the 21st century so far by the critics of the New York Times. Their reunion ramped up anticipation even further.

Until “Phantom Thread” began screening for press just after Thanksgiving, precious little was known about it, with minimal promotional materials released.

Like a bespoke suit or designer gown, delicate, careful attention has been given to all the details in Anderson’s latest work, protecting its exquisite, ineffable tone.

The film is both swooning and unhinged, sexy without being explicit, at once somber and witty. Feeling at the same time classical and unconventional, “Phan-

tom Thread” manages to remain buttoned up while knowing how to throw down.

“I never like the idea of trying to figure out how to talk about a film before it’s done or before it’s out; that seems crazy to me. And too hard,” Anderson said in Los Angeles, where he lives.

“But on the other hand, it’s really important to find the ways to get the people to understand what the film is, create trailers and materials that are interesting. Mysterious but, hopefully, not obtuse.”

“Phantom Thread” is set in the world of 1950s couture fashion in London — making for Anderson’s first feature set completely outside the American West — and casts Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, a designer of high-end women’s clothing. Woodcock’s tightly organized world, aided and overseen by his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville), is thrown into disarray by the arrival of Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress in a seaside hotel who enters his world as muse and disruptor.

“This was something that really came fresh and unexpectedly. And that was really an exciting thing,” Anderson said of the story’s origins. “There’s always the feeling, like, ‘Will I ever have a good idea again?’

And so to get at one that felt really good, ‘Oh, I want to follow through on this, I want to keep pursuing this.’

“And it got me to places — usually writing is just an excuse for research, anyway, half the time. It’s an abil-

FOCUS FEATURES

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Reynolds Woodcock and Vicky Krieps stars as Alma in the film, “Phantom Thread.”

ity to take time to do reading that you have not had time to do in the past year that you’ve been finishing a film or shooting one.”

Among that research were the ghost stories of the British writer M.R. James, at once cozy and spooky — a tone also evoked by “Phantom Thread.” An avid watcher of old movies and TCM, Anderson also turned to the works of Powell and Pressburger, David Lean’s “Brief Encounter” and “The Passionate Friends,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” and “Vertigo.” Anderson’s exploration of the shifting dynamics of a romantic partnership and unexpected tension between control and spontaneity has roots in these influences.

He reached out to Day-Lewis when he had, in his own words, “probably 20 or 30 pages of just sort of random notes and random scenes and random ideas and random samples of dialogue without much weight to it.”

When Anderson mentioned something about the Spanish fash-

ion designer Cristobal Balenciaga, he says Day-Lewis’ eyes lighted up and they were off.

Anderson would check in with the actor as he was writing, leaning into or away from certain ideas as Day-Lewis was doing research and preparations of his own.

(In a sign of their close collaboration, Anderson credits Day-Lewis with coming up with the name Reynolds Woodcock.)

Day-Lewis suggested Manville, best known for her films with Mike Leigh, including “Another Year” and “Mr. Turner,” for the role of Woodcock’s watchful, considered sister Cyril, who manages his business and keeps his temperament at an even keel. For the role of Alma, Anderson knew he wanted to find someone new, or as he put it, “a face that hadn’t been overused.”

That would lead to Krieps, a Luxembourg-born actress living in Berlin. Anderson first noticed her in the 2014 German drama “The Chambermaid,” and she has also

had small roles in the English-language films “Hanna” and “A Most Wanted Man.” “Straight off the bat, she looked right,” Anderson said. “She had a face that looked exactly right. From a certain angle she can look kind of sad even if she’s not sad.

And then step around to the other side and she’s absolutely fashion model gorgeous.”

But it wasn’t just her looks that got Krieps the role, as Anderson said, “It was the inner strength that won above all. So, yes, you have this outside gloss — yeah, great — but she has this thing when she sort of stuck out her jaw that she was going to win a fight.”

During a recent interview in Los Angeles, Krieps said she was not intimidated by the prospect of being in so many scenes alone with Day-Lewis, whose commitment to his performances has become the stuff of legend.

“It is intimidating when you sit down and you think about it. So I didn’t sit down and I didn’t think about it,” Krieps said of her costar.

“I had moments in my hotel room alone, very scared and (wondering) would I be up to this task with Daniel? But also would I be up to Paul’s expectations? Of course I had all of these fears. But I knew there was no room to take the time to be scared. So I decided not to think about it.”

Much as Reynolds Woodcock is in the film, Krieps also was taken with Alma’s straightforward manner.

“She seemed like someone who is not playing any games,” Krieps said. “And then she comes to a world that is dictated by games and rules. But she herself is not playing any games, she just is. And that’s what I think I related to.”

Costume designer Mark Bridges has worked with Anderson on all of his features. He was nominated for an Oscar for Anderson’s 2014 film “Inherent Vice” and won an Oscar for 2012’s “The Artist.”

The added layer of creating the clothes designed by Woodcock was “just more of a puzzle to solve. Not only do we have to tell a story about the characters in a traditional arc, then we’ve got a sub-arc, which is the House of Woodcock fashion — people who are in that world, what they come in the house looking like, who made their clothes, what he makes for them. So it’s kind of two layers. I had to do some method designing there.”

For production designer Mark Tildesley, working with Anderson for the first time, the sense of collaboration with the filmmaker and star was invigorating.

“Some days we’d turn up and have to rethink things. It wasn’t like we were making mistakes, we were making the right decisions in trying to correct things. It wasn’t ‘This is wrong,’ it was ‘How about this?’”

Tildesley said. “You have to present things and then evolve them together as a team. It’s an unusual but brilliant process.”

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GET INVOLVED PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES, TALKS

CREATING A PURPOSEFUL LIFE: “Creating a Purposeful Life” will touch on four aspects of making positive change in our lives. Anatha Attar, a certified Washington State Counselor and Coach for the Creative Life will present the talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at the Mount Vernon City Library, 315 Snoqualmie St., Mount Vernon.

COMPUTER CRASH: Learn how to backup data and how to restore data in case of a computer crash at a talk hosted by the Skagit Valley Geneology Society at 1 p.m. Saturday,

100 50

150

200

TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA MCINTYRE HALL PRESENTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 20

PLUNGE INTO A MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE WITH UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS, EYE-POPPING PROJECTIONS, AND INTERACTIVE AUDIENCE TECHNOLOGY. FAMILY-FRIENDLY SHOW.

FLUID CREATIVITY TALK

TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 1PM

360.416.7727

mcintyrehall.org

Jan. 13, at the Burlington Senior Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington. Information: skagitvalleygenealogy. org or genealogy0715@ gmail.com.

NO MORE BOMBS: A No More Bombs meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 18, at Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St. The meeting will focus on information and advocacy for nuclear disarmament. Cookies, tea and will be served.

Information: nomorebombs.org.

BOOKS

BOOK GROUP: The Center for Spiritual Living book group meets at 6 p.m. the first, second and fourth Thursdays, and at 5:30 p.m. on third Thursdays at 1508 18th St. Mount Vernon.

Participants read and discuss books in many areas of spirituality and personal growth. Free.

For more information, contact Gabrielle Conatore at 360-920-19995 and mtvernoncsl@ outlook.com.

GREAT BOOKS READING GROUP MEETING: The Great Books Reading Group examines passages from important writings in history — currently reading passages from “Great Conversations, vol. 2,” published by the Great Books Foundation. The group meets at the Burlington Library, 820 E. Washington Ave., 6 to 8 p.m. the fourth Monday. All are welcome. Information: 360-941-1437 and shunji.asari@gmail. com.

ART

CALL FOR ARTIST: The Anacortes Arts Commission is calling for entries to its second annual outdoor sculpture exhibition to be held in the madrona grove and surrounding area of the Depot Arts & Community Center, 611 R. Ave. in Anacortes. Sculptures must be durable enough to withstand outdoor conditions and should have means of being secured to a concrete platform.

All sculptures should be for sale. Artists need to live in Washington.

Entries are due Feb. 13.

Information: anacortesartscommission.com CALL FOR ARTISTS: The Mount Vernon Downtown Association is looking for artists to participate in a Birds of Winter Art Walk on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Contact dep.mvda@ gmail.com for more information.

ARTS COMMISSION: The Mount Vernon Arts Commission meets at 4:30 p.m the third Tuesday of each month at Hillcrest Park Administration Office, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. The commission currently needs two additional members. Information at the city Parks Department, 360-336-6215.

CALL FOR SCULPTURES: San Juan Islands Sculpture Park invites sculptors to submit entries for its ongoing juried sculpture review. All sculptures must be deemed safe and should be suitable for exhibition in an outdoor setting and

capable of withstanding occasional high winds, rain and possible snow.

Accepted sculptures will be installed for a twoyear period (if not sold sooner) in the 20-acre park located near Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. For complete submission guidelines, visit sjisculpturepark. com.

BEGINNING MOSAIC: A beginning mosaic art class starts at 10 a.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the Anacortes Senior Activity Center, 1701 22nd St, and runs for several Wednesdays. All supplies are provided for the $50 charge and participants can join in at any time in the ongoing glass workshop.

CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS: Burlington Parks and Recreation is looking for qualified instructors to expand its enrichment classes for youths and adults. To download an instructor’s packet, visit the Parks and Recreation Department webpage at burlingtonwa.gov and click on the “Instructors Needed” tab.

For information, call 360-755-9649 or email recreation@burlingtonwa.gov.

ART CLASSES: The Good Stuff Arts Gallery offers classes by Greg Dugan in drawing, pen and ink, colored pencil and watercolor from beginning to advanced.

On Jan. 20, Barbara De Pirro with the Golden Company will present a free lecture on a multitude of Golden products and how to use them. Attendees will receive information packets and free samples. Reservations required. 360-755-3152.

CALL FOR ART TEACHERS: The Good Stuff Arts, 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, is looking for qualified, experienced beginning art teachers in watercolor, drawing, sketching and mixed media art forms. Call to schedule a meeting to show your work and discuss your experience. Kat Peterson, 360-755-3152.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST QUILT AND FIBER ARTS MUSEUM: Varied exhibits and classes are available to the public at 703 S. Second St., La Conner. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday through Sunday. Admission: $7, $5 students and military, free for members and children ages 11 and under. 360-466-4288 or laconnerquilts.org. n Fiber Fridays: bring any type of fiber art project, quilting, knitting, embellishing, etc., to work on while visiting with other fiber artists from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday. Free and open to all.

ART CLASSES

3D DRAWING AND PERSPECTIVE: A 3D Drawing and Perspective art class for kids will be at 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the Burlington Community Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington. It is open to kids ages 7 to 12 and is $50 per kid.

Register at burlingtonwa.gov by Jan. 4.

ART CLASSES: Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts offers a variety of art classes and

workshops for artists of every level at 12636 Chilberg Road, Mount Vernon. Online courses are also available. For information and a complete schedule call 360-466-0110 or visit gailcreativestudies.com.

ART CLASSES: Choose from painting, photography, fiber and 3D art workshops taught by professional artists at the Pacific NorthWest Art School, 15 N.W. Birch St., Coupeville. 360-6783396 or pacificnorthwestartschool.com.

ART CLASSES: Dakota Art Center offers a variety of art classes and workshops at 17873 Highway 536, Mount Vernon. 360-416-6556, ext. 5, or dakotaartcenter.com.

STANWOOD CAMANO ARTS GUILD: A Guilded Gallery, 8700 271st St. NW, Stanwood, offers a variety of art classes and workshops. Call 360-6292787 or visit stanwoodcamanoarts.com.

AUDITIONS

CANTABILE CHAMBER CHOIR: Choral singers of all parts are wanted. The Cantabile Chamber Choir performs throughout Skagit Valley and beyond. Rehearsals are 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays at Bethany Covenant Church, 1318 S. 18th St., Mount Vernon.

Dues are $150 per year and the cost of music. Auditions are by appointment. Information: Jennie Bouma at 425-312-4565 or cantabilechamberchoir@ gmail.com.

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GET INVOLVED DANCE

BEGINNING SQUARE DANCING: 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 9 at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St. Couples and singles welcome. First two evenings are free, $4 thereafter. 360-4244608 (leave a message) or rosie@valleyint.com.

BEGINNING LINE DANCING: Beginning line dancing is held 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Feb. 27 at the Burlington Community Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave. Cost is $6 for drop-ins or $20 per monthly session. For adults and teens 13 and older. Information: recreation@burlingtonwa. gov and 360-755-9649.

FOLK DANCING: Skagit-Anacortes Folk Dancers meet Tuesdays at Bay View Civic Hall, 12615 C St., Mount Vernon. Instruction begins at 7 p.m. followed by review and request dances until 9:30 p.m. The first session is free, $5 thereafter. All welcome. No partners needed. For information, contact Gary or Ginny at 360766-6866.

SCOTTISH DANCING: Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers meet from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Fairhaven Library auditorium (upstairs), 1117 12th St., Bellingham. Wear comfortable clothes and soft-soled shoes without heels. $8 per class. For information, call Mary Ander-

son at 360-933-1779 or visit bellinghamscd.org.

JOLLY TIME CLUB: Dance to live music 1-3:30 p.m. Thursdays at Hillcrest Lodge, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. For information, contact Gisela at 360-424-5696.

CLOG DANCING FOR BEGINNERS: Free lesson from 10-11 a.m., followed by regular clog dancing from 11 a.m. to noon Thursdays, at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St., Mount Vernon. No fee, no partner needed. First three lessons are free.

Wear comfortable shoes.

For information, call Rosie at 360-424-4608.

SWING DANCE CLASSES: Swing dance

classes are 7-8 p.m. every Monday in March at the Anacortes Center for Happiness, 619 Commercial Ave. No experience or partner needed. $40 per person for the series or $12 per person at the door. Information at anacortescenterforhappiness.org and 360-464-2229.

olinist Aaron Westman, baroque bassoonist Anna Marsh and organist Henry Lebedinsky at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, at the Croatian Cultural Center, 801 Fifth St., Anacortes. Tickets are $25 a person and children are admitted free. anacortesartsfoundation.org.

MUSIC

UKULELE FUN & SONG CIRCLE: Have fun strumming and singing at the free Ukulele Fun & Song Circle 1-2 p.m.

Wednesdays at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St. Beginners welcome and loaner ukuleles available. Song sheets provided. Information: 206-790-4862 and yogaheartspace0@gmail. com.

MESSIAHSING: Experience the joy of Christmas while singing along with Handel’s Messiah at the 10th annual community MessiahSing at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 1318 SR 532, Camano. The concert is free to attend.

BAROQUE CONCERT: Join baroque vi-

BARBERSHOP HARMONY: Join the An-OChords, a four-part barbershop harmony group that meets at 7 p.m.

Thursdays, at Bethany Covenant Church, 1318 18th St., Mount Vernon. No experience necessary, no auditions required. Learn by rote, you don’t have to read music. All ages welcome. anochords.org.

360-466-0109.

TIME FOR FIDDLERS: The Washington Old Time Fiddlers play acoustic old time music at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Fridays of each month at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland. St. Free; donations accepted.

Information: 6301156.

E8 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Jessica Chastain leading charge for new kind of Hollywood

By AMY KAUFMAN Los Angeles Times

Jessica Chastain isn’t sure how much she wants to act anymore.

She’s not retiring or anything, not yet — she’s just not as passionate about the job as she used to be.

“I’m more interested in the idea of making the world a better place,” she says. “In thinking about ‘What am I contributing to the world?,’ my passions keep shifting away from myself.”

Coming from most Hollywood stars, this would probably just sound like sanctimonious garbage. But Chastain, 40, has taken action that actually backs up her words.

Over the last year, the actress has made about as many headlines for being outspoken on Twitter as she has for her film roles. Alongside Rose McGowan, Amber Tamblyn, Lena Dunham and Olivia Munn, Chastain has become one of the industry’s most vocal feminists, sharing her thoughts on gender equality and sexual harassment with her 650,000 followers.

This month, her feed has also been interspersed with promotional tweets about “Molly’s Game,” in which she plays Molly Bloom, the infamous “poker princess” who organized underground games frequented by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Ben Affleck until she was arrested by the FBI. The film was written

by Aaron Sorkin and marks his directorial debut. It offers Chastain the

HANDOUT

Jessica Chastain in “Molly’s Game.”

sort of tour de force lead role actresses don’t often get in Hollywood. Surrounded by a supporting cast including Idris Elba and Kevin Costner, Chastain’s Bloom dominates, with razor-sharp delivery of Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue narrating the entire journey.

Despite the strong critical attention for her performance — she’s up for a Golden Globe next month — Chastain’s social media focus hasn’t really been on “Molly’s Game.” Instead, her aim on Twitter is to “amplify the voices” of women who have been victims of harassment — women, she said, who “have nothing to gain except to help other women.”

Even before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke on Oct. 5, Chastain was sending out candid tweets about the problems she saw in the business. On Aug. 1, after CBS announced it had no fall shows with female leads, Chastain wrote: “I’ll just @netflix and chill. Or some @HBO greatness. … There’s so many incredible options that don’t include @CBS.”

When the news hit about claims of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, she acknowledged that she’d been “warned from the beginning.” “YEP,” she tweeted a few weeks later after The Times wrote about alleged sexual misconduct by filmmaker Brett Ratner.

Soon, she began drawing attention to prior claims of sexual assault against director Bryan Singer — even though he is a producer on “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” the upcoming comic book franchise installment Chastain has a role in.

(She later clarified she “didn’t realize he was involved until recently” and said “he wasn’t on set.”)

“If (tweeting) puts an X on me in terms of ‘Oh, that’s it, she’s out of the industry,’ I don’t care,” she said. “When the first article came out about Weinstein, I retweeted it and immediately kept sharing stories. And then I got an e-mail from someone who was very successful in the industry who said I was using my social media platform

irresponsibly. I got pushback.”

It was exactly this defiant nature that made Bloom feel Chastain was the right actress to bring her story to the big screen.

“Obviously, she’s an extraordinary actress, but I am so moved by her moral courage and fearlessness when it comes to speaking out in a town that has traditionally not wanted women to,” said Bloom, 39, who has long since retired from the gambling circuit and now lives in Denver.

“Of course, we wanted someone who was a formidable actress — but the fact that she’s also a real person with a real purpose and huge heart was a big win.”

Meeting Bloom at the Four Seasons in 2015, Chastain now acknowledges, she wasn’t quite as generous. She’d spent days Googling Bloom, sifting through salacious tabloid gossip and images of the well-manicured brunet wearing low-cut dresses.

“I’m going to be completely honest: I had a lot of judgment

— and I have some shame and a little bit of embarrassment saying that,” Chastain said. “I Googled her and was like, ‘Look how she’s presenting herself in this world. I understand who this girl is.’”

Minutes into her sit-down with Bloom, Chastain realized she’d been unfair. She said she came to understand that Bloom was the product of a world that rewards and values women for being sexually desirable — and then when they are sexually desirable, “We go, ‘You can’t take her seriously, because look at her.’”

Soon, she started obsessing over the Kardashians — studying their contouring and plastering their pictures all over her trailer. She even infiltrated an underground poker game in New York, where she saw a couple women wearing Herve Leger dresses, at the ready, she said, to provide massages for the male players.

“I called Aaron the next day and said, ‘We need bandage dresses,’” Chastain recalled. “He said, ‘I have no idea what that is, but that sounds fine.’”

Putting on that bandage dress, however, affected Chastain in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

Typically, the actress dresses relatively conservatively. But walking onto set in skin-tight garments, Chastain said she felt a “rush of power,” noticing everyone’s eyes on her.

“And I knew why,” she said. “Someone showed me the comments on the trailer for this film, and there are so many com-

ments about my cleavage.

I’ve never done a movie where people have been talking about my body like that.”

The wardrobe also restricted her physically.

She was usually uncomfortable, worrying about leaning over and revealing too much.

“Sometimes I’d have to do an action and say, ‘I can’t do that because I’m in a plunging dress,’” she said. “You lose your ability to move in ways that are natural. I was wobbling in heels. I felt like I was giving something away — my own sense of freedom.”

As a novice director, Sorkin admitted, he had initial hesitation about working with an actress who’d been directed by Terence Malick (“The Tree of Life”), Christopher Nolan (“Interstellar”) and Kathryn Bigelow (“Zero Dark Thirty”). “Would she be taking direction from me, a first-time director, or would I be directed by her?” he said he asked himself. But after a brief meeting — during which Chastain bluntly told him that the perfunctory face-toface was “stupid” and that he should “just give (her) the part” — Sorkin felt confident he’d found his Molly.

“By the time we got on set, we had talked so much that once the cameras started rolling, I would only have to step in between takes to give direction in five words or less — little hotter, faster, colder, slower,” the director said. “And the thrill of watching Jessica going from the first take to the second was extraordinary.”

Thursday, December 28, 2017 - E9

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TUNING UP Playing at area venues December 28 - December 31 Thursday.28

Troy Fair Band: 9 p.m., Watershed Lounge, Angel of the Winds Casino, 3438 Stoluckquamish Lane, Arlington. angelofthewinds.com.

Brian Setzer Orchestra: 7:30 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. $45.50-99.50.

360-734-6080 or briansetzer. com or mountbakertheatre. com.

Sunday.31

Baby Cakes: 7 p.m., The Green Frog, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. $20, all ages.

360-306-8273 or acoustictavern.com/shows.php.

Cascadia Groove: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $7. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

New Year’s Eve 2017 with Gin Gypsy: 9 p.m.1 a.m., Eaglemont Golf Course, 4800 Eaglemont Drive, Mount Vernon. $25 advance, $30 at door. eaglemontnye.com.

Friday.29

Cascadiacs: 8:30 p.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon.

360-422-6411.

New Year’s Eve Bash with Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues: 9 p.m., Conway Muse (Bard Room), 18444 Spruce/ Main, Conway. $24-$32. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse. com.

Norris and Nicely: 8 p.m., Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. Free. 360588-1720 or anacortesrockfish.com.

Steve Rudy: 6 p.m., Hotel Bellwether, 1 Bellwether Way, Bellingham. 360-392-3100 or hotelbellwether.com.

Uncle Half-Step: 7:30 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen and Stage, 513 First St., La Conner. 360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage@gmail. com.

Chris Eger: 8 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Bow. Free. 360-766-6330.

Brian Lee & The Orbiters: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $10. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

Classic Roads Band: 8:30 p.m., Loco Billy’s, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. $8. 425-737-5144, 360-6296500 or locobillys.com.

Troy Fair Band: 9 p.m., Watershed Lounge, Angel of the Winds Casino, 3438 Stoluckquamish Lane, Arlington. angelofthewinds.com.

SATURDAY.30

MEGS McLEAN 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. $8. 425-737-5144, 360-629-6500 or locobillys.com.

Groovebot with Trabin: 8 p.m., The Green Frog, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. 360-306-8273 or acoustictavern.com/shows. php.

Saturday.30

Cascadiacs: 8:30 p.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon.

360-422-6411.

Randy Norris and Jeff Nicely: 7:30 p.m. Conway Muse (Parlor), 18444 Spruce/ Main, Conway. $24-$32. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse. com.

Cascadiacs: 8:30 p.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon.

360-422-6411.

Jukehouse Hounds: 5:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

Country Jim: 6:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks Lodge, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon. Members and signed-in guests only. 360-848-8882.

Crazy Like a Fox: 6 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen and Stage, 513 First St., La Conner.

360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage@gmail.com.

Harvey Creek Band, Slings & Arrows: 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s Wild Moon Saloon, 27021 102nd Ave., Stanwood. Reserved seats $45. General admission $15 advance, $25 at door. 425737-5144 or locobillys.com.

Baby Cakes: 10 p.m., The Green Frog, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. $20. 360-3068273 or acoustictavern.com/ shows.php.

Steve Rudy: 6 p.m., Hotel Bellwether, 1 Bellwether Way, Bellingham. 360-392-3100 or hotelbellwether.com.

Brett Benton: 7:30 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen and Stage, 513 First St., La Conner.

360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage@gmail.com.

Night Kicks: 8 p.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave, Anacortes. anacortesh2o.com or 360-755-3956.

Market Street Dixieland Jass Band: 8 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $10. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

The Walrus: 8:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360-766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

Megs McLean: 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. $8. 425-737-5144, 360-629-6500 or locobillys.com.

CRAIG PARRISH / SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD

FRIDAY.29

CHRIS EGER 8 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Bow. Free. 360-766-6330.

E10 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TRAVEL

FA M I LY T R AV E L FI V E

Local travel briefs

Planning ahead for vacation is key

By LYNN O’ROURKE HAYES

SHORT TRIPS: Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation offers travel opportunities for ages 8 and older (adult supervision required for ages 17 and younger). Trips depart from and return to Hillcrest Park, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. For information or to register, call 360-336-6215.

FamilyTravel.com

According to advocacy group Project: Time Off, more than half of American workers leave unused vacation days on their company’s boardroom table.

Meanwhile, the research shows that by planning ahead, more families will actually take much-need vacations and thus reap a multitude of personal and professional benefits.

Here are five ideas to consider: 1. Make planning a priority. Whether you begin by tossing up a tent in the backyard or strategizing to experience a safari in Africa, there is no time like the present to begin planning family travel. As children and grandchildren get older, their schedules become more complicated by their own commitments making it more difficult than ever to plan time together. What’s more, with dates on the calendar, you’ll feel less stress at work, knowing you’ve provided the boss and co-workers with plenty of notice about your plans.

2. Longer vacations.

According to Project: Time Off, 75 percent of those who plan ahead were more likely to take a full week or more of vacation in a single stretch. By crafting a strategy in advance you’ll have your pick of departures, the best cabins on a cruise ship and more options in popular resort areas. While you are at it, scan the year ahead and be the first to claim vacation days around existing holidays and school breaks, creating a longer stretch for relaxation and enjoyment.

WHATCOM SENIOR TOURS: Whatcom Senior Tours hosts a series of trips for seniors. Sign up by calling 360-733-4030, ext. 1015 or visiting the tour office at 315 Halleck St., Bellingham.

RECREATION WITHOUT BORDERS: The organization offers recreational trips, tours and adventures throughout the Northwest and British Columbia. 360-7667109 or recreationwithoutborders.com.

OAK HARBOR DAY TRIPS: The Oak Harbor Senior Center, 51 SE Jerome St., offers fun day trips for members. For details, call the travel desk at 360-279-4587.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Whether you begin by tossing up a tent in the backyard or strategizing to experience a safari in Africa, there is no time like the present to begin planning family travel.

Knowing good times are on the horizon, you’ll have the added benefit of anticipating the getaway.

3. Bucket lists. Taking time to create a thoughtful bucket list can make it easier to plan for meaningful vacations, those that are a deliberate reflection of your values, hopes and dreams.

So before you begin listing desired destinations, ask yourself what aspects of the world — geographically, spiritually and culturally — you want to share with your children, grandchildren and perhaps other friends and family members. As your ideas take shape, know your list will evolve over the years. Therefore, think about which destinations you hope to visit while your children are in the nest and which might best be saved for later. And, when it comes time to involve youngsters in creating the

bucket list, remember that kids don’t know what they don’t know. Certain theme parks and resorts will likely be on their radar screens.

But they may not be aware of the glories of Yellowstone or Yosemite or the historical significance of Boston or Birmingham.

4. Celebrate milestone events. Geographic spread, busy careers and school and sports schedules make it more difficult than ever to spend time together. Therefore, planning ahead to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries can be an important touchstone and meaningful part of a family’s legacy. With plenty of advance notice, you’ll increase the odds that more family members will be able to take part in the fun. Ask your clan to save a date and then get to work creating a gathering that will be a lasting memory for all.

5. Reap the benefits.

In-depth research indicates that Americans who take time to plan their vacation time in the year ahead are happier than their comewhat-may counterparts.

Planners are happier with their health and well-being, their financial picture, their personal relationships and even their overall mood, according to the research.

Further, an overwhelming majority of American workers report that time off helps them relax and recharge, and offers the opportunity to pursue personal interests.

Nearly two-thirds of employees say their concentration and productivity at work improves with time off. Business leaders echo this sentiment. Of those surveyed, 91 percent believe employees return from vacation recharged and renewed — and ready to work more effectively.

STATE VISITOR CALL CENTER: The Washington Tourism Alliance’s ExperienceWA Call Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. 1-800-544-1800 or tourisminfo@watourismalliance.com.

PASSPORT APPLICATIONS: Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes, accepts new passport applications and applications for passports that have been expired for more than five years by appointment from noon to 6 p.m.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Passport forms and information on fees and how to apply are available at travel.state.gov, or pick up an application and passport guide at the library.

Burlington Municipal Court accepts passport applications from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 311 Cedar St., Suite A, Burlington. New and renewal forms are available. 360-755-0492.

Post Offices in Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley and Oak Harbor accept passport applications by appointment.

Contact individual offices for available days and times.

Oak Harbor Senior Center, 51 SE Jerome St., Oak Harbor, accepts passport applications Monday through Friday. Appointments are recommended. 360-279-4580.

Thursday, December 28, 2017 - E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

HOT TICKETS

STEVEN WRIGHT Jan. 20, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

RYAN HAMILTON: Jan. 13, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

XTREME INTERNATIONAL ICE RACING: Jan. 13, Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett. 866-3328499 or angelofthewindsarena.com.

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW: Jan. 15, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

WAR: Jan. 18-21, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

ST. VINCENT: Jan. 18-19, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

HIPPO CAMPUS, SURE SURE: Jan. 19, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

STEVEN WRIGHT: Jan. 20, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or

ticketmaster.com.

LEWIS BLACK: Jan. 20, Moore Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO: Jan. 21, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

ADAM SANDLER: Jan. 22, Benaroya Hall, Seattle.

216-215-4747 or seattlesymphony.com.

HAROLD LOPEZ-NUSSA, RUY NUSSA: Jan. 2324, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

LUNA: Jan. 23, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

JOSH RITTER & THE ROYAL CITY BAND: Jan. 13, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: Jan. 25, KeyArena, Seattle. 360-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

NAJEE: Jan. 25-28, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

RICKY GERVAIS: Jan. 27, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

BRUCE COCKBURN: Jan. 28, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

FIRST AID KIT: Jan. 28, Moore Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS: Jan. 30-31, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

MIRANDA LAMBERT: Feb. 1, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: Feb. 3, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

KATY PERRY: Feb. 3, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma.

800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

ROBERT GATES: Feb. 5, McCaw Hall, Seattle.

844-827-8118 or www. uniquelives.com.

BETH HART: Feb. 7, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

JUDY COLLINS: Feb. 8-11, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

MIKE GORDON: Feb. 9, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

JESSE COOK: Feb. 10-11, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

MINDI ABAIR BAND: Feb. 13-14, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

MUMLY TROLL: Feb. 15, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN: Feb. 15, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham. 360-734-6080 or mountbakertheatre.com.

TOBYMAC, DANNY GOKEY, MANDISA: Feb. 16, Key Arena, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

WALK THE MOON: Feb. 16-17, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM, EKAYA, HUGH MASEKELA: Feb. 16-17, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

MILES ELECTRIC BAND: Feb. 23, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

HADRIAN STONE DESIGN STUDIO FEATURED ARTISTS Alejandra Gos • Anne Martin McCool

Wednesday-Sunday • 11-5pm Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays Free & Ample Parking Available 5717 Gilkey Avenue, Bow-Edison, WA 98232

1697113

BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA: Dec. 28, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham. 360-734-6080 or briansetzer.com.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS: Dec. 28, Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett.

866-332-8499 or angelofthewindsarena.com.

BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA: Dec. 29, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 9: Dec. 2830, Benaroya Hall, Seattle. seattlesymphony.org.

PONCHO SANCHEZ LATIN JAZZ BAND: Dec. 31, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

NEARLY DAN: Jan. 5-7, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com. ”NEWSIES”: Jan. 5-Feb. 4, Village Theatre, Everett.

425-257-8600 or villagetheatre.org.

PICKWICK: Jan. 6, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

MARTIN TAYLOR AND ALLISON BURNS: Jan. 9-10, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

MARK HUMMEL’S CHICAGO BLUES HARMONICA BLOWOUT: Jan. 11-14, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-4419729 or jazzalley.com.

G3 FEATURING JOE SATRIANI, JOHN PETRUCCI, PHIL COLLEN: Jan. 11, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

PETER WHITE: Jan. 1114, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

RAILROAD EARTH: Jan. 12, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

MARKIPILIER: Jan. 13, Moore Theatre, Seattle.

E12 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Arianne Zucker embraces roles that make a difference

By RICK BENTLEY Tribune News Service

When it comes to compliments, there’s one that means the most to Arianne Zucker.

“I have had some really wonderful fans tell me I have changed their lives,” Zucker says. “The best thing I can do as an actor is make a difference in somebody’s life.”

She’s done that through a variety of acting roles, including her latest project, the Lifetime movie “Web Cam Girls.” The film looks at the world of sex camming, wherein women earn money by performing on web cameras. This turns deadly for one high school student as she’s kidnapped and forced to perform or die in front of an audience on the worldwide dark web.

Zucker plays the aunt of the girl in danger, who begins searching for the location of the imprisoned teen when the police prove ineffective.

“When I first heard about this movie I didn’t know this really happens,” Zucker says. “I really try to live my life as a very positive, strong woman. I just didn’t understand how young ladies would put themselves in these situations.

“It was an exciting movie to do because this is something we need to put forward. It is a good thriller, but in light of what is going on in this day and age, it is a good time for it to come out.”

Zucker hasn’t touched people only with her acting. She co-created the nonprofit organization Arrow-Heart Adventure Camps in 2007 with her brother, Todd Zucker. The mentoring program is a way to give teens a chance to live to their full potential.

The opportunity to touch so many people didn’t start with acting, as her first work was as a model. It almost sounds like the plot for another thriller, but Zucker — who was 16 at the time — was skating on California’s Venice Beach when a man approached her and told her she could be a model. It was Zucker’s mother who investigated the agency and

reluctantly agreed to go with her to an audition.

That launched a career in front of the camera that was during summer breaks or on weekends until she turned 18. That’s when she started traveling to Paris, Australia, Japan and New York for work.

“It was very scary because all I had ever known was where I grew up in California,” Zucker says. “It was a real culture shock. The first time I went, I was three weeks in Paris and I was ready to come home. But, it was good for me because it made me look at what just happened and how could I prepare myself to travel better.

The one piece of advice her mother gave her that scared her the most was to never leave a drink unattended because something could be added to it. Zucker praises her mother for showing her how to protect herself through knowledge. And, Zucker is passing that forward through work like “Web Cam Girls” that she hopes is a cautionary tale that will at least make some young women think twice before taking such a risk.

In recent years, Zucker has found herself being cast as mothers, a role she knows well because of her own child. Even if it isn’t written into the script, Zucker always thinks about how she would want to protect her own daughter if she were in a similar real-life situation.

“In ‘Web Cam Girls,’ here’s a mother who is trying to have a career in a business where she has to work triple as hard as the men,” Zucker says. “Her daughter is a good kid, but there is a separation.”

The trek to being able to take on such roles for Zucker started through landing national and international commercials. That was the springboard for the threetime Daytime Emmy-nominated Zucker to land the part she’s best known for, Nicole Walker on NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” for 19 years, but she has worked on films (“The Last Resort”) and primetime TV (“CSI: Miami”).

Actress Carrie Preston challenges life’s hurdles

By LUAINE LEE Tribune News Service

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — When actress Carrie Preston was 9 years old, she decided she wanted to run hurdles in the all-city track competition. She couldn’t have been less qualified.

“I was in the fourth grade and I wanted to go out for all-city track. I don’t know why. I don’t know how I got it into my head,” she says.

“I was a tiny, scrawny little girl and I thought it would be really good to try out for the hurdles, so I’m running head-on. This little 9-year old-girl to these giant hurdles that I’m never going to jump over. I kept going and kept going and was hitting them and hitting them. And I would go back and try again until my mom finally came down and said, ‘Honey, honey, honey, I’m going to ask you to stop doing that. You’re going to hurt yourself.

“That’s sort of how I look at life,” says Preston, after a pause. “That’s the life of the artist right there.”

Preston, who’s best known for “True Blood” and “The Good Wife,” realized she wanted to be an actress when she was 8, living in her native Macon, Ga. “I was never Snow White,” she nods, her green eyes punctuating her red hair. “I was always the maid, the crazy maid, or the fairy godmother — nutty. I was always already playing the character roles — the roles where I got to really be a chameleon. That’s what really feeds me.”

She recalls when she was very young asking her mother if performing could turn into a real job. “My

HANDOUT

Carrie Preston stars as the mother of a murdered child in “Dating Game Killer,” which is airing on On Demand and ID Go. The show premiered in Investigation Discovery.

mom said, ‘Well, honey somebody’s got to do it. I don’t know why it can’t be you.’ Both my parents were encouraging and didn’t encourage me to get a ‘real’ job. They saw this as something I could make work in my life.”

Her dad was a geotechnical engineer and her mom a visual artist. “She definitely understands the life of an artist, and what really fuels people in life is passion,” says Preston. “She saw I had that attraction for it, so it was just a matter of getting the skills to meet the passion,” she says.

Preston fed that passion by attending a small college in southern Indiana and devoted four years studying at Juilliard, which she attended through scholarships, grants and fellowships.

She supplemented her income waitressing at the Olive Garden, temping, and serving as a Girl Scout leader.

But Preston mostly made her living by acting, once she finished Juilliard.

While she insists she’s always been a character actor, her latest role as the tragic mother of a murdered child on “Dating Game Killer,” airing On Demand and on ID Go, proved another hurdle.

“Just to put those circumstances in your belly — of your child being brutally murdered by a monster — is a really dark and sobering place to go,” she says of the show, which premiered on Investigation Discovery.

“It definitely was tough.

I mean, the lines were blurred for me a little bit.

I got this horrible respiration, like I got the flu or something. My body was not really wanting to go there. It was very upsetting.

So I was sick while I was shooting which, in some ways, went hand-in-hand with the emotional pain playing such a thing.”

She did her best to stay afloat. “In between shots, I was drinking hot tea with honey and taking cough drops and things like that to get myself through it. But this woman is bombarded and run down, too. It certainly wasn’t a terrible thing.

It kind of helped.”

In an unusual turn, Preston didn’t have to audition for the role. The part was offered her. “It’s wonderful,” she smiles. “It sort of makes you look at the material in a different way because you don’t have to hustle for it. You’re being asked to be trusted with it, so I was grateful for that.

Certainly it’s not the kind of role that normally comes to me so I was excited about that, also scared of it. And it’s always good to do things that you’re scared of.”

Thursday, December 28, 2017 - E13

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

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Lorde has canceled an upcoming tour date in Tel Aviv amid pressures from a movement calling for a boycott of Israel.

The “Green Light” singer, 21, announced that after poring through an “overwhelming number of messages & letters,” she’s opted to

call off the show scheduled for June 5 as part of her “Melodrama” world tour.

“I pride myself on being an informed young citizen, and I had done a lot of reading and sought a lot of opinions before deciding to book a show in Tel Aviv, but I’m not too proud to admit I didn’t make the right call on this one,” she said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post.

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E14 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

MINI-REVIEWS

Chastain pulls winning hand in ‘Molly’s Game’

By JUSTIN CHANG Los Angeles Times

In the electrifying “Molly’s Game,” Jessica Chastain almost never raises her voice. She speaks with a calm and clarity that pull you in, conveying intimacy and authority in the same breath.

It’s a shrewd tactic that underscores the cool, guarded temperament of her real-life alter ego, Molly Bloom, a ferociously smart cookie who at 26 found herself running a high-stakes poker empire — a job she landed by safeguarding secrets, instilling trust and avoiding the kind of spotlight that writer-director Aaron Sorkin has now thrown upon her.

Chastain’s measured delivery may also be due to the fact that she has an ungodly amount of dialogue to plow through — did I mention it’s an Aaron Sorkin movie? — and an excess of volume would have almost certainly cost her in speed, coherence and stamina. At 140 minutes, this movie qualifies as something of an endurance test, crammed to the rafters with voice-over narration, rapid-fire banter and some gratifyingly cogent poker commentary.

But as endurance tests go, “Molly’s Game” is also an incorrigible, unapologetic blast — a dazzling rise-and-fall biopic that races forward, backward and sideways, propelled by long, windy gusts of grade-A Sorkinese.

Drawn from Bloom’s 2014 memoir as well as episodes and experiences she didn’t include, the movie is a big, brash tale of American striving as well as an identity-blurring, chronology-fudging bit of storytelling business. It’s held in check, and held together, by its clear-eyed admiration of its protagonist and a genuine sense of commitment to her story.

This is no small thing for Sorkin, who, in his long and productive career of writing for film and television, from the testosterone-heavy offices of “Sports Night” to the dizzying techno-prophet narratives of “The Social Network,” “Moneyball” and “Steve Jobs,” has never before given us a proper female lead. But he’s found a superb one in Bloom and a formidable, irresistible heroine in Chastain, and he’s returned the favor by allowing the character to tell her own story from start to finish.

MICHAEL GIBSON/STXFILMS

Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in the film “Molly’s Game.”

If incessant voice-over is inherently uncinematic, then “Molly’s Game” might be the exception that proves the rule. It may not have the rich visual flourishes that a David Fincher or a Danny Boyle might have brought to the table, but Sorkin, in a solid directing debut, knows instinctively how to shuffle images, dialogue and music together for maximum narrative drive.

A terrific opening sequence finds Molly narrating a painful flashback to her days as a world-class skier, specifically the painful accident that dashed her Olympic dreams. It’s a sharp, teasing setup for a tale of even higher stakes and steeper falls from grace, set in motion by an early scene of Molly being arrested by the FBI for her alleged involvement in an illegal gambling racket.

Flash back a few years to around 2003, when Molly puts her law-school plans on hold, leaves her Colorado hometown and moves to Los Angeles. There, she begins working as a cocktail waitress and then an assistant to a Hollywood insider, Dean Keith (Jeremy Strong, nice and sleazy), who soon has Molly running his weekly poker night out of the Cobra Club (a stand-in for the notorious Viper Room), complete with $10,000 buy-ins from a pool of hand-picked, high-profile names.

The details of how she hijacks the operation and gives it a stylish upgrade — a suite at the Four Seasons, multiple games per week, millions of dollars on the table — make “Molly’s Game” the most absorbing poker movie in many a moon, told with breathtaking dexterity and an invaluable assist from a crowded supporting cast. The actors who plant themselves at Molly’s table include Michael Cera (a vicious stand-in for Tobey Maguire),

Brian d’Arcy James, Chris O’Dowd and Bill Camp, the last especially good as a seasoned player who bottoms out spectacularly in one of the movie’s many cautionary anecdotes.

Even before a few Russian mobsters get in on the action, taking this loaded but legal enterprise in a more sordid direction, Molly has no shortage of greedy, overconfident men to cajole, spar with, counsel and occasionally turn the tables on. But for the most part, she remains on the sidelines, an alluring, unattainable enigma, and Chastain underplays beautifully, with a level of nuance that eclipses even her earlier take-no-prisoners performances in films like “Miss Sloane” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Chastain draws us so deeply into Molly’s lightning-speed thought processes that you can almost see her synapses firing, making “Molly’s Game” not just a biographical portrait but a genuine thriller of the mind. The thrill comes from watching Molly figure everything out: She knows little about poker or high-stakes gambling when she’s first getting started, but she has an appetite for research, an ease with technology and a knack for calculating an idea’s untapped potential.

If the movie emerges as a celebration of its heroine’s wits, it is also, ultimately, a defense of her scruples — something it achieves through a deft combination of “Social Network” structural gimmickry and “Steve Jobs” sentimental back story.

For the movie’s purposes, the two most important men in Molly’s life are her attorney, Charlie Jaffy (a superb Idris Elba), who both loathes and admires her refusal to sell out her client list for a possible reduced sentence, and her demanding, emotionally distant father (Kevin Costner), who materializes, in key flashbacks, to teach and torment his daughter anew.

The most questionable scene involves the fastidious unpacking of Molly’s daddy issues, sending Sorkin’s penchant for overexplanation into overdrive and potentially chipping away at the movie’s feminist bona fides.

At the risk of mansplaining myself, I’m not sure that it does. Molly isn’t reduced, simplified or sentimentalized by her reckonings with the past, and the victory she wrests from the closing scenes is nothing if not fully earned. She’s a winner in a movie that proves worthy of her.

Compiled from news services.

Ratings are 1 to 4 stars.

“All the Money in the World” — Ridley Scott’s well-paced, great-looking and nimble take on one of the most famous kidnapping cases of the 20th century leaves us marveling at the enormous footprint J. Paul Getty left on the world. Playing the oil tycoon as a last-minute substitute for Kevin Spacey, Christopher Plummer delivers a powerful, magnetic, scene-stealing performance. Historical drama, R, 132 minutes. HHH½ “Molly’s Game” — Jessica Chastain gives a nomination-worthy performance as the organizer of high-stakes, A-list poker games that aren’t exactly legal. With his feature directing debut, Aaron Sorkin hits a home run — a glimpse of life in the fast lane, a sobering cautionary tale and a brilliant character study.

Biographical drama, R, 140 minutes.

HHHH “Pitch Perfect 3” — Any honors-level high school creative writing class could come up with a half-dozen better story ideas for “Pitch Perfect 3” than this incomprehensibly stupid, jarringly uneven, astonishingly unfunny and just plain lazy dead fish of a three-quel. The songs remain good cheesy white-bread fun, but this feels like an encore nobody asked for. Musical comedy, PG-13, 93 minutes. H “Downsizing” — Matt Damon is in prime everyman mode as a good guy with a good heart who agrees to be shrunk to 5 inches tall as a way to reduce his environmental footprint — and enjoy a more luxurious life. At first a raucous comedy with some social commentary, director Alexander Payne’s film loses its way for a while, and it feels as if we’re being lectured a bit too much in the home stretch. Comedy satire, R, 135 minutes. HHH “I, Tonya” — Recounting the life of skater Tonya Harding in both a darkly funny comedy and a serious character study is a tricky and bold balancing act, and the “I, Tonya” team pulls it off on every level. Handed the plum title role, Margot Robbie gives the best performance of her career.

Sports biography, R, 119 minutes.

HHHH

Thursday, December 28, 2017 - E15

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

MOVIE REVIEW

At area theaters ANACORTES CINEMAS Dec. 29-Jan. 4 The Greatest Showman (PG): FridayMonday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:50, 9:20; TuesdayThursday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:50 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (PG-13): Friday-Monday: 12:15, 3:00, 6:40, 9:15; TuesdayThursday: 12:15, 3:00, 6:40 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (PG-13): FridayMonday: 12:00, 3:15, 6:30, 9:40; TuesdayThursday: 12:00, 3:15, 6:30 360-293-7000

BLUE FOX DRIVE-IN Oak Harbor Dec. 28-30 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (PG-13) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (PG-13): First movie starts at approximately 6 p.m.

360-941-0403

STANWOOD CINEMAS Dec. 29-Jan. 4 Pitch Perfect 3 (PG-13): Friday-Monday: 12:25, 3:35, 7:10, 9:50; Tuesday-Thursday: 12:25, 3:35, 7:10 CONCRETE THEATRE The Greatest Showman (PG): FridayDec. 29-31 Monday: 12:35, 3:45, 7:00, 9:35; TuesdayStar Wars: The Last Jedi (PG-13): Friday: Thursday: 12:35, 3:45, 7:00 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 4 (3D) and 7:30 p.m.; Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (PG-13): Monday: 5 p.m.

Fri - Mon: 12:55, 4:05, 6:45, 9:30; Tuesday-Thurs360-941-0403 day: 12:55, 4:05, 6:45 Ferdinand (PG): Friday-Monday: 12:45, 3:55, OAK HARBOR CINEMAS 6:30, 9:00; Tuesday-Thursday: 12:45, 3:55, 6:30 Dec. 29-Jan. 4 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (PG-13): FridayPitch Perfect 3 (PG-13): Friday-Sunday: 12:30, Monday: 12:15, 3:25, 6:40, 9:25; Tuesday3:30, 7:00, 9:25; Monday-Thursday: 12:30, 3:30, Thursday: 12:15, 3:25, 6:40 7:00 360-629-0514 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (PG-13): Friday-Sunday: 12:15, 3:00, 6:45, 9:15; Monday- CASCADE MALL THEATERS Thursday: 12:15, 3:00, 6:45 Burlington Star Wars: The Last Jedi (PG-13): FridayFor showings: amctheatres.com/showtimes/ Sunday: 12:00, 3:15, 6:30, 9:40; Mondayall/2017-06-23/amc-loews-cascade-mall-14/all Thursday: 12:00, 3:15, 6:30 360-279-2226 * Times are subject to change

Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks shine in “The Post”

NIKO TAVERNISE

In this image released by 20th Century Fox, Tom Hanks portrays Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep portrays Katharine Graham in a scene from “The Post.”

By RAFER GUZMÁN Newsday

“The Greatest Showman” — There were times when I rolled my eyes to the ceiling at the corny and cheesy and shameless sentiment of thisAnacortes, musical starring Anacortes Cinemas, WA 98221 Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum. But then I’d realize my foot was once again tapping in time to the beat of the catchy tunes, at which point Cinemas, I’d acknowledge I was thorStanwood Stanwood, WA 98292 oughly enjoying myself, despite all cynical instincts. Musical, PG, 105 minutes. HHH “Hangman” — At 77, Al Pacino admirably commits to the pulpy material and his seen-it-all character, a retired detective enlisted to help stop aOak serial killer.WA In its Oak Harbor Cinemas, Harbor, own cheesy and entertaining way, this lu98277 rid B-movie kept me guessing throughout.

Crime thriller, R, 98 minutes. HHH ”Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — Although it doesn’t pack quite the same emotional punch as “The Force Awakens” and lags a bit in the second half, this is still a worthy chapter in the “Star Wars” franchise, popping with exciting action sequences and sprinkled with good humor. Surprises big and small abound. Fantasy/sci-fi action, PG-13, 152 minutes. HHH½ “Darkest Hour” — This look back at Winston Churchill’s leadership during the early days of World War II is filled with

authentic touches, large and small. Most authentic of all is Gary Oldman’s performance as a flawed but deeply passionate man who summoned all of his courage, all of his oratory skills and all of his love for Britain at just the right moment. Historical biography, PG-13, 125 minutes. HHH½ “Wonder Wheel” — Knowing what we know about Woody Allen, it’s impossible not to think his film about an aspiring playwright (Justin Timberlake) romancing both a married waitress (Kate Winslet) and her stepdaughter (Juno Temple) is a commentary about the Mia Farrow/Soon-Yi story. On its own merits, though, it would still be a dud, a sluggish, uninspired retread of so many earlier and much better Allen films. Drama, PG-13, 101 minutes. H½ “The Shape of Water” — Sally Hawkins gives a sweet and moving performance as a maid in a top-secret government facility who falls in love with a mysterious sea creature in captivity there.

Gorgeously color-coordinated, this fairy tale from director Guillermo del Toro is one of the most romantic and most breathtakingly beautiful movies of the year. Fantasy adventure, R, 118 minutes. HHH½

Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” tells the story of a newspaper standing up to a United States president who wants to bully the free press into submission.

The year is 1971 and the fight is over the Pentagon Papers, a trove of classified documents published by The Washington Post despite legal threats from Richard Nixon’s White House.

“The Post” may be a period piece, but its central battle could take place in just about any era, including and perhaps especially this one.

“The Post,” essentially a two-hander, features two very fine old hands who have never before come together on screen: Meryl Streep, as Post publisher Katharine Graham, and Tom Hanks, as editor Ben

Bradlee. These two characters are very different people: Graham is a Capitol Hill society matron who’s friendly with high-powered types like Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara (Bruce Greenwood), while Bradlee is a genteel rascal who’s not above sending an intern to hang out in the offices of The New York Times.

(Jason Robards won an Oscar for his crusty Bradlee in “All the President’s Men,” but Hanks puts his own mischievous stamp on the role.) The newshound and the businesswoman have coexisted for years without having to ruffle each other’s feathers. That is about to change.

When Nixon legally stops The Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers — a damning report suggesting years of official falsehoods about Vietnam — Post

reporter Ben Bagdikian (a wry Bob Odenkirk) obtains his own copy.

Graham and Bradlee must now decide what to do: Sit on the documents and protect the paper from legal action, or uphold the principles of a free press and publish?

Screenwriters Liz Hannah and Josh Singer do a fine job of turning abstract issues into taut drama with tense phone calls, newsroom powwows and boardroom blowups.

“The Post” sometimes feels more elegant than urgent, more finely crafted than fervent.

Still, the cast and crew deserve credit for making this film at a fast clip (it was reportedly finished just last month) in response to what’s going on right here and now. If the film’s real-life subjects were alive, they would surely approve.

— 1:55 , Rated PG-13 (language). HHH

E16 - Thursday, December 28, 2017

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

– Oprah Winfrey