360 January 24 2013 by Skagit Publishing

Whose live? These four guys, on Saturday in Anacortes PAGE 3

Skagit Valley Herald Thursday January 24, 2013

Dustin Hoffman

Reviews

Eagle festival

Revered actor talks about his directing debut in “Quartet”

Music: Charlie Wilson, DRGN King Video Games: ‘Trine 2: Director’s Cut’

Annual upriver event offers plenty of fun and activities for the family

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E2 - Thursday, January 24, 2013

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK “For a Good Time, Call …”: The film, a mix of “2 Broke Girls” and “Sex in the City,” is a lot like the phone sex operators in the film. It teases a really good time but in the end never makes a great connection. The film, the latest in raunchy R-rated movies featuring predominately all-female casts, throws former college foils Lauren (Lauren Miller) and Katie (Ari Graynor) together when Lauren needs a place to stay. They reluctantly put their differences behind them to live together and introduce Lauren to Katie’s work-at-home phone sex business. There are funny moments, but the heart of this movie is the relationship between the two women. Both are likable enough to distract from a so-so script. Considering the running time of this movie is 86 minutes, “For a Good Time, Call …” is a fun enough at 12 cents per minute. “Twenty Twelve: The Complete Series”: The British series takes the workplace insanity of “The Office” and kicks it up 100 notches with a quirky look at the people behind the scenes of the Summer Olympics held in England. The faux documentary follows the efforts of Hugh Bonneville, head of the Deliverance Committee, and his staff to get the city ready for the big event. The team might have made a gold medal effort to stage the games if they were more competent. But then they wouldn’t have been as funny. “The Men Who Built America”: This cable production looks at the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford, men with the vision to forge the foundation on which this country was built. The series takes their stories beyond the stuffiness of a biography to offer deeper insights into what made these men so forward-thinking. This works both as an informative history lesson and an entertaining look at some of America’s true titans. “End of Watch”: Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this tale of life on the streets shown from the point of view of the patrol officers. “Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft”: Booboo and Fivel Stewart star in this dark look at the fairy tale. “The Imposter”: A 13-year-old boy disappears without a trace from San Antonio in 1994. “noobz”: Casper Van Dien stars in the comedy about the competitive world of gaming. “Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Fourth and Final Season”: Kate Jack-

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

Upcoming movie releases Following is a partial schedule of coming movies on DVD. Release dates are subject to change: JAN. 29 The Cold Light of Day - Lionsgate/Summit Hotel Transylvania - Sony Paranormal Activity 4 - Paramount Seven Psychopaths - Sony

This Weekend / Page 5

FEB. 5 Alex Cross - Lionsgate/ Summit Celeste and Jesse Forever - Sony Flight - Paramount Here Comes the Boom - Sony FEB. 12 Bully - Anchor Bay The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Lionsgate/Summit Robot & Frank - Sony The Sessions - Fox Silent Hill: Revelation - Universal FEB. 19 Anna Karenina - Universal Fun Size - Paramount Sinister - Lionsgate/ Summit MARCH 5 Wreck-It Ralph - Disney

The Alger Lookout Thespian Association will present “Arms and the Man” on Friday night at Alger Community Church

Inside

n McClatchy-Tribune News Service

son’s TV spy show. “Iron Man Armored Adventures: Season 2 Vol. 3”: More animated tales featuring the Marvel superhero. “Fat Kid Rules the World”: A story for anyone who has looked for their inner rock star. “Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning”: Only one man can stop an army of Universal Soldiers. “Searching for Sugar Man”: Profile of the musician known as Rodriguez. “Hard Romanticker”: A hoodlum accidentally kills the grandmother of a rival thug. “Wild Kratts: Lost at Sea”: Wildlife explorers Martin and Chris Kratt go under the sea. “Birders: The Central Park Effect”: A look at birds and birdwatchers in New York City’s Central Park. “Tai Chi Zero”: Villagers must trust a stranger. “Officer Down”: A dirty cop gets a second chance to clean up his life. “Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis”: Documentary on the TV and film comedian. “Abel’s Field”: A high school senior struggles to care for his younger sisters. Kevin Sorbo stars. n Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee

SUBMISSIONS Email features@skagitpublishing.com vrichardson@skagitpublishing. com (recreation items) Phone 360-416-2135 Hand-deliver 1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274

Travel............................................6-7 Music, Game Reviews..................8-9 On Stage........................................ 10 Tuning Up..................................... 11 Get Involved.................................. 12 At the Lincoln Theatre.................. 13 Hot Tickets.................................... 14 Roger Ebert.................................... 16 Movie Mini-Reviews................16-17 Movie Listings............................... 17 Skagit Eagle Festival..................... 18 Out & About.............................18-19

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? w For arts and entertainment, contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com w For recreation, contact staff writer Vince Richardson at 360-416-2181 or vrichardson@ skagitpublishing.com TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

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Thursday, January 24, 2013 - E3

COMEDY

Ryan Stiles

IMPROV

at its funniest Skagit Valley Herald staff

Some of the world’s most visible comedians will be in Skagit County this weekend as “Whose Live Anyway?” comes to the Anacortes on Saturday, Jan. 26. Ryan Stiles, who has lived in Whatcom County for several years, leads a quartet of comedians that includes Greg Proops, Joel Murray and Jeff Davis. They’ll perform improvisational humor amongst themselves and with audience members, based on the long-running ABC-TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The show begins at 9 p.m. at the Wa-Walton Event Center, Swinomish Casino & Lodge, 12885 Casino Drive. Tickets are $35-$65 (ages 21 and older). 855-794-6563 or www.swinom ishcasinoandlodge.com.

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E4 - Thursday, January 24, 2013

MOVIES

ORONTO — In the first minutes of a quick sitdown with Dustin Hoffman, the sprightly icon of 20th century cinema — “The Graduate,” “Marathon Man,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “All the President’s Men,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Rain Man,” “Tootsie” (come on, this is ridiculous!) — manages to reference Ireland, James Joyce, “Ulysses,” waiting tables, Henri Cartier-Bresson and tortoise shell glasses. The publicist warns that you have only 10 or 15 minutes tops with Hoffman, who, at 75, has just directed his first feature. But it’s 10 or 15 action-packed, free-associative minutes not to be missed. Hoffman is in Toronto, showing off “Quartet,” a charmer of a comedy with Tom Courtenay, Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins as four friends in a stately retirement home in the English countryside. They are, or were, rather celebrated opera singers, and now they are together again, carrying old memories and old wounds up the grand stairs of Beecham House, and also forgetting important meetings (Collins’ character) and having to pee a lot (Connolly’s). The film opens Friday. So why has it taken Hoffman so long to get behind the camera? Ben Affleck (also at the Toronto International Film Festival, with “Argo”) already has three pictures under his director’s cap. “I’ve contemplated directing — more than contemplated,” Hoffman says. “I’m like ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin.’” He declares that he was already directing in his head, and aloud, when he was 19, in his first acting classes. “I intuitively started to direct,” he explains. “And I would help friends out and I had a feel for it — they said, ‘Hey, you could be the next Kazan. …’ He was the big director then.” Hoffman, of course, did not go on to be the next Elia Kazan. He went on to be Dustin Hoffman, and he has the Academy Awards and the recent Kennedy Center Honor to prove it. But he did direct theater way

Names”). He was out the door and into the elevator before we could confirm. But he did share his philosophy about filmmaking, and maybe about life: “All you’re trying to do is each day look back and be able to say, ‘I couldn’t have tried harder.’ “When you wake up in the morning: ‘Could I have tried harder?’ And if you say, ‘Yeah, well I kind of f — off that day,’ well, that I’ve never done.” And he credits that work ethic to Mike Nichols, the director who gave Hoffman his first big break — the role of Benjamin Braddock in a little 1967 thing called “The Graduate.” “He took me aside one day on the set, I was very tired, I was 29 years old, and he said, ‘What’s the matter?’ And I said, ‘Oh, I stayed up late.’ Kennedy Center honoree “And he looked at me very Dustin Hoffman arrives with closely — Mike was only about his wife, Lisa, at the 35 — and he says, ‘You’re never Kennedy Center for the going to get another chance to do Performing Arts for the 2012 this scene. And it’s going to be up Kennedy Center Honors there for your life, at least.’ He Performance and Gala, at didn’t know it was going to turn the State Department in out the way it did, ‘The GraduWashington. ate.’ But I’ve never forgotten that. “This is your chance to do Dec. 2, 2012 / AP this, you’ll never be able to do this again.” Hoffman looks out across the room, and smiles, Hoffmanesquely. “So the challenge is not only to try as hard as you can, but to find it in the most alive way. And not to leave until you feel it’s alive. Even if it falls short of being By STEVEN REA / The Philadelphia Inquirer what you thought it should be in terms of the elements that you back when: among the richest experiences does still get gigs tooting his horn. wanted in it, it’s alive. “That aliveness is all-impor“When I was trying to make a I’ve ever had.” “These people worked 14-plus tant.” living in New York for 10 years” Looking back at rich experihours a day. These people are in And while we’re citing wise — the late ’50s, the early ’60s — ences is a theme in “Quartet” — their 70s, 80s, 90s. The woman in words from famous directors, “you would see on the bulletin but also having rich experiences the wheelchair who sings at the board in the Actors’ Equity offic- in the here and now. Hoffman beginning of the film — she con- here are some more: “Billy Wilder once said somees, you could direct community cast his film with real-life musifesses to being 86, and you know, thing that I wrote down in the theater in New Jersey. You could cians from the worlds of opera, we all know she’s fibbing.” front of the script for ‘Quartet,’ take the bus there. And I took classical music, and jazz. Most of Hoffman, who lives in Los and I looked at it every day of that job, and it was an extraordi- the roles, apart from the biggies, Angeles with his wife, Lisa, says the production,” Hoffman notes. nary experience and I directed belong to these folks. he expects that he will direct “He said, ‘If you’re trying to tell a play. Then there was one in “I mean, that guy playing the again soon. And he has been Fargo, North Dakota, and I flew trumpet, he’s still got his chops, rumored to star in films opposite the truth to the audience, you better be funny or they’ll kill there and I did ‘Two for the See- but nobody calls him because Channing Tatum (“The Conyou.’ saw’ and ‘The Time of Your Life.’ he’s 83,” says Hoffman, speaking tortionist’s Handbook”) and “That’s good, isn’t it?” And when I look back, they are of Ronnie Hughes, who actually Anthony Hopkins (“The Song of

ACTING LEGEND REVELS IN HIS DIRECTING DEBUT

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Thursday, January 24, 2013 - E5

THIS WEEKENDin the area ANTIQUES DISCOVERY American Association of University Women will present the sixth annual Antiques Discovery appraisal event from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St. Bring in your potential treasures to be evaluated by certified appraisers Don Jensen and Kathleen Victor. $10 per item. Proceeds support Skagit Valley College women’s scholarships. 360-757-6500.

DINNER/AUCTION Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County will hold a winter fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, in the SedroWoolley Community Center, 715 Pacific St. Gourmet pasta dinner provided by Cascade Job Corps Culinary Arts Program. Silent auction, raffle packages and kids activities. Admission by donation at the door or during event. All proceeds benefit Sedro-Woolley Boys & Girls Club programs. 360-419-5524 or jreid@bgcskagit.org.

‘Arms and the Man’ The Alger Lookout Thespian Association will perform the George Bernard Shaw comedy “Arms and the Man,” opening at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at Alger Community Church, 1475 Silver Run Lane, Alger. Tickets $14, $12 for seniors (62 and older) and students and includes dessert. 360-424-5144 or www.altatheatre.com.

DUDESTOCK BOWLING TOURNEY Fans of “The Big Lebowski” can enjoy an evening of bowling, costumes, prizes and more at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at Riverside Lanes, 225 Riverside Lane, Mount Vernon. $25. 360-336-8955 or www.lincoln theatre.org.

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E6 - Thursday, January 24, 2013

TRAVEL

In Tulum, a relaxing Mexican escape to the beach

LEFT: People leave the swimming beach next to the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico. Tulum may be best-known for its ancient Mayan ruins, which attract a steady stream of day-trippers, cruise passengers and tour buses. CENTER: A couple takes a picture while swimming in the Gran Cenote, a water cave near Tulum. The water caves are popular destinations among tourists visiting the beaches and resorts of the Yucatan Peninsula. RIGHT: A man drags a kayak past a sand castle in Tulum.

By MANUEL VALDES Associated Press

TULUM, Mexico — The all-inclusive Cancun resorts are not known for topless women on the beach or Manuel Valdes / AP Argentinians with scraggly beards playing Gypsy music. But that’s the norm in Tulum, a Mexican seaside spot south of Cancun that attracts a mix of bohemians, well-pocketed New Age types and sun-seekers to its turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Despite its proximity to Cancun and its fellow party neighbor Playa del Carmen, Tulum is not for the same spring break crowd. “The college kids go to Cancun. The professors and teacher assistants come to Tulum,” said Richard Contreras, whose family has managed properties in Tulum for nearly a decade. That doesn’t mean Tulum is cheap. We couldn’t find a room on the beach for less than $150 a night that came with a bathroom. Meals nearby cost just as much as they do in my hometown of Seattle. “Tulum is luxury, but the luxury here is nature and the beach,” said Mimi Contreras, Richard’s sister.

If you go Tulum: Nearest major airport, Cancun, about 90 miles from Tulum, reachable by rental car and shuttle bus. Website: www.todotulum.com Lodging: Mimi and Richard Contreras’ cabanas run about $75 a night (www.airbnb.com/users/show/150191). Los Lirios Cabanas Hotel, $150 (www.loslirioshotel.com). Rates may vary by season and type of room.

Our trip was a five-day sun-seeking dash in the first week of January, during the area’s high season, which stretches from winter through spring break. Tulum, located on Mexico’s lush green Yucatan Peninsula, was an ideal destination. The weather was perfect. The bright sunshine was rarely obscured by fast traveling clouds. December and January are among the driest months on the Yucatan Peninsula and offer hot weather, but no debilitating heat. The dayside highs in our trip were in the mid-80s. The night skies were full of stars. Tulum is about 90 miles south of Cancun and the highway connecting both is well-paved. We flew into Cancun, rented a car ($25 a day plus insurance from Hertz) and made the drive late at night. It went smoothly and we hit no traffic, but watch out for speed bumps

scattered around the area and pedestrians crossing the highway in some spots. There are also shuttles available from Cancun to Tulum, but the car gave us the mobility to visit attractions beyond the beach. Tulum can be divided in to three parts: the town, the Mayan ruins and the beach. Tulum the town is on the highway, about a 10-minute drive from the beach. Tourism has pushed the population to around 30,000 people, but the town retains the blueprint of many Latin American pueblos, centered around an open plaza or town square. Shops, street-food vendors, hotels and restaurants catering to tourists line the main drag. In general, hotels and restaurants downtown are much cheaper than those on the beach. (We found tasty Mexican food and great service at La Malquerida.)

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Thursday, January 24, 2013 - E7

TRAVEL Just past the town are the nearest “cenotes,” which are water caves that are part of a network of rivers under the Yucatan Peninsula. We went to the Gran Cenote ($10 entrance plus snorkel rental) for a swim in its cool and clear waters. Snorkeling underwater, you can see how the water has eroded the cave’s limestone walls over the eons into formations of many different shapes and sizes. The Gran Cenote even had fish in its cavernous pool and bats flying overhead. The Yucatan has many cenotes and some are deep enough for scuba diving. Tulum may be best-known for its ancient Mayan ruins, which attract a steady stream of day-trippers, cruise passengers and tour buses. The complex of crumbling structures here is smaller and less impressive than some other Mayan sites like Chichen

Itza, but its location atop seaside cliffs is one of the most scenic ruin sites on the Yucatan. The complex is surrounded by a wall (Tulum means wall) and was inhabited for centuries before Spanish colonialists arrived in the early 1500s. Entrance to the park is $10, which also gives you access to a beach where you can swim beneath the ruins. Guided tours cost extra. Last but not least, there’s Tulum the beach. Stretching for roughly six miles, waterfront Tulum is lined with cabanas, “eco-chic” hotels, fancy restaurants and yoga spots, but it’s less developed than some of Mexico’s other resort areas, where the view of the beach often includes high-rise hotels. There’s only one main road and it gets crowded during the day. In spots, it barely accommodates the stream

of cars, trucks, taxis, bicycles and pedestrians. Biking can be perilous; two women staying next to us fell off their bikes in the traffic, though fortunately they were not seriously injured. We stayed in one of Contreras’ seaside cabanas for $75 a night. It came with a shared bathroom, a fan and occasional insects common in tropical settings — including some that bite. The cabana rooms are large, cleaned daily and are nicely decorated. There’s Wi-Fi, if you must. People staying at the cabanas can use beach beds, lounge chairs and a bar from the Contreras’ next-door property, which hosts cruise ship tours in the afternoons. We were just footsteps from the beach. “I want to have a place for people who are independent travelers … who can appreciate the little oasis we’ve built

Local travel “ACROSS NORTHERN FRANCE”: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Cultural traveler Rudy Gahler describes his “Road Scholar” trip to Brittany and Normandy, complete with historical notes. Free. 360-293-1910, ext. 21, or library.cityofanacortes.org.

Manuel Valdes / AP

A woman walks along the beach in Tulum, Mexico. here,” said Mimi Contreras. Our $150 room was at Los Lirios Cabana Hotels. The room came with a huge bathroom, a balcony with a hammock and a view of the sea. Buffet breakfast was included. We spent much of our stay at the beach, only getting up to grab drinks, food and evening walks. There are plenty

of people on the beach, but it doesn’t feel crowded. It offered premium peoplewatching; the lone nuisance was bohemian types selling their handmade bracelets and bikinis. Most of all it was sunny and relaxing, which is, after all, what makes the beach the most important of the three Tulums.

“JAPAN: HOME GARDENS, ANCIENT RICE FIELDS AND SEAFOOD FEASTS IN KISAKATA”: 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St. Peter Heffelfinger will share photos from his recent trip to Anacortes’ sister city, focusing on home and rural vegetable gardens, historic shrine gardens, and commercial rice paddies that have been maintained for seven generations in one of Japan’s premier rice-growing and sake-producing areas. Free. www. transitionfidalgo.org.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E8 - Thursday, January 24, 2013

REVIEWS MUSIC CDS Compiled from news services

‘West of Memphis: Voices of Justice’

Various artists This collection is inspired by the trials of Damien Echols, Jesse Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin, the Arkansas men known as the West Memphis 3. They were freed in 2011 after spending more than 18 years in prison on murder charges — in a case in which their love of heavy metal music was used as evidence against them. The 15-track CD accompanies Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s “West of Memphis,” the fourth documentary made in protest against the unjust treatment of the three. The list of contributors is illustrious, including Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder, Lucinda Williams, Patti Smith and Johnny Depp’s band, Tonto’s Giant Nuts. Spokenword poet Henry Rollins also shows up: He reads a searing letter Echols wrote him in 2003, when his plight seemed the bleakest. Bits of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ haunting film score also appear. Despite all that talent, “West of Memphis” is an inconsistent muddle, with previously recorded tracks like Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells” mingling with bad ideas such as Marilyn Manson covering Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks revenging Pink Floyd’s “Mother.” For a good cause: A portion of the proceeds go to Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin. n Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

DRGN King “Paragraph Nights”

DRGN King brings together two Philly music scenesters. Hiphop producer Brent “Ritz” Reynolds has worked with the Roots, Wale, and La Roux. Journeyman singer/ guitarist Dominic Angelella has juggled various blues (Elevator Fight), folk (Hop Along) and rock (Dragonzord) projects; he also played guitar in Nouveau

Riche with MC’s Dice Raw and Nikki Jean. “Paragraph Nights,” DRGN King’s debut, is willfully eclectic in the tradition of Gorillaz or Beck, veering from bubbly power-pop (“Wild Night”) or thumping rock (“Holy Ghost”) to loping, soulful synth-pop (“Warriors”). As Angelella sings of debauched nights on the town and their existential consequences, Reynolds layers the songs with buzzy synthesizers, loopy electronics, happy handclaps and whooping backing vocals. Stuffed with musical ideas and unafraid of milking big, obvious hooks, it’s a messy, fun record.

Kris Kristofferson “Feeling Mortal”

He’s 76, so, sure, Kris Kristofferson is feeling mortal. Over the last several years, however, that feeling has resharpened his muse, resulting in his best work since the ’60s and ’70s, when he introduced a new poetic lyricism to country music. “Feeling Mortal” is no exception — it’s the first great album of 2013. As on 2006’s “This Old Road” and n Steve Klinge, The Philadelphia Inquirer 2009’s “Closer to the Bone,” producer Don Was puts Kristofferson in the best Charlie possible light. He highlights the aging troubadour’s craggy grace with spare Wilson arrangements that fit his conversational “Love, Charlie” delivery and heighten the intimacy of these songs about life, love and hard“For those earned wisdom. (Not all of them are new: uninitiated to Two have 1970s copyrights, which makes the cult of Charfor a nice linking of his two golden ages.) lie Wilson (and Kristofferson may be feeling mortal, shame on those but that’s also freeing, and so the silverunversed), he’s a storming soul man with a haired devil doesn’t sound as though he’s strong pimp hand, a pencil-thin mustache, ready to quit anytime soon, as he indicates and a voice pitched between a sandpapery on “You Don’t Tell Me What to Do.” And holler and an overemotional gulp.” while “Ramblin’ Jack” pays tribute to his That gruff swell, first made famous on friend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Kristofferthe Gap Band’s analog-funk hits (“Outson could also be singing about himself: standing,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “And I know he ain’t afraid of where he’s “Oops Upside Your Head”), has been going/ And I’m sure he ain’t ashamed of heard in collaboration with Snoop Dogg where he’s been/ … And he made his own and Kanye West as well as on simmering mistakes, and love, and friends/ Ain’t that solo wedding-day classics such as “You what matters in the end.” Are.” On “Love, Charlie,” fans of “You Are” n Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer will be drawn into the silken R&B balladry of “My Love Is All I Have.” Whistling Terry synths and overly literal lyrics define that Klinefelter song, which speaks of Charlie’s quest for a woman who doesn’t focus on his wallet. “Zingaro: Portrait in Black By the time we get to the slow, slippery and White” “Whisper” (with fellow ’80s hitmaker Keith Sweat), “Turn Off the Lights” and Pianist Terry “Our Anniversary,” Wilson has charmed, Klinefelter, bedded and married that girl, growing whose music old with her in the process. Yet there’s has merged Mozart and Mingus, heads a handsome change in Wilson on “If I in an earthier direction here with her Believe,” in which the quiet stormwinds trio: bassist Lee Smith (legendary padre blow toward God and faith. Same passion, of Christian McBride) and drummer different subject. Nice. Byron Landham of Betty Carter and Joey n A.D. Amorosi, The Philadelphia Inquirer DeFrancesco fame.

This recording has slink and sass in the same way superstorm Sandy had wind. Klinefelter, now a certified yoga instructor, finds the downward-facing dog in “Swagger,” in which Jerry Weldon offers his burly tenor. Leon Russell’s “Superstar” gets taken for a righteous trot, while singer Denise King offers her essential chops on the bluesy essence that is “Money.” On the title track, Klinefelter’s vocals in Portuguese are not her strong suit, but luckily her trio conjures up the kick of a good caipirinha. n Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Oneohtrix Point Never “Rifts”

Daniel Lopatin’s outsiderelectronics project impressed more than avantgardists in 2011 with “Replica,” a new benchmark for ambient bricolage worthy of Eno and Hassell in 1982. That breakthrough justifies this boxed reshuffle of the first three OPN releases and various lard-ons, but who knew the early stuff would be so songful and dynamic? You’d be surprised just how quickly three hours of synth improv can go by — tracks like “Betrayed in the Octagon” and the 16-minute “When I Get Back From New York” on disc one are more rock ‘n’ roll than anything on “Replica.” Disc two is funkier. “Computer Vision” and “Zones Without People” choose not to break into disco at any moment, but they could. And disc three will impress the avant-gardists. n Dan Weiss, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Please recycle this newspaper

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Thursday, January 24, 2013 - E9

REVIEWS VIDEO GAMES Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard News Service

‘Trine 2: Director’s Cut’

into play constantly, from bashing up creatures with the knight to conjuring up crates and other items to solve puzzles via Platform: Wii U the wizard. Genre: Platformer The characters don’t ruin the gameplay; Publisher: instead, the game drowns in a lack of Frozenbyte cohesion with its puzzles. Too many times ESRB Rating: E, I played levels trying to figure out the for Everyone solution, only to either solve it by sheer Grade: 3 stars (out of 5) luck or accidentally circumvent the puzzle This may be the first time I’ve ever seen altogether. Trial and error only sometimes works, “Director’s Cut” in a game title, as this reference usually applies to extended Blu- and the feeling that skill or logic is unwelcome here only drags the game down furRay movie releases where you get bonus footage and are allowed to experience a ther into the muck. show as the director originally intended. The outstanding art direction provides “Trine 2: Director’s Cut” has the bonus the game’s saving grace. Like in other footage, but it fails to make the game any platforming games, the level design is varbetter than the original. ied, from jungles to deserts and caverns. The name of the game is platforming a But in “Trine 2,” you are often compelled puzzle-solving. Three characters are play- to stop and ignore the task at hand to able (knight, wizard and thief), and you soak in the breathtaking view. Deep texcan alternate between them with a quick tures and light and particle effects give the button press on the fly. game a dreamlike feel, and it never gets Each has unique abilities that come tiring to marvel at this.

‘Black Knight Sword’

didn’t seem keen on easily sharing them with you, so I won’t. Just know that you play as the titular Black Knight, and it’s your job Platform: to kill everything. PlayStation 3 The game is encased in a stage setting, Genre: Action with a narrator and curtains drawn back to Publisher: D3 give the illusion of this being just a grisly Publisher show for your amusement. Enemies appear ESRB Rating: M, and move like puppets, while you control for Mature the hero as he jumps and fights off anything Grade: 3 stars in his path with a trusty sword. This strange Purchasing upgrades to weaponry is platforming game has a setting that appears vital, but so is the timing of such purchases, based in musical theater but brims with since you’ll lose everything if you run out of elements of the macabre. And like steplives and then must restart. The constantly ping into an opera in a foreign language, ominous (and often repetitious and grating) you sometimes find yourself staring at the music only heightens the tortuous journey screen wondering what it all means. through the game’s five levels, and this Of course, I still enjoyed the game. continues through the challenge and arcade Strangely, had I not stepped away from modes when you’re finished. the TV while it idled at the main menu durWhile five levels sounds brief, the ing a later play-through, I’d have missed the amount of saves and restarts you need to prologue introducing the main characters. finish each level takes time, and only those I honestly feel like I shouldn’t bore you with a hero’s heart and the will to win will with the details since the developers clearly probably see it through.

Coupon Book The Coupon Book is available now at all listed merchants locations and at the station • The Apothecary Spa -20% OFF all Spa Services when you bring a friend -10% OFF Swedish Massage or Signature Organic Facial • Burlington Automotive $10 OFF Oil & Filter Change • Cascade Pizza Buy 1 large Pizza get 1 FREE • Community Bowling Center One FREE Game with Shoe Rental • Consumer Rental $5.00 OFF any Rental • E & E Lumber -$10 OFF any Purchase of $50 or More! -20% OFF all in stock Molding or Millwork

• El Gitano Buy 1 Dinner get 2nd Dinner of equal or lesser value at 1/2 Price • Enchanted Florist Buy 1 Bouquet ($50 or greater) & receive a 2nd Bouquet at 1/2 Price! • Holiday Sports $10 OFF any Purchase of $50 or More! • Jiffy Lube -$15 OFF Signature Service Oil Change -$25% any Additional Service $74.99 or above • The Kitty Hawk Cafe -Buy one Homestyle Dinner and get the 2nd of equal value 1/2 OFF! -$5 Martinis and $5 Appetizers with coupon -2 Prime Rib Dinners & Free Appetizer $30 with coupon!

• Lickety Clips 50% OFF Dog Grooming (new customers) $10 OFF Grooming (existing customers) • Louis Auto Glass -Rock Chip Repair 1/2 Price! - Deluxe Wipers - 1/2 Price! - Headlight Restoration - 1/2 Price! • McDonalds -Buy One Get One FREE Big Mac -Buy One Get One FREE Egg McMuffin -Buy One Get One FREE Quarter Pounder • Northwest TinMan Paint & Body $100 Deductible Credit on any Insurance Repair! Or 10% OFF Labor on NonInsurance Repairs done. • Pacific Coast Auto Center Wiper Blades $9.95. Includes installation. $12 off Signature Lube, Oil and Filter

• Pat Rimmer Les Schwab FREE Tire Rotation, FREE Brake Check, FREE Flat Repair, FREE Six Point Inspection • Phelps - Mt Vernon Tire Factory Oil Change, Lube & Filter $23.95 • Red Tag Bargain Store 40% OFF Everything in the Store • Sign Pro Buy One Banner Get One 50% Off equal or lesser value • Simply Silver & More 20% OFF Everything in the Store • Skagit Arms $10 OFF any Purchase of $50 or More! • Swinomish Casino & Lodge -Buy 1 Entree in the 13 Moons Restaurant Receive 2nd Entree FREE! -Receive $25 in Slot Play for $20!

E10 Thursday, January 24, 2013

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area January 25-February 3 FRIDAYSATURDAY.25-26

TUNING UP Playing at area venues January 24-31 LOOKING AHEAD FRIDAY.1

“STEEL MAGNOLIAS” 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

“Hello, my name is You: A dance/theater piece about Asperger’s syndrome”: Kuntz and Company, 7:30 p.m., Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $15. 360-671-2626. “Cinema Paradiso, Music That Inspired, Touched and Moved You From the Silver Screen”: Skagit Community Band, 7:30 p.m., Maple Hall, 108 Commercial, La Conner. $15, $10 seniors/students, $30 family, free for ages 12 and younger accompanied by an adult. www.skagitcommunityband.org. George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” (comedy): Alger Lookout Thespian Association, 7 p.m., Alger Community Church, 1475 Silver Run Lane, Alger. $14, $12 seniors (62 and older) and students. Includes dessert. 360-424-5144 or www.altatheatre.com. “Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.act theatre.com. “It Runs in the Family” (comedy): 7:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

SATURDAY.2

Friday.25

Saturday.26

Sunday.27

MUSIC

COMEDY

MUSIC

“Breath of Winter”: Angeli women’s quartet, 7 p.m., Oak Harbor Lutheran Church, 1252 NW Second Ave., Oak Harbor. Free-will donations will benefit Hope Therapeutic Riding Program. 360-679-1561 or angeli_quartet@comcast.net.

THEATER

George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” (comedy): Alger Lookout Thespian Association, 7 p.m., Alger Community Church, 1475 Silver Run Lane, Alger. $14, $12 seniors (62 and older) and students. Includes dessert. 360-424-5144 or www.altatheatre.com. “Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

Thursday, January 24, 2013 E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Brian Boshes, Gabe Rutledge: 8 p.m., Max Dale’s Martini Lounge, 2030 Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon. $10. 360-4247171 or www.maxdales.com. “Whose Live Anyway,” featuring comedians Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Joel Murray and Jeff Davis: 9 p.m., Wa-Walton Event Center, Swinomish Casino & Lodge, 12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes. Ages 21 and older. $35-$65. 855-794-6563 or www.swinomishcasinoandlodge.com.

MAGIC

“Three Magic Guys”: featuring JR Russell, Mark Paulson and Jim Earnshaw, 2 p.m., The Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $4-$6. 360-6792237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

THEATER

Skagit Symphony Family Concert: 2 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. Children’s activities start at 1:15 p.m. followed by the concert featuring music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Sousa and more. $10. Free for ages 15 and younger accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. 360-416-7727 or www.mcintyrehall.org. “In the Moon of Wintertime”: Allegra Women’s Choir & The Colibri Ensemble, with The Brass Menagerie Quintet, 3 p.m., Trinity Anglican Church, 1200 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon. $8-$10. www.belling hamsings.org.

THEATER

George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” (comedy): Alger Lookout Thespian Association, 2:30 p.m., Alger Community Church, 1475 Silver Run Lane, Alger. $10. 360-424-5144 or www.altatheatre.com.

Monday-Wednesday.28-30 No events submitted

Thursday.31 THEATER

“Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.acttheatre.com.

“Hello, my name is You: A dance/theater piece about Asperger’s syndrome”: Kuntz and Company, 7:30 p.m., Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $15. 360-671-2626. International Guitar Night 2013: Martin Taylor, Solorazaf, Celso Machado and Brian Gore, 8 p.m., Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $23-$32. 360-336-8955 or www.lincolntheatre.org. George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” (comedy): Alger Lookout Thespian Association, 7 p.m., Alger Community Church, 1475 Silver Run Lane, Alger. $14, $12 seniors (62 and older) and students. Includes dessert. 360-424-5144 or www.altatheatre.com. “Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.act theatre.com. “It Runs in the Family” (comedy): 7:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237 or www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

SUNDAY.3

“Hello, my name is You: A dance/theater piece about Asperger’s syndrome”: Kuntz and Company, 5 p.m., Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $15. 360-671-2626. “Cinema Paradiso, Music That Inspired, Touched and Moved You From the Silver Screen”: Skagit Community Band, 3 p.m., Brodniak Hall, Anacortes High School, 1600 20th St., Anacortes. $15, $10 seniors/ students, $30 family, free for ages 12 and younger accompanied by an adult. www.skagit communityband.org. “Steel Magnolias” (comedy/drama): 2 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $18. 360-293-6829 or www.act theatre.com. “It Runs in the Family” (comedy): 2:30 p.m., Whidbey Playhouse, 730 SE Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. $16. 360-679-2237.

THURSDAY.31

THURSDAY.24

LLOYD JONES 7 to 10 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Rattletrap Ruckus: 8 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. Free. 360-927-1949 or www.redlightbellingham.com.

FRIDAY.25 Equal Opportunity: 9 p.m., Varsity Inn, 112 N. Cherry St., Burlington. No cover. 360-755-0165. Jammin’ Jeff: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411. Big Business, Sandrider: 9 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $10-12. 360-778-1067. From Russia, Blues Cousins: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720. Amara Grace, Philip Nakano: 7:30 p.m., Washington Sips, 608 S. First St., La Conner. No cover. 360-399-1037. Trainwreck (country, rock): 8 p.m., Cyndy’s Broiler, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. No cover. 360-629-4800 or www.cyndysbroiler.com.

SATURDAY.26 Alan Hatley Band: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Edison. No cover. 360-7666330.

Joyride: 10 p.m., Draft Pics, 516 S. First St., Mount Vernon. No cover. 360-3363626.

Rivertalk (world beat, reggae): 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $12 cover. 360-4453000.

Lane Fernando and the Pull and Be Damned String Band: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

SUNDAY.27 Gary B’s Church of the Blues (blues, classic rock): 6 to 10 p.m., Castle Tavern, 708 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley. 360-855-2263.

Ford Giesbrecht (standards and Brazilian jazz): 7:30 p.m., Washington Sips, 608 S. First St., La Conner. No cover. 360-3991037.

Jammin’ Jeff: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

R Factor 5: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

Wired Band: 8:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-7666266.

WEDNESDAY.30 Terry Nelson & Friends: 4 to 8 p.m., The Station House, 315 E. Morris St., La Conner. No cover. 360-466-4488.

The Titans of Twang: 5:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-7666266.

Ken Stringfellow w/ The Maldives: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $7. 360-778-1067.

Essex Junction (country): 8 p.m., Cyndy’s Broiler, 27021 102nd Ave NW, Stanwood. No cover. 360-6294800 or www. cyndysbroiler. com.

Walter and Perry: 10 p.m., Redlight, 1017 N. State St., Bellingham. $5. 360-927-1949 or www.redlight bellingham.com.

THURSDAY.31 Skip Hamilton: 6 to 9 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Marcia Kester (country, rock, blues, pop): 6 to 8 p.m., Anacortes Eagles Hall, 901 Seventh St., Anacortes. Call 360-757-9687 for guest sign-in.

Wovenhand, 1939 Ensemble: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $10. 360-778-1067.

Lloyd Jones: 7 to 10 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.