Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
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SAUL LANDAU ON PRESIDENT BUSH. Saul Landau has a new book out titled "Preemptive Empire, A Guide To Bush's Kingdom" in hardback published by Pluto Books. He was in town last week just long enough to give a talk at Bookshop Santa Cruz to a standing room only crowd. Saul spoke about the unusual times we are living in. How we are voting against our own self interest. How the poor are voting to enrich the rich. How Bush has now created not a nation, not a republic, but an empire and Bush is the chairman of this empire. Saul talked about how the establishment is excluded from making policy and policy is now being made by a select few. Until we had Bush for president, pre-emptive war was forbidden, now we live with it. More than that Landau related how our country is so like a group of actors desperately looking for a director. And how finally now the eastern money establishment is becoming worried that Bush could possibly be causing them to lose money, and possibly that alone could put brakes on what Bush is doing world wide. Saul carried on to say that the destruction of labor unions is all part of globalization. He said too that there are many, many left wing books and written pieces about the tragedy of our presidency but with no leaders to rise up and say anything or offer any leadership, we're going to continue swimming in this muck. Saul's formal history background and his decades of specializing in US foreign policy in the Americas makes "Preemptive Empire" a book worth reading.
PHOTO DATA CORRECTION. I really goofed on last week's historical photo. I said that Bert Talcott was our California State Senator. After the column came out Assemblyman John Laird emailed Dan Haifley (who supplied the photo) and Dan emailed me to state that Burt (not Bert) Talcott was our Congressman. He was elected in 1962 and was finally defeated by Leon Panetta in 1976. When I think of all the work so many of us spent trying to get Talcott out of office! First with the Julian Camacho campaigns, then with Leon's, it is numbing to believe that I forgot which office Talcott held. Apologies and thanks all around.
A SPECIAL LOCAL FILM. Critics and distributors are missing the boat on Prey for Rock and Roll, opening Friday at the Nick. They are pushing it as just a rock music film - it's much more than that, it's a true story and is a complex and surprisingly riveting film. It was written by local tattoo parlor operator (Prey For Art, 1117 Soquel Ave aka Lovedog Tattoo) Cheri Lovedog. It's her story about her years as a bandleader guitarist. It was also a very successful play and had a three month run in New York. Gina Gershon plays the lead, Drea De Matteo from The Sopranos, is the bass player and the film rocks in every sense of the word. It's down and dirty and truthful and close to shocking, see it quickly before it leaves.
NEVER THE SINNER, A SPECIAL PLAY. I've said many times that Pisces Moon productions present the finest plays certainly in our county. Their newest play, Never the Sinner with no qualifications, is excellent theatre. The play itself, the casting, directing, the set, everything about Pisces Moon's newest production reminds us of just how much power live theatre has when it's done right. Seeing this play and realizing the multiple plots it contains is as if this crime happened today... The play develops the story of Leopold and Loeb, their relationship, their planning of the murder of Bobby Franks and the world famous trial with Clarence Darrow for the defense. It runs weekends now through November 22. Don't miss Never the Sinner at Actors' Theatre. Call (831) 420-5260 for tickets or go to www.piscesmoon.org and get the entire story plus details.
FRACTURED AND FACTUAL FILMS. Wonderland makes everything we've always thought about the seamiest side of LA or Hollywood seem truer. It moves at cocaine speed, the emotional level is as deep as a needle but you'll have no hangover or much to remember this film by. Val Kilmer plays long John Holmes, the porn film star, and does as good a job as possible. Girls Will Be Girls has already left the theatre. It was the only not true film this week, but it was a wildly funny film starring three female impersonators with the hilarious full strength bitchiness that seems to be their sole property. You should have seen it. Veronica Guerin is the true story of a Dublin reporter who stuck with the investigation of the drug scene in Ireland and got killed for her skillful work. Cate Blanchett does a brilliant piece of acting. Sylvia is a tailor made role for Gwyneth Paltrow. It is Sylvia Plaths' nearly true story and isn't exactly as dark, somber and troubled as Plath's story should be if you ask me, but it is as luminescent and charming as Gwyneth usually is. Gwyneth's mom is in it too and she's better than I remembered from her old days. Radio has Cuba Gooding jr. wearing buck teeth and acting like Lon Chaney jr in Of Mice and Men or Jerry Lewis if you want to be negative. He plays a real and truly challenged nice guy. Ed Harris plays a coach who has a weird problem in deserting his family to take care of Cuba. The explanation why he gives up his life to do this isn't very clear. As you can tell it's a feel good tear jerker and does not require your attendance by any stretch of the imagination.
TELEPHONES ON PACIFIC AVENUE. Who's in charge of making sure the pay phones on Pacific Avenue are in working condition? I'm guessing that it's Parks and Recreation. Anyways, somebody needs to dump on those phone companies who are supposed to be maintaining those phones - half of them are broken and have been broken for weeks. Both the 35 centers and the half dollar phones need attention.
SCAN'S MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND DE ANZA NEWS. Assemblyman John Laird gave an up to date interpretation of the Schwarzenegger Sacramento transformation. He then went on to say he's running now for his re-election, and that he has 13 bills on the Governor's desk. The poorly but loyally attended membership produced an "interesting" agenda for their future energies. Eastern access to UCSC was talked about and generally opposed, and discussion also centered on whether or not to broaden SCAN's issues to a county wide area. The group discussed Highway one widening, a downtown plaza (this wasn't my motion), affordable housing, and protection of civil liberties. Probably the most important topic was how the SCAN supported city council members continue to abandon or betray the principles of SCAN. We discussed how the next SCAN candidates could be held more responsible. Then there was a unanimous vote to support the DeAnza resident's referendum to force the city council to rescind their decision to lift rent control. If the council doesn't rescind the decision the issue will be on a ballot in the spring so the community can decide whether or not De Anza Park will have rent control. Two DeAnza residents spoke about how the so called concessions from MHC were a farce, and were not concessions at all. The concession involved MHC opening a real estate office on the property and buying and selling the panicky residents mobile homes immediately. The concession was that they aren't opening a real estate office right now. But the residents are still panicky. The two residents at the SCAN meeting spoke about the City having insurance against the law suits that the council has used as scare tactics. The De Anzans said that the petitions with the 8500 signatures that were gathered in two weeks are locked in a safe controlled by the Stirling Frost controlled DeAnza Residents association. It is unsure who owns those petitions.
STOPPING FREE SPEECH AT THE CIVIC? Sherry Conable spoke at the SCAN meeting about her group of folks who were leafleting the line waiting to get into the Michael Moore show at the Civic. She said the Security police stopped them and made them move to the other side of the street, or 200 feet from the face of the building. The rent-a-cops said they were ordered by the Fire Marshall, Sherry found out it wasn't the fire marshal. Then they were told it was the Civic management. Sherry has asked the Mayor to look into this. Other folks were also stopped from leafleting at the Buena Vista Social Club's Civic appearance. So far no one is taking the responsibility for this anti free speech problem.
ONLY IN AMERICA. I was going to start out by making fun of the increasingly vile commercialization of Halloween. In the old days (up to five years ago) it was mostly costumes and pumpkins and tons of candy. Now, well you can see how trashy and money oriented All Hallows Eve has become. I was going to predict that the next innocent holiday that would gain all this money spending attention would be Arbor Day. So I looked up Arbor Day on Google. What a surprise!! I learned that National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April. However Florida and Louisiana celebrate it in January, Alabama celebrates it in February, California and Arkansas celebrate it in March, Alaska in May, Hawaii in November and so on and on. It just strikes me as odd that's all. Why doesn't California celebrate Arbor Day in April on the National Arbor Day? No I don't have too much time on my hands, and I'm not losing sleep over this. But I still think it is odd nevertheless.
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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TWO KINDS OF SANTA CRUZANS. There are two kinds of Santa Cruzans: 1) Those folks who believe Emily's Bakery robbery and Fed inspection were a direct result of her mayoral support for Impeachment of Bush, and 2) Those who don't think it was ordered from Washington. I'm wondering how do those number 2 people react to all the Feds busting the small radio stations all across the country in the last few months. Or clamping down on various aspects of medically prescripted marijuana?
MONEY FOR OUR CITY, part one (the warm-up). There's no doubt in anyone's mind (except Carolyn Busenhart's) that Santa Cruz is in a lot of financial trouble. The budget hearings and proposed cutbacks are looming over every citizen's head and the axe just keeps dropping. People like Mark Primack and president Bush love to keep us in a state of fear. Primack does it by saying we'll have to close the Civic. We all love and need the Civic, Primack knows that but he maintains that scare tactic. What really needs to happen is that the Civic needs to be managed and booked properly. Our City Council needs to examine all the poor practices, rules and regulations that bind and force the Civic to be run so poorly that it doesn't bring in sufficient money. Take it out of the Parks and Recreation department for starters, and get some local professionals to come up with a plan, that will make the City real money. And don't let the City manager advise anything, ask people who know about running a venue how to do it.
FILM FUNNYNESS. I just read the latest New Yorker article on the late great film critic Pauline Kael. The article mentions her dislike for anything directed by Clint Eastwood, to which I must add it's a good thing she died so she won't have to sit through his latest heavy handed piece of turgidity, Mystic River. His directing is as murky and polluted as the papers say the real Mystic River has become. I've never seen evidence that Eastwood has the smarts, the know how or technique to be a sensitive director. Every emotion, every piece of acting is so full of ham, plus added water and preservatives it's embarrassing. Sean Penn has never been more clown-like. Tim Robbins has never had more trouble with an accent. It's a melodrama and would be better on TV where you'd have more distractions. (Full disclosure: it was going to Pauline Kael's theatre in Berkeley (The Cinema Guild) for 10 years and my knowing Pauline that got me first involved with film criticism.) The Cuckoo, which closes Thursday (10/23), is an excellent film. Friendly, well made, nicely acted, but it does have subtitles and involves three languages so it's closing after only one week at the Nick, a shame you missed it.
I don't ever remember seeing Gene Hackman do a bad acting job but he does in Runaway Jury. John Cusack, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz are just fine and I liked the picture very much except the ending but Hackman just never measured up to the high standards that Hoffman and Cusack were able to handle easily. It's a fine film.
MONEY FOR OUR CITY, part two (the big idea). The Graton Rancheria federated Indians of Sonoma County have offered Sonoma County 120 million dollars to build a casino. They guarantee 6 million dollars a year for 20 years. Here's my idea: Let's find out how many and where the descendents of our local Indian tribes are living at present. Then we hold a meeting and offer them either The Boardwalk, Costco, The Salz Tannery, or The Gateway Plaza for 6 million a year and they get to build a casino (or in case of the Boardwalk they could just take over the old one). The thing about the Boardwalk property is that it only pays a measly 2 million a year in taxes which seems like a pitiable amount when you consider they have 3 1/2 million paying customers per year. Figure how much that comes to per spent dollar!!! Anyway the Indian Casino would be at least triple that figure. What's even better news is that with the Indian casino customers would have some chance of winning their money back, with the Boardwalk there is no chance of ever seeing your money again. If the Boardwalk idea doesn't work, compare what little taxes we are getting from Costco or The Petsmart/Officemax Plaza to the fees that a casino would bring in.
NEVER THE SINNER. Pisces Moon theatre opens their new play season with Never The Sinner this Friday October 24 at 8 p.m. at Actors' Theatre, 1001 Center Street. This play is about The Leopold Loeb case. Clarence Darrow was the attorney in the case. Susan Myer is the director. It'll play every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and two Sundays Nov. 9, 16 at 3 p.m. You probably know by now that Pisces Moon is the most provocative and interesting theatre company in our area. Be sure to see this play.
SEARCH FOR OUR LOCALS. When you're looking for our Indian neighbors remember there's the Uypi from the San Lorenzo river area, the Cotoni - one of the first groups to be converted at Mission Santa Cruz, The Quiroste from the coast by Bean Creek down to Ano Nuevo, The Cajastaca from Corralitos and Watsonville, The Chaloctac along Loma Prieta Creek, and many more groups. The uninformed idea that there maybe only one or two survivors from a particular tribe is foolish. Many California Indians want you to know that "We Are Still Here." Think about that Casino using the very same argument that our city council to justify box stores, conglomerate business giants, and anyone who will cut them deals, "Why not stop all that money from going over the hill?" Yes, indeed why not? (Source: "A Gathering of Voices" Santa Cruz County History Journal Issue 5, 2002)
TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET. This renowned foursome plays musics from Beethoven to bluegrass. While here this Friday night they'll play some works of Miles Davis and Bill Evans on violins, viola, and cello. The press releases say they leave room for improvising, so that's good news. They've been playing since 1985 in what they call the "American vernacular" style. They'll be playing Friday night October 24 at 8pm in the UCSC Music recital Hall. Tickets at UC boxoffice 831 459-4058. Look up the Turtle Island String Quartet at www.tisq.com
SCAN MEMBERSHIP MEETING. Thursday night (Oct.23) is the Santa Cruz Action Network, aka SCAN, membership meeting. There'll be all sorts of people there. Folks will probably talk about this most arrogant city council we've had in 30 years, decisions will be made as to near future priorities, and maybe we'll even get some new faces to run for that city council. SCAN meets at LONDON Nelson from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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STOPPING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. Back in the early '60's a bunch of people including students, professors, and ranchers took on the challenge of stopping P.G & E from building a nuclear power plant in Bodega Bay. Actually the proposed site was about a mile from where Alfred Hitchcock built the house used in filming "The Birds." I was a very active part of that group. It was because of Dave Pesonen's organizational skills and early political smartness that we won that battle. Dave and I became friends and I got him to come to Santa Cruz in 1970 to help us stop P.G. & E from trying to build another nuclear power plant in Davenport. People like Bert Muhly, Celia Scott, Dorothy Cope, Mike Johnston, and Tom Scribner were all part of a small but dedicated local anti nuclear power group. Stopping the power plant in Bodega, also led to stopping more plants in Mendocino and Humboldt County, so it was quite a big deal. I brought this up because Sonoma State University is paying tribute to that Bodega Battle this Friday night in a 2 1/2 hour presentation titled Hole In The Head. The title refers to the huge hole PG&E dug and left in the Bodega peninsula or Bodega Head. I'm going of course, just to see all the old timers and to tell the Santa Cruz part of the story. I could reveal the names of the locals who were almost praying that the plant would be built in Davenport but as Governor Schwarzenegger says, "we've got to move on."
FILM FUN. Bruce Campbell fans know all about Bubba Ho-Tep. This is the comedy film where Elvis Presley and J.F.K. go after a mummy who came back to life. It's a funny/odd film even if you can't name every one of Bruce Campbell's films. And unlike Campbell's other films Bubba Ho-Tep is not scary as some people are thinking. Then there's Kill Bill Volume 1, the first of two Q. Tarantino epics. I'm saying that of his four films Kill Bill Vol. 1 is much better than Jackie Brown, and not close to Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs. It's the same Tarantino over the top style and is great fun to watch. He put almost everything he's got into this film and still it lacks the surprises that P.F. or Res. Dogs had. Once again, if you like films and stylish films, films with hundreds of gallons of spurting blood, don't miss it. What's interesting is that he's already finished Vol. 2, the last part of Kill Bill so he won't be able to change it to fit the both good and bad reviews this has been getting.
OPERA REVIEW. If you have always wondered about going to an opera, this week is a great time to do it. There is one performance left of Pagliacci which is paired with Cavalleria Rusticana on Thursday night. And there are several performances of The Barber of Seville between now and Jan. 17. The voices in all three operas are just fine, the acting ability which is traditionally awful in most operas, is quite good, and because these particular operas have well written plots you can actually get involved and either laugh or cry. "Barber" is played for more laughs than any production I've seen. There are probably too many laughs at the expense of the singers who lose your attention. But it's a great way to be entertained and a very real part of San Francisco. In the US, The San Francisco Opera is second only to the Metropolitan Opera in New York and we should take advantage of it. Go to www.sfopera.com and check out the reasonable prices and ticket availability.
ATTENTION BABY GRAMPS FANS. You know who you are, and if you care about this most unusual stylist you need to know that he'll be at Henfling's next Tuesday night at 8 p.m. He's doing a tour to Seattle, Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, and place's like that. Call Henflings at 831 335-1642 to make sure you can sit close to the action.
PLAN AHEAD. The Rio Theatre has become a showcase for Fellini films. On Tuesday night November 4th (which would usually be election night) there'll be a big Fellini night. The Rio is trying to get a copy of Fellini's rarely seen Orchestra Rehearsal. It is a sort of subtle critique of Italy's political scene. If not available then 8 1/2, Fellini's masterpiece, will be shown. An extra special attraction will be the appearance of Aldo Vidali. Aldo worked with Fellini on a project that never made the screen and even involved Carlos Castaneda. Fellini came to the US and visited with Castaneda in 1963. You'll hear more about that on November 4th. More than that, Aldo will be talking about Santa Cruz and how the political climate here relates to Fellini's political views. I'm going to be interviewing Aldo on stage and after the film. We'll also get into discussing Aldo's views and opinions about Dennis Kucinich who will be at the Rio five days later on November 9th. If you're a fan of Fellini's and want to know more about how he thought and directed, be sure to reserve Tuesday, November 7th. I'll see you there.
A WAY WITH WORDS. Scott Mac Clelland sent daffynitions in a while ago, they're still funny. Relief: what trees do in the spring. Polarize: what penguins and white bears see with. Primate: removing your mate from in front of the TV. Misty: How golfers create divots. That's enough; I'll wait 'till you finish laughing.
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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GROSSOLOGY EXHIBIT. I just naturally assume that everybody wants to know all there is to know about the gross things our bodies do. The San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation or "The Tech" just opened an exhibit called Grossology. They explain it thusly? Grossology, an interactive exhibit of the stinky, slimy, crusty, and otherwise impolite science of the human body. It's interactive and designed for all ages. And gets into such details as: what is snot, all about pus and pimples, how urine is produced, bad breath, body odor and stuff like that. Did you know we suck in air through our nose at 4mph and sneeze it out at 100 mph? Go online at www.thetech.org or call them at 408.294.tech. Grossology will be there through Jan.04, 2004. That means you could take the kids and family to go ice skating at San Jose's outdoor rink and walk just across the street and learn about poop, and boogers. The exhibit is in collaboration with Science World British Columbia.
LET ME KNOW ABOUT THIS. I just read an article by Jake Henshaw in the Californian.com that says: "State Senator Bruce McPherson is considering running again for the Assembly when he's forced out of the Senate by term limits next year." That means he'd run against John Laird who is serving his first term. John hopes Bruce wouldn't do it, the article said. Now this may all be out of date, the article dates Wednesday, July 23, 2003. I've called Mc Pherson's aide Michael Warren and am waiting for his call back. I'll let you know more on this as soon as I know. You did read in the Sentinel of course that Senator McPherson was at Arnold's L.A. headquarters for the victory celebration. We tend to forget, at least I do, that Arnold is more or less a moderate Republican. I'll believe it when I see his state appointments. He's made big noises about women's choice and some flap about gun control but I didn't believe it, and I really expect him to renege now that he's your governor. We'll see. Mc Pherson has been a moderate by many standards, but it's still hard for me to picture McPherson and Arnold laughing, posing for photos and agreeing on something. We'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
DENNIS KUCINICH AT THE RIO. It's time to move on and think about the next elections. Kucinich probably has more supporters per person in Santa Cruz than nearly anywhere. He'll be here Sunday, November 9th. Kucinich makes a lot of sense, so does Peter Camejo, and Ralph Nader, and many other candidates. Michael Moore, and Noam Chomsky, even Wesley Clark, but so what? Look at those votes last Tuesday from our enlightened state and tell me about how any of those good guys stand a chance. But go see Dennis; he'll get us all enthused again.
FOUR PRETTY GOOD FILMS. Underworld is a pretty bad film, but it is a very pretty film. Not to be cute but it is a pretty film, the photography is one of the finest jobs frame for frame that I've seen in many years. The plot is impossible to either follow or care about, but the black and white photography is gorgeous. The film is about vampires, Kate Beckinsale, and werewolves, oh my! My daughter Hillary, her husband Martin, and their son/my grandson Henry (he's 4) all saw and liked Jack Black and Joan Cusack in School of Rock. Even The New York Times liked it, so it's unanimous. Not the greatest film of that type thing, but you'll snicker and enjoy it. Denzel Washington does his usual fine job of acting in Out Of Time and everybody compares this film to a Hitchcock movie. But they shouldn't. You can figure out the twists long in advance and then you just have to sit and wonder when he'll find out what you already know. Wait and rent it. The best new film is Once Upon a Time in the Midlands. Robert Carlyle, who we've seen in Trainspotting, The Full Monty, Carla's Song and many others plays the bad guy. The entire cast is near perfect, except that we Yanks lose many of the words due to the accents (there are some subtitles, but not enough) Not a feel good film just a quality film, don't miss it.
THAT BASTARD HAMLET. Read Monterey Herald critic Barbara Rose Shuler's letter to Brattononline in the letter section. She also added her review of the Shakespeare Santa Cruz's summer production where they cut 1400 lines from the play. Oddly enough I was talking to Marcus Cato, Shakespeare Santa Cruz's manager, about how big last summer's audiences were and he told me that Comedy of Errors averaged larger audiences than did Hamlet. The company just now is deciding which plays they'll be doing next summer and they're also getting ready for their annual Christmas performances which this year will be The Emperor's New Clothes running November 21 through December 14.
THE SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE. Long time readers will remember how I always brag that I was with The S.F. Mime Troupe back in the early '60's. We did The Minstrel Show, a Berthold Brecht play and Ubu Roi. Anyways, I met this year's cast at Rachel and Christopher Krohn's backyard barbecue while they were here. I asked them how Santa Cruz audiences compared with other audiences all over the world. They answered and agreed quickly that Santa Cruz audiences are right between San Francisco audiences and Berkeley audiences. San Francisco audiences laugh and laugh hard and often. Berkeley audiences quietly nod their heads in agreement with the many laughs, because they've heard it all before. Our Santa Cruz audiences sort of half laugh and half nod their approval. The Mime (pronounced "meem") Troupe loves us and will be back.
A SPECIAL FILM. I mentioned the Cuban film Balseros last week, and said it sounded good. I saw it, it's not just good, it's great. It is a documentary that goes places into your heart that documentaries rarely go. It's about desperate humans, who want a better life and are willing to die for that life. The film not just documents how the seven families made it to the USA but the filmmakers search out the Balseros "rafters" after seven years here and show what happened to their lives. No fiction is as shocking and as touching as what you'll see in this film. Trust me. Sunday October 12, 7:00 p.m. $5 tickets at the door.
PLAN ON THIS. Pisces Moon Productions continually present the most challenging plays in our area. Every production I've seen of theirs (The Laramie Project, Durang, Durang, The Food Chain, The Altruists, etc.) has been excellent theatre. Well, there was one a while back that wasn't so hot, but never mind that. They're now doing John Logan's "Never The Sinner" opening Friday, October 24 at 8 p.m. at Actors' Theatre at 1001 Center Street. It'll play every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. and two Sundays. The Bear Republic Theatre used to do challenging plays locally, and so did some other short lived groups but stick with Pisces Moon productions. Call the Santa Cruz Civic Box Office for tix at 831.420.5260 or go to www.piscesmoon.org and read all about it.
PACIFIC RIM FILM FESTIVAL. By now you've seen all the schedules and descriptions of the Pacific Rim Film Festival. You can probably figure out the hot tickets, except that there are no tickets, because it's all free. The Del Mar, The Fox theatre in Watsonville and the Rio Theatre all need special thanks for staging these screenings. Voicemail messages at 831-457-7894.
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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THE DeANZA PETITION. Scott Kennedy's email plea telling people not to sign the petition to reverse the City Council's caving in on the Mobile Home Rent Control issue is like President Bush asking us to trust him and support his wars, civil rights' destruction, and his whole God loving administration. Ruth Hunter says that Kennedy is a troublemaker. She also says that City Manager doesnt want rent control. She went on to say that there are many things that can be done and that the stuff about litigation costs are baloney. The De Anza residents are ready to pledge $20,000 per month to pay these costs. Ruth said again that the biggest problem was that the City Council should have included the residents in the negotiations. Ruth and her troops are gathering signatures to qualify their issues for a referendum that will reverse the City Council's action. They want more than 3,000 signatures by October 22. You can find DeAnza tables on Pacific Avenue this weekend. If you want to volunteer, and get more signatures (and send a strong message to Scott Kennedy) call Ruth at 423-9707.
TRUNCATED HAMLET. Visiting director Risa Branin cut Shakespeare Santa Cruz's production of Hamlet by 1400 words. That's nearly 50 pages of the Bard's work deleted. I asked Audrey Stanley founder of Shakespeare Santa Cruz about this disemboweling. She tells me that she was the lone voice against this pop version. She said the board of directors liked it, the audiences liked it, and nobody seemed to care about not seeing the play that Shakespeare wrote. There had always been a tradition at Shakespeare Santa Cruz about presenting uncut productions, now that's ended. Or at least we'll find out if Paul Whitworth will cut next year's plays. Seeing as how they presented Comedy of Errors in its entirety it, couldn't have been about length of time or saving money. I sure hope they never cut their productions again. If you know anybody involved with Shakespeare Santa Cruz tell 'em what you think. And shake your fist, or something.
RUSH, THE DRUGGIE? So if you go to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or the N.Y. Daily News you'll read all about how Rush Limbaugh resigned from ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown program. But it apparently wasn't just his usual racial junk this time. His former housekeeper has revealed that she was Rush's contact person for years of prescriptions for Hydrocodone/Vicodin and OxyContin. Read about the huge amount of pills good ol' Rushie was taking. FULL DISCLOSURE...My boss, when I was a producer and station manager at KGO radio (ABC) was Ed McLaughlin, a nice guy and graduate of S.F. State. Ed heard Rush on some remote little station, quit his presidency at ABC and taught Rush everything he needed to know about talk radio. He taught him well. Too well. Some day I'll tell the secrets of talk radio and how we got to be number one in San Francisco. That was back in the days of Ira Blue, Jim Dunbar, and people like that.
FAREWELL ELLIOTT WAX. Elliot died last weekend up in McCloud from congestive heart failure. Elliott aside from being an avid music enthusiast and supporter was an attorney. He was born in New York, moved to L.A. and became a union organizer for the I.L.W.U both in L.A. and Chicago. He fought the good fight of the left and even became a labor commissioner in L.A. He represented labor and poor people in his practice and was subpoenaed by the California State H.U.A.C. Not only will a large amount of people miss him, but we'll miss his wild stories, unique theories of life and his laugh.
A CUBAN FILM. The Rio theatre is presenting a newly released Cuban film titled Balseros, or rafters. It's a true story of seven Cubans who risked their lives back in 1994 and made it to the USA. The film covers the planning of the voyage, and what happened after they got into this country. It's part of the Rio Theatre's ongoing plans to present their own programs of films and the like that should be of interest to this community. Balseros will be shown Sunday Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Call 465-8272 for more information.
LAST WEEK's UNCONFIRMED RUMOR. I wrote last week that I'd heard rumors, and other people had also heard rumors that Mardi Wormhoudt probably won't run for supervisor again. I added details about who might run, etcetera. Well, I'm more than pleased to tell you that was another false rumor. Mardi says, 1. she isn't going anywhere and that 2. she plans to serve as Supervisor as long as people vote for her. Hooray for that news! That North Coast has become very precious and Mardi has done a magnificent job of preserving it. Three cheers for Mardi, long may she wave!!!
SAVE OUR NORTH COAST AGAIN. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants to find out just what we, the public want in terms of public access to the interior lands of the Cost Dairies property up around Davenport. There's going to be a meeting next Wednesday Oct. 8 in the Davenport Fire House from 7 to 9 p.m. There are many issues to be discussed, like horse trails vs. mountain bike trails vs. hiker trails and those can be civil wars right there. Then there are farm roads that should be closed or remain open. Some local neighbors up there think this get together (with no speeches) doesn't sound like a public workshop. And maybe this is a bit premature? And considering the mess that was made of the Gray Whale ranch access problems we need to keep close watch on just how our hard-fought-for north coast lands are utilized.
THE BIG WEEKEND. I used to keep track of which weekends are the most chockfull of events in Santa Cruz. These weekends are very predictable. I'll print my list someday soon. This is one of them. The Santa Cruz County Symphony opens another fine season with the musics of Britton, Liszt and Tchaikovsky featuring Norman Krieger on piano. The Saturday concert will be at the Civic at 8p.m. and it'll be repeated on Sunday at the Mello Center at 2 p.m. Benjamin Britton's music will catch on pretty soon. As soon as we catch up to what he was writing. Call 420-5260 for Civic Tickets or 763-4047 for Mello Center tickets go to www.santacruzsymphony.org to read about the full season. Old man John Scoville (he's 60) gets his more than deserved comeuppance at ?Wide Life? (not Wild Life as some dailies have it) this Friday and Saturday at the Mello Center. Dancers John and Nancy Lingemann, Paula Bliss, Ellen Bromberg, aerialist Aloysia Gavre and dozens more put Scoville's music into action. It'll be memorable, trust me. Call the aforementioned Mello box office at 763-4047 for tickets, and hurry.
6 FILM CRITIQUES, FROM BAD TO PRETTY GOOD. There are no laughs in Duplex in spite of Danny DeVito's directing. Drew Barrymore and Ben Stiller do everything they can to make this work, but it's a terrible film. Secondhand Lions has Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and that weird teenager Haley Joel Osment and it's still just a feel good secondhand cutesy dull movie. Take a 107 minute (movie length) nap instead, you'll feel better. Under the Tuscan Sun is an excellent, sappy, happy chick-flick. Diane Lane does a grand job, the photography is super and this is a perfect film for all those folks who always say, "I just want to be entertained" and don't like to think while in movie theatres. Once Upon A Time in Mexico tries extra hard to resemble the excitement of El Mariachi, the first film in this series. Johnny Depp whose brother used to own a bookstore out by the Omei restaurant takes over the screen every second he's on. The film is just fun, bloody fun. Mickey Rourke, Ruben Blades and Willem Defoe are wasted more ways than one. But again, it's for folks who just want to be entertained. I liked Cold Creek Manor starring Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone. It's a scary old house thriller and if you like those films with a maniac stalker go for this one. It has more style than most of these recent releases. Then there was Javier Bardem in Mondays in the Sun. Spain chose this film over Almodovar's Talk to Her to enter in last year's Oscar race. Bardem has never been better, the plot is magnificent, and it's a sad story about five Spaniards out of work. The problem is that it played only one week at the Nick and its gone now. Because it required thinking and even some personal relating it didn't sell well. Local theatre owners will tell you that Santa Cruz audiences have changed a lot in the last few years. We don't attend heavy films anymore, films with subtitles are not as popular in our city as in past years and films like Big Fat Greek Wedding are big hits...go figure. Or are we simply dumbing down like every other place in the world?
SATYAJIT RAY FILM DAY. UCSC has a tremendous collection of Satyajit Ray (pronounced "rye") films. On Sunday October 12 they are presenting a free lecture and screening of Ray?s award winning film Devi. What is even more important is that Sharmila Tagore, the star of the film, will be here and will answer questions after the screening. At 4 p.m. Pico Iyer will give a talk on Islam and California: A Cultural Romance. Then Devi will screen at 6:30 p.m. It's happening at UCSC?s Music Recital hall. Dilip Basu, who has been the guiding light behind the Satyajit Ray ("rye") collection, has also created a Ray ("Rye") Film festival at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto. Go to www.stanfordtheatre.org and prepare to be staggered by what they've put together.
WHAT BUMPER STICKERS? Over the last 28 years I've printed hundreds of bumper stickers. I believe that that era has passed, except for the faux stickers we see on the internet. Few folks seem to be willing to publicly display their statements anymore. Send in any you think are funny or even profound. Send in online jokes, definitions, and quotes. I love ending the column with a laugh or something to think about, besides the recall.
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
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