19 FILM REVIEWS this movie with faint praise and broad mockery but Im not. It is not only a nice trip down memory lane for the grown-up geek but also en- ergetic and kid-friendly enough that you could bring the next generation of sci-fi nerds to it. TRON: Legacy is hopelessly goofy but it is or rath- er it becomes as you travel through it charming, both for its nostalgia value and for its genuine and mostly successful attempt to bring you a sparkling sci-fi adventure. B+ Rated PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild lan- guage. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Lee Sternthal and Brian Klugman (from characters by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird), TRON: Legacy is two hours and seven minutes long and is distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It opens in wide release on Friday, Dec. 17. an end not only to Yogis picnic-bas- ket-stealing days but also to Ranger Smiths job and, of course, to the natural beauty of Jellystone. T.J. Miller plays a Barney Fife- ish deputy ranger who gets in the way of Ranger Smiths plans to save the park in hopes of getting Smith fired and himself appointed to the job. All this human drama is played with a very light touch to allow the bears CGI creations with Aykroyd and Timberlakes voices and their silliness to be in the spotlight. I saw this in a theater full of kids of all ages and while the room wasnt rocked with laugh- ter it seemed to keep everyones attention. My 10-year-old stepson laughed sometimes even at the same things I laughed at. So perhaps it is unfair to judge a movie by this very low bar but: Yogi Bear does not hurt. Adults can sit through this movie and not suffer the first 45 or so minutes were particularly well-paced. And though the movie might have been best at about a 65-minute run time, its nearly hour-and-a-half length didnt feel unduly long. Nobodys nominating this movie for an Academy Award but it doesnt make your ears bleed either. I liked that chunks of this movie were devoted to straight up picnic-basket-nabbing highjinks catapults, improbable flying machines, pies in the face. Sure, theres the overarching story about the not-nice-ness of balancing your citys budget by clear cutting the local wildlife preserve. But a lot of this movie is wackiness, pratfall and sardonic Boo Boo comments. Its like a piece of fresh fish adorned only with a bit of olive oil and a hint of butter streamlined, clean. Yogi Bear isnt so different in content and setup from the recent Brendan Fraser movie Furry Ven- geance and yet that film was nearly unwatchable. Here, the story is pared down and isnt allowed to get in the way of the fun, and the Hanna-Bar- bera goofiness shines through. B- Rated PG for some mild rude humor. Directed by Eric Brevig and written by Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin and Brad Copeland, Yogi Bear is an hour and 22 minutes long and is distributed in wide release by Warner Bros. It opens on Friday, Dec. 17. toward the end of the film when Nina (Portman), the dancer who is having a complete psychological breakdown as she attempts to give a perfect performance as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake, is backstage during the opening nights perfor- mance. She has started to internal- ize the story of the white and black swans and she has started to see the ballets villain Rothbart (Sergio Tor- rado) as the personification of evil and betrayal and the forces that she believes are plotting her downfall. She passes him, dressed in his full evil crow regalia, while in a state of extreme agitation and delirium. Hey, he says casually as you do to coworkers, when she passes him. Everything Id heard about this movie and everything I saw in the trailers did not prepare me for this strange, fantasy-tinted All About Eve-ish look at the backstage drama of a ballet. As I mentioned, its funny I found myself laughing more than expected particularly at moments that poke fun at the is this really happening/is it a dream moments. The movie gives us the story from Ninas point of view but it presents it in such a way that we know not to take her at face value. Is Nina nuts? Is she really turning into a swan? Is she both nuts and being gaslighted by an ambitious rival? The movie holds back just enough that youre never quite sure whats happening though it offers enough hints that you can make a good guess even in its final mo- ments. It is, like a ballet, a repre- sentation of actions as opposed to a direct display of actions and feelings. I found myself enjoying just going along with this nutty little ride. Because not only is there the story of Nina and her brightening star/growing insanity, there is also a lot of fun stuff about ballet its beauty and its ugliness. We see the actors practice and eventually perform and get a sense of some of the artistry involved. We also get the toe-cracking, nail-breaking, chiropractic moments of ballet. The movie does something unusual with its sound even during the most symphonic moments, the music never completely covers the sound of the hard-toed pointe ballet shoes tapping across the stage. The result is that the ballet doesnt seem magical, the ballerinas dont float instead they seem like athletes doing incred- ibly difficult physical work. It was a small but smart story-telling choice. Black Swan is full of such small but elegant touches that all add up to a fascinating, mesmerizing movie. B+ Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use. Directed by Dar- ren Aronofsky and written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, Black Swan is an hour and 43 minutes long and distributed in limited release by Fox Searchlight. TRON: Legacy By AMY DIAZ For the York Independent Return to the pre- Internet fantasy of the computer age with TRON: Legacy, a delightfully fun and visually entertaining sequel to the 1982 movie. So let me say up front that the original TRON represents a hole in my pop culture education. Im not sure if I ever saw it in its entirety (and if I did, I dont remember). That doesnt really cause a problem here, though, as TRON: Legacy speaks a more universal language the language of slightly cheesy sci-fi. Back story: Once upon a time, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) discov- ered the Grid, a physical universe inside the computer. He told his young son Sam (Owen Best) about the Grid and his adventures there (illustrated with the help of TRON action figures) and how he hoped that discoveries from the Grid could one day improve life on Earth. But then (1989) Kevin disappeared and little Sam was left as the heir to his company ENCOM but with no father. Present day: Sam (Garrett Hed- lund) is a 26-year-old troublemaker. He spends his time outrunning cops on his motorcycle and, once a year, pranking ENCOM, a company he technically owns. This time, its by releasing for free the companys lat- est operating system because his dad would have wanted the information to be free (or some such anytime there is talk about the network or a sudden eruption of computer jargon, feel free to ignore and just gaze at the pretty lights). Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner), his dads old friend, stops by to give Sam a talk- ing to and leaves him with a strange piece of information he just got a page (a page I know, right?) from Kevins old office at his arcade. Wanting to know what its all about, Sam stops by the arcade, brushes dust off the games, accidentally turns on some Journey and before you know it is zapped into the Grid by his dads old computer. Sam quickly realizes where he is but hes not sure of the rules. TRON: Legacy (PG) Hes captured and suited up for a gladiatorial game that appears to be a cross between dodgeball and ultimate Frisbee (if played with laser-tipped throwing stars).Using his video game savvy, he survives long enough to get the attention of Clu (face and voice of a youthful Jeff Bridges, body of John Reardon). Clu is the doppelganger Kevin cre- ated years ago to help him watch the Grid but who has become a crazed dictator. Before Clu can destroy Sam at yet another game (lets call it Glowy Motorcycle Demolition Derby), Sam is rescued by Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a bad-ass chick with asymmetrical hair who helps Sam on his quest to find his real father. This isnt the kind of movie where you really consider the performances except let me give a big woo- hoo to the delightfully shameless Michael Sheen, who shows up here as a David Bowie-resembling bar owner at what appears to be the Mos Eisley cantina on rave night. I love, love, that Sheen does serious grown-up movies like Frost/Nixon and The Queen but isnt above playing a vampire aristocrat in the Twilight movies or a werewolf in the Underworld movies or this guy, right here, who chews up the scenery with a merry gnashing of his teeth. His entire role is both pointless and delectable. Also, SPOILER ALERT sort of (if you havent seen the trail- ers): when the older Kevin Flynn shows up, Bridges seems to be hav- ing all sorts of a good time doing his surfer-hippie shtick, this time with a bit of Obi Wan to it. Even with all the George Lucas-reminiscent dialogue about the ins and outs of the Grid, these actors seem to be enjoying themselves. I might sound like Im damning The Hanna-Barbera classic gets a live-action update in Yogi Bear, a surprisingly tolerable and happily short family comedy. Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) may live in the woods but, being smarter than the average bear, he spends his days not hunting and foraging but lying in wait for pic-a-nic baskets to nab from visitors to Jellystone Park. His partner in crime is Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake), a shorter, skeptical, more cautious bear. In addition to wearing swell neckwear (Boo Boo has a bowtie; Yogi has a tie and hat), these bears can talk argue even, which they frequently do when try- ing to convince Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) that while they were in the proximity of a picnic disruption they were not the cause of it. Ranger Smith finds his two bear charges to be something of an annoyance, but documentarian Rachel (Anna Faris) shows up at Jellystone to make a film about them, much to the delight of Smith, who is sweet but not good at talking to girls. Despite being home to two talking bears, Jellystone Park is in trouble. Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) has spent the city into debt and is looking for a way to make a quick buck. He and his yes-man (Nathan Corddry) decide to sell the logging rights to Jellystone to bring the city back into the black. This would put Yogi Bear (PG) 19 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Black Swan (R) WHERE TO SEE THE FLICKS For films and showtimes, call the theater. Wells Five Star Cinema 7 75 Wells Plaza, Wells, Maine (207) 646-0500 Regal Cinemas New- ington 15 45 Gosling Road, Newington, N.H. (603) 431-4200 The Music Hall 28 Chestnut St., Ports- mouth, N.H. (207) 436-9900 Smittys Sanford Cinema & Pub 1364 Main St., Sanford, Maine (207) 490-0000 Smittys Cinemas Biddeford 8 420 Alfred Road, Bid- deford, Maine (207) 283-4500 The Cinemagic & IMAX in Saco 779 Portland Road, Saco, Maine (207) 282-6234 Cinemagic Grand Stadium at Clarks Pond 333 Clarks Pond High- way, South Portland, Maine (207) 772-6023 If you see just one disturbing take on a Tchaikovsky ballet this winter make it Black Swan, a dark and strange drama from Darren Aronofsky. And funny! You wouldnt think a psychosexual thriller (which is how I keep hearing the film billed) about ballet starring Natalie Port- man would be a laugh riot, but it is strangely, frequently, quite hilarious. Intentionally, even. There is a great throwaway moment 19 December 17 - 30, 2010 The York Independent
1 York The www.yorkindependent.net Independent Inside: CHRISTMAS muffin recipes to the rescue! PAGE 15 The hometown voice of the greater York region FREE Dec. 17 - 30, 2010 Volume 13 Issue 25 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 1 orks A look at Y t. Page 6 lost airpor ge 6 ntury. Pa f a ce n fo r h a l unsee
2 Publishers Note More than a business owner By JEFF RAPSIS The York Independent Lots going on, so lets get right to it. Everyone at the York Indepen- dentindeed, everyone in York County, it seemswas shocked by the sudden death of Maine Diner co-owner Myles Henry earlier this month in Florida. I ha
3 ent an unforgettable, all-new, Christmas show in York Beach on Sunday, Dec. 19 at Union Congregational Church, 18 Church St., York Beach. The show begins at 7 p.m., tickets are $7.50 at the door or by calling 363-6742. This holiday season, the Boston String Quartet will perform their brand new hol
4 SARAH HASKELL 4 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Q&A THE PUBLIC ARTIST By Taryn Plumb The York Independent They are tidbits of hope; brief snippets of advice; personal affirmations. Flooding in from all over the world, they make their claims on paper scraps, fine stationery, even shreds of linen. York re
5 been sailing around the world (on a 43- foot yacht, Bahati) and this is the last leg. Im flying to South Africa on Dec. 29, and will be staying in Cape Town for a couple of weeks. While there, my hope is to deliver sets of flags to individuals and organizations. Then well cast off about Jan. 15. W
6 Cover Story ringed today by some of the areas most valuable coastal housing lots, could have been the site of the towns only airport, but it was. Conveniently located next to York Beach, it was a magnet for tourists, who lined up to take brief sight-seeing flights up and down the coast one or two
7 COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK Photographer R.S. Collins captured a view of the old Marshall House Hotel, which once dominated the entrance to York Harbor. Demolished in 1972, it was replaced with condominiums and the Stage Neck Inn. The back of one picture contains a de
8 8 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK This view of East Point and York Harbor Beach shows many of the residences standing in what even then was a prime area. The Marshall House Hotel is visible in the background; along the shore, one can trace the pa
9 COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK COURTESY MUSEUMS OF OLD YORK A 1949 view of elegant seaside homes at Roaring Point Rock and Cow Beach, just south of Yorks Long Beach area. Less elegant dwellings are seen in this view of Courtesy Cabins, Jolenes Cabins, Rusts Inn, and Decatur Cabins along Route 1A at
10 Heating Oil Kerosene Diesel Propane holiday market Full Service Heating Pre-Buys Budget Plans Sales Repairs Heat Conversions Residential & Commercial Installation of AC, Gas & Oil Heat 207-363-4172 HOLIDAY SALE! $ 10 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 3Off Bring this coupon for savings on ever
11 Visual Arts Listings Send us your listings! Got a gallery exhibit coming up? Send the info to yorkindependent gmail.com. Listings run on a space available basis Beginning Monday, Jan. 3 River Tree Arts will begin the winter/spring class session. RTA also announces the addi- tion of evening class
12 Cannot be combined with any other offer. Coupon has no cash value. Must be presented at time of purchase. Also accepted at Bagel Shack Rt 1 Cape Neddick. Breakfast Lunch Sandwich Sandwich 50 Off $1 Off L ocal F lavor s Breakfast & Lunch FULL LINE OF ESPRESSO DRINKS AND LARGE COFFEE SELECTION. 18
13 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black 066329 066313 Angelinas Ristorante & Wine Bar Bringing Italy to Ogunquit Seven Nights a week A n g e l i n as Pasta É Basta $16 Tuesday As in past years, we will be offering the convenience of ordering from our regular menu, as well as open seating. So you can decide wh
14 FOOD Its all about the chocolate Christmas dinnertime desserts featuring that friendliest of flavors By SARAH GRANT The York Independent In my house, Christmas is all about chocolate. To my family, chocolate is to Christmas what apples were to Thanksgiv- ing. There is all the chocolate Santa will
15 The G Irwin Co Yarn Sellar Fine Jewelry Ann Pardoe Owner MISSED YOUR PAPER? NEW ER WN LARGER NEW O cKie M LOCATION! Carrie Find us on Fine Yarns & Knitting Supplies Facebook Tues Evening 6-9 Shop & Knit 436 US Route 1 Kittery, Maine 03904 Meadowbrook Plaza, 647 Route 1, York New Location! 247 U.S
16 Listings Send us your listings! List your event in the York Independent for free! Listings are run on a space available basis. Send complete information about your event, including exactly when and where it takes place, any admission charges, and anything else necessary for readers to take action
17 serve refreshments en-route and view movies. Your package includes transportation, lodging and helpful hints. You plan the rest of your trip to make it a weekend to remember. Ages 10 to 17 are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Registration deadline is February 18, 2011. Music listings WHOS PL
18 CAR TALK BY TOM AND RAY MAGLIOZZI Reader in Philippines needs mechanic packed all the parts are (which helps me not at all). What should I do? Sometimes this car is fine; other times (like when it idles in the not insubstantial Manila traffic for 30 min- utes or more) its overheating and spewing
19 FILM REVIEWS this movie with faint praise and broad mockery but Im not. It is not only a nice trip down memory lane for the grown-up geek but also en- ergetic and kid-friendly enough that you could bring the next generation of sci-fi nerds to it. TRON: Legacy is hopelessly goofy but it is or rat
20 THE PET CONNECTION Looking for a home On Saturday, Dec. 18, Pet Smart in Biddeford will offer pictures with Santa. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. AWS canines and their handlers will also be on hand to get their photo taken and spread good cheer! If youre interested in adopting any of these animals or if
21 COMMUNITY SERVICE Send us your listings! Let the community know about your group, service, or good cause. E-mail it to us at yorkindependentgmail.c Listings run on a space available basis. Worship services Praise on the Seacoast, a monthly celebration of song and praise, will offer a special Chr
Classified Ads $8.00 per 15 words. Payment is due when ad is placed. We accept cash, check and all major credit cards. ADVERTISING DEADLINE Monday by 5:00 p.m. prior to publication date. 22 COMMUNITY SERVICE or rsullivanyorkhospital. or Leisa Smith at 351-3596 or lsmithyorkhospital.com York Communi
23 READER OPINION LETTERS York, Maine 207-363-4053 800-344-5710 WWW . C 21 ATLANTIC . COM INFO C 21 ATLANTIC . COM Send your letters to yorkindependentgmail.c or via mail to The York Independent, 4 Marketplace Drive, Suite 215, York Village Business Center, York, ME 03909. Questions? Call us at (2
24 Realty One Office: 439 US Route One York, ME 03909 84 School St (intersection of RT 1) Ogunquit, ME 03907 Each offi ce independently owned & operated & 207.363.2497 Toll Free: to You and Yours! We Thank You for Your Patronage in 2010 OGUNQUIT YORK Happy Holidays 800.272.4366 207.646.4546 RE/MAX
