Entertainment: Weekend
PAGE 19 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 THE HERALD
‘Fantastic Beasts: Overloaded chamber of subplots RICHARD ROEPER
Forgive me for being vague at the top, but my hope is to convey to you the maddeningly convoluted nature of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” without spoiling too much.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald êê½ Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Johnny Depp Rating: PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action.
Deep into this murky, gloomy and cluttered sequel/prequel/spinoff of the “Harry Potter” franchise, a number of key characters who have been on parallel missions find themselves in the same locale. Just about everyone is wondering: What in the heck is going on here? What is the real truth? A character launches into a head-spinning story involving flashbacks and scandalous romances and betrayals and deaths, but just when we think we might have a handle on who’s who and what’s what, another character interrupts and says, No-no-no-no, that’s not what happened at all. Here’s what really happened! Are you kidding me? Come on. The “Fantastic Beasts” stories, set some 70 years before the start of Harry Potter’s adventures, spring from the astonishingly creative and apparently bottomless imagination of the great J.K. Rowling. In 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” we met the socially awkward and bumbling but brilliant and goodhearted reluctant hero Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a “magizoologist” more comfortable tending to
JAAP BUITENDIJK/WARNER BROS. PICTURES/WP NEWS SERVICE
Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander in the sequel to the 2016 film”Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is showing at Jasper 8 Theatres. all manner of magical creatures than interacting with muggles or pure-bloods or half-bloods or whatever else is going on with people-looking individuals. If you haven’t seen that first installment, let’s just say when Newt arrived in New York City with his magical suitcase filled with amazing creatures, it ignited quite the chaotic chain of events. (Although there’s not much point in seeing “Grindelwald” if you haven’t seen “Where to Find Them.” These are not stand-alone films; they’re feature-length entries in a projected five-movie series.) With a screenplay by Rowling, with “Harry Potter” veteran David Yates directing and with a cast deep and rich in talent, “The Crimes of Grindelwald” comes to the table loaded with credentials and potential. Alas, while the performances are solid and we do get a few
touching moments, the film sinks under the weight of too many intersecting storylines and too many loud and fiery and surprisingly mediocre action sequences. “Grindelwald” picks up the story with the notorious and powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp, rocking spiked, white-blond hair that makes him look like a Billy Idol impersonator) holed up in prison after being captured by the U.S. Ministry of Magic. About two minutes into a planned transfer of Grindelwald from the States to England to stand trial for his crimes, Grindelwald pulls off an escape with such an impressive (and quite nasty) array of magic, we’re left wondering why he brooded in prison for six months when he clearly had the power to escape at any time. No matter. Grindelwald is on the loose somewhere in Europe,
marshalling his troops for the coming storm. You see, for the last hundred years or so, humans and wizards have co-existed in relatively peaceful fashion. But Grindelwald believes now is the time for “pure bloods” to take their rightful place as the superior beings, the chosen rulers. (Parallels to real-world fascism duly noted.) While Grindelwald struts about in his leather boots and his fashionably layered look, commanding his audience with his dazzling magic like he’s Criss Angel to the 10th power, let’s drop in on some of the many, many, MANY ongoing subplots. Jude Law, clad in tie and vest and waistcoat that makes it look like he stepped off the set of “Sherlock Holmes,” plays the young-ish Albus Dumbledore, perhaps the only one with the strength to take down Grindelwald. Problem is,
happens into a magical passageway and ends up in the snowy world of the Four Realms, which was invented for this movie, and truly has no consequence on the story at all. A film adaptation of “The Nutcracker” doesn’t have to be faithful, but the story they’ve concocted is so lazily tossed off, the style so derivative, and the lessons so mundane they would have been better off sticking to the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann and throwing a razzle-dazzle production budget at the choreography, as the best part of “Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is the oh-so-short sequence where ballerina Misty Copeland dances through an abridged version of the ballet. To salt the wound, they only use a few excerpts of Tchaikovsky’s music. Turns out the excess of realms (and cooks in the kitchen) results in hardly any holiday magic at all. (Adventure/familly/fantasy, PG, 1 hr. 29 min.)
Theatres) The greatly gifted Rami Malek is given zero chance to create a believable, in-depth portrayal of Queen leader Freddie Mercury in this shamelessly scripted biopic. What a crushing, unmitigated, stunningly inept and astonishingly tone-deaf disaster. (Music biography, PG-13, 2 hrs. 15 min.)
on probation, with Rafael Casal an electric presence as his best friend, a lightning rod for trouble. (Drama, R, 1 hr. 35 min., 2018)
Dumbledore can’t fight Grindelwald because of the very special bond they shared as young men. “You were as close as brothers,” says a law enforcement official. “Closer,” replies Dumbledore. OK, that’s a storyline worth further exploration, but the movie is too busy bouncing all over the place, stuffing subplot after subplot into the mix. The mysterious Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller, overplaying the angst routine like a knockoff combo of James Dean and Marlon Brando), thought to be dead, is determined to find out his true identity, no matter the cost. Newt reconnects with onetime love interest Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), who is an auror — aka a highly skilled wizard who specializes in bringing down terrorists such as Grindelwald — but Tina wants nothing to do with Newt because she believes Newt is engaged to his former classmate Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz), but in fact, Leta is engaged to Newt’s brother, Theseus (Callum Turner). Oh, and Tina’s daffy but lovable sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), and Queenie’s boyfriend, the muggle Jacob (Dan Fogler), are also along for this adventure, mostly for comic relief. And we haven’t even talked about the shapeshifter Nagini (Claudia Kim), who turns into a huge serpent at times, or the 600-year-old alchemist (Brontis Jodorowsky), who apparently never figured out a way to turn old-guy makeup into believable old-guy makeup. Not to mention the fantastic and not-so-fantastic creatures of various sizes and temperaments, from cute little furry rascals to enormous, growling and rather boring flying monsters that often look so flat and one-dimensional, they should be thrown into CGI jail. Not even Newt Scamander’s magically expansive suitcase could contain this much story overflow.
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All times are Eastern unless otherwise noted.
Current cinema New Releases Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ½ (Jasper 8 Theatres) While the performances are solid, the sequel to J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” sinks under the weight of too many intersecting storylines and not enough focus on the fascinating, fractured relationship of wizards Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) and Dumbledore (Jude Law). (Fantasy adventure, PG-13, 2 hrs. 14 min.) The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ½ (Jasper 8 Theatres) This take on “The Nutcracker,” written by Ashleigh Powell in her screenwriting debut, somehow directed by both Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston, takes merely a few key elements of the ballet and then tosses them into a blender, along with “Alice and Wonderland,” “The Greatest Showman” and Stanley Tucci in “The Hunger Games,” to create something wildly kooky and more violent. And yet it’s got incredibly low stakes, and it’s a mere shadow of what “The Nutcracker” actually is. Set off on a wild goose chase by a mysterious gift from her mother, guided by her godfather Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman), Clara (Mackenzie Foy)
Widows (Jasper 8 Theatres) Viola Davis deserves a best actress nomination for her performance as a criminal’s wife plotting a heist of her own. Even the relatively peripheral characters are unforgettable in this film — part political thriller, part family drama, part race and class commentary. This is one of the best movies of 2018. (Crime thriller, R, 2 hrs. 8 min.)
Currently playing Bohemian Rhapsody (Jasper 8
The Girl in the Spider’s Web We do get some creatively creepy scenes in this psychological crime thriller introducing Claire Foy as the hostile anti-heroine Lisbeth Salander. Alas, the scattered moments of inspiration are completely overshadowed by a tired and generic 21st-century Cold War plot. (Action thriller, R, 1 hr. 57 min.) The Grinch Here’s a new take on the Dr. Seuss tale/And this is quite a match:/The Grinch is voiced — just wait for it/By the man called Cumberbatch!/From time to time you’ll laugh and maybe shed a tear/But this isn’t the kind of “Grinch” you’ll want to see each year. (Animated comedy, PG, 1 hr. 30 min.)
On DVD Blindspotting One of the most memorable films of the year alternates between a gritty, docudrama approach and a heightened reality, becoming a race-relations fable of sorts. Daveed Diggs is brilliant as a man
Crazy Rich Asians ½ When the scion of a rich Singapore family (Henry Golding) brings his American love (Constance Wu) to his homeland, his mother (Michelle Yeoh) is not impressed. Bursting with energy and romance and sight gags and soapy melodrama, “Crazy Rich Asians” is pure escapist fun that gives us characters to root for. (Romantic comedy, PG-13, 2 hrs., 2018)
IMAX Showplace Cinemas East, 1801 Morgan Center Drive, Evansville: “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” www. showplacecinemas.com
Events Attractions Angel Mounds Historic Site, 8215 Pollack Ave., Evansville. Hours (CT): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. www. angelmounds.org Big Splash Adventure, Valley of the Springs Resort, 8505 W. State Road 56, French Lick. 877-936-3866 or
www.bigsplashadventure.com Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center, at the end of West Riverside Drive, Clarksville. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. www.fallsoftheohio.org Indiana Caverns, 1267 Green Acres Lane S.W., Corydon. Features a 25-minute boat ride, a waterfall, thriving cave life and Big Bone Mountain. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily April through October and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily November through March. Closed Christmas. www.indianacaverns.com Indiana Railway Museum, French Lick. Excursion trains depart from the former Monon Railroad Passenger Station. The two-hour, 20-mile trip takes passengers though several limestone rock cuts, part of the Hoosier National Forest and the 2,200-foot Burton Tunnel. Special events: Polar Express, Fridays-Sundays, through Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 20. Museum hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, free. 800-748-7246 or www.indianarailwaymuseum.org Jasper City Mill, 160 Third Ave. The mill features cornmeal ground on site, craft items, old-fashioned candy and local products. Exhibit (changes
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every six months): Dubois County Art Guild Gallery Walk, items from artisans and rustic Amish furniture available in the gift shop. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln City (all times CT). Special program: Learn about life without electricity, 5-8 p.m., Saturday. Park hours: Memorial Visitor Center, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 31, 2019; farm, closed for the season; nature center, open, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays; Colonel Jones Home, noon-4 p.m. ThursdaysSundays, June-August. www.nps.gov/ libo/ or 812-937-4541 Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevilian Way. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through March 15, 2019. www.louisvillezoo. org Marengo Cave Park: The Crystal Palace walking tour features a formation-filled room and huge flowstone deposits, while the Dripstone Trail walking tour is known for its profusion of delicate soda straw formations, slender totem pole stalagmites and penny ceiling. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. http:// marengocave.com Mega Cavern, 1841 Taylor Ave., Louisville. Historic Tram Tours, Mega Zips and Mega Quest, an underground ropes challenge. Closed major holidays. 877-614-6342 or www.louisvillemegacavern.com Mesker Park Zoo, 1545 Mesker Park Drive, Evansville. Hours (CT): 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. 812-435-6143 or www.meskerparkzoo.com Wilstem Ranch, Paoli: Grizzly, Giraffe and Kangaroo Encounters. www. wilstemranch.com or 812-936-4484
Other events Wine & Dessert Soirée, 9 p.m. Friday and Dec. 14, Atrium, West Baden Spring Hotel. Reservations required. 812-936-5579 Christkindlmarkt, Friday-Saturday, Ferdinand. Art and Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. CTSaturday, Lincoln Heritage Public Library, Dale. Candlelight Walk, 4:30-8 p.m. CT Saturday and Dec. 15 and Jan. 19, 2019, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln City. Will Read and Sing For Holy Trinity Catholic School, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Holy Family Fellowship Hall, 950 Church Ave., Jasper. Dr. Isaac and Megan (Keusch) Gatwood, Debbie Schuetter, Rafaela Copetti-Schaick, Shawn Needham, Andy Hagedorn, Scott Saalman and Stan Levco. $10 at door. Hadi Shrine Circus, next ThursdayNov. 25, The Ford Center, 1 S.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., Evansville. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or visit www. ticketmaster.com Santa Claus Land of Lights, 5-9 p.m. CT next Thursday; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 23-Dec. 9; and nightly, Dec. 13-30 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), Lake Rudolf Campground & RV Resort, Santa Claus. $15 per car.
Upcoming events O’Tannenbaum Days, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, Jasper. Bourbon & Bites, 8 p.m. Nov. 30, Atrium, West Baden Springs Hotel. Reservations required. 812-936-5579 Christmas Celebration, weekends, Dec. 1-16, Santa Claus. Will Read and Sing For Jasper Endows Today and Tomorrow (JETT), 7 p.m. Dec. 1, Calumet, Jasper. Zion, Shawn Needham, Kyle Lueken (with Chip Morris and Danny Carr), The Gatwoods, Andy Hagedorn, Trina Severson, Greg Eckerle and Scott Saalman. Treemendous Christmas in the Village, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CT, Dec. 1, Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum, 928 Fairground Drive, Rockport. Will Read and Sing for Jasper Endows Today and Tomorrow, 7 p.m. Dec. 1, The Calumet, Jasper. Mixology Class: A History of
THE HERALD ■ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018
Cocktails, 5 p.m. Dec. 2, West Baden Springs Hotel. Reservations required. 812-936-5579
Blake Buechlein and his Patoka River alligator, snakes, lizards and turtles, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16.
Festival of Lights, 5-9 p.m. CT Saturdays, Dec. 8-15, Christmas Lake Village, Santa Claus.
Permanent exhibits: Our Eldest Daughter, The Cold War (19451991), Black Heritage in Dubois County, Grand Army of the Republic, A Bicentennial Remembrance: The Story of German Immigration to Dubois County, Safari Room, The Story of Bill Schroeder and the Jarvik Heart; Main Street Dubois County (a model town from the 1900s featuring 17 businesses, including Stewart Hotel, Schutz’s Shoe Service and a funeral home, doctor’s office, jail, barbershop, church, bank, surveying office and bar), Grand Army of the Republic, Little Pioneer Children’s Play Area (includes one-room schoolhouse, book nook, toy area and dress-up area), Lewis and Clark keel boat, The Law in Dubois County, Honoring the Military, The Civil War Diary of William C. Benson, Model Trains, Dubois County in World War I, The SpanishAmerican War and Dubois County, Huntingburg Wagon Works, Girl Scouting in Dubois County, People of the Woodlands, Trace the Buffalo, Pioneer Area, Germans, Land Owners Map, Early Settlers of Dubois County, Cheering our Champions, Furniture, Civil War Flag, Prisoners of War, The Mills of Dubois County. Also, Heidet Blacksmith Shop, depicts the original shop from Ferdinand; Lindauer Sandstone Quarry and Grindstone Works of St. Henry, displays days of sandstone manufacturing; Eckert Log Home, assembled log home inside the museum shows building material and home life inside a German-style log home; Women’s Work is Never Done, choreographs the daily work week of pioneer women; History of Coal Mining; Meyer Planing Mill of Haysville; Ferdinand Sawmill; Huntingburg Buggy Works wagon; History of Boy Scouting; Antique Farm Machinery, featuring more than 75 pieces, including a binder, reaper, corn shredder and 1879 Buckeye hoe wheat drill; Tinker the Horse, represents the contribution of animals to the history of the area; silver smelter from Buck Shoals in Haysville; giant fruit press; threshing machine belted to a Kitten engine, one of five working steam engines; cane press and evaporator pan like the one used to make Birdseye molasses; and murals of Zoar, Birdseye, Celestine, Dubois, Duff, Ferdinand, Huntingburg, Portersville/ Boone Township, St. Henry/ Johnsburg, St. Anthony/St. Marks, Holland, Haysville, Ireland, Jasper and Schnellville.
Will Read and Sing for the JasperDubois County Public Library, 7 p.m. Dec. 11, Sultan’s Run Golf Club, Jasper. Will Read and Sing for Food: The Last Chicken Dance, final show, 7 p.m. Dec. 21, Astra Theatre, Jasper. Wine Pairings, 8 p.m. =Dec. 28, Atrium, West Baden Spring Hotel. Reservations required. 812-936-5579 Cirque Du Soleil: Corteo, Jan. 2327, 2019, The Ford Center, , 1 S.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., Evansville. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or visit www. ticketmaster.com Frozen on Ice, April 4-7, 2019, The Ford Center, , 1 S.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., Evansville. For tickets call 800-7453000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com
Exhibits Krempp Gallery Exhibits: Barb McCullough and Nancy Gerber, through Nov. 28,; Visual Arts Committee, Dec. 3-26; volunteer reception 5-7 p.m. Dec. 7. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays.
Saint Meinrad Archabbey Library Hours: Call 357-6401 or 800-9877311 or visit www.saintmeinrad.edu/ library/hours/
Other galleries Ivy Tech Bower-Suhrheinrich Visual Arts Center, 3501 N. First Ave., Evansville. Hours (CT): 1-6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed major holidays. www.ivytech.edu/southwest Flame Run Glass Studio and Gallery, 815 W. Market St., Louisville. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Closed major holidays. 502-584-5353 or www.flamerun.com The Green Building Gallery, 732 E. Market St., Louisville. Hours: 9-5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and 4-9 p.m. Saturdays. Closed major holidays. www.thegreenbuilding.net/gallery/ index.html or 502-561-1162 New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, 506 Main St. Hours (CT): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Closed major holidays. 812-682-3156 or www. nhgallery.com
Dubois County Museum Membership: 2019 memberships are available. Purchase a membership and receive free admission into the museum from the day the membership is purchased through Dec. 31, 2019. Haysville Ruritan Raffle drawing, 2 p.m. Sunday. Kinder Karneval, 1:15 p.m. Nov. 25. Storytime for Kids, 10:30 a.m., Saturdays, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 9, April 13, and May 11. Singing Seniors: Christmas Carols, 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25. Refreshments. O’Tannenbaum Days, SaturdaySunday, Dec. 1-2. Breakfast with Santa, 9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 1. Reservations required by Saturday, Nov. 24 by emailing
[email protected] Strings Inc. in Concert, 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1. Violin music by Lisa Hoppenjans, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, Log House front porch. Cookie Walk, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, and 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9. Dubois County Country Cloggers, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9; refreshments will be served.
Hours: The museum, 2704 N. Newton St., is open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission charged. Can be found on Facebook and at www.duboiscountymuseum.org. 812-634-7733
Huntingburg Museum On exhibit: Commercial, manufacturing, military, school and social club memorabilia; the Geiger bedroom, family Bible and other belongings; a dollhouse inside a grandmother clock; a pony cart; and a 1950s kitchen. The museum is in Huntingburg City Hall, 508 E. Fourth St. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays unless City Hall is closed and by appointment. Closed major holidays. 683-2211.
Santa Claus Museum & Village Village: 1880 Santa Claus Church, the original Santa Claus Post Office and 1935 Santa Claus Statue. Museum: exhibits on the history of Santa Claus, including the beginnings of the town, its post offices, Candy Castle and the evolution of Santa Claus Land to Holiday World and free letters to Santa. The museum is at 69 N. State Road 245. Gift shop, museum and village hours (CT): 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, through November. 812-544-2434 or www. santaclausmuseum.org
Other museums
Christmas Lego Train, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15.
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, 311 W. Second St., Owensboro. bluegrassmuseum.org
Movie and popcorn, 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15.
Evansville African American Museum, 579 S. Garvin St. Hours
(CT): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Closed major holidays. 812-423-5188 or www. evansvilleaamuseum.org
Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, 411 S.E. Riverside Drive. Hours (CT): 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. 812-425-2406 or www.emuseum.org Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main St., Louisville. Exhibits: The Lewis & Clark Experience, through 2018. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. 502-753-5663 or www. fraziermuseum.org Henager Memories & Nostalgia Museum, 8837 S. State Road 57, Elberfeld. Hours (CT): 8 a.m.5 p.m., weekdays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Closed major holidays. 812-795-2230 or www. henagermuseum.com Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville, 22 S.E. Fifth St. Hours (CT): 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. 812-4642663 or www.cmoekids.org. Owensboro (Ky.) Museum of Fine Art, 901 Frederica St. Hours (CT): 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 270-685-3181 or www. omfa.us Owensboro Museum of Science and History, 122 E. Second St. Hours (CT): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy, 20 Red Skelton Blvd., Vincennes. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. 812-888-2105 Reitz Home Museum, 224 S.E. First St., Evansville. Hours: 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CT Tuesdays through Sundays. Closed major holidays. 812-4261871 or www.reitzhome.com Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd St., Louisville. Exhibits: American Story book: The Imaginary Travelogue of Thomas Chambers, through Jan. 6; Picasso to Pollock: Modern Masterwoks from the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, through Jan. 13; and Keltie Ferris: •O•P•E•N•, through Feb. 3. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. 502-852-5555
Science Centers Kentucky Science Center, 737 W. Main St., Louisville. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon6 p.m. Sundays. Closed major holidays. 800-591-2203 or www. kysciencecenter.org
Night Life Dances
American Legion Post 147, Jasper: 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays, line and couples dancing. $5, 482-5426 for information. Orange County Senior Citizens Center, 8497 W. Main St., French Lick: 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays, dance with live band. William Tell Center, 1301 11th St., Tell City, 7-10 p.m. CT Saturdays. Open to all ages; smoke and alcohol free. $5, includes snacks. Sponsored by the William Tell Senior Citizens.
Bars Gaslight, Huntingburg: Open Mic Night, 8-11 p.m. Thursdays.
Casinos Tropicana, Evansville: DRZHVEGAS, Friday-Satuday; Thrown the Horns, Nov. 23-24; Dance Floor Riot, Nov. 30-Dec. 1; The Brat Pack, Dec. 7-8. www.tropicanacasinos.com French Lick Casino: Casino Lounge (8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.) — Dean Heckel, Nov. 24; Moonshine @ Sunrise, Dec. 1; DJ Rishi, Dec. 8; Southern Sirens, Dec. 15; DJ Charlie, Dec. 22; and
WildWood, Dec. 31. Event Center — Gaither Vocal Band and Holiday Homecoming Show, 7 p.m. Saturday. 888-936-9360 or www.frenchlick. com/entertainment/concerts
On stage Actors Community Theatre Dinner theatre: “The Dinner Party,” April 4-6, 2019. Dinner theatre patrons must be 18 or older. Plays: “Into the Woods,” July 25-28, 2019. All of the shows will be performed at the Jasper Arts Center. Season tickets and twoevent packages are available at ActorsCommunityTheatre.com.
Historic Astra Theatre Concerts: Rodney Crowell, The Why Store, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 8. Movies: “Elf,” 7 p.m. Dec. 1; and “Christmas Vacation,” 7 p.m., Dec. 15. Tickets for all events available at www.AstraTheatre.Eventbrite.com.
Jasper Arts Center Main Stage Series — “A Christmas Carol,” 7:30 p.m., Dec. 14; Mark Chesnutt and Joe Diffie, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 19; and Forever Young: You Life/Your Music, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 9. Backstage Series — Edmar Castaneda 7:30 p.m. Sunday; The Poulenc Trio, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; and Matt Beilis, 7:30 p.m., March 8. Family Fun Series — The Amazing Max, 3:30 p.m., Feb. 24. Live at The Astra! — The Good Humor Men, 7:30 p.m., March 15. Tickets are available by calling the arts center at 482-3070.
Area concerts Abbeydell Hall at the Legend of French Lick, 7328 W. County Road 100 W, West Baden Springs: Christmas Treasures, Nov. 27 and Dec. 1, 8, 14-15 and 22. www. legendoffrenchlick.com/abbeydell-hall Huntingburg Music Hall, 312 N. Main St.: The Shotgun Red Show and Opry Family Christmas Show, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15; doors open at 6:15 p.m. Free shuttle available at Opry entrance. $20 in advance by calling Nina at 812-893-1570.
Other concerts Corydon Live (formerly Corydon Jamboree), 320 Hurst Lane, north of town square: Allen Hilbert, Sarah Patrick and Josh McMillen, Saturday; Lloyd Wood Comedy and Country Music Show, Dec. 1; Christy Miller, Kelly Casey and Mike Boughey, Dec. 8; Clinton Spaulding, Brandi Anderson and Josh McMillen, Dec. 15; and Billy Keith and Greg Perkins, Dec. 29. 812-734-6288 or www.corydon.live The Ford Center, 1 S.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., Evansville: Luke Combs, Feb. 13, 2019. For the complete schedule, visit www.thefordcenter. com. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com KFC Yum! Center, Louisville: Bob Seger, Dec. 8. For the complete schedule, visit www.kfcyumcenter. com. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com
The Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St., Louisville: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Nov. 25; and Jim Brickman: A Joyful Christmas, Dec. 12. www.kentuckycenter.org Louisville Palace Theater, 625 S. Fourth St.: Kansas, March 23, 2019. For a complete schedule, visit www. louisvillepalace.com. 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com Owensboro Convention Center, 501 W. Second St.: Tracy Lawrence, Saturday; and A Rockin’ Country Christmas, Dec. 15. OwensboroTickets.com Victory Theatre, 600 Main St., Evansville (all times CT): Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra: Peppermint Pops, 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2 p.m. Dec. 2. www.evansvillephilharmonic.org or www.victorytheatre.com
Area plays Heritage Hills Auditorium, 3644 E. County Road 160N, Lincoln City:
THE HERALD ■ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018
“Scrooge’s Christmas,” 1, 3 and 6 p.m. CT Dec. 8 and 15 and 2 p.m. CT Dec. 16. $10 adults, $5 ages 13 and younger at the door.
Other plays Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 W. Main St.: “The Santaland Diaries,” through Dec. 23; and “A Christmas
ENTERTAINMENT: WEEKEND ■ PAGE 21
Carol,” Tuesday-Dec. 23; . 502-5841205 or www.actorstheatre.org/visit/ ticketing-options/ Derby Dinner Playhouse, Clarksville: “Holiday Inn,” through Dec. 31; and “A Velveteen Rabbit Christmas,” Saturday-Dec. 22. 812-288-8281 or www.derbydinner.com.
Fulton Ave.: “Dashing Through the Snow,” Dec. 7-9 and 14-16; “Big River,” Jan. 25-27 and Feb. 1-3; “And Then There Were None,” March 22-24 and 29-31; and “The 39 Steps,” May 17-19 and 24-26. www.evansvillecivictheatre.org or 812-425-2800.
Main St., Louisville: “A Christmas Story,” Nov. 27-Dec. 2; and “Hamilton,” June 4-23, 2019. www. kentuckycenter.org
Evansville Civic Theatre, 717 N.
The Kentucky Center, 501 W.
Victory Theatre, 600 Main St.,
RiverPark Center, 101 Daviess St., Owensboro: “Wizard of Oz,” Feb. 7; “Something Rotten,” Feb. 26, 2019; and “Kinky Boots,” April 3, 2019.
Evansville (all times CT): Noel, Dec. 7. www.victorytheatre.com
■■ Items for the Entertainment Guide may be emailed to news@dcherald. com or mailed to Entertainment Guide, The Herald, 216 E. Fourth St., Jasper IN 47546. The deadline is noon Tuesday for Thursday’s Herald.
Crime, politics, drama coalesce in masterpiece RICHARD ROEPER
A young widow has just buried her husband, but her tough-as-aChicago-brick, Polish-American mom is already telling her to get out there and find a man with deep pockets.
Windows êêêê Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson Rating: R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual content/nudity. “You better face facts,” says the mother. “You don’t have the skills to make it on your own.” The son of a powerful alderman privately tells his wife he might not have the stomach to run for his retiring father’s seat. His publicly compliant wife tears into him, telling him to man up. An oily-slick businessman is irritated when a paid escort suggests the next time they meet up, they could just hang out and she could cook dinner. Doesn’t she get it? Yeah, he likes her, but as with everything else in his life, she’s just a commodity to him. We meet these people in “Widows.” Any of them — the execrable moneymaker, the ambitious wife, the cruel mother of the widow — could be the centerpiece of an entire movie. And yet these richly drawn individuals are only bit players in Steve McQueen’s blistering and brilliant and hardpunching masterpiece. This is that rare movie where even the relatively peripheral characters are unforgettable. The Chicago of “Widows” sometimes feels like a supercharged and stylized and exaggerated Chicago, and yet there’s the ring of truth to it all. On its surface, this is a noir-ish heist film, but it’s just as much a political thriller, a story of victims who will be victims no more, a commentary on race and class warfare, and a multi-family drama with Shakespeare-level stakes. Yep, there’s a LOT of movie in this movie. In fact, “Widows” is based on a British TV series from the 1980s, and one can see how the Americanized update could have been turned into a six-part Netflix show. It does get extremely crowded at times. Yet director McQueen, working from a razor-sharp, beautifully balanced screenplay he cowrote with Gillian Flynn (”Gone Girl,” HBO’s “Sharp Objects”), is a maestro at moving from one plot thread to another while always keeping the entirety of the piece on point and on key. Viola Davis gives a breathtakingly pure performance as Veronica, a high-ranking officer with the Chicago Teachers Union who has been married for 20 years to Liam Neeson’s Harry. Veronica knows Harry is a career criminal, but she is content to look the other way and enjoy the fruits of his ill-gotten gains, including their
MERRICK MORTON/20TH CENTURY FOX/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Viola Davis, left, and Cynthia Erivo star in “Widows.” The film opens Friday at Jasper 8 Theatres. stunning penthouse apartment in a Mies van der Rohe building on Lake Shore Drive. When the supposed score of a lifetime goes horribly wrong, Harry and his partners are killed. Veronica is still in a state of shock and grief when the South Side crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) pays a visit to her apartment, holding her beloved pup by the collar and giving Veronica a month to pay back his $2 million, which went up in flames with Harry and his gang. Jamal’s actually trying to get out of the life — or perhaps expand his empire to include the front of political office — by running for 18th Ward alderman
against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), the shifty son of the ancient but still powerful pol Tom Mulligan (Robert Duvall). Jack resents the hell out of his father, who thinks Jack is a weakspined, fancy fool. When they meet to talk strategy, Tom scoffs at the abstract painting on the wall and mocks his son for spending $50,000 on “wallpaper.” “It’s art,” snarls Jack. “Wallpaper.” “Art!” “Wall. Paper.” Imagine the fun at Thanksgiving dinner. As Jack and Jamal lock horns in a tight race, with Jamal’s chillingly violent brother, Jatemme
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(Daniel Kaluuya), ominously lurking about, Veronica finds Harry’s much-sought-after notebook, which contains detailed plans for a heist that if carried out would yield not only the $2 million she owes Jamal, but enough cash for her and the other widows to make a fresh start. Michelle Rodriguez’s Linda, who has small children and has lost her store due to gambling debts accrued by her late hus-
band, is on board, as is Elizabeth Debicki’s equally desperate Alice, who has resorted to selling herself to that wealthy jerk. The fourth widow, Carrie Coon’s Amanda, has a newborn and wants nothing to do with this insane plan. With time running out, Veronica reluctantly agrees to allow Linda’s sometime baby sitter, Belle (Cynthia Erivo), to join the team. Mind you, none of them has any experience at this sort of thing, as evidenced in the darkly funny vignettes in which members of the “gang” purchase a getaway van and buy guns in depressingly easy fashion. Viola Davis deserves a best actress nomination. Veronica is a choice role — a romantic lead, a grieving widow, a terrified victim fearing for her life, the ringleader of an almost comically risky heist — and it’s a thrill to watch Davis showcase her world-class range. In a film bursting with notable supporting performances, the most exceptional and (by virtue of the screenplay) widest-ranging work comes from Brian Tyree Henry and Elizabeth Debicki, who are sensational. As always, Steve McQueen is an original and bold storyteller, delivering the goods with dazzling creativity. Even when “Widows” delves into pulpy, blood-soaked material, everything is filtered through the lens of a true artist. This is one of the best movies of the year.
K of C
201 East 30th St., Jasper
TURKEY BINGO Knights, Spouses & Widows of Deceased Members are Welcome
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18th Doors Open 2:00 PM
Preliminary Games 3:00 PM Thanksgiving Feast 4:00 PM Turkey Games 5:00 PM Meal $10.00 Limited seating. Call for meal reservations - 812-482-4292. Deadline 11/16 Meal not required to play Bingo
15th Annual HOLIDAY
Saturday, Nov. 17th * 8 AM-Noon White Elephant Sale * Pies * Cakes * Cookies * Breads * Turnip Slaw * Homemade Noodles * Candies * Jellies * Snacks * Unbaked (frozen) Dressing * Canned Items * Springerles * Scarves * Hand-Woven Rugs, Table Runners and Placemats * And So Much More. 140 E. 32nd Street – Jasper – 812-634-1123
Coffee Available During the Bazaar
