Wednesday, May 11,2011

The Screening Room

’Le Concert’ celebrates a case of musical vengeance

by James Sanford

After your career as a maestro has been demolished and you’ve been branded an "enemy of the state" by no less than Leonid Brezhnev, what do you do for an encore?

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Wednesday, May 4,2011

It's the talk of the town

The women of WLNS have plenty to say about the new ’6 in the City’

by James Sanford

“And I’m stopping,” Aldrich said. But Aldrich and her fellow WLNS anchors and reporters ' Sheri Jones, Ann Emmerich, Lauren Thompson, Brittany Gray and Lisa Byington ' are actually starting something: a talk show that allows them to address issues they don’t usually have time to cover.

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Wednesday, May 4,2011

The Screening Room

Hollywood gets a jump on summer — once again

by James Sanford

It’s not your imagination: Summer really is getting earlier every year. At least the summer movie season is ' what used to begin around Memorial Day or mid-May has slowly crept up into late April, as evidenced by the launch of “Fast Five,” the latest entry in the “Fast and the Furious” series last weekend.

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Wednesday, April 20,2011

Broadway bonanza: ’Rock,’ soul and ’The Addams Family’

by James Sanford

The lineup features a couple of returning favorites and several premieres, including "Rock of Ages," which will warm the heart of any Bon Jovi/Def Leppard/Quiet Riot fans, and "The Addams Family," the musical based on the adventures of the macabre clan.

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Wednesday, April 20,2011

Easter egg hunt? Bring a shovel

Author Wade Rouse shares twisted holiday tales

by James Sanford

As the Saugatuck-based author notes in his latest book “It’s All Relative,” his father was an engineer with some unusual ideas about Easter egg hunts: Instead of being scattered around the lawn or tucked beneath the leaves of flowers in the garden, eggs at the Rouse house were buried in the ground.

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Wednesday, April 20,2011

The Screening Room

John Lepard has much to ’Scream’ about these days

by James Sanford

You’ll see Lepard about 15 minutes into the film. The Williamston Theatre executive director (and director of the theater’s recent hit “While We Were Bowling”) plays an English teacher, identified in the credits as Mr. Baker.

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Wednesday, April 13,2011

A citywide cinematic celebration

The Capital City Film Festival gets underway Thursday with shorts, features, music and a John Hughes tribute

by James Sanford

As far as Capital City Film Festival co-founder Dominic Cochran is concerned, there’s plenty of room in Lansing for more than one film fest. After all, this is not going to be a cinematic battle royale, with two organizations slugging it out for prime pictures.

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Wednesday, April 13,2011

The Screening Room

For director Tom McCarthy, it’s a ’Win Win’ situation

by James Sanford

BIRMINGHAM — His movie is called "Win Win." But this particular Friday morning had almost been a lose/lose for writer-director Tom McCarthy.

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Wednesday, April 6,2011

The Screening Room

'Mad Men' in limbo? Here are some alternatives

by James Sanford

You’ve heard the news: AMC’s “Mad Men” is on hiatus until sometime next year. No more flashbacks to the days of Mother’s Little Helpers and Daddy’s After- Work/Pre-Dinner Glass of Scotch.

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Thursday, March 24,2011

Taking it to the street — with style

’Exit Through the Gift Shop’ examines an ’art terrorist’ and his oddball admirer

by James Sanford

The term "street art" might have once triggered images of trains covered in psychedelic graffiti or slogans like "Thuggin’ ’Til The Casket Drops" spray-painted across an old fence. The Oscar-nominated "Exit Through the Gift Shop" tries to redefine that idea.

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