The thing that made Wes Craven’s 1996 horror film “Scream” famous and successful is that it took all the clichés from the popular slasher films and mushed them together to create something fresh and original. He followed it with two decent sequels. Now here we are with the fourth installment of the “Scream” series. Not bad, it’s only number four. If it were “Friday the Thirteenth” we’d be up to number 2,000 or something. To my surprise “Scream 4” is one of the best horror movie sequels out there, and a major improvement on the rather disappointing ”Scream 3.”
It’s a simple series of events: the countdown of the starter, the click of the gate, the whoosh of wheels and the cheers of half a dozen aspiring engineers – and the Queen Anne Cub Scouts’ annual Pinewood Derby has begun. Some go home with trophies, others leave slightly disappointed -- but all have fun designing their own unique vehicle and pitting it against those of other pack members.
Mike Smith, who has been an observer of the Magnolia business community for more than 42 years, sat on a stool in the Leroux Fine Apparel store and assessed the recent economic ups and downs of his local business community. “For the last two and half years, it’s been wacky for everybody,” Smith said. “I would say that we’ve turned the corner and things are modestly getting better.”
June 9, 1945 - February 7, 2011 Survived by wife Anne Zadra, daughter Sofie Fliss-Zadra, grandson Alfino Roberson, brother Frank, sister Maridel Fliss-Whitman, brother in-law Mark Whitman,
February 2, 1904 -February 13, 2011 Maud Lepley exhorted her basketball teams to "never give up," which was woven into the movie The Heart of the Game. It took 107 years before old age finally overcame her positive can-do spirit on Feb. 13, 2011.
With fellow students, friends and family cheering her on, Elizabeth Swanberg found herself in a close shave last Friday. The Catherine Blaine 8th grader took the stage in the school’s cafeteria and made good on her pledge to shave her long hair in return for donations to help fund cancer research and treatment.
Intiman Theatre and the Seattle Shakespeare Company is presenting the “Threepenny Opera.” Slide into the seedy underworld of Mac the Knife, a dapper criminal who leaves a trail of broken hearts and slashed throats wherever he roams. In this musical satire of “respectable” society, betrayals abound while new alliances form between the dashing thieves, saucy prostitutes, and scheming entrepreneurs in this crowning achievement of musical theatre. The musical plays through March 6. For ticket information, contact the Seattle Shakespeare Company or the Intiman Theater at www.intiman.org.
The Seattle City Council unanimously approved a lease agreement that calls for Dale Chihuly to build a glass-art exhibition hall in the area that used to house the Seattle Center’s Fun Forest, near the Space Needle.
Rick Williams, the older brother of the slain Nitinaht Indian John T. Williams, is helping to preserve his brother’s legacy through the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project. Williams’ lawyers asked him to create a design for two totem poles in remembrance of his brother. The first totem pole will stay at the Seattle Center, where Williams, his cousin Dennis Underwood, and his students are currently carving it, and the second will be moved to Westlake.
Fortunately for Seattle Opera’s current production of Massenet’s work, bass-baritone John Relyea was up to the task as the eccentric, aging knight. While it took time for him to warm into the role on opening night Saturday, and he wasn’t as physically doddering as I expected, his sweet befuddlement and transcendental madness completely captivated the audience. Relyea’s Quixote is a saint-like fool, scarcely connected to reality but acting from the noblest of intentions despite the obstacles.
Celebrate springtime with The Moisture Festival, Seattle’s Mainspring Event, rejoicing in its Eighth Year. Enjoy a selection of comedy/varietè/burlesque performances featuring colorful uncompromising local, national and international artists. This mix of adult and general entertainment runs from March 17 - April 10, at the following locations: Hale’s Palladium – Fremont; ACT- A Contemporary Theatre – Downtown; Open Space for Art and Community - Vashon Island; The Georgetown Ballroom - Georgetown ; SIFF Cinema – Seattle Center. Tickets are between $10 and $20 per show. For more information, go to www.brownpapertickets.com <http://www.brownpapertickets.com>
Two project managers from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) unveiled an elaborate plan for the Mercer West Project, and tackled a tough question or two, at a meeting of the Uptown Alliance the evening of Thursday, March 10.
The Freehold Group bought their first building in Interbay in 1998 and have long been one of the area’s strongest proponents. Now, they are advocating what some might see as a radical idea to help Interbay continue to grow and prosper.
Beyond wine, Queen Anne's Dan McCarthy has another great interest: painting. “Ever since I was a child I liked the idea of animation,” he said. In fact, McCarthy, the co-founder of McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants, which has shops on Queen Anne and in Ravenna, still sketches and enjoys other creative artwork as a pastime. “I’m not a golfer or a sports nut. I’d rather spend hours painting a piece,” McCarthy said. “I love impressionism and modern art and try to keep the art that I do within that arena. I’m not really a realist at all and my goal is different: I want artwork to be cheerful and friendly and not scary and intensely aggressive, and many modern artworks tend to be on the edgy side.” Lauren Formicola, who is a long-time friend and customer of McCarthy’s, recently opened a Queen Anne gift shop and gallery, called Charley + May, in honor of her grandparents, at 2225 Queen Anne Ave. N. She asked McCarthy if he would show some of his paintings in her shop, which is focused on modern design and accessories for men & women. She describes her shop’s focus as being about “form, plus function, plus fun.” (For more of this story, click on the title)