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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2016)
May 18, 2016 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment FILM REVIEW: It’s Birds Vs. Pigs in ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ by Kam Williams For The Skanner News W ith over three billion downloads and count- ing, Angry Birds is the most popular app of all time. Neverthe- less, one need not be familiar with the vid- eo game to enjoy this delightful animated Josh Gad is the voice of Chuck and Jason Sudeikis of Red in this " adventure. The kid-oriented frenetically-paced production" based on the free-to-play game cartoon was co-direct- ed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis who in peace. Truth be told, the pair have a make an auspicious debut with this hidden agenda about to be executed by silly comedy featuring enough sophis- an army of other pigs about to be un- ticated asides to keep adults thorough- leashed. After suckering the masses of gentle, ly entertained, too. The frenetical- gullible birds into letting down their ly-paced production arrives laced with guard, the diabolical invaders proceed witty one-liners (likes “Something isn’t to steal every hatched egg on the island Kosher about these pigs.”) as well as a before setting sail for home. Once, it’s cornucopia of cute sight gags (such as a billboard for “Calvin Swine” under- clear they’ve all been duped, the irri- table quartet, led by Red, springs into wear). The story is set on idyllic Bird Island, action. Because they can’t fly, they soon real- a tropical paradise inhabited by a vari- ize their best chance of retrieving the ety of very happy flightless birds. As eggs rests in enlisting the assistance of the film unfolds, we’re introduced to Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), the only four exceptions to the rule who actual- bird on the island who can. Trouble is, ly have trouble controlling their tem- pers. We find protagonist Red (Jason he’s lazy and hasn’t flown in ages. of Sudeikis), along with Chuck (Josh Gad), course, Red and company do eventu- Bomb (Danny McBride) and Terence ally coax him out of retirement to join (Sean Penn), attending an anger man- forces and help save the day A kooky, kitchen sink comedy with agement class being taught by Matilda lots of laughs for kids of all ages! (Maya Rudolph), a former angry bird- turned therapist. Very Good HHH The plot thickens upon the arrival of Rated PG for action and rude humor a big boat containing a couple of green Running time: 95 minutes pigs (Bill Hader and Tony Hale) claim- Distributor: Sony Pictures ing to be alone and explorers coming FILM REVIEW: ‘Queen Mimi’ Chronicles Hardy 88-Year-Old’s Path from Homelessness to Hollywood By Kam Williams For The Skanner News M arie “Mimi” Haist began liv- ing in her car when she was in her 50s. That was after she lost her house in the wake of a nasty divorce. And when she could no long afford to keep up the car, she ended up struggling to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. One day, the owner of the laundro- mat where she washed her clothes took pity on her. He not only gave her a job, but allowed her to start sleeping there overnight in a chair behind the first row of washers. Because the store was in Santa Monica, it catered to a number of up- scale clientele. Zach Galifianakis and Renee Zellweger were among the many locals who came to befriend Mimi. Eventually, the two actors de- cided to help the down-and-out octo- genarian, with the former renting her an apartment while the latter “ Homeless after a nasty divorce, Marie "Mimi" Haist lived in a California laundromat for more than 20 years that intrigued director Yaniv Rokah enough to make her the subject of a film. ...a revealing documentary offering an in- timate portrait of a feisty, yet very likable lady with a strong survival instinct intact furnished it for free. Zach also had her as a guest on his TV show and took her as his date to a red carpet movie premiere. But who was this woman who had spent more than 30 years homeless? What had her life been like before her fall from grace? Did she have any children or other loved ones? Those were the sort of questions The upshot of that effort is “Queen Mimi,” a revealing documentary offering an intimate portrait of a feisty, yet very likable lady with a strong survival instinct intact. A heartwarming reminder that there but for fortune, may go you or I. Very Good HHH Unrated Running time: 76 minutes Wake of Vanport Series Workshop Join the Wake of Vanport 2016 Series production team and learn video production for FREE! On Memorial Day 1948, a dike broke on the Columbia River starting a flood that would leave 18,000 people homeless and altering race relations in Portland forever. This class is designed to tell the stories through oral history video production of these individuals. You will interview Vanport flood survivors as they talk about their lives in Vanport be- fore and after the flood that displaced many Portlanders and left over 18,000 homeless. Ten producers are trained on equipment, taught interview techniques, conduct interviews with Vanport survivors, and edit their productions using Final Cut Pro X. Equipment is loaned to producers throughout the workshop at no charge. Topics covered in this workshop include the fundamentals of HD camera operation (Canon C100 Mk2), audio, shot composition, interviewing, lighting techniques and ed- iting. These completed videos will be aired on the PCM channels and during special events throughout Portland. FIELD PRODUCTION CLASSES 5/24 (Tues.) 5/26 (Thurs.) 5/30 (Mon.) and 6/2 (Thurs.) • 6 – 9 p.m. You will learn the necessary video fundamentals to produce a short film to tell their story. Topics covered include the fundamentals of HD camera operation (Canon C100 Mk2), audio, shot composition, interviewing, and lighting techniques. EDITING CLASSES 6/20 (Mon.), 6/21 (Tues.) • 6 – 9 p.m. Final Cut Pro X training and editing raw Vanport footage to a 5 -8 minute production. Classes held at PORTLAND COMMUNITY MEDIA Register at: https://community.pcmtv.org/education/workshops/camera-editing-introduc- tory-specialty/wake-vanport-2016-series-registration This is a project sponsored by The Skanner Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts, Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission and Portland Community Media.
