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.