Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "awesome"

The Avengers

2012-05-06T23:30:50Z

In 2008 a little movie called Iron Man came out and dazzled us with fun characters, solid storytelling, and exciting set pieces. But the most exciting thing came at the end of the movie, after the credits rolled, when we were treated to a very short scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. That scene basically announced one of the craziest and coolest ideas anyone has ever had, a real live superhero team-up movie: The Avengers! And now after five setup movies and just four short years this epic nerdgasm of a film is finally here.

The Avengers begins with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) coming to Earth and stealing the Tesseract (that little blue cube from Captain America) from S.H.I.E.L.D. This is a problem as it contains unlimited power. So Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) calls together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor, (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to get the Tesseract back and stop Loki from taking over the world with it and his army of mysterious alien warriors. It’s certainly a bare bones plot but that doesn’t matter here, as the characters and their interactions are the real draw; more on that in a minute though.

First let’s talk about why the characters and their interactions are so good: Joss Whedon. Marvel made a fantastic decision when they decided to hire this guy to write and direct their biggest movie yet. Not only is he a consummate nerd but he’s also an incredibly talented filmmaker.

Nearly all of Whedon’s previous work has shown that he is very skilled when it comes to working with an ensemble cast. From Buffy to Angel to Firefly, Whedon knows how to give every character their due (with style to boot) while still telling a good story. Here it’s an invaluable skill as all of these heroes are such large personalities. And Whedon delivers. He really makes every character shine whether they’re kicking ass or just talking to each other. Whether it’s Thor or Cap or even Maria Hill (How I Met Your Mother’s Cobie Smulders) everyone gets to do something fun, exciting, surprising, or just straight up awesome.

Speaking of awesome how about the action scenes! A lot of people including myself have griped about the anti-climactic final battles in most of the Marvel films so far. Whether it was Thor’s truncated fight with the Destroyer Armor, or Tony Stark’s malfunctioning suit, there was never really a solid finish to any of those movies. Not the case with The Avengers as nearly the entire third act is a huge battle between Earth’s Mightiest heroes and Loki’s alien army. Just shot after shot of comic book badassery. There’s also little to no shaky cam or quick cutting. The camera is dynamic and engaging without distracting from what’s on screen (take note Jonathan Liebesman, this is how it’s done). It’s nice to have a director who knows how action should be shot and does it with a passion. You can tell that Whedon is as big a fan as anyone and that he can’t wait to see this movie either.

Now to the cast. Wow. They all have these characters down so well and they’re so awesome. Don’t really need to mention how awesome Downey is because we all know he owns the roll of Tony Stark. Evans continues to play Cap as a bigger boyscout than Superman and Hemsworth continues to make the Thor-speak work while filling out the costume and swinging the hammer in the coolest way possible.

Ruffalo is a wonderful addition as the tortured Bruce Banner. Certainly the most fun any actor has had with the role so far. I’m excited that he’s signed for 6 movies because his world weary but humored take on the character is refreshing after Edward Norton’s fairly bland portrayal.

Hiddleston as Loki is also great again. He’s never not compelling even when he’s wearing his goofy horned helmet. The man needs to be in more films stat.

As for our friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. Jackson is badass as Director Fury, Johansson is more than meets the eye as Black Widow, Renner is definitely underused as Hawkeye, Clark Gregg is at his scene-stealing comedic best as Agent Coulson, and newcomer Smulders is sexy and cool as Maria Hill. Pretty much everyone does a fantastic job both in front of and behind the camera.

The planning and the building of this franchise is, for lack of a better word, a marvel. It has been fascinating to see it unfold over the course of now six films and nearly five years. But the best part is that all the hype and all of the fanfare is completely justified.

The Avengers is a success in every way. It’s already a financial success (it’s made over $600 million worldwide as of this writing) but what’s more important is that it’s a creative success. Marvel did the right thing in letting Joss Whedon do his thing. This movie has real characters with real motivations and personalities while also delivering some of the best action oriented eye candy of recent memory. It’s scary to think about all of the things that could have gone wrong or stopped the film from ever happening. But there it is, as real as the blue sky outside. The Avengers gets a 5 out of 5.

Oh and don’t forget to sit all the way through the credits for this one, there are two extra scenes people. TWO!

The Avengers is playing in both 2D and 3D at most local cinemas including Century Downtown Plaza 7 and Century Stadium 14.

Everything is Awesome: Photographs by Keith Telfeyan

2010-12-07T02:04:02Z

Everything is Awesome, a solo exhibition of photographs by Keith Telfeyan, opens at Cuffs, 2523 J Street, Midtown Sacramento, on December 11, 2010 and will remain on view through January 7, 2011. Cuffs is open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm and Sun Noon-7pm.

The public is invited to a reception with the artist on December 11, from 6pm-10pm, as part of Sacramento’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk. Enjoy holiday snacks and drinks and Christmas tunes dj-ed by Shaun Slaughter while taking in the show. Cuffs is also sponsoring a toy drive to provide holiday gifts for children in need. Anyone who donates a toy will be entered in a drawing for a $50 certificate to the shop.

For his first solo show at Cuffs, Keith has created a series of digital C-prints from 35mm film entitled Everything is Awesome. Focusing on seemingly mundane, everyday sights, he executes the photographs in a way that causes the viewer to take a second glance—realizing the series title is, in fact, true.

With photography, Keith is able to capture scenes exactly how he perceives them, delivering his fresh take of the world to people who may otherwise be unswayed by a lamp post or a flock of birds. His work offers vision fields that give a lush and clean vicarious experience, bringing out transcendence through texture while alluding to the banal, ordinary moments of life being lived.

In Keith’s words: “Everything is everything. Sorrow and trees and architecture and love and chemistry and politics and the world. It’s awesome…to see a wave of oneness within each particular thing. Or perhaps the everyday itself is simply worth seeing in a new way.” Keith’s philosophy is tied in intrinsically to the photographs in this show. Attendees will leave with a novel view of the everyday and the knowledge that, yes, everything is awesome.

About the artist
Keith Telfeyan makes video art, short films, and photographs. He received his MFA from Parsons the New School for Design in 2009, and his Bachelor’s degree in Film from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003, where he also studied Philosophy and Rhetoric. His artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He was born and raised in Sacramento, California and resides in Brooklyn, New York. He is left-handed and keeps an active dream journal.

For further information about Keith Telfeyan and to see more examples of his artwork visit his website.

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All images by Keith Telfeyan:
1. Electric Spirituality
2. Pixilated Abyss
3. Slow Motion Explosion

Disclaimer: Alison Kranz is Public Relations contact for Keith Telfeyan.

Daunte Cullpepper: Here to Play

2010-06-10T03:18:43Z

I'm officially pumped for the UFL. To be exact, I'm pumped for your Sacramento Mountain Lions.

The Mountain Lions introduced their most recent signee, Daunte Culpepper, at a press conference at the Hilton Hotel Wednesday morning.

They also unveiled the team's new logo, a ferocious-looking saber-toothed fellow forming a sleek and dynamic "S". The logo is solid, and will look good on UFL-licensed merchandise. The Mountain Lions will have sweet hats.

Of course, it doesn't matter how cool the logo is. If the team and the league aren't a success, the merchandise won't sell.

On that front, both the team and the league took a major step in the right direction by bringing in the 6-foot 4-inch, 260-pound three-time Pro Bowl QB.

At 10 a.m., following the unveiling of a large banner bearing the new team name and logo, Culpepper and his wife Kim joined Coach Denny Green and Director of Business Management Joe Wagoner at a table below the banner.

Green walked up to the Hilton podium, grinning widely, and began his spiel.

Now, I suppose that all head coaches have to be part salesmen, but as a head coach in a league as new as the UFL, the sales ability becomes paramount. The UFL is a pretty new entity, and the Mountain Lions are brand new.

There is no body of work to fall back on, no built-in fan base. There is a room in the Pro Football Hall of Fame dedicated to the various pro leagues that have sprung up over the years as alternatives to the NFL. AFL, WFL, USFL,WLAF, ALF and XFL are just a few of the acronyms which have preceded the UFL in their attempt to be a profitable, successful complement to the NFL.

We, the would-be consumers, need reason to believe that the UFL is going to succeed where so many others have failed. We need to be convinced that this time is going to be different.

Denny Green is pretty darn convincing, and one heck of a salesman. I, for one, am drinking what he's pouring.

Before introducing Culpepper, he addressed the room with conviction.

"This is the beginning of a new era," he said, glancing at his new QB. "It's here now."

When Culpepper took the podium, he did so looking every bit like the superstar he once was. He spoke with a quiet confidence that belies his recent NFL struggles.

"I feel like I've got a lot more years ahead of me," the 33-year-old QB said. "I'm here to play."

He spoke of rejoining people that he knows and loves, and who know how to bring out the best in him. He had his best years in the NFL under Green's tutelage, and Mountain Lions offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek was his college coach at Central Florida.

Culpepper was not just paying lip service. I would have understood if he had seemed less than thrilled to be in the situation he is in. This is a guy who was at one point a top three quarterback in the NFL, and here he is joining a fledgeling league at the relatively tender age of 33. This wasn't the case at all.

He spent the vast majority of the press conference with a comfortable smile on his face. At no time during his statement or the question-and-answer period did he sound the least bit disappointed or embittered. And there were plenty of opportunities during the Q&A for him to vent his frustration or disappointment.

"I could have settled for a backup job somewhere, but that's not where I'm at," he said of NFL opportunities.

When asked why no one would give him the opportunity to win a starting job in the NFL, he joked that "people assume I'm 40."

When asked about his NFL aspirations, he responded that his goal was to help the Mountain Lions win a championship. It's not about getting back to the NFL, but "what I can do for the UFL."

Would he rather be starting in the NFL? I'm sure, but that wasn't in the cards for this season. For the time being, the man is clearly happy to be here, happy to have the opportunity to play in this system again, happy to have the chance to prove himself one more time.

The NFL's loss is our gain. Culpepper was asked how his surgically repaired knee felt.

"I feel great," he said with no hesitation. "I'm 100 percent healed from my knee surgery."

He went on to elaborate that when he had the surgery in 2005, his doctor told him it would take two years to recover. Culpepper was back on the field in nine months, before he had a chance to get fully healthy, and his play suffered.

With the knee no longer a concern, and Culpepper reconnecting with the men under whom he achieved his greatest successes, all of a sudden this is a captivating Mountain Lions team. Green raved about the talent and speed that they had brought in to camp. Green ended the session with a comment that, if it holds true, will guarantee the success of the UFL.

"We're bringing NFL (quality) football to non-NFL cities," he said.

A month ago, I would have scoffed at the notion. With the addition of Daunte Culpepper, all of a sudden it seems plausible. Pass me the Kool-Aid. . . and a Mountain Lions hat.

The New Girl: Straight Talk from CH

2009-11-17T08:01:00Z

I was sad to leave nearly all my friends behind when I left the Bay Area, but the good news is that I have relatives coming out of the woodwork here in Citrus Heights, all within a few miles’ radius of my house. They have been leading busy lives here for decades and lifetimes. They are some of the smartest and funniest people I know, too. They probably wouldn’t take too kindly to my grousing about their neck of the woods, but then they’re the ones I stole the best lines from, so they have only themselves to blame!

In contrast to people in the Bay Area, who tend to either be very kind or very opinionated, I have found that folks here tend to be both kind and opinionated. They generally will let you know what they think, and they’ll give you the weather report, too. This hit home just this past week when I gave myself a black eye while visiting my daughter in Monterey. (I had a run-in with a stairwell; don’t ask. The eye is fine, but even the doctor said it was the most impressive shiner she had seen in a long time.) So my daughter and I made up stories to tell people in the restaurants, the shops, at the beach, at the aquarium when they asked about my eye. She got tired of my lip and let me have it. I got into a healthcare debate over at the bingo hall. That kind of thing. But the funny thing is, no one asked. They looked away and were exceedingly polite; I guess somehow a black eye seems like it’s—well, a private matter.

When I got home, it was an entirely different story—I should say stories, because everyone asked, with great concern, and then proceeded to tell me their own black eye stories. One sweet old guy at Kaiser came over to tell me about a battered wife who finally tied down her husband while he was sleeping and started in on him with a frying pan. (I think he wanted to encourage me to stick up for myself, in case my story about the staircase turned out to be fabricated.) The woman at the dentist’s office told me she had had five black eyes in her life—all accidents—but one was accidentally inflicted by her father, so she held it over his head every time she wanted a new toy. My favorite shiner story of all time is from a friend of the family—who finally admitted that it happened the night before when she and her husband were “playing fort.” (They live near Foothill Farms. It’s okay to do stuff like that there.)

Another funny thing about people who live here: you ask them where something is and they tell you what it’s next to. I asked where a certain little sushi place was and was told it’s over by Raley’s. When they see the glazed look in my eye, they think I’m nuts; who in the world doesn’t know where Raley’s is? Everything around here is just over behind something else. Where’s Costco? Well, it’s right there next to Walmart. Do we have a party supply store? Well, that’s Wishing Well. And where is that? Do I know where Smart & Final is? Turn left and it’s right behind that, across from the 99-Cent Store. Duh.

I had to call Uncle Ed to get the above conversation. I wrote it down verbatim. He calls me Sueburger—don’t ask me why—but I like it! No one in the Bay Area would ever even consider calling me Sueburger. In fact I told Ed there’s a Suzie Burger downtown at the P Street exit off 80 and he was astounded. Why would you want to go all that way when you’ve got one right here in Citrus Heights? That’s me; I’m Sueburger, the New Girl.

Interview: Trash Film Orgy's Co-Producer Christy Savage

2009-07-10T21:36:26Z

Trash Film Orgy
Saturdays, Midnight (doors open at 11:30pm), July 8th – August 15th
Crest Theatre

By Tony Sheppard
Capitol Weekly

As well known to the veteran loyal fans (many of whom routinely wear zombie makeup) as it is completely unknown to more formal film festival goers, the Trash Film Orgy (TFO) opens its 9th season this Saturday, at midnight at the Crest. Every week of the season, TFO showcases a cult or B-movie offering with audience participation, in the form of competitive loud witty banter during the movie, not just permitted but encouraged. I asked TFO Co-Producer Christy Savage a few questions about the concept and this season’s lineup:

Tony: Could you explain the basic concept behind TFO?
Christy: The Trash Film Orgy is really all about fun. We embrace the sensationalism of the old Grindhouse movie shows, the fun of the Drive-In experience and the no-holds barred attitude of the Midnight Movie. We strive to give our audiences a truly unique, enjoyable theatre experience, while presenting the best in 35mm cult and exploitation cinema.

Tony: You’ve clearly had a taste for Trash Films for a long time, how did that first translate to the TFO festival idea?
Christy: Back in the late 90’s, our buddy Keith Lowell Jensen was doing a movie show, the Thursday Night Grindhouse, at the Colonial Theatre, and we were doing a similar sort of thing on Cable Access TV: Deth’s Oogly Hed. When Keith lost his partners in the Grindhouse, he suggested we team up to do a show at the Crest and well...the rest is history.

Tony: The screenings are a little unique in their audience participation, are there any guidelines and rules for audience members?
Christy: Once again, the key word for TFO is FUN! We strongly encourage folks to play along and have fun at our shows, but of course we do expect our audience to also be respectful of others and show normal common decency. For instance, we’re fine with heckling, but please don’t just yell non-stop obscenities...that’s not fun for anyone, just annoying. Practicing common sense wherever you are can really go a long way...after all, we’re all adults here.

Tony: For non-TFO regulars, could you describe a few of the other things someone might expect to find at TFO?
Christy: You would be wise to expect the unexpected! You never know what you might find at TFO - that’s part of the fun! But some ‘normal’ TFO things would include: Lots of folks in costumes; lots of zombies; lots of beautiful, scantily clad ladies; ridiculously silly stage shows; interactive games and contests; original and vintage shorts; and the finest in late-night cinema fun!

Tony: What are some of this year’s highlights?
Christy: Besides an awesome sampling of the best in cult cinema, we will also be welcoming back our original host-Francois Fly! We will be transforming the Crest Lobby into the seedy spectacle that is Trashville - an interactive shanty town full of fun and surprises. We will also be welcoming legendary director Jim Wynorski when we screen “Chopping Mall” on July 25th and hosting a Vampire Prom when we show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on August 1st. And so much, much more.... [Note: These two screenings coincide with the Sacramento Film & Music Festival, July 24th - August 2nd at the Crest Theatre, and Festival Passes are also honored at TFO]

Tony: Not satisfied with just screening Trash, you’re now making Trash - what’s next for TFO Productions?
Christy: Our last film “Monster from Bikini Beach” managed to gain us quite a bit of attention and excellent reviews, so our big focus now has indeed become making our own feature films. This year, we are making a brand new and exciting film: “Planet of the Vampire Women.” It’s an action-packed sci-fi adventure of the galaxy’s sexiest space pirates who pull off the ultimate heist only to crash into an unknown world. Finding themselves trapped on a storm-shrouded planet overrun with monsters, the intergalactic outlaws unknowingly awaken an unspeakable horror that causes the dead to walk...with an insatiable lust for blood!

TFO schedules and archives are available online at www.trashfilmorgy.com