Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 27, 2011

11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 27, 2011 

Sierra Madre Playhouse PresentsGilbert & Sullivan'sThe Yeomen of the GuardAugust 19 - September 24Director: Eugene J. HutchinsMusic Director: Brian Asher AlhadeffPurchase tickets online: www.sierramadreplayhouse.orgor call: (626) 355-4318 • Group Sales: (626) 836-2125facebook.com/sierramadreplayhouse
SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

REVIEWS:

THE CHANGE UP


As the race continues for the 
best comedy of the summer, 
The Change-Up may just be 
the one to hold the throne. 
While this illustrious status 
might appear to be grand in 
nature, one must bear in mind 
that it’s not like it was going 
up against stiff competition. 
Any specific elements that 
seemed to be lacking in The 
Hangover: Part II, Horrible 
Bosses and Bad Teacher 
(nothing in that film worked 
at all), is touched upon (at 
times half-heartedly) in The 
Change-Up. It went for more 
crudeness than Horrible 
Bosses, it provided more 
consistent laughs than The 
Hangover: Part II and did 
everything better than the 
ill-conceived Bad Teacher. 
The plot of the movie is far 
from original. It’s about two 
best friends that live entirely 
different lifestyles and 
magically switch bodies after 
announcing to one another 
that they wish they had the 
other’s life. Jason Bateman 
plays Dave Lockwood, a 
straight-laced, successful 
lawyer and father of three. He 
doesn’t spend all that much 
time with his wife these 
days and it has a put a bit 
of strain on their marriage. 
Ryan Reynolds portrays 
Mitch Planko, a single, sort 
of loser-ish ladies man. It’s 
briefly shown that he has a 
stressed relationship with his 
father, played by Alan Arkin. 
It is due to the fact that Mitch 
never grew up and lacks 
any true responsibilities or 
motivation. In any event, after 
a night of drinking (never 
entering “Hangover” status-
like), Dave and Mitch decide 
to urinate in a fountain. Once 
they recite the same lines 
about wanting the other’s life 
simultaneously, the whole 
city has a rolling black out. 
The following morning, 
they wake up in the other’s 
body. This occurs within 
the initial fifteen minutes 
and after that, the energetic 
pace of the movie dives into 
outrageous, ridiculous, and 
absurd terrain. However, 
it’s sort of endearing and 
sentimental too. It’s a wildly 
uneven ride, but that’s why it 
kind of works. 

The electrifying comedic 
performances of Bateman 
and Reynolds are what 
make the movie become 
lifted from pure mediocrity. 
It’s fun to watch these guys 
playing the type of character 
the other one usually plays. 
We’re so accustomed to Jason 
Bateman playing the same, 
straight-laced 
character, such 
as the one from 
his beloved TV 
series, Arrested 
Development. 
Reynolds is 
usually the 
fratboy, too 
cool for school 
sort of guy, 
but plays 
the reserved 
and more 
responsible type. 
It’s actually refreshing to see if 
you’re a fan of these two actors 
(such as I am). Surprisingly 
so, the supporting women 
characters were written quite 
well. Leslie Mann and Olivia 
Wilde don’t feel like stock 
women characters for the 
men to merely just play off 
of. They are independent, 
believable and have real 
personalities. Director David 
Dobkin, best known for 
Wedding Crashers, is able 
to get everyone on their 
A-game. He keeps things wild 
and unrestrained, but knows 
(majority of the time) not to 
go too overboard. However, 
he probably used a little 
more CGI than necessary. I 
guess the new thing for nude 
scenes is CGI nipples. Hey 
guys, kind of shame, isn’t it? 
As I digress, Jon Lucas and 
Scott Moore, the team behind 
the first Hangover, wrote the 
screenplay. They certainly 
know how keep things fun 
and vibrant. The script’s pace 
is swift and generally funny, 
but not everything here is a 
success. Sometimes the jokes 
go a little too far for a laugh 
and the gross out humor 
in the beginning may be a 
turn off for some. There are 
a lot of F-bombs and while 
most seem appropriate, 
the overwhelmingly 
amount could have certain 
individuals turned off by it. 
In the third act, the movie 
wanders into the obligatory 
life lesson segment. While 
we perceptively know where 
it’s heading, it does however, 
genuinely feel valid getting 
there. Needless to say, it does 
it a hell of a better than the 
atrocious Bad Teacher set 
out to accomplish. 

It’s possible to write off The 
Change-Up as a Hollywood 
manufactured movie. The 
premise is as old as dirt and 
certain plot points seems to 
be sugarcoated. Strangely 
enough, the movie is far 
better than what it is on paper 
and simply based on the 
trailer alone. It’s a traditional 
story kicked up a few notches 
with its ribald dialect, 
raunchiness, and distasteful 
humor, but it actually comes 
together relatively well. 
The performances are spot 
on and that’s credited to 
Bateman and Reynolds’ ultra 
strong comedic sensibilities. 
The Change-Up easily 
provides the most laughs of 
any of the R-rated comedies 
this summer. It’s risky and 
takes chances the other films 
seem to avoid on doing. 
While it’s far from perfect 
and has its share of problems, 
it’s ultimately satisfying in 
the way a summer comedy 
should be.

THE CHANGE UPRelease Date: August 5, 2011

Directed by: David Dobkin
Screenplay by: Jon Lucas and Scott 
Moore

Rated: R for pervasive strong, crude 
sexual content and language, some 
graphic nudity and drug use.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

JEAN SUDBURY AND RUBEN RAMOS, CONNEXION 

ECLECTIQUE, IN CONCERT AT THE SIERRA MADRE 

PLAYHOUSE. Sunday Evening, September 18, at 7:30


Angel City Jazz 
Festival Young Artist 
Competition 

Winner, Larry Karush 
Quintet Play 
at Jazz at LACMA 
September 23

 Los Angeles, CA – August 24, 2011 – 
The acclaimed Angel City Jazz Festival 
continues its 2011 run with a FREE 
event at the Los Angeles County Museum 
of Art as part of their Jazz at LACMA 
Friday night series. The event will take 
place on Friday September 23 at 6:00pm and 
feature a set by the winner of the Angel City 
Jazz Festival Young Artist Competition and 
a set by the noted Larry Karush Quintet. 

 2011 is the debut year of the Angel City 
Jazz Young Artist Competition. All entered 
ensembles were composed of musicians between 
the ages of 15 and 24 years old, have 
at least one member currently enrolled in a 
high school, college, music academy or university 
in the greater Los Angeles area, consist 
of between 3 and 10 members, and compose, 
arrange and perform original music 
which features improvisation. The selected 
finalists River Keefer, the Connor McElwain 
Group, Shutz Vtet, and the Sears - Gurrola 
- Yokota Trio will perform before a panel 
of judges Thursday September 15 at Blue 
Whale jazz club in Little Tokyo at 123 Astronaut 
E S Onizuka Street starting at 8pm. The 
judges for the competition will be festival 
artists Dwight Trible & Larry Karush, festival 
producer and Cryptogramophone Label 
owner Jeff Gauthier, and club owner Joon 
Lee. This performance is open to the public 
and the cover is just $5. The winning ensemble 
will receive a $1000 prize, and perform 
at LACMA on September 23 as part of the 
Angel City Jazz Festival.

 

The Larry Karush Quintet, featuring two 
percussionists, drums and bass, performs 
Larry’s jazz/world/new music comprovisations. 
This program will feature his "Songs 
for the New City" and the L.A. premiere of 
the revised version of "The Wheel", originally 
commissioned by the City of Los Angeles 
through the LA Department of Cultural 
Affairs.

For more information see http://www.angelcityjazz.
com. For press information please 
contact Susan von Seggern on susan@susanvonseggern.
com or 213-840-0077. 

ABOUT THE ANGEL CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Angel City Arts proudly announces the lineup 
for the 2011 ANGEL CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL 
September 22 - October 2, 2011. The theme 
for the fourth annual festival is Global Jam, 
with artists representing eight countries at 
seven events in six venues throughout Los 
Angeles.

The festival venues include LACMA, REDCAT 
(Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater), 
The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Zipper 
Hall, The Echoplex, and The Blue Whale. 
Some of the artists performing at the festival 
include Armenian pianist and Thelonius 
Monk competition winner Tigran Hamasyan, 
Indian saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, 
the African ensemble Burkina Electric with 
percussionist Lukas Ligeti and special guest 
D.J. Spooky, Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda, 
German vocalist Theo Bleckmann, 
French artists The Kandinsky Effect, the Australian 
trio The Necks, and a tribute to Art 
Ensemble of Chicago legend Roscoe Mitchell 
and a performance by his trio in celebration 
of his 71st birthday.

For more information, please see www.angelcityjazz.
com. 


Jean and Ruben will perform Original compositions with a World Music flair, available for sale on 
their premiere CD. The music of Connexion Eclectique is a varied collection of compositions written 
and performed by Jean Sudbury and Ruben Ramos.

Their music is reminiscent of bygone eras, when constellations and compasses were the only travel 
guides across the vast horizon of blue.

Their music takes you to France, to the Mediterranean Sea, to South America, Mexico, and to California. 
Sudbury and Ramos share a vast anthology of experience, artistically and socially. The 

synergy of their combined knowledge creates the music of CONNEXION ECLECTIQUE

Due to the high demand for her tutoring and education services, bookstore 
owner, Sally Morrison, is opening a new learning center here in Sierra Madre. 
Mindspring Education Center will cater to students (children and adults) 
interested in furthering their reading, writing, math, spelling, and 
comprehension skills. In addition, Sally offers assistance in study skills, 
homework, and test preparation. She also specializes in helping students 
with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Those interested in summer 
sessions should contact Mindspring soon because space is limited.
As a result of this business expansion, Sally Morrison and Jeffrey Ingwalson, 
owners of Sierra Madre Books, will be closing the bookstore in June 2011. 
“We appreciate all the support we’ve received from our customers over the 
past few years, but are excited about our new venture. We look forward to 
continuing to be part of this community.”
For questions about Mindspring Education Center, please call (626) 355-1972.
For questions about Sierra Madre Books, please call (626) 836-3200.
Announcing:
The Opening of...
Mindspring Education CenterOne-to-One Instruction for All Ages37 Auburn Ave., Suite 7ASierra Madre, CA 91024(626) 355-1972www.mindspringEDC.com
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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com