Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 7, 2015

11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 7, 2015 


SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 

HBO’S TOGETERNESS SEEKS PURPOSE 

Jeff’s Book Picks By Jeff Brown

THE MAN WHO TOUCHED 
HIS OWN HEART: TRUE TALES 
OF SCIENCE, SURGERY, AND 
MYSTERY by Rob Dunn 

The Man Who Touched His Own 
Heart tells the raucous, gory, 
mesmerizing story of the heart, from 
the first “explorers” who dug up 
cadavers and plumbed their hearts’ 
chambers, through the first heart 
surgeries-which had to be completed 
in three minutes before death arrived-
to heart transplants and the latest 
medical efforts to prolong our hearts’ 
lives, almost defying nature in the 
process.Thought of as the seat of our 
soul, then as a mysteriously animated 
object, the heart is still more a mystery than it is 
understood. Why do most animals only get one 
billion beats? (And how did modern humans get to 
over two billion-effectively letting us live out two 
lives?) Why are sufferers of gingivitis more likely 
to have heart attacks? Why do we often undergo 
expensive procedures when cheaper ones are just 
as effective? What do Da Vinci, Mary Shelley, 
and contemporary Egyptian archaeologists have 
in common? And what does it really feel like to 
touch your own heart, or to have someone else’s 
beating inside your chest? Rob Dunn’s fascinating 
history of our hearts brings us deep inside the 
science, history, and stories of the four chambers 
we depend on most.

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR 
CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. 
A strange collection of very curious photographs. 
It all waits to be discovered in Miss 
Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar 
Children, an unforgettable novel 
that mixes fiction and photography 
in a thrilling reading experience. 
As our story opens, a horrific 
family tragedy sets sixteen-year-
old Jacob journeying to a remote 
island off the coast of Wales, where 
he discovers the crumbling ruins of 
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar 
Children. As Jacob explores its 
abandoned bedrooms and hallways, 
it becomes clear that the children 
were more than just peculiar. They 
may have been dangerous. They 
may have been quarantined on a 
deserted island for good reason. And somehow 
impossible though it seems they may still be alive. 
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting 
vintage photography, it will delight adults, teens, 
and anyone who relishes an adventure in the 
shadows.

THE WINDS OF WAR by Herman Wouk

A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction-The Great 
Novel of America’s “Greatest Generation” Herman 
Wouk’s sweeping epic of World War II, which 
begins with The Winds of War and continues in 
War and Remembrance, stands as the crowning 
achievement of one of America’s most celebrated 
storytellers. Like no other books about the war, 
Wouk’s spellbinding narrative captures the tide of 
global events-and all the drama, romance, heroism, 
and tragedy of World War II-as it immerses us in 
the lives of a single American family drawn into 
the very center of the war’s maelstrom.

By Sean Kayden


Togetherness, the new 
HBO dramedy series, 
paints the portrait of soon 
to be 40 year olds framed 
in the married life. While 
other TV shows focusing 
on life in your 20s and early 30s tend to be driven 
solely by comedy, Togetherness is more on the cusp 
of dramatic elements doused in lightheartedness. 
Ubiquitous filmmakers/brothers Mark and Jay 
Duplass created the half hour sitcom, which 
features eight episodes. They are responsible for 
writing, directing, and producing ever-single 
episode of the first season, which debuted several 
weeks ago. Mark also stars in FX’s The League, 
while Jay is in Amazon’s award winning series, 
Transparent. The two siblings have had major 
success on the independent level while creating 
and/or producing several films over the years 
such as Cyrus and Jeff Who Lives At Home. They 
recently struck a four-picture deal with Netflix. 
However, in this series, which was already renewed 
by HBO for a second season, the Duplass brothers 
pursue to retell the old and somewhat tired story 
of a married couple trying to obtain the luster 
once found in their long-term relationship. Their 
attempts, nonetheless, are surprisingly refreshing. 

 In addition of creating the series, Mark also 
stars in Togetherness as Brett Pierson, a sound 
editor looking to rediscover himself. Brett’s wife, 
Michelle, is portrayed by Melanie Lynskey (Hello, I 
Must Be Going, Happy Christmas). She is resisting 
the inevitability of adulthood. She’s a mother and 
wife, but appears unmotivated for both roles. In 
the beginning of the pilot episode, Brett tries to 
have sex with his wife, but Michelle only wants 
to catch up on much needed sleep. It’s kind of 
the cliché scenario, but still told considerably 
well. As you might have guessed, their sex life is 
nonexistent. Michelle simply isn’t into it anymore 
and doesn’t know why. Lynskey brings a raw and 
real sensibility to her character. In fact, all the 
actors in the show, while playing particular “types” 
of characters honestly portray them like authentic 
people. Whereas the main storyline focuses on 
these two and their personal desires and therefore 
lack of desires toward one another, the other side 
to this series are having Michelle’s sister Tina and 
Brett’s best friend Alex temporarily move in with 
them. The wonderful Amanda Peet plays Tina, 
the wildish sort seeking a man to take care of her. 
Alex, the out of work/out of shape actor recently 
evicted from his apartment is represented by the 
humorous Steve Zissis. These two strike up an 
awkward, but sincere friendship. However, Alex, 
unsurprisingly, starts to have a thing for Tina. 
Hence the show’s title, the foursome is dealing with 
their own personal issues as they find themselves 
living beneath one roof trying to figure out which 
path to walk down.

 The Duplasses bring an indie-film sensibility to 
Togetherness. After the first three aired episodes, 
I notice the show has more intrigue than its 
predecessor. The brothers aren’t reinventing this 
tale, but their approach is fresh and different. 
Togetherness isn’t laugh out loud funny, but the 
characters are magnetic to watch. It’s a show that 
should spark interest for those willing to give it a 
chance. While the deliberately slow paced nature 
could be a turn off for some, Togetherness seems 
to be more grounded than other shows of recent 
memory attempting to illustrate a musty married 
life on the small screen. It’s not entirely pitch-
perfect, but just like the individual lives on display 
pursing the right or what seems to be the privilege 
of habitual happiness is undeniably absorbing to 
watch.


On the Marquee: Notes from the Sierra MadrePlayhouse


45TH ANNUAL FRIENDS OF THE SIERRA MADRE 
LIBRARY WINE AND CUISINE TASTING 

Tickets are on sale now for the 45th Annual Friends of 
the Sierra Madre Library Wine and Cuisine Tasting. 
The event will be held on Friday evening, February 
20, 2015, at the Alverno Villa, 675 West Highland 
Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA. The Alverno Villa Del Sol 
D’Oro, built on 13 acres in the foothills of Sierra Madre 
was designed by notable Pasadena architect Wallace 
Neff. Well-known in the Los Angeles area, Neff was 
the designer of Pickfair, we well as an architect to 
many of Hollywood’s earliest stars. The Villa is a two-
thirds scale replica of the Villa Collazzi near Florence 
rumored to have been designed by Michelangelo. Plan 
to attend this elegant affair in an historic setting where 
you will experience a tasting of fines wines from across 
the state as well as hors d’oeuvres and desserts from 
local restaurants and gourmet retailers. 

 Tickets to the Premier Event are $80 and allow 
you early admission at 6:00PM. Johnny Stange, the 
sommelier from Treasury Wine Estates, will give a 
special wine tasting for those at the Premier Event, a 
chocolatier will provide chocolates to be paired with 
the red wines, and a local restaurant will offer hors 
d’oeuvres to be paired with the white wines. 

 Tickets to the Main Event are $60 and provide 
admission at 7:00 PM. Throughout the evening you 
will enjoy live music and Magic Castle magicians as 
you stroll about the lovely grounds of the Alverno Villa 
sampling the wonderful wines and appetizers. A silent 
auction will again be offering lovely artwork, services, 
tickets to special events, restaurant vouchers, and many 
other tempting items. Tickets are currently on sale at 
the Sierra Madre Library, the Bottle Shop, Savor the 
Flavor, and Arnold’s Frontier Hardware.


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