Paranormal State Field Trip to Katie's Bar @ Smithtown, NY

What do you do when your co-worker comes running up to you and asks if you would go on a paranormal field trip to a haunted bar to hunt ghosts that will be sponsored by a TV show you have never even seen? You say hell yeah! It was a fun weekend but I did fall asleep once during the Charlie Brown like droning of the psychic, Lorraine Warren who investigated the Amityville horror house, but my friend, E who is pictured above, saved me before the enraptured crowd could stone me for my offense. The high points of my trip where my introduction to Blueberry Ale at Katie's Bar, a local brew, and the Lemon Cake martini by the lovely blond at the hotel bar on our last night there. The martini is one part pineapple juice, one part vanilla vodka and two parts amaretto - enjoy!

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Antony and Cleopatra @ Sidney Harman Hall

Kurt Rhoads is back as Mark Antony in this second installment of the Roman Repertory. I have to say I prefer the Mark Antony from Julius Caesar much better than the simpering love stuck mess in this play. Even with that said, Suzanne Bertish as Cleopatra eclipses all of fellow actors when she is on the stage. She is beautiful, charming, crazy and funny in her performance. Everyone should have the opportunity to see her burn up the stage and come away richer for the experience.

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You Don't Mess With The Zohan

Adam Sandlar and the familar faces are back in this latest Happy Madison production. Sandler is the infamously disenchanted Israeli Special Forces soldier who longs to be a hair dresser in New York. Unfortunately the premise is not as funny in its execution. The standard gags and humour are here and comes across as played out and worn out. If you are looking for something new here from the Sandler creative team then you will be sadly disappointed.

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdon of the Crystal Skull

After ninteen years, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas finally bring us the fourth installment of Indiana Jones. It is truly awesome to see our favorite archeologist back in action and playing some-what age appropriately. The nods to the previous films and cameos make the film a nostalgic joy. Everyone should see this film as soon as they can. I still think Marion should have punched Indiana when that met again for the first time but you can not have everything I guess.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The follow up to 2005's The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe has made it to the big screen this week. This installment is darker and grimmer as the Pevensie children are recalled to Narnia after a 1300 year sabbatical. The film is larger in scale and channels elements of The Lords of the Rings confirming Tolkien and Lewis as contemporaries. The children's acting has improved this time around but is still a bit stoic. A good family fantasy film to see but be aware of the violence if you are bring small children to the theater.

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Julius Caesar @ Sidney Harman Hall

The Shakespeare Theater kicks of its Roman Repertory with this Shakespeare classic. Everyone knows the story of the death of Julius Caesar on the Senate floor and it is wonderfully reproduced in this production. The highlight for me was the performace of Kurt Rhoads as Mark Antony. His performace is charismatic and engaging and is his best so far this season. I can not wait to see the next play in the Roman series to see if it is just as good.

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Speed Racer

The Wachowski Brothers are batting second on the summer blockbuster roster with their latest anime inspired film. I must admit that I was never a fan of the original cartoon unlike several of my friends who remember it fondly from their childhood. The car is cool and the racing beyond ridiculous but the highlights for me are Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon as the sexy girlfriend and the ideal mother. The movie was better then I expected but still channels the cartoon vibe to distraction. With a summer full of blockbusters to come, this one may get derailed to the box office pits.

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Katt WIlliams @ D.A.R. Constitution Hall

Katt Willams, from such comedy classic wanna-bes as Friday After Next and Norbit, hit the DC area with a loud hell yeah on the latest stop of his It's Pimpin' Pimpin' Tour. The opening acts were a Who's Who of BET Comedy bests. As expected the live DJ and off-the-hook hip hop kept the house pumped up until Katt hit the stage. All in all it was a good night out and I can't think of any more inane, fly comments to make. Check it out when it comes to Comedy Central by the end of the summer.

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Son of Rambow

Garth Jennings, the director of the 2005 remake of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, brings us an original work that is truly charming and funny. Will and Lee are unlikely friends who strike out to make a film for a BBC film festival which ends up bring in all their classmates and helps repair family wounds while parodying Stallone's First Blood. This may seem like an odd premise for a movie but it really does work and the story tugs on the old heart strings. I look forward to seeing what Jenning's will come up with next for the big screen. Bravo on a fine art house film that all should make time to see.

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Iron Man

Iron Man is finally here. My expectations were high when I first saw rough footage previewed at last year's San Diego Comicon by Jon Favreau and stoked even further by the slick trailers and TV spots. This film is the bomb and it knocks it out of the park by being the first major hit of the summer blockbuster roster. It may not eclipse The Dark Knight but I am sure it will come in a close second. Robert Downey is Tony Stark and he is Iron Man!

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