BEST OF THE WEEKEND.FILM GREEN FIEND: The Grinch in ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' doesn't look like Jim Carrey “James Carrey” redirects here. For the murder conspirator, see James Carey. James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian actor and comedian. . Yet the comedian's anarchic wit and abundant energy are unmistakable, even behind piles and piles of Rick Baker's expressively crafted, green latex and yak-fur makeup. It's a tour de force performance all right, emphasis on the force. Which is not a bad thing. Sure, Ron Howard's adaptation of the droll droll adj. droll·er, droll·est Amusingly odd or whimsically comical. n. Archaic A buffoon. [French drôle, buffoon, droll, from Old French drolle children's classic is overproduced and rather loud in the manner of modern family film blockbusters. But there's an artistry to the business that few other movies of this ilk attain. Real thought has gone into all of the many design elements, from the impossible angles of Whoville to the Rube Goldberg contraptions dotting the Grinch's mountain lair. The story extends Seuss' thin original back to a source of childhood alienation, and you can either call it hypocritical or subversive that such a massively merchandised product takes well-aimed swipes at a society obsessed ob·sess v. ob·sessed, ob·sess·ing, ob·sess·es v.tr. To preoccupy the mind of excessively. v.intr. with holiday hype. To sum up, though, this may not be ``The Grinch'' you imagined, but it is one that boasts a lot of imagination. - Bob Strauss COLLECTIBLES OLD FRIENDS: Antique enthusiasts will be able to indulge their love of the hunt for collectibles at the Folk Art folk art, the art works of a culturally homogeneous people produced by artists without formal training. The forms of such works are generally developed into a tradition that is either cut off from or tenuously connected to the contemporary cultural mainstream. to Funk Extravaganza from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dealers will be offering vintage clothing Vintage clothing is a term for garments hailing from another era. Generally speaking, clothing older than 25 years is considered to be vintage, though opinions vary on this definition. , advertising items, quilts, samplers, linens, art pottery and glass, beads and costume jewelry costume jewelry n. Jewelry made from inexpensive metals and imitation or semiprecious stones. , Indian and Western artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. , country furniture, prints and paintings, and '50s and '60s collectibles. Admission is $5, free for children 16 and under. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multipurpose convention center in Santa Monica, California. It was built in 1958. For trade shows, the Civic Auditorium features 11,775 square feet (1,094 m²) of space, while the stage adds 4,485 square feet (417 m²) more space, , 1855 Main St., Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. . (310) 455-2886. - Holly Andres HOLIDAY FUN RINKSIDE: It's a winter wonderland in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Glide into the holiday season at Universal CityWalk's new outdoor skating rink. With the help of more than 200 tons of refrigeration refrigeration, process for drawing heat from substances to lower their temperature, often for purposes of preservation. Refrigeration in its modern, portable form also depends on insulating materials that are thin yet effective. equipment, the promenade is bringing you Southern California's only outdoor rink. And get into the holiday spirit as you admire Universal CityWalk's Christmas trees and gift-wrapped palm trees, while enjoying gospel choirs and other holiday entertainment. But don't forget your jacket; snow will be falling throughout the holiday season. The skating rink is open today through Jan. 7. Ice skating ice skating, gliding along an ice surface on keellike runners known as ice skates. Skating as a Sport Skating, besides being an important form of winter recreation and the essential skill in the game of ice hockey (see hockey, ice) has developed fee is $6.50 per hour, with a $2.50 skate rental. Hours of operation vary. Universal CityWalk Universal CityWalk is a part of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan originating from Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood. is located off the Hollywood Freeway (101) at either the Universal Center Drive or Lankershim Boulevard exit. For more information, call (818) 622-4455. - Jacqueline Etcheverry TELEVISION REMOTE CONTROL: Do people watch TV over Thanksgiving weekend? If they do, they apparently watch a lot of it: A lot of marathon presentations fill the weekend. Turner Movie Classics is continuing its presentation of a huge pile of Frank Sinatra movies through the weekend. Highlights tonight include ``On the Town,'' a musical in which sailor Frank takes Manhattan with fellow seamen Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin (8 p.m.); ``The Tender Trap,'' in which man-about-town Frank realizes how lonely he is when he meets Debby Reynolds (10 p.m.); and ``High Society,'' in which Frank transforms ``The Philadelphia Story'' into a musical (10 p.m. Saturday). Pax TV presents its annual ``Bonanza Extravaganza'' 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday and early Sunday with Michael Landon's daughter, Cheryl, hosting this retrospective of the legendary TV western. And don't even think of switching the channel to TV Land over the weekend unless you're ready for a generous dollop of the classic cop sitcom ``Barney Miller,'' which will air on the nostalgia channel 24 hours a day through the weekend. And the Cartoon Network unloads a chunk of ``Scooby-Doo, Where are You?'' cartoons beginning 1 p.m. Saturday, leading up to the TV premiere of ``Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders,'' just released on video. In this film, Those Meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. Kids wind up in a small desert town besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. by UFO sightings. The truth is trickier than that, of course, but the movie finally reveals just what kind of gal it would take to fall for Shaggy. - David Kronke STAGE PUTTING 'FUN' IN DYSFUNCTIONAL: And you thought your holiday season was wacko. How about what Agent Scully has to endure? Gillian Anderson, Drew Carey and Teri Garr will be among those appearing at ``A Cracked Christmas,'' a humorous look at dysfunctional Christmas customs. Proceeds from the event benefit the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that promotes tolerance for gay teen-agers and to aid in suicide prevention. The annual event will be held Dec. 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Celebrity participants include Kathy Kinney, Ryan Stiles Stiles can refer to: People
The theater is located at 4401 W. Eighth St. Tickets are $50-$100 or $250 for VIP seating and a post-performance reception. (818) 980-7336. - Evan Henerson STAYING NEUTRAL: Unless you're offering ``The Lion King,'' it takes more than a little luck to have a long-running show in L.A. And if it's not a musical, you've rarely got the stars aligned correctly. ``Taking Sides'' is that rare animal. Ron Sossi's first-rate production of Ronald Harwood's drama - boasting one of the performances of the year by Leland Crooke - has been playing to packed houses at the Odyssey Theater since it opened in July. Barring yet another extension, it will finally close Dec. 3. A history-based account of German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler, ``Taking Sides'' examines questions of accountability and of whether an artist's work and his public persona can ever truly be separated. By refusing to leave Germany when Hitler became Chancellor, Furtwangler was accused of serving Nazism and was later brought up before a Denazification Noun 1. denazification - social process of removing Nazis from official positions and giving up any allegiance to Nazism; "denazification was a slow process" de-Nazification social process - a process involved in the formation of groups of persons Tribunal. ``Taking Sides'' has Furtwangler squaring off with a zealous American major, intent on bringing him down. Tickets are $21-$25. Call (310) 477-2055. - Evan Henerson MUSIC DONE WITH 'HEART': Emerging from the much-discussed den of young jazz lions in the '80s, tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza's appealing, relaxed tone was immediately snapped up by Miles Davis. Davis hired the energetic post-bop player for his ``Amandla'' album and tour before Margitza left to cut three albums for Blue Note as a leader. Margitza appears tonight through Sunday at the Jazz Bakery. His seventh and latest effort, ``Heart of Hearts,'' was partly inspired by the romantic violin music played by his Hungarian grandfather. The Jazz Bakery is at 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. Set times are 8 and 9:30 p.m. and the cover is $20. Information: (310) 271-9039. - Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 7 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas) (2) no caption (Universal City Walk's skating rink) (3) Hal Linden stars as ``Barney Miller'' (4) Frank Sinatra fall for Debbie Reynolds in ``The Tender Trap.'' (5) Gillian Anderson, left, stars in ``A Cracked Christmas.'' (6) no caption (Rick Margitza) (7) no caption (The Real Slim Santa - CD cover) |
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