CRITIC' PICKS; TELEVISION.Sci-fi at its best: ``Stargate SG-1'' continues to be the rare example of a TV series that improves upon the movie that inspired it. Give Richard Dean Anderson Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American television actor. He played the eponymous hero in the television series MacGyver and, more recently, Jack O'Neill in Stargate SG-1 a lot of credit: He took a dolorous, leaden, uninteresting role (played by Kurt Russell in the film) and made it his own in a winningly droll fashion. The rest of the cast, particularly Canadian comic Amanda Tapping, follows suit, resulting in breezy sci-fi fodder that rarely takes itself too seriously. Tonight's fourth-season opener concludes last year's cliffhanger cliff·hang·er n. 1. A melodramatic serial in which each episode ends in suspense. 2. A suspenseful situation occurring at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode. 3. , in which Earth was threatened by a gang of replicators, a fancy name for marauding ma·raud v. ma·raud·ed, ma·raud·ing, ma·rauds v.intr. To rove and raid in search of plunder. v.tr. To raid or pillage for spoils. mechanical spiders. While O'Neill (Anderson) and the guys grab a bunch of guns and board a Russian sub crammed with the cyber-arachnids, Carter (Tapping) is summoned to aid the Asgard, an alien race close to decimation DECIMATION. The punishment of every tenth soldier by lot, was, among the Romans, called decimation. at the hands - or, pincers pin·cers also pinch·ers pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) 1. A grasping tool having a pair of jaws and handles pivoted together to work in opposition. 2. - of the beasts. Decent TV-quality special effects and serviceable scripting ensure that ``Stargate SG-1'' remains unpretentious, intermittently exciting fun. It returns tonight at 10 on Showtime. - David Kronke JULY JAM: It's Independence Day. The barbecue grill has cooled down, the potato salad is a mayonnaise-rich memory and the pies have been polished off. Time to take in some fireworks and patriotic music, right? What if you have an aversion to traffic and the crush of humanity? Or maybe small children who cower cow·er intr.v. cow·ered, cow·er·ing, cow·ers To cringe in fear. [Middle English couren, of Scandinavian origin. and wail at each ka-BOOM? Television to the rescue! Tune in KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology at 8 p.m. for PBS' 90-minute spectacle, ``A Capitol Fourth A Capitol Fourth is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in celebration of the Fourth of July. ,'' beamed from the jam-packed Mall in Washington, D.C. The talent lineup is solid: Barry Bostwick, Broadway stars Audra MacDonald and Kristin Chenoweth, country singer Lee Ann Womack, blues legend Ray Charles, pianist David Benoit and flutist James Galway. Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra National Symphony Orchestra is used for the name of many orchestras in different countries. It may refer to the:
n. 1. A square dance. 2. The music for a square dance. 3. A social gathering at which square dancing takes place. ,'' then bring down the house with Tchaikovsky's ``1812 Overture,'' with booming cannons and a fireworks show billed as the most spectacular ever mounted in Washington. For the best effect on the finale, turn out the lights and crank up the volume until the windows rattle. And if little ones cower, let them sit on your lap. - Valerie Kuklenski FILM Flock, don't 'Run': As we celebrate a long Independence Day weekend, let us spare a few moments to think about those less fortunate. The imprisoned. The oppressed op·press tr.v. op·pressed, op·press·ing, op·press·es 1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny. 2. . The bird-brained. ``Chicken Run'' is, wings down, the wittiest animated feature since the ``Toy Story'' films. Made in remarkably expressive claymation by England's Aardman Studios (the Wallace & Gromit and ``Creature Comforts'' shorts), it's a wacky tale of survival and escape among the less-than-owlish residents of a rundown poultry farm. Despite their mental limitations, our plucky pullets have spirit, and when a resourceful American rooster rooster its crowing at dawn heralds each new day. [Western Folklore: Leach, 329] See : Dawn rooster symbol of maleness. [Folklore: Binder, 85] See : Virility (voiced by Mel Gibson) lands in their midst, hope takes wing. Actual flying, however, proves a much more complicated matter. Riffing off old prisoner-of-war movie motifs and coyly reminding us at every opportunity that we're watching lumps of colorful Play-Doh, directors Peter Lord and Nick Park keep matters constantly amusing without skimping 'skimping' Managed care The delaying or denial of services to members of a prepaid or 'capped' health plan, to control costs–because the monies received by the health plan remain constant, providing 'extra' services is more costly to the plan. See Skimming, Capitation. on suspense, action or real emotional involvement. Go see ``Chicken Run'' and have a liberating experience. - Bob Strauss MUSIC Look who's here: The plastic four-string guitar Russell Malone received as a gift at the age of 4 set him on a career path. Now a well-known jazz guitarist with an elegant, blues-tinged tone, Malone spent several years with singer-pianist Diana Krall before leaving to promote his solo albums. His fifth and latest effort, ``Look Who's Here'' (Verve), includes three original pieces along with interpretations of tunes by Burt Bacharach/Hal David, Cole Porter, Stevie Wonder and Neal Hefti's theme from ``The Odd Couple.'' Malone and his trio appear tonight and Saturday at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City. Inspired initially by B.B. King, Malone broke into live performance with soul-jazz organist Jimmy Smith in 1988 before hooking up with Harry Connick Jr. Recording sessions with Branford Marsalis, Benny Green and Roy Hargrove followed. Malone, 36, cut his self-titled debut album in 1992 on a break from Connick's orchestra. Years later, while pursuing his solo path, the New York-based guitarist hit the road with Krall, playing in both duet and band settings before ending the high-profile gig last year. Malone's straight-ahead style is steeped in jazz tradition but also infused with soulfulness that hints at his background in pop, r&b and country. The guitarist closes his current album with a rare vocal reading of Irving Berlin's ``Be Careful, It's My Heart,'' which Frank Sinatra once covered. A New York jazz club owner suggested Malone come up with his own vocal interpretation. The Jazz Bakery is at 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. Show times are 8 and 9:30 p.m., and admission is $20. Information: (310) 271-9039. - Fred Shuster CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1) ``Stargate SG-1,'' starring Richard Dean Anderson, returns for its fourth season on Showtime at 10 tonight. (2) Ginger stars as the hen with attitude in the claymation hit ``Chicken Run.'' (3) Jazz guitarist Russell Malone is joined by his trio tonight and Saturday at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City. (4) PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, presents an amazing lineup of talent tht includes the National Symphony Orchestra, Audra MacDonald, Ray Charles and others in ``A Capitol Fourth.'' |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion