WHAT'S HAPPENING : FILM.Ant justice for all: Consider the lowly ant. Overworked, underappreciated, bored by routine, vulnerable to being crushed underfoot by a heartless system ... Hey, maybe they're not so different from you and me. That's the premise of ``Antz,'' DreamWorks' astonishingly a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. clever, computer-animated comedy. Focusing on one neurotic worker ant's attempts to define himself in a conformist con·form·ist n. A person who uncritically or habitually conforms to the customs, rules, or styles of a group. adj. Marked by conformity or convention: colony, the film's story is as sophisticated as its visuals are eye-popping. In a sublime bit of voice casting, Woody Allen Noun 1. Woody Allen - United States filmmaker and comic actor (1935-) Allen Stewart Konigsberg, Allen does some of his best work in years as the kvetching insect whose quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the individualism - and the sexy Princess Bala (Sharon Stone) - incites a six-legged revolution. Other voices in the crack cast belong to Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, Anne Bancroft, Jennifer Lopez and Danny Glover. And everything from the subtlest facial expressions to crowd scenes of millions are brought to rich, convincing life. - Bob Strauss music Quartet quality: Formed in 1980 at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission , the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ) consists of John Dearman, William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant and Matthew Greif (who replaced Andrew York towards the end of 2006). (LAGQ LAGQ Los Angeles Guitar Quartet ) has become one of the most dynamic chamber ensembles on the concert stage. With their transcriptions of masterworks and new commissions, the LAGQ, seen recently on 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, with John Williams and the Boston Pops, is thought to have enriched the guitar quartet repertoire. LAGQ, appearing Saturday at McCabe's in Santa Monica, touches on world-music sounds from Europe, Africa and Latin America on their just-released album, ``LAGQ'' (Sony Classical). Consisting of four virtuoso guitarists - John Dearman, William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant and Andrew York - the ensemble resorted to sometimes unorthodox methods to achieve the distinctive sounds of the new disc. For the track ``Mbira mbira or thumb piano African musical instrument consisting of a set of tuned metal or bamboo tongues attached to a board or resonator. The tongues are depressed and released with the thumbs and fingers to produce melodies and song accompaniments. ,'' a piece inspired by and named for the traditional African thumb piano, Kanengiser put staples on the guitar strings. For another piece, he used alligator alligator, large aquatic reptile of the genus Alligator, in the same order as the crocodile. There are two species—a large type found in the S United States and a small type found in E China. Alligators differ from crocodiles in several ways. clips and the little plastic discs used to tie loaves of bread. McCabe's is at 3101 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Show time is 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $17.50. Information: (310) 828-4497. - Fred Shuster film Everyone's played this game before: ``If you were stranded on a deserted island and could choose anyone for a companion, who would it be?'' This has always been a great conversation starter, not to mention a quick way to judge someone by the company they'd keep. The archivists at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Film and Television like to play a variation, inviting a local celebrity or prominent person to choose one film to take on such a lonely sojourn. Actor Robert Forster, whose screen career was resurrected by the Oscar-nominated performance he gave last year in ``Jackie Brown,'' named Disney's ``Bambi'' as his touchstone film. Forster will introduce ``Bambi'' at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the ``Desert Island Movies'' series at the James Bridges Theater, near Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue in Westwood, on the UCLA campus. Tickets cost $6 general admission, $4 for students and seniors. `` `Bambi' was my very first movie. It made me cry. Thumper made me laugh - wow, can't wait to see it again,'' said Forster, who counts Disney's ``Song of the South'' and ``Pinocchio'' among his top favorites. For ticket and show information, call (310) 206-3456. - Bob McCarthy television Eye-`Witness': Consider ``Silent Witness: Divided Loyalties'' (Part 1, 7 and 11 tonight; Part 2, 7 and 11 p.m. Oct. 16). Move over Mirren. Burton is back. For years, Helen Mirren, star of the acclaimed British miniseries ``Prime Suspect,'' has hogged top female detective honors on TV. But check her competition. This week you'll see Amanda Burton do an equally arresting turn as forensic pathologist Sam Ryan in the taut ``Silent Witness'' miniseries ``Divided Loyalties.'' Premiering tonight on A&E, this latest spooky ``Witness'' finds Sam tracking the killer of a drug-addicted mother and her infant daughter. Evidence points to unusual suspects - a doctor, a drug counselor, even a cop. But, like TV's classic medical examiner A public official charged with investigating all sudden, suspicious, unexplained, or unnatural deaths within the area of his or her appointed jurisdiction. A medical examiner differs from a Coroner in that a medical examiner is a physician. Quincy, Sam digs on. And Burton - more inscrutable yet compassionate than Mirren's acerbic Jane Tennison - is a genuine joy to watch. - Kinney Littlefield Orange County Register CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1) Focusing on one neurotic worker ant's attempts to define himself in a conformist colony, ``Antz's'' story is as sophisticated as its visuals are eye-popping. (2) The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ), one of the most dynamic ensembles on the concert stage, appears Saturday at McCabe's in Santa Monica. (3) Actor Robert Forster will introduce ``Bambi'' at the ``Desert Island Movies'' series, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the James Bridges Theater. |
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