This time, the shark jumps you! So one would think, seeing the prehistoric megashark on the poster, large enough to scarf down an entire sharknado and its whirling angry denizens. The Meg baits and switches. The shark is only a measly 70 feet long, Certainly, this Meg has its moments. When it circles a crippled boat, its dorsal fin looks like the tail of a 727. But in closeups, the hellfish looks like the vegan shark in Finding Nemo. Only smaller. Much of this movie takes place in a futuristic sea-base Mana One, which looks like surplus from a Gerry Anderson puppet show. A mixed group of scientists, hanging around exclaiming at what they're seeing on screens include, but are not limited to: the spiky Angelina Jolie-esque one (Ruby Rose) » Read More

It's easy to imagine people leaving Puzzle saying, "That's what my mother's life was like." That's why it's resistible. It takes place now, but it's like the realm our mothers lived in, as if nothing had changed in decades. Here's a story of a married woman's affair, and the dynamics between her, her husband Louie (David Denman) and her sons--the way the family circle is observed is absolutely pre-sitcom. Puzzle's put-upon Connecticut homemaker Mata, called Agnes, tells us she has no sense of humor, none, never had it, never will, but that doesn't mean that the world around her will have gone humorless. Agnes is played by the Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald with an unplaceable accent (she's revealed to be Hungarian). She practically lives » Read More

When Maria Arena woke in a vat of fluids, she couldn't remember how she died. That is, how she died this time. For a clone like Maria, death is just a part of life. It is, at least, in Mur Lafferty's sci-fi mystery Six Wakes. Released in January 2017, Six Wakes is one of six books nominated in the Best Novel category for this year's Hugo Awards. For science fiction writers, there are few prizes more prestigious. A list of previous winners reads like a who's who of the genre: Alfred Bester, Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov. To be named a Hugo winner is to enter the pantheon of seers and dreamers whose works have shaped the imagination of readers all over the world. » Read More

Fortunately for Cervantes, she has another method of communication to turn to, even when she doesn't speak up. As dancer and choreographer, she uses her body to tell the world how she feels. That's exactly what Cervantes aims to do with "Things I Can't Say Out Loud," the first original showcase by her fledgling Cypher Dance Company. The production aims to call out social inequities through movement. Cervantes says the show will be an immersive experience, featuring a series of dances along with pre-recorded narration, which will help the audience follow along with the emotions the dancers are working to express. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on their own experience and actions while taking in the performance. » Read More

When singer and actress Karyn Rondeau planned to audition for Monty Python's Spamalot, something held her back. "I wasn't going to audition for Spamalot because I was too fat," says Rondeau, who occasionally becomes misty eyed during our conversation. However, with the support of friends, she went out for the role and ended up landing the part of the musical's leading lady. "It was this amazing experience for me, and I got to wear these really awesome sexy costumes," she says, remembering what a confidence boost she gained from the experience. "I just felt great, and I closed that show just loving myself and loving my body." It is that feeling that Rondeau aims to coax out of others with her new show, Curvy Cabaret. A talented cast of » Read More

Though they're wary to admit it, Get Married has a longstanding Elvis obsession. His smoldering black-and-gray portrait is inked on the arms of both singer Jaake Margo and bassist Kayla Gonzalez. Lead guitarist Randy Moore's been known to wear a jacket emblazoned with the King's name, and half the band rocks modern-day pompadours. And that's just what you can tell by looking at them. It's no coincidence, then, that Margo first met guitarist Tarif Pappu and keyboard player Nick Kenrick when they were all cast as leads in the Palo Alto Players' production of Million Dollar Quartet, a musical inspired by the eponymous Sun Records recording session that redefined rock & roll as we know it. Margo was cast as Presley, while Pappu played the role » Read More

As usual, if one is a spirited adventurer, as most jazz fans are, then unexpected cosmic revelations appear around every corner. With the stipulation that Western linear summaries do not accommodate such a festival, the indoor/outdoor polarity erupted right off the bat. My opening-night infiltration began with the Tango Jazz Quartet at Cafe Stritch and then eventually continued with a total surprise, the Pascal Bokar Afro Blue Grazz Band in the Fairmont's Club Regent room. With probably a dozen musicians, Bokar served up a wild bouillabaisse of West African rhythms, American bluegrass, French chansons and 12-bar blues seemingly layered with Moroccan textures. Dancers took over the aisles and the floor in front of the stage, with everyone » Read More

Avoid any temptation to kidnap strangers lingering in your building's lobby. "Are you going to cut me up and put me in your freezer?" the terrified UPS man will ask. You: "Uh, I thought we'd just hang out and have coffee, but whatever works for you." Healthier (and less felonious) forms of coping start with unpacking what loneliness is. The late neuroscientist John Cacioppo explained loneliness as a painful feeling of disconnection from others. He differentiated loneliness--the aching longing for human connection--from a desire for solitude, "the pleasures of sometimes being by yourself." And he and his wife and research partner, psychologist Stephanie Cacioppo, noted that loneliness has been associated with serious negative effects on not » Read More

Author and theologian Thomas Merton thought that the most debilitating human temptation is to settle for too little, to live a comfortable life rather than an interesting one. I wouldn't say that's always true about you, Taurus. But I do suspect that in the coming weeks, a tendency to settle for less could be the single most devitalizing temptation you'll be susceptible to. That's why I encourage you to resist the appeal to accept a smaller blessing or punier adventure than you deserve. Hold out for the best and brightest. » Read More