StarBulletin.com

Try 'Annie Hall' and wine for Valentine's Day


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POSTED: Friday, February 13, 2009

It's tough to celebrate Valentine's Day in the midst of job layoffs and a dismal economy, neither of which is an effective aphrodisiac. So here's an idea I borrowed (stole?) from A.O. Scott at the New York Times: Rent Woody Allen's “;Annie Hall,”; which Scott reviews in a memorable short video as part of the Critics' Picks series. He describes the 1977 film as an “;improbable and somewhat sad love story.”; It's not about living happily ever after - but that's part of the film's unique beauty.

You don't have the perfect relationship and life? That's OK, because neither do Woody Allen and Diane Keaton! So go ahead and order takeout, stock up on chocolate, find a great bottle of wine for less than $10 and settle in for an entertaining “;biography of a love affair”; that won't make you feel totally inadequate. Be sure to check out Scott's review at snurl.com/anniehall ...

“;Lost”; earned the cover of Entertainment Weekly again, solidifying its place among network television shows wielding a significant cultural impact even among industry insiders. Supplemented with a glamorous photo shoot of Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly trotting through what does not really look like Waipio Valley, the feature story blusters about how the “;brilliantly odd, infectiously frustrating cryptodrama could have attempted to keep its no-longer-huge-but-still-fervently fanatic base sated and stable until 2010's Gimme all my answers NOW! series-capping season,”; but doesn't.

The 11.3 million viewers this season - down 3.4 percent from last season - might not be stellar, but is still mighty impressive. In the article, Lilly shares her moderate concern about the direction of the season, top heavy with hydrogen bomb mysteries and sci-fi time travel that make the original flashbacks seem like a Dick and Jane primer. She favors good, old-fashioned character interaction and evolution.

A hint: On Feb. 25, we find out how Locke got off the island and inside a coffin. Meanwhile, listen to a spontaneous parking lot interview with Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) at snurl.com/jinstory ...

Ample advance notice gives you time to plan ahead for the “;Screenplay in a Day”; seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16. It's all part of the Big Island “;Talk Story”; Film Festival at Waikoloa Beach Resort. Comedy writing team Gregg Rossen and Brian Sawyer, along with David C. Garrett, will teach key screenwriting concepts that include developing a marketable story idea for Hollywood, creating characters, completing scenes and manufacturing a business plan.

Between them, they're credited with projects associated with 20th Century Fox, Disney, DreamWorks, MTV, New Line Cinema and Revolution Studios. Learn more about the festival in mid-May, or sign up for “;Screenplay in a Day”; at http://www.BigIslandFilmFestival .org.

 

Contact Katherine Nichols at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).