The program is a radio play based upon actual Wiccan ceremonies.

Wicca is religion which is nature-based, generally believing in the feminine Goddess in Her many aspects as well as a male God.

Wiccans celebrate a solar "sabbat" eight times a year with Samhain (sow-en) or Halloween being the old Celtic New Year. They do not worship the devil or Satan, but celebrate the joys in life recognizing the changing seasons and our own life journey.

Samhain is the last of the three harvest festivals preceded by Lammas on Aug. 1 and the Autumn Equinox. It is a time of reflection on our lives, what we've accomplished during the year and what is left undone. It is also a time to honor the ancestors who have gone on before us.

The radio play will include many of these principles. The stories of Persephone and Hades and the aspect of the Goddess Hecate are the principal archetypes. Your are invited to look at your shadow side with the hosts.

The play will also include Celtic- and Renaissance-influenced music from Blackmore's Night, Celtic Woman, Loreena McKennett and Reclaiming among others. The players are Andy and Annie Weiss, Jeff Hayes, Stazi Adair, Sandra Wade and Rhyschenda Owens.

The program rebroadcasts on Thursday at 11 a.m.

For information call KPFZ at 263-3640.

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On Saturday night, Oct. 25, there will be one screening only, 7:30 p.m., at Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center in Middletown. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before show time.

See the amazingly creepy, psychological thriller, “Subject Two.” Death has its side effects! Meet Director Philip Chidel and find out how he pulled this one out of his head and created a film that's been winning honors at film festivals.

In addition there will be wonderful animation, “Hope Springs Eternal,” by Ron Noble of Noble Town Productions, which is racking up awards of its own. This seven-minute, dark-humored story of death has been pleasing crowds at current festivals and took Jury Prize Winner at USA Film Festival, Best Animation at Festivus-Denver and Best Runner Up, LA Animation Festival.

The horror genre doesn't usually need any new takes on Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein,” but once in a while, something unique comes along that reminds us how rich with possibilities that original text is. \

Philip Chidel's “Subject Two” – a modern Frankenstein tale that takes place in the isolated snowy mountains of Aspen, Colorado – takes some of its cues from Shelley's seminal work, but the bulk are drawn from a fresh vision that's entirely his own.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, Dr. Franklin Vick has been conducting highly unethical research in the field of, well, resurrection. After his first subject fails him, he calls upon troubled, migraine-plagued med student Adam Smith to assist in furthering his "practical" studies, which involve killing and reviving Adam over and over and over again. But evidently dying has side effects.

Sprinkled with dark humor, this film has won numerous awards since it premiered at 2006 film festivals including Official Selection at Sundance and Best Feature Film at Sci-Fi-London (The London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film) as well as Audience Award Winner at Silver Lake Film Festival.

As always, the cost is $10 at the door, $5 for kids 16 and under …but we don't suggest that this is a kid's night – parental discretion is strongly advised! We'll have fresh Coyote Popcorn, candies, drinks and other refreshments for sale.

The Calpine Visitor Center is located at 15550 Central Park Road, Middletown.

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For some unknown reason, this is not the week for family films, with “Max Payne” coming closest with its PG-13 rating. But instead of getting invited to a screening for that film, I was treated to the absurd delight of another teen sex comedy, one that held promise for offending a good number of people.

“Sex Drive” did not disappoint for its randy misadventures and raunchy escapades into the mysterious world of teens gone wild. This one is rated R for good reasons, namely for strong crude and sexual content, among other things.

The aptly named “Sex Drive” most fittingly has dual meaning. It telegraphs the urgency of raging male hormones and conjures up the vision of a road trip that has much to do with sex. As raucous and extreme as it often gets “Sex Drive” has irresistible appeal for the essential charm of its leading characters.

ighteen-year-old Ian Lafferty (Josh Zuckerman) believes that his biggest problem in life is that he’s about to start college as a virgin. Never mind the humiliating job he has at Senor Donut, which often requires that he wear a ridiculous costume while handing out fliers at the mall.

Taunted mercilessly by his obnoxious, cocksure older brother Rex (James Marsden), Ian even loses out in the romance department to his 14-year-old younger brother. The girl of his dreams is his longtime “best friend” Felicia (Amanda Crew), who seems reluctant to mess up a perfectly good relationship with any sort of physical entanglement.

Besides, Felicia is inexplicably attracted to Ian’s good buddy Lance (Clark Duke), a pudgy, nerdy guy who has such an abundance of self-confidence that he’s become the unlikeliest chick magnet. Strangely enough, there’s hardly any female that Lance can’t seduce.

Meanwhile, the sexually repressed Ian resorts to the Internet for dates. Passing himself off as a football stud, Ian hooks up online with Ms. Tasty (Katrina Bowden), a flaming hot blonde. Though the provocative cheerleader offers the promise of hot sex, the one tiny catch is that Ian must drive 500 miles from Chicago to Knoxville to consummate the deal.

Egged on by his pal Lance, Ian takes a huge risk in stealing his macho brother’s prized vintage 1969 Pontiac GTO for the lengthy road trip. Felicia decides to tag along with the two guys for what is obviously a bad idea.

In the predictable manner of other recent teen adventures on the road, seen in movies like “Road Trip” and “Eurotrip,” the comedy of “Sex Drive” also derives inspiration from the “American Pie” franchise. As a matter of fact, the sexual bravado of Ian’s older brother Rick has much in common with party animal Stifler.

The focal point of the story is the planned eight-hour drive that turns into a three-day marathon as the trio loses its way on scenic back roads detours. Car trouble is the least of their problems.

At a rest stop, Lance’s libido gets the better of him as he hooks up with an oversexed girl who lives in a trailer with her white trash parents. What happens during this romantic liaison is probably the film’s crudest moment. But then things get extremely funny when Lance, pursued by an angry boyfriend, flees naked into the cornfields while chained to a brass bed’s headboard.

When the GTO breaks down, they detour to an Amish farm, where the sarcastic Ezekiel (Seth Green), who once spent some time in the outside world, applies his auto mechanic skills to fix the car.

Other road trip problems include an unfortunate encounter in a gas station’s bathroom. A mishap on the highway leads to a stint in jail, where the kids face the expected perils from close confinement with hardened criminals.

There’s a strange interlude at a roadside carnival, where Ian is pressed into making a fateful abstinence pledge on a stage while becoming sexually aroused by the sight of the dancers disrobing behind the scenes.

Whether Ms. Tasty lives up to her Internet profile is best left to be discovered. The journey is of greater consequence than the destination.

Along the way, through all the trials of mayhem and misadventure, the trio of Ian, Felicia and Lance emerge as characters with substance, displaying genuine emotion and feelings.

“Sex Drive” turns out to be much more than sophomoric pranks and simple titillation. Still, for a teen comedy, this film is at turns outrageously hilarious and sweetly funny, even when the broader caricatures intrude.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Not to be confused with the 007 franchise, the original “Casino Royale” was a classic spoof of the secret agent genre. Made in 1967, it followed several of the Sean Connery films.

Now, “Casino Royale: Collector’s Edition” arrives on DVD just in time to celebrate the coming 53rd (or so it seems) installment of a James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace.”

Starring the debonair David Niven as the world famous secret agent, “Casino Royale” recruited several agents to also play James Bond, among them the unlikely Woody Allen. Best of all, the sultry original Bond girl Ursula Andress stars as the sexy Vesper Lynd. The soundtrack features great music composed by Burt Bacharach.

On the TV front, another great series has been released for the first time on DVD. “Nash Bridges: The First Season” revisits adrenaline-fueled adventures of a smart-aleck San Francisco detective, dealing with two ex-wives, a rambunctious teen daughter and a partner (Cheech Marin) who is often scheming for some get-rich-quick fix. This is a TV series worth a second look.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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Beginning Nov. 1 the Lake County Theater Co. will begin accepting full-length plays from playwrights in Lake County and throughout Northern California as part of its Dreamcatcher Playwright Contest.

All scripts not previously performed or published professionally are requested.

Lake County and surrounding areas have long been a haven for creative individuals. Art, music and published authors abound. For this reason, the Lake County Theater Co. has no doubt that a playwright contest in this area will produce plays of great quality, plays that are just waiting to be performed by an equally great theater company.

The contest will run through March 15, 2009. At that time, the winning play will be selected. This play will be performed and the playwright honored by the theater company in an upcoming production.

Call 279-2595 or visit http://lctc.home.mchsi.com for contest rules and application forms.

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Local publisher Mark Bredt is putting out a call to local writers for manuscripts. Courtesy photo.

This article has been updated.

CLEARLAKE – Local publisher Mark Bredt will host an open call for manuscript submissions at Wild About Books in Clearlake at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Printing under the imprints Mallard and Heron Books, Paracletus and Marshal Creek, Bredt plans to publish four to six books in 2009 featuring Lake County writers, stories or locations.

Authors are welcome to bring their completed manuscripts for consideration.

“One of the publications will be a collection of writings, short stories, and poetry by Lake County writers,” said Bredt.

Bredt also will present the second edition of his own short novel, “The Candlespike Murders,” during the open call.

“After discovering that Amazon was offering a copy of the first edition for $999 – no, really, almost $1,000! That’s absurd, but flattering – I thought it might be worthwhile to bring the book back into print,” said Bredt. “Besides, I am planning the sequel, 'Death Comes Quietly,' to publish in Spring 2009.”

Located in Clearlake Park, Bredt’s company, M Bredt Ink LLC, offers publishing services and consulting to small publishers and authors around the world via the Internet.

“Anyone interested in the book publishing industry, small press publishing or even self-publishing is welcome to stop by during the event and ask questions or discuss the business,” Bredt said.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive in Clearlake, next door to Lisa's clothing store.

For an updated list of times and dates for upcoming events, stop by the store or call 994-WILD (9453).

UPDATE: 

In 2009, Bredt was named in a Florida publishing scam related lawsuit.

http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7VJLSY/$file/WritersLiteraryGuildComplaint.pdf

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The series was inevitable after the roaring success of the six-part miniseries in May and June of 2007 – it got 10 Emmy nominations and reinforced star Debra Messing's reputation as a Lucille Ball channeler.

It's possible you (unlike most of my friends) know nothing about the miniseries, so: Messing plays Molly Kagan, a Hollywood producer's wife, who gets dumped (by cell phone) and flails about trying to create a new life as a Hollywood outcast. Judy Davis is her alcoholic sidekick, Joan.

In the first episode of the series, Molly's new love has disappeared and her children's book has failed; she's trying to start a writing career based on her journal, which is full of delicious libelous dish. It gets stolen and turns up on a gossip Web site. Joan has sobered up and gotten a part-time job as a counselor/babysitter at a chichi rehab/spa facility.

All just too silly? Yeah, that's what I thought until I remembered that Depression-era movie theaters were crowded with people immersing themselves in escapist fantasies. Now we get to do it at home, even on our computers or mobile phones. At least for as long as we can afford those. Major sponsor Verizon will send show segments to your phone, and full segments are online at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/starterwife/thescene/overview_s2.html, along with games, sweepstakes and other mildly amusing ways to waste time.

Verizon's isn't nearly as brazen with product placement as Pond's was in the miniseries, but we can be even more grateful for the comically surreal fantasy and dream sequences.

You might as well enjoy some escapism. Even Wall Street brokers are doing so with champagne and lap dances, according to http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/2008/10/1000_lap_dance_takes_away_the.html.

Besides, the New York Times says Messing, one of the six executive producers, has promised the series will "retain the same comic voice, the same darkness, not shying away from social satire because it's now a TV show."

Sounds like screwball comedy, which reached its height as the country started to pull out of the Depression..

Friday nights, USA channel.

E-mail Sophie Annan Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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