Finally, now that we’re edging closer to summer, a film suitable for entire family entertainment arrives on the scene. Not surprisingly, it emerges from the work of C.S. Lewis, delivered by a studio that knows how to supply wholesome fun.

Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is a sequel, artfully realized and stunning in scope, which follows up on the spectacular story that began with “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

Once again, the four Pevensie siblings are in the thick of the action as time travelers to reclaim their royal positions as protectors of the magical kingdom of Narnia.

When the story of “Prince Caspian” begins, the Pevensie kids are just ordinary school kids living in World War II-era London. Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell), the oldest siblings, are adapting to typical teenage concerns. Edmund (Skandar Keynes), the younger boy who betrayed his sibling for his own selfish gain in the first adventure, has matured, while the youngest, Lucy (Georgie Henley), retains an innocent faith that will serve the group well at a critical time.

While waiting in a tube station in Trafalgar Square, the quartet is suddenly transported back to Narnia, discovering that the faraway kingdom where they once served as kings and queens has faded into legend.

More than 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time, and the magical kingdom has been relegated to the backwater of the forested countryside. The land of talking animals and mythical creatures exists as little more than folktales to the Telmarines, a tribe of humans that finds its homeland in a state of political turmoil and intrigue, due to some trickery that seeks to deny the throne to the rightful heir, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes). Even the mighty lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) has been missing for 1,000 years.

Marked for death by his cruel uncle Lord Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), Prince Caspian has to flee the Telmarine castle. Fortunately, the prince has an ally in Doctor Cornelius (Vincent Grass), who provides a horn that should be used only in the direst circumstances.

The vicious Miraz is anxious to eliminate the prince, since his wife has given birth to a boy who can assume the throne. With adequate warning, Prince Caspian escapes to the woods, where he encounters a Narnian dwarf and talking beaver, both of whom seem eager to enlist the prince’s help.

Meanwhile, summoned by the magical horn, the Pevensie children arrive not a moment too soon in Narnia, saving the life of Trumpkin the Red Dwarf (Peter Dinklage) and endearing themselves to the natives who would like nothing more than to see Narnia returned to glory.

The kingdom of Narnia is populated with all sorts of interesting creatures, including fauns, minotaurs, centaurs, satyrs, dwarfs and furry animals, large and small. Aside from Trumpkin’s ability to speak volumes just by his darting eyes, the most talkative animal is a feisty mouse with a penchant for sarcasm. The source of great comic relief is Reepicheep (voiced by Eddie Izzard), the diminutive rodent sporting a prominent feather in his hair and wielding a nasty sword.

That Prince Caspian ardently seeks to reclaim the Telmarine kingdom is hardly a surprise. Enlisting the aid of the Pevensie children in this cause is facilitated by the impetuous Peter’s desire to wage an all-out battle against the nasty minions of Lord Miraz so that the Narnians can thrive in a tranquil environment. The parallels to the fight against the Nazis in World War II is noticeably apparent, though perhaps subtly reinforced by the use of the London Underground train stations as a refuge during German bombing raids.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is truly an epic film with a majestic sweep that is fitting for the imaginative world of C.S. Lewis. Suspense is rampant with the forceful battles between Miraz’s overwhelming army and the hardy band of outnumbered Narnians. A lot of the battle scenes are very intense, with some images that seem too violent for a PG-rated film.

Nevertheless, “Prince Caspian” is an exciting adventure that does not give short shrift to the emotional pull of the very interesting characters, human and otherwise.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Westerns don’t appear that often on the current Hollywood scene, probably because John Wayne is no longer with us and Clint Eastwood is way past his prime. So the best we can do is to enjoy the old Westerns as they gradually find their audience in DVD release.

Watch the West be won all over again with beloved icon John Wayne in the original 70mm version of “The Big Trail,” now neatly packaged in something called the “Fox Grandeur Special Edition.”

This historical classic follows Wayne as brave leader Breck Coleman who guides hundreds of settlers in covered wagons from the Mississippi River to their destiny out West.

This is not the only Western DVD riding into town. “The Garden of Evil” is the 1954 film set in Mexico where three American adventurers attempt to rescue one of their own trapped in a gold mine.

Released in 1951, “Rawhide,” not the TV series starring Clint Eastwood, tells the tale of Susan Hayward and her stagecoach crew getting caught up with outlaws on their journey from California to St. Louis.

These are all part of the “Fox Western Classics Collection” intended to be perfect Father’s Day gifts.

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

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Lori Petres (center), with Bill Edmunds directly behind her, at the April 25 reading. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE – It was a sincere pleasure hosting local author Bill Edmunds’ newly published historical fiction book “All Roads Lead to Zion” event at Wild About Books, store owner Lori Peters reported.

Edmunds, whose reading was April 25, has done extensive research on the historical and biblical accounts of the few days before Christ’s crucifixion.

Spring and the passing of Easter had peaked many readers interest on the subject, said Peters.

“Bill and his family were generous to our readers by providing much background information and printed maps for further enjoyment of the book,” she said.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive in Clearlake. Call 994-9453 or visit www.wildaboutbooks.net.

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The new “Indiana Jones” movie can’t arrive soon enough. Lately, I have seen more than my share of romantic comedies, which has not necessarily been a bad thing. For instance, new films coming out now include “What Happens in Vegas” and “Speed Racer.” The latter film, a glossy mix of animation and live-action, is geared to a younger audience. On the other hand, “What Happens in Vegas” takes full comedic advantage of Sin City’s marketing campaign, turning the famous slogan on its ear.

Gleeful debauchery and insane indulgence aside, some things just don’t stay behind in Vegas, particularly when a marriage ceremony at a tawdry wedding chapel carries the full weight of a binding legal entanglement.

Unfortunate circumstances bring two very unlikely people together in miserable matrimony. But first, “What Happens in Vegas” introduces the two central characters who decide for vastly different reasons to vacation in Vegas.

Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) is the ultimate slacker and party dude who is fired by his own father (Treat Williams) from the family’s furniture manufacturing. His polar opposite is Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz), a buttoned-up commodities trader on Wall Street, who gets dumped by her fiance at her own surprise birthday party.

In a coincidence that only happens in the movies, Jack takes his best buddy Steve “Hater” Hader (Rob Corddry) on the trip, where they check into a Vegas hotel only to find that the room is already occupied by Joy and her best friend Tipper (Lake Bell). After resolving this unhappy arrangement, Jack and Steve convince the two girls to go out for a night on the town, which is facilitated by the concierge’s eagerness to comp their festivities.

This quartet of partygoers is a mismatched group for many reasons. A second-rate lawyer, Steve fancies himself a ladies man, even if his charisma barely surpasses that of a serial killer. His obnoxious behavior finds its equal in Tipper’s unrelenting hostility. The rowdy weekend becomes a random blur of frantic activity lubricated by massive amounts of alcohol. When the dust settles in the early morning, Joy and Jack painfully discover they tied the knot in a ceremony witnessed by drunken revelers.

Before the two vacationing New Yorkers can figure out how to quickly dissolve their union, Jack uses Joy’s last quarter to play a slot machine which incredibly pays out a cool $3 million. Now an impending marital split will be complicated by sizable community assets.

Back in Manhattan, a cranky judge (Dennis Miller) decides to sentence the bickering pair to “six months of hard marriage.” By freezing the prize booty, the judge forces the irresponsible couple to prove that they done everything possible to make the impromptu marriage work. The first one to fail in this mission will lose all the loot to the other.

Since Joy has to move into Jack’s messy bachelor pad, it’s going to be a very trying battle of the sexes. Not surprisingly, Jack and Joy will do their best to sabotage the other, and of course, their friends Steve and Tipper will become willing and supportive combatants on each side. They even have to attend marriage counseling with Queen Latifah. But many tricks are employed to undermine the marriage. Joy rounds up a bevy of beautiful women in order to lead Jack astray at a party. Jack tries to get her snooty ex-fiance Mason (Jason Sudeikis) to woo her again.

“What Happens in Vegas” thrives on the formulaic approach to romantic comedy. Very little happens that is unexpected or terribly surprising, but nevertheless there are plenty of laughs. While Joy is trying hard to move up the corporate ladder, it is the laid-back Jack who manages to impress her demanding boss (Dennis Farina) on a company retreat. Is it any wonder where these mismatched lovebirds will end up? Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz have the right chemistry for their respective roles of wayward slacker and uptight professional.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

I think I mentioned last week that the weird stuff ends up on DVDs. If you liked horror comedies such as “Shaun of the Dead” and “An American Werewolf in London,” then “Botched” could be your cup of tea.

Gore and violence run rampant, but much of it is so over-the-top that it seems calculated to induce laughs, at least the nervous kind.

Stephen Dorff stars as two-bit professional thief sent to Russia to steal a priceless antique cross locked in a safe on the penthouse floor of a Moscow skyscraper. During the heist, Dorff and his thuggish Russian henchmen are trapped by the police and forced to take hostages.

Unfortunately for them, they seek refuge on the 13th floor, where things get really dicey. Decapitations and impalements are just part of the fun. “Botched” may be destined for cult status.

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

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The Lake County Symphony performed its annual Mother's Day concert on May 11. Photo by Jay Johnson.

KELSEYVILLE – It has been said that the most perfect musical instrument ever conceived is the full symphony orchestra. However, occasionally an inspired leader will join with equally inspired musicians to create a program of stunning individual performances, and this is what happened at Sunday's annual Mothers Day concert at Kelseyville High School.

During the course of the two-hour program no fewer than a dozen of the orchestra's 50-plus members were saluted by conductor John Parkinson and the audience for their outstanding work.

Among them were trumpeters Gary Miller, Jay Johnson and Tom Woodville, who brought the audience to its feet with their dazzling performance of Leroy Anderson's o brass classic "Bugler's Holiday" and Nick Biondo and Peter Stanley who teamed up on Anderson's other instrumental hit "Clarinet Candy."

Others winning individual recognition were flautist Catherine Hall, Oboist Beth Aiken and trombonist Larry Price and two percussionists, Sean Chiles on timpani and Scott Wise on drums. Special recognition was accorded keyboardist Tom Aiken who swapped his usual instrument to play an ancient Royal manual typewriter in a rendition of Anderson's campy "The Typewriter." At its conclusion Aiken ceremoniously ripped the paper from his typewriter and presented it as a memento to a bemused Parkinson.

The three numbers, along with the ever-popular "Blue Tango" was the symphony's salute to Anderson, a leader in America's light classical musical genre on what would have been the composer's 100th birthday. In his tribute to Anderson Parkinson noted that he had been a fixture for many years as an arranger for the Boston Pops, then conducted by Arthur Fiedler. He also took time to preface most of the orchestra's other numbers with brief explanations about the songs and their writers and performers.

The concert opened on an upbeat note with "The Trolley Song" and continued with a series of numbers drawn from MGM's 1974 movie "That's Entertainment'" which also was the theme of the concert, which – with the exception of the Leroy Anderson pieces – focused almost totally on music from Broadway and Hollywood.

Included among the latter were "Singin' in the Rain," "The Boy Next Door," "You Made me Love You," "Broadway Melody," "Over the Rainbow" and others. From the former came "An American in Paris," a medley from "Chicago," "April in Paris," "Mack the Knife," "I Got Rhythm," Peg O' My Heart" and "It's Only a Paper Moon."

On this special day with many mothers praying for sons and daughters on distant battlefields, the symphony's moving rendition of John Williams' "Hymn to the Fallen" from "Saving Private Ryan" was especially poignant, particularly with the concluding muted drumbeats by percussionist Wise.

Following intermission the 14 youngsters representing the CLPA Youth Orchestra took the stage, with three numbers: "Dance" by Bela Bartok, Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" and Richard Meyer's "Tangerine Rag." Orchestra director Wes Follett, who was acknowledged by Parkinson for his role in training and inspiring young Lake County musicians, noted that his was truly an all-American program, since Bartok had spent the final years of his life in the United States.

The Youth Orchestra will present a special concert at Kelseyville's Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 8 at 8:30 pm. The public is invited and admission is free.

Paula Samonte, the Ukiah jazz singer who has often teamed up with Parkinson in past performances, then took the microphone to render three numbers that were especially arranged for her by Parkinson. They were "I've Got the World on a String," "Don't Get Around Much Any More" and "Orange Colored Sky."

Her sultry delivery and precise timing brought sustained applause from the 300-plus people in attendance. She also announced that she was booked for two performances at the newly-opened Soper-Reese Community Theater in Lakeport, to take place in September.

With the exception of one year, when illness forced her to withdraw, Samonte has been a fixture at the annual CLPA Christmas concerts, but announced today that she would have to skip this year's holiday concert due to the fact that she has been invited to appear in a featured role at an international music festival taking place in Rome. Conductor Parkinson, the orchestra and the audience all joined in wishing her well.

After the concert the entire orchestra posed for a photo, staged and shot by trumpeter Jay Johnson, who doubles as a professional photographer. Clear Lake Performing Arts plans to use his picture extensively for printed materials and also on the group's Web site at www.clearlakeperformingarts.org.

CLPA concert arrangements chairman, Hope Brewer, is busily planning for the fall and winter concert season which will include two Lake County Symphony performances. Dates, times and locales will be announced when performances are booked.

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Host Phil Mathewson did some poetry and sang some original songs. Lorna Sue Sides recited some of her more sensuous poems and Joanne Bateni read an anti-war poem.

Our youngest performer was 6 year old Madison Dessele, who played the piano for about a minute and covered her entire repertoire. She just started taking lessons and we expect great things from her in the future. Her dad then played his guitar and sang a few tunes.

Scotty McNeil sang his “Kelseyville” song and played a little “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven on the house piano.

Our resident magician, Phillip Martin, made a late appearance and forgot his famous cards. Cherie Holden from Watershed Books saved the day by lending a deck. Thank you, Cherie. Martin also tried some psychic readings and some coin tricks.

Tom Nixon performed some of his original songs including “Going up to Clearlake” and then accompanied Anthony, who played the musical saw. Anthony, the saw player, explained that musical saws are usually accompanied by other instruments so Phil and Tom played along with him before he did his solo. Thanks to everybody who came by.

Don’t forget the Thursday variety show at 4 p.m. All acts are welcome.

Cafe Victoria is located at 301 Main St. in Lakeport, telephone 263-1210.

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The master of ceremony's work schedule prompted the change which should be permanent at least for now.

Check with Phillip Martin, 928-5543, or email him to get on his mailing list at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Hope to see you there.

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