She Likes to Watch

Read on for a summary of HopeDance FiLMs through the rest of the month:

Tonight
“Beyond the Call”
This documentary focuses on the founders of Knightsbridge International, a men’s organization that offers food, money, medicine and clothing to war-torn areas around the world. 7 p.m. SLO Library. $5.

Oct. 15
Filmmaker Sarah George explores the world of hobos and freight train hoping, following folks like Switch, Baby Girl and Luther the Jet. 7 p.m. SLO Library. $5.

Oct. 19
“10 Questions for the Dalai Lama”
Santa Barbara resident Rick Ray adds insights from the spiritual leader to his own observations traveling through India and the Middle East. 7 p.m. SLO Library. $10.
NOTE: This film will be screened again at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the SLO Library.

Oct. 26
“Entheogen: Awakening the Divine Within”
This documentary traces humanity’s fascination with consciousness-altering drugs from ancient mystery cults to Burning Man. Sunset. Utopia Bakery. $5.

Oct. 30
Van Jones speech
In case you missed it in September, HopeDance brings viewers a filmed speech by Van Jones, civil rights lawyer, activist and founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. 7 p.m. SLO Library. Donations welcome.

— Sarah L.

Many viewers will be disappointed by the film “Resident Evil: Extinction,” whether they’re loyal followers of the “Resident Evil” movies and games, or just garden-variety zombie lovers. But star Milla Jovovich masks the movie’s flaws and blinds the audience to seeing the fake gore or noticing the lack of a relationship to the games.

Using “Matrix”-style moves and fancy footwork, a team of survivors fight their way through zombies whose makeup resembles beef jerky. With hopes of safety in the isolation of Alaska, a few tough women and several men shelter the few survivors they’ve come across. In the wasteland of the dying Earth, the team battles their way through loads of zombies, and even when Jovovich slaughters more than 20 of them, she is left with not one drop of blood on her white shirt.

I could carp over the unrealistic details like the unappealing gore, but I won’t. I could easily tell the plot was intended to be suspenseful and interesting, but it was hard to catch the exuberance of it. I actually heard a few exclamations around me like, “Is this it?” or “When do we find out what’s going on?” Overall, it was difficult to get caught up in the storyline.

Though the movie definitely had its flaws, it was hard not to say “Whoa!” a few times when Jovovich kicks butt. I’m sure some would and could argue that this film wasn’t as great as the others in the series, but I’m not sure I think so. The movie, I could argue, was the best of them all (dominant female characters, powerful protagonist, etc.). And though I think it was, it was a poor representation of the best. For a “Resident Evil” gamer, “Extinction” probably wouldn’t fit the qualities of an amazing video game either, but it might catch the eye of a student of martial arts.

— Anya Rossa-Quade

Anya Rossa-Quade, a junior at Arroyo Grande High School, loves to write and watch films with her friends.

So I don’t have to tell you that Weird Al Yankovic graduated from Cal Poly, right?

Because I’m pretty sure we’ve noted that little tidbit in the Tribune roughly, oh, let’s say 963 times.

Maybe even 964.

He was a DJ at KCPR, recorded “My Bologna” in the bathroom, The Dr. Demento Show, yeah, yeah, yeah. We know, for crying out loud.

But clearly the love affair between San Luis Obispo and Weird Al goes both ways, as evidenced by Al’s 2 ½-hour show At Cal Poly Tuesday night.

A couple of things surprised me about this show: First of all, the variety of ages in the audience. Apparently, Al appeals to both middle schoolers and middle agers. Secondly, I’m a little shocked by how out of it I appear to be.

I was proud of myself for recognizing parodies of James Blunt, Avril Lavigne and Eminem. But when he performed several songs that left me clueless, I found myself thinking: “When is he gonna do ‘Eat It?’”

Fortunately, he did do ‘Eat it.” And there were parodies of Nirvana, The Presidents of the United States of America, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and, of course, Coolio that I recognized. And some of the ones I didn’t recognize, well, I’ll just assume they were some of Al’s originals.

He also performed some newer material, like “White & Nerdy,” which parodies the song “Ridin” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone (And, yes, I had to look that up.)

It’s ironic that Weird Al remains relevant and popular while many of the artists he poked fun of are now long gone.

Anyone know what the Crash Test Dummies have been up to the past 15 years?

Given that Weird Al’s success is so tied to video, a mere show of him performing live wouldn’t suffice. So Al cleverly combines video with his act. While he and his band change outfits — and that’s a crucial part of his act — you’ll see fake celebrity interviews from his “Al TV” show, clips of TV shows, like “The Simpsons,” which mention him or feature him as a guest and other stuff that’s just . . . weird.

But funny.

His video for “Weasel Stomping Day” was a hoot.

Al’s longtime band rocked. And while Al himself is far from being a great singer, there were times when he hit a falsetto or belted out a good scream that made you think: “Well, he’s got something there.” And, of course, he plays a mean accordion.

But clearly Weird Al’s gift is his humor, which mocks those (i.e., Kevin Federline)who take themselves too seriously.

A few quick things to point out:

* Yes, that was a straight-up cover of Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio.” I’m not sure why he does that, but he often performs it. And, I have to say, it’s a pretty faithful cover, with Al doing a credible vocal impression.

* And about the “Atlantic Records Sucks” shirt that Al revealed during “You’re Pitiful”: Al had garnered permission from James Blunt to parody his song “You’re Beautiful,” but then Blunt’s label, Atlantic, didn’t approve. Avoiding a legal battle, Al chose not to include the song on his album. But he does perform it live, offering his opinion of Atlantic in the process.

* The PAC is a pretty great place to see a show. I love the space between rows of seats. Plus, the acoustics are good, and the lights nicely complimented Al’s energetic performance. And, of course, there’s not a bad seat in the house.

–Pat P.

I have to admit, I was a little reluctant when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to meet his college roommate, who was visiting from the East Coast.

“I don’t know,” I said, feeling especially antisocial on this day. “I think I’ve met all the people I need to meet in life.”

But my wife and I managed to drag ourselves out of the house and meet the guy, which turned out to be a good thing. Because, it turns out, he’s a bit of a blabber mouth, who revealed some secrets about my friend, whom I’ll call “Dan” since, well — that’s kind of his name.

Needless to say, Dan was a little red-faced during these revelations, especially when his ex-roomie told us about the time Dan got his tongue stuck in the freezer.

It’s true. The roommate had heard Dan yelling, but Dan’s speech sounded a little weird. When he ran into the kitchen, he realized why:
Dan didn’t have full use of his tongue.

Everyone’s seen that scene from the movie “A Christmas Story,” of course. You know, where the kid gets his tongue stuck on a frozen pole? I guess Dan — who, I should point out, was in college at the time — doubted the physics of the scene. So he conducted a little experiment.

Fortunately, his roomie was there to thaw him out — although his tongue was left a little bloody. And, of course, there’s the whole wounded pride thing.

I mention this not to out my friend Dan — although, frankly, why not — but to mention the cult and classic film series at the Fremont.

“A Christmas Story” — a staple of Holiday viewing — has already been announced for December. And now The Movie Experience, which operates the Fremont, has just announced a new slate of classic films that will be shown. The “Great Musicals and Spectacles” series will feature such dance-friendly films as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Sound of Music” and West Side Story.” Some of those will be weaved in between the already existing cult series, which includes “A Christmas Story.”

Here’s a list of all the classic and cult movies coming to the Fremont. And remember: Stunts performed on film are conducted by professional stunt men and women. Do not apply your tongue to frozen stuff.

* “The Exorcist,” Tuesday
* “Singin in the Rain,” Oct. 16
* “The Goonies,” Nov. 6
* “Fight Club,” Dec. 4
* “The Sound of Music,” Nov. 13
* “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” Dec. 11
* “A Christmas Story,” Dec. 18
* “West Side Story,” Jan. 15
* “Grease,” Feb. 12
* “Doctor Zhivago,” March 11
* “Ben Hur,” April 8
* “Lawrence of Arabia,” May 6

–Pat P.

You might say Alan Stephenson is a man on a mission.
Unlike movie icon James Bond, Stephenson’s quest has nothing to do with thwarting the Russians or keeping diamonds from falling into the wrong hands.
This Arroyo Grande man pursues everything connected to Agent 2007.
As today’s Tribune story explains, he’s been collecting James Bond memorabilia since childhood. It’s a rocky pursuit.
“There is that sinking feeling when you lose the eBay auction, but I have to keep reminding myself, ‘It’s OK. They’re going to surface again,’ ” Stephenson said.
Stephenson takes himself a little less seriously than some Bond collectors.
He jokes about ad campaigns in the 1960s that tried to convince customers, “Wear this cologne and you will be James Bond. You’ll have the power to (get) women.”
The same line of reasoning continues today with collectible poker chips, lighters and replica guns listed for thousands of dollars, he says.
“It really annoys me to hear, ‘I’m living the James Bond lifestyle. I bought the $7,000 watch and the $10,000 tuxedo,’ ” Stephenson says. “You’re not living the James Bond lifestyle. You just bought a bunch of expensive crap.”
Stephenson’s own collection is more playful.
Over the decades, the collector has amassed a James Bond-themed bathrobe, a 007 slot machine, wallpaper, neckties, martini shakers and scores of movie props — as well as the usual toy cars and dolls.

Among his treasures:
• Black leather chair used by the villain Stromberg in “The Spy Who Loved Me”
• Red “missile control operator” uniform from “The Spy Who Loved Me”
• Yellow jumpsuit worn by Martin Grace — James Bond’s stunt double in “Moonraker”
• James Bond slot-car set, featuring a mountain track similar to the Alps scenes in “Goldfinger”
• Odd Job “action puppet,” from “Goldfinger” — complete with bowler hat
• Submarine model set from “The Spy Who Loved Me”
• Souvenir license plates: “007 FAN” and “EVL DOER”
• Russian nesting dolls depicting four actors who have played Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan
• Rubbing taken from the grave of English author Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond

Stephenson uses the slogan “The Poor Man’s James Bond” for his design business, Klaus Ink. Collectors and fellow Bond fans can reach him at poormansjb@sbcglobal.net.

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Here’s a fun game:
Always wondered about your secret agent identity? Visit Sideshow Collectibles’ Web site to find out your “agent name.”
Just click here.