EL SEGUNDO HERALD April 9, 2015 Page 3 Film Review Appreciates El Segundo We appreciate the many benefits of living in El Segundo. Because we both became disabled at the same time due to a surgery and an illness, we became dependent on others for help, and got it quickly. Our paramedics were wonderful and caring during our trip to the hospital emergency room. When we needed food and transportation for several weeks, we relied on Meals-on-Wheels and the Dial-a-Ride which were available through Recreation and Parks services. Both were excellent! We also relied on the generous friends and neighbors who offered to help on a regular basis. We even had one friend, who formerly lived in El Segundo, come and stay with us for a month. She came with only a two day notice! The Rotary provided us the use of medical equipment, which made life easier. Now that we are on the road to recovery, we wish to thank all who helped us through their actions, thoughts and prayers. – Mark and Marcia Marion Bill Mason We wanted to thank the El Segundo Herald for publishing our father’s obituary and beautiful remembrances from friends and colleagues. Being from what used to be a small community in North Carolina, as our father became involved in the corporate world he was required to move to various locations with his company, but he continually searched for a “community” to call home. As he became involved in the City of El Segundo, he was so impressed by this unique “small town” bordering one of the largest cities in the nation. From the Movie in the Park to the 4th of July, he loved that people knew each other’s names and would say hello when you walked down Main St….that the community valued their schools and teachers enough to rally every year to raise supplemental funds ……that volunteers came out of the woodwork for community projects….that businesses, large and small, supported each other….and, especially, that the people of El Segundo were happy, upbeat and genuinely cared about their neighbors and their town! Dad was proud to be an “honorary resident” and felt he had found his home! We are so appreciative of the true friends and true happiness that Dad found in the South Bay area. He had wonderful neighbors, loyal friends of all ages, from all walks of life and a myriad of fun and rewarding experiences with his work associations and his Rotary Club family. Thank you all so very much for being a part of his long and full life! We will be having a service at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Palos Verdes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16th and then, move to a celebration of his life at his Rotary Club meeting at 12:00 at the Lakes Golf Course in El Segundo. In lieu of flowers, a fund has been established for a project to honor Dad by the El Segundo Rotary Club, PO Box 85, El Segundo, CA 90245. – Peggy Mullin (daughter) Dr. Bill Mason III (son) Letters Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L A W Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litiga tion 310-540-6000 Lifetime El Segundo Residents *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Brian R. Brandlin • Bruce R. Brandlin • Christopher P. Brandlin Kill Me Three Times is a Humorous, Self-Referential Thrill Ride By Ryan Denman for CINEMACY Kriv Stender’s Kill Me Three Times is a very interesting take on the classic botched murder storyline. Screenwriter James McFarland infuses this thriller with a sense of selfreferential farce, with Simon Pegg’s (Shaun of the Dead) British wit-fueled performance Simon Pegg in Kill Me Three Times, a Magnet Release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing. as the cherry on top. However – don’t be fooled by this casting choice. While Pegg strings a comedic thread through most of his films, Kill Me Three Times is an exciting “who’s gonna get it next?” type of film, and his comedy serves well as a way of greasing the wheels for this action flick to maintain the audience’s focus. Another aspect that helps keep this focus is the use of colored lighting through neon lights, shades, and other movie magic cheats for source light. Stender’s fellow Australian cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson takes a cue from classic ‘70s Grindhouse films to create a postmodern aesthetic that reminds viewers that they are watching a movie, not real life. It is a simple concept, but in order for the violence not to be taken as truly grotesque, they must remember this truth: Simpson’s use of his on-screen stylizations is key in allowing the audience to accept the hijinks of murder, maybe even with a laugh or two. Simpson also takes advantage of a beautiful Australian backdrop to set the story. The gorgeous isolated island setting is established early in the film, however – the catch is that, besides the people involved in murder (this includes being a killer, victim or extortionist), there seems to be no one else around. Who knew that such ugly crimes and motivations would look so great with a sunny beach paradise behind it? Speaking of looking good, the cast does just that. Both Teresa Palmer and Alice Bragga could win a beauty contest, but far more impressive and important is that both of them gave powerful and unique performances as displeased and unfaithful romantic partners. In fact, both Palmer’s and Bragga’s characters are so strong that they help to make clear a distinct choice in a reversal of traditional gender roles seen in most action flick shootem up’s, which is made even more explicit by the very emotionally erratic and sensitive performances of Sullivan Stapleton and Callan Murphy. This gender reversal makes for a much more interesting action story than the traditional male-driven noir stories. Stenders addresses his playing with traditional character roles to be a direct distinction of the film’s postmodern style. Kill Me Three Times plays upon peoples’ past film experiences by referencing classic film styles and characters, such as the crooked tough cop and the femme fetale. While the film also adds new dynamics to the traditional nihilistic tale of murders gone wrong, and by choosing a plot template that is so deeply rooted in chance, its goal of creating a new version seems reachable. However, while the film has style and entertainment value, it lacks enough of a signifier to really stick to an audience’s palate for very long. There aren’t any overlymemorable action moments or trademark lines or catchphrases that fuels the film here. Nor are there any moments of outrageous comedy or snappy one-liners to steal and use on your friends later. It’s still fun to watch though, and while it remains a very technically proficient film, it most likely won’t be on people’s top ten list in a month or so. But for a film whose influences are so entertaining, perhaps the film is doing just what it was meant to do after all. • Community Briefs South Bay Bar’s Ask-A-Lawyer Day The South Bay Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service will sponsor annual “ASKA LAWYER” program, in celebration of Law Day. The program will be held on Friday, May 1, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Torrance Superior Court, 825 Maple Avenue in Torrance. Tables and chairs will be set up in the common area on the first floor to accommodate the public. Attorneys of varying specialties will be on hand to provide legal assistance to the public at no charge. For more information, please contact Nicole at The South Bay Bar Association (310) 325-4200. City of El Segundo’s Elderfest The City of El Segundo selects a community member to receive the award of El Segundo Older American of the Year and hosts a celebration, called Elderfest, in honor of all senior citizens in the community. Jan Cruikshank, 85, epitomizes Civic Engagement and the role of volunteers in a community. She has been an active member of our El Segundo Community for over 40 years. She is a former El Segundo City Councilwoman, she held a seat on the ESUSD school board, actively volunteered in the PTA, served as president of the El Segundo Senior Club, volunteered with the Red Hat Society, and is a founding member of El Segundo CARES. She is an advocate for our military and makes regular visits to the VA hospital in Los Angeles to distribute clothing, toiletries and treats. On her last visit she brought over 60 bags of needed items to our local veterans and she is in the process of planning a BBQ event on May 15 in conjunction with local service organizations for these veterans. She is a force to be reckoned with – community coordinator, motivator, kind-hearted volunteer, and public servant! For more information please contact the Joslyn Center at (310) 524-2705. Elderfest will take place at the Automobile Driving Museum on May 8, 2015. Reservations required. If you are interested in being an event sponsor please contact sdonahue@elsegundo.org • Douglass M O R T U A R Y “Our Family Serving Yours Since 1954” B U R I A L - C R E M A T I O N - W O R L D W I D E T R A N S F E R P E T M E M O R I A L P R O D U C T S 500 EAST IMPERIAL AVENUE EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA 90245 Telephone (310) 640-9325 • Fax (310) 640-0778 • FD658 AMERICA’S FAVORITE COLUMNIST Diamond Doctor Brenda Newman answers life’s big questions. Her passion for her work and her customers continues to change lives daily. Brenda has been a Practicing Diamond Physician since 1984. The Jewelry Source 337 Main St. El Segundo. 310-322-7110 www.jewelrysourceUSA.com ©2007 Dear Brenda, Is it true that you sell band substances? Please explain to me! Good news, my friend! It’s TRUE! We sell wedding bands, anniversary bands, diamond bands, gold bands, platinum bands, titanium bands, silver bands – all completely legal!
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