MOVIES: A video game is being asked to save this sluggish spring season at the theaters

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The year has started slowly in the movie theatres. Highly anticipated films like Snow White have underwhelmed. And others like Mickey 17 and Black Bag have also under performed. So there’s a lot riding on this week’s big one: A Minecraft Movie. Predictions are big because it’s based on that huge video game that has many, many players. But let’s see what happens. It’s my lead review today and is followed by several better but smaller choices.A Minecraft Movie: 2 ½ starsA Friend: 3 ½A Nice Indian Boy: 3 ½ Queen of the Ring: 4Resident Orca: 4Freaky Tales: 2A MINECRAFT MOVIE: Films made out of video games have a mixed record. Most have been bad. The TV series The Last of Us is excellent and this is in the middle. Neither good nor bad. Speedy and visually very imaginative but also unnecessary because it feels like an old story. I’m told it’s very close to the game and though I haven’t played it, I believe that. It marches along like a game, builds structures, sends characters down into underground passages, shafts and tunnels and sends all sorts of creatures and characters at them. Why? Well, there’s an orb (that actually looks like a plastic box) that seems to be the control point of everything. No wonder it’s called “the orb of dominance.”An evil sorcerer named Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) wants to get hold of it, and she has an army of creatures called “piglins” at her command. Against her is a group of five people who have come from down below to the Overworld to  stop her from doing what she plans. Whatever it is, it would apparently destroy the Overworld. Would make sense in a game, maybe, with its many levels. Not too clear here. But the action is lively as the five fight their way to Woodlands Mansion, notably its third floor. Apparently it’s a place where you can do and construct anything you can imagine. Who wouldn’t want to save that? Courtesy of Warner BrothersJack Black plays Steve, the de-facto leader. He’s been dreaming since he was a boy of getting into the mines around here. Co-leader is Jason Momoa as Garrison, a has-been video game champion now selling games in a store. He has a great time being silly and even singing. With them are a brainy kid (Sebastian Hansen) and his older sister (Emma Myers) and, for some reason, a real estate agent (Danielle Brooks). Why? Can’t remember, or why Jennifer Coolidge appears as a high school vice-principal. Possibly because the character is in the game and this movie works very hard to recreate it. Too hard. The director is Jared Hess, best known for Napoleon Dynamite, but sadly he doesn’t give us the same goofy humor here, opting instead to match the game that the fans know. (In theaters) 2 ½ out of 5.THE FRIEND: This is a warm-hearted and moving film about healing after the loss of a friend. Bill Murray is at the top of the cast list, but he’s gone almost immediately and re-appears only in flashbacks. His character has committed suicide and Naomi Watts, as Iris, a writer who was a student and then lover of his, has to re-order her life. She’s still tied to him through friends they shared, his daughter who she talks with and a project she’s taken on to edit his e-mail letters to publish in a book. And a dog.  Courtesy of Mongrel MediaThat’s a giant Great Dane that he wanted her to take care of. He’s called Apollo and, with his big sad eyes, seems to be even more depressed than Iris over the loss. “They seem to know things, don’t they?” she says. Pet owners will understand the challenges she faces in getting the animal to adjust to her life. He takes over the bed, for instance, and won’t move. “He’s a good dog,” a vet says. “Don’t turn him into a bad one.” He’s not allowed in the New York apartment building they live in, as the super regularly reminds, and eviction is threatened. While she deals with that, she learns more about her former mentor from his daughter, wife and two ex-wives. “You were his contingency plan,” she’s told. “You were his best friend.” It’s poignant, not at all heavy, smoothly directed and well-written by Scott McGehee + David Siegel and based on a best-selling novel by Sigrid Nunez. (In Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver theaters. More April 11). 3 ½ out of 5 A NICE INDIAN BOY: Friction in a South Asian family. We’ve seen it in movies before when a son or daughter brings home a romantic partner who is different: white or of another religion, in the usual version of this storyline. It’s been told in English films and this one (American and filmed in Vancouver) goes even further. The lover that the Indian son brings home is not only white, but gay. He’s not totally different because he was adopted as an orphan and raised by a Hindu family, so he knows the culture.  Courtesy of WayfarerBut he is gay. The dad will bluster, maybe rant, and mom may cry. Surprise. They don’t. They try to understand; take to watching OUT-TV and learn to accept. Mom shares what she learned from the movie Milk. It’s a refreshing change of attitude probably brought on by the filmmakers’ own story.  Roshan Sethi, the director, is gay and has put in insights from his own life to promote acceptance.  He’s also in a romantic relationship with one of his stars, Karan Soni who plays the son. You might have seen him in the Deadpool movies. Here he’s a shy doctor while his lover and soon fiancé is played by Jonathan Groff who is also a TV actor and a singer. His character is the more outgoing of the two. And despite a few funny awkward steps when he’s brought home, the film focuses on how to make relationships work. In contrast, a sister is having marital problems with the family-accepted man she took as a husband. The film has an agenda, sure, but it is also light, endearing and pleasant. (In theaters: Toronto now, Vancouver, Calgary and other cities soon) 3 ½ out of 5QUEEN OF THE RING: It feels low-class, but it sure is fun. Wrestling is the subject and, as usual, when the movies look at it, we see small-town crowds cheering every toss, punch and kick by strutting athletes putting in the hits to excite them. The difference here: these are women wrestlers, and they are just as wild as the men. Some of these bouts, especially one near the end, are brutal. It hurts just to watch and imagine. But it is also an advance of sorts in women’s equality. Bouts like it used to be illegal. “Muscles weren’t allowed on pretty girls,” we hear. It took some wily promoters to get the ban lifted in California in 1965 and New York in 1972. Before that, there was a show put on in carnivals, where it definitely looked low-class.Mildred Burke started there, and eventually became a world champion and the first million-dollar woman athlete in history. Emily Bett Rickards (from Vancouver) plays her with grit, spunk and warmth in this Kentucky-filmed movie directed by Ash Avildsen. His dad directed Rocky and The Karate Kid. So he knows his way around a sports movie. (He’s also in the film very briefly as the wrestling boss Vince McMahon).But this is the Rickards show.  Courtesy of The Impact SeriesShe’s magnetic as a single mom who’s convinced it’s her destiny to make it big. John Lucas is her trainer and promoter, but really a small-time hustler working up “chaos, rule breakin’ pandemonium” for the yokels. “I can’t sing, and I can’t dance,” she tells him. So wrestling was his way up. He taught her that, essentially, it is story telling. Fire up the crowd with a tale of good vs evil. “No, bouts aren’t fixed,” he says. They’re “scripted.” He bills her as The Kansas Cyclone and pits her against The Texas Tornado, The Alabama Assassin and others. She later marries him, becomes his partner in business, gets fed up with his controlling nature and infidelity (also a bloody punch), divorces him and even competes against him as a promoter. Low class or not, it’s a rousing film that backs a feisty woman’s ambition. (In theaters) 4 out of 5 RESIDENT ORCA: Two weeks ago, a film showed us the sad effects of confining elephants in zoos. Here’s an almost duplicate story about whales. The issue has been shown and argued about before … in Vancouver, for instance, where the aquarium is not allowed to keep orcas anymore. In the nearby Salish Sea, the southern resident orcas are an endangered species; only 75 are said to still live in the wild. Back in the 1950s and 60s, almost 50 were captured and sold (old film shows) and taken to aquariums where they were trained to put on shows for tourists. A great learning experience for children, it was said. Members of the Lummi Nation in Washington State disagreed. Orcas are “part of who we are. Our kinship,” says an elder. Courtesy of Everyday Film + CRAVEThey mount a campaign to bring back two that were taken to Seaquarium in Miami, Florida, where trainers are seen riding them in the small pool, luring them to surface high out of the water and do tricks to entertain the crowd. They were given the disrespectful names, Hugo and Lolita, and the Lummi noted that Lolita, also called Tokie, had been there over 50 years. Hugo killed himself by repeatedly ramming his head into the pool wall. Tokie got sick and was put under a 24-hour watch. So the effort to get her back took on a new urgency. Objections were overcome as it grew into a popular cause. The head of the Sea Shepherd Society took a lead role, new owners of the marine park gave in and the rich owner of a sports team (moved by watching the movie Avatar) offered to pay the cost. The film, made by B.C. directors Sarah Sharkey Pearce and Simon Schneider, follows every step and argument and is compelling to watch. And highly emotional with an ending you don’t expect. (In theaters: VIFF Centre in Vancouver now, the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, April 12 and streaming on CRAVE starting Earth Day, April 22) 4 out of 5   FREAKY TALES: Another solid performance by Pedro Pascal and a surprise cameo by a huge star are about all I can recommend in this stumbling film. It tells four stories and connects them only loosely, the main connection being that they all take place in Oakland, California back in 1987. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who wrote and directed the movie, are from there, and they may see more connection than most of us. I’ve seen praise that the film reflects that place and that time perfectly. That’s OK if you have fond memories of your own of the local places and events that are referenced. Like a legendary basketball performance by a Golden State Warriors player named Sleepy Floyd. His character figures in one of these stories. Others figure more widely: a debt-collector (Pascal) grieving the loss of his wife,  Courtesy of Cineplex Filmsa bad guy known as The Guy (Ben Mendelsohn, also solid), rappers singing some of the smuttiest lyrics ever, punks dancing wild to a very loud band and skinheads who attack them. They’re called Nazis, show up in all four stories and constitute something of a throughline. There are supernatural elements – like a bus flying into the sky and animated line drawings laid into some scenes—and a recurring ad for a psychological counseling service. What they’ve got to do with each other is obscure and an ending after some very graphic violence doesn’t manage the connection it is trying to make. There’s one terrific scene in a video store as a clerk (played by Tom Hanks) shows off his movie knowledge. Too brief to save this movie though. (In theaters) 2 out of 5 

From Floppy Discs To Cloud Computing: Microsoft Marks 50 Years Of Tech Revolution

Technology

50th Anniversary Microsoft: Cloud computing is fueling Microsoft’s revenue. Microsoft Corporation, the American multinational technology company based in Redmond, Washington, is celebrating its 50th anniversary today. Founded in 1975, the company has been a key player in the digital age, shaping the technology landscape over the past five decades. As it reaches this milestone, Microsoft…

Placer County author Mariah Clark Skewes brings empathy to life in her children’s books

Arts & Culture, Books

Mariah Clark Skewes transforms her experiences into children’s books, exploring different social skills and imagination.

PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — If you believe you’ve seen everything in quirky children’s books, think again! Placer County author Mariah Clark Skewes never imagined she would retire and write children’s books for a living, but that idea eventually became a reality as she transformed characters and stories into real-life scenarios through her writing. She writes under the pseudonym Mariah Clark Skewes, as Mary Boyle is her real name. 

Before becoming an author, Clark Skewes was an educator who spent many years learning about how the mind works in youth and adults regarding behavior and learning challenges.

“I really want people to understand there’s a reason for those things and to be kind, and to accept,” she said. “You don’t have to accept all the behavior or the language, but have an understanding of where it comes from and have some empathy toward others that maybe you’re a little bit different.”

Her teaching experience and philosophy inspire her to write meaningful stories about her experiences. Her books are about young children and adults who struggle with various interests, talents, social skills and personalities that sometimes don’t conform to societal norms.

Clark Skewes’ new book, Smudge, explores struggles amid challenges. The story follows a little boy who believes an imaginary monster, Smudge, is creating messes throughout the house when he’s the one doing it. The book encourages readers to accept imagination and exploration are perfectly okay.

“They can explore it in fantasy rather than doing it in reality,” she said. “Kids can explore things they’re curious about, maybe the character in a story is doing something naughty or something they shouldn’t, and a child wonders should I behave like that?”

Clark Skewes’ teaching and volunteer experience have influenced her writing, too. Working with students from diverse backgrounds, many of whom have faced trauma, taught her the importance of looking beyond behavioral issues and accepting different skills.

Clark Skewes volunteered at Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care, where she learned about ‘resiliency.’ Through her volunteer work, she’s witnessed firsthand the resilience of children navigating challenging circumstances and reflects that in some of the stories she writes.

“Some of the children I’ve met in foster care where they are kind of creating their own rules, not anything nefarious or terrible, but perhaps not quite following directions exactly as they been given,” she said. “I really enjoy adding that element into my characters, and I find that a lot in terms of children in foster care.”

Clark Skewes is already a step ahead as she continues her writing and volunteering journey. She is working on her next book, Pudge, which features a therapy dog who overcomes fear and anxiety after being rejected from foster care and adopted.

Watch more on ABC10 | Meet Sumi: Voters choose the name of Sacramento Zoo’s giraffe calf

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Sarah Jessica Parker and mother talk about their love of books at Adelphi University Writers and Readers festival

Arts & Culture, Books

Long before she was Carrie Bradshaw or little Orphan Annie, Sarah Jessica Parker was a lover of books.”There is something about holding a book which commands you. It’s sort of like really committing to a relationship in a different kind of way for me,” Parker said to a full audience at a panel titled “The Books That Built Our Souls.”Parker, 60, her mother Barbara Forste, 86, and award-winning author and playwright Adriana Trigiani, as moderator, spoke to a full room of students, teachers, and creatives about how their lives were impacted by books and the importance of accessible educational programming.The panel was a part of Adelphi University’s second annual Writers and Readers Festival, a two-day event that features panels and keynotes, professional development workshops, and conversations about the art and business of publishing.”Sarah Jessica is interested in worlds, worlds populated by characters that we may never meet in time and place,” Trigiani said.Forste, who said she was rewarded with trips to the library by her own mother, said she still remembers the name of the children’s librarian, Mary Peters, who always had a book for her.”I don’t remember any of the other children, but I remember her saying, ‘Here’s a book you will like.”That passion for literature was passed down from Forste to Parker.As one of eight children, Parker said money wasn’t abundant growing up, but her mother never let that stop them from living the best life possible.Cincinnati funded a variety of art programs, which the family often took advantage of. Parker said Forste also “made it her business” to find affordable tickets and scholarships for her children to take dance lessons, music lessons, and drama lessons.Forste also always made her children leave the house with a book in case they became bored.”She just made it her business to make sure that she wrung out every possibility for us,” Parker said.The panel began with an introduction by Adelphi alumna and novelist Alice Hoffman, 73, author of more than 40 works of fiction, including Practical Magic.Trigiani asked Parker and Forste a series of questions about formative books they hold dear, such as the first book they remembered reading and owning, comparing Jane Eyre to Wuthering Heights, and whether it’s important for a main character to have a moral compass.Telling untold perspectives is one thing Parker said she looks for when reading manuscripts for her book imprint SJP Lit with independent publisher Zando Projects in 2022. For example, its upcoming April 8 launch of “These Days” by Lucy Caldwell, tells the story of women in Belfast, Ireland during WWII.”I think what’s most interesting as a reader is being with people that aren’t like ourselves, that don’t obey the rules by which we choose to live and see what they make of their worlds,” Parker said.By

Scientists pioneer 3D-printed living skin, offering ethical alternative to animal testing

Science and Health

Scientists pioneer 3D-printed living skin, offering ethical alternative to animal testing

Researchers developed 3D-printed artificial human skin with living cells, offering a cruelty-free alternative to animal testing for cosmetics.
The bioengineered skin mimics natural tissue structure and maintains living cells for up to three weeks, a key milestone for reliability.
Specially formulated hydrogels enable cell growth, with a mild cross-linking method ensuring biocompatibility and stability.
The innovation could scale globally, with potential applications in drug testing, wound healing, and organ regeneration.
The breakthrough addresses ethical concerns, as over 500,000 animals die annually in cosmetic testing, with bans expanding worldwide.

In a groundbreaking advancement that could finally eliminate the controversial practice of animal testing for cosmetics, researchers from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria and India’s Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) have developed a 3D-printed imitation of human skin embedded with living cells.
The innovation, which mimics the biomechanics of natural skin, could revolutionize the cosmetics industry by providing a cruelty-free, scientifically reliable testing method. Initial tests show promising results, with the bioengineered tissue maintaining living cells for up to three weeks—a critical milestone in replacing animal models.
For decades, cosmetic companies have relied on animal testing to assess product safety, sparking ethical outrage and regulatory crackdowns. The European Union’s Directive 2010/63/EU, which restricts animal testing for cosmetics, has intensified the search for humane alternatives. Now, this international research collaboration may have found the solution—one that aligns cutting-edge technology with ethical responsibility.
A three-layer breakthrough
The key to the innovation lies in specially formulated hydrogels, water-rich materials that provide an ideal environment for human skin cells to survive, grow, and multiply. Using 3D printing, scientists layer these hydrogels to replicate the three primary structures of human skin: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
“The hydrogels for our skin imitation from the 3D printer have to fulfil a number of requirements,” explains Karin Stana Kleinschek, a researcher at TU Graz’s Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Biobased Systems. “The hydrogels must be able to interact with living skin cells. These cells not only have to survive, but also have to be able to grow and multiply.”
Stabilizing these delicate structures without toxic chemicals posed a significant challenge. The team developed a mild cross-linking method — mimicking natural biological processes — to reinforce the hydrogels while keeping them biocompatible. Early tests confirmed the materials are non-toxic and mechanically stable, with cells thriving for two to three weeks — long enough to conduct rigorous cosmetic safety assessments.
An unsettling but necessary innovation
The idea of creating “living” skin in a lab may sound like science fiction — or even raise ethical concerns about bioengineering. But researchers argue that this application serves a vital moral purpose.
The team’s findings, published in STAR Protocols, outline a cost-effective, customizable process that could scale globally. Manisha Sonthalia, a researcher at VIT, demonstrated the 3D-printing technique in video footage, showing hydrogel layers being precisely deposited to form skin-like scaffolds. These constructs, some arranged in checkered patterns, react to nanoparticles in cosmetics similarly to real human tissue.
While the breakthrough is promising, challenges remain. The artificial skin must consistently endure longer testing periods and replicate diverse skin types. Still, the implications extend beyond cosmetics. The same technology could advance drug testing, wound healing, and even organ regeneration.
Animal rights advocates have long decried the suffering inflicted by cosmetic testing. The Humane Society estimates that half a million animals — including rabbits, mice, and guinea pigs — die annually in such experiments, often subjected to painful procedures before being euthanized. Legislative bans are spreading, with 44 countries and 12 U.S. states restricting animal testing.
As the cosmetics industry faces mounting pressure to abandon animal testing, 3D-printed skin presents a viable — and ethically compelling — solution. While the technology’s “living” aspect may unsettle some, its potential to spare countless animals from suffering is undeniable. With further refinement, this innovation could mark the beginning of the end for cruel and unnecessary testing practices, proving that scientific progress and compassion can go hand in hand.
Sources for this article include:
ScienceDaily.com
Independent.co.uk
PopSci.com