Close encounters
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I don’t know if I believe in aliens. I do, however, believe in a good afternoon’s entertainment, which is why I’m attending the annual screening of “The Phoenix Lights Documentary” this Sunday, March 14, at Harkins Shea 14 Theatres.
The Phoenix Lights (and I’m sticking to the basic facts here) was a March 13, 1997 event in which thousands of people in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico reported seeing strange phenomena in the sky.
One of the witnesses was Dr. Lynne Kitei, a physician, educator and Valley resident who had already been documenting unexplained lights in the sky for about two years at that point.
After years of research and documentation, Kitei, along with Paul Perry and Gary E. Schwartz, published a book in 2004 titled “The Phoenix Lights: A Skeptic’s Discovery That We are Not Alone” (Hampton Roads, $17 paperback).
The documentary based on the book debuted in March 2005, and the screening has become a tradition: It takes place at Shea 14 every year on the Sunday after the anniversary of the sighting.
This year, screenings will be held at 1 and 4 p.m. Kitei will hold a Q & A session after the film and sign copies of the newly revised and expanded edition of her book. In addition, a mystery guest will make an appearance.
“The Phoenix Lights have become historic,” says Kitei, “not only in the annals of ufology (the study of UFOs), but certainly in the annals of human history of unexplained phenomena.”
Harkins Shea 14 Theatres are located at 7354 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. Ticket cost is $7. Call 480-948-6555 or visit harkinstheatres.com.
For more information on the Phoenix Lights, visit thephoenixlights.net
12 Mar, 2010 > Comment - 1 -
The Jews of Harry Potter
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There might not be many Jewish students at Hogwarts, but when “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” opens tomorrow, July 15, there will be several members of the tribe portraying the denizens of the wizarding world.
Daniel Radcliffe, who portrays the titular boy wonder, has a Jewish mother, although he considers himself nonreligious. Helena Bonham-Carter, the actress who portrays the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange, is also Jewish on her mother’s side; her paternal grandfather was honored by Yad Vashem last year for illegally issuing documents to help thousands of Jews escape Vichy France, according to an interview she gave to the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles.
Finally, he’s sadly nowhere to be found in “Half-Blood Prince,” but Jason Isaacs, who portrays ultra-baddie Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, is also Jewish; his great-grandparents were founding members of the Jewish community in Liverpool, England.
Visit warnerbrothers.com.
14 Jul, 2009 > Comment - 5 -
Celebrities in Israel: Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts
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A-list celebrity couple Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts recently made their first trip to Israel through Jewish National Fund (JNF). Schreiber, 41, and Watts, 40, planted trees in the Galilee with their two young sons, 22-month-old Sacha and 5-month old Samuel. They also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, swam in Lake Kinneret, saw the Kotel and visited a secure indoor recreation center JNF built in Sderot.
“As a mother of two young children, I know how important it is to have a great play environment. This place is a great source of fun for these children and the attention to detail is just magnificent,” Watts, who is not Jewish, said about the center, according to a JNF press release. “I thank JNF for bringing us here and building this special place.”
Schreiber, who is Jewish, said the trip was especially meaningful for him, as his late grandfather was a strong Zionist who always wanted to see his grandson go to Israel.
To watch video of Schreiber and Watts in Israel, click here.
Liev Schreiber, left, and Naomi Watts plant trees in Israel. Photo courtesy of JNF.
29 Jun, 2009 > Comment - 0 -
Your ticket to superstardom
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Are you burning with a desire for enduring fame? Will you do anything to be a celebrity? Were you really, really unfortunate-looking as a teenager?
Shmaltz Brewing Company’s HE’BREW, everyone’s favorite kosher brewski, is running a photo contest. Submit your cutest, cheesiest, funniest or most cringeworthy bar or bat mitzvah photo, and your adolescent punim could end up on the label of Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah, HE’BREW’s 13th anniversary beer.
The contest for the label spots ends July 4, but photos can be submitted until Hanukkah 2009. All submitted photos will be shown on the Web site, shmaltzbrewing.com. In addition, winners in a number of categories — Best Hair, Best Family Photo, Most Awkward Moment, Youngest-Looking Adult, Funniest Shot, Best-Dressed, Best Braces and Best Dance Moves — will receive a HE’BREW Bar Mitzvah Gift Set.
Send photos, plus your name and the date and location of your bar or bat mitzvah, to info@shmaltzbrewing.com. All photos should be of bar mitzvah boys and bat mitzvah girls who are now 21 or older.
24 Jun, 2009 > Comment - 1 -
Nice to meet you
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Hi, I’m Jen. Welcome to my blog. Since joining the Jewish News staff in 2003, I’ve had the pleasure of covering arts and culture, food and special sections, as well as creating our quarterly lifestyle magazine, Chosen.
Check this space often for news and reviews about the fun and exciting things going on in the Valley and the entertainment world, and if you know of something I should write about, please let me know.
--Jen
18 Jun, 2009 > Comment - 0 -