Copie's Choice for the weekend of December 21

Published: Sat, 12/22/18


Copie's Choice for the weekend of December 21

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. It seems to come around faster and faster every year, Or... maybe that's just a sign that I'm getting old. That's what my children keep telling me anyway. I hope that you are receiving all of the joy that this time of year is supposed to bring.

I know that for folks who struggle with depression and anxiety as I do, this time of year can be challenging. If you happen to be “one of us,” breathe. Take it one moment at a time. Do what you can handle. Nothing is earth shattering. Be kind to yourself. Everything will be okay.

Here's what I got to this week...

READING

Book coverFinished The Woman In The Window by A.J Finn. It was a hot read the latter part of the year and I finally got around to it. It's a page turner, though we've seen elements of the plot before.

Dr. Anna Fox is a psychologist who has been stricken with a severe case of agoraphobia that's so debilitating, she hasn't left her home in ten months. She passes the time by watching DVDs of classic noir films and spying on the neighbors with the telephoto lens on her Nikon. In a twist right out of Hitchcock's Rear Window, she witnesses a murder. The problem is, that between her mental illness and her prescription meds that she washes down with copious amounts of red wine, nobody believes her. Since she mentally ill, we as readers don't know if we should believe her because she is an unreliable narrator.

There are some big twists that you don't see coming. It's a good read. Check it out. It's also a good gift for the crime fiction lover on your holiday gift list.
READ IT.

WATCHING

Just started season 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. I fell in love with this story of a jilted 1950s housewife who inadvertently discovers a latent gift for standup comedy a few months back. As a comic and a show business historian of sorts, I'm fascinated by the level of detail the show's creators have put into getting the New York comedy scene of 1958 right. From everything I've read over the years about the Gaslight in Greenwich Village and the hierarchy and machinations of the clubs, they've just nailed it. And... it's gut laugh funny!
WATCH.

SAW

Caught quite a few pictures lately thanks to the great deal that AMC has with their A List program. I can't tout this highly enough if you're a film lover like I am! It's $19.99 a month to see up to three movies a week. Any available screening. Any format, including iMax, Dolby and 3D. It's an INCREDIBLE deal! Plus you get discounts on concessions and you get priority when waiting in line. Download the AMC app to sign up.

movie posterSome random thoughts on movies I just saw...

AQUAMAN
I'm a huge comic book fan. They somehow found a way to make the lamest superhero ever created a badass who's edgy and cool! It's great. Jason Momoa is just superb as the reluctant heir to the throne of Atlantis who doesn't take himself (or for that matter the movie) too seriously. Great special effects. Lots of action and battle scenes if you're into that sort of thing. GO

THE MULE
Clint Eastwood is a septuagenarian who, as the result of unexpected financial challenges, becomes a drug runner for a Mexican cartel. He's a no nonsense, politically incorrect dinosaur who struggles with the regret of a family his work forced him to abandon earlier in life as he spends days at a time alone on the open road. Inspired by a true story. GO

VICE
Went to the screening of the new film written and directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short) that tells the story of how Dick Cheney, a drunken Wyoming ne'er do well, became the most powerful and secretive Vice President in American history. Three words: Christian Bale Oscar. His transformation into the former veep is something to behold. He completely disappears into the character. There's not a second you aren't convinced you are watching Cheney on the screen. GO

THE WIFE
Glenn Close is getting a lot of Oscar buzz for her performance as the wife of a John Updike-type writer visiting Oslo in the 1990s to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Never before have I seen an actor non-verbally say so much about pain, indignity and fortitude it takes to deal with disappearing when one is the wife of a famous man. It's an amazing, understated performance that, as an actor, I learned a lot from. It's a great film with a twist I didn't see coming and neither will you. GO

EATS

My pal Ronn Owens and I had a marvelous dinner at Maybeck's in San Francisco last week. Their signature dish is Beef Wellington, which is served only on Wednesday nights. It's incredible! Get there early and you can go into the kitchen where the chef demonstrates how they make and carve it. Maybeck's is located at 3213 Scott Street in San Francisco. Make a reservation or you won't get in.

Still on a quest for the Bay Area's best cheeseburger so, keep your recommendations coming to me at copie@briancopeland.com

THEATER

Brian CopelandTHE GREAT AMERICAN SHIT SHOW
Charlie Varon (Rabbi Sam, Rush Limbaugh in Night School) and I had such a great time with our sold out experimental show Thanksgiving weekend that we did it again last Saturday night at the Marsh in San Francisco and...it sold out again!! Charlie and I are both doing a series of short monologues on life in the Trump era that we call The Great American Shit Show. We take on #MeToo, What to do when someone you love is all in for Trump and you loathe the man, Charlie's adventures canvassing in the central valley to flip a red congressional seat to blue and more!

We'll present it again at the San Francisco Marsh on January 5 at 5 PM. Tickets are $30 to $100 but if you purchase by midnight Sunday with the code LockHimUp, you pay only $20. Hurry, we're almost sold out again!
Get your tickets here.

NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN RETURNS TO THE EAST BAY FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
Not A Genuine Black Man, the longest running solo play in San Francisco Theatrical history, returns to the East Bay for one very special performance on Friday, January 25 at the Douglas Morrison Theater in Hayward before I take it down to Burbank for an extended run. Find out why my personal tale of laughter, tears and sociology continues to endure!
For tickets, go here.

Brian CopelandLIGHTEN UP FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE
I'm back at the San Leandro Performing Arts Center on December 31st with a great line up of 10 (and counting!) of the funniest standups around to say goodbye to 2018. Showtime is 7 PM and we finish by 9:30 so you have time to go elsewhere for midnight or, just get off the road before the drunks come out. Tickets are $65 advance and $75 at the door. Purchase by noon this Sunday with code SOLO2 and pay only $55!
For tickets, go to: lightenupforlaughs.brownpapertickets.com
Or call 1-800-838-3006.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Copie

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