We're through the looking glass, here, people. Thirty years after Clue became a movie and everyone began simultaneously making snarky comments about what other board games might limp out of uninspired Hollywood producer's closets and out onto the screen, we now have Ouija. Of course, this does come after the brutal disappointment that was Battleship (how they made it through that entire movie without getting Liam Neeson to solemnly utter, "You sunk my battleship," is beyond me), and presumably before the adaptation of Candyland, but this must still be a milestone of some sort.

Yes, the classic sleepover game does have a fair bit more traction as a property that could reasonably be made into a movie - pulling taffy and "light as a feather, stiff as a board" might have a rougher transition - though the trailer seems to reveal a movie that is blissfully unaware of the inherent hokiness of its concept. If I gave you five minutes to come up with what the Ouija movie would be about, something tells me you'd present me with something like this.

Think of it like Jumanji with ghosts, which might be the exact pitch that got this movie made. A girl finds an Ouija board in her house, creepy stuff happens, she dies and then a group her way-too-old-to-believe-in-Ouija-boards friends decide to use the spirit board to reach her on the other side. And then, it's just more of the same haunted house jump scares that have dominated mainstream horror movies since Paranormal Activity came out. Dear god, I hope audiences will grow as tired of surreal mirror gags in these movies as I have. Here's hoping slashers come back in style.

But, if we're adapting board games, might I suggest Sorry? That game's some backstabbing bullshit. I can see it easily becoming a David Mamet war of the sexes and/or world of finance psychodrama.

The soldiers of 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment shared a little of their cavalry history with their spouses as they took part in a spur ride Oct. 8.

SecondLt. Dan Jester, a platoon leader in the regiment, explained that when soldiers joined a cavalry they were required to earn their spurs. That rite of passage continues today for soldiers and their spouses.

 "I think it's a good way to build the unit's morale and get the families more involved," said Jester. "In my opinion, anything that we can do to get the families involved is going to increase soldier morale and our capability to fight."

The spouses were placed in five teams based on their soldier's troop before completing an obstacle course, a confidence course, a rappel tower, a rifle range and a litter carry relay.

Jester explained that the teams were being graded on how well they performed in each segment and given an overall score.  

>>> Sgt. David Diaz, left, with the 595th Military Police Company, receives a certificate from Lt. Col. Robert Halverson, 1-14 Cavalry Regiment squadron commander, for participation in the unit's Spouse Spur Ride at JBLM. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Antwaun J. Parrish

Sgt. David Diaz, a military policeman assigned to 595th Military Police Company, participated as a spouse, because his wife Pfc. Kristina Diaz is a member of 1-14th Cav. Reg.

"I'm dual military, so it's easy for us both to understand the army," said Diaz. "Spouses sometimes don't understand what it feels to be on the other part of the perspective."

Diaz expressed that he'd already completed the obstacle courses before with his unit, and he was glad to see that the other spouses were doing so well throughout the day.

"The level of motivation is great," said Diaz.

Caitlyn Stauss, whose husband Sgt. Matt Stauss is a cavalry scout assigned to 1-14th Cav. Reg., expressed how excited she was to participate in the spur ride.

"I'm really proud of him, so it's good to see what he does at work," said Stauss.

Stauss admits that it was tough, but she was proud that she was able to get through all of the day's events and enjoyed most of the obstacles.

Diaz and Stauss were a part of the team recognized at the closing ceremony as the overall winners of the Spouse Spur Ride.

Staff Sgt. Antwaun J. Parrish is with the 19th Public Affairs Detachment.

>>> Spouses of soldiers assigned to 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, navigate through an obstacle course during the unit's Spouse Spur Ride held at JBLM. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Antwaun J. Parrish

FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 2014 >>>

1. Pimp 'n' Ho parties just aren't cuttin' it anymore, are they? Neither are the toga parties, the erotic costume contests or naughty nurses. So much bare flesh, so much cold weather. If Halloween is really to turn into The Day of Getting As Close to Naked As Possible, it should be moved to July. This is not the point. The Weekly Volcano apologizes. The point is that, for you, today no longer holds the magic it once did. You yearn for Halloweens of yesteryear. Fort Nisqually Living History Museum at Point Defiance Park has you covered with its 20th version of Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen - a chance for revelers of all shapes and sizes to sit by a bonfire, sip cider, eat cookies and hear tales of ghostly pipers, haunted whaling ships and demon snakes told by the scariest folks of all - those who dress in clothing from the 1800s for fun. The wood will be lit at 7 p.m.

2. The Magic Flute is set in an unnamed fantasyland, but this production benefits from local stylistic influences. Tacoma Opera drew inspiration from the art and culture of Pacific Northwest Salish tribes, with valuable assistance from the Puyallup tribe in particular. The event's web page notes the indigenous culture's "impish sense of humor and ... immense respect for nature, all of which blend perfectly with the transcendent music." It'll be interesting to note how these tribal elements are woven into set and costume designs, as The Magic Flute's expansive, episodic structure demands a unifying aesthetic perspective. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on The Magic Flute in the Music & Culture section, then catch the performance at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Rialto Theater.

3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is Lakewood Playhouse's 7th Annual Live Radio Show and is also their spooky Halloween offering at 8 p.m. For two nights only, the theater will be transformed into a live radio show featuring actors reading many parts and the director (and many of the actors) performing all the sound effects. The show starts with "another twisted episode from the iconic radio show "Lights Out" and many more surprises" before beginning Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale of a scientist and the monster that lurks just under the surface. Read Joann Varnell's review of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on our Walkie Talkie blog.

4. The Little O and his Lonely One Man Folk-Punk Band is a wonderfully self-referential project. As the one-man band in question, the Little O is a self-styled caricature of a rambling troubadour. Most of his songs are titled with variations on "The Little O Sings About (Blank)," essentially rendering him a kind of Sunday comics character, doing bluesy little folk ditties about his thoughts on zines, phone calls, postcards, and - most delightfully - what it's like to be a one-man band. Catch Little O with Forest Beutel, Micaela Cooley and Emelie Peine at 8 p.m. in the Northern Pacific Coffee Company.

5. Sounding like a cross between Captain Beefheart's elegant experimentalism and the Shaggs' aggressive non-conformity, Philadelphia's Hermit Thrushes possess the sort of innate musicality that might make you believe that they're just making shit up as they go along, even when it's been carefully laid out. Every halting screech and skronk and sideswiping instrumental intrusion is in its right place. Take it all in with REDS, Humidity and Static at 8 p.m. in Half Pint Pizza Pub.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Floating easily over the steep mountains of Yakima Training Center, Washington, the twin rotor CH-47 Chinook gracefully carried the massive weight of an M777 howitzer cannon and its crew toward their destination. Their mission was to drop in, quickly set up their guns and suppress simulated enemy air defense, allowing infantry units to advance forward with the help of close air support.

This training was the first time that 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team tested their howitzer crews, who have been training for months, with a full-scale air raid mission that culminated with firing live rounds.

Read more...

SATURDAY, OCT. 25 2014 >>>

1. Eliot Lipp, Rockwell Powers and Lozen - a musical dream lineup for many - will fill Fulcrum Gallery with a little bit of this and a whole lot of that beginning at 7 p.m. It's eclectic enough roster to be a good match for its beneficiary, 2nd Cycle. This 6-year-old nonprofit bike shop, located next to Fulcrum, is saving up to move into a bigger place where more people can be helped. 2nd Cycle is around to educate, support, and advocate for Tacoma cyclists. The shop sells used bikes and bike parts as well as host educational programs. All funds go toward 2nd Cycle's efforts to move into a larger space.

2. It was more than 20 years ago Dick Young started off as a humble home brewer, brewing in the back of Northwest Sausage & Deli. Since October 1994, Dick's Brewing has grown from a three-barrel operation brewing flagship Dick Danger Ale to more than 20 varieties of beer, a new brewery location with taproom, new Black IPA recipe called Midnight Ride - the first of Dick's beers carry the brewery's new label and logo - and a 20th anniversary celebration from 3-8:30 p.m. at the Centralia brewery, coinciding with the honoring of Dick Young's passing in 2009.

3. Every year, the Washington D.C. comedy troupe Capitol Steps descends on Tacoma and Olympia, bringing with it a full bag of political humor and clever song parodies about things that rhyme with Scalia. Major laughs ensue. The Steps will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center, no doubt full of new material thanks to a whole year of new inspirations - American political attack ads, Obama administration's drone wars, NSA spying scandal, Bridgegate. ...

4. Uncle Bonsai's gorgeous harmonies and silly, singular lyrics remind us of Louden Wainwright III, only sweeter. Start with "Boys Want Sex in the Morning," then listen to "Doug at the Gates of Hell." If you didn't LOL at the first song and shed a tear over the second, then we don't get you but at least we're square. If we're right about your reaction, though, you know what you have to do next, because Uncle Bonsai plays Traditions in Oly at 8 p.m. We love this group!

5. The genius thing about the subgenre of post-punk is that we now have bands like Phobos & Deimos who can mine inspiration from a vibrant variety of bands that existed during the wild and innovative times of the late '70s to the early '80s. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Phobos & Deimos in the Music & Culture section., then catch the band withChung Antique, Battersea, Bullets or Balloons and Fountains at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: Saturday, Oct. 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, OCT. 26 2014 >>>

1. 1. Moby Grape was one of the most versatile San Francisco rock bands to emerge out of the summer of love. Sadly, through a combination of inner turmoil and bad management decisions, the mighty Moby Grape broke up in 1969. However, their debut album is still considered one of the best of all time by many critics, in part because of the nimble fingers of guitarist Jerry Miller. Miller was named one of the top 100 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone above Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Winter and Randy Rhoads. The Tacoma native has enjoyed a rich career sharing the stage with countless musicians including members of the Doobie Brothers and Carlos Santana. Miller performs at 7 p.m. at The Spar in Old Town Tacoma. 

2. Pacific Coast Brass, a new ensemble of world-class performers, will make its debut with New York trombonist and guest artist John Rojak at 2 p.m. in in Schneebeck Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. Rojak, a faculty member at The Juilliard School, and musician in the American Brass Quintet, will join five of the new group's members - playing trumpet, French horn, tuba, and trombone - for the public performance.

3. Esteemed character actors Alfred Molina and John Lithgow play George and Ben, longtime partners who get married in Love Is Strange's opening scenes. After a celebration at their apartment things immediately fall apart. With his sexuality now a matter of public record, George is fired from his job as a choir director at a Catholic school, and the two must sell their apartment and stay with different sets of friends and relatives until they find a new place of their own. Indie filmmaker Ira Sachs creates finely observed relationship dramas (Forty Shades of Blue, Keep the Lights On) in which life's disruptions are characterized not by dramatic blow-outs but by small everyday scenes that slowly build to heartbreaking clarity. Here, a loss of a job leads to a drop in finances which forces Ben and George to give up their Manhattan apartment. After nearly four decades together, the pair is also physically separated, forced by the city's brutal real-estate market to seek temporary shelter apart: Ben bunks down with his nephew's squabbling family and George gets a couch with former neighbors, two young gay cops who stay up late. It's awkward for everybody. Catch the film at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.

4. Every year, the Washington D.C. comedy troupe Capitol Steps descends on the South Sound bringing with it a full bag of political humor and clever song parodies about things that rhyme with Scalia. Major laughs ensue. The Steps will perform at 3 p.m. in  the Pantages Theater, no doubt full of new material thanks to a whole year of new inspirations - American political attack ads, Obama administration's drone wars, NSA spying scandal, Bridgegate. ...

5. Seattle's Jennifer Kelly Band will perform their high-energy blend of folk and rock at the Out of the Woods benefit show at 7 p.m. in Traditions Café. Olympia's Out of the Woods shelter is one of only two family shelters in Thurston County. A rocking band, an amazing vocalist and helping families with children find stability and safety in a home environment makes for a great Sunday night.

LINK: Sunday, Oct. 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

"That is one big flag" said a Pacific Lutheran University ROTC cadet as she looked up at Tacoma Screw's new flagpole. Towering at 180 feet tall, the pole supports a flag measuring 40 feet by 80 feet. It's the tallest flagpole in the Pacific Northwest.

Built to commemorate Tacoma Screw's 70th anniversary, the company's credit services and marketing manager Michael Howard said that it was also built to honor veterans. A flag-raising ceremony was held at the company's Tacoma headquarters Oct. 25.

Howard told the crowd gathered to see the dedication that as the company came up on its anniversary, they tried to figure out the best way to celebrate it. He said they decided the best way to celebrate their success was to give back to their community and those who protect it. "We remain proud of our Tacoma roots and our Tacoma legacy" he told the audience.

One of the speakers was Don Dossa. His father and two brothers all served in the military. "You maybe thank a checker at the store or a friend every day, but veterans don't hear thank you enough," Dossa told the crowd.

>>> PLU ROTC military science instructor Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Hughes hooks up the flag at the dedication ceremony for Tacoma Screw's new flagpole. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

American Veterans Department of Washington Commander Charles Wharton commended Tacoma Screw for showing its support for veterans. He gave the crowd a lesson on the history of the American flag and its significance.

Members of the PLU ROTC Color Guard raised the flag. The program's professor of military science, Lt. Col. Kevin Keller, said organizers asked a few weeks ago if his cadets were available after the previous flag raisers dropped out.

>>> Pacific Lutheran University Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Kevin Keller listened to speakers at the dedication ceremony for Tacoma Screw's new flagpole Oct. 25. Photo by Kevin Knodell

>>> American Veterans Dept. of Wash. Commander Charles Wharton addresses the crowd at the dedication ceremony for Tacoma Screw's new flagpole.Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

This fell outside of the color guard's typical event types, they usually present (much smaller) flags for ceremonies and sporting events. It took everyone on their color guard roster - and then some. "This is more than just the color guard out here," Keller said.

It is indeed, one big flag.

Howard said that this moment was two years in the making. The flag was so tall, they needed approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and Joint Base Lewis McChord. It required wading through a lot of regulations, paperwork and signatures.

It also required cash.

Howard wouldn't say how much specifically it cost, only saying it cost "a serious chunk of money."

>>> Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

MONDAY, OCT. 27 2014 >>>

1. There are those among us who can make their trip to a hair stylist the most riveting story you've heard all week. People whose stories never trail off into "it was really cool. ..." Envy them. They are not like you. Not only do they have great success at parties, they have a future with Creative Colloquy. See what all the storytelling fuss is about Monday when authors Teresa Carol, Patti Crouch, Titus Buley, Ross Dohrmann and Nicole McCarthy share their latest work, followed by an open mic at 7 p.m. in B sharp Coffee House. If you can stand a 5-minute hairdo story, just imagine how riveted you'll be by something with an actual plot.

2. On view at Kittredge Gallery for the month of October and first half of November is a dynamic exhibition of related, but distinct, recent work by Puget Sound faculty members Janet Marcavage, associate professor of printmaking, and Elise Richman, associate professor of painting. Ripple and Unfold explores their shared interests in pattern and visible process, juxtaposing Richman's paintings, drawn from natural forms, with Marcavage's prints, which investigate the manmade, both deliberate and accidental. Check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. With more than 25 years of experience in her field of study - soils, hydrology, and the wetland sciences - Lisa Palazzi is a regional expert in hydrology science and has worked with numerous Washington State Native American Tribes, regional Universities and county extension groups, local and county governments and the Coastal Wetlands Training Program among others. Palazzi will discuss the environmental policy of Washington state of the past 25 years at noon in the State Capital Museum in Olympia.

4. Olympia Jazz Tentette will perform a Thelonius Monk tribute at 8 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia.

5. Formed in the summer of 2006 in San Diego and hailing from the wrong side of the tracks, Some Kind of Nightmare is the pure embodiment of punk rock. Expect the band to voice the thoughts and opinions of the rock bottom class and making a hell of a lot of noise doing it at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

LINK: Monday, Oct. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 2014 >>>

1. The paintings of Mark Landis have been featured in at least 46 museums in 20 different states over the course of 30 years. So why isn't this shy, slender Mississippian a renowned artist in his own right? Chalk it up to his knack for crafting expert forgeries of everyone ranging from Valtat to Picasso, Seuss to Schulz, as chronicled in the fascinating documentary Art and Craft, screening at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. Co-directors Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, and Mark Becker allow museum registrars crackle about getting duped (one insists Landis should be in jail). But mostly the film steeps us in Landis's existence. He paints. He watches TV. He measures time by how many years it's been since his mother passed. The film's a fascinating portrait of loneliness, of the mind, of talent undirected toward purpose.

2. Northern Pacific Coffee Company cold brewed Turkish coffee from Olympia Coffee Roasting Company and delivered gallons of it to Narrows Brewing Co.'s head brewer Joe Walts. Walts added the coffee and spices from Mad Hat Tea Co. to his cardamom stout recipe, brewed it slowly at low temperature to extract all of the brilliant notes of the coffee while reducing acidity for a balance between the coffee and malt in the beer. Walts then brought in a secret weapon to add a creamy finish. The easy drinking Coffee Cardamom Stout - 4.3 percent alcohol - will debut at 6 p.m. at a release party in Northern Pacific Coffee Company.

3. Pacific Lutheran University will host a free public screening of the multiple-award-winning documentary Sweet Dreams at 7 p.m. in the Anderson University Center Regency Room, followed by a Q&A session with its director, Academy Award-winner Lisa Fruchtman, with ice cream provided by Tacoma's female-owned Ice Cream Social. Sweet Dreams is the story of female survivors from both sides of Rwanda's 1994 genocide who defied devastation to form the country's first all-female drumming troupe - and later to open its first ice-cream shop, Inzozi Nziza (Sweet Dreams).

4. Radio and theater performer Harlan Zinck reads spooky stories for adults at 7 p.m. in the Lakewood Pierce County Library. Zinck, a frequent contributor to Lakewood Playhouse, has shared his talents with hundreds of listeners throughout the Puget Sound region in his popular "Story Time for Grownups" programs.

5. Cirque Zuma Zuma, a world music and dance show seen by millions on America's Got Talent, will bring spectacular African performers at 7:30 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall at University of Puget Sound. Created as an "African circus," the 15-member troupe combines the mysticism of Africa with the nonstop excitement of a theatrical cirque performance. Described as an "African-style Cirque du Soleil" because of the rigorous standards of the performers - trained in Kenya and Tanzania - and the dynamic quality of the show, it's suitable for all ages.

LINK: Tuesday, Oct. 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Marvel and LucasArts

This week was pretty big with the only kind of nerd news that seems to really exist anymore: Marvel and Star Wars shit. In order to ensure that the moviegoing public of the future will be utterly lost at the absence of a superhero on their cinema screens, Marvel announced their next five years of endless comic-book movies. In addition to sequels to properties like Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and The Avengers, Marvel's biggest announcements were the arrival of a Black Panther movie, as well as a female Captain Marvel.

Called into play Black Panther will be Chadwick Boseman, whose recent outings as Jackie Robinson and James Brown (in the equally lukewarmly-received 42 and Get On Up, respectively) should have tipped anyone off to his inevitable stasis in the Marvel universe. More surprising is the reveal of a female Captain Marvel, which may be Marvel's way of responding to criticism that there is a serious deficit of strong women in their movies. Anything to avoid having to make a Wonder Woman movie, I guess.

Also, this week, it was revealed that the beloved LucasArts computer games of your childhood will be coming back, giving you absolutely no reason to engage in anything that has no nostalgic value. GOG.com is re-releasing classics like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, The Secret of Monkey Island and the Star Wars simulators TIE Fighter and X-Wing. All told, 20 games will be rolled out, making sure that you'll stay in your house forever, with the exception of opening weekend excursions to see a Marvel property.

The struggle is real.

The Flaming Lips

Continuing their career trend of slowly giving less of a fuck about anything that is not a wacky experiment, the Flaming Lips recently dropped their latest blasé mind-fuck: With a Little Help From My Fwends. As you might be able to deduce, the album is a re-imagining of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, featuring guest spots from an eclectic group of contributors like Foxygen, Dr. Dog, Miley Cyrus, Tegan and Sara, My Morning Jacket and Maynard James Keenan from Tool.

Also, as you might expect, it's an interesting mess. Still, when the day comes that the Flaming Lips are no more, and we won't be getting any more zip drives encased in gummy skulls, or 24-hour-long songs, or off-the-wall collaborations that are this close to making sense - something tells me we'll miss the days when we would suddenly get confronted with a beautiful follies like With a Little Help From My Fwends.