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Monday, March 25, 2019 — 5A
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By C.C. Burnikel
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
03/25/19
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
03/25/19
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Release Date: Monday, March 25, 2019
ACROSS
1 Super bargain
6 Effective on
10 Ed.’s backlog
13 Bisect
14 “Good Morning
America”
co-anchor
Spencer
15 Boarding site
16 Sellers of build-it-
yourself furniture
18 Mythical monster
19 Delt neighbor
20 Mets’ home
before Citi Field
22 Enemies
23 Puts up, as a
skyscraper
24 Climate-affecting
Pacific current
27 Citrus-flavored
soda, on its
labels
29 Minnesota’s state
bird
30 Final Four org.
32 Eye-boggling
work
35 __-di-dah:
pretentious
36 Five-armed
ocean creature
38 “I’ll pass’’
39 Decree
41 Wander about
42 Warehouse gds.
43 East Asian home
of Acer and Asus
45 Like partly melted
snow
47 Merkel of
Germany
49 Molecule
component
50 Leaves-catching
brewing sieve
53 Drag to court
56 Witty Bombeck
57 Arabian
Peninsula region,
and what 16-,
20-, 36- and
50-Across literally
have
59 Done with
60 Falco of “Nurse
Jackie”
61 Wheel
connectors
62 Mario Bros.
console
63 Ruby and scarlet
64 Suspicious (of)
DOWN
1 Cruise vessel
2 Box office
income
3 Monthly util. bill
4 “Selma” director
DuVernay
5 Classroom
session
6 Soothing
medicinal plants
7 __ Lee cakes
8 Mine extractions
9 Make secure, as
a seat belt
10 “Presto!” sticks
11 Peacock’s gait
12 Appears to be
15 Try for a long
pass, in football
lingo
17 Romantic ideal
21 Fervent feeling
22 Dolphin feature
24 Vogue
competitor
25 Laundry batch
26 Pitching
masterpieces
27 Bricklayer
28 “Ciao!”
31 Irene of “Fame”
33 Poison ivy
symptom
34 Rock music’s __
Might Be Giants
36 Prop for a clown
37 Dutch beer
brand
40 Ides of March
victim
42 Tight-lipped
44 Not as cold
46 Parent of
Maybelline
47 Used, as china
48 Chutzpah
49 South
American
mountain range
51 Staff assistant
52 “Look what __!”:
“Yay me!”
53 Bargain hunter’s
delight
54 App downloader
55 Site for
handmade art
58 Application file
suffix
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NOW.
It’s fitting that Jordan Peele,
whose reimagining of “The
Twilight Zone” will premiere
this April, crafted his follow-
up to cultural juggernaut “Get
Out” by making an essentially
extended version of a “Twilight
Zone”
episode.
His
latest
feature film, “Us,” is a tightly
wound horror-thriller much in
the same vein as “Get Out,” but
rather than being grounded in
the answers it provides, the
power of “Us” comes in the
questions it leaves lingering in
its wake.
The story surrounds the four
members of the Wilson family
as they are confronted by
dopplegangers of themselves
during
a
pleasant
summer
vacation to Santa Cruz
beach. To reveal any more
of the plot beyond this
would be to take away
from the twist-riddled,
reflective and thought-
provoking experience of
the movie. It’s practically
impossible to talk about
the big ideas “Us” posits
without spoiling the fun,
so I’ll avoid them for the
most part.
By
far,
my
favorite
aspect of the film was
Lupita Nyong’o’s (“Star
Wars: The Last Jedi”)
performance as Adelaide
Wilson. Since the film revolves
around duplicates, she must
play both herself and her
sadistic,
wide-eyed
double,
Red. As a result, Nyong’o has
to be both protective and
malevolent,
frightened
and
robotic, along with several
other notable dualities. Her
ability to carry off what is
basically twice the burden of
what a normal role entails is
purely astounding. Without
her,
the
movie
probably
wouldn’t work. Winston Duke,
(“Black Panther”), on the other
hand, was the film’s comic
relief.
As
Gabe,
Adelaide’s
husband, his corny presence
gave “Us” an initial levity.
More importantly, when the
horror setpieces began, his
one-liners didn’t take away
from the tension at hand.
“Get Out” boasted notably
ominous
camerawork
and
cinematography,
and
“Us”
demonstrates
Peele
honing
these skills. Peele constructs
nearly every frame with visually
arresting
and
symbolism-
drenched
composition.
The
embryonic
suggestions
of
his ideas manifest with the
right amount of subtlety, so
that when they finally reveal
themselves, it feels like we
have been thinking about them
all along. Without getting too
specific, a hint I have for those
who haven’t seen the movie:
Pay attention to what everyone
is wearing.
Of
course,
as
a
self-
proclaimed horror nerd, Peele
references several of the works
that influenced him, from “A
Nightmare on Elm Street” to
“The Shining” to the obscure
sci-fi flick “C.H.U.D.” To see
and understand these mini
love-letters to horror films of
the past was invigorating to
me, but Peele does far more
than repurpose style. It would
be presumptuous to say that
Peele
has
comprehensively
realized a style of his own,
but one is certainly emerging.
His
camera
placement
is
uniquely conducive to effective
jumpscares, and he peppers
them into the narrative at an
impressively measured pace.
He also has an obsession for
totems of his own mythology,
from the tea cup in “Get Out”
to the creepy white rabbits
and golden scissors that were
centerpieces
in
marketing
campaign of “Us.”
Michael Abels, composer of
the music for “Get Out,” outdid
himself with his second film
score. Many have heard his
ominously groovy remix of “I
Got 5 On It” from the trailers,
but a larger standout from the
film is “Anthem,” a primal,
crescendoing, war-chant that
is sure to induce nightmares.
Abels demonstrates a knack
for
weaving
in
impactful
leitmotifs
into
otherwise
dissonant
horror
sounds,
going for melody where other
composers wouldn’t dare.
In all honesty, even though
I adored so many aspects
of the film, I didn’t love
it. Again, it’s impossible
to be specific as to what
thematic elements were
tough
to
internalize
without ruining the entire
movie, so I’ll say this:
You have to see “Us” for
yourself. I can’t understate
how important it is to see
the film in theaters, too.
In my viewing, the crowd
was utterly cacophonous,
crying,
laughing,
screaming and muttering
hysterically. Few theater
experiences
are
this
collectively engaging.
“Us”
might
be
a
more
interesting movie to think
about than it is to see. There
are details of the script that,
in reflection, have made me
rethink about every aspect
of what I saw, and I’m still
formulating an understanding
of the ending. Beyond my
confusion and my doubt, I’m
glad “Us” exists and that
Jordan Peele is making horror
movies. He clearly wants to
tackle
American
issues
by
reframing them and inciting
discussion about about them.
And that discussion, in and of
itself, is a gift.
‘Us’ is an accomplishment,
if not a stride, for Peele
ANISH TAMHANEY
Daily Arts Writer
FILM REVIEW
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Us
Universal Pictures
The State Theatre, Goodrich
Quality 16, Ann Arbor 20+
IMAX
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
As a 20-year-old, I haven’t
opened
a
children’s
book
since I was a child myself.
I
vaguely
remember
some
classics like “The Giving Tree”
and “Goodnight Moon” that
formed my reading experience.
Children’s books are not like
children’s movies— they’re used
as tools of literacy.
They don’t have
the
complexity
of
movies,
no
deeper
messages
or
obscure
symbols. At least,
that’s
what
I
had
assumed.
But
despite
its
simplicity, “Music
for Mister Moon”
still manages to
convey a message
that’s relevant to
all ages.
Harriet
Henry
plays
the
cello. One day, her parents said,
“You will play your cello in a
big orchestra. Won’t that make
you happy?” Harriet Henry
had a big imagination. She
pictured herself on the stage
with rows and rows of people
dressed like penguins. See,
Harriet Henry was like every
child at the thought of a public
performance. She had stage
fright. She told her parents,
“No, I don’t think that would
make me happy.”
Harriet Henry did not want to
play the cello in a big orchestra.
Harriet Henry wanted to play
the cello alone.
In the dead quiet of the night,
Harriet Henry used her big
imagination to transform her
little room into a cellist haven,
decorated
with
everything
from a fireplace to a staple
teacup. It was the perfect set up
for Harriet Henry to perform
in solitude. When a noisy owl
threatens to disrupt her peace,
Harriet Henry — naturally —
becomes very upset. She throws
the teacup out the window
and misses (a tragedy that is
entirely too familiar), knocking
the moon out of the sky and into
her chimney instead.
And
so
their
adventure
begins.
Harriet
Henry
showed
Mister
Moon
around
her
neighborhood. They stopped
by the hatmaker for a hat to put
on Mister Moon’s chilly head.
They borrowed a boat from the
fisherman so that Mister Moon
can float on the lake. These
interludes are enhanced with
a sense of magical realism. The
hatmaker and the fisherman
are a bear and seal, respectively.
Their
exchanges,
however,
transcends
any
interspecies
dissonance.
The
hatmaker
and fisherman are humanized
by
their
fond
memories
with Mister Moon and their
altruistic actions.
In her quest to return the
moon back to its rightful place,
Mister Moon and Harriet also
develop a warm friendship.
When Mister Moon confessed
his
regrets
and
dreams,
Harriet, in turn, thought of
her own wishes and worries.
Will she be able to muster the
courage to share her music to
Mister Moon?
“Music for Mister Moon”
takes its readers on a fantastical
journey to reflect on their own
fears. As Harriet
Henry and Mister
move
from
one
scene to the next,
the readers, too,
are able to fluidly
transition
from
one notable time
in their lives to
the next. Although
the
sentences
are sparse, each
word
is
laden
with the theme of
camaraderie
and
lost childhood. I was reminded
of “Up” and “Peter Pan” several
times while reading.
Erin
Stead’s
muted
watercolor
illustrations,
moreover, are perfect for the
serene atmosphere of “Music
for
Mister
Moon.”
While
examining
the
pictures,
I
almost wanted to curl up in
my own bed, dreaming of
orchestras, penguins and an
enchanting moon. It is a lovely
children’s book that shows
that the support of friends
and family are one of the most
important tools in conquering
your
fears
and
expressing
courage.
The story is moving while
at the same time relatable for
all ages, even jaded college
students, such as myself.
‘Music for Mister Moon’
uses imagination as power
BOOK REVIEW
SARAH SALMAN
Daily Arts Writer
Music for Mister Moon
Philip C. Stead
Neal Porter Books
Mar. 26, 2019