First review of "Angelina Jolie is a Zionist Whore! or, Plan 9 from Baghdad"

Okay, now this blog is really drifting far afield. Started originally at the 2005 Austin Film Festival to follow the festival perigrinations of "Two Harbors" (as the blog title would indicate) I have since added news on the festival activities of my second feature, "The Quietest Sound." And now, to confuse matters even more, I'm posting a recent review of my new play, currently running at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis. The review appears at a theater review site called Steve on Broadway:


Angelina Jolie is a Zionist Whore! or, Plan 9 from Baghdad

As incendiary as its title is, perhaps another more appropriate subtitle for this droll, rapid fire satire on the insurgency in Iraq could be "Out of the mouths of boobs."Director and playwright James Vculek has made a name for himself at film festivals worldwide for his quirky little award-winning film "Two Harbors." Further burnishing his idiosyncratic credentials, Vculek becomes provocateur in suggesting a rampant incongruity among even the most incompetent "hapless boobs" within insurgent cells and their interest in all things West. Whether they're musing about the long-term prospects of the eponymous actress with Brad Pitt or the strategery linked to Ed Wood's infamous sci-fi movie -- or even wearing an ironic "I [heart] New York" T-shirt -- this comedy keeps the laughs coming.

And if this bungling trio of would-be kidnapper insurgents doesn't cause you to recollect the antics of Colonel Klink & Co. from "Hogan's Heroes," perhaps -- in a most ironic twist -- you'll be reminded of a certain Administration steadfastly requiring suspensions of belief to trust their leader's modus operandi.In this case, a cell in "the fifth year of the insurgency" attempts to regroup after their last kidnapping attempt has been botched. Seems the video their leader Samir (Steve Lattery, looking and sounding more like a U.S. Marine than an Iraqi) shot simply wasn't good enough for Al Jazeera. His every dictate is questioned by cohorts Bashir (precision-perfect Sam Landman) and Margaret -- yes, Margaret, thanks to her parents' schooling in England (played with winning conviction by Alayne Hopkins) -- although she would prefer to be called "Revolutionary Sister in Jihad Suba," but must settle for simply Suba. All three are largely fearful that their ongoing ineptitude will result in their selection for suicide martyrdom.

In the midst of their arguments walks in American "Food Network" correspondent Wheeler (played with great gusto and bombast by Alex Cole) looking literally and figuratively for a pot to pee in. While the triumvirate take Wheeler hostage, they learn that if they can produce a more air-worthy video of a kidnapping victim, Al Jazeera might just broadcast it thanks to a last minute opening on its news schedule. As the captors practically beg Wheeler for his cooperation during their taping, he becomes their worst nightmare.

Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say that the show concludes with what amounts to a terrorist blooper reel as the trio tries to meet the Arab television network's deadline.Clocking in at a mere 65 minutes (counting the video sequence and ten-minute intermission), it often seems as though you're watching an extended version of a clever "Saturday Night Live" sketch. There's little in terms of character development as all four roles remain solidly one-dimensional. Although perhaps that was the intent since this is an inside-out parody of the Bush White House. Nevertheless, even if the title makes you wince, this Angelina Jolie offers up some smart dialogue and plenty of laughs.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).