There was a standing room only crowd today for a talk by retired Staples High School English teacher Gerry Kurgholian on James Joyce’s “Dubliners,” this year’s WestportREADS selection. He singled out “The Dead” as one of his favorite stories in the book. “If you only read one story, read ‘The Dead,’” he said, adding, “Be sure to see the movie on Jan. 17 at Christ and Holy Church at 4 p.m. I loved that movie.”  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Scenes from today’s Westport Library talk by Gerry Kuroghlian on James Joyce’s “Dubliners.” It was the opening event of the month-long WestportREADS program. Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

By Susan Granger

Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s best-seller, “Unbroken” follows the incredible life and endurance of Olympian and World War II hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell).

Impressive and immersive, it begins as Zamperini’s bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean. He and two other survivors endure 47 days adrift until they’re ‘rescued’ by the Japanese and sent to POW camps.

Cocky, grimly determined Zamperini was singled out for relentlessly brutal torture by a cruel, imperious camp commander (Miyavi), wielding a bamboo cane. Scattered throughout, there are flashbacks of Louie’s rebellious childhood as a high school, college and Olympic runner.

Joel and Ethan Coen (”No Country for Old Men”) dutifully adapted Hillenbrand’s book, working with director/producer Angelina Jolie (“In the Land of Blood and Honey”), who also enlisted the Coens’ cinematographer, Roger Deakins, and French composer Alexandre Desplat.

Westport’s Toquet Hall was packed with teens tonight as a series of bands played for the First Night audiences. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

By Susan Granger

Despite cyber-warfare against Sony and terrorist threats from North Korea, the James Franco/Seth Rogen black comedy “The Interview” opened on Christmas Day in 331 independent theaters and earned more than $1 million. It was also available for rent or purchase on VOD.

That’s just the legal side. According to web calculations, it was pirated in digital format more than 200,000 times in the first 10 hours. After 20 hours, the illegal downloads topped 750,000—mainly overseas, since Sony did no worldwide release.

So what’s it all about? Sleazy TV interviewer Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his buddy, producer Aaron Rappaport (Seth Rogen), are tabloid journalists who specialize in celebrity interviews. 

When these mega-morons learn that North Korean dictator Kim Jung-Un (Randall Park) is a fan of the show, they arrange an interview. “This will be as big as Frosty Nixon,” Dave enthuses.

UPDATE Westporters keen to see the controversial film “The Interview” in a movie theater Thursday or New Year’s Day will have to travel to Waterbury or Hartford in state or Yonkers, N.Y. or New York City.

Sony’s list of participating theaters includes about 300 that will start showing it on Christmas and dozens of others that will start showing it on Jan. 1 or 2. Some of the Christmas Day screenings are already sold out.

In Connecticut, the controversial comedy surrounding the assassination of Kim Jong-Un is scheduled to be shown in Hartford at the Spotlight Theatres Front Street Stadium and in Waterbury at Apple Cinemas Waterbury 10, the studio said.

Westporters and others also will get a chance to see the movie at home. Sony made the film available beginning at 1 p.m. today on Google Play, YouTube Movies and Microsoft’s Xbox Video as well as on a website of its own.

By Dave Matlow

In another recognition of preserving Westport’s heritage, the Woodson family today received a Westport Historical Society (WHS) plaque from WHS historian Bob Weingarten (l), adding their 1909-built home at 7 Old Mill Road. to the WHS list of notable Westport homes.

Accepting the Westport Historical Society plaque today were (l-r) Elizabeth Woodson, 22, and her parents Jenifer and Hart Woodson. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Accepting the plaque were Elizabeth and her parents Jenifer and Hart Woodson. According to Jenifer Woodson, the plaque was a surprise Christmas gift to Elizabeth, a Stanford University senior who serves as president of the Stanford student body, class of 2015, and celebrates her 22nd birthday on Christmas Day. She is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy.

“Shortly after we moved into our Old Mill Road house in 1994, I’ll always remember little 2-year old Elizabeth saying, ‘I don’t ever want to move again,’” said Jenifer Woodson. 

Today, recollecting her love of the Woodsons’ 1909-built house Elizabeth said, “So much today is ephemeral, that’s why this old house is so important to my parents and me.”

By Susan Granger

Family-friendly films abound this Christmas week -– but which to choose?

Based on the Brothers Grimm’s cautionary tales, “Into the Woods” is Rob Marshall’s adaptation of James Lapine/Stephen Sondheim’s insightful, slyly comedic Broadway musical. Dare I say it’s even better than the stage version?

Why? Since Sondheim’s intricate music and tongue-twisting lyrics are extraordinarily demanding, on-stage, some inevitably get garbled. Whereas, on-screen, everything is crystal-clear.

A humble baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) yearn for a child. Years ago, the witch (Meryl Streep) cursed his family; the only way it can be broken is to go into the forest on a quest to find items she requires, including Red Riding Hood’s cape and Jack and the Beanstalk’s Milky White cow.