It’s Friday the 13th, but that shouldn’t scare you away from going out and seeing one of these shows, or doing one of these activities this weekend.
FRIDAY night, the GONDOLA COMPANY is celebrating the festive holiday season with their Holiday Gondola Cruise, through the scenic canals and waterways of the Coronado Cays. It’s about an hour long cruise aboard a nicely decorated gondola, with gondoliers dressed in holiday gear. It’s a great date night or fun for a small group of relatives in town.
At the DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS they’ll be having A COASTAL CHRISTMAS. It may be the opposite of a white Christmas since you’re at the coast. There will be lots of lights, food and drinks that transform this iconic venue.
A bit farther inland, in Julian, it’s the FESTIVE FOREST at Banner Ranch. It’s a half-mile Holiday Lights Walk decorated with inflatables and lots of Christmas lights.
At the SCRIPPS RANCH THEATRE all weekend long, they'll have A CHRISTMAS CAROL: RADIO PLAY. It's the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, done in the retro style of a radio play, at a station that has nine actors and their sound effects, creating the family friendly story.
If the red you want to see in December is blood, there are some UFC fights at Sycuan Casino. The “Cage Warriors”, will be shown in over 180 million homes, but you can watch it here live.
From the sweet science to sweets, at SWEET PETITE CONFECTIONS in Clairemont, enjoy a great date night of chocolate making on Friday and Saturday for $75. There will be over three dozen seasonal and classic ingredients you can dabble with and make molded chocolates.
I always love a good tribute band and CASH’D OUT are local, and one of the best. I did a review of their first show 15 years ago in the Reader and have seen them many times since. They recreate a great Johnny Cash show (minus the middle finger). They’ll be at the BELLY UP TAVERN with Total Distortion. I’m sure you can guess what band they do covers of.
If you like your music to be easier on the eardrums, the North Coast Repertory Theatre will have 2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS all weekend. The two pianists cover their concert piano careers, share interesting stories about pushy parents and piano lessons, crazy teachers, and they cover everything from Billy Joel to Bach. No yelling out for “Freebird” at this one.
Saturday, in the park. Well, in the Gaslamp…it’s the GASLAMP HOLIDAY PET PARADE. It’s their 16th year doing this. You can register your pet ($25) to be in the parade. There are awards, goodie bags, treats, and fun for all pet lovers. View it free along 5th Avenue. The barking starts at 1 p.m.
If you’ve never seen roller derby, it can be fun. There’s a ROLLER DERBY GAME at Ringer’s Roller Rink on Federal Blvd. And during games, the concrete rink on the other side is open for skating. No suing us if you get injured!
For skating that’s on ice, the SAN DIEGO GULLS have a game vs the San Jose Barracuda. I know who Ann and Nancy Wilson will be rooting for.
And for sports that don’t involve skates on the feet but kicking with them, the SAN DIEGO SOCKERS will be playing at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. And indoor soccer is a lot more exciting.
If you want to see a lot of bands, with a few famous actors – WILL FERRELL’S HOLIDAY JAM is going on. Not sure if he’ll sing any of the songs he did in “Step Brothers.” There are a handful of groups, but the one that will get the most attention is Dogstar. Their bassist is Keanu Reeves. That’s at the MUSIC BOX, and tickets are pricey (starting at $125), but the money is for a good cause – Cancer for College.
If you’re more into the old school songs, THE PLATTERS are at Sycuan Casino. Not sure how many original members are still in the group, or if they’re a bunch of “great pretenders.” But even if they’re not all original, it’s never a bad thing to hear songs like “Only You” and “Magic Touch.”
On SUNDAY, for you health nuts that want to end the weekend on a positive note, there’s the JINGLE BELL RUN at Liberty Station at 8 a.m. A lot of the runners get decked out in their festive gear. This race raises funds and awareness for the Arthritis Foundation. It’s a full 5K, that has a Kids Zone, live entertainment, a costume contest, and pets are welcome.
Two interesting MOVIES are opening this weekend, but be warned – both are hardcore, R-rated pictures.
ANORA is the first one. I was at a dinner last month talking with actor Willem Dafoe and he told me I had to see it (he had worked with director Sean Baker previously on “The Florida Project,” but I didn’t tell Dafoe I wasn’t a fan of that one). Anora won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was recently nominated for Golden Globes for “best motion picture” and “best performance by a female actor” (Mikey Madison is great in it), as well as “best director,” “best supporting actor” and “best screenplay.” Although the screenplay is the weakest aspect of it. There are a lot of scenes with actors just screaming at each other. Madison (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) is a stripper/sex worker in Brooklyn who happens to speak Russian. That serves her well when a rich, young guy named Vanya comes in. He requests a Russian woman, and a few private dances. This leads him to hiring her for a week, and then a quick marriage in Vegas. It’s not such a Cinderella story when his dad, a powerful oligarch, sends his goons over to annul the marriage. Crazy fights, car chases, and general mayhem ensue.
This movie will get nominated for more awards, but won’t be for everyone. 3 stars out of 5.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER is a Marvel character that I knew nothing about. But with filmmakers realizing they have to do a few comic book movies a year, this is the last of the year. And it was a pleasant (if rather bloody) surprise. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has buffed up to play Kraven, who hunts down criminals and Dexters them. His dad is Nikolai Kravinoff (more Russians!). He’s played by Russell Crowe, doing a great accent, and making you think the dad in “The Great Santini” wasn’t so bad. Ariana DeBose, who was so great in the remake of “West Side Story” has an interesting role as a lawyer, and the girl that saved Kraven’s life as a boy. There are a few corny moments (one involving a criminal called “the rhino”), and the CGI animals looked ridiculous. But the action scenes were a blast, and it was a fun popcorn flick. It also had the best use of a Black Sabbath song (the ballad “Changes”) since Iron Man. 3 stars out of 5.
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