"Dig Two Graves" Southern Illinois Gothic and a Wonderful Movie

I like good movies.  Therefore, this is not a traditional review.  Dig Two Graves is a gem:

Starring: Ted Levine, Samantha Isler, Danny Goldring, Troy Ruptash, Mark Lancaster, Dean Evans, Bradley Grant Smith, Kara Zediker, Ryan Kitley, Sauda Namir, Ann Sonneville, Mikush Lleshdedaj  

A supernatural thriller about the generational violence that plagues a small, backwoods town, set in the 1970s, Dig Two Graves asks “how far would you go to save those you love?” After 13-year-old Jacqueline Mather (Samantha Isler) loses her brother in a mysterious drowning accident she is soon visited by 3 moonshiners who offer to bring her brother back to life but at a grim cost. As the dark history of her grandfather, Sheriff Waterhouse (Ted Levine) is unearthed the true intentions of the moonshiners come to light. FaceBook

Last night, I was treated to a screen full of familiar sights and scenes from Southern Illinois: the great people of Illinois, Giant City State Park - great limestone canyons spiked with trees, deep mysterious quarries and most especially for me the school - grade school in Grand Chain, it chilled me.


The old Gresham Chicago Police District ( now Dudley Beauty College) at 85th & Green was about as cheery. It is in this Fritz Lang nightmare of a school that the young protagonist Jake comes to aid of the bullied target of doom.  No, spoiler this old boy.

Instead, I wish to recognize the high quality/low budget genius who commanded a crew of talented actors and masterful technicians -Hunter Adams.

His movie is a feast for the senses - all but the tongue. The snakes, coon, squirrel, otter and deer drying in the smoke filled cabin and caves of the mysterious strangers might be a bit for delicate appetites, but these flourishes spice the Gothic magic of Dig Two Graves.

The dialog is authentic to speech of real people and not Ryan Goslings, or Meryl Streeps.

What the actors bring to the script is magic - especially  Chicago veterans Ted Levine, Danny Goldring and the exquisite Kara Zediker, in the role of a woman who looses two children in 90 minutes of drama.

I am prejudiced, as I had the pleasure of teaching Ms. Zediker English and American Literature at Bishop McNamara High School and proudly watched her wonderful career.

Kara's expressive beauty captures the bone chilling nightmare of mother and daughter who outlives her children  and manages to capture a youthful resilience that will carry her family beyond its tragedies.

Young Samantha Isler reflects that feminine verdure of Kara Zediker's throughout the drama.

This drama is as dark as a winter afternoon in Cobden and Hunter Adams crafts natural and supernatural imagery that would shame Mary Shelley and Horace Walpole and get a sturdy tip of John Ford's Stetson.  Witness these scenes especially the lightning scene  right out of a John Ford Western.




Enjoy Illini Gothic.  See Dig Two Graves.

Leo High School Plans Television Production Studio ( WCHI NEWS)

Leo High School begins its 90th year of serving Chicago with a new opportunity - a television production studio.

A donor has provided a studio ( WCHI NEWS) and all of the equipment to begin giving Leo students the chance to learn television production skills in front of and behind the cameras.

This digital television production studio will eventually be directed and operated by Leo students and advisors from the school and colleges like Columbia College, as well as media professionals from Chicago.

President Dan McGrath and the donor conducted a series of meetings this summer to discuss feasibilty and implementaion of the gift.

 Chicago Actress Kara Zediker with Bill Figel (Leo '73 and President Dan McGrath ( Leo '68)

On August 18th McGrath's Committee met in the Leo Board to set immediate goals. Leo Alumnus, retired Sun Times Sports writer and PR executive William Figel*, Chicago based actress and Columbia College Alumna Kara Zediker **and Editor John Weeks of WCHI News offered counsel.  This committee agreed after two hours that the month of September provided our students with three big school events for student reports.

It was determined to immediately get equipment into the hands of the students and begin shooting footage with the goal of having enough skills to cover three events in September

• Chicago Sports Team visit ( as yet must be kept secret)  at Leo September 15th
• Entrepreneur and scion of the Jackie Robinson legacy, David Robinson’s Visit September 16th
• West Point Cadet and Leo Boxing Event September 19th

Students will begin shadowing WCHI's John Weeks and other tech savvy pros in the editing. sound mixing and animation in production.

 Leo High School  will begin the process of resourcing student talent from Columbia College, who will supervise students along with a moderator from Leo High School, as interns gaining academic credit for hours served. Interns will help Mr. Weeks in training cameramen, sound and animation production, lighting gaffers and script production and editing.

With footage and some practice in editing our goal will be to have a basic quality product to show prospective parents, use in recruitment, put up on You Tube, and attach to grant requests.
 Leo VP, football coach and father figure Mike Holmes showed the Media Resource Center to John Weeks being constructed in the old Leo library at the moment.

This is an opportunity that comes at no better time in the proud history of Leo High School. .

* Mr. Figel teaches Leo's Journalism Course - pro bono.

** Ms. Zediker appeared recently on NBC's Chicago PD and may soon grace the small screen on Chicago Med. 

"Who's the Water Head, Now, Hollywood?" Angelina Jolie Sure as Hell Ain't

"I never had a plan for my life," she said. "I do what I want to do. And if suddenly tomorrow I couldn't do anything, I could deal with that. I'd be happy at home being a mom." Angelina Jolie in People

“She's seriously out of her mind.” Scott Rudin e-mail to Amy Pascal

Seriously.  Sony pictures was hacked by the North Koreans, because it produced a movie intended to 'goof-on' the tubby, dictator who orders live ammunition practice on his Kin and paramours.  The hack-job mined a bonanza of Tweets, e-mails and cyber messaging between Sony executives. These same executives produce untold hours of loud,dull, self-congratulatory,  insulting, violent and meaningless 'entertainment' that goes immediately to Blue-Ray and Cable. Every once in a while the odd 'film' manages to squeeze through that is not loud,dull, self-congratulatory,  insulting, violent and meaningless 'entertainment' and lands somewhere in the level of artistic value next to Mitchell (considered the # 1 Worst Movie of 1975.

1975 was the year actor and director Angelina Jolie was born.

Since that time, the young lady seems to have done pretty well for herself - married a successful guy, adopted many children, engaged in charitable works with a grace well beyond her years and zip code, "She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009, " directed two films and has avoided rehab, scandal and managed to not make a complete train-wreck of her image.

She is a cute girl - some say beautiful.

That said, the executives at Sony who have managed to allow the tubby sociopath of the Pacific Rim to unmask Hollywood for the fetid cesspool it happens to be 24/7 and no days off for religious holiday.

In 1975, I was a baby teacher at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, IL ( home of actors Kara Zediker BMHS '88, and Fred MacMurray).  Years later, while Kara Zediker trod the boards of Steppenwolf Theatre with John Malkovich, appeared in The Babe, Uncle Buck, Dig Two Graves, Contagion, Rock Star, The Babe, Janie Jones and No God, No Master, as well as made her talents evident on TV shows Like Star Trek, 24, King of Queens and Zena Warrior Princess, I became aware that Angelina Jolie was making a splash in Hollywood.

I saw Ms. Jolie in a couple of her films and recognized her intelligence, humor, depth and good heart.

I did not pick up on any clues as to her mental stability. She seems like a person who is centered and one not prone to worry about what is in the gift bags, or the place in line.

Hollywood is powerful.  Kim Jong Un is powerful.  Some people with power make life a living hell for others whom they deem inferior.

In 1975, I would go from Kankakee back home to the south side and tend bar.  I made more from Friday through Sunday than I did as a teacher.  There was a guy who used come into the bar who was a full blown nut-job. He would disguise himself with fake beards, glasses, trench coats and flash cards and badges that he got from Riley's Trick Shop and cage drinks and snacks.  He was nuts but relatively harmless.

"Shayyy? I'm jusht in from the coasht, and Bosh ( Boz) shed any thing I ashked for wash Ok, until my finanshesh get shquared away, Shpill me a Millersh and a shot of Chevash,"

Despite the disguises and the false identities, Larrensh (Larry) was afflicted with 'Fountain Mouth' - the Eddie Foy disease -"Shhay It, Don' Shhhpray it." That he could not hide.  Therefore, bar tenders immediately knew that Lawrensh Washhh In the Housh! The bartenders and owners gave the poor guy a couple of beers, a bag or two of Chipshhhh and the odd ride home. All but one.

Hollywood Hogan hated Lawensh like he was freshman Algebra. He would order Larry out with threats and maledictions and call him Water-head.

One very foggy night, after Hollywood ( a stunningly handsome black Irish Colin Farrell look-alike in full possession of a room temperature IQ) broke his ankle in softball game, Larry showed up an taunted the hobbled Hogan.

"Sha Madder Hollywood? Shpring in your Shtep Vanishhhhed?  Shum moush shcare you?"

Hollywood tucked a crutch under one arm and struggled to give chase.

Now, the city of Chicago had dug up the streets for sewer replacement and massive moats paralled the bar access.  Larry bolted Slushing out taunts and teases in the path of Hollywood Hogan doing his very best Walter Brennan giddy-yap.

Hogan decided to run down Larry with his big 1973 Pontiac Catalina. He tossed his crutch and fired up the car.  Larry hopped only yards from its path.

Hogan gunned the engine and tossed the Pontiac into drive. Larry hopped to the side and the quality vehicle careened into the City of Chicago created moat.  The rear wheels spun Hollywood beat the steering wheel with desperate and congenial hatred.

We witnessed this theatre.

From the fog, beyond the sewer ditch on Pulaski Ave. we heard the familiar voice of master of disguise, " Whoooshhhhhh The Water Head Now?"

Hollywood.

Actress Tamberla Perry - Mike Houlihan Protege Stars in the Goodman Theatre's -Meet Vera Stark

Meet Tamberla Perry!

I have a thing about Playbills, the glossy and ad thick handout featuring the current production of any performance art production.  I find the nearest receptacle and pitch the booklet.

This quirk of mine goes back to the days of my youth when I worked as a janitor ( Local 25) at Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall (1904-2013), now known as Symphony Center.

After each CSO, Harry Zelzer production ( Gordon Lightfoot, the Clancy Bros. & Tommy Makem, Cleo Laine, Richard Tucker, Danny Kaye, or Peter Max & the Young Rascals) not to mention CPS high school graduations, my comrades and I were required to sweep the hall from stage through the gallery by lifting the seats, picking up the napkins, Junior mints, orange juice boxes and tons upon tons of Playbills and depositing them into the 55 gallon plastic garbage cans.  It was a job.

Thus, from that time forty plus years ago, I hold onto a proffered Playbill no longer than CTA President Forrest Claypool holds a political sinecure.  Gone, in a nano second.

Playbills make wonderful keepsakes.  Keepsakes pile up.  I never know what to do with the book that I can not read, while at the performance, and care not to read after the show.  I 86 it.

I wish I had not done so with the Playbill I tossed at the Goodman Theatre yesterday, prior to witnessing some great theatre.

An elegant and stunning female woman and I attended the matinee performance of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. The play by Lynne Nottage is running until June 2, 2013 at the Goodman.
Kara Zediker and Tamberla Perry in Vera Stark


One of the principles, rather the co-star of the production was an Honors Studnet of mine at Bishop McNamara High School - Kara Zediker (BMHS 1987).  Her Mom, Carole " Cookie" Zediker was a colleague and her Dad Phil Zediker  uttered, "Interesting," every time  I opened my yap.

Phil is a prominent psychiatrist.

 Kara is a supremely talented actress, singer and dancer who has made scores of films hundreds of TV appearances and trod the boards with the likes of John Malkovich while with  Steppenwolf Theatre in the 1990's. Kara plays Gloria Mitchell in Vera Stark, a fictional America'n film's Sweetie-pie of the 1930's. Kara plays up-from nothing gran dame with spot on vocal inflections, poignant facial deliveries and a silky sense of the stage. I was not surprised, because this beautiful little thespian has delighted me every since her grammar school baby-steps with the Paula Aubrey School of Dance, wowing the crowds at BMHS with her Ensign Nellie Frobish in South Pacific and favorite Zediker role extant - Mammy Yokam in L'il Abner.

Kara went onto Chicago's Columbia College, where her talents were plucked by the late John Hughes who put Kara in Uncle Buck. Kara was  member of Steppenwold and the old Goodman on Monroe, over by the Art Institute - to wax urban provincial.  From there, Kara went onto movies and TV



After the packed matinee crowd bolted down the hall to grab all of the tables at Petterino's, my sexy and chic theatre companion and I waited at the Security desk to catch-up with Kara.  We did the Hollywood smooches and then the two talented and toothsome women gabbed like Mother McAuley Alumnae, while I played with the change in my pockets. Then,. . .then we were joined by Vera Stark and her arch rival Anna

Mae, played with intelligent gusAmelia Workman.Ms. Workman and the cast, aside from Tamberla and Kara played dual, or triple roles - here she is as a lesbian feminist cinema critic.

to by the stunning

Four gorgeous talented women within an arms reach of this 79th Street Mick troll.  God is Great!

Tamberla Perry was stunning on stage, but in person she could make Chris Matthews shut up.   I gushed out my praise on all three young ladies and asked them about their Chicago roots. Kara mentioned that I work fro Leo High School and the already luminescent Ms. Perry lit up with proud recognition - " The Pride of 79th Street!'  Yes, Mam.

Again the ladies chatted up the arts and the young actresses were called to a cast meeting.  Ms. Sullivan tucked her Playbill into her purse.  We parted from the cast with sweet sorrow . . .on my part.

Petterino's was booked.  We opted for Atwood's in the Burnham Hotel - she the duck breast; me the halibut.

Hours later the thoughtful and beautiful Ms. Sullivan gave me a call.  " Had you not tossed away your Playbill, Mr. Hickey, as is your habit, you would know something that I know," she coquetted.

" Honor bright?"

"Yes, of course, I am not the perpetual eight year old in this relationship. . . ," no pique, just fact.

" Spill it, Sister."

" Did you know that Tamberla Perry, Vera Stark, was in the cast of Tapioca, by Friend Houli? . . .this from the Playbill you so scorn ,  "On film, Mrs. Perry has appeared in Tapioca, Puzzled Love and Chasing Robert, and her television appearances include Boss, Chicago Fire and as the Illinois Lottery hostess on WGN-TV. Ms. Perry is a company member of MPAACT."

" Well, I'll be dipped and rolled. . ."

" Yes, and you should be . . .'

"Friend Houli?  What's he turned Quaker?"

" That will be enough for today, I think. Get a good night's sleep, my dear."

I was yet gobsmacked by the information.

This exquisite looking and talented girl worked her chops for Houli?  Playbill said so.

Martin Marty's Fedora “How can Catholic education be saved?” - Play Small Ball

I read an interesting article by University of Chicago scholar Martin E. Marty. The article rather whimsically treats Catholic Schools as reified artifacts - a fedora e.g.  things that fade out of fashion and necessity.   I'm no scholar, but I have taught and worked in Catholic high schools since 1975.  So, since we are doing metaphors, Catholic schools remain the Cadillac of American education; back in 1975 more Americans could afford a Caddy.

I taught at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, Illinois. The Clerics of St. Viator(CSVs) operated this co-educational high school under aegis of the Joliet Diocese.  There were five Viatorian priests in the Administration and teaching staff and there were also nine Sisters of Notre Dame(CNDs)  in teaching and clerical positions.The balance of the faculty were lay persons.  Together we served the 400 young men and women from diverse backgrounds.  The school was mirror of Kankakee County - heavily French with African Americans and Dutch Protestants filling out the demographic.  The students were the sons and daughters of farmers, factory workers, tradesmen, white collar workers, doctors, lawyers and a couple of bankers.

1975 saw the fall of Saigon and my baby steps in teaching.  The American economy began to tip due to OPEC and Jimmy Carter responded by manfully donning a sweater.  Kankakee had been home to many big sized businesses, Roper, AO Smith, Armstrong Tiles & Pharmeceuticals.  These operations as well as the foundries, metal fabrication and pallet operations provided a robust employment.  Tuition, which would be considered invisible by today's Catholic school prices, was set at $ 787 per year, sans fees and books.

I was paid a salary of $ 6, 800, with medical and allowed to pay into a retirement plan.  My salary every two  weeks amounted about $ 264.00 every two weeks.  I paid $ 225 a month for an apartment near the school, as I did not own a car.  I walked for two years.  Things were good. I received a modest raise each year according to the Levels and Steps Salary Scale of the Joliet Catholic Schools.

The economy broke bad. The Shah was bounced, America held Hostage, OPEC kicked sand in our eyes and Jimmy Carter paddled away from a rabbit.  Malaise.



AO Smith and Roper went to Mexico and so did the secondary industries.  Our parents were laid off.  One gentleman, Mr. W, had three kids in Catholic schools and was a shift manager at Roper in 1977.  In 1979, he was bagging groceries at Grocery World and Mrs. W. babysat. The kids all graduated, but they had moved from four bedroom bi level home in the  the very upper middle class west  side  Kankakee Parish of St. Martin of Tours to rental slab home in Bradley, IL. The W Family were heroic.

Other families just could not hack it and parted for the Kankakee, Bourbonnais, Momence, St. Anne and Herscher School districts.  The enrollment and the tuition revenue plunged. The faculty went without raises, but kept the school operation first rate. The athletic and academic programs blew away the competition from the tax-fueled public schools all over the county and beyond.

In 1981, due to declining vocations, the CSVs ended their operational ties to the school.  Shortly thereafter the CNDs did the same.  More lay persons swelled the salary slot in the budget ledgers.  That same year the school and the parents initiated the Negotiated Tuition program to keep as many of the students in the school.  Parents agreed to bring in their W-2 forms and negotiate tuition, or opt to meet the $1,400 tuition.

Regardless of the struggle, Catholic families sent their sons and daughters to Bishop McNamara.  The school held on.  After three years, the negotiations ended and tuition was set once again.  No miracles.  This was small ball*.

The faculty was an immensely talented body of teachers who sent Kankakee kids to Yale, Brown, Rutgers, University of Chicago, West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy, as well as Illinois, Purdue, DePaul, Loyola, ISU, EIU and Olivet.

Graduates stood out - Lori Hoekstra became a producer for Saturday Night Live, Letterman and now manages Norm McDonald, Kara Zediker is a movie star, America's first Casualty in the Operation Iraqi Freedom was Capt. Ryan Beaupre USMC (dec.) and there are so many more like  Napoleon Harris and Ron Young in civil and public service. There is also a thick handful of Catholic priests brothers and nuns who graduated from Bishop McNamara at the end of the last millennium.

No miracles.  This was small ball played out with huge sacrifices.  In piece linked to Marty Marty which uses the metaphor of Fedoras for Catholic schools misses a point. I continue to work in Catholic schools; did I mention I work at Leo High School?

Fedoras can still be purchased at vintage boutiques and they tend to cost a hell of lot more than the original price.  Fedoras might not be worn by a huge male demographic anymore.  Some folks worry that a Catholic education might become available only to the elite, the affluent and label conscious - like Notre Dame University. Catholic schools exist because of Catholics.  Catholics who take of precious things - faith, family, and freedom are not fads.

Fashion - even grown men wearing bow-ties- fades.  Fads even faster.  Catholic education is no fad; no matter how much public school educators try ape the school traditions - a Cadillac is no Prius. Catholic schools like the Dodo bird?  Like the Fedora, Marty?

I don't believe that to be the case at all.  I work at a school that 'smart' people insisted would close 'next year' with the same passion and precision that a Cubs fan sees a Cub World Series trophy.  The Cubs won one in 1908; Leo has been closing since 1967.

Here's your Fedora; see you next year Marty!.

* Catholic League football is remarkable for slugging it out yard for yard and eating the clock as well pounding to the goals.  However, small ball is more of a  baseball term:"When Paul Richards took over as the manager of the Chicago White Sox in 1951, his team had few power hitters, so he decided that he needed to manufacture runs by emphasizing speed as well as a strong defense.^[6] The White Sox became a contender and eventually, the team known as the Go-Go Sox won the American League championship in 1959 by relying on speed and defence."

Actress Kara Zediker - A Great Talent from Kankakee, Illinois

One of the great rewards of a teaching career is seeing the lives developed by students who endured your time with them.

Kara Zediker and her brother John were two wonderful youngsters and are now very successful and splendid young adults. Kara is an actress and John is a CEO for a private company and works on the Du Page County Board. Their folks are Carol, "Cookie," and Phil Zediker one of the great husband and wife teams - Phil is a psychiatrist and Cookie taught with my wife Mary and me at Bishop McNamara High School.

Kara was a member of the Paula Aubrey Dance Studio while a student and acted in every play and sang at every opportunity. Kara is a very pretty kid happy in her own skin - her best role was as Mammy Yokum in the musical Li'l Abner, though she could just as easily filled the role of Daisy May.

Kara and my wife Mary, an art teacher, were great pals. Mary was always the invited guest and I got dragged along to dinners and outings. More so, like the dusty twerp in James Hilton's novel, my wife made me look better and kept the students from hiring a retired Scout Sniper. I was and continue to be a huge pain in the ass. Imagine being a 14-18 year old kid stuck in a desk with me for 50 minutes, or more. I do not know how they did it.

Kara and John were both superb students and very popular kids as well. Kara studied at Columbia College here in Chicago and was selected to act with Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf and bravely acted with John Malkovich in a perfectly horrible play -A Slip of the Tongue*. She also had roles in The Babe with John Goodman and Uncle Buck with John Candy.

Kara plays the lead in a short film to be released in 2012 and plays an Italian woman in a period piece called No God, No Masters about the 1919 Palmer Raids against Italian immigrants.

Here is a trailer for Wedensday's Child The story of a young girl who discovers that her entire nine year existence has been a series of experiments for books written by her parents, and the drastic action she takes to force them into admitting the truth.

Wednesday's Child from Mike Kwielford on Vimeo.

here is Kara as a nurse from a recent episode of Without a Trace-



Phil and Cookie raised two great kids. Kara is an especially talented young lady. Houli! Remember Kara for your next film!


John Zediker - http://www.dupageco.org/CountyBoard/Members/12024/

Kara Zediker-http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954150/


*

Past Threatens Nation`s Freedom In `Slip`
February 07, 1992|By Lawrence Bommer.
It was inevitable: A play has emerged depicting Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Opening Sunday at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company,

``A Slip of the Tongue`` is a world premiere by Dusty Hughes that takes place in an Eastern European country both before and after the revolution of 1989. Its hero, Dominic Tantra, is a leading dissident writer who has spent years in exile in a rural area.After the fall of his repressive government, he returns to the capital city, where he`s given all the privileges he`d been denied. Conflict arises when Tantra, who wants to forget about the past, discovers that the movement that he was a part of and suffered for has become preoccupied with retributive justice. The story focuses on Tantra`s relationships with four university students.

Playing the lead role in Simons Stokes` staging is Steppenwolf stage and screen star John Malkovich. Other cast members are French actress Clotilde Courau, British actress Lizzy McInnerny, Chicagoan Kara Zediker and Lithuanian actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite.

``A Slip of the Tongue`` runs through March 22 at 1650 N. Halsted St.;

312-335-1888.