Two new series — one an absolute guilty pleasure and the other a sci-fi head trip — are worth a look this week.

But two indie features are even better: Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s exceptional eco-themed drama “Evil Does Not Exist” and Francis Galluppi’s noir homage “The Last Stop in Yuma County.”

Here’s our roundup.

“Dark Matter”: Cerebral sci-fi brain twisters such as Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” and this nine-part series (seven episodes would have sufficed) from Apple TV should come bearing a warning advising viewers to avoid all distractions since they’ll want to devote their full attention to this complex, mind-bending territory. The similarities between “Dark Matter” and Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” don’t stop there. Both series originated from popular novels, and while “Dark Matter” isn’t nearly as ambitious as its metaphysical cousin, it, too, centers on a thought-provoking concept. This one is centered on an abducted Chicago family man/physics professor Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton, well cast as an everyman) and his seemingly endless attempts to keep opening doors to various alternative realities until he encounters the one that sends him back to his “normal” life with wife Daniela (Jennifer Connolly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley). What led him to this desperate act?  Another version of himself has cozied up and is carrying on in his stead. The concept might seem silly, but the story by author Blake Crouch — who serves as showrunner and executive producer here and who also wrote many of the episodes — works, and challenges us to ponder what lengths we would go to if we were in not only Jason’s shoes but his wife Daniela’s as well (Connolly gives the role more dramatic shading than usual). Co-starring Alice Braga as another searcher with Jason in this weird multiverse, “Dark Matter” asks us to consider our own dual natures and how they would be altered if our worlds were different. Details: 3 stars out of 4; two episodes drop May 8, with one following every Wednesday through June 26.

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“Pretty Little Liars: Summer School”: Horror and comedy don’t always mix well, often due to one genre showing up the other. But creator, writer and executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa respects both and strikes a good balance with a guilty pleasure that’s stuffed with killer salutes to iconic horror films as well as other pop culture touchstones (“Xanadu,” anyone?). The eight-parter (it’s really Season 2 of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”) follows in the bloody footprints of the first, but don’t worry if you’re new to the party. The Cliff Notes version supplied in its fast-paced recap at the start of “Summer School” caught me up with all the gory details about its five “final girls” — played by Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles and Maia Reficco. They’re guardedly upbeat since the serial killer known as A who hounded them before is on trial and facing a long sentence. Before you can say “Candyman” numerous times in front of a mirror, a killer pops up and starts slaying folks around Millwood, the high school and even that secluded, creepy cabin in the woods. As the body count rises and potential love interests emerge — including a cute new movie theater employee (Noah Alexander Gerry) and a handsome, often shirtless, Millwood Creamery ice cream coworker (Antonio Cipriano) — our five intrepid teens (who look notably older than a typical sophomore) tangle with an outraged parent and even the legend of Bloody Rose Waters. It also deals, at times seriously, with issues about overcoming trauma. All of this makes one hope that this “Liars” club sticks around  least for its junior year. We might even follow them to grad school. Details: 3 stars; two episodes drop May 9, followed by one episode every Thursday through June 20.

“Evil Does Not Exist”: As a jocular crew from the big city searches for a remote, tranquil spot in Mizubiki, outside of Tokyo, for a glamping site, an assignment arises that upends the quiet existence of dad Takumi (Hitoshi Omika, astonishing in the role) and his daughter, Hana (Ryo Nishikawa). They live in a rustic cabin tucked comfortingly away from Japan’s busy city life; and the arrival of these strangers sets off a domino effect that leads to a startling, unpredictable outcome. Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi — one of our very best filmmakers — follows up his more straightforward “Drive My Car” with this ecological-themed surprise that mirrors the dramatic tempo and unexpected punch of a story written by the late Raymond Carver. Hamaguchi peers under the mossy rock of humanity and finds a simmering “evil” that exists within us all and it’s one that has the potential to destroy everything in its path. Details: Opens May 10 in theaters.

“The Last Stop in Yuma County”: Expect to hear the name Francis Galluppi mentioned far more in the future — that is, if this knockout feature debut, a sly, lethal slice of bloody neo noir, portends what the screenwriter and director has in store in the future. Galluppi confines two-thirds of this film to a well-worn locale — an off-the-beaten-track diner cum gas station, a place that normally sees few customers. On this most unfortunate day, however, a suspicious assortment of folks arrive, including a knife salesman (Jim Cummings). They wait it out not only for their fried grub to be served by a wary waitress (Jocelin Donahue) and a gas truck so they can fill up tanks and skedaddle. Enter two violent bank robbers (Richard Brake and Nicholas Logan). Tension builds to a breaking point in Galluppi’s salute to noirs past and present that has a distinct style all to its own. Details: 3½ stars; available to rent May 10.

“East Bay”: Shot and set throughout the East Bay and occasionally in San Francisco, director Daniel Yoon’s quirky drama finds a 39-year-old Korean American part-time filmmaker lamenting that he’s been a loser in life. Told in an unconventional, fit-and-start manner, “East Bay” distinguishes itself with humorous characters and comedic encounters, along with a sweet romance Jack (Yoon) has with a film festival organizer (Constance Wu of “Crazy Rich Asians”). At times, though, it plays things a little too loose (a bit featuring gay slurs backfires) for its own good. Still, “East Bay’s” puppy-dog demeanor and existential ways will likely win you over. Details: 3 stars; in select theaters and available to rent.

“The Image of You”: Pour yourself a glass of the cheapest chardonnay to be found in a cardboard box, and let the guilty pleasure times roll. This hysterical, over-the-top thriller takes the exhausted-beyond-all-belief plot device about twin sisters for a spin, and the result is a bumpy ride from start to finish. One sis happens to be annoyingly sweet and clueless, the other  a wild vixen with an out-of-control libido. What a shock! Trouble goes down the tubes when bland and boring sis Anna falls for clueless but easy-on-the-eyes stock trader Nick (Parker Young) and soon the jealous and volatile sis Zoe sets her eyes, thighs and everything on him. Director Jeff Fisher realizes he’s throwing some trash about and lets his cast go for it. “Pretty Little Liars” Sasha Pieterse ping-pongs between the unlike twins with gusto. Infrequently, Mira Sorvino and Nestor Carbonell pop their heads in the door to play the concerned but enabling parents. Expect to howl (depending on how much wine has been consumed) almost as much as you did during Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room.” The difference is that this one knows exactly what it’s doing. Hats off, to that. Details: 2½ stars; available May 10 for rental.

“Force of Nature: The Dry 2”: In this sequel also based on a Jane Harper novel, Aussie federal agent Aaron Falk (a subdued Eric Bana, at times too subdued) and his colleague Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie) search for missing informant Alice (Anna Torv) in the rugged, but fictional Giralang Ranges. Alice was aiding Aaron in a case that implicated her boss and she was poised to hand over documents. But a corporate wilderness retreat with four coworkers,  considered problematic and in need of some bonding,  puts the investigation in jeopardy after everyone but Alice returns after getting lost in the woods. Director/screenwriter Robert Connolly takes full advantage of gorgeous but treacherous Australian locales – including a waterfall – and all of it is quite a sight to behold. In the end, though, the mystery at the center of “Force of Nature” lacks the emotional, personal depth of the 2020 film, even if Aaron is haunted by more events from his past. But it makes up for that with its message about the high toll of exacting justice, and if the ends do indeed justify the means. Details: 3 stars; available to rent May 10.

“Tarot”: A potentially fun horror concept wherein an evil spirit summoned up via a deck of hand-drawn Tarot cards exacts vengeance on an unsuspecting batch of seven rich college chums in Massachusetts comes undone by muddled mythology and a lackadaisical script reliant on too many jump scares and illogic. Nondescript, underwritten characters get picked off, admittedly with some invention, after an impromptu card reading at a mansion where the friends gathered to celebrate a birthday. Directors/creenwriters Spenser Cohen and Anna Halpern hem themselves in with a PG-13 rating and fail to capitalize on what works – namely the demons conjured up and even the slayings. A bogus ending all but seals its fate. Too bad since there’s something worth saving. But this one’s not playing with a full deck and cribs too often from better horror franchises, including “Final Destinations,” even “Saw.” Watch “Infected” on Shudder for something creepy-crawly instead. Details: 1½ stars; in theaters now.

“The Lost Boys”: Although set in Belgium, director Zeno Graton’s taut drama examines a very American problem — the incarceration of young male teens. Graton’s knockout debut is just as convincing in portraying the all-consuming attraction between unwanted Joe (Khalil Gharbia of “Peter von Kant”) and volatile William (Julien de Saint Jean). The leads are exceptional, and Graton’s direction and pacing never slackens in this astute observation into the lives of these “lost boys” who find each other. Details: 3 stars, available to rent May 10.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.

 

 

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service

A sweet and tangy sauce goes perfectly with the fish fillets in this quick stir-fried dinner. I added snow peas and red bell pepper along with microwaveable brown rice to complete this easy meal.

Here’s a tip for best stir-frying. Make sure your wok or skillet is hot and the oil sizzling before adding the ingredients. Once they are added let them sit for a few seconds. This gives the oil a chance to regain the heat after adding the cold ingredients.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of fish fillet such as grouper, mahi mahi or snapper can be used instead of tilapia.

Four garlic cubes can be used instead of minced garlic.

Use the edge of a spoon for a quick way to peel ginger.

COUNTDOWN:

Prepare all ingredients.

Make rice and divide between two dinner plates.

Complete recipe.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1 1/2-cups cooked, 3/4 pound tilapia or other white fish fillet, 1 container corn starch, 1 container no-salt-added chicken broth, 1 small bottle reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 bottle sesame oil,1 container minced garlic, 1 piece fresh ginger, 1 bunch scallions, 1 package snow peas and 1 red bell pepper.

Staples: sugar, salt and black peppercorns.

Ginger Soy Stir-fried Fish

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

Microwave brown rice to make 1 1/2 cups cooked

3/4 pound tilapia or other white fish filet, cut to 2 inch pieces

1 1/2-tablespoons cornstarch, divided use

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided use

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons sliced ginger

2 scallions sliced

1 cup snow peas

1 cup sliced red bell pepper

Microwave brown rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2-cups and save any remaining rice for another meal. Divide the rice in half and place on two dinner plates. Place 1 tablespoon cornstarch on a plate. Cut fish into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss fish with cornstarch making sure all sides are coated. Set aside. Mix broth, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic and remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch together in a small bowl. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoons sesame oil in wok or large skillet. Add the ginger, half the scallions, snow peas and red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the fish and stir-fry 1 minute, making sure all sides of the fish touch the bottom of the pan. Pour in the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Divide into two portions and spoon over the rice. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 535 calories (31 percent from fat), 18.2 g fat (3.7 g saturated, 7.1 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 41.1 g protein, 52.9 g carbohydrates, 4.9 g fiber, 280 mg sodium.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Listen to Linda on www.WDNA.org and all major podcast sites. Email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Matt Vasilogambros | (TNS) Stateline.org

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard “election integrity,” even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of November’s presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. They’re using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots — long a boogeyman in conservative politics — reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky — which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment — noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on November’s ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

“There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administration’s open border policies,” Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. “People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And they’re combined with concerns on election integrity.”

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation — despite an existing 1996 ban— that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said it’s common sense to require proof of citizenship.

“It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election,” he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominee’s Mar-a-Lago resort. “We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.”

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

“There’s no problem being solved here,” said Madrid, whose forthcoming book,“The Latino Century,” outlines the group’s growing voter participation. “This is all politics. It’s all about stoking fears and angering the base.”

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New York’s State Supreme Court struck down New York City’s 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermont’s local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the city’s registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

“Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned,” Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, they’re not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though there’s room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

It’s a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

“The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free,” he said.

Fighting ‘the left’

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgia’s voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

“I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections,” Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the state’s constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited California’s parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that “every” U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that “only” U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

It’s a “pretty simple” fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

“It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country,” Tomczak said. “And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.”

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.