WALL Radio

Orange County & The Hudson Valley's Greatest Hits

Contest: Love Is In The Airwaves

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WALL Radio is feeling the love this year for Valentine’s Day, so we have a Valentine’s Day contest!

Starting Monday, February 4 through Friday, February 8, we’ll be picking one winner daily to win an amazing prize pack. The daily prizes are a $25 gift card to Laurel Grove Florist in Port Jervis and a pair of ski lift tickets to Elk Mountain Ski Resort in Union Dale, PA.

On top of that, we will have one grand prize winner that will also win a 3 night stay at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont!

To enter to win, all you have to do is fill out our entry form when it goes live on Monday, February 4. Winners will be randomly chosen, one entry per household.

Wayne’s Word: Green Book

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Written by Wayne Townsend

The title of this film Green Book is adopted from a travel guide The Negro Motorist Green Book written in the 1930s by Harlem postal worker Victor Hugo Green. This book was written to give African- Americans a list of places they could stay when traveling in the south as segregation was the status quo during the 20th century south in the United States. It tells the true story of Don Shirley, a classically trained African-American pianist that volunteered to travel into the deep south in 1962 in an effort changed the minds of well-established racist views prevalent at the time. At the suggestion of his record label, Shirley, portraited by Academy Award winner, Mahershala Ali, hired Copacabana bouncer, Tony “Lip” Vallelonga, played by Viggo Mortensen to drive and protect Shirley. What ensues is a classic “buddy road trip picture” were two people from different ethnic backgrounds clash, then find common ground, and ultimately form a friendship. This is a tried and true Hollywood formula that has worked since the pairings of Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Prior & Wilder. Director Peter Farrelly, famous for Dumber & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself, and Irene, lends his comedic flair to the serious subject of institutional racism and handles it deftly. Ali brings to life the musician who was held in high regard during his career even though his name may not resonate with everyday fans of his musical genre. Ali’s portrayal of the conflicted Shirley as a man who was shunned by both races, whites due his skin color and blacks who resented his education and lack of compliance with the more fan-friendly black entertainers of his day, is subtle yet gripping. Mortensen is excellent as Vallelonga, who became an actor in his own right appearing in The Sopranos, Donnie Brasco, and Goodfellas. Mortensen as Vallelonga shows a man that comes to grips with his own beliefs regarding discrimination as he sees first hand just how bad blacks are treated in the south. The friendship that develops is enduring, and that’s due to the chemistry between these two amazing actors whose respect for the source material is evident. Green Book isn’t a moral tale of the evils of racism; instead it is the story of two men who maintained their beliefs and personal integrity while facing said racism. Other films tackle the issue, but this is a good movie with a subtle reminder of a time in the country that we shouldn’t be proud of without harsh judgment. Green Book is one of those films that seems to slip under the radar only to be discovered sometime later, don’t wait. This is a delightful movie, 4 out of 5.

Wayne’s Word: Creed II

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Written by Wayne Townsend

The 7th iteration (8th picture) of the Rocky saga is not just a good boxing movie, but a good film. As far as reboots go, Creed was not only clever but credible. Filled with all the ethos that made Rocky Balboa the most famous (fictional) boxer in the history of the sport, it explored, in a deeper than usual way, the complexities of living in the shadows of famous fathers. For Adonis Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan it was the legacy left by his father, Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers in the first four installments. For Viktor Drago, played by Florian Munteanu, it’s trying to please his father, Ivan Drago, who is blinded by revenge for the loss at the hands of Rocky in Rocky IV. Ivan lost everything as a result of his defeat, honor, support of his country, even his wife, who left both Ivan and Viktor. Brigette Nielson returns as Drago’s ex-wife with a disdain for both men. Adonis is plagued by the omnipresence of the father he never knew. Driven to ‘right the wrong’ of his father’s death at the hands of Ivan, he signs to fight the larger, stronger Viktor much to the chagrin of his adopted uncle, Rocky. During his win on a technicality, Adonis suffers a brutal beating, and as a result, is haunted by the reason he took the fight in the first place. Newly married he becomes a father himself as he struggles with finding his own identity and if he should challenge Viktor to a rematch. In Russia, Viktor and Ivan are the toast of the Russian elite and the return to favor in this circle becomes the driving force for Ivan. As Viktor sees through this pretention, he implores his father to see the same. As his pleas fall on death ears, the conflicted Viktor carries on as the dutiful son and continues to be the instrument of his father’s rage.

Creed II co-written by Stallone, is a return to what made the first film a journey of self-discovery and not just a sports movie. What makes Rocky resonate with the fans is the choice of the sport of boxing, as someone said, “you play sports, in boxing you fight.” The fight is not just with your opponent, but the fight within oneself. Jordan captures this, and the chemistry between him and Tessa Thompson, who plays Bianca Taylor, his future wife, is reminiscent of that between Stallone and Talia Shire, Adrian of the first five Rocky’s. The scenes between them cover most of the emotional angst Adonis faced that is outside of his life as a fighter. Creed II has a scene were Rocky tells Adonis, “this is your time now.” After two successful films, fans should agree. Stallone passes the torch to the competent hands of Jordan, and the saga created way back in the olden days of 1976 of a fighter overcoming incredible odds, should continue.