Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 20 Issue 23

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June 9-15, 2010 \ Volume 20 \ Issue 23 \ Always Free

Film | Music | Culture

LANDON DONOVAN LEADS TEAM USA

World Cup Predictions

JOHN WOODEN

More Than A Basketball Coach (1910-2010)

THE A-TEAM

Pities No Fool

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Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

Editor-in-Chief Jessica Koslow editor.chief@campuscircle.net Managing Editor Yuri Shimoda managing.editor@campuscircle.net Film Editor Jessica Koslow film.editor@campuscircle.net Cover Designer Sean Michael Editorial Interns Lynda Correa, Christine Hernandez, Marvin Vasquez

“SENSATIONAL!”

12 6 04 NEWS CAMPUS NEWS 06 FILM THE A-TEAM TV tough guys blast onto the big screen. 06 FILM SCREEN SHOTS 07 CULTURE L.A. FACES 07 FILM TV TIME 08 FILM PROJECTIONS

Contributing Writers Christopher Agutos, Geoffrey Altrocchi, Jonathan Bautts, Scott Bedno, Scott Bell, Zach Bourque, Erica Carter, Richard Castañeda, Joshua Chilton, Cesar Cruz, Nick Day, Natasha Desianto, John E. DiScala, Denise Guerra, James Famera, Mari Fong, Stephanie Forshee, A.J. Grier, Ximena Herschberg, Zach Hines, Damon Huss, Becca Lett, Lucia, Ebony March, Angela Matano, Stephanie Nolasco, Samantha Ofole, Brien Overly, Ariel Paredes, Sasha Perl-Raver, Dov Rudnick, Melissa Russell, Mike Sebastian, Doug Simpson, Jennifer Smith, Jessica Stern, David Tobin, A. Turpcu, Mike Venezia, TJ Webber, Kevin Wierzbicki, Grady Winn, Candice Winters, M.M. Zonoozy Contributing Artists & Photographers Marvin G. Vasquez

ADVERTISING Sean Bello sean.bello@campuscircle.net Joy Calisoff joy.calisoff@campuscircle.net Jon Bookatz Music Sales Manager jon.bookatz@campuscircle.net Ronit Guedalia ronit.guedalia@campuscircle.net

Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell

08 FILM DVD DISH 10 FILM WHIZ KIDS Director Tom Shepard gets invested in the lives of three young geniuses. 10 FILM PAULY SHORE Reinvents Himself in Adopted 11 FILM REVIEWS 12 MUSIC STIFF LITTLE FINGERS Music, Tattoos, Pinups and More at the Ink-N-Iron Festival 12 MUSIC TRAVIE MCCOY “Hero” emerges solo with Lazarus. 14 MUSIC REPORT 14 CULTURE GRAPHIC NOVELS 16 MUSIC DELOREAN Remember Spain on Subiza 16 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS

17 CULTURE THE ART OF LOVE 18 SPORTS WORLD CUP 2010 19 SPORTS JOHN WOODEN 19 SPORTS L.A. HOOPLA 20 CULTURE CURTAIN CALL

Campus Circle newspaper is published 49 times a year and is available free at 40 schools and over 800 retail locations throughout Los Angeles. Circulation: 30,000. Readership: 90,000. PUBLISHED BY CAMPUS CIRCLE, INC. 5042 Wilshire Blvd., PMB 600 Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 939-8477 (323) 939-8656 Fax info@campuscircle.net www.campuscircle.com © 2010 Campus Circle, Inc. All rights reserved.

NEVER”

AY INCLUDES “NEVER S BIEBER TIN PERFORMED BY JUS MITH S FEATURING JADEN

17 MUSIC CD REVIEWS

20 MUSIC FREQUENCY 21 SPORTS THE DIAMOND DISPATCH 21 CULTURE COMEDY 22 CULTURE GAMES & GADGETS 22 BLOGS D-DAY

COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS AN OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENT/JERRY WEINTRAUB PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHINA FILM GROUP CORPORATION A FILM BY HARALD ZWART MUSIC “ T HE KARATE KID” TARAJI P. HENSON SUPERVISION BY PILAR McCURRY MUSIC COEXECUTIVE BY JAMES HORNER PRODUCER SOLON SO PRODUCERS DANY WOLF SUSAN EKINS HAN SAN PING STORY SCREENPLAY BY ROBERT MARK KAMEN BY CHRISTOPHER MURPHEY PRODUCED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB WILL SMITH JADA PINKETT SMITH JAMES LASSITER KEN STOVITZ DIRECTED BY HARALD ZWART

23 EVENTS THE 10 SPOT Cover: Landon Donovan Photo Courtesy of the United States Soccer Federation

STARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 11

CENTURY CITY AMC Century 15 888/AMC-4FUN

HOLLYWOOD At Sunset & Vine 323/464-4226

SHERMAN OAKS At The Sherman Oaks Galleria 818/501-0753

L.A./BEVERLY HILLS Pacific’s The Grove Stadium 14 323/692-0829 #209

DOWNTOWN L.A. Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 800/FANDANGO #4046

WESTWOOD AMC Avco 888/AMC-4FUN

UNIVERSAL CITY CityWalk Stadium 19 with IMAX® 888/AMC-4FUN

3 COL. (4.875") X 12"= 36" CAMPUS CIRCLE

SANTA MONICA AMC Santa Monica 7 888/AMC-4FUN WEST LOS ANGELES The Bridge Cinema De Lux 310/568-3375

AND AT A THEATER NEAR YOU CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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Campus Circle > News > Campus News

BOUNCING BACK

When Mom and Dad Cut You Off by ebony march, news editor Many students feel that going to college is a rite of passage. As children, they spent the requisite years fantasizing about that great East or West Coast institution with a wonderful arts and entertainment program. Some imagine themselves excelling in an environment that has an outstanding and renowned sports department. Every report card is another step toward that goal of finally reaching the promised land. Then, that fateful day arrives when an acceptance letter confirms or denies all those hopes, dreams and aspirations. Mom and Dad are usually glad to pick up the tab; an education lessens the probability that their little bundle of joy will be returning home and eating them out of house and home. Besides, most parents want their kids to have the best possible head start in life. An education surely buys them that. But what happens when Mom and Dad decide they’ve had enough? After the age of 18, there’s no law that requires a parent to assist their child financially. For some parents, forcing their teenagers to fend for themselves is a way to encourage character building. For others, it can be a choice predicated on economic difficulties. And unfortunately, there are the mothers and fathers who turn their backs simply out

of spite. Nevertheless, the student can maintain the upper hand and come out victorious with a little bit of planning. First things first: Seek counseling. Shouldering a new set of responsibilities is not something one can do without feeling a touch resentful. A downsized lifestyle is something that many people are afforded the opportunity to transition into, not do overnight at the whim of another. College campuses across the United States offer student counseling services that are free of charge in many cases. Sessions can be with other students who are completing their practicum (psychiatric residency) or with a certified or licensed professional who may be able to shed light and optimism on a dark situation. For faith-based assistance, a local church or member of the clergy can be a good person to consult. They may even advocate on behalf of a recently cash-strapped student, calling upon his or her congregation to help in times of need. Getting objective advice on a tough situation often leads to clearer decision-making. Next, a game plan is needed. Make a budget of monthly expenses. Keep in mind that those lattes and nights spent hanging out at the local brewery are also very much a part of the daily routine. File these items under “miscellaneous.” Once a realistic number has been determined, think of constructive ways to cut back. Making a small investment in a coffee maker, bagged grounds and flavored creamer can erase the need for a $5 trip to Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Selling a car and investing in a scooter can eradicate the nightmare of pricey car payments. If a personal budget has no wiggle room, that’s OK. There are plenty of loans and grants that allow for cost of living. Pell grants are loans that do not require a student to repay the money awarded to them. They are issued by the federal

Excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy? For more information, please contact: www.narcolepsystudy.com or Call Toll Free: 1-866-497-5211 Models in photos are for illustrative purposes only 4

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NEWS

College campuses offer student counseling services that are often free of charge. government and awarded based on need. A quick trip to financial services or to ed.gov can get you started. In the event that bad financial news arrives mid-semester and the cost of tuition is simply too high, don’t despair. There are plenty of outstanding online and distancelearning programs that provide an excellent education at a fraction of the cost. Schools such as Stanford and UCLA offer professional certifications that look great on a resume without the cost associated with regular attendance. Since the 1990s, professionals and young people have been taking to the Internet for better academic bargains. This shift has nearly eradicated the negative stigma of an online education. Finally, don’t get mad. Get even. Lead the best, most productive life possible without allowing finances to dictate happiness. With a little creativity and regrouping, anyone can arise victorious from bad news. One day down the road, your mom and dad may need YOU for something. Karma could swing back in your direction, leaving you with the upper hand. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.

Being sleepy throughout the day is more than just a nuisance, it’s a heavy burden. If you’re narcoleptic and routinely find yourself feeling really sleepy during the day, you might suffer from Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, or EDS.

We’re undertaking a research study of an investigational drug therapy for EDS associated with narcolepsy. To qualify for this study, you must: • be between the ages of 18 and 55 • be in generally good health • have experienced excessive sleepiness in connection with a narcolepsy diagnosis • not currently be diagnosed with a sleep disorder other than narcolepsy

Women who are able to become pregnant must use a medically acceptable method of birth control for the duration of the study. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are ineligible for the study. If you qualify to participate, you’ll receive the study drug and all study-related physical exams and laboratory tests at no cost. You may also receive compensation for time and travel.


STARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 11

WEST HOLLYWOOD Laemmle’s Sunset 5 (310) 478-3836 Tickets @ laemmle.com.

PASADENA Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 Cinemas (626) 844-6500

NO PASSES ACCEPTED MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes, Text Message GANGSTER and your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)


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CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS DVD Dish Interviews L.A. Faces Movie Reviews Projections Screen Shots Special Features TV Time

FILMINTERVIEWS

THE A-TEAM

It’s the best action movie since Speed. by ebony march It’s been a slow race to glory for this year’s summer box office. Early reports surmise that even with the much-awaited releases of Sex and the City 2, Disney’s Prince of Persia and the final installment of the family-friendly Shrek franchise, the studios aren’t pulling in the massive box office receipts they were hoping for. Someone somewhere needs to be the catalyst to pull the popcorn movie out of the doldrums. The A-Team just might be that entity. Based on the highly popular 1980s series of the same name, The A-Team follows the wild ride adventures of four U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers (who have become mercenaries). Each is very distinctive in his own rite: Face (Bradley Cooper) is the thrillseeking playboy who manages to find action and a stunning D-Cup wherever he goes. B.A. Baracus (played by MMA superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson) is the Mohawk-clad buff warrior who pities the fool that gets in his way. Hannibal (Liam Neeson) is their fearless leader and Capt. Murdock (District 9’s Sharlto Copley) is the crazy-eyed freak show who always manages to get the team out of danger – within an inch of everyone’s personal comfort and sanity. As the story opens, the A-Team has been commissioned by General Morrison (Gerald McRaney) and a CIA special

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews operative, Agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson), to retrieve a suitcase full of stolen currency plates snatched by enemy forces in the Middle East. They face opposition from a team of rogue mercenaries led by a violent soldier of fortune named Pike. Still, the team manages to complete the mission. That is, until something goes horribly wrong. Soon, the men find themselves under arrest with a number of branches of government on their tails. Dragged into the scandal is Capt. Charisa Sosa (Jessica Biel). She sent indirect orders to the A-Team to get back the plates and now, because of her affiliation with them, has been stripped of her military stripes. The A-Team must figure out how to restore their good names and solve the mystery of who is behind the theft. For most of the cast, the chance to work on The A-Team was a dream come true. Cooper, Copley and Jackson admitted to being huge fans of the series growing up. For Neeson, he was driven by another impetus to do the film. “It was very popular,” explains the actor, who was living in his native Ireland when the series first hit airwaves. “It wasn’t my cup of tea to be honest.” Instead, Neeson cites his growing love of the action genre as the catalyst for his participation in the remake. “I’m a kid in a toy shop doing that stuff,” he says. The A-Team’s action sequences do not disappoint. Writer and director Joe Carnahan teamed with writer-actor Brian Bloom (who also portrays the villainous Pike) to create the testosterone-fueled big screen juggernaut. Gone are the campy stunts that made the series so popular. These sequences have been replaced with (quite possibly) the most audacious and unusual eruptions of badassness to ever hit the multiplex. In order to fulfill the physical requirements of the film, the cast endured rigorous preparation. Cooper worked

SCREENSHOTS

SEX IN HIS CITY by zach hines

Sex and the City 2 is currently in theaters raking in the cash, so to mark the occasion I thought I would take a page from the franchise and apply it to my column. I never watched the show when it was on television (mostly because there were no shootouts or martial arts sequences), but ultimately I gave in and so far have watched the first two seasons and the recently released film sequel. At the center of the show is Carrie Bradshaw’s sex column, which in addition to her narration, acts as a commentary on the adventures of the characters. Today I’m paying tribute to the show by writing my own “Sex and the City” column. As a man, I always thought that trying to understand women was a waste of time, and the only phrases I needed to know when dealing with a woman was “uh huh,” “go on” and “really? Then what did you say?” When the mega-hit TV show “Sex and the City” was on television, I never watched it, not because I didn’t believe it was good, but because I needed a body count in my entertainment. After hearing from lots of girls that “Sex and the City” totally captures how women really are, I figured, “what the hell,” and started watching it from the first season on. While I was very entertained and kept coming back for more, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is ‘Sex and the City’ making women’s lives more difficult?” Before I elaborate on that, let me first say that I’m completely aware of the positive effects the show has had. From what I understand, “Sex and the City” made lots of women everywhere a lot more comfortable with their sexuality. If it’s

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Doug Curran

FILM

The A-Team makes sure their plan comes together. with celebrity trainer Ashley Conrad, who actually flew to Vancouver to whip him into shape. He welcomed the opportunity to build up his muscles ... and his resume. “There weren’t a plethora of action movies that were coming to me,” he says. Cooper turned in his romantic comedy badge for a chance to play with the big boys for a change. Although he loved the experience, he admits that his body paid the ultimate price. “Epsom salts were my savior on this movie,” he confesses. Even 58-year-old Neeson is sporting the biceps of a man half his age in the film, adding to the overall power that each character possesses. But The A-Team isn’t just a mindless stringing together of car chases, fistfights and plane crashes; it has humor and sex appeal as well. The chemistry of the cast plays out scene after scene. Finally, the summer movie season has its first real winner: kick-ass enough for the guys, sexy and thrilling for the girls and outstanding for everyone in between. The A-Team releases in theaters June 11.

Campus Circle > Film > Screen Shots true that the show made it OK for women to want sex and to be highly sexual, that would make me its biggest fan ever. But I began to have the same concern about the show that I have about romantic comedy feature films. Normal people generally look up to and glorify characters in films and television. Not everyone who looks up to Bruce Willis’ characters are going to go blow stuff up, because the films he stars in lean more toward the extreme, but “Sex and the City” leans toward realism and the realer the characters are, the more regular people see themselves in them. Is “Sex and the City” so true to life because women really behave that way? Or are women behaving like the characters in “Sex and the City,” therefore making it how women act in real life. At the end of the day it’s still a show, and scripted single-camera televisions shows, like films, are built on conflict and drama. In order for narratives to be interesting, there needs to be conflict. In essence: Someone’s going to be making someone else’s life difficult. As much as I like the show, the four main characters do a hell of a lot of complaining. Maybe this is because I’m a man, but it seems to me that most of the time they’re relentlessly obsessing and complaining about stuff that can usually be solved by staying cool and chilling the fuck out. Yes, it works as entertainment, but do women watch this and think, “Carrie is bitching and complaining about X, Y and Z, which means I should bitch and complain about X, Y and Z? On top of that, the girls spend an awful lot of time obsessing about finding the perfect man, getting him to commit and getting him to settle down. I’m all for people getting what they want, but sometimes obsessing over something moves it farther from reach. Life has been very good to me and has blessed me with an abundance of the things I like, and what I’ve noticed is that all the things I wanted that came to me

Craig Blankehorn

NEWS

Does “Sex and the City” capture how women really are? naturally were things I was totally cool and relaxed about, while things that I obsessed over didn’t come easily. All that Law of Attraction crap is true, folks. When you obsess and focus all your energy on something, believe it or not, it puts your mind in a state of anxiety about it and it affects your judgment in actually receiving what you want. I realize there’s the whole biological clock thing for women, but that might not be such a problem if everyone wasn’t so focused on creating the perfect life before they do it. Animals don’t have that problem because they get right to it immediately. If you want a kid, go have one. It might not be the ideal fantasy situation from your dreams, but it’ll be something. I know I’m probably coming off as an insensitive jerk who “doesn’t get it,” which is probably true, but hey, it sure hasn’t stopped the ladies from jumping onto my lap. Now if you excuse me, it’s time to start watching season 3. Send feedback to screenshots@campuscircle.net.


Join CAMPUS CIRCLE www.campuscircle.com L.A.FACES

‘TRUE BLOOD’

Mariana Klaveno is a sucker. by sasha perl-raver Marc Cartwright

Before Mariana Klaveno became one of my favorite blood-sucking bitches on television, she was just a girl with a dream growing up on a farm. Best known for her role as Lorena, Bill’s maker on “True Blood” (If you don’t know Mariana Klaveno spills “True Blood” what I’m talking about, you and your DVD as Lorena. player need a serious date.), Klaveno exudes an elegant charisma that makes her potentially loathsome character both dastardly and compelling as she mercilessly feeds her way through the decades. It’s a far cry from the rural farming community in eastern Washington State where Klaveno grew up with three siblings and a father who grew wheat and barley. “I always knew I wanted to act when I was a child,” she says, “but I had to wait until I got to college because it was such a small area.” When she got to college at the University of Washington in Seattle, she immediately enrolled in drama classes and fell in love even more than she thought she would. After graduating, she “bit the bullet” and moved to Los Angeles. But things weren’t easy. She got a job as a hostess at Morton’s Steakhouse in Burbank and worked there for seven years, slowly accruing her SAG card, an agent and minor credits. “It’s tough,” she sighs. “It’s a rough struggle. Year after year you just hope that the year that comes is better than the one that just passed.” Her days at Morton’s came to a merciful end not long after she had a chance to audition for a new, as yet unaired show on HBO called “True Blood.” She says the audition came about unremarkably and well before anyone knew what a sensation the series would be, riding the zeitgeist wave of vampire mania. “I didn’t know a ton about the show,” she recalls. “I knew it was Alan Ball, and I think I knew it was about vampires. Just the idea of going in for an Alan Ball show was amazing to me, so I was really nervous. I loved ‘Six Feet Under’ and American Beauty. I knew [‘True Blood’] was going to be an amazing show, and this part, in particular, was going to be fabulous.” She was right. From custom fashions courtesy of the show’s brilliant costume designer Audrey Fisher, who Klaveno is eager to gush about, to the fangs she gets to wield, the actress says she feels like she’s a little girl playing dress up. “The only thing about the fangs is they prove challenging when speaking,” she begins. “The S’s are somewhat of a challenge, especially when you first start out. When you’re a bit more practiced, it gets easier. Stephen Moyer [who plays Bill] is the expert at talking with his fangs in. I have to wear them around on set before I’m doing a big fangy scene to get used to it. It takes some trickery.” While Lorena is tremendous fun to play, she’s also a character fans love to hate. Especially now that there’s rampant speculation that Lorena was responsible for Bill’s kidnapping in last season’s cliffhanger ending (Anti-spoiler alert: I didn’t ask Klaveno if she had because I prefer to find out when the show comes back June 13.). Lorena, and the actress who plays her, are a hot topic and a major source of contention among fans. “I’m a little ignorant to that,” Klaveno admits. “I stay off the Web sites and blogs for a number of reasons, but mainly because I’ve had some bad experiences. You read things anonymous people say, and it can be really poisonous, sometimes the good or the bad. I worry that people hate me because my character is unlikable in a lot of ways, and people are really passionate about the show. It can be hard to distinguish between the actress and the character. But a lot of people have come up and been so excited about the show, and to be a part of that is amazing.” Klaveno insists she’s as much a fan of the show as the people who take to message boards to discuss her role, with her own favorite characters and storylines. “Pam!” she proclaims, when I ask who she enjoys watching the most. “She’s just fabulous, head to toe. I’ve become good friends with Kristin Bauer [who plays Pam], and we’ve discussed having Pam and Lorena have a Thelma & Louise adventure sometime.”

“True Blood” season 3 premieres June 13 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

‘PRETTY LITTLE LIARS’

by ebony march

Andrew Eccles

TVTIME

(l to r) Trojan Bellisario, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson star in “Pretty Little Liars.”

Families often aspire to bring up their kids in the suburbs. But what transpires when that idyllic setting becomes the backdrop for some dangerously dirty deeds? That’s what happens in ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars.” Four BFFs are back together after a yearlong estrangement. Their friend Alison has gone A.W.O.L. – nobody knows (or will admit to know) what happened to her. Soon, Alison’s crew begins to receive cryptic messages – signed from “A.” Could this be Alison stirring up trouble from parts unknown, or is there somebody else attempting to take down each of these young women? “Pretty Little Liars” was adapted from the series of popular books by Sara Shepard. Similar to “Gossip Girl,” it focuses on a group of privileged young people who wear all the right clothes and know all the right people. But unlike “Gossip Girl,” this series is much more accessible to its audience. “Each character is different,” notes Ashley Benson, who plays Hanna. She calls the storylines “juicier” than other shows on the network. Adding some oomph to the series is Laura Leighton (“Melrose Place”) as Hanna’s mother. “I’m trying to cover up some of her mistakes,” says Leighton. “She’s fiercely protective and makes a desperate decision that she winds up paying for down the line.” Make no mistake; “Pretty Little Liars” isn’t just another show for the kids. Benson is certain that audiences of all ages and backgrounds will be able to latch onto these characters and make them their own. “My mom saw the show and she loves it!” she says. “Pretty Little Liars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.

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Courtesy of Paramount Home Video

DVDDISH

Say farewell to an icon: Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy has announced his retirement.

HERO COMPLEX FILM FESTIVAL June 11-13 @ Mann Chinese 6 by candice winters

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SPECIAL FEATURES by mike sebastian The Majors: Johnny

Depp is the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s update of Alice in Wonderland. It’s not so much a remake or adaptation as a loosely inspired, darker takeoff of the source material. The film takes place in Underland, a dystopian fantasy world ruled by the cruel Queen of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter). Now Alice must slay the Jabberwocky and return the White Queen to power.

Funny Business: Monty Python reunited for a one-night only performance of Not the Messiah (He’s A Very Naughty Boy), a musical tribute to their classic The Life of Brian. Eric Idle and Spamelot” co-creator John Du Prez staged the over-the-top operatic extravaganza in celebration of Python’s 40th anniversary. Adult Swim’s flagship series “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” returns for Volume 7. The giant food products Frylock, Meatwad and Master Shake bring more absurd stoner humor, including the live-action episode. Also available: The 41-Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It.

This is the age of sequels, remakes and superHEROES. THE first two are my enemies because, believe it or not, I like original work. Look at the movie listings at your local theater, and what do you find but another Shrek film and Russell Crowe being a Gladiator in the name of Robin Hood. It’s a vicious cycle of giving the audience not what it wants, but what it will definitely ingest. These types of films aren’t trying to last very long, but that’s the market for you – just trying to make a buck while some others make art. Superheroes are another story altogether. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the film industry needs such ridiculous and predictable stories of heroism and supernatural abilities to keep the world order in check. Filmmakers have begun to express through their work the idea that superheroes and villains and damsels in distress aren’t too far down the evolutionary timeline from ordinary heroes. We love to see the future with its robot maids and flying cars and homes in space. It may never be an actuality for us (2012 is rapidly approaching.), but it’s an alternate reality from the future we should anticipate. How different is Batman from our own Bill Gates? Both have money. Both use their resources to help our bleeding world, be it Gotham or Uganda. One is much more flashy; however, the sentiment is comparable. Gradually, the superheroes of our parents’ generation have undergone a reawakening, only to find that themselves alone in a twin-size bed, stripped of their powers and replaced with human inefficiencies. This year’s action-comedy Kick-Ass is a prime example, representative of how kids have come to a revelation. No, we’ve known for ages that parents are useless. What has taken fruition is the idea that to take charge and fight your own battles is often the lone option. If you concur with the observation that superheroes (the ones in fully decorated cloaks as well as the ones in dirty laundry) are slowly taking over the world, then join people who most surely agree. Clear your calendar from June 11 through June 13 for the first ever Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival at the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood. Hosted by Geoff Boucher who blogs for the Los Angeles Times in a column fittingly called “Hero Complex,” the fest features legendary films (old and new, but mainly awesome) on the big screen. On Friday, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is screened, followed by a Q&A with the movie’s director and star, the iconic Leonard Nimoy, who has recently announced his retirement from acting. Trekkies have been saying a final farewell to the original Mr. Spock, and the Hero Complex Film Festival is a part of that. Saturday welcomes director Christopher Nolan who brings along his acclaimed film The Dark Knight, which was an instant hit with comic book fans. The superhero flick will be prefaced by Nolan’s Insomnia, and the filmmaker will appear on stage between the two screenings. As a bonus, he’ll show sneak footage from his highly anticipated July film, Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Sunday closes the festival with a double feature of two of the most influential sci-fi films, Alien and Blade Runner. Sir Ridley Scott will be there in the flesh to discuss his contribution to the hero genre. There it is, the first annual film festival dedicated to the “Hero Complex.” This is not Comic-Con or a generic comic book convention. This is the real deal for big screen heroes, and this is a verification that they’re here to stay.

Stranger Than Fiction: Just when you thought you’d seen every addiction and neurosis, Hoarders: The Complete Season One takes you inside the cramped houses of people who are addicted to stuff, terrified of throwing anything away. It’s a fascinating and disturbing look at the myriad ways the human mind has of reacting to trauma. I Know What I Saw compiles interviews with credible UFO witnesses like Air Force generals to craft one of the more convincing cases for extra terrestrial existence. In Meredith Monk: Inner Voice, viewers revel in 40 years of artistic expression from the singer, dancer, filmmaker, composer and choreographer. Visual Acoustics explores the world of architecture photographer Julius Shulman, the man who brought modern architecture into the mainstream. Dustin Hoffman narrates. Also available: My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story

For more information, visit latimes.com/herocomplex.

Also Available: The War Boys

Campus Circle 6.9.10 - 6.15.10

The Idiotbox: “Curb Your Enthusiasm” returns to form in its seventh season with the “Seinfeld” reunion storyline. Everyone’s favorite neurotics are reunited, playing themselves, kind of, as Larry tries to mount a reunion show. But things are never easy for the king of awkward social interactions. The uber cool comedy/espionage thriller “Burn Notice” returns in Season Three. Jeffrey Donovan is magnetic as an ex-CIA Agent who was “burned,” left jobless and without any of his assets. Now with the help of a retired agent (the always amazing Bruce Campbell!) he will try to find who burned him, in the meantime taking assignments freelance. Go along as a new team investigates overseas hauntings in Ghost Hunters International: Season One, Part 1. Haunted English castles, devil dogs, a Scottish orphanage and many other creepy locations are explored using scientific techniques. Michael Kitchen stars in the stellar WWII-era British detective drama Foyle’s War: Set 6. International intrigue and racial tension mark this three-episode season. The Sixth And Final Season of FX’s soapy plastic surgery drama “Nip/Tuck” arrives. The series follows two very different partners in a cosmetic surgery practice and their turbulent personal lives. This season features guest stars including Vanessa Redgrave, Portia de Rossi and Slater himself, Mario Lopez.

Blu Notes: One of the funniest movies ever made, Caddyshack, comes to hi-def Blu-ray. Centering on a young caddy trying to earn a college scholarship, the whole thing is really just an excuse for the holy trinity of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield to wreak havoc on a stuffy country club. Will Smith made the leap to movies with Bad Boys, a comedy-action flick from Michael Bay. Martin Lawrence provides the other half of the buddy cop duo. Neil Patrick Harris stars in the Internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Joss Whedon masterminded the musical comedy about an evil genius and his romantic problems.


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WARNER BROS. PICTURES PRESENTS A MAD CHANCE/WEED ROAD PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH LEGENDARY PICTURES JOSH BROLIN “JONAH HEX” JOHN MALKOVICH MEGAN FOX MICHAEL FASSBENDER WILL ARNETT AND MICHAEL SHANNON MUSIC EDITED PRODUCTION BY MARCO BELTRAMI AND MASTODON BY DAN HANLEY, A.C.E. KENT BEYDA , A.C.E. FERNANDO VILLENA DESIGNER TOM MEYER DIRECTOR OF BASED UPON CHARACTERS APPEARING COIN COMIC BOOKS PUBLISHED BY DC COMICS PRODUCERS RICHARD MIDDLETON MIRI YOON PHOTOGRAPHY MITCHELL AMUNDSEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS THOMAS TULL JON JASHNI WILLIAM FAY MATT LEBLANC JOHN GOLDSTONE RAVI MEHTA STORY SCREENPLAY PRODUCED BY WILLIAM FARMER AND NEVELDINE & TAYLOR BY AKIVA GOLDSMAN ANDREW LAZAR BY NEVELDINE & TAYLOR DIRECTED BY JIMMY HAYWARD WWW.JONAH-HEX.COM

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FILMINTERVIEWS

WHIZ KIDS

Director Tom Shepard drops science. BY Melissa russell Chances are, you HAve been forced to compete in your school’s science fair at least once in your life. If your school was anything like mine, you at least got a medal for participation and were just relieved it was over. But there are some students who spend their entire high school careers preparing to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. What you may not know is that these 17-year-old geniuses aren’t as different – or as nerdy – as you might think. How did you get hooked up with the participants you followed? Tom Shepard: We actually followed six kids for two years, and in the edit room were forced to cut the film down to three, mostly because of screen time. We were drawn to Kelydra, Harmain and Ana because none of them had many resources and were driven largely by their own passion and commitment. Each had enormous obstacles they were trying to overcome. Our filmmaking team was impressed again and again by the fortitude of these ‘whiz kids.’ Was it difficult working with such smart teens? There are far too few stories in the media of young people

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews coming of age, who aren’t either athletes or future “American Idol”s. I was a science kid when I was younger. I had a very inspiring science teacher, who also just happened to be cool. Many of the kids in her classes would bring their brown bags and meet in the science lab for lunch. For a couple of years, my social life revolved around doing science research and competing in science fairs. I had never seen a film about kids like me. Science gave me a voice when I was a teenager; it allowed me to explore questions about the world, and in turn, to explore my own personal questions and hopes. What was it like for you seeing the various rejections, acceptances, failures and triumphs? It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. When you get invested in teenaged lives (or telling the stories of teenagers), you appreciate how mercurial everything is. One week, our subjects would be feeling very self-conscious, fearful and unready to face the world. Three weeks later, their enthusiasm would be brimming over as they achieve something and feel complete triumph over the world. Besides winning and losing, competitions provide an occasion for young scientists to bring forward their work in the public arena. It’s a dialogue that happens and can empower the young people who have done significant research and thinking about a problem. It also tests young people, pushing them out of their comfort zones and engaging them in real critical thinking about the work they’ve done. Why did you want to make a film about aspiring scientists? I was a science kid and was a finalist in this competition back in 1987. My history with the competition was a huge draw to make this film.

FILMINTERVIEWS

ADOPTED

Brüno beat Pauly Shore to the punch. BY sasha perl-raver It’s not often that Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Pauly Shore land in the same sentence, but in the new mockumentary Adopted, Shore (who wrote, directed and stars in the movie) follows in the footsteps of the megastars by traveling to Africa in search of a baby all his own. (*If that sounds like a familiar setup, it’s because Sacha Baron Cohen beat Shore to the punch in Brüno. However, Adopted had been in production long before Brüno stole their joke thunder.) Best known for coining the phrase, “What’s up, buuuuddy? It’s the weee-sel,” and hosting Spring Break parties for MTV the first time acid wash was in style, the search for some baby love may seem like a pretty major departure, but Shore says the idea first struck him when he was playing with his brother’s two kids. Comedians tend to be pretty dark, troubled people who deal with their pain by making other people laugh, and Shore admits that, while he makes light of it, he really does want a family. “I’m very torn,” he says, uncharacteristically mellow. “Emotionally, spiritually, I’m like every other guy in his 40s that wants to settle down. But my life is so not that. I’m like George Clooney where I’m up in the air all the time, doing shows and that’s not the type of guy that a girl is attracted to long term. Part of me thinks I’m just gonna get a girl pregnant

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Courtesy of San Francisco Exploratorium

FILM

Whiz Kids Harmain Khan, Ana Cisneros and Kelydra Welcker When I got to college, though, I took a big left turn to become a filmmaker. Still, I feel like I am a scientist in many ways. There are a number of parallels between documentary filmmaking and science research. In fact, making a documentary requires that I ask hard questions and test those questions out in the edit room by sifting through hundreds of hours of footage (or data!). In other words, distilling the storylines of our film through the filtering of many hours of video footage, feels like distilling the data of a big science fair project. Often times, too, the final cut of a film doesn’t necessarily resemble the hypotheses we articulated at the film’s outset. In general, I think we need to encourage young (and older) people to be more scientifically and technically literate, even if they don’t get degrees in science or research. To be an informed citizen in our country, we need to understand science better than we do in order to make informed decisions. Whiz Kids releases in select theaters June 11.

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews accidentally. She’s gonna be like, ‘I’m pregnant,’ and I’ll be like, ‘OK, cool! As long as you’re not a crackhead.’ Hey, I was an accident. You never know how things’ll work out.” Given a brief glimpse into Shore’s version of a warm, fuzzy side, I ask if he thinks comedy is the best delivery system for the kind of shocking statistics and important issues brought up in the film. Sometimes, when dealing with something truly incomprehensible, you have to make people laugh to pay attention. It would be too overwhelming otherwise, and no one needs another Sally Struthers. “I like to talk about things that are taboo or you’re not supposed to make fun of,” Shore offers. “I do that with a lot of my stand-up. The one thing I learned growing up at the Comedy Store is you can take any subject, pretty much, and bring some comedy to it.” Prodded further, he rattles off a list of the things that aren’t on the menu for humor. “Rape’s not funny. Abortion’s not funny. Cancer’s not funny. AIDS isn’t funny. There’s five or 10 things you don’t want to joke about,” he says sincerely. So how does Shore decide what is funny? Stand-up comedy is a very insular group where comics tend to surround themselves with other funny people to bounce stuff off of. “Yeah, it’s kind of like the mafia; everyone’s on the inside,” Shore laughs. Working on the film he needed those kinds of sounding boards more than ever because he didn’t have an audience to get reactions from to know when a bit was working. “That’s all part of the development of a film; you edit it and then you write the voiceover and then you bring in people to help tag the jokes,” he explains. “Ian Edwards helped me out. Chris Spencer, very funny guy, he helped me make some of the voiceover funnier.”

Courtesy of Phase4 Films

NEWS

Pauly Shore and his lil’ friends in Adopted Though he says he brought in a few fellow comedians while editing the movie and writing the voiceover, he says that he mainly relied on himself and early audiences to figure out what worked best and was funniest. “The test audience,” he says, “they’re the ones who really tell you how to lock the picture, but you really have to be something of an expert in getting it to a place where you’re comfortable and feel good enough to show it to an audience. They do that with all the comedies. They test it and test it and test it. I tested my movie probably 10 times before I locked it.” Now that he’s made a film that fuses their names together, I had to ask, besides an affinity for African babies, what do Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Pauly Shore all have in common? “We all reinvent ourselves,” Shore says. Profits from the DVD sale will be directed to Nonceba Family Counseling Center (nonceba.org), a nonprofit that provides physically and sexually abused children with counseling. Adopted will be available June 15.


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FILMREVIEWS

by lynda correa

Jonathan Burger

(Anchor Bay) Ralph Ziman’s Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema shares an eye-opening, yet troubling, account of the possible negative effects of a person’s birth place. For those who were raised in the crime capital of the world, violence and illegal occurrences are the norm. Of course, not everyone succumbs to their surroundings, but Lucky Kunene unfortunately jumps on the bandwagon. Kunene (Rapaulana Seiphemo) begins with small acts and inevitably manages to work his way up to some of the harshest crimes imaginable. Seiphemo’s acting choices are breath– taking. He makes you sympathize with a man who is essentially a criminal. Seiphemo is also curiously sexy as the overly confident instigating gangster. Ziman, who serves as the writer and director, allows us to feel for the most crimeinfested district of Johannesburg. Inspired by actual events, Ziman grew Rapaulana Seiphemo stars as Lucky Kunene in up in Johannesburg and wanted to create a Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema. movie based on his birth city. With the help of South African Police Service and cooperation from anonymous sources, he was able to follow through with this authentic telling of an inconceivable scam. Gangster’s Paradise tells this story beautifully, rather than only showing the violence repeatedly throughout the film. Plus, it has a killer soundtrack. Grade: A+ —Stephanie Forshee Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema releases in select theaters June 11.

Courtesy of E! Network

‘HOLLY’S WORLD’

Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema

Holly, Angel and Josh

“Holly’s World” follows “The Girls Next Door” star Holly Madison going about daily life with friends, Josh Strickland and Angel Porrino. Tell us about your specific role in “Holly’s World.” JS: I am Holly’s boy BFF. [I was the] male lead in “Peepshow.” That’s how we became close. AP: Not only is Holly my boss, but she is also my best friend/big sister/ role model/mentor. Do you have a funny behind-the-scenes anecdote to share? AP: At Holly’s housewarming, I walked in on someone boinking in my new bedroom ... on my bed – puke! “Holly’s World” premieres June 13 at 10:30 p.m. on E!

Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss (Zeitgeist) Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss maintains Nazi Germany will never be forgotten, and neither should one of its most controversial filmmakers, Veit Harlan. Harlan was a German director and actor who created films with substance, but more noteworthy were their taboo consequences. With over 30 films, Harlan’s controversial Jew Süss undoubtedly shocked audiences in 1940 more than ever. The anti-Semitic film caused quite a stir. After World War II, Harlan became the only artist from the Nazi era to be charged with war crimes against humanity. He stood trial twice, but was acquitted both times. Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss sheds light on a filmmaker who played an important role in history. For that, it is enlightening and educational. You learn about Harlan while viewing appealing never-beforeseen archival footage, film excerpts and home movies. However, the story shares little you couldn’t learn from watching his 1940 film, Jew Süss. Despite Harlan’s negative reputation, his films were extremely successful. His epic 1945 film, Kolberg, inspired the film-within-a-film Stolz Der Nation in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Harlan was never repentant up to his death in 1964. Although there were many other propaganda filmmakers, Harlan indisputably became the most visible target of condemnation. Grade: B —Stephanie Forshee Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss releases in select theaters June 11.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (IFC) Beginning in extreme close-up on Joan River’s nude face as she’s made up for the day, you immediately understand that Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is a film about the Joan we never get to see, the naked underbelly, the truest side of someone who has been reduced to a string of recycled plastic surgery potshots. From the makeup chair, the cameras follow Rivers into the bowels of a comedy club basement where she mounts the stage in front of an adoring audience to unleash some bile. Younger might not know, and many others have forgotten, just how influential she’s been in the comedy world. But lest we forget, Joan, along with Phyllis Diller, was one of the first female comics to not only infiltrate the typically maledominated comedy scene, but slap it around and make it her bitch. There would be no Sarah Silverman or Kathy Griffin (who makes a later appearance) without Rivers. Rivers on stage is as magnetic as the offstage persona documentarians Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg (The Trials of Darryl Hunt, The Devil Came On Horseback) were able to capture. Invited inside Rivers’ apartment, audiences are given a glimpse into the daily life of a woman whose tireless efforts have cultivated a career spanning five decades. Grade: B+ —Sasha Perl-Raver Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work releases in select theaters June 11.

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MUSICINTERVIEWS

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

Throwing Out the Rule Book by damon huss Jake Burns remembers the exact moment when he wanted to form a band. I interviewed the singerguitarist and songwriter of Northern Ireland’s highly influential punk band Stiff Little Fingers recently and was surprised to learn that he didn’t first get the rock ’n’ roll bug from hearing the Stooges or the Kinks. For Burns, it was seeing blues-rock guitar hero Rory Gallagher on television. “I was 12 years old and had just been watching the football match on television,” he recalls. “Afterwards, Rory Gallagher’s first band Taste played, and I was glued to it ... the way he played electric guitar; I had never seen anyone play guitar like that before.” Enchanted by the lure of the electric guitar, Burns admits, “I wanted to be Rory Gallagher.” But SLF have always been known for their bare-knuckle, political lyrics, so the desire to be a guitar god only went so far. “I don’t think Gallagher ever wrote a political song in his life,” he says, but SLF have made the political song unavoidable. On their debut album Inflammable Material (1979), songs like “Alternative Ulster” and “Suspect Device” confronted head on what Burns calls “the darkest time” in modern Irish

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews history: the Troubles. It was a time when the city center in Belfast was shut down at night with security gates, and police had broad powers to compel law and order. Inflammable Material’s raw guitar attack, forceful melody and righteously indignant lyrics (“We’re going to blow up in their face”) still sound as urgent today as they did then. Burns’ embrace of this aggressive sound was not onetrack. He credits the music of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams, Sr. with showing him how to write songs that meant something. He loved Black Sabbath and Deep Purple (SLF’s earliest incarnation was called Highway Star.), but grew tired of the moribund grandstanding of so much ’70s arena-rock. Steeped in the concise and pointed songwriting of Bob Marley and Graham Parker, Burns says that “when punk rock started happening, I was a natural convert.” Hearing the Clash for the first time was a revelation. He told his mates, “We could do that.” Not many others shared his vision. “There was no nightlife [in Belfast],” he recalls. “When we were first playing as a band and stuck our nose over the parapet, we saw there were only about 20 other people like us. And they were all in bands!” Punk rock was a true subculture.“We were indiscriminate,” he says of punk tastes in those days, citing the disparate sounds of Television, the Jam and especially Elvis Costello as influences. “With punk rock,” he says, “we threw the rule book out and could see a future beyond what we were hearing.” A future for punk rock? History has borne Burns’ vision. At the same time, he sees much of today’s pre-packaged punk style to be rigid. That is why so-called “mod revival” bands like the Jam “were considered punk, too.” After original bassist Ali McMordie quit the band (for a time), the Jam’s own Bruce

MUSICINTERVIEWS

TRAVIE MCCOY Reborn with Lazarus by lynda correa You may know him as the six-foot, five-inch, tatted-up frontman of the world-famous Gym Class Heroes, but underneath Travie McCoy’s exterior is a well-spoken, grounded individual with solo talent that is more than ready to be released to the world. Contrary to public speculation, “It’s not like Gym Class Heroes just died. We’re still cool. We’re still together,” says McCoy. In fact, you can keep an eye out for a new album from Gym Class Heroes sometime next year. But for now, debuting this week is McCoy’s first solo album, Lazarus. When asked about the title of this album, McCoy responds, “Well, Lazarus is my middle name, so originally it was going to be The Lazarus Project but after working with it, I decided to get rid of the Project and just keep Lazarus.” When recording for the album started, McCoy explains that he was in a bad place; he had just broken up with his girlfriend (Katy Perry) and was hiding in a self-dug hole. The resulting music reflected this attitude, leaving the songs full of heartbreak and a lot of “self-pity.” The album was more than halfway finished when McCoy hit a turnpike; the good people he surrounded himself with brought him out of that mess. As any good friends do, they told him to get out of the house and go out and have some fun. Thankfully, he did. He started clubbing, hanging out with friends and just all around having

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See Stiff Little Fingers June 12 at Ink-N-Iron. Foxton joined SLF for 15 years, playing on four albums from 1991’s Flag and Emblems to 2003’s Guitar and Drum. McMordie’s back, however, and gigging with his old bandmate Burns. New songs and a new album are in the works, but Burns doesn’t want to simply rehash any previous SLF sound. “I love the sheer joy, sheer passion of writing,” says Burns of songwriting. “What angers me? What concerns me? That’s where the passion and enthusiasm comes from.” A newer song called “Liars Club” is part of their setlist these days, reflecting a change of sound but no change of strong sentiment. It’s about former President George W. Bush and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who tried to “excuse the inexcusable” by going forward to war in Iraq. “I’ve also considered SLF in the tradition of protest singers,” he explains. I have always thought of SLF’s music that way, too, since first hearing them. Though their songs have evolved, I have no doubt their next album will be as inflammable as their first. Stiff Little Fingers perform at the Ink-N-Iron Festival taking place June 11-13. For more information, visit ink-n-iron.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews a good time. This change in his personal attitude impacted him so much he decided to 86 his previous work and start from scratch. The result are tracks like “Billionaire” featuring Bruno Mars, which clearly mirrors McCoy’s new, single, feel-good, jolly approach to life, as exemplified in its lyrics, “It’s been a couple months since I’ve single so/You can call me Travie Claus minus the Ho Ho/Get it, hehe.” It’s easy to hear his charming grin right after this line, one that fans have surely missed. But what happened to the album that was originally already about 80 percent done? “It’s not like that music is gone. It’ll probably come out some day,” he says. McCoy reasons that he and Lazarus needed to go through this change, to go through the bad in order to get to the good. It was almost like a rebirth, which is fitting given the biblical story of Lazarus coming out of a cave and rising from the dead. McCoy came out of his own cave and brought with him records perfect for the summer. Another factor that influenced McCoy’s “rebirth” was a break from his work to be an official ambassador of MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation, where he visited India, South Africa and the Philippines. The foundation is “an international mass media campaign working to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.” McCoy feels that this not only helped influence his music, but just his overall approach to life. The Philippines in particular is where he experienced “extremes on both ends. Manila was so nice…,” but there was extreme poverty minutes away. He spoke with the High Priest about making their people aware of HIV and AIDS prevention and claimed he had some very interesting resulting conversations.

Travie McCoy released his first solo effort this week. The album blends elements of hip-hop, indie rock, soul and something that is uniquely his musical taste. McCoy recorded Lazarus in Los Angeles and Miami, the latter of which is his new hometown. He claims Miami has a lot of creative people that push you to get work done, despite its laid-back lifestyle. For this album, McCoy brought in help from a diverse group of talent, including the Stereotypes, Detail, the Smeezingtons, Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Lucas Secon and Josh Abraham. McCoy is currently finishing up his first-ever solo tour, joining 3OH!3 and Cobra Starship on MTV’s “Too Fast For Love” tour that started in April. Kicking off the shows was I Fight Dragons. Up next for McCoy is more touring and promoting Lazarus. Lazarus is currently available. For more information, visit traviemccoy.com.


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Campus Circle > Music > Music Report

by KEVIN WIERZBICKI Fight Fair Get Their California Kicks If you plan on spending some serious time at the beach this summer, you might want to check out Fight Fair’s California Kicks, an album that the band says is full of carefree beach aesthetics not seen since Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello made their famous beach party movies. “We wanted to take the music back to its roots and do something that’s classic but original for modern times and mix it with a kind of aggressive early punk style,” says Alex Bigman, singer for the San Diego-based group. “It’s like mixing the Ramones with the Beach Boys. We really wanted to do our own style and make something cool that people could relate to and have summertime fun to at the beach.” California Kicks drops June 29; Fight Fair is set to appear at Chain Reaction June 19 and then the entire Warped Tour.

Metallica Concert to Air in Theaters Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are all playing at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 22, but fans won’t have to travel to Eastern Europe to catch the show. The “Big Four” have never before appeared together on the same stage, and show promoters are commemorating the rare event with a satellite broadcast directly into movie theaters all over the world. The one-night-only global event will be broadcast in high definition to 20 Los Angeles area theaters, and the program begins at 7:30 p.m. Find theater locations and purchase advance tickets at TheBigFourLive.com.

Slipknot Bassist Dies Paul Gray, bassist for the band Slipknot, has died. Gray, 38,

was found dead from as yet to be determined causes in a hotel room in the Des Moines, Iowa, area May 24. “Paul was there from the very beginning, and none of us would be on the path we’re on now or have the sorts of life that we have now without him,” says percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan. Drummer Joey Jordison adds, “It’s very hard for me right now. I just want to say that I love you Paul, and you’ll be sorely missed the world over.” Gray is survived by his wife Brenna and the couple’s unborn daughter who is due to arrive in September. The remaining members of Slipknot have put together a 10-minute video tribute to Gray featuring previously unseen footage that can be viewed on YouTube.

Write a Song for Frank Turner If you can write a song in a hurry or have one lying around already you may want to consider entering Frank Turner’s “Try This at Home” songwriting competition. The British singer-songwriter is about to release “Try This at Home,” a song from his current Epitaph album, Poetry of the Dead, as a single, and he’s looking for a B-side written by you. But entries are due by June 11. “So quick, turn off your stereo, pick up that pen and paper – you could do much better than some skinny halfarsed English country singer,” says Turner. Turner will record the winning entry and release it as the B-side of a special seven-inch vinyl version of “Try This at Home.” Details at Epitaph.com/demolition.

Win Doc Coyle’s Guitar Guitarist Llexi Leon, the man behind the Eternal Descent gothic comic book series, is giving fans a chance to win an

Kevin Knight

NEWS

Cruise to the beach listening to Fight Fair’s California Kicks. autographed guitar from Doc Coyle of God Forbid. God Forbid’s IV: Constitution of Treason provides the storyline for one of the new Eternal Descent titles. The guitar up for grabs is an LTD V-200 ESP with a mahogany body, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard all in a black finish. The winner will be picked at random; details at EternalDescent.com/contest. Get your entry in by June 30. Llexi Leon is currently in the studio working on his third release while simultaneously overseeing the publication of 24 Eternal Descent comics featuring bands such as Atreyu, Firewind and Static X.

Black Veil Brides Los Angeles’ up-and-coming dark rock sensation Black Veil Brides release their debut album, We Stitch These Wounds, July 20. The band is headlining the Sacred Ceremony Tour that stops at Chain Reaction July 3.

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GRAPHICNOVELS Abandoned Cars (Fantagraphics) The spirit of the Beats imbues the debut collection by Tim Lane, now in trade paperback. The stories are united by their sense of longing and melancholy. The characters populating them are in search of an increasingly elusive mythic America, the spirit of the frontier, of freight trainhopping, all-night diners and the cross-country road trip. At times, Lane can seem a bit too in love with his own prose, especially given that his artwork is so good. His pen and ink style, reminiscent of Charles Burns, is extremely detailed and noirishly evocative. Grade: B+ —Mike Sebastian Abandoned Cars is currently available.


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DELOREAN

Look Forward to Taco Trucks by the Echo by grady winn I had not heard of Delorean a year ago. Nowadays, they are rarely unnoticed. The Spanish fourpiece recently completed Subiza, their newest album, and are kicking off their American tour. I exchanged a few words with vocalist and bassist Ekhi Lopetegi to help decipher their new sound and upcoming tour schedule. “We are influenced by a lot of different artists. If I had to say somebody, but by no means in a particular sense, it would have to be Primal Scream and their song ‘Screamadelica.’ They definitely have inspired us [musically] to get to where we are today,” Lopetegi says. Interestingly, Primal Scream was originally more of a rock band but evolved into the more dance club music oriented group that they became known for later in their career. Likewise, Delorean started with a much more indie rock sound and now, with the release of Subiza, have evolved in a similar fashion as one of their main influences. The album is named Subiza in honor of the small countryside town where it was recorded last summer. “We spent the whole summer recording in Subiza at our friend Hans Krueger’s parents’ house. Subiza is a countryside town near Barcelona. The Krueger family runs Montreal Studios out of their place,” says Lopetegi. “In our free time

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews we had family lunches and dinners and played a lot of table tennis. It was a really intimate relationship and at the end of our time with the family we planted an oak tree together at the family’s house to remember the shared experiences.” The intimate setting may have played a role in the construction of Delorean’s most complete album yet. While at first the tracks sound a bit repetitive and may in fact be verging on too similar, after a few listens their differences can be heard and appreciated. Lopetegi is quick to compare the old versus the new with the new being the finished product of the Subiza album. “Our older stuff was not as well worked and has less flow. We never really completed it and released it a bit unsatisfied,” he says. “From our point of view as artists we were half way there, whereas with Subiza, we fully achieved what we wanted to do and you can hear it. There is more flow, and it just sounds more complete. We leaned more towards piano house music while compiling this album.” “In particular, the song ‘Real Love’ epitomizes that complete sound,” he adds. “We were inspired specifically by Primal Scream’s ‘Come Together’ for this song and although the finished version of ‘Real Love’ sounds completely different, we spent a lot of time working this song out and I think it’s audible when listened to.” After finishing an album it is straight to the road with most bands, and Delorean is no exception to this literal and historical trend. “I hate flying cause you have to pack everything up, but driving is definitely natural. You make a record, then you hit the road,” shares Lopetegi. Few can argue against the downtime that making a record can sometimes entail with all of the relaxation time in between. Lopetegi did not seem relaxed though when

LIVESHOWREVIEWS Pitbull May 28 @ Nokia Theatre Confetti guns, stilt walkers and feathered dancers were all part of sexy Mr. Worldwide’s Carnaval tour. But of course, what else could you expect from Mr. 305? It was a nonstop dance party that had people standing up from the second the lights dimmed to the very end when they were turned back on. The artist rapped a little bit for the audience, which went something like, “My mom worked hard to become a U.S. citizen /So tell that Arizona law that they ignorant/This country was built by immigrants.” Needless to say, this bit received a great response from the crowd, which, after a “roll call” from Pitbull, was mainly Latino. There were many other tricks up Pitbull’s sleeve, including remixes of popular songs like “Seven Nation Army,” “Tik Tok,” “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “How Low Can You Go” that included his famous Latin flavor. Pitbull also mentioned to the crowd that Los Angeles has seen him grow, moving from small club shows to performing at a venue such as the Nokia Theatre. Los Angeles is also his biggest moneymaker, to which the fans responded well. In all, fue un concierto muy caliente, that pleased old fans as well as new ones. —Lynda Correa

Roberto Carlos May 29 @ Nokia Theatre Impeccable. That was Roberto Carlos’ show. A packed house witnessed something marvelously special from beginning to end. The 100-minute performance by the famous Brazilian legend left the crowd pleased and smiling at the same time. Carlos, a 69-year old Grammy Award-winning singer, hit

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Delorean drive Subiza into the Echo on Friday. debating the pros and cons of studio life and tour life. “When I get older I will probably be more for the studio. The studio is rewarding because you are making new music and seeing results. It’s hard work though, and we are not virtuosos, so that makes it even harder. It can be really exhausting at times,” he begins. “On tour the live shows are about intensity and playing the songs with energy. Shitty shows happen when you feel out of place and can be terrible experiences. The excitement of performing in a great show though is irreplaceable.” “Coming to Los Angeles I look forward to surfing Malibu and hitting some of the taco trucks around the Echo. They have some great Mexican food at those taco trucks,” Lopetegi concludes. If you don’t catch Delorean this week at the Echo, worry not, because they will be coming back in November for another stateside tour. Subiza is currently available. Delorean perform June 11 at the Echo. For more information, visit myspace.com/delorean.

Campus Circle > Music > Live Show Reviews the stage dressed entirely in white. He looked angelic, peaceful and pure. And that was his show, to say the least. The last two songs he sang were the most highly anticipated. “Jesuscristo” followed “Amigo” to end the musical shindig. The 1977 hit “Amigo” was written for his best friend because of the close relationship they held. A particularly moving moment arrived early in the manifesto when Carlos performed “Lady Laura,” a track meant for his loving mother. Several women seemed to experience sentimental feelings with this tune. An artist who has sold over 120 million albums globally, Roberto Carlos sang in Spanish, Portuguese and English. —Marvin G. Vasquez

Flight of the Conchords May 30 @ Hollywood Bowl If you ask most people what they first think of when someone says, “New Zealand,” a majority would say The Lord of the Rings, sheep or “Flight of the Conchords.” Since their 2005 HBO “One Night Stand” special, the comedy duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have taken America by storm with their own HBO series (which lasted for two seasons), three releases via Sub Pop Records and their subsequent tour performances across the country. The Kiwi pair took over one of Los Angeles’ most revered venues for one hilarious night along with guests from their TV program. First, Kristen Schaal (Mel on the TV show) appeared onstage dressed up as a whoopee cushion, and the hijinks just got crazier from there. Schaal shared random thoughts, such as, “If we sent a werewolf to the moon, would it be a werewolf forever?” Schaal’s mock audition for “Law & Order: SVU” involved an entire Entenmann’s chocolate cake and was both entertaining and just ... well, messy. Arj Barker (Dave from the

Marvin G. Vasquez

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Roberto Carlos looked angelic, peaceful and pure. series) and Eugene Mirman (Bret and Jemaine’s landlord on the show) also doled out funny bits before it was FOTC’s turn. The frenetic guitar/synth and lyrical delivery of “Robots” kicked off the 22-song long set before McKenzie and Clement launched into one of their classics, “The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room).” They performed oldies like “Albi the Racist Dragon,” “Business Time” and “Jenny,” as well as newer songs like “1353 (Woo a Lady).” During “Bowie,” they took off their shirts to reveal sequined tops. To complete the look, they removed their trousers to show skintight shiny pants during “Demon Woman.” The audience was blessed with accompaniment by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – their friend Nigel on the cello. Some of the greatest moments were, of course, when the two bantered in between songs. They shared that one of the best perks to being on the road is getting complimentary muffins in their hotel rooms and that McKenzie has a signature lick: just an E note. The Conchords tied up a four-song encore with an a cappella version of “Sugalumps,” complete with the duo going into the crowd and shaking their “lumps.” —A. Turpcu


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Join CAMPUS CIRCLE www.campuscircle.com CDREVIEWS Blitzen Trapper Destroyer of the Void (Sub Pop) On Destroyer of the Void, Blitzen Trapper continue an exploration of folk, country and indie rock while frontman Eric Earley sings about individuals who seek deliverance in a world devoid of spiritual compassion. During acoustic murder ballad “The Man Who Would Speak True,” a sequel of sorts to “Black River Killer,” the Camus-like character tries to communicate what he doesn’t feel. The quintessential track is Stones-ish rocker “Love and Hate,” where desire and death are inevitable bedmates. While this release isn’t as effective as 2008’s Furr – there are bits of filler toward the back end – the members of Blitzen Trapper show they are more than just another roots-oriented outfit. Grade: B —Doug Simpson Destroyer of the Void is currently available.

Cadillac Sky Letters in the Deep (Dualtone) Bluegrass music may never be the next big thing, but in the hands of neo-Americana artists Cadillac Sky it rings with truth, emotional depth and rootsy enthusiasm sure to interest Iron & Wine, Alison Krauss or Gram Parsons fans. On their third release, Letters in the Deep, the acoustic quintet maintains an analog-aligned mannerism accented by mandolin, banjo, violin and harmony vocals, but push bluegrass in fresh directions. Romantic disintegration ode “Trash Bag” balances back porch piano and uneasy fiddle with water-stained regret. Bright Eyes-esque “Bathsheeba” rollicks with turbulent twang and indie rock velocity. Standouts include rueful folk tune “Tired Old Phrases;” “Ballad of Restored Confidence,” a country-appliqued appeal for a different destiny; and toughened tumbler “Trapped Under the Ice.” Producer Dan Auerbach (the Black Keys) applies an offhand process that emphasizes minimal overdubs and first-take intimacy, which provides an instinctive stimulation. Grade: B —Doug Simpson Letters in the Deep is currently available.

Delta Spirit History from Below (Rounder) If you’re into indie folk (especially if you like it with a rock twist), then you’ve already heard of Delta Spirit. If you haven’t, then you need to check out History from Below. Much like their debut, History is soulful and equal parts indie rock, folk and Americana blues, with that touch of pained emo that manages to make the whole album awesome without making it sound too country. With songs about love and, unexpectedly, about actual historical occasions, History is a perfect mix of heartfelt lyrics, solid storytelling and bluesy hooks. Be sure to check out “Bushwick Blues,” the powerfully slow “White Table” and the epic “Ballad of Vitaly” for a taste of that historical sensibility. Although History doesn’t show off anything really new, it’s still everything that Delta Spirit does best, and who can argue with that? Grade: A—Melissa Russell History from Below is currently available.

“Glee” Volume 3: Showstoppers (Columbia) If you’ve watched the show, this third “Glee” soundtrack makes you recall the scenes attached to every song. If you’re a newbie, no sweat, this assortment of songs can still be appreciated. If you like the Beatles, listen to their take on “Hello, Goodbye.” If the ’80s are your thing, you can dance along to “Safety Dance.” If you want to go contemporary, this glee club has you covered with their edition of the All-American Rejects’ “Gives You Hell.” Grade: A —Christine Hernandez Showstoppers is currently available.

Rooney Eureka (California Dreaming) Rooney left Geffen Records behind and said g’bye to Matthew Winter, ex-bass player and future doctor. They’ve found a new bassist and release a third album on their own label, And Eureka! They’ve pulled out all the stops. Rooney deliver an album that’s fun, genuine and out-of-the-box cool. There’s a bit of blues, classic rock, rock and pop, but there’s still that Rooney-fied sound of surfing waves and upbeat, catchy-like lyrics. Grade: A+ —Christine Hernandez Eureka is currently available.

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THEARTOFLOVE

“ “

Q&A

BY LUCIA

I had a roommate who was living off of me because I was acting like a knight in shining armor. She moved out and 5”x8” – 1.8”box. White from bottom left her bed, TV and jewelry I haveSpace no forwarding address or phone for her. do have an e-mail address, but she is not responding at all. 5”x8” – I1.8” White Space from bottom Is there anything I can do or say to 1) get her to contact me 2) re-establish a friendship 3) get her to pick up her stuff and/or 4) find a way or third party to intercede so that the whole situation gets better? I really do care about this woman; it’s her behavior that is not acceptable. —Stirling You can’t “make” anyone do anything they don’t want to do, even if it’s for their own good. This woman is obviously very irresponsible. You’ve already tried to contact her so now just leave her alone. Speak to a lawyer to see what the law is regarding other people’s belongings in your home after they move out. Keep them there as long as you can. If it’s legal, you can always sell the TV and bed and keep the jewelry just in case she suddenly decides she wants it one day. The next move is up to her. It’s time to move on with your life. I meet a lot of men, and most of them want a commitment. I am not sure what I want. I don’t always like being alone, but at the same time, I’m not ready for a relationship with a guy who will want to move in. What do I do? —Bella Wow, where are you meeting all these guys who want a commitment? LOL. There is a middle ground between your two options, and it’s called dating. Who said a guy needs to move in if that’s not what you want? Since you meet a lot of men, date several at a time and eventually one will spark your interest enough to help you understand what you do want. It’s your life, and you get to live it how you want to! Write to Lucia at theartoflove.net. Read an excerpt from Lucia’s Lessons of Love at lessonsoflove.net. Listen to Lucia live every Sunday at 3 p.m. PST on latalkradio.com. Remember: Love inspires, empowers, uplifts and enlightens.

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Campus Circle > Sports > Soccer

David M. Warren/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana As usual, Germany carries a solid team. However, their latest injury to captain and midfielder Michael Ballack has many worried about their chances of winning. This is still a manageable group for the Germans, who should come out in first place, nonetheless. Serbia and Australia have not given us much to talk about, but Ghana has. This African team has a lot of talent; the vast majority of the players compete in European clubs, and this is always a plus. Although Ghana has lost its best player in Michael Essien due to injury, they are expected to place second and thus advance to the round of 16.

The United States’ Landon Donovan evades Turkey’s Valkan Demirel in the Send Off Series May 29.

WORLD CUP FEVER BEGINS by marvin g. vasquez

Remember Pele. Remember Maradona. Both soccer players practically became famous while competing in their respective World Cup soccer years. But now, the public will begin to acknowledge who Messi and Ronaldo are, perhaps. Now it is time for another generation. It is time for the new guns to hit the pitch in South Africa. The most beautiful sports game’s tournament starts this Friday, June 11, as Mexico faces the host nation, South Africa, in the opening match at 7 a.m. PT. A total of 32 squads are set to fight and hope for one dream to be accomplished. There are eight groups with four teams in each. Only the top two squads of each group advance to the round of 16. Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France This is actually a tough group to predict because most nations in it have had some form of success in prior World Cup appearances. More importantly, the four units have been playing well in their warm-up games. For example, Mexico defeated defending champion Italy by a score of 2-1 on June 3 in Brussels, Belgium. The entire Italian federation was shocked by the result. Mexico controlled the tempo of the match, scored on two wonderful opportunities, defended well collectively and really put Italy into a chaotic state over the entire 90 minutes of play. Uruguay is a powerful team arriving from South America, and could very easily win the group. However, the same could be said about the rest of the members. France always seems to find a way to irritate its opponents on the field. Consequently, the French could land in the round of 16 with no surprise, but the true beautiful story of Group A lies with South Africa. Could this soccer team achieve what the nation’s rugby squad did in the 1995 Rugby World Cup? Very much so. In fact, what a team needs to win is just a form of inspiration. And South Africa is playing in its own land, on its own soil; that should say enough. Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece This group is a tricky one. On paper, Argentina is the favorite to arrive in first place, but a bit of controversy has this group in the air. Arguably, the best soccer player ever, Diego Armando Maradona, is the current coach of the Argentine national

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power. Maradona has the best player in the world on his current roster, but forward Lionel Messi seems to struggle and underachieve with this team. Messi is simply magical with his club FC Barcelona of Spain, but he loses his touch when he’s with the national team. Many argue that Argentina simply does not carry the same incredible talent that the Spanish club has, but that really should not be an obstacle for the Argentine phenomenon to produce this time around. Messi, along with the remaining offensive attack, can easily dominate a tournament like this summer’s World Cup. A lot of people are hoping Argentina does not win the tourney, but it is only because Maradona has promised to run naked through Buenos Aires if they are champions. Way to open your mouth, Maradona! Both South Korea and Argentina are problematic teams for their respective opponents, and they can provide unexpected sparks for the viewing public, but Greece should be the other squad to advance to the round of 16. The former EuroCup champions have a solid roster and are led by a very good tactical coach. Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia The British are coming? No, not this time around. England has looked inconsistent in various games prior to this World Cup. They defeated Mexico 3-1 in early May, but Mexico controlled the pace of the affair and did not capitalize on its scoring chances. Overall, England has a lot of talent, a great coach in Italian Fabio Capello and awesome supporters, but the national team chokes often under the lights of this quadrennial event. It is inexplicable and incomprehensible how England has not been able to produce a championship for its country in the last few years. How England performs this year rests on forward Wayne Rooney and their entire back line because scoring and defending are their strengths. With that said, the United States should be the surprise of this group and for the tournament, to say the least. Team USA has submitted a solid roster to FIFA, and it looks as if they will have a remarkable performance. Los Angeles Galaxy’s Landon Donovan leads the squad; he is the ultimate leader, inspiration and playmaker for the Americans while on the pitch. A solid defense, an improved midfield and a potent attack should give the U.S. first place, followed by England, Algeria and Slovenia, respectively. Head Coach Bob Bradley included Galaxy’s forward Edson Buddle on the roster, particularly because Buddle has been a scoring machine in MLS thus far this season. Buddle leads the league with nine goals, and Bradley is aiming to somehow inspire Buddle to perform more of the same in South Africa. Some of the prominent players on the USA roster include Tim Howard, SoCal native Carlos Bocanegra and Jozy Altidore.

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon This is a very intriguing group. The Netherlands are the obvious favorites, especially because of their physical and stylish tempo of play. Cameroon and Japan, along with Denmark, cannot be left out easily though. Forward Samuel Eto’o leads the African squad in hopes of steering a wake-up call to those in the group. Cameroon can be the surprise of the group and the entire tourney, but their success depends on their defense and on them finishing their scoring opportunities. Japan will compete up until the end, and that is dangerous. They have a good squad, and no one is counting on them to advance. Consequently, the Japanese could be very productive on the pitch. Denmark, on the other, always underachieves in all of the tourneys they compete. So, look for more of the same. Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia Two words: Italy and Paraguay. Those two teams should advance to the round of 16 teams, but it could be in either numerical fashion. Italy is the defending champion, and they take a lot of pride in that. Their roster is filled with talent, but Paraguay is another South American talented unit that could very well have three wins after the group stage is complete. New Zealand and Slovakia will present problems, but they are no real threats for the two obvious choices of the group. However, anything can happen in this tournament … anything! Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal Ahhh! The group of death presents much to talk about. Brazil leads this group, and should win it after arduous matches. Former captain Dunga is the head coach, and he has requested only one thing from his players: to play simple soccer because it will be more productive. Dunga’s roster is filled with superstars including Kaká, Robinho, Maicon, Lúcio, Daniel Alves, Gilberto Silva, Júlio César and Luís Fabiano. However, the exclusion of Ronaldinho still has the world perplexed, but Dunga is quite the motivational leader and intelligent human being. He knows what he is doing. It has worked thus far. The only national soccer team to have qualified and competed in all of the World Cup tournaments, Brazil is one of the favorites to take the Cup home. Portugal should follow Brazil, but the Ivory Coast can spark its way to second place easily. The highest paid soccer player is Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, and his success will dictate the overall production of the Europeans. Forward Didier Drogba is expected to have a magnificent group stage tournament with the Ivory Coast, but his opponents might have something to say about that. Look for North Korea to play well but not succeed. The other three teams are just too vigorous for the North Koreans. Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile This is a group that Spain will win, but the beauty lies in determining which remaining team will place second. It could easily be any of them. The fact of the matter is that Spain is a sure three game winner in the group stage. The Spanish are the favorites to win the Cup, as they are packed with talent. Even their subs could easily be starting on another national teams with no hesitation from the coaches.


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by bill conlin

philadelphia daily news (MCT) John Wooden’s long life was a glorious contradiction. Most men who profess to live by the Golden Rule spend a lifetime violating every inch of it. Wooden, the 20th century’s greatest college basketball coach, spent his years doing unto others as he would have had them do unto him. But he wasn’t perfect. On occasion, he was heard to exclaim, “That’s a travel, dagnabbit,” or “Sakes alive, that’s a foul.” The perfection came when that whirling blur of a UCLA fastbreak was reeling off a 20-0 run. For 10 seasons of NCAA Tournament dominance, it was the Bruins up on Mount Everest’s summit and everybody else gasping for air far down the glacier. He is said to have been a bench jockey who often scolded miscreant officials and opposing players who took physical liberties with his Bruins. But always with the proprietary inflection of a minister scolding his flock for shorting the collection plate. “Keep your hands off him, son.” Stuff like that. I love the story of how freshman Bill Walton, a hirsute adaptor of the hippie look, was ordered to lose his dense forest of hair. The center who fired UCLA to back-to back 30-0 seasons and their sixth and seventh consecutive NCAA titles was ordered to show up well-shorn for the next practice. He reported with considerably less hair, but not nearly enough to suit the coach. Wooden said he was sorry, Bill, but that’s not short enough. “Now get out of here.” Walton was back in the gym, semi-bald, in time for the final half-hour of practice.

Wooden came to UCLA relatively late in a career that began as a teacher and coach at Dayton High in Kentucky, then at Indiana’s South Bend Central High – all before World War II. He took an 11-year record of 218-42 into the service. His early career would have made a terrific Hollywood prequel – how about, “Before Hoosiers”? But how would a basketball movie play where the coach has a closet in his modest home devoid of skeletons, a beloved wife named Nell who was his high school sweetheart, who coaches multiple sports including baseball, who recites passages from classic literature and seems to have a quotation to fit every life or game situation. After the war, he coached at Indiana Teachers College. It was an NAIB college. His 1947 team earned a spot in the NAIB national tournament. Wooden was also the ITC athletic director, and he declined the postseason berth because the NAIB barred black players from its tournament. Wooden’s sense of justice was not lost in later years on the many African-American players who starred for his great teams. He went to his rest beloved by every player who passed through UCLA. According to his good friend, ESPN’s Rick Reilly, John’s top UCLA salary was $35,000. He never asked for a raise. A single-digit loss to UCLA in an NCAA final – hell, in any game – was a badge of honor. College hoops TV analyst Digger Phelps is better known for snapping UCLA’s epic 88-game winning streak in South Bend than for any other accomplishment as coach of the Fighting Irish. The Wizard of Westwood – how he disliked that mediabestowed handle – abhorred showcase dunks, but permitted reserved slams when a layup was unavailable. He coached some of the flashiest players in college history, but for Wooden they toned down their incandescent skills.

by TJ webber The Los Angeles Lakers began the NBA Finals with a decisive (102-89) Game 1 Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant during victory over the Boston Celtics at Staples Center Game 2 of the FInals. last Thursday. The Lakers’ solid defense virtually eliminated Boston’s game in the paint. The L.A. squad’s big men – especially an aggressive Pau Gasol (23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots) and Lamar Odom – put up big blocks on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Kobe Bryant, who led all scorers with 30 points (along with seven rebounds and six assists), also deserves credit for neutralizing Rondo. However, Los Angeles’ defense was not on point Sunday at Staples. An explosive Rondo came away with a triple double: 10 assists, 12 rebounds (the most in the game) and 19 points. Ray Allen was on fire from downtown, making an NBA Finals record of eight three-pointers. Allen led all scorers with 32 points, as the Celtics won Game 2 10394. While Allen and Rondo stole most of the spotlight, Lakers center Andrew Bynum had his best playoff game thus far, despite his injured right knee. The 22-year-old showed passion and determination, scoring 21 points, pulling down six rebounds and making seven blocks. This was the Lakers first home-game loss of the 2010 postseason. Games 4 and 5 are Thursday and Sunday in Boston. Game 6 is Tuesday (if necessary) back in Los Angeles.

Michael Goulding/Orange County Register/MCT

Lakers and Celtics split series at Staples.

A John Wooden memorial on “The Bruin” sculpture at UCLA What was never toned down was the Wooden style of play, the furious tempo of the most devastating fastbreak in college history. Or his high-post offense, copied by every NBA coach. Of course, the players in the high post were some of the most gifted big men in hoops history. The 1968 game between a UCLA team riding a 47-game winning streak and a Houston team featuring Elvin Hayes in the Astrodome was billed as college basketball’s “Game of the Century.” Lew Alcindor’s role was restricted by a scratched cornea, and he played wearing goggles. Houston won, 7169. Alcindor was healthy when they met again in the NCAA semifinals. UCLA slaughtered Houston, 101-69, then tuned North Carolina, 78-55, for Wooden’s fourth title. Basketball is a coach’s game. If a football coach is a company commander, a basketball coach is a squad leader, hands on and in control of every aspect of leadership. No coach in any team sport has had the control of a squad, of his own life and theirs, or commanded such obedience, love and loyalty as what John Wooden had right to the moment of his passing. (c) 2010, Philadelphia Daily News.

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CURTAINCALL “A Chorus Line” Now-June 13 @ Pantages Theatre The musical’s setting: an audition in a Broadway theater, 1975. The true setting: inside the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever auditioned or interviewed for anything, anywhere. “A Chorus Line” tells the simple story of 17 dancers auditioning for a new Broadway musical. For them, it is the chance of a lifetime, to fulfill their dreams. The plot takes you through each character’s background, learning why they chose dance as well as uncovering some secrets they wish were never revealed. It is a fun musical that allows audiences to empathize with the cast, because undeniably, whether you are a dancer auditioning for a show or a graduate interviewing for a job, “I Hope I Get It” (the first musical number performed by the company) has echoed endlessly though your mind. The fantastic cast even boasts L.A. local Catherine Ricafort (Connie), who graduated from the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC just last year. —Lynda Correa Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit broadwayla.org.

“Meat, Prey, Lust” Now-June 13 @ Dorie Theatre at the Complex “Meat, Prey, Lust” is a hilarious one-woman show written by and starring the brilliant Hayley Terris. Her rendition of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love, follows a similar story line, except she first travels to Provence, France, for a cooking class, followed by a spiritual journey on a kibbutz in Israel where she winds up cotton picking in the middle of a scorching summer. Finally, she ends up on a margarita-induced detour at Club Med after discovering her man in bed with her favorite yoga instructor. Her guru is

Campus Circle > Culture > Theater Gwyneth Paltrow, and she religiously follows her weekly blog GOOP, where she garners advice on how to live in blissful perfection just like Gwynnie. The writing is original, witty, hysterical and lasts for only one sweet hour. The energy Terris maintains throughout her performance is invigorating. She plays multiple characters with different accents and mannerisms effortlessly. I won’t give away the ending, but know that she will have you in tears from laughing. —Ximena Herschberg Dorie Theatre at the Complex is located at 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit hayleyterris.com.

“The Wicked Wilde Shakespeare Festival” Now-June 27 @ Miles Memorial Playhouse Shakespeare’s masterpieces have been produced, reproduced and even molested a little the world over. This summer, “The Wicked Wilde Shakespeare Festival” presented by the awardwinning Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company offers its own experimental productions in several hourlong, well delivered William Shakespeare plays. I went on a Saturday night and caught both their productions of “A Tyrant’s Tale” (their take on “The Winter’s Tale”) and a superb customized version of “Macbeth” that takes place in a post-apocalyptic oil field. “A Tyrant’s Tale” is more like a crash course in Shakespeare. They speak like Shakespeare, dress like Shakespeare and they even keep the man’s story in tact. But when all is said and done this production leaves out the infamous stage direction “Exit, pursued by a bear,” which if coupled with Laura Covelli (as Perdita) and David Glasser’s (as Florizel) little dance number would have energized the play a bit. Perhaps the evening’s biggest challenge is in having a man

FREQUENCY by brien overly Fitz & the Tantrums June 10 @ Spaceland; June 12 @ Detroit Bar This band is the definitive jam. A lot of bands attempt to take in that distinctive classic ’60s vibe, but this group does it right. One listen to the L.A.-bred six-piece and they’ll have you wanting to dance and sing along to their soulful, anthemic crooning. Frontman Fitz still brings a very modern, almost gritty coolness to match his band mates’ polished retro stylings for a seamless integration of old and new in their sound.

Good Old War June 11 @ The Troubadour I can’t explain it, but something about listening to this band makes me want to grow a full beard, jump on a horse and go on cowboy adventures through the Midwest and/or South. Or … something. It just seems like the right thing to do to have some kind of exploratory adventure of self-discovery and foiling of corrupt villainy while listening to this kind of lo-fi indie-folk. Picture every role Timothy Olyphant has ever played, and that’s what Good Old War is the soundtrack to. Meaning that, yes, Good Old War is indeed the soundtrack to general awesomeness. Now that I think about it though, the weather is getting kind of hot now. Does it still count as an Old West adventure if I wear cowboy boots while driving through at Taco Bell and playing these guys’ album in my air-conditioned car?

The Glitch Mob June 11 @ The Music Box I still have no idea what kind of gadgetry these guys use to make their music­– each has what appears to be a vintage 1990 Zach

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Paul Kolnik

NEWS

Catherine Ricafort as Connie in “A Chorus Line”

play Lady Macbeth. A challenge that Kevin Vavasseur meets, explores, then promptly conquers. Vavasseur in drag works. While he is a very muscular man he doesn’t play on it while in Lady Macbeth’s costume, which is a typical tattoo green colored sleeveless gown, very post-apocalyptic feminine. The potential for a cheap laugh is totally there, yet I applaud him and director Lisa Wolpe for moving right past the social blip and into the story, which naturally clutches your attention and tosses it back to Shakespeare’s flamboyantly poetic language. This post-apocalyptic version of “Macbeth” is nothing short of fantastic. Vavasseur fills every one of his roles to its potential as does Andrew Heffernan as Macbeth and Scott McRae as a witch, Banquo, Duncan, Porter and Macduff. I was especially inspired and surprised at how quickly and very well everyone was able to change not only from one character to the next, but also from costume to costume. —Cesar Cruz Miles Memorial Playhouse is located at 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica. For more information, visit milesplayhouse.org.

Campus Circle > Music > Frequency Morris iPad – but they make it sound damn good regardless. Given that the threesome can make an epic dance jam that’s both emotive and technically intricate is an impressive feat in and of itself. The fact that they can accomplish this without a single lyric or vocal melody makes their skillfulness flat out awe-inspiring. Whether remixing a hip-hop classic or busting out one of their original electronic pieces, this is the dance party not to miss this week.

Eye Alaska June 11 @ House of Blues Anaheim So. Much. Love. For this band. They’re everything I could ask for. Sparkling pop melodies with intelligently written lyrics and none of the guilt of listening to actual pop music. Using simple and straightforward instrumentation for maximum impact, the fivesome manage to make artistic and cinematic music without having to rely on the fabled studio magic. Evocative without wallowing in self-pity, spacey without being stoner-y, infectious without being saccharine and easily accessible without being, ugh, adult-contemporary, these guys channel the good aspects of a multitude of genres without any of the associated bad. For example, modern emo and ’90s R&B were two things I never thought could effectively cross paths. Nay, they are two genres that shouldn’t cross paths. And yet, the band created a song like “American Landslide,” proving themselves to be a fearsome, ungodly chimera that can bridge two vastly different and often embarrassing genres for a masterful effect. What’s more, it sounds entirely authentic and un-gimmicky. That’s just a small fraction of what these guys can do. Frontman Brandon Wronski’s delicate crooning is a master class in storytelling and charisma. He and his band mates show technical skill and attunement far beyond their years.

Good Old War is the soundtrack to general awesomeness.

A Loss For Words June 14 @ Cobalt Cafe Since I’ve been all about thematic cohesiveness these last many weeks, I shouldn’t be surprised that I seem to have subconsciously continued that trend this week. In case you haven’t guessed it already, this week’s theme is “Retro Inspired.” It’s not unlike the weekly theme changes on “American Idol,” except the people I showcase actually know how to sing, play instruments, perform and write music. Zing. Point being, what better way to close this week than with my favorite Bostonian pop-punk kids … who just put out an album of Motown covers. Motown covers that are done really, really well. When they’re not covering songs older than they themselves are, however, the fivesome have some equally as awesome songs of their own in their repertoire. A throwback to more recent times, when pop-punk was actually still punk music at the core of its being instead of Pro Tools tutorials in song form, these guys never fail to bring the rock with their yell-along anthems.


COMEDY

YOUNG GUNS SHOOT UP THE WEST

‘YOU JUST GOT SERVICED’

Recently, Chad Billingsley has been anything but friendly to opposing batters.

Since the first of May, the Dodgers have only managed to pull together the best record in baseball going 24-10 and rising from the cellar to top the NL Western Division. The startling turnaround in recent weeks can be attributed largely to the performance of a precocious group of young starting pitchers. The resurgence of Chad Billingsley, 25, and Clayton Kershaw, 22, as formidable forces has been coupled with the unexpected contributions of a pair of 24-year-old rookies, John Ely and Carlos Monasterios, not to mention a few youngsters in the bullpen. So, let us pay our respects: Bills got the skills. At the start of this season, many were concerned about Chad Billingsley’s abysmal second half of the 2009 season, in which he won only two games. However, so far this year, Billingsley leads the club with six victories already under his belt. At 25, Chad is the veteran of the young guns. Some in the media had speculated that what had changed was his ability to pitch out of difficult situations. When asked about the change, his response was defensively dismissive, “In my first season, it seemed I was always in that situation, so that couldn’t be it.” And what did he make of the team looking sloppy on an afternoon when they posted four errors? “Hey, baseball is a tough game at this level.” Yes, but four errors! “You think you could do any better? If everyone could do it, they would be here.” The slightly combative style is a change for a guy previously known to be soft-spoken with media. But hey, he ain’t paid to be friendly. And recently on the mound he has been anything but friendly to opposing batters. The Rookie of Ely Despite getting battered about in his last outing, giving up four runs in five innings, the kid from Illinois has put up solid numbers in his first season. With an ERA of 3.00 and a record of 3-2, he has earned himself a regular spot in the rotation. Holy Monasterios! An ERA of 1.87 after 33 innings, a record of 2-0 thus far – where did this kid come from? Answer: Venezuela, up through the Yankee organization. Thanks, Yanks. Monasterios barely made the roster this season and only got a shot to start a game when the Dodgers’ rotation was in shambles earlier in the season. A handsome young man who speaks little English, his enormous smile speaks volumes about his pleasure at playing in the big leagues. Travis who? Schlichting is the name. Travis Schlichting from Round Rock, Texas, became the unexpected hero in a 14-inning cliffhanger last week against the D-backs. It was the first appearance of the season for Schlichting, who was only recently called up from the minors. In a game in which the Dodgers used six pitchers, Schlichting was the last available guy. So he got to pitch four innings and did just swell, allowing no runs and three hits. He was rewarded for his efforts by getting sent back to the minor leagues to make room for Charlie Haeger coming off the disabled list. Haeger, who is 0-4 with an ERA of 8.53, has not exactly ingratiated himself to fans by virtue of his performance, and yet the Dodgers are not through with him. Haeger’s status requires that he be kept on the roster or released, so young Travis got the boot despite his success. After Haeger endured further abuse in his most recent outing since getting off the DL, something tells me we’ll be seeing this Schlichting kid again soon. It is always fun to watch young talent blossom on the field, but can this group of young arms mature fast enough to handle the rigors of a long season and the potential pressures of playoff contention? We’ll just have to wait. All stats as of June 6.

Now-June 25 @ Second City Training Center Hollywood by christine hernandez

“You Just Got Serviced” is LOL funny.

It must be pretty nerve-wracking for some people to hold a mic and get wild, crazy and hilariously entertaining in front of a full house, but not for these guys and gals in the comedy sketch titled, “You Just Got Serviced.” These performers sure know how to put on a show that’s LOL funny. The cast includes Jill Davenport, Angela de Silva, Matt Dickens, Tony Evangelista, Michael Naishtut, Yvonne Thornburgh, Lana Titova and Dina Zugec. Doug Morency brilliantly directs complemented by first-rate musical direction by Michael Pollock. Not to give much away, but the comedy troupe jokes about a variety of topics ranging from Twilight to grocery shopping to convalescent homes. The show involves a lot of music, which is pretty ballsy for a comedy. There are three musical numbers, and the solid cast nails them all. Comedy is meant to be enjoyed with a group of people, and this theater seats more than 40, so that’s covered. If you’re going solo or with friends, it really doesn’t matter, just get a ticket ($10) and you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth. Period. The show runs for three more rounds (Fridays only) on June 11, 18 and 25 at 7 p.m. Second City Training Center Hollywood is located at 6560 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit youjustgotserviced.com.

COMEDY

DENIS LEARY New Season, New Tour, Same Leary

Art Strieber

by dov rudnick

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/MCT

THEDIAMONDDISPATCH

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DR. LEN BERGANTINO Gestalt Therapy in West L.A. (310) 207-9397

by Richard castañeDA

‘Rescue Me’ rides into its sixth season June 29, and to hype the premiere, comedian Denis Leary’s Rescue Me Comedy Tour 2 hits Club Nokia June 10. The 11-city tour benefits the Leary Firefighters Foundation, a charity that helps fire departments with funding for modern equipment and training. After last year’s successful run and the impact it had on “Rescue Me” viewership, Leary again rolls out perks for his live audiences across the country. “We give a sneak preview of the upcoming season highlights that are actually not shown on television. They’re only shown live in the venues that we’re performing in,” Leary adds. The tour features familiar Leary cohorts and co-stars Lenny Clarke and Adam Ferrara, among other surprise guests. Leary, a proud comedian who boasts that he never repeats bits aside from the “Asshole” song, has hinted at some of his material on his regularly updated Twitter page. The upcoming season is special for Leary in many ways. It sets up the integral pieces for season seven, which will be the show’s last and commemorates the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “I think it satisfies people. Not that we were out to please the audience, but we wanted to do something that was organic and fit the characters and tone of the show,” Leary says. “I think the interesting thing for us is that we’re going to end up leaving the air right before the 10th anniversary of [9/11]. That reflects really heavily on the characters and what their futures might be, individually and collectively.” Denis Leary performs June 10 at Club Nokia. “Rescue Me” premieres June 29 at 10 p.m. on FX. For more information, visit denisleary.com.

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FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art The Art of Love Beauty Books D-Day Food Gaming Get Up, Get Out Theater Travel

GAMES&GADGETS

NOT A DOCTOR But I Play One on Wii by scott bell Doctors are true heroes – lifesavers who devote themselves to healing the sick at any cost – but movies and television have taught us that real medicine just doesn’t pack the entertainment punch as its celluloid alternative. We rely on doctors’ diagnostics, but it is just more fun to watch Dr. House piece together clues to determine and cure each week’s obscure illness. The emergency room may be our best hope for overcoming deadly diseases, but somehow a routine procedure is not quite as alluring as when everything falls apart in a desperate, impromptu surgery on “ER.” “Trauma Team” for the Wii has definitely opted for the glamour of cinematic surgery over realism, and it works out well. In the spirit of “Trauma Center,” this new title introduces us to an anime world filled with colorful characters – both doctors and patients alike – and completely unlikely plot twists. Sure, the surgery may be unrealistic and filled with brightly colored graphics that in no way resemble their real-world counterparts, but considering that the game also includes ninja, ghosts and superheroes, realism was obviously never a selling point of this game. Unlike previous “Trauma” titles, “Trauma Team” puts you in the scrubs of six different doctors. The classic surgery gameplay uses the Wii Remote as a scalpel, syringe and suture and is represented by an amnesiac convict surgeon. The traditional surgery gameplay is then put on high speed

Campus Circle > Culture > Gaming as master paramedic Maria Torres fights to save multiple victims at once. You can also use saws and forceps to reset and rebuild bones as the soft-hearted giant orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Freebird. While these modes are challenging, the real demon in this game is the endoscopic surgeon, Tomoe Tachibana. All of the action in this mode is based around feeding the endoscope through narrow walls by pushing the Wii Remote forward and steering with the Nunchuk’s control stick. This makes for an unusually physical process that will keep even the most patient player on edge while balancing the subtle steering with the constant feeding motion. This is nerve-wracking enough on its own, but you will also have to perform various medical procedures as the body continuously hemorrhages and the vitals drop. The bottom line is that you are not going to have a calm, relaxing gaming session when you are taking on Tomoe’s missions. Fortunately, the game does offer a pair of more cranial options. Gabriel Cunningham – the curmudgeonly chainsmoking diagnostician who seems to have borrowed more than a few mannerisms from Dr. House – examines his patients in a series of mini-games aimed at determining enough symptoms to identify the disease. Some of these tests resemble actual medical procedures like listening through a stethoscope for abnormalities, while others like comparing CAT scans more resemble typical casual games. Fortunately, there is enough variety that the game stays interesting enough to get to a diagnosis. Plus, of course, there’s a spunky diagnostic computer helping you along the way. If Gabe is Dr. House, then Naomi the forensic investigator is a slightly psychic version of the “CSI” team. While her investigation includes listening to testimony, using forensic tools to search the scene for clues and piecing

D-DAY

THE WALK OF SHAME by denise guerra

Every college girl across the country knows the feeling. Your head is throbbing, and you look around to find that you need to just get the heck out of there before anyone sees you. The party dress that you looked so hot in reeks of alcohol and shame, and now all you can think about is the fact that you have to walk home in those horrible three-inch heels. Slowly you tiptoe outside, leaving your hook-up from the previous night to enjoy his dreams. And thus, as you slowly close the door and enter into the cold morning air, you make your journey into the next infamous college episode: the Walk of Shame. Now, there’s no way to glamorize this experience. Frankly, it just feels gross. The fact is a woman gets way too drunk and ends up hooking up with a guy she thought was hella hot stuff the night before. They end up spending the night together and then she’s either let out like a dog the next morning or sneaks out like a thief in the night. For many women, it’s traumatic. A million questions hammer through her head, “why” being the worse. A lot of my girlfriends who have experienced this sexual rite of passage (as it seems) have found ways to compromise the situation, calling it empowering and just another night of fun where a girl can

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evidence together to solve the mystery in much the same way that the “CSI” team does, the gameplay is just far more enjoyable than any “CSI” game title. Again, the lively anime graphics and touching (if improbable and often ridiculous) storyline help the ex– perience quite a bit, but perhaps the greatest tool the mode has is its complete lack of realism. Even the goriest of murders comes off in a cartoony fashion and the twists too insane to nitpick, letting players enjoy the challenge without any realism to interrupt the experience. While the game lets you play each of the doctors’ storylines independently, it is truly worth switching between doctors to play chronologically. You may have to relearn each of the gameplay styles, but the interweaving storylines and deliciously thick layers of Japanese drama do a good job of making you feel for the characters not just as heroes, but as people. Granted, they may be ridiculous, cartoony people with lives that put soap operas to shame, but that just adds to the escapism. And, really, when you have a game that is based on the increasingly difficult struggle against death, the charmingly bizarre escapism helps keep everything from getting too dark.

Campus Circle > Blogs > D-Day satisfy her needs without any emotional attachment. This progressive kind of woman would rather not have anything to do with the guy afterwards, and the Walk of Shame is more aptly to be turned into a walk of triumph. She is prepared and knows to use protection or birth control, and has no qualms about redefining gender norms. Unfortunately, the stigma of drunken abuse by men against unassuming women still exists, and though some may argue it was consensual, the Walk of Shame for women is often terrifying and embarrassing; something of which no guy will ever understand. The next morning is a struggle to think that even with protection there could be that one percent chance of anything from an STD to even worse, pregnancy. (I recall that the movie Mean Girls said it gracefully: “If you have sex, you will get pregnant, and DIE!”) Because that Walk of Shame doesn’t end when you get back to your dorm room or apartment. It goes all the way to that local CVS on the corner, and $50 later having to secretly take a Plan B pill that, at the very least, will calm your nerves. Still there are other things a girl has to worry about: What will my friends think? So are we more than friends? What’s next for us? Where is my jewelry? This line of questioning often goes on for days at a time. She will constantly rationalize her actions and his, and what she could have done differently to make such a terrifying, engrossing feeling go away. It gets even worse if your hook-up was a friend that you still have to see the next day in class or at work, because the next stop on the shame train is the feeling of social awkwardness. Do you act like a buddy, like his guy friend winking in congratulatory praise because you each were able to tap that the night before? Or, do you avoid all mention of

John Roberge/MCT

NEWS

The Walk of Shame leaves you cold and lonely in the morning.

the subject matter and act oblivious like nothing happened. Typically, most guys won’t even mention it ever again. No one knows what’s going on with them because unlike the girl, the social stigma is completely different and they were able to sleep in their own bed the whole time. How come it’s never the guy who has to leave first or has to feel the pangs of guilt and shame? I would love to hear a man’s point of view on the subject, because this seems to be the social norm on college campuses nowadays, and a very twisted norm that girls are just forced to somehow deal with the situation and “just get over it.” If guys can only know the feeling of smeared makeup and tussled hair; the feeling of pregnancy scares and walking back to your room as people stare and glance knowingly, judging you. The Walk of Shame never ends well and should be avoided at all costs, unless you’re prepared physically and emotionally for a cold and lonely morning.


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CALENDARTHE10SPOT BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL

Lot No. 8, Gary Baseman (b. 1960), Untitled, Acrylic.

FRIDAYJUNE 11

The Vader Project Freeman’s Los Angeles, 6812 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; thevaderproject.com This iconic collection features 100 Darth Vader helmets re-imagined by today’s most notable artists. Completing its epic world tour, the Vader Project returns to Los Angeles for a special preview to the upcoming auction in Philadelphia. Opening night party from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. with DJs the Crystal Pharaoh and 
the Sucklord from Band of the Lost. Runs through June 20. FREE.

WEDNESDAYJUNE 9 Mr. Sadman

SATURDAYJUNE 12 Wonderland

George Lucas Building, 900 W. 34th St., USC; usc.edu This is the tale of a sheltered Saddam Hussein body double, blissfully unaware of impending events. The screening is followed by a Q&A with writer-director Patrick Epino and members of the crew. 7 p.m. FREE.

Paramount Studios Backlot, 780 N. Gower St., Los Angeles; tomwhitmanpresents.com The biggest party of LA Pride returns. Beneath the stars, join a dance event of gigantic proportions with DJ Manny Lehman and DJ Wayne G (U.K.), fireworks right above your head, aerialists, carnival rides, surprise performances and go-go boys four stories above you. 7 p.m.-3 a.m. Tix start at $80.

THURSDAYJUNE 10 Booked Carmichael Gallery, 5795 Washington Blvd., Culver City; carmichaelgallery. com This group exhibition features Aiko, Banksy, Beejoir, Blek le Rat, Dan Baldwin, Boxi, Bumblebee, C215, Henry Chalfant, Martha Cooper, D*Face, Brad Downey, Eine, Ericailcane, Escif, Faile, Shepard Fairey, Stelios Faitakis, Gaia, Hush, Mark Jenkins, Dave Kinsey and more. Runs through July 3.

SATURDAYJUNE 12 Pandemonium Hollywood Palladium, 6215 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; livenation.com A full night of professional boxing and MMA featuring Lance “Mount” Whitaker vs. Andrey “The Russian Bear” Fedosov. and the return of former UFC fighter Roman “The Emperor” Mitichyan. 7:30 p.m. Tix start at $34.

SUNDAYJUNE 13 Viva Los Dodgers Day Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles; losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com There will be a live musical perfor– mance by Gustavo Galindo outside the stadium (in the parking lot beyond the outfield bleachers) before the Dodgers take on Anaheim. The event also celebrates the life of longtime major league pitcher Jose Lima. 11 a.m. Tix start at $12.

MONDAYJUNE 14 Comedy vs. Art Smackdown Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; highwaysperformance.org This monthly series is coming to an end, so this is your last chance to see this eclectic selection of the strangest, most innovative comedians and performance artists. 7:30 p.m. $7

SATURDAYJUNE 12 Saturdays Off the 405

TUESDAYJUNE 15 PaleyFest Rewind

Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles; getty.edu A bareback sketchual experience that will leave you sore (from laughing) starring Lana Titova, Dina Zugec, Michael Naishtut, Matt Dickens, Angela de Silva, Jill Davenport and more. Runs every Friday in June. 7 p.m. $10.

Paley Center for Media, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; paleycenter.org/paleyfestrewind Classic television shows and stars of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, like “Leave It To Beaver” and “My Three Sons,” are celebrated with cast reunions, rare archive screenings and more. Runs through June 21.

SATURDAYJUNE 12 Venice Beach Pub Hunt outoftheboxevents.net They’ve combined the classic elements of a scavenger hunt with the crazy fun of a bar crawl to create an awesome new hybrid event. Teams make pit stops at several cool Venice bars to learn fascinating facts about spirits, pub crawl history and partake in a few of those drinks they learn about. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. $45.

For more events, visit campuscircle.com/calendar. To submit an event for consideration, e-mail calendar@campuscircle.net.

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G O L D E N VO I C E P R E S E N TS

with special guests

DAVID BAZAN • RUBIK june 12 » the music box

OUTERNATIONAL • THE BOMBPOPS june 17 » the music box

june 19 » the music box

ALEX B june 19 » el rey theatre

june 21 & 22 » the mayan

FEDERALE june 22 » the music box

BLITZEN TRAPPER COCOROSIE

THE MOONDOGGIES june 29 » el rey theatre

CIBELLE july 2 » the orpheum

THE

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS june 23 » the music box

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