Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 21 Issue 19

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT ©2011 CAMPUS CIRCLE • (323) 939-8477 • 5042 WILSHIRE BLVD., #600 LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 • WWW.CAMPUSCIRCLE.COM • ONE FREE COPY PER PERSON

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD

UCR Summer Sessions 2011

GAMING

SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Campus News College Central Local News World News

inside campus circle

May 11 - May 17, 2011 Vol. 21 Issue 19

UC and visiting students welcome!

• get back on track to complete your degree • over 450 courses to choose from • easy online application available now • enrollment opens next week

campus circle

13

Editor-in-Chief Yuri Shimoda editor.chief@campuscircle.net

6

15

03 NEWS COLLEGE CENTRAL 03 BLOGS D-DAY 04 BLOGS COLORS OF CULTURE 04 BLOGS GAMES & GADGETS 05 BLOGS HE SAID, SHE SAID 12 BLOGS TREND BLENDER 20 BLOGS BARFLY

Managing Editor/Art Director managing.editor@campuscircle.net Film Editor film.editor@campuscircle.net Music Editor music.editor@campuscircle.net Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell calendar@campuscircle.net Editorial Interns Dana Jeong, Cindy KyungAh Lee

06 FILM HESHER Joseph Gordon-Levitt Against the World 06 FILM BROTHER’S JUSTICE Dax Shepard Ventures into Kung Fu 07 FILM DVD DISH 08 FILM PRIEST IN 3D Director Scott Stewart’s Dark Vampires

www.summer.ucr.edu

Contributing Writers Zach Bourque, Kristina Bravo, Mary Broadbent, Erica Carter, Richard Castañeda, Lynda Correa, Deepthi Cauligi, Nick Day, Amanda D’Egidio, Natasha Desianto, Sola Fasehun, Stephanie Forshee, Jacob Gaitan, Denise Guerra, Elisa Hernandez, Josh Herwitt, Vera Hughes, Da Ron Jackson, Alexandre Johnson, Matthew Kitchen,

08 FILM PROJECTIONS

Jessica Koslow, Hiko Mitsuzuka, Samantha

10 FILM MOVIE REVIEWS

Pham, Ricardo Quinones, Eva Recinos, Dov

13 MUSIC RAPHAEL SAADIQ Rollin’ Along 14 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS 15 MUSIC NEW BOYZ Keeping It Cool 15 MUSIC TYDOLLA$IGN L.A. Rapper on the Rise 16 MUSIC CD REVIEWS 17 MUSIC FREQUENCY 18 MUSIC REPORT 18 MUSIC NOTES 19 MUSIC THE BLACK ANGELS Swoop into the El Rey 12 CULTURE FASHION FOCUS

Ofole, Brien Overly, Sasha Perl-Raver, Rex Rudnick, Mike Sebastian, Doug Simpson, Seamus Smith, John Stapleton IV, Meiyee Apple T, David Tobin, Drew Vaeth, Kevin Wierzbicki, Candice Winters

Contributing Artists & Photographers Brandon Rizzuto, David Tobin

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

14 CULTURE PAGES 16 CULTURE GRAPHIC NOVELS 20 CULTURE ON THE MENU

35 schools and over 500 retail locations

21 CULTURE JET SETTER

Circulation: 30,000. Readership: 90,000.

22 SPORTS THE DIAMOND DISPATCH 22 SPORTS L.A. HOOPLA 22 SPORTS THE COLLEGE PITCH 23 SPORTS GALAXY KICK 21 EVENTS THE 10 SPOT Cover: Joseph Gordon-Levitt in HESHER. Courtesy of Wrekin Hill Entertainment

2

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Campus Circle newspaper is published 49 times a year and is available free at throughout Los Angeles.

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 © 2011 Campus Circle, Inc. All rights reserved.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle COLLEGECENTRAL

by lynda correa Most memorable of any graduation is the pomp and circumstance that lets you know you have finally finished four years of “hard” work. You hug your friends as you cry remembering the horrible teachers, lunchtime conversations and infinite “remember when” moments.

You wish each other good luck, as you enter the real world, and you promise you’ll visit each other at your prospective colleges during break. High school is finally over!

What?!

You were pretty sure you would be able to handle the transition from the 12th to the 13th grade; everything was fine until you sat in your first lecture class wondering if you had to ask permission to go to the bathroom or if you still had to hide your phone to text (Answers are no, and yes, respectively.). Suddenly you realize that college life is on its own parallel universe, and you’re untouchable.

When you left high school, did you actually think you were entering the “real world”? I know I did. I somehow thought that the college life bubble was what real adults experience (because you’re not a real adult when you’re a

D-DAY

A POST-GRAD INTROSPECTIVE Two Years Later and Still Confused by denise guerra The Real World: For too many soon to be graduates, it can be the scariest thing ever. There’s a fear coupled with the unknown and the idea of having to suddenly transition into a full-fledged working adult. But right now, there’s no time to be scared because time is running out, and you need a job.

Luckily for 2011 grads, you’re entering a way better job market than I did. It’s still not perfect, but the forecast from USA Today and Bloomberg business news say that job outlooks for 2011 graduates haven’t been this good since 2008, and the reason seems to be the growth of the digital/technology sector.

Plus there’s a need for more employees since companies had to cut or stop hiring these past few years.

Last year was my first full year after graduation. And it sucked! I remembered feeling like Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception, living within a dream, within another dream. Except this time it was living at a job, at another job and another job, each time fearing the possibility that I would be stuck there forever.

I started off with some transitional jobs: hostess, intern,

Michelle Hazelwood/THe Charlotte Observer/MCT

A Note from a Soon-to-be Graduate

student, I know that now.). It is absolutely normal for parties to look like they were taken straight out of movie scenes; people get away with public intoxication all the time! Staying awake for 32 hours straight is healthy; Thursday night is the start of the weekend, and suddenly anything that starts at 8 a.m. sounds like a predestined failure. How on earth did you survive four years of high school when classes came in blocks from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and now you can’t even make it to a 50-minute discussion section?

After all the time, drama and expected maturity come the qualms with graduation. The movies tell you you’re supposed to have three things once you finish college: 1) An awesome job offer waiting for you once you say you’re ready; 2) A set of two or three best friends who have been there with you since day one, (you know, potential bridesmaids or groomsmen); 3) You’re supposed to have your future spouse all set and ready to go, complete with wedding album pictures of how you two first met in freshman dorms when your Resident Advisor forced everyone to mingle in the hall.

During your senior year, you begin receiving e-mails from the senior gift committee, asking you to donate money to an obscure project with a plaque that reads “A Gift from the Class of 2011.” They talk about leaving a legacy for future generations of students who will walk through the very same doors you did. You care about that plaque only a little, but you start to wonder about what kind of legacy you’ve actually left behind. Especially in large schools, making an imprint would be significantly more difficult than at a tiny liberal arts college.

I was lucky enough to be in the Spirit of Troy, the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band.

Never would I have thought of myself as a band person, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. In high school,

your counselors and teachers all suggested getting involved with extracurricular activities, mostly to keep you out of trouble I think, but they had the right idea. It is important for all students to be involved with their school because it helps tie you to it in some way. Especially at the university level, it is important to feel a connection to your school so you feel that you mattered and weren’t just another student ID number. If anything, campus involvement usually makes for great stories to tell the kids one day.

As a transfer student, I was only able to spend two years at USC, but my time here was more than I ever could have asked for. Once I stopped comparing my experience to others’ – or worse, the movies – I was able to fully appreciate the uniqueness of the imprint I am leaving at USC. Who knows how long it will stay there, but I know for the moment, I have left my mark on the Trojan family, and I am glad to know that they have left their mark on me.

Congratulations, Class of 2011, and Fight On!

Campus Circle > Blogs > D-Day boba drink server extraordinaire (For someone with a degree, making boba drinks at a tiny store for $8 an hour made me want to give my degree back.). Either way, I sucked up my pride and powered through, keeping focused on getting a job by constantly sending resumes out. (I can say I sent about 50 total, but I’ve had friends who have sent way more than that).

Eventually I found something that could possibly be my career. It was the first “real job” offered to me, so I took it like Speedy Gonzalez on crack. Three months into the job and ... god help me, I found myself in sheer corporate monotony with people who were way older and jaded than me.

Then one day, a coworker who was about two years older than I had received a fellowship to USC, and she was leaving the next week. For anyone who has ever experienced a coworker escape, life just seems that much more miserable.

So again, I sent out more resumes, going through the same agonizing process from the first round. Through networking, I eventually switched jobs, and that is where this story reaches its current standing, two years later, countless coffee binges and work-related anxiety attacks later.

An Ongoing Metamorphosis I don’t think I’ve ever fully transitioned out of the word postgrad. I heard through the grapevine that post-grads like us change jobs an average of 12 to 13 times.

The weird, awkward transition period that happens right after graduation and when you get your first “real world job” (I define this as working 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every single day.) is one of those weird phases where you’re wondering what’s happening to you, like an adolescent realizing a body part looks a little different. We weren’t ready then for those changes, and maybe we’re not ready now for this post-graduation transformational surge. Eventually, however, everything falls into place.

Warner Bros. Pictures

FAREWELL, USC

Campus Circle > News > College Central

“I remembered feeling like Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception.”

For me, I always ask myself: When will I fully transition?

All I know is that I haven’t fully settled. I’m still growing, in a type of mindful metamorphosis that these are my goals and this is how I want to do it sort of way.

During these past two years, I officially moved out on my own with my own place and car payments (and student loan payments!). And at times it got lonely. Many of you will find yourselves on a similar path: the lone ranger traversing new territories. I’ve learned that no matter how hard it got trying to make it on my own, I never settled. Sometimes it felt like a whirlwind where I had no control over my destiny, and this had happened on more than one occasion. You know, the whole Inception idea of being stuck somewhere you don’t want to be.

It felt like my life path was chosen for me getting my first grown-up job after college. But only time told me that wasn’t true. Yet one thing still holds the same: The coffee binges never end.

Good luck, 2011 grads. Don’t worry, it may take some time, but you’ll be fine.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

3

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Barfly Colors of Culture D-Day Games & Gadgets The Greener Side He Said, She Said Trend Blender

COLORSOFCULTURE

MOCA-LATTE’S RED STICKER CAMPAIGN Now-Aug. 8 @ The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA by cindy kyungah lee Ever wondered what it is like to be an art critic? Well, you now have a chance to play the part of being the judge of what is appropriate art and what isn’t through MOCA-latte’s Red Sticker Campaign.

Hosted by a privately owned grouped known as MOCAlatte, the campaign strives to ablaze a heated discussion of art in the L.A. area, and in the end create a greater public awareness of one of the most celebrated products of culture: art. In hopes of increasing museum interests and attendance, MOCA-latte has designed for the L.A. public a project to engage in where they will have the excitement of actively being a part of approving and disapproving different street arts they see around the city.

Before going into the specifics of how you can be a part of the L.A. art scene, lets look into the campaign a bit further. It all started off when the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Jeffrey Deitch, whitewashed

Campus Circle > Blogs > Colors of Culture a mural he commissioned from Blu, a rather notable Italian street artist. The mural presented military-style coffins draped with dollar bills instead of American flags. Get the message? Of course, with such heavily loaded political imagery, Deitch was afraid of causing unnecessary uproar … so he chose to get rid of it. The result? He was ridiculed for his actions in art blogs and discussions for destroying a significant work of incomparable creativity. Interestingly, an uproar did rise – protests in the form of art in response to Deitch and his acts of censorship. What was supposed to be a preliminary action to stop political uproar in the end only started a whole new art trend. Deitch’s action caused great debate and awareness of what should be labeled as art and what museums’ roles were in an element of culture filled with creativity and individualism.

“It was exciting to see this level of discuss about art in Los Angeles – a pretty rare occurrence in this city,” says Nick Douglas, the mastermind behind the campaign.

Blu’s work was supposed to be a runner-up for the current exhibition at the MOCA, Art in the Streets. The exhibition is truly sensational for street art lovers, in that it is the first large-scale museum exhibit representing the history of graffiti and street art. Up until early August, the museum gathers and showcases at least 50 different artists from the street art community all over the world. With such rise of museum exhibits dedicated to street art, MOCA-latte’s Red Sticker Campaign appeals for another heated debate on the position of street art in the society of art.

MOCA-latte, desiring a replay of the effects is bracing for the moment of another sizzling debate through its red stickers.

Participants will be provided with a batch of ‘approved’ and ‘disapprove’ stickers to stick on any type of street art of their choosing. Don’t worry about ruining the art, because the

GAMES&GADGETS by mike sebastian Kinesis Freestyle Solo Keyboard A lot of keyboards claim to be ergonomic but really only slightly improve on an inherently unnatural bodily position.

The Freestyle Solo is the most versatile and truly ergonomic keyboard available.

The keyboard is split down the middle into two separate parts that are connected by a removable pivot tether. This allows you to adjust the two sides to the most comfortable angle. Or, you can completely separate the two halves and move them further apart (8.5 inches max) for a more natural, relaxed arm position.

This separation also allows for further configurations using one of five accessory kits (sold separately). The other adjustable positions include a tented mode and the 90-degree vertical Ascent option. The Ascent configuration is the most ideal because it preserves the natural position of your arms and doesn’t put pressure on your wrists. Palm supports and a separate numeric keypad are also available.

The keyboard also features driverless hotkeys, which can cut down on mousing. It includes Internet hotkeys like back, forward, search and home, as well as editing keys like cut, delete, copy and paste. These are exactly the kind of repetitive tasks that can build up and risk causing a repetitive stress injury.

Both Windows and Mac versions of the keyboard are available. (kinesis.com)

Dragon Dictate

Dictate is the Mac version of the popular PC software Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which allows you to control your computer using only your voice. You can dictate an e-mail,

4

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Approve or disapprove street art with Moca-latte stickers. stickers are easily removable without defacing the art itself.

Just remember to try and stick the stickers somewhere along the edges. After accordingly sticking the seals, take a snapshot of your decision and e-mail your image as an attachment to photos@moca-latte.org.

To find a more specific description of the project you can always visit MOCA-latte.org, for information on where to get your stickers, and such.

This is a truly magnificent opportunity for those finding themselves pulled to the arts. Even if you can’t draw on your own, it is an unprecedented chance to become a part of the community as an amateur art critic and play “Deitch for a day.”

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is located at 152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, visit MOCA-latte.org

Campus Circle > Blogs > Games & Gadgets surf the Web or chat with friends without using your hands.

After a training exercise in which you learn to talk clearly and the computer learns to recognize your voice, you can begin basic dictating and will most likely be pleasantly surprised by the results. However, without giving the user manual a thorough reading, you’re most likely to come up against some problems fairly quickly. Because of the wealth of available commands to learn and the myriad operations the experienced computer user normally executes without a second thought, one will at first feel fairly inhibited having to rely only on his voice. But with some studying and practice, you’ll soon be dictating swimmingly.

One of the most important things to learn right off the bat is to not violate “The Golden Rule,” mixing verbal commands with keyboard strokes. Doing so can have apocalyptic consequences on the document you’re working with. This can be especially difficult and cause further frustration while learning the program. Adding to the confusion is that certain voice commands are treated as keyboard strokes by Dictate.

When working within Dictate’s notepad, a “cache document” command can be given to essentially wipe the slate clean.

Usually, this will do the trick.

Dictate comes loaded with commands for Mac Mail, Safari, Microsoft Word, iChat and more but works best as a secretary, taking down everything you say with surprising accuracy. As for the dream of fluidly accessing your computer’s files and navigating programs, the technology isn’t quite there yet. Safari integration is definitely the program’s weak point.

Trying to make your way through an Amazon or IMDB webpage, with their bevy of links, can be somewhat arduous.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows has the ability to click on an appropriate link when spoken, but Dictate apparently does not. You wind up having to rely on the MouseGrid, a

Kinesis Freestyle Solo Keyboard is versatile and ergonomic. choose-a-number winnowing down process, which hones in on an area of the screen so that you can give the mouseclick command.

What can be especially trying is that some of the commands, even within Dictate’s own notepad, just plain don’t work. The recognition window will accurately reflect the command you spoke, but the appropriate action will not be taken.

The bottom line: If you’re looking for a way to navigate your computer without a mouse, Dictate can carry some (but not all) of the load. If you are tech savvy, there is some further tinkering and jury rigging you can attempt to improve functionality. If, however, you are simply looking for a dictation tool, Dictate is for the most part reliable and accurate. Another solution, also from Nuance, is MacSpeech Scribe, which can transcribe your spoken word audio files.

Dictate also includes a microphone headset. (nuance.com)

Become a CAMPUS CIRCLE Fan on Facebook http://bit.ly/dhFhEE HESAIDSHESAID

BABY BLUES

by john stapleton IV and vera hughes Kim asks: “I just found out I’m pregnant from my boyfriend, but it was an accident and he doesn’t want me to keep it. How much say does he have in what I decide to do?”

HE SAID: The short answer is: zero – it’s your body, so it’s entirely up to you. The long answer begins with admitting that you and your boyfriend know exactly “how is baby formed,” decided to participate in an activity specifically designed to make more people and it worked – so you can’t call it an “accident.” That’s like taking a hammer to the side of an aquarium and saying the fish accidentally fell out. If you don’t want fish pouring onto your carpet, don’t go swinging hammers around fish tanks. Anyway, Now you both have to decide how to take responsibility for your actions, but the burden of pregnancy (and how much influence he has on it) rests squarely on your head because guess what: He’s not pregnant, you are.

Biologically, he planted his seed and is no longer physically bound to any kind of consequences. From a purely scientific standpoint, he could disappear without another thought about it, and you’ll still be pregnant. Of course, morally, he should also take responsibility for something he helped to make, but the reality is he doesn’t have to. This might seem unfair, but that’s how reproduction works. Legally, you can force him to pay child support. Ethically, his family has a new member on the way. Financially, he should support you because it takes two to tango. None of this, however, changes the fact that, when it comes to brass tacks, you’re the only one who is forced to take care of this situation.

But, while you might feel jilted about the fact that being a woman means you alone have to do something about this, you should actually feel empowered. You – and only you – have the final say in whether or not you keep the baby. If you think you can support it on your own, go for it. If you don’t think you can do it without your boyfriend’s help, you can have an abortion. Want something to dress up for the next 18 years? Keep it. Want to avoid stretch marks and baby fat? Abort it.

The point is, if you are the only one who’s physically pregnant, you’re the only one that can make that decision. You have the options. You have the power. He doesn’t. Your curse is that you’re going to have to make a very hard choice; your blessing is that the choice is entirely yours. The real question is: If you were doing something you both knew good and well could create a child, why didn’t either of you ask some pretty fundamental qualifying questions like, “If this completely procreational activity ends up getting me pregnant, what would you want to do” or “Do you plan on having safe sex, or do you want to just go at it all willy-nilly and then call it an accident when it works” or even “Where do you plan on finishing”? Remember kids: Penises are tools, not toys. Use responsibly.

SHE SAID: I would like to answer a quick and simple, “none!” for all my empowered ladies out there, but think for a moment: Are you really going to completely disregard your partner’s wishes?

You’re not starting at the beginning, and that’s why you’ll hit some snags. First, you need to make a decision yourself. A solid, life-changing, permanent decision, that is entirely your own. It needs to exist solitarily, at least at first. Then I’m going to bet that you will present this decision to your boyfriend, whose mind is also made up. Then a – hopefully – appropriate conversation will ensue. That is how this would work in an ideal world.

Does this seem likely? Hell no. You know your boyfriend doesn’t want a child, so whether or not you’re acknowledging it, that knowledge is already affecting your ultimate decision. Because now you’re thinking, “This kid isn’t going to have a dad around. Is it better to get an abortion now, knowing how unstable its future will probably be?”

So really, you can’t stop him influencing your decision. You don’t have that much control over your brain or your emotions, especially not both simultaneously. You’re in a relationship, you love him (right?), you’re going to take how you already know he feels into account. Game, set, match. But if you mean whether or not you should let him tell you what to do, I’m going to have to respond with a resounding, blisteringly clear NO. Of course not – don’t you watch “Oprah?”

More importantly, I fervently believe that not even another woman has any right to tell you what to do with your unborn baby. Until a girl is pregnant, and she experiences what it is really like to be faced with a decision of this magnitude, she has no way to predict what she would actually want to choose. I carefully and purposefully placed the word “want” in there, by the way, because I know that there are plenty of girls out there who know exactly what would happen if they were to get pregnant accidentally. Whether it’s religious, spiritual or just something you’ve always been crystal clear on ethically, I sympathize with knowing where you stand on the issue of abortion. But this question presents a gray area, a girl who is choosing, already admitting to being torn between two options. So if your boyfriend doesn’t want to have a kid, you already know that. That is his say, and that’s that.

His input will hold its weight, no doubt. Him reminding you of how strongly he might feel about it is crossing over a line, a line that you should confidently draw.

Send questions for He Said, She Said to editor.chief@campuscircle.net.

Summer Sessions 2011 at CSULB No formal admission to CSULB required Earn units toward your degree Enroll on a “space available” basis

Two 6-Week Sessions

One 12-Week Session

May 31–July 8 (S1S) July 11–August 19 (S3S)

May 31–August 19 (SSD)

Registration begins April 4.

Call (800) 963-2250 ext. 60023 for more information. www.ccpe.csulb.edu/summer4 email: summer@ccpe.csulb.edu

California State University, Long Beach Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

5

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS The Channel Surfer DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Special Features

FILMINTERVIEWS

HESHER

Joseph Gordon-Levitt taps into his inner badass. by hiko mitsuzuka There’s a large tattoo of a middle finger that covers Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s entire back. And drawn on the front of his torso? A frowning stick figure shooting his brains out. The morbid yet temporary inkwork was specifically designed for his titular character in Hesher, the feature debut of director-writer Spencer Susser. The Inception star plays a porno-loving, pyromaniac/drifter who becomes the uninvited houseguest of a widower (“The Office”’s Rainn Wilson) and his 13-year-old son (newcomer Devin Brochu).

After playing such memorable and unique roles in films like Mysterious Skin (a sexually abused hustler), Brick (a highschool detective) and The Lookout (a bank-robbing janitor), Gordon-Levitt was excited to jump on this project and add another eccentric character to his ever-expanding resume.

“Hesher, on the surface, is really exciting and fun,” he explains, “but what really got me about the character is that there’s more to it than that. He’s quite a thinker, and even though he doesn’t pay attention to the standard conventions of morality, I think he’s quite an ethical guy.”

There’s definitely nothing conventional about the longhaired squatter. Whether he’s setting cars on fire, rolling a casket down the street or climbing a telephone pole in his underwear, Hesher – both the man and the film – manages to

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews remain unpredictable and uninhibited.

“He’s the ultimate badass,” says Wilson, who plays the grief stricken Paul, a father who grows distant from his son T.J. after his wife dies in a car accident. The role proves to be a welcome departure from his comedic machinations on the NBC sitcom.

Also co-starring in the movie (and serving as a producer) is newly anointed Oscar winner Natalie Portman, who plays Nicole, a supermarket cashier who befriends T.J. and is soon pulled into Hesher’s antics. For Gordon-Levitt, the chance to work with someone he has admired ever since he was a child actor was something he couldn’t miss. “She could’ve done some big Hollywood moneymaker and gotten rich,” he points out. “The fact that she chose to use her power to get a little movie made that, without her help, might not have gotten made – I really admire her for that.”

Another piece of the movie puzzle that easily fell into place was the music, an element that helped inspire the character of Hesher. Gordon-Levitt remembers his early discussions with Susser: “We talked a lot about Cliff Burton, who’s the old bassist from Metallica.”

Says Susser, “Hesher’s very independent and an original thinker, so he doesn’t really have any idols. But if there was one person that he did look up to, it would be Cliff Burton.”

Other inspirations included beatnik gods Dean Moriarty and Neal Cassady, but it was the late heavy metal figure who eventually helped shape the idea of Hesher because Susser had originally written the band’s music into the script. But would Metallica, a group infamous for prohibiting anyone from using their music in anything, give their blessing?

“Finally, when I had a cut of the film, I wrote Metallica a letter,” Susser recalls. “I sent them the film, and they liked the movie. I couldn’t believe it! No one could believe it!”

FILMINTERVIEWS

BROTHER’S JUSTICE

Dax Shepard breaks into martial arts. by marvin vasquez Some call it an attempt to shake up his career, and actor Dax Shepard scores with a hilarious and original directorial debut.

Brother’s Justice documents Shepard – along with other familiar faces from Hollywood, particularly his pal Tom Arnold – as he follows his desire to leave comedy and become an internationally-renown martial arts star.

Arnold agrees with the film’s originality, and even formulates a name for its unique genre. “I would like to call it a mockbuster; I am really pushing that through – like a blockbuster and mockumentary,” he says. “To me, it seemed very real knowing the guys that are in it and knowing the relationships amongst the guys, including Dax and I.” Arnold further indicates that Shepard’s vision was substantial to the process of making the film. Shepard’s passion was apparent throughout the movie, especially on his quest to gather financial backing when visiting the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Jon Favreau. An attempt at formulating a screenplay for Brother’s Justice is almost nonexistent, but that doesn’t matter. It shows off some brilliant improv. One of

6

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Merrick Morton, Wrekin Hill Entertainment

FILM

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Hesher Gordon-Levitt could believe it. For him, Hesher marks the beginning of what will surely be a busy decade. His plate is already full for the next two years, most notably with Looper, opposite Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, and of course, The Dark Knight Rises. But right now he’s also trying to focus on HitRECord, the production company and Web site (hitrecord.org) he launched in 2010, a collaborative global community of artists that creates, shares and distributes all kinds of projects.

If there’s one reason why people should see his current film, what is it? His answer somewhat reflects the sensibilities behind his company’s current mission statement: “I like movies where some people love it or some people hate it …

Hesher will divide people. Some people won’t be able to get around some of its crude appearances, but for brave souls who are hardcore enough, it’s everything I’d want in a story.

It’s funny, heartfelt and doesn’t shy away from some of the bigger questions.”

If you ask me, I think those tattoos said it all.

Hesher releases in theaters May 13.

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews the funniest scenes is when Shepard trains with a martial arts expert, and his lack of physicality and conditioning becomes apparent.

Nearly 80-percent of the film became improvisation, although it had a 40-page script that sketched the ideas of scenes.

“Quite often the thing we intended to happen did not happen. And many times, the thing that happened was far funnier that what we had intended,” Shepard says.

Brother’s Justice also has appearances by actors Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) and David Koechner (Anchorman).

“Our relationships just happen,” Arnold says of the scenes involving Cooper and Koechner. “There is an argument, there is a disagreement. And this was kept in the movie.”

Shepard notes that realism within the movie is obvious from start to finish.

“The whole crew consisted of the co-director David [Palmer] operating the camera and us wearing the wireless mics,” he says. “To me, it felt a lot more realistic than [when] you normally are in a movie.”

The film also deals with Shepard’s idea to break the barrier for comedies to do well overseas.

“In order to have a big blockbuster overseas, you need to have an action movie,” he states. “But what if I was so arrogant that I decided to go into action just to have international acclaim?”

Yes, that was the initial concept, but it progressed as the film was being made. It really portrays the importance of the relationships involved. For example, Arnold’s caring ways in helping Shepard initiate, create and continue the making of Brother’s Justice. Their shared quest to get the passion project made becomes the film’s focus and ultimately sheds light on filmmaking as a whole.

David Palmer

NEWS

Brother’s Justice’s Dax Shepard, Nate Tuck and Tom Arnold “The decision to do the film in that style was easy. It allowed us to shoot an entire movie with one location rental,” Shepard says about the decision to make a Hollywood satire. “It meant that we didn’t have to prep or schedule sets, wardrobe or permits.”

By the end of the movie, it seems as if Shepard finally gets a chance to produce his concept. Relationships have been somewhat shattered, but they are eventually restored en route to seeing the project come to fruition, or does it really?

Shepard, who is a graduate of UCLA, believes that this particular film could be well accepted within the collegiate ranks across the nation.

“I really believe that and feel strong about that,” Shepard says in response to the notion of students loving the “mockbuster.” “There are a couple of elements, but one is that my whole career has been aimed at young people to deliver what they think is funny. You have to be committed to that as a comedian.”

Brother’s Justice releases in select theaters May 13.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle DVDDISH

SPECIAL FEATURES by mike sebastian The Majors:

Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher star as lovers who try to keep things just physical in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached. Ivan Reitman returns to the director’s chair after a somewhat lengthy absence. Kevin Kline and Cary Elwes costar.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give two of the best performances of the year in Blue Valentine. Cross-cutting between their love-at-first-sight meeting and the present day, when they share a daughter and a troubled marriage, the film is a naturalistic, affecting portrait of a relationship and the difficulty of sustaining love.

Seth Rogen dons the mask and fedora as an unlikely crimefighter in Michel Gondry’s update of the TV classic The Green Hornet. Gondry and screenwriters Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Pineapple Express) reimagine the show as an action-packed buddy comedy with Asian popstar Jay Chou stepping into Bruce Lee’s shoes as Kato. Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson and Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Bastards) costar.

Luke Goss (Death Race 2) is a renegade cop who goes undercover in the mob to avenge the murder of his brother in Blood Out. Val Kilmer, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and English badass Vinnie Jones costar.

Stranger Than Fiction: Always-controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone sat down for a rare, candid conversation with another divisive figure, Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Looking for Fidel. Stone challenges Castro with tough questions while attempting to paint a truthful picture of the leader and Cuban life.

Under the Radar: Schlock aficionados will appreciate the arrival of the hard-to-find Sledgehammer (1983), which owns the dubious title of first shot-on-tape slasher flick.

The disc comes with a surprising amount of bonus features, including commentary by director David A. Prior and featurettes with Destroy All Movies!!! author Zack Carlson and the operators of Los Angeles’ the Cinefamily.

From Criterion With Love: When one thinks of cinematic mash-ups of comedy, crime and romance, the name Tarantino undoubtedly comes to mind. But, like most Tarantino trademarks, someone else did it first. Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild (1986) maintains its originality despite a couple decades of rehashes. Melanie Griffith stars as a quirky free spirit who takes a button-down conservative (Jeff Daniels) out for the time of his life. But Griffith’s dark past, in the form of Ray Liotta, catches up to the pair.

Blu Notes: Often named one of the greatest comedies ever made, Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as a pair of cross-dressing musicians on the run from the mob. Along the way they run into Marilyn Monroe, and Curtis hatches a plan to woo her that includes a hilarious Cary Grant impression.

Now available individually, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic Alien and James Cameron’s epic action-packed follow-up Aliens make the perfect Blu-ray double feature. Although two very different movies, both are classics in their own right.

Purgatory: Despite Blu-ray being well on its way to becoming an established format, there remains a slew of classic films (many by major filmmakers) that still have not even come to DVD and are at risk of being forgotten.

Milos Forman’s English-language debut, Taking Off is a terrifically funny look at the generation gap that exploded during the 1960s. The hilarious Buck Henry stars as a beleaguered father who wanders blindly through the counterculture in search of his daughter.

The Bed Sitting Room is Richard Lester’s surreal adaptation of Spike Milligan’s satirical play about post-apocalyptic England. It’s a meandering, delirious ensemble piece with appearances by the comedy team of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Spike Milligan and Marty Feldman.

There is hope, however. Criterion has announced its upcoming releases which include the neglected Roman Polanski masterpiece Cul-De-Sac and the long-awaited Zero de Conduite by Jean Vigo.

SCREEN GEMS PRESENTS A MICHAEL DE LUCA PRODUCTIONS/STARS ROAD ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH TOKYOPOP “PRIEST” PAUL BETTANY KARL URBAN CAM GIGANDET MAGGIEEXECUTIVE Q LILY COLLINS WITH STEPHEN MOYER AND CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER MUSIC

BY CHRISTOPHER YOUNG PRODUCERS GLENN S. GAINOR STEVEN H. GALLOWAY STU LEVY JOSH BRATMAN PRODUCED BASED ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

BY MICHAEL DE LUCA JOSHUA DONEN MITCHELL PECK SERIES “PRIEST” BY MIN-WOO HYUNG WRITTEN DIRECTED

BY CORY GOODMAN

BY SCOTT STEWART

CENTURY CITY AMC Century 15 888/AMC-4FUN

StartS FrIday, May 13

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 Regency Bruin 310/208-8998

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

and at a theater near you

In theaterS In

SANTA MONICA AMC Santa Monica 7 888/AMC-4FUN

SANTA MONICA AMC Criterion 6 888/AMC-4FUN

WEST LOS ANGELES Rave 18 310/568-9950

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

and

.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11 3 col. (4.875") x 12" = 36" wed 5/11 7 campus circle

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS The Channel Surfer DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Special Features

MOVIEINTERVIEWS

PRIEST in 3D

Director Scott Stewart’s Primal Take on Vampires by kristina bravo If you are in the mood to see sexy, fanged creatures with skin that dazzles in sunshine, Priest may not exactly be the right vampire movie you are looking for. What the film offers, however, is a gripping hybrid of post-apocalyptic horror and western action, with 3D visual effects that verge on the kind of sublime opera that brings an audience to a standing ovation.

The movie’s masterful conductor is Scott Stewart, whose background includes being the co-founder of the visual effects studio that was behind Iron Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Sin City.

“The vampires that we see, at least right now, are the sexy, alluring type, and they represent a very different metaphor of sublimated sexual desire or eternal youth,” the director says.

“Ours are a little different in the sense that our movie is more about a world that’s been in warfare for a very long time, a war with a race that is alien to us. They aren’t alluring, sexy things. They’re primal and feral and animalistic, and they have a culture that is foreign. They represent an enemy that we don’t understand.”

Indeed, Priest is a darker film that explores a more serious theme, threading in age-old issues that are especially relevant today.

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews “It occurred to me, that this was a story about sacrifice, and especially about soldiers who go off to fight a war they believe is a noble cause but come back devastated by it.

Society has moved on without them. Instead of coming back as heroes, they are social pariahs. And that’s what happened to the priests,” says Stewart.

Not to say that the movie lacks room for lightness or an attractive cast that can rival your favorite vampire TV show. The lead role of Priest is played by acclaimed British actor Paul Bettany of The Da Vinci Code and Legion, another Stewart creation.

The director says, “He and I became very good friends over the course of working together during the last few years.

It’s so difficult making movies. It’s so hard to just make one, let alone make a good one. So when you work with somebody as good as Paul, you want to go back to them again because it’s one less thing you need to worry about.”

Maggie Q, whose exotic good looks in real life can command the attention of a theater full of people, stars as the very dexterous Priestess.

“It’s a wild ride for sure,” she says in a press release. “But not only have we created an action genre film that people are going to enjoy, there is totally authentic, emotional experience behind this movie. We have great actors and a great storyline that dovetails nicely with all the action.”

Serving as the perfect foils to the devoutly dutiful Priest and Priestess are two young, passionate star-crossed lovers.

Cam Gigandet departs from the predatory vampire role he portrayed in Twilight and plays Hicks, a sheriff who embarks on a heroic quest when a pack of vampires forcefully takes the girl he intends to marry, Lucy, played by Lily Collins.

Lily’s blood-curdling scream opens the movie and motivates the plot of the story. For a damsel-in-distress,

PROJECTIONS

DOCUMENTARY AND EXHIBIT FUN by kristina bravo

It’s the typical lazy afternoon in your eighth-grade fifth-period class. Mrs. Smith comes in holding a VHS tape (They’re those black, brick-shaped things that preceded DVDs.), and your eyes glisten in the triumphant joy that instead of sitting through another blackboard-squeaking eternity, the teacher takes pity on your exhausted 13-year-old souls and lets you see a movie instead. “Today we’re watching the documentary Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Battle and the Address.” A resounding, collective sigh follows.

Those were the days when the word “documentary” meant a snore fest that crushed pre-adolescent hopes for classroom entertainment. Of course, that has changed within the last couple of decades. Thanks to films like Fahrenheit 9/11, Super Size Me and more recently, Catfish, the documentary has become an enjoyable platform for information and social commentary.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is celebrating the achievement of the genre in its 29th annual showcase of contemporary documentaries. The free series is currently being held every Wednesday night at the Linwood Dunn Theater through June 1. This week, the theater is

8

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Scott Garfield

FILM

Director Scott Stewart on the set of Priest in 3D she remarkably performs the role with a lot of spunk and spirit. And as Collins has proven in The Blind Side, the actress definitely deserves more acclaim than just being a famous musician’s daughter.

Stewart says, “I didn’t know anything about her history.

At the time we cast her, The Blind Side had not come out.

There was very little material on her. She was on our tape of auditions that my casting director brought me one day, and I was like, ‘who’s this girl?’ She was better than everybody else in this particular situation, and it took some work to convince the studio to deal with someone that was not well known at the time. And boy, are we all really glad that we did.”

Although Priest was not made to satisfy your sexy vampire fix, it will astound with its stunning visuals and an ensemble cast that is not only talented, but not bad to look at either.

Priest in 3D releases in theaters May 13.

Campus Circle > Film > Projections playing Soundtrack for a Revolution and Every Little Step.

Soundtrack for a Revolution documents the music of the civil rights movement, featuring performances by Wyclef Jean, the Roots and TV on the Radio. Directors Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, and producer Dylan Nelson will be present for a Q&A. Every Little Step, on the other hand, tells the interesting story of 17 dancers auditioning for the Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line,” a musical that is itself about dancers and the audition process. Director Adam Del Deo will be in attendance for a Q&A as well.

From the theater to the museum (another word that has surpassed its history class field trip connotation), 2011 Academy Award nominated Exit Through the Gift Shop manifests through the Art in the Streets exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The acclaimed Banksy documentary follows the amusing story of Los Angeles-based, French immigrant Thierry Guetta and his exploration of the growing street art culture. Running through Aug. 8 at the Geffen Contemporary, the works of many of the artists featured in Exit Through the Gift Shop, including Banksy, Blu and Shepard Fairey, are on display giving enthusiasts the chance to see some of the greatest graffiti and street art all in one spot.

Artistic vandalism not your cup of tea? MOCA is also holding an exhibit that brings the movie Black Swan to life. Needless to say, critical to Natalie Portman’s character development were the beautiful costumes worn throughout the film. The Rodarte: States of Matter presentation at the Pacific Design Center features the ballet costumes designed

by Kate and Laura Mulleavy for the film, among their other collections. Ending on June 5th, this is the first solo West Coast exhibition of the award-winning fashion designers, bringing fans of their work and the film closer to the intricacies of the sisters’ multi-layered creations.

Autumn de Wilde

NEWS

See Black Swan costumes at Rodarte: States of Matter.

A few blocks away, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is holding a film series in anticipation of the May 27 release of The Tree of Life starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

Exploring the journey of Jack from his 1950s Midwest childhood to his disillusioned adult years, The Tree of Life is an intriguing cross between drama and fantasy. The series, titled The Elemental Cinema of Terrence Malick, celebrates the film’s director as “one of cinema’s greatest poets.” From May 13 to 20, the museum is screening four Malick features including his directorial debut Badlands, the South Pacific war movie The Thin Red Line, the period film Days of Heaven and his last picture, The New World, starring Colin Farrell and Christian Bale. Actors Sissy Spacek and Jim Caviezel will be present at the screenings as well as production designer Jack Fisk and costume designer Jacqueline West. The museum will also have an early showing of The Tree of Life on May 24 for LACMA film club members.

For more information, visit oscars.org, moca.org and lacma.org.

TLG_LAT_wk1 BEVERLY HILLS Laemmle’s Music Hall (310) 478-3836 Fri 5:10, 7:40 & 10:00 PM Sat 12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40 & 10:00 PM Sun 12:10, 2:40, 5:10 & 7:40 PM Mon-Thu 5:10 & 7:40 PM Tickets @ laemmle.com

SANTA MO Laemmle’s (310) 478 Fri-Mon, W 7:00 & 9: Tue 4:10 Tickets @

BEVERLY HILLS Laemmle’s Music Hall (310) 478-38 Fri 5:10, 7:40 & 10:00 PM Sat 12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7 Sun 12:10, 2:40, 5:10 & 7:40 PM Mon-Thu 5:10 & 7:40 PM Tickets @ laemmle.com ENCINO Laemmle’s Town Center 5 (818) 981-9811 Fri 1:40, 4:40, 7:20 & 9:50 PM Sat 11:10 AM, 1:40, 4:40, 7:20 & 9:50 PM Sun 11:10 AM, 1:40, 4:40 & 7:20 PM Mon, Wed-Thu 1:40, 4:40 & 7:20 PM Tue 4:40 PM

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENt StArtS FrIDAY, MAY 13

HOLLYWOOD £ Mann Chinese 6 (323) 464-8111

IRV Ed We (8 Da 7:2

HO Ma (32

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS The Channel Surfer DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Special Features

MOVIEREVIEWS The First Grader (National Geographic Entertainment) Movies based on the extraordinary accomplishments of actual people usually elicit empathy, and The First Grader is no exception. A dramatic piece, which tells the true story of an illiterate 84-year-old farmer who fights to go to school when his country introduces universal education, it is both tearful and touching.

In a remote primary school in a Kenyan village, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. His name is Maruge, and he is an old Mau Mau veteran in his 80s, who is desperate to learn to read. He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied – even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside 6-year-olds.

An engrossing and ultimately uplifting film, full of vitality with a sprinkling of much needed humor, it explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates and sheds light on the sordid part of British colonial rule.

Directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl), The First Grader stars Oliver Litondo, Naomie Harris (28 Days Later) who plays the head teacher who fights the authorities to keep Maruge in her classroom. An incredible, triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education in Kenya, The First Grader is an inspirational story of one man’s fight for the right to learn. Emotionally taxing yet dutifully rewarding, it’s an important and carefully crafted film, which is well worth seeing.

Grade: A+ —Samantha Ofole The First Grader releases in select theaters May 13.

An Invisible Sign (IFC) The film starts with an animated sequence that depicts a tale of folklore in which a king must sacrifice people because the kingdom is overpopulated. Each family must sacrifice a member, and one family refuses to do so because of their love for each other so they each agree to cut off a limb from their bodies. This gives the audience a clue to the ultimate message that comes from the film.

The movie stars Jessica Alba as Mona Gray. Her father (played by John Shea) is plagued with dementia. Mona is flawed and pinched by her father’s demise. She cannot cope and tends to eat soap from time to time because of a deal with herself that she would not delve in her abilities unless her father gets well. Her math teacher (J.K. Simmons) inspires her slightly, but she refutes him in the beginning because of her rebellious nature.

He ends up retiring and opening a hardware store and is still visible in the troubled woman’s life. A nudge from him inspires Mona to accept a job as a math teacher as well.

The film begins strongly but then is plagued with bumbling dialogue. The actors and actresses play their parts strongly, but the problem lies in the script. The film strives to portray its message by reminding the audience constantly of the demise of each of the characters, but it feels as if the writers as well as the director are hitting nails into the heads of the audience.

Grade: D —Ricardo Quinones An Invisible Sign releases in select theaters May 13.

Skateland

L! O O H C S OUomR/represent Y R O F E ORw.goforitmovie.c M r o 0 0 WIN F$or1d0etails login to ww

▲HOLLYWOOD Mann Chinese 6 (323) 777-FILM #059

❋ UNIVERSAL CITY CityWalk Stadium 19 with IMAX (888) AMC-4FUN

❋ ARCADIA AMC Santa Anita 16 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ BURBANK AMC Burbank 16 (888) AMC-4FUN ▲ CHATSWORTH Pacific’s Winnetka Stadium 21 (818) 501-5121 (#095) ▲ CITY OF COMMERCE Pacific’s Commerce Theatres (323) 726-8022 (#036) (Spanish Subtitles)

❋ CORONA Edwards Corona Crossings Stadium 18 (800) FANDANGO #1723 ❋ COVINA AMC Covina 30 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ FULLERTON AMC Fullerton 20 (888) AMC-4FUN ▲ GLENDALE Mann Theatres at the Exchange (818) 549-0045 ❋ IRVINE Edwards Irvine Spectrum Stadium 21 (800) FANDANGO #140

10

❋ SANTA MONICA AMC Criterion 6 (888) AMC-4FUN

❋ DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 (800) FANDANGO #4046

▲ LAKEWOOD Pacific’s Lakewood Center Stadium 16 (562) 531-9580 (#046) ❋ LONG BEACH AMC Marina Pacifica 12 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ LONG BEACH Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 (800) FANDANGO #148 ❋ MONTEBELLO AMC Montebello 10 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ NORWALK AMC Norwalk 20 (888) AMC-4FUN

❋ ONTARIO AMC Ontario Mills 30 (888) AMC-4FUN ● ORANGE Cinemark CineArts @ Century Stadium 25 (800) FANDANGO #913 ❋ ORANGE AMC 30 at the Block (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ OXNARD Plaza Stadium 14 (805) 487-8380 ● PARAMOUNT Bianchi Theatres Paramount Stadium 11 (562) 630-SHOW

❋ PUENTE HILLS AMC Puente Hills 20 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ RANCHO CUCAMONGA AMC Victoria Gardens 12 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ REDONDO BEACH AMC Galleria at So. Bay 16 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ RIVERSIDE AMC Tyler 16 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋ SOUTH GATE Edwards South Gate Stadium 20 (800) FANDANGO #166 ❋ TORRANCE AMC Del Amo 18 (888) AMC-4FUN

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

4.875X12 CAMPUS CIRCLE WED. 5/11

❋ TORRANCE AMC Rolling Hills 20 (888) AMC-4FUN ▲ VAN NUYS Mann Plant 16 (818) 779-0323 ● VENTURA Cinemark Century 16 (800) FANDANGO #939 ❋ WEST COVINA Edwards West Covina Stadium 18 (800) FANDANGO #171 ❋ WOODLAND HILLS AMC Promenade 16 (888) AMC-4FUN ❋Presented in ●Presented in ▲Presented in

(Freestyle Releasing) Coming-of-age films that take place in the past are guaranteed to feature retro-heavy soundtracks that attempt to transport the viewer to the decade on display and rev up the nostalgia machine. Much like this spring’s fantastically fluffy Take Me Home Tonight, Skateland is set in the ’80s, focusing on angsty youth and boasting a collection of tunes that’ll get you reaching for your Rubik’s Cube while slipping into a pair of Jordache jeans and downing a can of Tab. However, while the former film reveled in its gloss and glam shots, this little indie drama is more grit.

The film’s star, cutie-come-lately Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), stars as Ritchie Wheeler, a small-town Texas skating rink manager who must come to terms with a few post-high school growing pains: His parents’ marriage is crumbling, a couple of rednecks have threatened to bust up his best friend (played by co-writer Heath Freeman) and – the most challenging of all – the film’s titular roller rink is being sold, forcing Ritchie to find work in, where else, the real world.

While the attention to detail of the era is nicely captured by production designer Chris Stull and stylist Kari Perkins, Anthony Burns makes an admirable debut as a director. However, the first-timeness of it shows. Most of the young cast, which includes The Twilight Saga’s Ashley Greene, earnestly report for duty but seem to have been given some loose reins, causing a few scenes to wander or fall flat. Fernandez, who uncannily resembles a young Joaquin Phoenix, certainly has plenty of brooding charm, but whether or not he can carry an entire film, albeit an indie one, is something left up for debate. That said, one can’t resist imagining the performance taking on a new dimension had another actor stepped into the role.

Grade: B—Hiko Mitsuzuka Skateland releases in select theaters May 13.

“THE SPECTACULAR JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT IS THE ID RUN RAMPANT. YOU CAN’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF HIM!” -Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

STARTS FRIDAY MAY13TH CAMPUS CIRCLE_5/11_FP4C_10x13

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS

ARCLIGHT HOLLYWOOD

AMC

LOEWS BROADWAY 4

LAEMMLE THEATRES

PLAYHOUSE 7

UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER 6

6360 W. SUNSET BLVD. (BET. VINE AND IVAR), LOS ANGELES 1441 THIRD STREET PROMENADE, SANTA MONICA 673 EAST COLORADO BLVD., PASADENA 323-464-4226 • WWW.ARCLIGHTCINEMAS.COM 310-458-6232 • WWW.AMCTHEATRES.COM/BROADWAY4 626-844-6500 • WWW.LAEMMLE.COMEDWARDS

4245 CAMPUS DRIVE, IRVINE 1-800-FANDANGO #143 WWW.FANDANGO.COM

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art Beauty Books Fashion Food Gaming Graphic Novels Special Features Theater Travel

FASHIONFOCUS

TRENDBLENDER

SPRING TRENDS by dana jeong

Finally, warm weather is here! No more dreary rain, gloomy clouds and fluctuating temperatures that made us ponder for a good 10 minutes in front of our closets every morning. Doesn’t this call for some celebration? Unfortunately, our meager budgets as college students do not allow us to make over our entire wardrobe, but investing in a couple accessories can never hurt. Plus, this season has been literally overflowing with cute items that are both affordable and super trendy at the same time.

Now, dear fashionable ladies, here are the latest trends in the accessories scene that scream happy, bright and sunny!

CALYPSO ST. BARTH FOR TARGET

The Flatforms No, it’s not a typo – “flatform” is a word, or more like a newfound combination of “flats” and “platforms” that everyone has been talking about since last fashion week. Flatforms are essentially flat sandals elevated to a platform level and therefore are super comfy unlike those wedge heels that torture our ankles every spring. From big-time designers such as Prada and Phillip Lim to street vendors, everyone in the fashion scene seems to be in love with this latest shoe trend. Pair them with maxi skirts, flared jeans or literally any kind of bottoms. They go with everything! (Joe’s Jeans Platform Sandals) shopbop.com

by erica carter

bloomingdales.com

The Brights How can we discuss spring without talking colors?

Bright colors are especially big this season in forms of bags, shoes and other accessories. And when I say bright, I mean really bright, like yellow, lime green, coral and blue. Small cross-body bags in such colors are great statement-making pieces, while necklaces and bangles with colorful rhinestones give a subtle springy aura to your otherwise dull outfit. (DKNY Croc-Embossed Shoulder Bag)

The Bucket Bag

nordstrom.com

Rumor has it the bucket bags will be replacing oversized totes in no time. Earning its name from the bucket-like shape, this latest It-bag is not only practical with its signature drawstrings but also diverse in shapes and colors. Yes, it would be very nice to bust out your credit card for the highly coveted Alexander Wang bucket bag, but for those of you without unlimited access to your parents’ bank account, simply take a look into your mom’s closet. Thanks to the continuous cycling of trends, she should have one or two lying around – and you can proudly present them to your friends as “vintage.” (Elliott Luca Woven Drawstring Bag)

12

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Calypso for Target’s elephant teapot is only $12.99 and also makes a cute decoration.

While the past few collections from Target’s GO Inter– national/Designer Collective have been hit or miss (Proenza Schouler and Alexander McQueen were fab, Libertine and Thakoon were underwhelming.), the latest team-up with luxury brand Calypso St. Barth has Target gaining some serious redeemable points.

Calypso St. Barth is a high-end French resort brand whose approach to bohemianchic style can be seen in everything from clothing to fragrances. In the official press release, Stefanie DiRienzo Smith, the President of the lifestyle brand explains: “Partnering with Target has been an incredible experience built on collaboration and an appreciation for great design. We’re excited to bring the collection to Target’s guests, offering a wider audience the opportunity to experience the Calypso St. Barth lifestyle.”

Elissa Miller, the company’s VP of Design, utilizes a heavy Indian color palate of saturated colors and patterns that make Calypso St. Barth unique. This translates well to the exclusive Target line with crisp linen and beaded silk shift and maxi dresses, crocheted bikinis, rompers and housewares.

Some of my favorite pieces include the Dip-Dyed Tiered Maxi Skirt ($34.99) that easily doubles as a dress. Paired with the Linen Espadrilles ($29.99), also from the collection, and you have a chic, versatile outfit you can wear on a day to the beach or a brunch with your friends. Accessorize with the Long Necklace with Elephant Pendant (19.99) and one of the Jute or Straw Totes, and you’ve got a full outfit for under $120! I noticed that there are plus, petite and girl sizes for this collection, too, so everyone has an opportunity to express the joie de vivre that the Calypso St. Barth brand emulates.

The Calypso Home collection really caught my eye, offering full dinner plate sets, three-wick candles and votive holders and tumblers. Oranges, blues, greens and pinks are prominent and very classic. The Tumbler Set ($29.99) is beautiful, as are the turquoise salad bowl, serving plate and greenish-blue high and low ball glasses – perfect for entertaining guests and as daily cups because they are very sturdy. A really cute thing to use for your morning tea or coffee is the glazed stoneware elephant teapot. At $12.99, not only is it affordable but it doubles as a sweet decoration in the kitchen.

What I like best about this collection is the wide range Calypso St. Barth covers.

Unlike the GO International brands – which focus mainly on clothing – this collection offers a little bit of everything, even intimates and sleepwear and baby clothing.

The lookbook has been making its way around the fashion blogs since April, and already has a lot of fashionistas patiently waiting for the release. The line debuted at Target May 1 and will be in stores until Aug. 15. I was online at midnight May 1 to purchase a few key items, including an adorable weekender travel bag with wooden handles ($29.99).

By the time 11 a.m. rolled around on Sunday morning, a lot of things were out of stock!

One thing about these collaborations: Some things are better seen in person before purchase. I am eyeing a pink romper with delicate lace scoopneck detail ($22.99) that looks beautiful online, but I need to make sure the lightweight fabric construction does not translate to “sheer”/wear with a camisole type deal. To me that would not be worth it, if I have to layer my sleepwear.

Thanks to technology, Target offers the Find at a Store option so you can see what your local and surrounding store has in stock. I will be visiting my local Target later this week to investigate.

So if you’re looking for another reason to shop but not break the bank, go and check out the collection. Most, if not all, of the products are really strongly made and will be classics in your closet, kitchen and dorm rooms.

For more information, visit target.com.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle MUSICINTERVIEWS

RAPHAEL SAADIQ

Rolls Out His Best Gamble by mary broadbent As a man who wears many hats, he took the stage to entertain millions as part of the 1980s group Tony!

Toni! Toné!, then marched forward as a solo artist earning Grammy nominations for his albums Instant Vintage and Ray Ray. Taking all this success and then adding credits as a producer and collaborator with numerous top names such as the Roots, Whitney Houston, Snoop Dogg, Earth, Wind and Fire and Mary J. Blige, it’s a wonder that Raphael Saadiq finds any time to write and produce a new record of his own.

However, the man who has a knack for old school R&B and throwbacks to Motown has done just that! Raphael has just released his latest studio effort, Stone Rollin’, sending a strong, prominent wave back into the music world.

As a follow-up to 2008’s The Way I See It, his new album sets the bar high with mouthwatering music. The title stems from expressing no limits, no restrictions and putting all his creativity out there to be exposed.

“I talked my whole career about putting everything on the table. I just made [the title] up and thought to myself, ‘do your best album, your best gamble,’” says Saadiq.

The 10-track album has a range of emotions coursing

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews through it, as well as featured artists along the way. It starts with an upbeat rock ’n’ roll feel of the 1950s that embodies Chuck Berry’s classic guitar riffs, Stevie Wonder’s soulful vocal wails and Sly and the Family Stone’s grooving jams. “Heart Attack,” “Go to Hell” and “Radio” get your heart pumping and ears locked on to their beats so that you’ll never let go.

“Radio,” being the first single off Stone Rollin’, has already received attention with its funky, old-school music video pays that homage to the times when the radio was celebrated. But the song itself has a different meaning, as Saadiq explains.

“Radio plays the victim. It needs something it used to know. The radio needs music. The radio comes back to people [in the song] attacking and saying ‘please give me music.’”

A unique and truthful spin, the song is composed of catchy surf licks, doo-wop vocals and poppy drums, updated to give a modern sound to old R&B. As listeners dive deeper into Stone Rollin’, other songs reveal a tribute to different ideas and experiences in Saadiq’s life. The title track was written in respect to big, beautiful, fullfigured women and has a bluesy beat to go along with it.

“A childhood friend inspired ‘Stone Rollin’ a little. We’d be walking down the street, and we’d see a woman walk by and he’d say, ‘Doesn’t it seem like she’s walking to a bluesy soundin’ song.’

Taking that note from his childhood, he turned it into inspiration. Another song, entitled “The Answer” speaks to both adults and children with truthful lyrics having the sole intent for both to watch how they handle their lives and make sure mistakes aren’t repeated.

With influences ranging from the early sound of R&B to the indie music found on his mp3 player, Saadiq pulled from all angles around and within himself to create this record.

“I feel like it’s an extension of my last record, not

necessarily better than or separate. We’re growing together [his music and he]. I’m at a different point in my life on each record, next I’ll have something new. It’s not a magic trick.”

Stone Rollin’ is currently available. For more information, visit raphaelsaadiq.com.

UCR Summer Sessions 2011 All UC and visiting students welcome – apply today for enrollment next week!

• Classes offered in 3 to 10 week long sessions • Get back on track or finish your degree • Convenient day & evening classes • Just an hour on the freeway • Easy online application process

www.summer.ucr.edu Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

13

NEWS FILM MUSIC

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

LIVESHOWREVIEWS

with SHILPA RAY and HER HAPPY HOOKERS May 13 » El Rey Theatre Rex Pham

May 9 » El Rey Theatre

The Musication crowd got pelted with cake from DJ Steve Aoki.

Musication Presents Steve Aoki

special guests

SABROSA PURR TOY BOMBS with BACHELORETTE May 14 » El Rey Theatre » 11pm

May 21 » El Rey Theatre

CHARGE: 800-745-3000 • TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS THE MUSIC BOX BOX OFFICE MON–FRI 10AM–6PM

campus circle • 5-4-11 • pdf on server

PAGES Normal Gets You Nowhere “WWKD” – What Would Kelly Do? As cliché as that sounds, it is the best way of living life when this world seems to be overflowing with cookie cutter people desperately swimming to keep their heads above water.

“Why try so hard to be normal?” asks Kelly.

“Where is the fun in that?”

Most of you will scoff and say, easy for you to say. Kelly Cutrone is, after all, one of the biggest names in the fashion world who is known for her confidence and “I don’t give a shit what you think” attitude. If you were thinking along the same lines, then you really do need to read this book because it will give you all the secrets to how she became who she is now, and how she gets away with head-to-toe black outfits and makeup-free face everyday in a field full of Barbies and Kens.

After her first book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You, became a huge success and the talk of the town, Cutrone made the brilliant choice of writing another masterpiece that you can’t even compare to those trashy reads by self-absorbed reality stars. As an avid Cutrone fan who owns the entire season of her show “Kell on Earth,” I can guarantee you that her words will inspire you in a way that no one else can.

Yeah, yeah, you have your girlfriends for relationship advice, older sister for fashion advice, and your mom to comfort you when you come home with a broken heart. But who can do all three, plus many more tips on career, friendship and living life the way you should be living, all in a hilariously witty and addictive language? Our one and only Kelly Cutrone, and no one else. By the time you put down this book, you will feel like you just made a new friend, an aunt and a mom.

Grade: A —Dana Jeong Normal Gets You Nowhere is currently available.

14

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

April 26 @ Avalon DJs play one of the most vital roles at a party, dictating the music and ultimately, the overall mood of the night. When an event features Steve Aoki as the DJ, it can be confidently assumed that pure mayhem will ensue.

Aoki’s recent gig at Hollywood’s electronic music institution Avalon resembled a rowdy frat party but with lasers and an ear ringing sound system. It was the kickoff party for Musication, a new event production group focused on bringing unique events to the college crowd by highlighting college talent and utilizing new innovations.

In addition to Aoki, the night featured a three-way DJ battle between representatives from local universities. DJ Mico (UCLA), DJ Tony Fresch (USC) and DJ Doc P (LMU) all vied for the title of “Best College DJ.” Undergrads literally came by the busloads to proudly cheer on their fellow Bruin, Trojan or Lion, and eventually Fresch was chosen by live text voting to be the victor. After the Trojans basked their victory, the crowd quickly switched focus to the star of the night.

Once the globally famous Aoki stepped behind the tables, the entire venue went bezerk. He extensively spun for over two hours, dropping hits such as “Turbulence,” “Warp,” his remix to Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” and brand new songs from his Dim Mak label, keeping the frenetic crowd dancing all night long.

Unlike most DJs, Aoki frequently interacts with the crowd during his sets, elevating his performances to another stratosphere. He sprayed the front row with champagne, smashed cakes into fans’ faces and did his signature stage diving and crowd surfing.

Aoki’s extreme energy was surely reflected by the crowd as people danced and fist pumped until exhaustion. It was a wild night, and it was nothing less than expected.

—Rex Pham

Explosions in the Sky April 30 @ Hollywood Forever The air was warm and the lawn packed as Explosions in the Sky took to the stage. The band couldn’t have picked a better venue for their first L.A. show in several years. A cemetery was somehow quite fitting for a band as ambient and beautiful as Explosions and their 90-plus-minute set was a thing of haunting brilliance.

For those uninitiated, Explosions in the Sky is an all-instrumental post-rock four piece hailing from Austin, Texas. With their Lone Star flag hanging proudly, the band bobbed and weaved through songs from their musical tenure including several tracks from their latest album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. It was a surprisingly emotional experience for all parties involved.

The sold-out audience didn’t have the kind of stand up and jump around energy associated with most rock acts and most seemed content lying down next to their picnic baskets and stargazing. The outdoor ambience was enhanced by the myriad of tombs and graves surrounding the field and complimented the band’s music tremendously well.

The sound acoustics were similarly impressive, though the lighting setup was at best serviceable Any fans of the band know of their impressive musical range the ability to blend a mellow build up into a blast of sonic intensity. Goosebumps were universally shared during many a moment during the show as the four-piece jammed out with such energy that it became immediately obvious of the passion being put into this performance.

It was difficult to decipher many songs from each other, but it all blended together so well one would be hard pressed to find anyone in the crowd who didn’t find themselves entranced by the performance in its entirety.

One didn’t realize how many fans had flocked into the cemetery park until the show CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 >>>

Become a CAMPUS CIRCLE Fan on Facebook http://bit.ly/dhFhEE MUSICINTERVIEWS

Continue the Cool

by marvin vasquez New Boyz broke off into the summer of 2009 in style, with a soon to be classic hit in the hip-hop community. Remember when almost everyone was doing a peculiar dance to a rather intriguing hip-hop blast?

“You’re a Jerk,” which placed in the Top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, became an instant viral hit. Now, both members of this highly electric duo are getting ready to release Too Cool To Care. This new album features a different version of New Boyz. It is a slightly modified and developed edition of them, as times have changed in the industry.

“The album is definitely way different than the first one we dropped,” Dominic “Legacy” Thomas confesses. “We hope the fans check out the album so that they can see what is up with us now.”

Too Cool To Care’s current single is “Backseat,” featuring the Cataracts and Dev. This track was released in midFebruary, and it is already a hot party track.

“This is like a summery, spring album,” says New Boyz’s Earl “Ben J” Benjamin. “We never want to be stuck in the same category. The first album revolved around the ‘jerk’ movement. With this album, we wanted to be more creative and show ourselves creatively as artists while doing more songs with females, the rock scene and techno. We definitely have songs for every genre.”

So, what is so different and hot about “Backseat” and with

New Boyz in general? Well, the duo experiments with electro hop and electropop, and it sounds extremely good. This is particularly true because of their unique rapping voices.

Interestingly enough, “Backseat” has reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“We just want to prove that we can do something different from the ‘jerk’ era,” Ben J discusses exclusively with Campus Circle. “We are reaching other levels musically.”

And it’s a success. New Boyz attained it in the past when debuting, and they are doing it again.

New Boyz is a hip-hop duo consisting of Ben J and Legacy, who were born within one day of each other in October of 1991. They’re not even 20 years old yet, but these dudes are quite aggressive in the industry. They work hard, and their combined charisma is substantially paying off with positive fan reception.

An example of that is their upcoming gig at this year’s KIIS FM Wango Tango event May 14 at Staples Center. This popular concert festival features the likes of Ke$ha, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Lupe Fiasco, Selena Gomez, T-Pain, Cobra Starship and Jason Derulo, among others. Is this hitting it big? Of course, and I am sure that New Boyz are happy about sharing the stage with so many fascinating musicians from all genres.

Natives of Hesperia (just 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles), Ben J and Legacy met in high school. At first, musical differences set them apart. However, soon enough, both knew that something special could be derived from their passions and distinctive desires musically.

“We met in high school. I used to see him around,” Legacy says. “We both loved music, and we were both rapping. We just came through together. It just happened. Now, we are like brothers.”

MUSICINTERVIEWS

TYDOLLA$IGN In the House

by da ron jackson Tydolla$ign’s big break came when he produced and sang the hook on YG’s hit single “Toot It and Boot It.” The record sped up the charts and became a major launching pad for him, not just as a producer but an artist as well. Since “Toot It,” he’s produced “Patty Cake” for YG and “Hell Yeah” for YG featuring Chris Brown and Tyga, sang on “Go Girl” for Brick Squad’s Joe Moses and “Double Dip” for Problem.

With that success, Tydolla$ign’s debut single “All Star” from his new mixtape, House on the Hill, features powerhouse Swedish House Mafia and Joe Moses. The record has been shown a lot of love on Power 106 and enjoys regular spins at 50-plus stations in its first month.

Campus Circle had the opportunity to interview Tydolla$ign in his L.A. recording studio to get to know him, his influences and what motivates him as an artist. He’s a young and very passionate man with a bright future ahead of him; expect to hear much more from him soon!

How long have you been a fan of music?

Tydolla$ign: I’ve been a fan of music ever since I came out the womb. I have early pictures of me playing the Casio with headphones on, making beats at 3. I got pictures of me with drumsticks beating on the couch pillows. I’ve just loved music ever since I was born.

Smallz + Raskind

NEW BOYZ

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews

Ben J planned to attend San Diego State University in order to play collegiate football, but that quickly changed when deciding to stick around and collaborate with Legacy.

And here they are as New Boyz, with a lot of room to grow and progress in their success.

Ben J knows the duo can reach diverse flow levels, and this is what they formulated on their latest album.

“Our style is automatically hip-hop,” he convincingly adds. “With the hip-hop, we can change our flows. This album right here [Too Cool To Care] is going to be crazy. It is four or five times better than the first one, and it is much more creative.”

Too Cool To Care will be available May 17. New Boyz perform May 14 at Wango Tango. For more information, visit thenewboyz.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews Who are some of your earlier influences?

Some of my earliest influences were Tupac, Snoop Dogg and everything that came out of Death Row. Some of the East Coast stuff too: Erick Sermon, EPMD, Eric B. & Rakim, Pete Rock, J Dilla.

was behind us. So, shout out to Max Gousse! He pressed the button, and from there it was on.

Do you focus a lot on sampling or more so on original tracks?

Sampling, or whatever I’m feeling like at the time is what we gone do. Sometimes Chordz can start the beat like you hear him doing now, so I might go hop on the keys. Sometimes I’ll start up the beat and he’ll hop on the keys. The homie Fuego will hop on Logic. You know what I’m saying? It’s a team effort that goes on around here.

Are there any col– laborations that you would like to share with us that we can look forward to hearing?

Man, it’s gonna be a whole lot of choosy collaborations going on with everybody. Ima just leave it at that. But the mixtape [out], and it’s a whole bunch of choosiness going on there, so you just gotta check that out. [smirks]

How did the collaboration with you and YG come about for “Toot It and Boot It?” My homie Big B hooked us up. I listened to his shit and I was like alright cool. So he came over, and I think “Toot It and Boot It” was like the second song we did (The first one was “Better Ask Somebody.”). We took it and made the song in one day. We performed it. and it was crazy. From then on, we knew it was the one.

“Toot It and Boot It” was actually out for two years prior to receiving any buzz. What happened that made it such a success?

TY: There was no label; there was no machine behind it. It was just us (even though we were the machine), you know what I’m saying? It was just a bunch of us out here promoting.

Everybody knew somebody, so we were able to do shows all around and sell them out. And from that point, DJs had to catch on, although they didn’t really catch on until Def Jam

What’s the name of the mixtape?

It’s called House on the Hill. It’s the experience of the house on the hill and it’s a whole bunch of swag going on, so check that out.

What can you say to the young fans out here who are pursuing music?

Don’t do drugs.

What positive advice can you give as far as how they can push themselves to get their music out there as an artist?

Just worry about performing and getting your fan base, and the rest will follow.

House on the Hill is currently available. For more information, visit facebook.com/tydollasign.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

15

NEWS FILM MUSIC

16

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

GRAPHICNOVELS

CDREVIEWS

Hell House: The Awakening

Howe Gelb & A Band of Gypsies

(Viper) If it’s the author’s job with any book or graphic novel to take the reader on a journey then the writers of the graphic novel Hell House: The Awakening (Chad Feehan and Ryan Dixon) have definitely done so. Hell House: The Awakening follows a group of teachers, workers and students at Covenant Christian Academy in Texas. The school is preparing for their annual Hell House show. For those of you not familiar with Hell Houses, this actually does happen every year. Churches across the United States have a space every October that is used to host their annual Hell House. The space is a haunted house with each room revealing specific sins and terrors of hell, and there is usually a heaven area at the end.

The opening of Hell House: The Awakening finds some of the main characters preparing for their annual hell house. Hitch stands out as one of the few, from the beginning of the novel, who does not seem to hold many of the beliefs of his peers at his school. After Hitch has an angry outburst with the popular campus type rockstar Pastor Craig Simeon in front of the school, he is forced to help out at the annual Hell House or face the consequences of getting expelled. Soon after what begins as a ‘normal’ night for Covenant Christian Academy teens literally turns into a living hell when they are forced to use their wits to survive Hell House. Who survives? What happens to turn Hell House into a nightmare? You’ll have to read Hell House: The Awakening to find out the rest!

From the beginning of the story, the snappy dialogue and graphic pictures (drawn by Tsubasa Yozora) had me hooked. This isn’t a graphic novel for the sensitive type. I found many connections between the characters’ struggles and the reality of our world today. We live in a world where religious fighting still happens. A world where someone could murder or steal from someone and attend church the next day if they’re not caught.

A world where it’s OK to bomb civilians if they don’t believe what you believe. It’s admirable that Hell House: The Awakening tries to tackle such a sensitive subject and provide entertainment so that it doesn’t come off as too preachy.

How would this fit in with Hollywood? Well, many books and graphic novels are the inspiration for many great films and TV. Several religious groups were up in arms about the Da Vinci Code, and did that hurt the film? On the contrary, such press actually helped the film to open big worldwide. Another plus is that Hell House: The Awakening combines religion, irony, romance, satire and horror. It brings to mind a combination of AMC’S “The Walking Dead” and the movie Saved. It could make a great scary film with possible sequels or a successful TV series with a couple of seasons on a cable network.

Many of the themes in Hell House: The Awakening are relevant today. But at the end of the day, the graphic novel seems to ask, who the hell are we to judge? Hitch, the main character and one of the heroes of the story, summed it up perfectly when he addressed a diverse group of people that would not normally have been together in any other situation. “We are here. We need to stick together. That’s all that matters,” he says. That’s an awesome way to think about the world we live in today. Hell House: The Awakening effectively brings such an idea to life.

—Sola Fasehun Hell House: The Awakening is currently available.

Alegrias (Fire) Since Tucson-based Howe Gelb has long incorporated the sounds of the country’s southwestern border into his music it’s not really a surprise that he would make the leap from his fairly standard M.O., utilizing strummed acoustic guitar as might be heard in a cantina, to this fully-realized flamencoflavored album. Gelb’s music, whether performed solo or with his band Giant Sand has never lacked for authenticity, but some will no doubt see this album featuring virtuoso flamenco guitarist Raimundo Amador (Björk, B.B. King) as a move into a more serious realm.

In reality after 20 albums or so it’s just another case of Gelb exploring a side road, but what an interesting avenida he’s meandered down this time. Amador’s subtle flourishes are the perfect accompaniment to Gelb’s understated, morespoken-than-sung Leonard Cohen-like lyrics on songs like “4 Door Maverick,” giving Gelb the cachet of super-hip Eurodude. “Uneven Light of Day” is performed at a fast pace yet it has slow-dance samba at its core, as does the more romantic “The Ballad of Lole y Manuel.” Gelb gives Amador free rein throughout, and the result is nothing short of stunning on cuts like “Cowboy Boots on Cobblestone” where Amador’s energetic playing places those cobblestones firmly in Cordoba, Spain, which is where the album was recorded.

A couple of non-flamenco cuts come mid-album (the typically Giant Sand-ish “Blood Orange” and the brief instrumental “Lost Like a Boat Full of Rice”), but overall Alegrias is almost all you need to enjoy a virtual trip to sunny Andalucia; just pour yourself a glass of good sherry to put this one over the top.

Grade: A —Kevin Wierzbicki Alegrias is currently available.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Joan of Arc Life Like (Polyvinyl) Rock group Joan of Arc add another solid album to their discography with Life Like. Expanding towards a different direction, Life Like sheds the electronic coats from previous records while focusing more on organic musical jam collaboration. The opening seven minutes feature a drumand-bass interaction lead by stellar guitar melodies that linger through the end. Tempos are quickly modified during tracks, altering the musical direction if only for a second until an onslaught of fast riffs split across the core.

Frontman Tim Kinsella drifts between soft-spoken words to wailing screams during second track “Love Life.” The emotionally driven momentum carries through each song.

With the addition of Victor Villarreal on guitars, the album remains heavily reliant on his scrupulous playing. Life Like is a well-balanced record that focuses more on musical explosions than profound lyrical content.

Grade: A —Jacob Gaitan Life Like is currently available.

Paul Chesne Band PCB (Self-released) The first album by the Paul Chesne Band was great: dirty rocking tunes with a bit of groove and country flavor. Their latest effort blows it out of the water. I’ve been trying to find something wrong with it, and I can’t. This album sounds amazing when it comes to production, but I doubt there’s any way you could make these songs sound bad. The range on each track feels larger than life and gives you something to sing along to, but more importantly, something to party along with. If there ever was an album for the summer, this is it!

The thing that makes this album beat anything that’s come out in 2011 is the range; the songs aren’t just about empty bottles and women. Hauntingly powerful tracks like “Face

Campus Circle > Music > CD Reviews in the Dirt” will get you yelling out loud, and the driving mo– mentum coupled with Chesne’s lyrics on “You Only Live Once” will keep even the hardest souls hard pressed from sitting still.

Being able to capture this elec– trifying performance band on an album is the icing on the cake. Not sounding overproduced, this record truly gives an honest representation of what the Paul Chesne Band sounds like live. Pick this up as soon as you can at a show (May 13 at Brennan’s Pub, May 20 at Basement Tavern or May 28 at O’Brien’s Pub) or via the Web site (paulchesne.com), and learn all the songs so you’re not the only one not singing along next time, especially when they talk about getting high with the Border Patrol. Yee Haw! Grade: A —David Tobin PCB is currently available at paulchesne.com.

Skold Anomie (Metropolis) Tim Skold is no stranger to the industrial music scene. Known for his days in KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Shotgun Messiah, Skold returns with his first solo effort in 15 years.

Filled with pulsating bass chords and gritty rock melodies, Anomie features material for both club scenes and headbanging pits. The album includes contagious guitar solos that instantly settle inside minds causing adrenaline outbursts of musical ecstasy.

The slow paced harmonies in “And Then We Die” are featured alongside the dance floor anthem “Suck” that demands bodies chanting along while stomping to the catchy chorus.

The album veers towards a more destructive and aggressive tone with “Angel of Noise,” delivering a four-minute warpath that desecrates anything in sight. Written and produced solely

by Skold, this album exposes his musical insanity one track at a time keeping listeners aching for more.

Grade: A —Jacob Gaitan Anomie is currently available.

This Will Destroy You Tunnel Blanket (Suicide Squeeze) Instrumental rock group This Will Destroy You releases their sophomore album that invokes thought provoking rhythms, which are heavily driven by emotional renditions.

Tunnel Blanket begins with a passive melody suited for any outdoor landscape experience and gently graduates towards a chaotic musical destruction of guitar riff distortions and anarchy infused drumbeats. Their ability to combine a broad spectrum of elements in each song summarizes who they are creatively.

Tunnel Blanket reflects a thematic background that could fit perfectly as a score for any action film. They merge multiple sound layers across eight tracks without fear of spending time on quiet airspace. The album figuratively satisfies all senses while gradually manifesting into a climactic experience.

Although never uttering a single word, each track surpasses any barrier that would be filled with lyrical content. Past its lingering scenery of musical gloom lays a well-crafted album that provokes creativity and passion.

Grade: A —Jacob Gaitan Tunnel Blanket is currently available.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle FREQUENCY by brien overly Kevin Devine Katie Bell Moore

May 11, 18 & 25 @ Hotel Café Singer-songwriter types are a dime a dozen, I know, especially ones whose names are said in same breath as Elliott Smith. Granted, I love me some Smith, but by now he’s lost all meaning as far as being an accurate of Montreal bring the quirky to Avalon May 14. yardstick to gauge what an artist sounds like when the honorable Smith name is dropped as an influence. Contrary to what the masses and Wikipedia might believe though, I wouldn’t utter El Smith in the same sentence as Kevin Devine. As hauntingly emotive as Devine can be when he starts crooning with an acoustic guitar in hand, there’s that tiny tinge of both nostalgia and optimism present when he sings. Just enough that you won’t actually want to kill yourself after listening to Devine, despite the fact he’ll have just put you through the emotional wringer by the time he finishes his set. The dude’s been putting out albums for nearly a decade though now, so it’s no surprise that he’s got surgeon-like precision when tugging at your heartstrings.

Take Action Tour May 12 @ House of Blues Sunset Strip Just another friendly reminder for anyone who missed last week because they were doing something super crazy, life-and-death important or whatever, that every band on this bill is awesome and worth the ticket price alone. Polar Bear Club and Silverstein are master face melters when it comes to anthemic post-hardcore rock, and both Bayside and the Swellers will inspire even the manliest, most brutal of dudes to want to sing along to their more melodic stylings. Granted, Texas in July is slightly the odd man out, bringing the heavy heavy representation to the tour, but the dudes do some killer guitar breakdowns, even if the whole “frontman making feral wildcat noises” thing isn’t as much up your alley.

Point being, this is your only opportunity this week to really drink and be merry with copious amounts of gang vocal yell-along opportunities. Please use it wisely.

The Kills May 13 @ The Music Box May 14 @ Fox Theater I implore all of you, please find a current frontwoman in rock who is more of a badass than Alison Mosshart. I argue that it can’t be done, but I welcome any who challenge the statement. Whether she’s fronting the Kills or sharing bandleader duties with Jack White for the Dead Weather, Mosshart is definitive indie-punk awesomeness. Given that you’ve probably already had the Dead Weather singles beaten into your skull relentlessly by all forms of rock media, Mosshart’s work fronting the Kills shows a very different side of her vocal and stylistic capability. Calm, cool and collected, she and guitarist Jamie Hince exude quiet cool, no voice raising necessary. Still as chaotic and unpredictable as Mosshart’s other work, the Kills bring a dark and sexy coolness with their brand of garage rock.

of Montreal May 14 @ Avalon Just listening to of Montreal, you wouldn’t expect their live show to be as crazy and off the wall as it is. I mean, it’s very catchy, infectious pop, with stream of consciousness style lyrics that beg to be sung along to and frontman Kevin Barnes signature deadpan monotone mixed with the occasional falsetto. Semi-quirky, fun pop, end of story – until you see them play live. That’s when the magic happens. Without wanting to spoil too much, suffice to say it’s … what people who don’t do drugs think doing drugs is like.

The Daylights May 14 @ Hotel Café Since the other picks of this week’s Frequency generally come back to slightly more positive notes with their music as a whole, I have to give you something to indulge your inner emo kid. Don’t let their grown-up sounding almost-adult-contemporary vibe fool you; the Daylights are masterful storytellers with their songs. Honest, raw and sometimes brutally emotive, the melodic rock threesome is unmatched when it comes to creating a dark and moody atmosphere with their music and delivering an emotional punch to match.

The Elected May 17 @ The Troubadour With the kind of sunny dreampop you could see yourself blasting as you drive down PCH into a ’60s style sepia-toned sunset, the Elected might have written the quintessential soundtrack to the SoCal summer. Frontman Blake Sennett’s signature melancholy crooning evokes feelings of simpler times without sacrificing his likewise signature lyrical intellectualism. Even in the darkest of L.A. music clubs, Sennett brings the sepia-toned sunshine with him whenever he takes to the stage.

LIVESHOWREVIEWS <<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 was over.

It was more or less a somber, sobering experience as the quiet mob of fans exited the park.

What we had gone through was a musical experience not simply a concert.

Guitarist Munaf Rayani closed the night with a quote that would be representative of the entire night thanking the audience and proclaiming that it was “one of the most beautiful things they’ve ever been a part of.”

I don’t think anyone in the audience could have said it better.

—Zach Bourque

James Blunt May 4 @ The Wiltern “We’re in L.A., baby,” James Blunt happily said at one point during the show.

A dreamer and an entertainer he is. Blunt thoroughly pleased a packed venue from start to finish, singing tracks from his complete repertoire that dates back to 2005.

He began his show, which included a fabulous opening act from 24-year-old Christina Perri, surprisingly walked throughout a side of the pit before jumping on stage.

The crowd was more than satisfied with the unique start.

Thereafter, Blunt simply delivered with various romantic songs and other upbeat tunes that created a prolific musical celebration.

A five-time Grammy nominee, Blunt has stayed true to his roots of soft, pop and folk rock.

What makes him a fine singer-songwriter is the distinctive lyrics in each song, but his distinguished voice set him apart from others within his genre. For example, “You’re Beautiful” and “Goodbye My Lover” rocked the house. Left to right, front to back, the audience sang along.

Aside from tracks off Back to Bedlam (2005) and All the Lost Souls (2007), the concert featured nearly most of the melodies from his latest release, titled Some Kind of Trouble.

Some of these included “Superstar,” “Dangerous,” “I’ll be Your Man” and the contagious “Stay the Night.”

—Edison Pelota

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

17

NEWS FILM MUSIC

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

MUSICNOTES

CELEBRITY COOL Needs a Rebirth

by eva recinos Years ago, when Andy Warhol said that everyone would get his/her 15 minutes of fame, perhaps no one realized the weight of this statement. But in our YouTube, Facebook News Feed, Twitter world, we totally get it.

And so does the music industry. Using the Internet, musicians can manipulate this torrential overflow of speedy information to jumpstart their careers, uploading their GarageBand tracks to their MySpace or Facebook and deeming themselves musicians.

But the most disconcerting – or exciting, depending which way you look at it – part of this current information frenzy is that even musicians who are extremely famous resort to the Internet to get their tracks out there. No longer is there a sense that these celebrities are all that hard to get.

You can catch their Tweets and Facebook statuses, which are (supposedly) straight from them. You can comment on their photos. You can tag them in your status or your comments.

You can listen to their tracks in their entirety, or parts of it, without even having to visit iTunes. This is the age where artists are getting with the booming trend that is the Internet but losing their authentic status of celebrity in the process.

OFWGKTA, with its prolific free tracks online, admits it

Campus Circle > Music > Music Notes even in its name. This is an odd future for the music industry, indeed. Not just because of the onslaught of strange music videos and online tracks (not just from Odd Future), but because of the way that bands are carving their identities in the music world.

Battling to gain fame but still make money, musicians have to figure out how to make themselves celebrities quickly, like through the free resource of the Web while becoming famous and getting rich. And perhaps what will mediate both is bringing back the celebrity status that the Internet age has lost. Yes, a lot of artists would have sold thousands or millions more records a decade ago in a better CD climate, but ultimately the artists are in control of their status today, Internet or not.

Back in December of last year, music-world veteran Ozzy Osbourne told Us Weekly that Lady Gaga was “just too overexposed.” Bitter words from an artist whose career is waning? Or wise ones from someone who managed to keep enough success and popularity to last him over 40 years?

You know who Osbourne is, so the answer is the latter.

Exercising a bit more discretion, as Osbourne states, might be the key to battling an era that moves on from musician to musician quickly and is absolutely barraged with the many indie acts out there. Today Gaga is still offering you new single after single and two different versions of her new album. Also, HBO aired her Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden last weekend.

The story of the struggling artists wanting to make a name for themselves is always going to be the same story. The same goes for the musician who is caught up in fame and is continually releasing track after track.

But the story we haven’t heard in some time is the musician who hangs low and creates a personality no one

MUSICREPORT bennymarchant.com.

Swimming With Dolphins Remix Contest

Have a Beer to Honor Robert Johnson

Swimming With Dolphins and Tooth and Nail Records have launched the “Sleep to Dream” Remix Opportunity on Indaba Music and are offering $1000 cash to the best remixer. Wouldbe producers will find everything they need at IndabaMusic. com to construct and submit their version of “Sleep to Dream,” the first single from the upcoming Swimming With Dolphins album, Water Colours.

The Grand Prize winner gets the money, a signed copy of Water Colours and other band merch and will have their remix featured on all of the band’s Web sites. Two runners-up get the signed album, merch and a year-long Indaba Pro membership while 10 entrants get an honorable mention prize of the Indaba Pro membership. Winners will be determined in part by fan voting. Submissions must be in by May 25.

It’s hard to believe, but the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, the guy who supposedly gave his soul to the devil in exchange for guitar playing prowess, only made 42 recordings.

Johnson died at the tender age of 27, and this month marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. In homage to the milestone Columbia/Legacy Records has just released The Centennial Collection; a 2-CD set containing all of Johnson’s known recordings – 29 songs and 13 alternate takes.

But that’s not all! Thanks to Dogfish Head Craft Brewery you can now get your buzz on while you get your blues on by swigging their small-quantity limited-run Robert Johnson commemorative brew, Hellhound on my Ale. The drink’s name is a play on words taken from one of Johnson’s most famous songs, “Hell Hound on my Trail.” Hellhound is available in California and about half of the other States.

The calendar says that we’re just a little over a month from the beginning of summer, but according to Los Angelesbased folk rocker Benny Marchant, there’s some cold weather coming. Or rather, Cold Weather is coming, as Marchant’s debut full-length album is set to drop May 31.

The singer-songwriter says that last year’s five-cut Conversations Missed EP gave only a hint of what’s blowing in with Cold Weather.

“I didn’t want to give too much away, but I really wanted to give a great and balanced representation of myself and the upcoming full-length album,” explains Marchant. “I think I did a good job with that. I want the listener to know that I’m not trying to be a catchy commercial pop artist.”

Look for a local show to be announced soon at

18

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

can quite crack. What the music industry needs right now is not someone who is so obviously clamoring for stardom, but someone so frustratingly elusive that music fans will be fighting to know all they can – and maybe even actually purchase a track or two.

Of course, any music fan would be turned off by the prospect of having to buy music when illegal and free tracks sound so much better. But bringing back the genuine celebrity status might be one step in alleviating the barrage of information out there and bringing the attention back to the excitement of purchasing a song or buying a concert ticket.

What the music industry needs is to cause fans to feel something they haven’t authentically felt in a long time. That tickling in the stomach, that case of nervous giggles. Call it musical anxiety, call it excited waiting.

This doesn’t mean abandoning the Internet as a tool for stardom completely, it means taking the idea of fame seriously and realizing that being a true musician is different from being a kid with GarageBand, and being a true celebrity means making the audience work to get you.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Report

by kevin wierzbicki

Benny Marchant: Cold Weather on the Way

Ozzy thinks more musicians should exercise discretion.

Josh Groban Tickets Discounted for Students Josh Groban is about to embark on his first full-scale global arena tour in four years; although the Straight to You World Tour has Groban playing large venues, several things are being done to give the shows a more intimate feel.

The stage has been designed and will be lighted in a manner that gives the impression of a smaller venue, and Groban will lessen the distance between himself and audience members by taking questions via text during the show and answering them between songs.

“Gearing up for a tour, there’s always the anticipation of something special; the excitement of traveling across the country and the world, of meeting and sharing with the fans, of exploring musical worlds in a way not possible in the

Win cash by remixing a Swimming With Dolphins track. studio,” Groban says. “It’s the most fun I have in my whole career, and I want it to be the most fun my fans have as well.”

Those who present a valid student ID at the box office at any Straight to You show can purchase a ticket for $25. The tour’s Los Angeles stop is Aug. 17 at the Staples Center.

Half Notes Liverpool band the Wombats have released a new album, The Wombats Proudly Present… This Modern Glitch. The band is crossing the pond for a few select shows in conjunction with the release, one of which will be at the Troubadour June 1.

Iron and Wine and the Low Anthem are releasing cuts from their recent Daytrotter.com sessions on vinyl as a 12inch split release. Daytrotter Sessions features four songs from each act.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle

Alexandra Valenti

MUSICINTERVIEWS

THE BLACK ANGELS Seeing Light Where There’s None by richard castaÑEDA Doc Brown had a DeLorean and H.G. Wells had a time machine to travel back in time, but Austin-based Black Angels need only their instruments to bring back the ’60s and ’70s with their intrepid take on psychedelic rock.

That era of hippies, counter culture, war, heavy drugs and experimentation ferment in each fuzzy, brooding note the Black Angels produce in their music. It’s easy to dispel them as a stoner rock band because of their drawn-out songs and vocals that evoke Grace Slick’s, but there’s more to their brand of rock than any label can hope to sum up.

“The music in the ’60s, specifically, was the most creative time in American music,” frontman Alex Maas says. “There was a lot of turmoil and a scary future, and I think a lot [of] creativity was spawned [from that]. I think that whenever things are easy, there’s less creativity because [people] aren’t inspired by anything.”

Maas finds labels funny. He doesn’t mind the stoner rock references or the variations of psychedelic rock that are bestowed on the Black Angels. All that matters to him is how you get to the music and whether you enjoy it.

“Everybody has references. It’s like, ‘How are they trying to convey the message?’ You have to have a reference point,” Maas says. “I think [labels] are kind of fun to make up. We used to call our music Native-American drum and roll.”

Like a matryoshka doll, the Black Angels shed their layers to the core and rebuilt. They scaled their drone-y guitars back a bit and incorporated a faster rhythm section with vocals to compliment. Their first two albums suggested a sound the Black Angels were trapped inside, but 2010’s Phosphene Dream breaks through their sometimes-monotonous sound and evolves it without straying too far from their roots.

Phosphene Dream is a record of firsts. It’s the first Black Angels album to be recorded outside of Austin (at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles) and their first record on a new label (Blue Horizon). The band continued breaking out of their shell by working with renowned producer, Dave Sardy (Oasis, OK GO, Marilyn Manson).

“It was amazing. For one thing, we’d never worked with a producer before. Before we ever met Dave [Sardy], we were kind of like ‘I don’t know. It could be weird,’ but it worked for the Beatles so it could be great,” Maas continues. “He would encourage us to try different things, get us out of our comfort zone. [He] helped the band evolve in ways that we weren’t trying.”

In a phosphene phenomenon, the retina interprets light when there is none. The most common phosphene experience you can have is by rubbing your eyes. The ensuing bursts of color and light are the product of pressure being directed onto the retina. The phenomenon serves as a theme to this brand-new Black Angels who believe cool music is congruent to cool imagery.

“We’ve always been big on having the package represent the sound. I remember going to record stores and buying CDs when I was younger and thinking if the albums look cool, it’ll probably have one or two good tracks on it,” Maas says with a laugh.

The Austin quintet continues to make splashes in the underground scene, particularly SXSW, and have their music featured on TV shows like “Fringe” and “Californication,” yet the mainstream eludes them.

“I think there are tons of amazing bands right now, but not a lot of people know about them because you have people controlling what people listen to. Although we have control ourselves with the Internet, the majority of people are listening to the radio,” Maas says.

Maas isn’t in pursuit of music industry accolades or a spot on the Billboard Top 40 to vindicate his musical vision. He simply wants more people to check him out. The band’s profile continues to grow with major collaborations like the two he’s had with famed British band UNKLE and spots on soundtracks.

It’s all about music, and great bands understand that. Bands with huge followings can pander to the masses, but for people who want something with more meaning, there are bands like the Black Angels who deliver without compromise.

The Black Angels perform May 14 at Fox Theater and May 15 at the El Rey. For more information, visit theblackangels.com.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

19

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art Beauty Books Fashion Food Gaming Special Features Theater Travel

ONTHEMENU

FRESHEAST

8951 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood by erica carter The concept of fast casual has been gaining momentum in the past three years. Working under the notion that the food you’re consuming may have been prepared quickly but is still healthy, places like Panda Express and Chipotle have been praised for their renditions. My issue with those places is not only are they not very good, but one happens to be produced by a certain corporate conglomerate: McDonald’s. Knowing this ruins the feeling that I’m getting quick, fresh, healthy food with sustainable products … instead it feels like some sort of automated food assembly. No thanks!

Fresheast, a new Asian influenced fast-casual concept in West Hollywood, is working to up the standards on our ideas of good food quick. Created by Ravine Hiranand, his goal was to build a space that “brings the diversity of Asian cooking at a great price point, while educating on healthy cooking and a healthy environment.”

The restaurant’s environment is literally green and gives the impression that you are about to embark on a healthy culinary journey. Most of the design of fresheast is eco-friendly, taking the bright colors from the countries fresheast’s cuisine borrows from. There are rich hues of blue (Japan), yellow (India) and deep purples (Korea) on the walls when you step in. The shelves, tables and counters are derived

Campus Circle > Culture > Graphic Novels from reclaimed wood and the “silverware” is all disposable, 100-percent recyclable materials. I felt like, wow, I haven’t even tried the menu yet, but I already felt a lot of thought went into this feng shui space.

Hiranand teamed up with renowned chef from Hotel Bel Air Jonathan Schwichtenberg to create an organic menu with heavy emphasis on spices from Thailand, India and Japan.

These in-house made spices provide the flavor profiles for the certified natural meats and local vegetables. Since fresheast does not use standard flavor agents like butter and salt, this requires a lot of creativity to produce genuine tasteful food, and fresheast has shown it is up to the challenge with items like the 5 Spice Glazed Salmon, a good-sized portion of organic salmon accompanied with brown rice and asparagus, and the Spicy Garlic Noodles with seasonal vegetables.

The vegan items are made in a separate pan to adhere to vegan standards, and none of the items use nuts – a big plus for those with allergies.

The Larb Gai Bowl, Jidori chicken mixed with red onion, mint, cilantro and lettuc served over rice noodles. Another favorite, the Indian Vegetable Curry Bowl, is accompanied by white or brown rice, flash-cooked vegetables and red lentil dal. If white or brown rice is not your thing to eat when ordering one of the bowls, you can order quinoa, which is not quite a grain but has a nice fluffy texture.

Even though the food is geared towards staying healthy, you can order beer, wine and sake – organic of course! Nothing like a crisp California chardonnay paired with a Tandoori Shrimp Salad or an Angus Beef Fe Burger! Fresheast has a juice bar with everything made to order. I had the signature juice, as I am a big fan of spinach and kale. I know it sounds weird but paired with oranges, apples, lemon and beets, you hardly know the green vegetables are there. Your body will feel

BARFLY

FATHER’s OFFICE

3229 Helms Ave., Culver City 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica by john stapleton IV The reason you sneak into your parents’ rooms when you’re a kid is because there’s cool shit in there – if there wasn’t, they wouldn’t try so hard to keep you out – and nothing is as sacred or taboo as dad’s workroom. But life is full of disappointments, and just like the day you discovered that Santa Claus was fake and that your dog didn’t actually run away last summer and that Harry and Hermione were never going to be together, you eventually find out that your dad’s double-locked repository wasn’t hiding anything but a stash of brandy and a bunch of nude photographs that look a lot like mom. For an experience less scarring than your father’s office, try Father’s Office.

If you were reading this out loud in a crowd of people just now, someone inevitably yelled out, “Try the Office Burger!” I am not psychic, this just happens. Every. Single.

Time. For reasons that remain mysterious, people can’t help recommending this menu item to anyone who even mentions the bar Father’s Office.

20

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

Fresheast’s Spicy Garlic Noodles are healthy and delicious. a lot better after consuming it, far superior to soft drinks and “light” iced teas, that’s for sure. But if that’s too adventurous, I recommend Mango Lassi, a very popular Indian drink with fresh mango, yogurt and raw, organic palm sugar.

Fresheast also serves seasonal sorbets and yogurts, again using locally sourced ingredients. They are lactose-intolerant friendly, which makes me happy, so I can try a new flavor on my next visit.

I think fresheast has definitely raised the fast casual bar, making all of these delicious options and still staying within a reasonable budget. None of the menu items are priced higher than $12.95 (the highest being for salmon and lamb entrees), and if you were to purchase an entire bottle of wine for you and your guests, they range from $15 to $19. Also, fresheast offers a 10-percent discount to those driving a hybrid or electric vehicle, or if you have arrived by bike.

With plans on expanding in the near future, fresheast is likely attracting even more health-conscious diners, with great flavors and affordable prices.

For more information, visit fresheast.com.

Campus Circle > Blogs > Barfly I understand that this burger – which you cannot alter in any way – is supposed to be good, but I don’t understand why people who haven’t ever tried it still insist on everyone else trying it. I didn’t, but not because I felt like sticking it to conventional wisdom. First of all, every patron I talked to called the burger “famous” or “popular” or “renowned,” but nobody said that it actually tasted good. This makes me think the Office Burger is more of culinary celebrity than a distinguished delicacy. Plus, I’m a college student – I don’t have 13 bucks to spend on a slice of dead cow. Despite the Office Burger debacle, my palette and pocketbook are more inclined to beer than beef, and beer is something Father’s Office has in spades.

When asked what made Father’s Office one of the mostrecommended bars in the area, doorman Adam Hebel says, “It’s the selection; the product. It’s good beers, good wine, good spirits – and free parking.”

While the close parking is appreciated, the beer selection was sensational; eliciting the kind of feeling your father’s office simply couldn’t live up to. There are seemingly more microbrew beers to choose from than you could count, covering a range from super-sweet berry ciders to hungersating double-bocks.

The spouts cover an entire, enormous wall on the backside of the building, and face the bar’s spacious indoor seating and luxurious outdoor patio, which runs the length of Father’s Office. The mood is mellowed, almost sophisticated, but there’s an undercurrent of youthful exuberance that can’t be ignored.

“It’s an adult establishment. No kids allowed,” says Hebel, “but there was a line of people waiting for seating earlier – and it’s Monday.”

You can try Father’s Office at either of it’s two west L.A.

Brian White

NEWS

Father’s Office is über fun and lives up to its hype. locations: one near Lincoln and Montana in Santa Monica; one just off of Venice in Culver City’s recently revamped Helm’s Avenue Walk. Whatever preconceived notions you might have about Culver City, this bar defies them. It’s significantly more upscale than what you’re used to finding there, but the amicable bartenders and chatty crowd keep it from being stuffy or pretentious. It might be hard to find a bar (or anything at all really) this comprehensively wonderful in Culver City of all places, but Father’s Office doesn’t rest on its noble novelty, outdoing itself by providing a gourmet menu, myriads of microbrews, and an über-fun hiding place that lives up to its hype.

In a world rife with inadequacy, Father’s Office will give you something to believe in.

For more information, visit fathersoffice.com.

Become a CAMPUS CIRCLE Fan on Facebook http://bit.ly/dhFhEE JETSETTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WHAT’S SO FUNNY? ONLY 3 PERFORMANCES!

Pacific Palisades California – May 5, 2011 – Westside Waldorf School parents have brought together old friends from world-renown Second City Comedy Theatre group and “313” a Second-City improv spin-off group to present a night of vintage comedy sketches, live improv and standup : “What’s So Funny?” a fundraising benefit show for the Eighth Grade class in support of their outdoor trip down the San Juan River.

The three shows will include comedy sketches, improv and stand up featuring Second City Alumni and other funny folks including Bernadette Birkett, Danny Breen, Ken Campbell, Larry Joe Campbell, Joe Canale, Andy Cobb, Cameron Daddo, Gabriella Francis, Joshua Funk, Nyima Funk, Brian Gallivan, Mike Hagerty, Isabella Hofmann, Mark Evan Jackson, Rob Janas, Maureen Kelly, Keegan-Michael Key, Rich Kind, Joe Liss, Jane Morris, Ed O'Neill, Rick Overton, Ruthie Rudnick, and Holly Wortell. Piano by Fred Kaz

The sport of skimboarding was born in Laguna Beach.

LIVIN’ LA VIDA LAGUNA by jessica koslow

Fifty miles south of Los Angeles, Laguna Beach lies between Newport Beach and Dana Point. You can’t walk a block in Laguna without running into an art gallery, museum, artist studio, public art piece, outdoor market or supply shop. It’s amazing how much art is packed into one seaside city. There is also no shortage of indoor and outdoor exploits to entertain visitors.

Students flock to this land of beautiful bodies and beaming smiles not only to attend Laguna College of Art + Design (lagunacollege.edu) but also for playtime with waterfront activities and the vibrant nightlife. Try your hand at surfing, kayaking or paddle boarding either on your own or with the experts. La Vida Laguna (lavidalaguna.com) offers instruction in all three sports, plus it provides combo fun like a Kayak and Hike Tour.

More amusement can be had in the hills of the Nix Nature Center (lagunacanyon. org), where you can explore any or all of the five trails and wander through just a section of Laguna’s 20,000 acres of wilderness. One popular option is a walk through Crystal Cove State Park to the shore, where you can dip in the sea to cool off and see creatures in tide pools.

What makes Laguna stand out from the myriad of beaches littering the SoCal coast is its focus on art. Laguna hosts its own First Thursdays Art Walk (firstthursdaysartwalk. com), the Laguna Art Museum (lagunaartmuseum.org) and the Laguna Dance Festival (lagunadancefestival.org), which celebrated its sixth season this past April with a special performance by “Kings of the Dance” star Desmond Richardson. Artsy (and non-artsy) folk can take art classes at Sawdust Studio (sawduststudioartclasses.com) or create their own self-guided tour of the Laguna Beach Public Art Collection (There are more than 70 pieces on view around town.).

Even if you’re in Laguna for the day or just don’t have time to take in any of its celebrated sights, just lounging on Main Beach is extremely fun. There are basketball and volleyball courts and usually a fest (i.e., KelpFest 2011) or outdoor arts and crafts market.

You’re also just steps away from Forest Avenue, where shops, restaurants and galleries extend for several blocks. There is even a Hi De Ho Comics nearby.

When you can pull yourself away from the hot bods on the beach long enough to feed yourself, stop by Sundried Tomato (sundriedtomatocafe.com) for lunch. Happy Hour happens every day at the bar from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The staff is comprised of friendly faces and cute chicas, and the food tickles your taste buds. Plus, its list of scrumptious salads makes eating light easy. Then it’s back to the beach for more eye candy.

For dinner, nobody serves a meal like Alessa (cucinaalessa.com). Chef Alessandro Pirozzi already has locations in Newport and Huntington beaches, and now he’s wowing ’em in Laguna as well. Presentation and atmosphere are just two elements of his winning formula. Following Laguna’s theme of art everywhere, each dish is like a sculpture.

Pirozzi walks around greeting peeps like old friends, asking how they’re enjoying their food. Customers unanimously agree: It’s good till the last drop.

If you’re the type of person that likes to stay within your comfort zone, Johnny Rockets can satisfy a burger fix.

After a full day of soaking up Laguna life, and an even longer night of hanging at the Rooftop Lounge at Hotel La Casa del Camino or dancing at Brussels Bistro, it’s wise to turn in close to the sand, where the action starts all over again in the a.m. Laguna Cliffs Inn (lagunacliffsinn.com) is only one block from the beach. The rooms were recently remodeled, and guests get a basket of complimentary breakfast treats. The ladies at the front desk are more than helpful about suggesting places to go and dispensing directions.

On your way into or out of your room, you have the bonus of taking a refreshing dip in the pool and relaxing soak in the jacuzzi. There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing.

Because the weather is spectacular all year round, and there are always events on the calendar (art and non-art), any time is the right time to take a trip to Laguna Beach.

For more information, visit lagunabeachinfo.com.

Friday, May 20 (Evening) Saturday, May 21 (Matinee) Saturday, May 21 (Evening) Tickets $20 online pre-sale ($25 at the door), not recommended for 14 & under Now available at: http://whatsofunny.eventbrite.com

Come early and enjoy live music pre-show and a delicious dinner: Pre-show: Appetizer Artisan Bread, Cheese, Olive Tapenade, Quince Paste & Fruit $7, Mixed Greens with Orange Citron Vinaigrette small $4 large $7, Dinner plate of Sweet Onion Polenta Stew with Butternut Squash, Zucchini and Peas, Fresh Cream and Roasted Almonds ground with Paprika served with side salad and bread $13 Desserts ~ Chocolate Espresso Cake, Almond Shortbread Cookies, Macaroons, Hot and cold drinks

Westside Waldorf School 17310 West Sunset Boulevard Pacific Palisades, CA www.westsidewaldorf.org **Richard Kind and Danny Breen are available for press/radio interviews.

Contact: Moira Prophet-Siskind 310-529-5211 Westside Waldorf School 310-454-7064 ext. 0 http://www.facebook.com/WestsideWaldorf

LARGE 3 TOPPING PIZZA

$10.99

WHAT’S SO FUNNY 4.875" X 5.9" Agoura Hills (818) 707-2121 • Culver City (323) 296-1543 • Encino (818) 990-8820 CAMPUS CIRCLE Glendale (818) 247-1946 • Granada WEDNESDAY: 5/11Hills (818) 831-1245 • Huntington Beach (714) 964-5926

Koreatown (213) 386-6884 • Lawndale (310) 214-8704 • North Hollywood (818) 766-7184 • Pacoima (818) 890-5515 PalmdaleALL.WSF-A1-P.0511.CAM (661) 947-4545 • Pasadena (626) 577-1723 • Saugus (661) 259-3895 • Simi Valley (805) 522-2586 Van Nuys (818) 786-3204 • Wilshire/Highland (323) 939-7661 • Winnetka (818) 700-0509 TS TS

Expires 6/30/11

LARGE 3 TOPPING PIZZA

$10.99

Agoura Hills (818) 707-2121 • Culver City (323) 296-1543 • Encino (818) 990-8820 Glendale (818) 247-1946 • Granada Hills (818) 831-1245 • Huntington Beach (714) 964-5926 Koreatown (213) 386-6884 • Lawndale (310) 214-8704 • North Hollywood (818) 766-7184 • Pacoima (818) 890-5515 Palmdale (661) 947-4545 • Pasadena (626) 577-1723 • Saugus (661) 259-3895 • Simi Valley (805) 522-2586 Van Nuys (818) 786-3204 • Wilshire/Highland (323) 939-7661 • Winnetka (818) 700-0509

Expires 6/30/11

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

21

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD

GAMING

SPORTS

MEDIA BLOGS Baseball Basketball Football Soccer

THEDIAMONDDISPATCH

DODGERS LOOKING BACK It’s time for ... a change of ownership. by dov rudnick If you’ve driven the streets of Los Angeles in the last couple months you’ve probably seen the billboards.

“It’s Time For Dodger Baseball” they read and vary on the theme, time for this or that. In each instance calling toward nostalgia, the good ol’ days, if you will. Looking back, the ad campaign seems to say: Recall happy memories of sunny youthful days, be touched by the endurance of our national pastime and those loveable Dodgers. With a simple and downhome layout using only the classic Dodger logo, the campaign seems designed to pull on heartstrings and fond memories.

It is markedly different from the loud and flashy “This Is My Town” of recent years. On the one hand, the new campaign would seem an improvement. There was something a tad unnerving vulgar about the “My Town” slogan in light of the bitter McCourt divorce trial deciding ownership of the team.

The latest campaign in calling attention to nostalgia seems designed to take our focus away from the present state of the franchise.

As the Dodgers enter the second week of May struggling to reach .500, media coverage has focused primarily on events

happening off the field. I am referring of course to the decision

by MLB commissioner Bud Selig several weeks ago to appoint a “monitor” to investigate the financial state of the franchise.

The most recent media reports indicate that co-owner Frank McCourt does not have the money to meet payroll for the end of May. McCourt says if only MLB would approve a three billion dollar television deal with Fox, everything would be hunky-dory. Meanwhile Commissioner Selig shakes his head “no” and says nothing. The clock ticks toward payday, and we all wait to see what happens.

It has the makings of a good drama: A beloved ball club held in the grips of an ambitious owner as he faces off a stony commissioner, a real nail-biter. There are elements we have seen before; passion, pride, hubris and characters we recognize. An old Greek myth comes to mind. The story of Narcissus tells of a man who falls in love with his own image in a pond. So enthralled is he by his own reflection that he becomes insensible to the world around him. Surely, to have a grand notion of one’s self and be guided by self-interest is common enough in our world, but for some individuals the condition becomes an advanced clinical neurosis. The disorder known as narcissism takes its name from the ancient myth and is marked by illusions of grandeur, preoccupations of unlimited success, a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, a disregard for others and a constant need of attention.

McCourt and his ex-wife showed classic signs of narcissism. Their obsession with self-image led to astronomical expenditures on clothing with a $100,000 haircut budget in one year alone! A sense of entitlement (“This Is My Town” taken literally). Visions of unlimited success led Jamie McCourt to consider a run for President and Frank to talk of an imminent World Championship in the near future and an ambitious plan to develop the parking

Frank McCourt lost control of the Dodgers last month. lot around Dodger Stadium. But now the attention is focused on Frank. He is the one fighting now.

“Nobody handed me the Dodgers, and nobody will take them away,” McCourt said in the first and only press conference after the decision from MLB. The defiant words are chilling if for no other reason because they are so delusional. The McCourts were entrusted with the Dodger organization by the commissioner who has the jurisdiction to take them away by claiming the “best interests of baseball.” That notion of behaving in the “best interests” of everybody involved may be incomprehensible to Mr. McCourt. He would be wise to ask himself why he wants the Dodgers before asking for the support of the fans.

Behind the ego-driven impulses of narcissists there is often a profound insecurity and longing for approval. It is easy to imagine that the roar of a crowd at Dodger Stadium on a summer’s night was salve to a fragile and wounded ego.

The attention McCourt received must have fortified a sense of self-importance. But what he may fail to recognize now is that those crowds have dwindled, the roar of applause fallen quiet on him and will probably never return.

THECOLLEGEPITCH

SEASON ENDS IN SWEEP

BRUINS GO PERFECT, TROJANS SUFFER LOSS

Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT

L.A.HOOPLA

by marvin vasquez

Will Kurt Rambis return to the Lakers?

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are now out of the 2011 playoffs after the Dallas Mavericks blew out the two-time defending champions in Game 4 Sunday afternoon, 122-86. For the first time in his history, one of Phil Jackson’s postseason squads experienced a 4-0 deficit and thus elimination. Now, Jackson will probably retire, head to Montana and simply rest hereafter.

As for the next head coach of this proud franchise, several names have already been mentioned in the media: Mike Brown, Rick Adelman and Brian Shaw. However, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak should be on the phone soon and calling Minnesota.

Why Minnesota? Well, a former Laker and assistant to Jackson coaches the Timberwolves there. Yes, Kurt Rambis is the perfect candidate to next coach the purple and gold. He knows the triangle. But then again, we do not know what personnel the team may or may not have. One thing is for sure, however, if Rambis or Shaw becomes head coach, the triangle will be back. With that, most of the current players would be back as well. Both Matt Barnes and Shannon Brown have options for next season, so re-signing them would be key. But what do the Lakers really need to do? They could explore the possibility of upgrading to a speedy, yet athletic point guard. Then, knock some sense into Ron Artest; if not, simply sign some youth at his position after trading him. Bryant is untouchable. So, the Lakers could easily place all their other pieces on the trade block, including Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. These three could serve as bait to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who has expressed interest in becoming a Laker.

We can rest assured that this upcoming off-season will be a busy one for the Lakers, starting with the search of the next head coach.

22

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Campus Circle > Sports > Baseball

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

by marvin vasquez

UCLA: In a total of four contests, the now unranked UCLA Bruins baseball squad only allowed two runs. Their pitching was solid throughout the week in one non-conference game before a three-game Pac-10 set.

The Bruins’ winning ways began with a 10-0 pummeling of Pepperdine in Malibu.

Right-hander Zack Weiss (5-1) tossed six innings, allowing no runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out seven Waves. Brandon Lodge and Scott Griggs combined for a three-hitter in the remaining three innings. The game did not feature any runs from either side through five innings of action, but UCLA broke the spell atop of the sixth after scoring twice, followed by four runs in the seventh.

Oregon entertained UCLA for three games during the weekend, as the Bruins gathered wins by scores of 7-1, 3-1 and 4-0, respectively. In 7.1 innings of work, starting pitcher Gerrit Cole gained his fifth victory of the year Friday with help from Cody Regis’ gamehigh three RBI. Saturday’s game included more of the same for the Bruins, who allowed just one run behind Trevor Bauer’s complete game. Bauer fired the nine innings on four hits, three walks, one run and fanning 12 Ducks. During the series finale on Sunday, the Bruins received another great pitching performance. Freshman Adam Plutko threw nine innings of two-hit ball while gaining the shutout, walking one and striking out seven.

The 27-16 Bruins host UCSB May 11 and Cal State Bakersfield May 13 through 15.

USC: The UC Riverside Highlanders paid the USC Trojans a mid-week non-conference visit, as they collected a 10-6 victory. The Trojans (18-26) saw six total pitchers take the mound in an effort to shut down the Inland Empire team. Matt Foat went two-for-four with two RBI, while the Highlanders managed 10 runs on 13 hits.

USC entertains Arizona State, currently in second place of the Pac-10 standings, for three games over the weekend, starting with Friday’s 6 p.m. affair.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle

BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL WEDNESDAYMAY 11

Bob Marley, Messenger The Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Downtown; grammymuseum.org Bringing together diverse artifacts, rare photographs and more, the exhibit features items from the private collection of the Marley family.

On display are Marley’s famous Les Paul guitar and more than 40 photographs of Marley both on and off stage. Also featured is interview footage with artists he influenced, like Blondie, Carlos Santana, Nas and more. Runs through Sept. 15.

THURSDAYMAY 12 On the Rise Concert Series

SUNDAYMAY 15 Betty White

Hard Rock Café, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; hardrock.com Celebrating L.A. and SoCal music while showcasing the next wave of musicians destined for success and national recognition. Every Thursday through June 30.

9 p.m. FREE.

Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; booksoup.com Hollywood’s current It-girl signs If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won’t), her hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity and everything in between. 2 p.m.

FRIDAYMAY 13 Friday the 13th Drink-Along & Beer Pong Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., Downtown; downtownindependent.com A double feature of Friday the 13th Parts 1 & 3, with Part 3 in 3D. Admission includes a free drink and a pair of 3-D glasses. 8 p.m. $10 advance, $15 at the door.

FRIDAYMAY 13 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan The Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; cinefamily.org Jason finally runs out of camp counselors to kill, so he heads to the Big Apple. The night at the movies includes a montage of every single previous Friday the 13th kill. 11:59 p.m. $10.

SATURDAYMAY 14 Chelsea Handler The Pantages, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; broadwayla.org Brad Wollack, Josh Wolf and Heather McDonald – friends and regulars on her hit show “Chelsea Lately” – join Handler for her comedy tour based on her latest book, Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me, which is a collection of stories by her friends and family about the ridiculous lies Handler has told them over the years. 7 p.m.

SATURDAYMAY 14 Weekend of Horrors L.A. Airport Marriott, 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; creationent.com/cal/woh.htm John Carpenter, Robert Englund and Asia Argento are just a few of the celebrities scheduled to appear at the premier destination for fans looking to immerse themselves in horror entertainment.

There will also be vicious vendors, creepy costume contests, eerie exhibitors and much more. Also Sunday.

UC Riverside Summer Study Abroad Program

All UC and Visiting Students are Welcome to Apply!

Applications are still being accepted for the program to London, England.

Challenge your senses and open your imagination while you explore historical and modern day London without the confines of a classroom, cross the London bridge afoot, and stand up with the other “Groundlings” at the famous Globe Theatre!

London, England: July 25 – August 27, 2011 (Check with your campus Financial Aid Office for program assistance and Scholarship opportunities. A non-refundable $300 application fee is required with submission.)

MONDAYMAY 16 “American Ninja Warrior” Tryout & Fan Experience Windward Plaza, 1715 Pacific Ave., Venice; g4tv.com/ninjawarrior G4 is searching for 10 competitors to send to Japan to tackle the world’s most difficult and diabolical obstacle course for an all-new “American Ninja Warrior.”

The 30 fastest move on to the semi-finals, 15 advance to the finals and the top 10 travel to Japan. All day today, Tuesday and Wednesday. FREE.

MONDAYMAY 16 “The Black Version” Guest Starring Wayne Brady Groundlings Theatre, 7307 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; groundlings.com The Emmy Award winning comedian joins the regular cast as the audience suggests a title of popular film and the cast of all black comedy actors improvises the black version of it. 8 p.m. $15.

TUESDAYMAY 17 Clayton Kershaw Bobblehead Night Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles; losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com The first 50,000 fans get a bobblehead when Los Angeles takes on the Milwaukee Brewers. Get to the stadium early to make sure you get the prized collectible. 7:10 p.m. Tix start @ $10.

For more events, visit campuscircle.com/calendar.

To submit an event for consideration, e-mail calendar@campuscircle.net.

London, England

Students earn 8 units of UC credit by taking two classes during the five week program. Check out the website for more information and to download your application today!

www.summerstudyabroad.ucr.edu

GALAXYKICK

COAST CLASH ENDS IN DRAW by marvin vasquez

Chuck Myers/MCT

CALENDARTHE10SPOT

Donovan Ricketts couldn’t stop Thierry Henry’s goal.

So much hype was created before the game even began, but the Los Angeles Galaxy versus New York Red Bulls match left even more excitement afterward.

“It was a very intense game, and they applied pressure on us,” Mexican defender Rafael Márquez says. “Maybe we didn’t play our best game, but we had a lot of chances to score.

I think it was a fair result.”

Both squads settled for a 1-1 draw after giving the fans what is arguably the best game of the season thus far in the MLS. Two of the league’s best players netted goals, beginning with widely known French striker Thierry Henry in the fourth minute of play. After making a run into the right flank, Henry received a brilliant pass from Jamaican midfielder Dane Richards. Henry then made it to the box and fired a low running shot past a Galaxy defender and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

Four minutes before halftime, midfielder Landon Donovan scored his team-leading fourth goal of this campaign. English stud David Beckham delivered a corner kick into the opponent’s penalty area, where Donovan perfectly jumped and managed a header past the Red Bulls’ goalkeeper.

“Great corner by David,” Donovan says of Beckham’s team-best fifth assist. “I had the leeway to go into the box if I wanted and I just got into a good spot, it went over Omar [Gonzalez’s] head and I wanted to get it in goal and hit it well.”

Los Angeles visits the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, May 11, for a 4:30 p.m. kick-off before entertaining Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Home Depot Center.

Campus Circle 5.11.11 - 5.17.11

23

What’s up?

OMG! Friday night was a blast.

You should have seen the crowd.

The people were going nuts, and so did we. My best friend was sooo excited – she nearly fainted. LOL. Saturday night was “GIRLS” night. We were looking fine and feeling good. Where were you? XOXO

JOIN CAMPUSCIRCLE.COM

FOR ALL OF L.A.’S HOTTEST EVENTS. DON’T BE LEFT OUT!