Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 21 Issue 3 by Campus Circle

January 19-25, 2011 \ Volume 21 \ Issue 3 \ Always Free

Film | Music | Culture

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INSIDE CAMPUS CIRCLE

campus circle Jan. 19 - Jan. 25, 2011 Vol. 21 Issue 3

Editor-in-Chief Jessica Koslow editor.chief@campuscircle.net

Managing Editor Yuri Shimoda managing.editor@campuscircle.net

04 NEWS COLLEGE CENTRAL 06 FILM NO STRINGS ATTACHED Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher are friends with benefits. 07 FILM DVD DISH 08 FILM JIM STURGESS Escapes War Prison in The Way Back 10 FILM PROJECTIONS

Film Editor Jessica Koslow film.editor@campuscircle.net Cover Designer Sean Michael Editorial Interns Daeun Jeong

Contributing Writers Tamea Agle, Priscilla Andrade, Scott Bedno, Mary Broadbent, Erica Carter, Richard

10 FILM SCREEN SHOTS

Castañeda, Nick Day, Amanda D’Egidio,

11 FILM MOVIE REVIEWS

Ferguson, Stephanie Forshee, Jacob Gaitan,

Natasha Desianto, Sola Fasehun, Gillian A.J. Grier, Denise Guerra, Zach Hines, Damon

14 MUSIC HELLOGOODBYE Promise That It Won’t Kill You 14 MUSIC FREQUENCY 15 MUSIC JAMES BLUNT Tries New Vibes on Some Kind of Trouble 16 MUSIC REPORT

Huss, Arit John, Danielle Lee, Lucia, Ebony March, Angela Matano, Samantha Ofole, Brien Overly, Ariel Paredes, Sasha Perl-Raver, Mike Sebastian, Naina Sethi, Cullan Shewfelt, Doug Simpson, David Tobin, Emmanuelle Troy, Kevin Wierzbicki, Candice Winters

Contributing Artists & Photographers Tamea Agle, Amanda D’Egidio, Jacob Gaitan, David Tobin, Emmanuelle Troy

16 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS 17 MUSIC CD REVIEWS 18 MUSIC NOTES 04 CULTURE L.A. PLACES 05 CULTURE GAMES & GADGETS

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

11 CULTURE CAUGHT AROUND TOWN 12 CULTURE LIFESTYLE: Snow Weekend 18 CULTURE CURTAIN CALL

Ronit Guedalia ronit.guedalia@campuscircle.net

Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell

20 CULTURE JET SETTER 21 CULTURE ON THE MENU 22 CULTURE PAGES 23 CULTURE FASHION FOCUS

Campus Circle newspaper is published 49 times a year and is available free at 40 schools and over 800 retail locations throughout Los Angeles. Circulation: 30,000. Readership: 90,000. PUBLISHED BY

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FIDM SCHOLARSHIP STORE

919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles BY MARY BROADBENT STRAPPED FOR CASH WITH LAST-MINUTE PLANS and in need of something that gives you that runway feel at a very low cost? Well regardless of the economy, it will be a bit tricky to find clothing with a twist of style at the last minute, and for a great price … unless you know where to look. Luckily, I stumbled upon the FIDM Scholarship store that not only has edgy designer clothing at an excellent price but also leaves you feeling guilt free for dipping into your wallet! Located in downtown Los Angeles right next to FIDM, this shop provides anyone on a budget to get the most bang for their buck and donate to a charitable cause. Open to both FIDM students and the general public, the store has a wide variety of new donated items coming through their doors daily. Prices range anywhere from $1 to $125, usually with a discounted price on top of what is listed in the store and other special deals all the time. While I was there, a lady walked away with a beautiful floor-length wedding gown with a satin trim for only $25. Products for both men and women range from jewelry, clothing, accessories, home

Campus Circle > News > College Central furnishings, housewares, fabrics, trim, mannequins, shoes and much more in this little downtown treasure. What may you ask is this charitable cause you’re donating to when you walk out of here with a new jacket and set of jewelry for your date on Friday night? Well, on top of looking and feeling fabulous, you win the ‘good Samaritan’ card with the knowledge that your purchase goes toward funding the greater cause of giving a student a better chance for fulfilling their education at FIDM. Voted by the Downtown Daily as “Best Store/ Boutique in Los Angeles,” the main reason and purpose the FIDM Scholarship Store exists is to raise funds for the FIDM Scholarship Foundation. Established in 1978, the foundation’s primary objective is to provide financial need for postsecondary students who are pursuing an education in fashion, entertainment, the digital arts and interior design. Any and all money earned by the donations given to the store go toward scholarships for students who’ve demonstrated financial need and fall under the Allocation Committee’s special criteria set in order to qualify for the program. Over the years, this nonprofit organization has helped many students reach higher goals of achievement and creativity with donations that go toward scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 dollars. The program reaches out and benefits everyone involved too. Not only does this store help the foundation in raising money for those students strapped for cash, it also offers employment opportunities. This gives those students who’ve never even had a job a great opportunity to learn and create a healthy work ethic that can easily be scheduled around their classes. Designers also benefit here with a tax deduction when they donate items from their overstock, and the community walks away with a great bargain and a chance to put their

L.A.PLACES

BARK AVENUE 545 S. Main St., Downtown BY DANIELLE LEE AS ONE OF THE MANY INHABITANTS OF LOS Angeles, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to escape the monotony of city life and truly relax. But as a pet owner and a student, I find it incredibly difficult to be able to thoroughly manage my school schedule, personal matters as well as my social life. Sometimes I let my mind wander and think of how my four dogs and two cats manage to keep their lives full, relaxing and excited when I’m not around. It doesn’t worry me much because I know that the atmosphere of my parents’ house must benefit them, and they must be spending their days running through the house and causing havoc when no one is around. But I also have friends who are pet owners and don’t live in the same situation as I do, who don’t have a huge backyard and tons of space for their pets to run around in. And it makes me wonder what kind of care and attention can be given to an animal when its owners aren’t around. Bark Avenue offers a plethora of services that are perfect for those in this situation, who work or go to school during the day and want to make sure their beloved pet is taken care of. Bark Avenue Foundation was started by Melanie Pozez, a loving pet owner and advocate who fully understands the plight of abandoned animals and is striving to make their worlds vastly better. The foundation accepts donations and

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Mary Broadbent

NEWS

Find clothing at great prices at the FIDM Scholarship Store. money to a good cause. Also, if there is a surplus amount of items donated, the scholarship store takes a step further and pays it forward by taking their merchandise to other charitable foundations in their local community. It’s hard to imagine this idea was started up years ago in a little space in the back room of a house, but since then, it has evolved into a phenomenal notion that not only encourages students and downtown residents to buy locally, but also to give back to the community in more ways than one. After shopping there myself, I walked away with a cute shiny sequin skirt ($24), bright, dangly green earrings ($2) and a sparkly golden bracelet ($12), which were all donated items from top designers. Their inventory is continuously in turnover mode, as I noticed while I was there. So there’s always something new to see and buy every time you go in. But don’t count on items being there for long, as they sell out of new arrivals very fast. For more information, visit fidmscholarship.org.

Campus Circle > Culture > L.A. Places support from those who care to do something about the growing pet overpopulation and want to make things better for abandoned animals. Bark Avenue is the successful brainchild of Pozez and her husband Jay, and they offer a wide range of services from their downtown Los Angeles location. They offer “Everything Under One Woof,” including a daily playcare service offered in full day, half day and hourly increments that allows you to drop off your cat or dog at their Main Street location. Or, if you choose, they offer a pet limousine service that will pick up and drop off your pet. Once your pet has arrived at Bark Avenue, the red carpet rolls out and your pet is given the opportunity to socialize with other animals as well as exercise. Bark Ave provides web cam services for those with Internet access. For the dog owners who find themselves too exhausted after a long day at work or school and cannot muster enough energy for a quick walk, then you can rest assured that Bark Avenue has your back. They offer dog-walking services that include group and individual walks. Bark Avenue will pet sit, for cats and dogs, overnight as well as for longer stays. Their specialties include in-house bathing, grooming and massage for both cats and dogs to make sure your pet will be clean, pleasant smelling and well groomed upon its return to you. Bark Avenue’s services are far from done; they also offer pet training classes for groups or private sessions at your home, office or Bark Avenue. The classes offered are obedience training, puppy classes and one-on-one in-home potty training for dogs that need a little extra attention. Other services you can take advantage of are vaccination clinics, flea and tick protection at low costs and information for those who need a pet spayed, neutered or microchipped.

Bark Avenue offers a wide range of services for your pet, from daily playcare to dog-walking. And even if you aren’t a pet owner, Bark Avenue can provide you with information that will help those in your life who might need access to free and low-cost veterinary services as well as financial support. There are other ways to give without necessarily taking on the loving task of caring for an animal by donating to Bark Avenue Foundation or volunteering at a local shelter or SPCA center. Animals are bundles of joy because they reciprocate the love you show them. So love a pet today that wants nothing more than to show you love in return!

For more information, visit barkavela.com.

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SCRIVENER 2.0 BY MIKE SEBASTIAN

SINCE SCRIVENER ARRIVED ON THE WORD PROCESSING SCENE A FEW years ago it has steadily built a base of loyal users due to its versatility and wealth of wellthought-out features that cater to a variety of work methods. At first glance Scrivener’s depth and customizability can be a bit overwhelming, but take the time to learn the program and you will soon be won over. Scrivener isn’t merely a word processor, but a whole new approach to writing software, which focuses on organization and inclusiveness, the two driving ideas behind the program. Scrivener allows you to break large projects down into smaller chunks, making it easier to focus on the task at hand, isolate specific aspects of a project (such as a character’s arc) and visually explore editing of these parts. The second advantage of Scrivener is that it allows you to incorporate all of the various materials a large project requires, such as research, outlines, etc., into one file. The binder keeps all of these elements, which would normally crowd your desktop, in one easily accessible and organized location. You can even include pictures, videos and saved web pages. Scrivener is also incredibly versatile, with customizable templates for writing comic books, screenplays, novels, dissertations and more. Unlike other word processing programs offering afterthought templates that are pretty much useless, Scrivener can actually be used for any of these types of projects. The new version of Scrivener improves on an already great program with some useful new features and a more visual layout. You now have the ability to add comments and footnotes and view them in the inspector alongside your document. You can enter revision mode, in which revised text appears in a different color. Using the snapshot feature, you can also compare different drafts of a document, easily seeing the differences between the two. Quick reference panels can augment the number of documents you have open at one time by bringing up a small window that stays on top of other windows for quick, easy reference. This is particularly useful in full-screen mode, in which you can black out everything on your screen other than the document you are working on. You can bring up photos, PDFs or pretty much anything else you need to reference, without having to leave the page. The new version also greatly improves Scrivener’s visual layout with easier navigability between how you view a given document, with outliner, corkboard and group modes. Scrivener remembers the way you last viewed a document and will return to that mode when you open it again. You can now also assign icons to folders in the binder for easier reference. Color-coded labels can further offset and group documents within the binder. One other big addition to version 2.0 is the collections feature. Collections are tabs that can be called up to look at specific areas of your project. You can use a collection to automatically perform a given search that you find yourself repeating, to track a specific character or location, to experiment with the order of your documents without affecting their actual order in the project and more. Like many of Scrivener’s features, the applications are endless and can be used to suit your work methods. It is precisely this freedom that can seem a bit daunting at first. Scrivener’s abundance of features provides a framework on which you can build in whatever way you see fit. Of course, Scrivener can be used in its most basic form as a great way to keep long projects organized. But it’s when you start to learn the program and mold it to your own work methods that its real strengths become apparent. It’s evident that Scrivener was designed by writers and with writers in mind. Unlike a lot of writing programs out there with exorbitant price tags, Scrivener is very reasonable in this regard, even offering a further student discount. Online videos walk you through Scrivener’s main features, while a tutorial within the program takes you in depth. The Web site forums have a terrific support staff and are a great resource for any further help you may need. A Windows version is currently in beta testing. For more information, visit literatureandlatte.com. Campus Circle 1.19.11 - 1.25.11 5 CAMPUS CIRCLE • TRACES/MONTALBAN THEATRE 4.875” X 5.9” PUB DATE: 1.19.11

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Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) in No Strings Attached

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Natalie Portman takes the reins. BY SASHA PERL-RAVER NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE ’N SYNC album of the same name, No Strings Attached is a new film starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher as a pair trying to have a relationship that’s purely physical. Directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghost Busters, Dave, Kindergarten Cop), the movie is part of a trend toward a more in-your-face brand of romantic comedy previously seen in Going the Distance and The Ugly Truth and, just as Drew Barrymore and Katherine Heigl did in those films, Portman produced and stars in No Strings Attached, a project she calls a “palate cleanser” after her intense journey bringing her acclaimed Black Swan performance to the screen. Settling into her seat at the film’s press conference, her burgeoning baby bump pressing against a coffee-colored Jason Wu mini dress, Portman says, “It was pretty great after all of that discipline and focus [to go from] a very serious kind of set to a really playful, fun – obviously everyone is still very professional on this movie, but there’s an improvisational feel all the time and everyone is there to play. It was a really great atmosphere. And I didn’t have to workout because I was like, ‘She’s a doctor. They don’t have time.’” Producing gave Portman new insight into a craft she’s been entrenched in since her big screen debut at the age of 13 in The Professional. “It was a really exciting process to get to be involved for the first time so early, working with [screenwriter] Liz [Meriwether] and Ivan. I came on a couple of years before the project [got off the ground], so to get to watch their process and to get to talk to them about the script, they were definitely controlling that process, but it was fun to be included in the evolution of the script and seeing how it changed, why it changed and to have Ivan’s expertise. To

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learn those things through the process was really exciting.” Adding to the learning experience, No Strings Attached marks Portman’s first leading role in a romantic comedy, if you’re willing to discount her outstanding appearance as the unobtainable, improbably eloquent next-door neighbor who’s too young to be wooed by Timothy Hutton in 1996’s Beautiful Girls. Since Kutcher is old hat at the genre, when asked if he helped show Portman the rom-com ropes, he blushes and shakes his head. “I learned more from Natalie in one day of being on set together than I can ever possibly teach her in a billion years,” he assures. “She may not have done a rom-com before, but she’s done so much work on so many different levels. I don’t know that there’s anything I can really teach her.” What Kutcher does hope he can impart is the message to audiences that women should be empowered in their sexuality in the way Portman’s character is in No Strings Attached. “One of the interesting things in the sex education process in schools, the one thing that they teach about is how to get pregnant and how to not get pregnant,” Kutcher points out. “But they don’t really talk about sex as a point of pleasure for women. The male orgasm is just right there and readily available to learn about because it’s actually a part of the reproductive cycle, but a female orgasm isn’t really talked about in the education system. Therefore, part of that, as a spinoff, creates a place where women aren’t empowered around their own sexuality and around their own sexual selves. So from a purely entertainment point of view, to create a movie with a female lead that is empowered with her own sexuality I think is a really powerful thing. If we can give teenage people something to think about from a sex perspective I would say that it would be to start opening up a conversation where women are empowered with their own sexual experiences from an educational level as well as an entertainment level.” “That was good,” Portman grins. “All the girls are like, ‘Yes, yes, Ashton. You’re totally right.’” Asked about the basic tenant of the film and whether a friendship can survive sex, Portman wrinkles her nose and throws the question to Kutcher. “I wouldn’t know,” he shrugs. “I haven’t been fortunate

enough to try one of those relationships out. I really think that whoever you’re with ultimately needs to be your friend. All the really successful, happy relationships that I know of, the people are friends anyway. And I don’t know that sex always has to have feelings, but I think that friendship always does, so if you’re friends you’re going to have feelings of some sort, some layer, some level of a deeper feeling.” No Strings Attached features very frank depictions of sex, both in action and dialogue. Kutcher and Portman’s first sex scene is utterly unflinching, held in a static medium two-shot which leaves only what’s south of the camera angle to the imagination. There are no cuts or soft focus fades, because, Reitman says, he “didn’t want to do anything particularly romantic and filmic. We tease their relationship for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the film’s preamble and here’s this first moment that these two characters are going to be together. This is a movie that really starts with them having sex and then sees what that relationship is going to evolve into. I just really believed in their chemistry. I believe that you can see it right here, just watching them. I thought, ‘Well, I have something really powerful here.’ They’re clearly exciting to look at together and in every form there’s something lovely about it, and I just made it easy. I thought there was something much more powerful about watching really close their facial expressions than trying to go for anything else. By just sitting on it for a while and letting it go a little longer than maybe is comfortable would sort of give it the power that it deserves.” As for filming that scene, Portman says, “I think the nice thing was that we did the scene pretty deep into the shoot so we had already [become] as comfortable as you can be in that scenario.” “I was wearing sweatpants,” Kutcher deadpans. “I was not,” Portman laughs. When it comes to sex scenes, Kutcher adds, “I think you’re always waiting, wondering when the word ‘cut’ is going to be said. You’re there, and you’re doing the scene and you’re like, ‘OK. Are they going to call ‘cut’? How far are we taking this?’ I’m sure that every actor says it, but it’s always very technical because you’re trying to show each other’s faces and yet stay in the moment. It’s always slightly more complicated than it is in real life. Ivan would come back and say, ‘I think you need to orgasm sooner.’ So your male machismo is like, ‘No, no, no! It would take me much longer than this.’” No matter how professional they are, filming a sex scene can be an utterly bizarre job requirement for actors. Although people might expect that she’s been desensitized after her role as an exotic dancer in Closer or her widely hyped liaison with Mila Kunis in Black Swan, Portman giggles at the mere mention of an on-camera roll in the sack. “I’m pretty immature. So I think I get pretty embarrassed easily,” she admits. “I would check out certain shots once in a while to make sure that I felt OK. There was one of the panties coming off that we did, and after I watched I was like, ‘Oh, that’s not bad,’ because it was really quick, and it wasn’t lingering on anything that I felt modest about.” Keeping the mood light with your co-star also helps, she says. “You sort of go the opposite direction between takes, like, ‘So, what are you doing this weekend?’ Totally benign conversation between to make it a little normal.” “I just start by apologizing,” Kutcher reveals. “You sort of try to set some ground rules and apologize for them. Someone told me, and I’m not sure who the actor was – I think it was Sir Laurence Olivier (when in doubt, use Sir Laurence Olivier) – I think he said something to the effect of, ‘I apologize if I get aroused and I apologize if I do not get aroused.’ But there’s sort of always that kind of awkward state of, like, ‘Is this OK. Is that OK?’ Then in between takes it’s like, ‘Let’s act like nothing happened.’ Then you see how good of an actor you really are.”

No Strings Attached releases in theaters Jan. 21.

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SPECIAL FEATURES BY MIKE SEBASTIAN

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The Majors:

Ryan Reynolds stars in the original thriller Buried. This under-seen gem is a tense, claustrophobic and relentless story about a truck driver for a contractor in Iraq who is taken prisoner and buried alive. Equipped with a cell phone, he has just hours to secure his ransom, or he dies. After decades playing nameless badasses on the periphery, Danny Trejo steps into the spotlight in Machete, a feature-length adaptation of what was the coolest of the fake trailers seen in Grindhouse. The result lives up its promise of bloody mayhem. Sure to be the big award winner this year, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network is a wry, frenetic telling of the rise of Facebook. Timely, well acted and brilliantly scripted, this is one of the best films of the decade. Also available: Death Race 2 with Ving Rhames and Sean Bean

Under the Radar: One of the best crime dramas in years, Animal Kingdom tells the story of an Australian teenager trying to resist getting sucked into the life of his armed robber relatives. Guy Pearce stars. Jeff Daniels, a failed writer with an imaginary superhero friend (Ryan Reynolds), forms an unlikely bond with a Long Island teenager in Paper Man. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut with Jack Goes Boating, a dramedy of love and betrayal centered on two couples. Amy Ryan co-stars. Edward Norton squares off against Robert De Niro as a convicted arsonist who attempts to coerce a probation officer (De Niro) into securing his release in Stone. Also available: King of Paper Chasin’, Roger Corman’s Sci-Fi Classics: Attack of the Crab Monsters, War of the Satellites, Not of This Earth and Up From the Depths/Demon of Paradise

Stranger Than Fiction: Sins of My Father tells the story of

drug kingpin Pablo Escobar as seen from the eyes of his son. The Narnia Code investigates the secrets of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy classic.

The Idiotbox: Although short-lived, Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series maintains a strong following, despite its similarities to “The X-Files.” An excellent series in its own right, “Dark Skies” follows two freedom fighters investigating a long-reaching conspiracy involving aliens living amongst us. Everyone’s favorite feline curmudgeon returns in an all-new series The Garfield Show: All You Need Is Love (and Pasta). Also available: Flavor Flav in the urban horror anthology Night Tales: The Series The Vault:

Two rarely seen thrillers come to DVD-on-demand courtesy of the Warner Archives Web site. Robert Montgomery stars as a charming lodger who may be a murderer in the Hitchcockian thriller Night Must Fall. A 9-year-old boy with a penchant for tall tales witnesses a murder in The Window (1949), based on a story by Cornell Woolrich.

Blu Notes: Sergio Leone made a departure from his usual western milieu for the gangster genre with the epic Once Upon A Time in America. Robert De Niro and James Woods star as Jewish gangsters in prohibition-era New York. The boxing movie to end all boxing movies, Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull comes to Blu-ray. At turns poetic and blistering, the black and white cinematography is more beautiful than ever. In one of his best roles, Robert De Niro plays self-destructive pugilist Jake La Motta alongside frequent collaborator Joe Pesci. Kevin Costner won a Best Director Oscar for his debut, the frontier epic Dances With Wolves. Costner is a Civil War commander who is sent to a western outpost, where he befriends a wolf and an Indian tribe, soon leaving behind the white man’s world. This is the 20th Anniversary Extended Cut.

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Jim Sturgess as Janusz in The Way Back

THE WAY BACK Jim Sturgess forges ahead. BY SASHA PERL-RAVER AT THE START OF THE WAY BACK, A TITLE CARD appears on screen offering a dedication to a group of men who escaped a Serbian gulag during WWII and traveled over 4,000 miles, across the Gobi desert and Himalayas all the way to India, in order to reach safety. And they did it on foot. Adapted from Slavomir Rawicz’s novel, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, the film stars Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell, and is directed by Peter Weir, leader of Australian New Wave cinema, whose previous films range from Picnic at Hanging Rock to Dead Poets Society to The Truman Show. Sitting down with Sturgess in a cushy hotel room on the outskirts of Bel-Air, it’s a far cry from the blistering conditions the film’s cast and crew endured in the Moroccan desert after a bone-chilling stint in Bulgaria. The British actor, wearing baggy jeans, a heather grey T-shirt and worn leather bomber jacket, has a charming ebullience as he discusses his role as Janusz, a young Polish inmate who leads the group on their grueling trek, an experience that was moderately echoed in the film’s production. Shot chronologically, “which is such a huge blessing with a film like this,” the actor says, Weir stripped the production down, which meant none of the usual luxuries actors experience when working on a film, such as air-conditioned trailers or overflowing craft service tables, which was helpful considering the actors were meant to look emaciated and near starvation. At the start of each day, the actors would pull on their costumes and go through hair and makeup before piling into

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vans, which would take them to the set. “We’d have to drive on fairly off-terrain places, often an hour, two hours, into the wilderness. They’d put up a tent or there’d be some place to sit down, but we were stuck in the same place for the entire day,” Sturgess describes. Presented with a production schedule that would mimic the escaped prisoners’ journey as closely as possible, Sturgess didn’t feel nervous or put upon; he met the trial with enthusiasm. “Everything that seemed like a big challenge seemed really exciting. That was the pull, the draw, to do a film like this,” he says. “I knew it would be an epic sort of adventure, on and off the camera. We were all going to have this life experience just by the pure nature of what we were about to take on. I knew I’d be freezing cold. I didn’t quite account for how hot I would be in the desert,” he admits with a laugh. “I’d never been to the desert before. I didn’t know how dry and unbearable it can get out there, and there’s nowhere to hide. That was hard.” Despite the taxing nature of the endeavor, Sturgess says he was thrilled to be starring in the film and charged forward because of one simple reason. “‘Peter Weir’ was all I had in my mind,” Sturgess says with a massive grin. “That he was going to make a great film in the end of it, that it [was] all going to be worth it, which is true.” In order to prepare for the role, Sturgess says gamely, “The first thing I thought was, ‘Right, OK, I need to starve myself.’ I spend a day without food, just to see what that felt like, just because I was curious. It was interesting just not to eat or drink for a day.” In the midst of his preparation, the actor went to Bulgaria, which stood in for Siberia, to meet with Weir. “He took one look at me and was like, ‘What have you done to yourself? You have to put some weight back on yourself,’” he says with a chuckle. “Which made sense because we had to go through this journey. You had to believe Janusz would survive this. I already looked like I was about to keel over.” To assist his actors, Weir brought in a French expe– ditionist, who, Sturgess enthuses, “had done the walk for

real, from Siberia to India, having heard this story. He was an amazing man to have around.” Questioned as to why anyone would tackle such an endeavor without the necessity of knowing prison guards are after you and it’s a matter of life or death, Sturgess beams and says with a glint in his eye, “Because he’s crazy. For fun. Because that’s what you do when you’re an expeditionist, I guess. He did a whole slide presentation, photos he’d taken, how it felt, how your balance would be off if you hadn’t eaten enough or your vision would be impaired. We’d go on treks and camping expeditions; make our own fires, build traps, we skinned our own rabbits. It was a real bonding experience.” In another essential part of research, Sturgess says, “I was able to meet people who had survived the camps and an actual escapee. That was invaluable, to look at him and realize he isn’t any stronger than anybody else physically. He’s not a particularly big man, not tough, outdoorsy. He’s just a really average, regular guy, but had a reason, a will to get back. It’s hard to know what you could survive and what you would endure, how strong your spirit really is. I don’t know that you’ll ever know until you’re faced with that kind of situation. It was incredible.” When in doubt during filming, Sturgess turned to Weir and found a wealth of knowledge from the compulsively prepared director. “You just know you’re in such good hands, and you know whatever he says is probably the right answer. He’s so hungry for all information coming from any direction. I honestly believe if someone whose job was to make the tea had a suggestion, he’d be like, ‘Tell me about that. Please! I want to hear about it.’ He’s so thorough and so kind and so open, and he’s so caring and he’s so brilliant, you feel so safe. And he’s so detailed!” To give an example, Sturgess recalls a day on set when he asked a reasonably simple question. “He was right in the middle of filming, he had a lot on his plate, and he said, ‘Gee, Jim, I don’t know the answer to that. Let me get back to you, and I’ll let you know.’ In the morning, there was a book with pink Post-it notes all the way through the book related to the question I’d asked him.” Despite everyone’s passion for the project and Sturgess’ gung-ho-ness, once on set the extremity of the story and the filming conditions required to capture it faithfully began to take a serious toll on the cast and crew. But, just as in the script, the arrival of a young woman proved to be the salve everyone needed. Saoirse Ronan, who’s been consistently impressive since her American debut in 2007’s Atonement, a film that marked her fourth role and earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, arrived on set in the middle of shooting and was “a breath of fresh air!” Sturgess sighs. “It was welcomed in every way. Saoirse is such a great person. She’s hilarious, feisty and full of life.” After months in the company of men, with their heads down, totally engrossed in recreating a hellacious experience, Ronan, who plays Irena, an orphaned refugee who falls in with the group of escapees, reinvigorated the production. “We’d all done all this research, and we’d been shooting up at the gulag, super intense, and then suddenly this youthful spirit [arrived]. I remember looking at her and thinking, ‘Wow, you look so clean! So fresh. I just want to hug you.’ She was in real life the way she was in the film. I honestly don’t know if I would have survived or had the same experience had she not been there.” Sturgess explains that Ronan, who was only 14 during the shoot, became their “reason to be able to have fun. She needed to be entertained, and there was a selfish compassion that by entertaining her you’re allowing yourself [to relax]. The spirit of youth and the female spirit was a necessary one. It gave you extra life, and life was the most important thing we had.”

The Way Back releases in select theaters Jan. 21.

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PROJECTIONS

DIRECT FROM SUNDANCE INITIATIVE Sundance Selects V.O.D. BY CANDICE WINTERS IT’S THE SNOW, I THINK. OR MAYBE IT’S THE exclusivity of the event. We all know how much Hollywood people love exclusivity. Even if you aren’t an avid fan of Hollywood, there is something exciting about a film festival that forces you to make the flight out to a state you otherwise would never have seen, then drive into an even smaller city, through the snow, until you find the little haven of a town known as Park City. Hotels have been overbooked since two months ago; I would know, I’ve been trying to make those last-minute plans for a weekend getaway to the Sundance Film Festival. I could have found a relatively cheap room, I would just have to share it with umpteen people and sleep on the floor. As much as I was hoping for an adventurous, spur-of-the-moment getaway to Utah, that’s not happening, and if you who are reading this and have not made your plans either, you are very much out of luck. I wouldn’t bank on getting a room at even the local motel. However, you don’t have to scour Expedia for a lastminute plane ticket or mentally prepare yourself for the cold

Campus Circle > Film > Projections winter nights you are forced to spend sleeping in your car, which is most surely what I was planning on doing had I not been convinced otherwise. Sundance is offering some fun and interesting programs that will allow anyone with a cable box to watch exactly what films the critics are watching, at the same time they are watching them. Sundance Selects and the Sundance Institute have formed a partnership for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. As part of the Direct From Sundance Initiative, five films that will be screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival will also be simultaneously available nationwide On-Demand. You won’t need a press badge or credentials or a special invitation. These films are accessible to you and I alike. Oh, the perks of our current digital age seem to be endless. Brendan Fletcher’s Mad Bastards and Michael Tully’s Septien will be available On Demand from Sundance (premieres Jan. 24 and 23, respectively), as well as the following films that have caught my interest. Uncle Kent (premieres Jan. 21) is Joe Swanberg’s first appearance on the Sundance circuit. A modern comedy about aging, loneliness and the like, the film deals with a middleaged Kent (Kent Osborne) who is an unmarried writer for children’s shows. He escapes from his destitute life each night in Internet chat rooms, which is where he meets Kate (Jennifer Prediger), an acquaintance who crashes at his house for a weekend. He falls for her, naturally, but her distant boyfriend gets in the way of any potential of a connection. These Amazing Shadows (premieres Jan. 22) is a documentary that is getting me excited for the future of cinema as well as proud of its roots. Destined to please the film lover in everyone, Paul Mariana and Kurt Norton delve into the National Film Registry, a government body that protects cinematic history and legacy and look at which works were

SCREENSHOTS

PRODUCT VS. FILM BY ZACH HINES

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I PUBLISHED MY list of films that I am most excited to see that are coming out in 2011. A Campus Circle reader responded to the list, inquiring why I hadn’t put any of the several comic-book film adaptations slated for 2011 on it, and even went on to ask if it was because I just didn’t like the superhero genre. It’s a great question, and I figured I’d respond to with a full column instead of just a blog post. If you look at the 2011 list, it’s a mix of big mainstream stuff and indie fare, so obviously I have no issues with commercial films. I’m a big fan of comic books as well as the comic-book film genre. Superman: The Motion Picture, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 1 & 2, Blade, Iron Man, Hellboy and Sin City are all films that I love that are based on comics. But I didn’t put any comic-book adaptations on the list because, quite frankly, the superhero genre has become stale for me. I’ve been let down so many times by comicbook films that to get excited about them has become an inconvenience. I’ll go see the films, but I’d rather wait and see how it turns out before I get my hopes up. Ever since comic-book films became huge summer blockbusters, they’ve become too generic and formulaic. More emphasis is put on appealing to the widest possible audience as opposed to focusing on telling unique, compelling stories.

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IFC Films

FILM

Juno Temple, Thomas Dekker and Haley Bennett in Kaboom selected for preservation in the Library of Congress and why through interviews with archivists, Registry board members and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Rob Reiner and John Lasseter. Finally, another film that has been on my mind since last May is Kaboom (premieres Jan. 21) by Gregg Araki. American audiences are slowly coming to terms with our ability to withstand blatant and massive amounts of sexuality shown on the screen. If you aren’t, then this isn’t for you, and you may be missing out on one of the year’s most quirky and honest films. It is a wild ride about Smith, an ambisexual college freshman who uncovers a conspiracy in his tranquil city. Araki’s direction and distinct voice is unmistakably original. The film is a hyperreality, one tailor-made for our generation’s obsession with sex, drugs and self-interest. Starring Thomas Dekker, Juno Temple and Haley Bennett, the film is nearly as provocative as Araki’s other films, like the favorite from Sundance in 2005, Mysterious Skin. This film followed me to the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals, and I was just recently able to watch it. The films will be available for approximately 30 days.

Campus Circle > Film > Screen Shots Instead of mining all the great pre-existing material from the comics, they go with telling the same generic hero story over and over again. Quite simply, they have become “product.” I’d like to take a moment and make a clear distinction between what I consider genuine films and what I consider product. A “film” is made with the sole purpose of making the best film possible. The end result is the vision of a filmmaker who was able to make the film he wanted to make. Now, this doesn’t mean the studio or the financiers gave the filmmakers a credit card and told them to shoot as many long shots of people sleeping as they wanted. Obviously, the filmmaker needs to have somewhat of a grasp of the demographic he/ she is trying to hit, and if the intention is to make a really artsy art-house film, that needs to be understood by everyone involved going into it. In essence, a real “film” is the creation of a visionary. “Product,” on the other hand, is the vision of many and is made for the purpose of making money. Products are created by groups of people who model their thing after other things that have made money in order to try and ensure that it makes money. The focus is not making a great film that – for better or for worse – reflects the intended vision of the filmmaker, the focus is on appealing to the widest possible audience in order to maximize profit. Obviously, moviemaking is a business, and the businessmen make the decisions that they feel are right, which is understandable. But if you look at cinema history, it’s always the original visions of crazy filmmakers who dared to be different that are the biggest hits. Only a decade ago the superhero genre was almost nonexistent, but after X-Men and Spider-Man proved that they could be incredibly lucrative, superheroes became a brand, and now we get at least three or four every year. Just because a film is made

Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/MCT

NEWS

It’s exciting that Darren Aronofsky is set to direct Wolverine 2. about a superhero doesn’t mean it’s going to be good. But when a superhero character is entrusted to a passionate filmmaker like Christopher Nolan, who is focused on making a great film and not doing what everyone else is doing, that gets me excited. Nolan’s third Batman film has a tough act to follow, but I’m definitely excited about that. And what I’m really excited about is Darren Aronofsky being brought in to direct Wolverine 2. Personally, I think he’s going to hit a grand slam with that one. But the fact of the matter is I’m not excited about them merely because they’re superhero films. I’m excited because I know there’s a filmmaker behind them that cares deeply for the craft of film and is going to proceed based on that fact. Send feedback to screenshots@campuscircle.net.

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LAUGH BOWL II SEMIFINALS Jan. 13 @ The Laugh Factory

PHOTOS BY EMMANUELLE TROY

MOVIEREVIEWS Dhobi Ghat (UTV) In India, it is common practice to send out your laundry to be washed in an open-air facility where your clothes are beaten on a large stone. The title of the new film Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) refers to these laundry places, particularly Munna (Prateik) and Shai (Monica Dogra) in Dhobi Ghat the largest one, a tourist attraction in Mumbai. The film follows the interconnected lives of a handful of people. Arun (Aamir Khan), a painter, meets and has a one-night stand with Shai (Monica Dogra), an Indian-American who develops a crush on Arun. They have a mutual acquaintance in Munna (Prateik), the dhobi (clothes washer) who coincidentally washes clothes for the both of them. When Munna fixes a bad cleaning job on Shai’s shirt, she befriends him, and he falls for her. Meanwhile, a fourth character, Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra) is introduced through a home video that Arun finds when moving into a new apartment. He finds inspiration in her “letters” to her brother, documenting her move to Mumbai as a young bride. Obviously, romantic entanglements abound in the film; Dhobi Ghat weaves the characters’ lives together in the crowded and oftentimes claustrophobic city of Mumbai. The film is held up by the underpinnings of the romantic Bollywood genre, although it does not have the flashy-bordering-on-garish style like that of some traditional Bollywood cinema. What it does have is a firm emotional hold on the audience, causing the viewer to become invested in the characters’ lives and feel what they are feeling. This is an accomplishment of the writing, directing and acting, some of which was done for the first time (in the case of Dogra and Malhotra). The viewer shares the exhilaration of the first prangs of love and the heartbreak of letting that unrequited love go. There is inspiration sparked by a person with youthful hope and wide-eyed wonder; this inspiration then crashes when it is found that the hopeful person is irrevocably damaged. The English subtitle of the film, Mumbai Diaries, refers to the way the film also acts as a portrait of Mumbai, as seen by residents of the city. The dichotomy of the city is well documented, from the gleaming white walls of upscale apartments perched high above the streets, to metal shacks that rattle with each passing of the train. Dhobi Ghat is a great introduction to Mumbai as well as a tasteful rendition of Bollywood themes. Grade: A —Kate Bryan Dhobi Ghat releases in select theaters Jan. 21.

Courtesy Aamir Khan Productions

CAUGHTAROUNDTOWN

The Company Men (The Weinstein Co.) As if we didn’t need reminding. As if most of our lives are not consumed by the dominating question of how we will be making money, supporting our family and retiring easily. With the exception of the few lucky ones who hit the jackpot, these fears are valid. Recent films like Waiting for “Superman” have been adamant about pointing out the blaring misappropriations made by our government officials who are more focused on problems overseas than in our own country. Although it is important for films to document these crises in our society, there are certain projects that depress us more than they uplift us. So is the case of The Company Men, a film with an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner and Chris Cooper. Despite acting that carries the dreary and often witless dialogue, the film is far overshadowed by the mood it sets, not on the screen, but in the theater. Bobby Walker (Affleck) has been a salesman for over 12 years until his company starts downsizing to stay afloat. Entire divisions are laid off; even one of the founding members, Gene McClary (Jones), is fired by his best friend and CEO boss (Craig T. Nelson), who is raking in millions of dollars while the likes of Walker and 20-plus-year veteran Phil Woodward (Cooper) are forced back into the shark tank of the job market. The film ultimately aims at drawing the common message that what counts the most is family, that work is only second to all else. The problem is, the film is top-heavy with downcast plot development. The players in the company are frantically looking for jobs but can’t find one. Walker eventually goes to work at his brother-in-law’s (Costner) construction company, doing the manual labor never required when he wore a suit to work every day. From this, of course, he learns the value of being present in the lives of his family members and how lucky he is to have them. In the vein of Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glen Ross, The Company Men is not of the literary merit of either, nor does this film adroitly provide a reasonable answer for the plague of company downsizing and the perpetually low unemployment rate. It has its moments of quick wit and fine acting, but they are ruined by the overwhelming state of depression that will leave you comatose as the credits roll. Grade: B—Candice Winters The Company Men releases in theaters Jan. 21.

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Campus Circle > Culture > Lifestyle Extended Lift Ticket Deals: If you plan on continuing

Mountain High; mthigh.com

your snowboarding trip for more than just one weekend, then the Extended Lift Ticket Deals are worth the cash. Mountain High offers their 6-Pack, which is six adult eight-hour lift tickets good for any day of the season (this includes holidays). At $179, you’re basically paying $29 per ticket. The resort also offers another deal called the Quad for only $79. It is four adult night tickets (valid from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.) that you can use between Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the season, including holidays. Your savings add up with this ticket deal since when broken down you are only paying $19 per ticket. This is just another reason why boarding at night is one of the cheapest ways to snowboard this season.

Ski or snowboard from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for just $20 (with student ID) during Mountain High’s College Nights.

SKI AND SNOWBOARD ON A BUDGET BY DENISE GUERRA

THERE’S DEFINITELY ONE GOOD THING ABOUT the recent heavy storms hitting Southern California: more fresh powder on the slopes! The weekends are getting sunnier, which means great runs on the mountainside. Skiing and snowboarding, though fun, can be expensive endeavors; a good snowboard alone can cost you well over $300, and allday lift tickets can run between $50-$60 at many resorts. Your best bet for planning the ultimate bargain ski/snowboard weekend is to plan ahead. Here, we offer you the ultimate guide for a great ride without breaking the bank.

Grabbing the Best Gear at the Best Price: First things first, get your gear. You want to be ready to attack the mountain and look cute while doing it. The best time to buy your ski/snowboard gear is toward the end of the season. Be sure to check out all of the deals at your local skate/surf/snow shop when each season ends. But for now, most rentals at these shops will cost you about $25, and these are complete packages, including boots, bindings and boards for boarders and skis, boots and poles for skiers. Also, try shopping around on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. People are always trying to get the newest gear for the season, so you can offer to take their used gear off their hands for really cheap. Though Ski Dazzle is over for now, you can plan ahead next year by attending this event. The Ski Show & Snowboard Expo is held yearly around the start of ski/snowboard season and offers packages and deals on all your ski/snowboard gear. The reason why it’s so cheap is because they’re clearing out old stock for the new year, so you’ll be able to get all your gear for more than 50 percent off from vendors. Plus, a ticket to Ski Dazzle (which was $18 this year) gives you a free lift ticket to Bear Mountain/Snow Summit. There are some conditions that apply, of course. Yet, calculating the costs of a regular ticket to Bear Mountain/Snow Summit (about $56 for a whole day), you’re saving a lot by just merely buying a ticket to the event. 12

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One thing that’s great about being a student and renting ski/snowboard gear is that you can easily rent quality equipment from your school’s recreation center. Check their site for details.

Making Your Lift Tickets Worth Their While: If you missed Ski Dazzle this year (Don’t worry, now you’re prepared for next year.), there are some options on lift tickets that might just give you the edge on savings. If you’re lucky, for Bear Mountain/Snow Summit and Mountain High, you can ride free on your birthday. For the rest of us with summer birthdays, there are options such as half-day lift tickets or night boarding. Night Boarding is usually the cheapest, running about $30 for most ski resorts. The best thing about the night is that there are less people! This means that you have the whole slope to yourself without the risk of tripping over those newbies. Plus, the snow quality is better, with a more powderlike quality at night, making falling much easier. The only drawback is that it’s very cold, which is manageable if you’re wearing the right warm clothing for your ski/snowboard run. Mountain High hosts College Nights, Jan. 20, Feb. 3 and March 3, when students can ride from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for only $20 (with college ID). After your runs, you can grab a beer and dance with other students at the Bullwheel until 11 p.m. For other ways to add value to your weekend, Mountain High’s Points ticketing system lets you purchase a ticket based on how many runs you have, meaning that like a debit card, points are deducted every time you use a chairlift to go up the mountain. The value of this ticketing system is the amount of control and transferability you have. They’re sold in blocks of 200, 500 or 1,000 points, and each chairlift uses about 10 to 20 points. The 200 block starts off at a rate of $55 ($65 for holiday and peak weekends), and you can use any unused points on another day. Plus, the ticket is transferable to other people. So when you take your beginner buddy who can only handle one run for the day, you can use his/her point ticket for your own fun. For Bear Mountain/Snow Summit, there’s the Half-Day Getaway Program, which gives you a credit voucher for up to $15 off your next visit. How it works: You buy an all-day lift ticket to ski and snowboard all morning and then return your ticket to the ticket window by 1 p.m. to receive your voucher. Another program from this resort is catered specifically for those new to the mountain and involves downloading and filling out a release form, which will give you a voucher for $10 off of your lift ticket. This offer is not for people who have previously registered.

Going in a Group Beats Going Alone: Going with a group is definitely an experience, a retreat away together that offers valuable deals and some pretty memorable times. Once you get your Facebook event ready and your confirmations set, then you’re ready to shop around. If you’re planning on going with a group, group rates are available at Mountain High. They require a group of 15 or more people paid as one transaction to qualify for their reduced rates. So instead of paying $55 for every person, each person pays $47 for an all-day pass. Group nights are even cheaper at just $20 per person. As an added incentive, Mountain High offers one complimentary ticket for every 20 purchased. All of the forms you will need are on their Web site. Reservations are required and you will need to fax or e-mail the forms at least four days in advance of your scheduled trip date. Bear Mountain/Snow Summit also offer a similar incentive for group deals. They offer one complimentary ticket for every 20 purchased as well. Lodging: This is where planning ahead comes in handy since the closer the date of your reservation, the more likely the price will go up. For the best deal, usually allow two months or more before your weekend reservation date. Make sure to reserve during regular weekends and not during peak holidays. For lodging near Mountain High, go to mthigh.com and click on the lodging tab. They conveniently compile all the cabins available for rentals from hotels to a three-bedroom log cabin. Your best bet is to type in the number of bedrooms you need. Each listing has a contact number and a description of the lodging’s amenities. Bigbearvacations.com and bigbearvoolvabins.com for Big Bear have similar interfaces where you can do a search for availability based on number of bedrooms, length of stay and total rent. Other search options include occupancy, locations and different amenities, such as whether you want to bring your pet, hot tubs, lakefront and Internet. Right now, bigbearvacations.com has a special deal where you stay the nights of Feb. 21 to Feb. 24 and receive 10 percent to 40 percent off, including free lift tickets. They also have specials for AAA members and the military, offering 10 percent off. Bigbearvacations.com’s service is simple and easy, you book online, pick up the keys from their main office (and your free gift) and your rental is set.

Rides: Carpooling is a must for any bargain ski/snowboard weekend, and Mountain High is the closest for those living in Los Angeles. It is 20 minutes off Interstate 15, which connects with Interstate 10, 60 or 210. Plus, there’s a unique feature on the Mountain High Web site that allows you to coordinate a rideshare with other people in your area. For those who don’t have a car, you can search preferences based on gender, age and ability. With this economic climate, here’s a quick and easy guide to having the most rad and awesome ski/snowboard weekend ever. Remember, a lot of these tips involve planning ahead for the best deals. So, plan accordingly because saving on snow season doesn’t stop when the season ends.

ANGEL STADIUM - ANAHEIM JAN. 8 - 7:00 PM FEB. 5 - 7:00 PM

DODGER STADIUM - LOS ANGELES JAN. 22 - 7:00 PM

SAVE 20% ON TICKETS!

(Excludes Club Level and $20 Supervalue seats. Not valid day of show. Valid while supplies last. No double discounts. Service charges, facility and handling fees may apply.)

Offer redeemable at SupercrossOnline.com or Ticketmaster.com with code CAMPUS

Competitors shown are subject to change. Photos by Cudby and Hoppen. ÂŠ2010 Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

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HELLOGOODBYE Welcome Back

BY PRISCILLA ANDRADE IT’S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE HELLOGOODBYE released their first album, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! Frontman Forrest Kline attributes their hiatus to a legal battle with Drive-Thru Records, which prohibited the band from working in the studio for two years. Fortunately, that didn’t mean the creativity had to stop, and once the band broke free of their old label they created a new one called Wasted Summer. Now Hellogoodbye are back with an album, Would It Kill You?, making music on their own terms. With the power of their music back in their hands, Hellogoodbye immediately set off to Kline’s home studio. “We were performing new songs for a while before Would It Kill You? was recorded,” says Kline. Meaning, it wasn’t the lack of material that kept them from releasing new music. It was adjusting to their newfound freedom. There were no more deadlines to adhere to, no more keeping it down because Kline’s parents were asleep and if something didn’t sound right, there was no reason to force it to work. Instead, the band was able to micromanage each song and fix anything that was bothering them. Kline was so dedicated to the quality and sound of the album that he finished up the final details of it while on his honeymoon. The end result is a surprisingly free-spirited pop record that drifts away from their electronic/dance trademark. That’s because Zombies! was a record made out of necessity, with

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews Kline tediously using Fruity Loops and a sequencer because he didn’t have the means to use anything authentic. “I remember during Zombies! that the best days for me would be whenever we would go into the studio and record something live. Now that I’ve been able to build my home studio, I can do that. Recording real instruments is a lot more exciting,” says Kline. Would It Kill You? comes as a breath of fresh air; it’s the album they’ve always wanted to make, and it proves that they know how to play their instruments and not just make beats. Now that they’ve got their first self-funded album under their belts, Hellogoodbye are ready to start their first headlining tour. They even handpicked the accompanying bands. “When we were touring with our first album, we were paired with bands that didn’t really make a lot of sense to who we are. Like when we toured with Hanson,” says Kline. But as to what they’re most excited for on this upcoming tour: “We’re excited for people to have the record and know the songs.” In other words, the fans. Hellogoodbye is notorious for their accessibility. They personally mail you merchandise, retweet everyone who mentions them on their Twitter, have a forum dedicated to answering any question you may have for them (no matter how personal), reveal the meanings of each song from their new album (though most are inspired by Kline’s wife, Chelsea) and, as of late, might have been playing at a neighbor’s house. “I like keeping fans engaged,” says Kline. After they finished touring with 3OH!3, the band found themselves with a lot of downtime and decided to spend it by reconnecting with their fans in a personal way. So they set up an ad on their Web site and people wrote in, sending

FREQUENCY BY BRIEN OVERLY Hellogoodbye Jan. 22 @ The Troubadour I’ll admit it, I didn’t used to be so into this band. I’m just of the mind that whenever you mix modern emo and synthpop, it inevitably sounds like children’s music – for children tripping balls off the prescription drugs they’ve hijacked from their parents’ medicine cabinets. And maybe a part of me held them slightly responsible for the modern spawning of even worse second-generation emo-synth-pop bands, those of the Owl City and the Ready Set variety. But somewhere along the way, in the very recent past, these dudes got really legit. Going a slightly more indie-pop route for their new album, which I must admit is actually pretty killer, by the way, the fivesome actually sound like grown-ups now. Backhanded as all that may sound, it’s a respectable feat that the band can maintain the fun and youthful quality of their early work without it feeling like a guilty pleasure. If anything, the more mature sound they’ve taken, which pulls in everything from garage rock to occasional Motown-esque vibes, really lets frontman Forrest Kline’s smart and witty lyricism shine. Along for the ride is Gold Motel, the new project from former Hush Sound frontwoman Greta Morgan. Anyone familiar with Morgan’s Hush Sound work knows that she breaks the prototypical mold of the modern rock songstress, instead opting to bring a little more old-fashioned class and culture to the stage. With her signature balance of deep and sultry vocal tones with an effortlessly sparkling and delicate execution, Morgan is one of few vocalists who stand out as an adult in a scene otherwise dominated by kids. And if ever there were someone who could restore the good and

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pictures of their houses along with how many people they could accommodate. Playing house shows became so popular that mtvU stepped in with a contest so that yet another Hellogoodbye fan could play host to this event and have it taped for the rest of the world to see. They enjoyed playing house shows so much that they might add a couple more in between the dates of their current tour. Hellogoodbye always gives you something to look forward to, whether it’s creating a personalized experience, a quirky otter T-shirt, music that makes you happy or challenging you at “Guitar Hero.” Their versatile, DIY ethic makes them stand out in a world overwhelmed with auto-tune and synthesized strings. As to whether or not they’ll go back to their electronic roots, Kline offers, “I can’t say for sure. I don’t know what the next album will be. Electronic music’s not as enjoyable to make, but I wouldn’t rule it out.” Would It Kill You? is currently available. Hellogoodbye perform Jan. 22 at the Troubadour. For more information, visit hellogoodbye.net.

Campus Circle > Music > Frequency honorable name of female-fronted bands in the wake of … recent events, it would indeed be her.

Fake Problems Jan. 23 @ The Echo This, friends, is the definitive show not to miss this week. Not only did the Florida-bred foursome put out one of the best albums of last year with Real Ghosts Caught on Tape, they’re also one of the best live bands around right now. While the concept of beach-punk may be foreign to many of you, and the term may even seem paradoxical, these guys will make you believers. Frontman Chris Farren’s gritty yells are matched only by his impassioned howling, as he brings a little emotive introspection into his sometimes-biting commentary. Infectiously catchy, with enough gang vocals for any purehearted old school punk to be stoked to shout along to, the band never loses the darker undertones of their music. Given that they happen to be playing one of the darker, seedier and more intimate indie venues that Los Angeles has to offer, odds are that these guys will give you more than a few reasons of your own to be stoked on them.

White Lies Jan. 24 @ The Troubadour Since we’ve been skirting around indie as a genre with bands that actual hipsters would never publicly admit to liking, the closet pretentious elitist in me couldn’t not include a White Lies show. To be fair, the band members themselves are not pretentious elitists, at least as far as I know, but when your band is drawing comparisons to the likes of Joy Division, Interpol and the Killers, you know you’ve made a name for yourself as a cred-worthy band. Although, to again be fair, if

Judge White Lies for yourself at the Troubadour Jan. 24. you’re an English band and you don’t get that, you might as well quit the music industry and work a desk job doing data entry. I mean, that’s like, the big, all-or-nothing measure of worthiness for bands over there, right? To be fair for the last time, attempting to pin the band down with comparisons of who they sound like really sells them short, because really, Brandon Flowers wishes he could write a synth-pop album of this epic a scope. Seriously, the band’s new album and their previous one are both masterpieces of dynamic, cinematic storytelling, with frontman Harry McVeigh’s dark and haunting vocals emoting immeasurably despite his signature monotonic, melancholic style. So if you’re going to indulge in some elitism this week, at least you can do it with a quality band this time that’s actually worth their hype.

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Gets Into Trouble

BY MARVIN VASQUEZ THERE’S A DIFFERENT MUSICAL VIBE COMING from James Blunt, but he’s still the same unique, humble human being he has always been from the beginning. Blunt’s newest album, Some Kind of Trouble, releases this week, and it strays from his previous work. “I suppose it started differently and with no repetition of the first two albums,” Blunt remembers. Producer Steve Robson is a predominant reason for the album’s distinct production because of his fresh viewpoint. “My drummer introduced me to Steve,” Blunt says. “We went for a beer, but it resulted in more.” The five-time Grammy nominee acknowledges that the difference in the new album may stem from the fact that it relates to reality a lot more than his previous tracks. Some Kind of Trouble’s “Stay the Night” is an example of the updated version of Blunt, who co-wrote the song with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. “I wrote the song along with Steve and Ryan in California,” Blunt states. “It deals with absorbing everything around in California and having fun with friends.” “Stay the Night” is a sexy, acoustic guitar-driven, upbeat track that is contagious with excitement. One of its lines, “singing ‘Billie Jean’ and mixing vodka and caffeine,” is quite the catchy lyric and could incite a party all by itself. The video for “Stay the Night” was shot in Los Angeles, where Blunt

began his career and made his first two records. “It is one of the cities I know the most, and I have a lot of friends in L.A.,” he says charismatically. “I like its location, the ocean and weather. What I love about it is that it is shallow because of the fun it has. L.A. is a place of great depth; there are many musicians, mixers, engineers and studios.” After two albums, two world tours and 18 million records sold, Blunt tackles different subjects and an array of emotions in Some Kind of Trouble, which took a little more than a year to finish. “The album is melancholic, really. There is a lot of acoustic guitar, and it’s instantly naively upbeat, kind of teenager,” the London-born artist says. “I was in the studio with Steve all the time. There is more animation, and it’s optimistic.” Widely known for his 2005 superb hit “You’re Beautiful,” Blunt recognizes that the massive amount of time spent with Robson was quite the fulfilling commitment. “Really, it was properly great fun. His wife was jealous of the time spent together,” he offers. “It is like a marriage because we respect each other, trust each other, treasure arguments and challenged each other.” Asked about the upcoming world tour, Blunt seems eager to get it started and display his new material to the fans everywhere. This gifted singer, songwriter and musician is bound to continue increasing his universal attention and stardom with Some Kind of Trouble. Most of the tunes are uptempo, and Blunt achieves that to perfection, especially with “I’ll Be Your Man.” This is a song everyone will like. “I was mixing in Los Angeles, and I met with Kevin Griffin,” Blunt says. “He is a really fun dude, and I wrote the song and sounded great. We squeezed [it] into the album because I wanted to.” Indeed, Some Kind of Trouble is a delightful album, and it

Andrew Zaeh

JAMES BLUNT

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews

even features a personal song from the artist. The now-island of Ibiza resident declares “No Tears” as his milestone of the record. “As a songwriter, it is a really beautiful and accomplished song,” he asserts. “Behind the song, there is a sense of taking responsibility for one’s own failings.” Blunt’s given name is James Hillier Blount, and he served in the British Army for four years after college. His 37th birthday is coming up next month. “I am going to deny it,” he says of the imminent event while laughing. “My world tour is starting in February, so I’ll be in Wolverhampton, England, celebrating it with a couple of thousand people at a concert.” Rather than hitting the slopes or waves, two of his hobbies and passions aside from music, Blunt and his longtime band mates will be giving fans a show of a lifetime. And Blunt is not ashamed of saying how he feels at the moment. “I am having fun,” he says. Some Kind of Trouble is currently available. James Blunt performs May 4 at the Wiltern. For more information, visit jamesblunt.com.

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MUSICREPORT We Dare You to Cook up Lemmy Contest

Phil Collen, lead guitarist for Def Leppard, will be hosting a seminar on fitness and health and the steps that can be taken to combat childhood obesity at this year’s LA Fitness Expo (thefitexpo.com). Collen is 53 years old and has spent decades staring down rock ’n’ roll temptations, but he’s no stranger to a healthy lifestyle: He’s been sober for 24 years, is a longtime vegetarian and currently a vegan, has a black belt in Kempo karate and trains regularly with Muay Thai kickboxing champion Jean Carillo. Carillo will appear with Collen to discuss fitness, give workout demonstrations and participate in meet-and-greet sessions where they’ll sign autographs and pose for pictures. The LA Fitness Expo takes place at the Convention Center on Jan. 29 and 30, and Collen will be in attendance all day for both days.

LoudTrax.com has launched a cooking contest of sorts in conjunction with the recent release of the heavy metal cookbook by Steve Seabury, Mosh Potatoes. The book contains recipes, anecdotes and assorted bits of mayhem contributed by artists like Megadeth, Testament, Lita Ford, Mötley Crüe and many others. Contestants need to make films of themselves cooking up the “Krakatoa Surprise” recipe submitted by Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead. The video then needs to be uploaded to YouTube and loudtrax.com. Prizes include an autographed and framed photo, a signed CD, Lemmy shirts, HarleyDavidson boots and more. Flour, chocolate and strawberry syrups, refried beans, curry powder and brandy are the only ingredients in Lemmy’s recipe, so if you actually eat the finished product you will indeed experience a surprise. For more information, click on the Lemmy Contest button on the LoudTrax.com homepage.

Misty Gonzales: Hummingbird

Exit 451 Wants Your Video Ideas

How’s this for a CD release party? To celebrate the release of her new EP Hummingbird, Misty Gonzales presents the Rock & Roll Freedom Show, a Cirque Du Soleil-inspired musical event featuring high-flying aerial acts and breathtaking visuals. Besides the aerialists, the stage show features pole dancers, stilt walkers, unicyclists and hula-hoop dancers, all choreographed by Jena Carpenter of Dream World Circus. And, of course, Misty will perform the music from Hummingbird, a teaser release designed to hold fans over until the release of Gonzales’ next full length, not surprisingly to be titled Rock & Roll Freedom Show. You have two chances to catch the spectacle: Feb. 2 and then again on Feb. 23 at the Key Club.

Montreal-based rockers Exit 451 are asking aspiring filmmakers to submit ideas for the creation of a music video for the band’s new single, “You Exist,” from their The Sea Above the Sky album. Here’s how the competition works: Go to Exit451.ca and listen to “You Exist.” Then submit your synopsis for the music video treatment – the more unique the better – to the e-mail address found on the site. Three finalists will receive the song in WAV format so they can create their video. The grand prize winner will receive an Exit 451 gift package, but perhaps more importantly they’ll also be heavily promoted as an up-and-coming filmmaker during the promotional campaign for the single and The Sea Above the Sky. Contest ends Feb. 14.

Def Leppard Guitarist at Fit Expo

LIVESHOWREVIEWS Monte Negro Jan. 11 @ The Roxy With their latest release, Cosmic Twins, Monte Negro hosted a record release party at the Roxy. Monte Negro’s performance was preceded by appearances from Diciembre Gris, Claudio Valenzuela, Velorio and Cuevo Perez. After Gris opened the night, Valenzuela followed with a mellow, yet infectious alternative rock portion that really set the mood. Each of these acts hit the stage for 30 minutes. Valenzuela recently released Gemini, and he showcased most of the album’s tracks, including “La Aguja En Tu Ropa” (The Needle in Your Clothes) and “Si El Rio Suena” (If the River Sounds), among other crowd pleasers. Velorio’s performance truly came as a surprise to everyone in terms of how great they sounded. Their diverse lyrics, accompanied with the mix of beats ranging from rock to Caribbean sounds, pleased the audience immensely. Velorio’s cumbia-rock tunes shined as well. The distinctive Cuevo Perez closed the night, but not before Monte Negro distributed their entire Cosmic Twins set. Monte Negro’s tracks included “Guero” (Blonde), “Borrowed Time,” “Lost,” “The Longest Day” and “Sunburst.” This indie alternative, new wave, rock band is based out of Los Angeles. Composed of Kinski Gallo (vocals), Rodax (bass), Jason Li-Shing (guitar) and El Pipe (drums), Monte Negro is a quartet creating sounds that have never been heard before, and it’s working. The crowd loved them from beginning to end during their 80-minute show. Kinski’s distinguishable voice pleased the house in both

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Erika Jayne is five for five. Known for her alluring vocals, catchy melodies and electro beats, Los Angeles-based pop vocalist Erika Jayne has become a charttopping force to be reckoned with. Jayne placed four singles at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s “Hot Dance Club Play Chart” with the release of her debut album, Pretty Mess, a feat that only 13 acts have accomplished since Groove with Erika Jayne at Billboard started the Ultra Suede Jan. 21. dance chart in 1976. Now her fifth and latest single, “One Hot Pleasure,” has taken over the top spot on the chart and put Jayne in the company of similarly successful hit makers like the Pussycat Dolls and Rihanna. Jayne appears at Popstarz at Ultra Suede in West Hollywood on Jan. 21.

Marco Bollinger

BY KEVIN WIERZBICKI

Campus Circle > Music > Music Report

Rival Sons SoCal rockers Rival Sons have released a six-song self-titled EP on iTunes. The set of raucous, blues-infused rock ’n’ roll is meant to tide fans over until Earache Records drops the band’s debut full length later this year.

Campus Circle > Music > Live Show Reviews English and Spanish, and both simultaneously. Their wardrobe was innovative to boot, and their up-tempo demeanor both physically and musically powered the unforgettable hours of darkness. Monte Negro’s genuine rock beats on their 14-track Cosmic Twins will tour the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain and France this year. —Marvin Vasquez

Plan B Jan. 13 @ The Troubadour I had not seen a show this good in years. What other group can take the stage in suits and start a dance riot in a matter of seconds for their first time playing in the United States? Not many. The show was amazing. Even Sir Elton John came to check out the action. With a full band on stage and some amazing backup singers, it wasn’t long before everyone knew that they were in for a treat. The songs rolled off the stage one after another, and the crowd ate it up. Frontman Ben Drew was captivating with his aggressive soul-style delivery of each song. Hitting all the right notes and ranging from rap to even a bit of rock, he put on one hell of a show. The album featuring the songs that Plan B threw down, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, hit No. 1 on the UK charts almost instantly. It will be interesting to see if the sometimes-uneducated American market will allow it to do the same on this side of the pond. I can’t say enough good things about this band. The energy and the intensity were perfect. I’d hate to see them in

Jon Rankin

NEWS FILM MUSIC

Even Sir Elton John couldn’t resist the amazing energy and intensity of Plan B at the Troubadour. a large arena or anything outside of a large club. This kind of music fits right in where you can get up close and feel the beats. Be sure to pick up The Defamation of Strickland Banks and search YouTube for the unreal remix of “Stay Too Long” with Pendulum. It shows the versatility of this hot-as-fire act that is sure to burn up the stage when they take to the road with Bruno Mars in the future. —David Tobin

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle CDREVIEWS The Aquabats Hi-Five Soup! (Fearless) Man, this CD is fun. That’s the first thing that hit me after only listening to a few songs. In true Aquabats fashion, they have once again found a way to take music to a fun and happy place. The witty lyrics flow from song to song, and this time they even brought along special guests like Biz Markie and the most awesomest character ever to grace a computer screen: STRONG BAD! Yes, the one and only from “Homestar Runner” is featured on this album. I’m excited about this album not only because of the fun songs and great choices in guest vocals, but the production is excellent. Each instrument in this ensemble has its own voice and its proper place. Often bigger bands lose the depth in their structure, but not this offering from the rash guardwearing, caped ska crusaders. Hi-Five Soup! is as fun to listen to as it is to dance along with. Pick this up and get ready for the live show that will follow. Grade: B+ —David Tobin Hi-Five Soup! is currently available.

Campus Circle > Music > CD Reviews based in Tijuana, just over the California line, and their sound is essentially not too different from dozens of bands working north of the border, particularly many of those on the Warped Tour circuit. But the ringing guitars and speedy rhythms, often hook filled and radio ready, are bolstered by the fact that vocals are delivered in both Spanish and English. That’s not exactly a unique idea, but Delux uses the technique to great success, keeping enough of the lyrics in English to allow non-Spanish speakers to sing along if they want, and they’ll want to on catchy songs like “Get the Money,” “Alarma!!!” and “Communication.” There are a couple of “quieter” moments on $; the ballad “Lost Souls” has a chorus that gives a wink to the Red Hot Chili Peppers while “Hey Lover” balances out the testosterone rush with vocals from Orange County’s Stacy Clark. Clark is not the only known guest to appear on $; Joey Cape of Lagwagon, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship, Will Salazar of Fenix TX and Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory are some of the others on board, and it only takes a quick listen to understand what they see and hear in this promising outfit. Grade: A —Kevin Wierzbicki $ is currently available.

The Memorials

Kenny Brand Canciones Contemporaneas (Opcion Sonica) Composer Kenny Brand’s latest release Canciones Contemporaneas (Contemporary Songs in Spanish) comes as a special treat to its listeners.The album includes the voices of Chuy Gomez, Ree Gee O, Kleyton, Jennifer Jimenez, Avi Michaels J and Marcos Mendoza in a unique combination of Latin jazz, R&B, pop, country and rock. One highlight is “La Tormenta” (“A Perfect Storm”), featuring the voice of Ree Gee O, who’s reminiscent of Italian pop singer Eros Ramazzotti. However, “Mi Mejor Amigo” (“A Man’s Best Friend”) has similarities to a Luis Miguel tune with Chuy Gomez’s voice. “El Momento Paso” (A Moment In Time) with vocals by Jennifer Jimenez is a romantic and mellow song where the organ stands out. Moreover, “En Ese Tiempo” (At The Time) boasts a classic country melody, and this is perfect for Contemporary Songs because it provides an upbeat track and conjures a fun vibe. Avi Michaels J is the featured voice. Kenny Brand’s Contemporary Song, which Martin Mayo produced, Edgard H. Roth musically arranged and Richard Bosworth engineered, is a solid selection to play for any occasion. Grade: A—Marvin Vasquez Canciones Contemporaneas is currently available.

Delux $ (Ramper) Delux is a modern punk-pop band out of Mexico, but they’re

Self-titled (Universal) After conquering cities and gaining fans across the nation on tour, The Memorials’ highly anticipated self-titled debut album has finally arrived. The hard rock group experiment with a wide range of fundamentals as they establish their unique sound. They combine every possible element throughout the album by incorporating intense rock combinations and psychedelic guitar shreds. The album instantly bursts with chaos and destruction as “We Go To War” completely levels everything in its path. Filled with musical aggression and fury, guitarist Nick Brewer and drummer Thomas Pridgen disintegrate their instruments with an amazing introduction. Lead singer Viveca Hawkings completes the band as her daring vocals hover over the melodious rampage. “Let’s Party” sheds light on a tamer but still aggressive side of the group. Its highly addictive chorus generates hand clapping and dancing while Brewer excels with various guitar solos. Then, they expose a harmonious aspect of themselves with the song “Real” while Hawkings lyrics motivate and uplift. “Real” quite possibly defines the versatility of the album as it ends with a rainforest sensation consumed with echoes. Each song is precisely engineered with a clear and crisp finish. Every instrument can easily be identified without dominating one another. One of the most impressive aspects of the album is their control over tempos and momentum shifts. Listening to Pridgen’s overruling drum style and Brewer’s unrelenting guitar approach is inspiring. They consistently battle throughout the album, supplying each other with extreme force. Hawkings expands her vocal horizon with combinations of soul, funk and an in-your-face attitude. She rapidly captures each moment by wrapping herself deep within the music while radiating long and dominating verses. The Memorials have created a magnificent album that expresses talent across every position. Grade: A —Jacob Gaitan The Memorials is currently available.

Amanda Palmer Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under (Liberator) Where does one go after recording a collection of Radiohead covers on a ukulele? In the case of provocateur frontwoman Amanda Palmer, a fight for pubic hair freedom. Since her days stirring controversy with Brechtian rock duo the Dresden Dolls, the now solo artist is celebrating her

newfound success with a sophomore album, Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under. Like the title implies, it was recorded entirely in Australia and New Zealand, ensuring that listeners will get a taste of what havoc the queen of punk cabaret can cause on the other side of the world. The result is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious releases of the year; finally, some much-needed music that easily kicks today’s tiresome pop tracks to the curb. When it comes to Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, the singer is kooky and loveable in every way possible, especially when she freestyles about female privates with a playful, reggae crotch-grabbing anthem, “Map of Tasmania.” Listeners still craving some of Palmer’s old-school theatrics will instantly fall for “Doctor OZ.” The dramatic, vintage ballad transports audiences to a Victorian parlor where a “devilishly handsome” fellow (most likely showing off a cape and top hat) isn’t shy of seducing even the most outlandish lady, who fears of contracting an illness that “could be transmittable by mouth.” Just when you think Palmer is only trying to raise madeup eyebrows, she slows things down with a heartfelt remake of brooding Aussie Nick Cave’s “The Ship Song.” The single is stripped down to the bone, only leaving Palmer’s soul-baring vocals and gentle pounds on a piano, proving she’s indeed a one-woman show. Love or hate her, Palmer is doing the one thing that many artists haven’t done in a long time: breaking rules. Grade: A—Stephanie Nolasco Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under will be available Jan. 21.

W.H. Walker Suds! (Boogie Creek) Portland, Ore.’s garage rockers W.H. Walker (formerly Welcome Home Walker, a name inspired by a Sam Cooke tune) have put together a retro-referenced singles collection, the seven-track EP, Suds!, rowdy, pumped-up garage-soul, punk-parlayed pop and British-styled soul/blues. The title track is an infectious singalong ode to bathing rather than beer (Find the frothy video online.). The fourpiece does a cranked up translation of Ted Hawkins’ bluesy “Watch Your Step” that sounds akin to the Reigning Sound covering the Seeds. The band’s first single, “Don’t Let Me Go,” is a hand-clapping plea for companionship. The best pick is soul struttin’ “The Untold Death of Grady Jones,” a sable tale of unforeseen violence. W.H. Walker puts influences out front, a revivalist approach shared by the Fleshtones, the Mystery Girls and like-minded garage-soul purveyors. The appropriate DIY, low-cost production adds to the particular aesthetic. Grade: B —Doug Simpson Suds! is currently available.

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CURTAINCALL “Daddy” Now-Feb. 13 @ Hudson Mainstage For those who believe homosexuality in males stems from the absence of a man’s father, “Daddy” seconds that philosophy and elevates it to a whole new level. Colin (Gerald McCullouch, “CSI”) is complacent in his bachelor lifestyle until he befriends an admiring intern Tee (Ian Verdun) who is half his age. Tee’s youth takes Colin back to his days of reckless abandon, and it feels good. As their relationship grows, Colin’s longtime friendship with Stew (playwright Dan Via) is challenged. Colin might genuinely love Tee, but something clearly isn’t right. And Stew might just be the one to discover precisely where the problem lies. McCullouch is perfectly cast as the too-cool-for-school yet past-his-prime bachelor. His combination of lovability mixed with a deal of arrogance creates credibility in his character. Via’s performance is strikingly comical as the overanalytical and cynical friend of Colin, resembling a flattering performance by that of David Hyde Pierce from “Frasier.” His banter with McCullouch is absolutely hysterical and makes you wish these two had a sitcom together. Via’s script in many ways depicts a complimentary portrait of a homosexual lifestyle, which is commendable. However, there is much buried within the plot, which is disconcerting and simply put, mind-boggling. Verdun is also engaging as the seemingly oblivious yet extraordinarily talented writer. He definitely keeps you curious about his hush-hush past. The humanity in the characters’ love and frustrations with each other is touching. The plot and the characters unveil more impressive levels than the actual stage setting suggests,

Campus Circle > Culture > Theater as you will notice (and be impressed by) immediately upon arrival. —Stephanie Forshee Hudson Mainstage is located at 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. For more information, visit plays411.com/daddy.

“Greedy” Now-Jan. 29 @ El Centro Theatre We’ve all received an e-mail – or a dozen per day – from complete strangers asking for money. While most have the sense to ignore such a request, the characters in Karl Gajdusek’s “greedy” just can’t help themselves. When Keira (Maggie Lawson of “Psych”) interferes with her brother Louis’ (Brad Raider) marriage with Janet (Amanda Detmer), the root of all evil stands at the forefront of all the characters’ problems. Keira has a history as a pest hounding her brother for money, or more accurately, his wife Janet’s money. This time, she has gone too far. Keira plans to scheme Paul (Kurt Fuller), a generous doctor whom she finds online. More greed unfolds as Paul’s bombshell wife Tatiana (Ivana Milicevic) will stop at nothing to get a baby. Gadjusek’s script is genuinely bracing. The story hasn’t been told before (which is utterly rare these days). The characters are individually as stereotypical as they come, but their unusual placement together is brilliant. Lawson demands attention as Keira, and you can’t keep your eyes off of her. Perhaps it’s because she reveals her flawless body by shedding clothes just seconds into the opening scene, or maybe it’s just her reckless and happy-golucky attitude that is absolutely enviable. Regardless, Lawson is stunning in her role, as is Fuller as Paul. He’s funny, charming, endearing, sincere and

MUSICNOTES

THE STATE OF THE MUSIC BIZ BY EVA RECINOS

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS NOT FEELING TOO WELL. This past week, Yahoo! released an article that had lessthan-good news for those in the music biz. CD sales set a new record – a low one. The music world has experienced the lowest CD sales since 1991. For the fourth time in the past four years, CD sales plummeted 20 percent and the music business in general suffered a 12 percent fall. But surely iTunes can save the music world. Digital downloads went up by one percent. Not too long ago, the music industry was trying to improvise ways to make it seem like you got more bang for your buck. Not only did you get your favorite musicians’ play model on the inside of sleek CD covers, the design was popout, eye-catching and the lyrics were included for you to sing along to your heart’s content. With everything from bonus songs available on the CD to a chance to meet the band, the record industry worked diligently to make sure your hands got around hard plastic CD cases. But your ever-moving fingers lay snugly atop your laptop keyboard instead, and the rest is history. Now with the ease of illegally downloading music at no cost or finding intelligent and less frightening ways such as AIMing or simply burning off a CD and attaching your own cool sticker cover, music is much easier to distribute.

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Ed Krieger

FILM

Ian Verdun, Dan Via and Gerald McCullouch in “Daddy” everything you wish your dad to be – well, almost. Detmer is full of funny as the wife who lovingly refers to her husband as “dude.” Her depiction of a straight woman suffering lesbian symptoms is hilarious, albeit disturbing. Depending on how greedy you are for laughs and a good night at the theater, you should check out this show. —Stephanie Forshee El Centro Theatre is located at 804 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood. For more information, visit elcentrotheatre.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Notes Artists get a lot more play time on your iPod, sure, but that doesn’t pay their bills. And that’s why the state of the music industry will only continue to decline down its slippery, albeit musically tuned, slope. Or will it? Country star Taylor Swift racked in the most sales this year, beating out even Lady Gaga and Eminem. But Gaga’s costumes didn’t get any less lavish. The gal may not have gotten her much-exposed tush onto the list of contemporary music high rollers, but hardcore fans numbering in the hundreds of thousands were willing to shell out more than 100 greenbacks to see her inside a famous ball contraption and witness the intricate spectacle that she gives as a concert. Though the CD industry’s looking a little pale, perhaps it’s not the CD’s sales that pay the big bills in the end, but the fortune you rack up in popularity. Where is Swift’s Monster Ball? The fame Lady Gaga garnered in 2010 far outweighs that of Swift. Surely the career of the oddball gal is affected by the sale of her music, but the concert experience and unmatched personality she has created in a short period of time garnered her enough popularity to get her name in the mouth of those who hated and loved her. Swift’s traditional musical style lands her in a Disney-esque genre restriction and 12-yearolds without Internet access rely on dad’s car to get them to the CD store to buy the coveted Swift album. In contrast, Gaga gets everyone from the 2-year-old in the car seat to the over-the-hill worker in an office cubicle to sing her lyrics. Perhaps the timing is off. There is no large movement in music towards anything angsty or punky. Music history extends back so many years that it will take something like the creation of a new instrument to overcome all the trends, notes and singing

Meeno

NEWS

If Lady Gaga can’t save CD sales, who or what can? in existence. And now with the newfound love for dubstep and rave, the music world seems doomed for another eco-friendly recycling of sweetly musky music genres and constant homages to the classic time in which that one genre changed it all. If Gaga’s chaotically strange and borderline ridiculous outfits and booming popularity can’t save CD sales and the state of the music world, what possibly can? The only thing music fans can do is what they are doing – be music fans. Anything with enough passion and pop can’t possibly be ignored. The music industry has a few more chances to get some income, and every business has its ups and downs. The print business is threatened by digital and major production film companies compete with independent creations. So head over to iTunes and dole out a buck for another track to boost your music library before radios start turning into jukeboxes and Kanye West becomes your snarky personal loan advisor.

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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

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JETSETTER

TRAVEL NEWS, TRIPS & TIPS

Campus Circle > Culture > Travel

BY KEVIN WIERZBICKI

Gran Melia Hotel from March 17-20. Performers are primarily electronic and hip-hop artists with Pretty Lights, Wiz Khalifa, Sam Adams, Chiddy Bang, Savoy and the White Panda scheduled to appear. In order to get in you have to purchase a package from Beach Dog; all packages include lodging, festival access, unlimited dining and drink (soft and adult) and daytime activities. Details at beachdogpresents.com.

Oh, Canada

Pak Smarte

In conjunction with the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Parks Canada, the world’s first national parks service, Canopy Books (canopyplanet.org) has released a photo-filled coffee table-style book called Canada’s National Parks: A Celebration. Dozens of renowned photographers contribute their best shots of things you’d expect like grizzly and polar bears and stunning mountain vistas as well as scenes you might not expect from Canada like the swirling sand dunes at Brackley Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park and the temperate rainforest of Gwaii Haanas in British Columbia. A brief synopsis of what you can expect to see at each park is included as is a complimentary Daily Entry Pass good for individual or group admission at any national park, national historic site or national marine conservation area administered by Parks Canada.

Nobody likes to drag luggage all over an airport and certainly nobody enjoys paying the fees that airlines are now charging to check your luggage. The Pak Smarte 3-Pocket Packing Organizer (paksmarte.com) can help – it’s designed to hold several entire outfits and keep them neat and wrinkle-free and make it easy to find what you’re looking for without digging. Great for when you’re “living out of a suitcase,” the lightweight vinyl organizer is meant to go inside a small carry-on bag, but in a pinch it can be carried as is and will fit under the airplane seat. Comes with a durable Ziploc-style bag that meets TSA standards for use with your small carryon liquids and creams.

Electric Beach If you’re looking for a spring break getaway and thinking about heading to Cancun, here’s something different for you to do in the popular Mexican beach city. Beach Dog Presents is hosting a three-night mini music festival called Electric Beach: Spring Break Cancun V. 1.0 that’ll take place at the

Wildlife Photography Subtitled On Safari with Your DSLR: Equipment, Techniques, Workflow, Wildlife Photography by award-winning photographer Uwe Skrzypczak (pronounced Scripcheck) is a comprehensive textbook suited to beginners and pros alike. Skrzypczak leads the reader through the camera selection process, shooting techniques, image composition, editing techniques and even how to plan your trip if you’re going somewhere exotic on your photo safari.

JETSETTER

SAIL AWAY THE BRITISH WAY

Fred.Olsen’s Fresh Accent on Cruising BY KEVIN WIERZBICKI I SAY, OLD CHAP, WE’RE HAVING A JOLLY GOOD time, wot? What? OK, people from England don’t actually speak like that, and they generally don’t sound much like the Geico gecko, either. But there’s something very appealing about the British accent, something you’ll find out very quickly when you step aboard a Fred.Olsen cruise ship, and I’m not referring only to the way people talk. Fred.Olsen is a British company, and most of the folks who cruise with them are from the U.K. When I sailed the Caribbean aboard the company’s Braemar, a smallish ship with a passenger capacity of around 900, there were fewer than 10 Americans aboard. That meant that before we even docked in exotic ports like St. Kitts and the British Virgin Islands, I was immersed in a different culture. Not exactly “pip-pipping” and “cheerio-ing;” more like enjoying a fine British ale, looking forward to tea time and chatting up folks from London-Town and beyond.

Campus Circle 1.19.11 - 1.25.11

Skrzypczak purposely includes only shots (hundreds of them, each with a full explanation of how it was taken) from the Serengeti in East Africa because of that area’s biodiversity; you can use the same techniques spelled out here whether you’re shooting in Yellowstone, the Arctic or your local zoo. rockynook.com

EagleRider Motorcycle Rentals Planning on renting a car for a road trip? EagleRider Motorcycle Rentals offers a two-wheeled alternative where you can rent a Harley-Davidson Sportster for less than $100 a day. Prices go up if you want to sail down the highway on an Electra Glide, but the company has 10 models to choose from to suit all tastes and budgets, including a plushed-out trike. All you need is your driver’s license with the motorcycle endorsement; helmets and driver pick-up and drop-off is included, and you can even rent a leather jacket if you want. If you don’t want to ride by yourself, EagleRider offers a selection of guided motorcycle tours, including the Wild West Tour that covers California from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite then down the coast to Los Angeles as well as Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in Arizona and Bryce Canyon in Utah. Visit eaglerider.com for more information and for a listing of Los Angeles-area locations.

Hostel Accommodations A hostel stay is always a good option for those traveling on a budget, and statistics just in from last year show these cities as leaders in hostel and other budget lodging facilities: Atlanta, Orlando, Denver, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. But you can find a hostel anywhere, even if you’re headed to Hawaii or overseas. Find booking information for hostels in over 180 countries at hostelworld.com.

Campus Circle > Culture > Travel Tea Time! Cruise ships are famous for providing a seemingly unlimited supply of food through buffets, evening fine dining, snack stations and room service, and the Fred. Olsen ships have all that. But true to English tradition and to the great delight of all aboard, the Braemar welcomes passengers to afternoon tea. If you’re imagining sitting around in a stuffy atmosphere mindlessly stirring a cup of pekoe you’ll be surprised as to what tea time – a party featuring a veritable orgy of edibles – is actually like. The event does start in a bit of a sedate manner as servers make sure everyone has a hot cuppa and then others on the wait staff bring around a selection of finger sandwiches. But then the wraps are taken off a huge display of goodies, and it’s on! Supplies are plentiful, but this is no time to be shy; go ahead and grab a couple of plates and load up on tarts, cookies, rum balls, cakes, scones and on and on. Many of the treats are English specialties that may not be familiar to you, but the Braemar’s chefs are on hand to tell you what the ingredients are in that little coconut-covered thingy. Tea is held in one of the ship’s bars so you can have a little something added to your cup if you like, and there’s live music after if you’re not too stuffed to dance. Having Fun in Port: Fred.Olsen offers cruises all over the world, so you can experience the royal treatment as you sail to Greenland, the Canary Islands, Morocco or even during a round-the-world voyage. My Caribbean trip aboard the Braemar stopped at a string of islands, including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands and Dominica. Each of these ports has a wide variety of things to explore either on your own or through an organized shore excursion that you arrange on the ship. I decided to alternate the activity level of my shore

Fred.Olsen cruise ship the Braemar docked in Dominica excursions, indulging in action-packed adventure one day and then sublime relaxation the next, all the while keeping the British theme intact. In Antigua, I participated in a thrilling yacht race, cranking the winches, trimming the sails and taking the helm as part of the crew aboard a 40-foot On Deck ocean-going racer, one of the same ships that races from its home port in England to the Caribbean every year. In St. Kitts, on the other hand, I explored the charming port city of Basseterre (where you can find phone booths that look like Doctor Who’s Tardis) and then took a shuttle out to the Clay Villa Plantation House. The property, overlooking the Caribbean and reminiscent of an English garden, is filled with gorgeous vegetation including plenty of fruit trees that attract the local monkey population. After the owner shows you the garden, most of the memorabilia-filled rooms of his house and a small museum housing artifacts from around the world, you can sit and chat with him over a cold brew in his own personal pub. Cheers! For more information, visit FredOlsenCruises.com.

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XIOMARA ON MELROSE

6101 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles BY MARVIN VASQUEZ

Executive chef Michael Reed

CUBAN XIOMARA ARDOLINA HAS CHANGED THE SCOPE OF HER restaurant Xiomara on Melrose. Led by executive chef Michael Reed and sous chef Brandon Furlow, Xiomara has redesigned the entire menu for its customers. In formulating the California cuisine menu, Reed has followed his passion and heart, and this is what Ardolina, who classifies the restaurant as fine dining at an affordable price, liked most when selecting her chef. Yes, the quality of food is superb and outstanding. The venue’s location is perfect. What makes Xiomara on Melrose Avenue a prominent force in the industry is the personal, yet professional service given to customers, which stems from its wonderful proprietor (Ardolina), general manager Marlene, the chefs, hosts, waiters and all other staff. As a matter of fact, if you dine at the restaurant, you will not want to leave – everyone treats you like family. There is a comfort zone created by the staff that places you at ease when having lunch or dinner. Add to that the delicious food and, well, it’s difficult to exit. Xiomara is perfect for lunch, dinner, a date and other special occasions. The list of California cuisine items on the menu is lengthy, and the delicious dishes are presented in a fashionable manner to boot. All meals are made with fresh produce, which gives the eatery an edge over many other restaurants. The dinner menu offers several small plates, salads, fresh pastas and main courses. The duck confit leg with French lentils and celery raisin relish is a great starter because it is a classic example of a small plate; this dish is simply cooked and designed to perfection by Reed and Furlow. Both kitchen masters hold a wealth of knowledge in the culinary arts, and it’s evident in the prepared dishes. The roasted beet salad with lamb’s lettuce, candied walnuts, goat cheese and anise seed vinaigrette is a must-try salad and the crispy pork belly with roasted Jerusalem artichoke, smokey eggplant puree, kale and pork jus is simply scrumptious. I have never been a big fan of pastas, but I am now after consuming the restaurant’s farmers’ market seasonal vegetable pasta. This pasta dish is magnificently divine, and I highly recommend it. Since the ingredients for the dish are selected daily you will instantly take note of its freshness, marvelous smell and delightful taste. While dining, you cannot forget a lively libation, like the mojito, the signature drink at Xiomara on Melrose. This is the best mojito I have consumed in all my life, especially because of the pure taste of sugar cane and mint. The sugar cane is delivered from Florida, and its juice is extracted right on the spot when placing the order for the mojito. And it comes in this almost diagonally shaped drink glass. Xiomara on Melrose’s mojitos are an eclectic version of the cocktail itself, and are just $7. The lunch menu is slightly different from the dinner menu, yet it results in the same outcome: You cannot go wrong with what you ask for. The seared salmon with corn soup, lima beans and asparagus is a great choice for a main dish, as well as their variety of sandwiches, including a Xiomara burger with bacon, sous vide onion, lettuce, tomato and cheddar or blue cheese. Try the Cuban press with black forest ham, slow-roasted pork and swiss cheese. All sandwiches are served with your selection of fries or salad. And then there is this thing called dessert. Even though it takes 45 minutes to make, you must save room for the Budin de Pan. This chocolate bread pudding soufflé is served warm with Gavina coffee custard sauce. In addition, a fabulous Mascarpone Cheesecake with Allspice crumble and pumpkin ice cream will keep you coming back for more. Xiomara on Melrose can only increase its success since Reed has yet to formally finalize the menu. “I’ll probably keep changing it until I think it is done,” Reed says. “I’ll want to try placing other dishes on the menu.”

For more information, call (323) 461-0601 or visit xiomararestaurant.com.

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY Center for Esthetic Dentistry

Left Photo: Small Natural Teeth (Before) Right Photo: Veneers, Teeth #5-12 (After)

Esthetic Restorations All procedures are performed by Post-graduate Dentists and supervised by Clinical Faculty of the Center for Esthetic Dentistry call (310)825-4736 for an appointment UCLA School of Dentistry, Westwood Campus Campus Circle 1.19.11 - 1.25.11

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L.AHOOPLA

RIVALRY RENEWED

BY MARVIN VASQUEZ PERHAPS THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO the Lakers Sunday afternoon in their 99-92 defeat to the Clippers was having Dodger Matt Kemp sitting behind their bench. Other than that, the Lakers simply lost a game they should have won. Now 30-12 and with the fourth best record in the NBA, the Lakers are in the midst of figuring out what went wrong in their affair versus the Clippers. Forward Blake Griffin did not experience his best game from the beginning because of the Lakers’ ability to shut him down, but he still managed to be an integral part of the Clippers’ win. More importantly, he found a way to get into Lamar Odom’s head and thus provoke a confrontation among several players. Griffin, along with teammate Baron Davis, Lakers Ron Artest and Odom were eventually ejected with just seconds remaining in the game. So, let the rivalry begin. Both teams are 1-1 against each other thus far this season, with the meetings taking place on Clipper hardwood. “We have a good rivalry,” Clippers guard Eric Gordon tells the media. “We always look forward to playing against these guys, and it’s always real interesting.” Gordon became an imperative reason in the team’s victory while contributing 30 points on 13 of 20 from the field, six assists and four steals. Griffin, technically a rookie although

Campus Circle > Sports > Basketball in his second year in the NBA since being drafted, posted 18 points and 15 rebounds. Additionally, Davis had 14 points, eight assists and made two steals. “We’re a relentless team,” Davis tells reporters. “We’ve got guys that believe in each other, and we’ve got explosive scorers. This is just another achievement for us, and we’re getting better all the time.” For the Lakers, five different players reached double figures. Kobe Bryant led the team with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Andrew Bynum, who is improving substantially, had the team’s lone double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds while performing three blocked shots, too. “We just didn’t put up much of a fight. I’m sure the next time we play them, we’ll be a little bit more ready physically to match up with them,” Bryant tells the press after the loss. “They just took it from us. … Blake just ran through us. We didn’t have anybody that was going to put up a stand.” Pau Gasol chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds, while Artest and Odom each collected 10 points. However, that was not enough on a day that the Clippers seemed to want the win more than the Lakers. And this showed in the overall result. The confrontation near the end of the game might very well be a turning point for the Lakers. It is even more important than the loss they suffered due to the Lakers’ lack of physicality over the years. In the middle of a free throw attempt by Randy Foye, Griffin produced an aggressive effort to receive proper placement on a potential missed free throw rebound. Odom did not like that, which is when he shoved Griffin aside. “Maybe I overreacted, but I just feel like if you’re up nine, a ram in the back at that point?” Odom remarks. “Any other time, I get it. You play hard, you’re strong, whatever, but the

THEARTOFLOVE

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Q&A

Deadly Spin

BY LUCIA I’m 27, and six months ago I met a 49-year-old woman. During the first four months, she was extremely in love with me until her brain “reversed” in the sense that she realized I was too young for her and doesn’t think this can last. For the past two months, she has been distancing herself. What should I do? —Charles She is at a stage in her life where she wants something secure for the future. Unless you feel you will be ready to make a serious commitment to her in the next few years, you need to let her go to find someone else.

I read your article about “how to make him commit.” I’ve been dating a guy off and on for three years. It’s not going anywhere because he is selfish and into his friends, but whenever I walk away he wants me back. I’m finally ready to move on with or without him. I’m taking your advice and will simply go away. I haven’t communicated since our falling out. I am not doing this to have him run after me but so that one day I can have my happy ending. I love him so much, but I love myself more. Thank you for sharing the stories with us, it’s giving me strength. —Donna Glad to help. No matter how much you love someone, you must love yourself just as much if not more. Good luck! Write to Lucia at theartoflove.net. Read an excerpt from Lucia’s Lessons of Love at lessonsoflove.net. Listen to Lucia live every Sunday at 3 p.m. PST on latalkradio.com. Remember: Love inspires, empowers, uplifts and enlightens.

Campus Circle 1.19.11 - 1.25.11

Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times/MCT

NEWS

Clipper Blake Griffin drives against Laker Pau Gasol Jan. 16. ram in the back while up nine? I don’t get it, so I’m just going to have to react.” At this point, several players mildly shoved each other under the basket. Davis came running from nowhere to alter the situation, which is why he received an ejection. “I was just helping my teammate and being a backup,” Davis claims. “People take shots at Blake, and they’ve been doing it all season. … It was just a bunch of lollygagging and arguing, but it wasn’t nothing. It was just playing tag.” Lakers head coach Phil Jackson did not understand the purpose of ejecting Artest, as the video replays show he acted as a peacemaker in the mild scuffle. “I have no idea how they make their decisions – whimsically, I think,” Jackson states. “I can see Lamar and Griffin getting ejected, but Ron, it was just ridiculous.” Eventually, the shoving game mattered more than the basketball game; this could boost both teams’ energy level for the better in the long run. Heck, even Kemp got excited!

(Bloomsbury) If your head is still reeling trying to make sense of the circus surrounding the health care reform bill, Deadly Spin is the book for you. And if you are one of those Tea Partiers that was so riled up about “death panels,” it may interest you to learn whose dirty work you were really doing. Wendell Potter is the former big insurance PR exec-turned-whistleblower who testified in front of Congress during the insurance reform “debate” about the industry’s tactics that have led to the sorry state of health care in this country. Potter traces the long road to reform from Roosevelt to Obama, as well as the history of the spin industry, bringing together these two threads to show exactly how the health insurance industry manipulated half the country into fighting against its own best interest in trying to kill reform. Potter is most effective in detailing the various Orwellian media tactics PR gurus of all industries employ, from “astroturfing,” the creation of false grassroots front groups (i.e. tea party organizers Freedomworks), to the dissemination of talking points and misleading industry-funded think tank studies to a drowning news media. Potter is less successful in explaining his decades as a spinmeister and subsequent epiphany. Was he really so naïve to be unaware of the consequences of the nefarious practices he was helping perpetuate? Was he just in it for the money? Potter never really offers any personal incites or a mea culpa, which, although that’s not really the purpose of the book, does become somewhat distracting after a point. Regardless, Deadly Spin is a vital and timely document. In a world where fact is increasingly being replaced by opinion, and journalists are becoming just amplifiers of press releases, this book should be required reading in schools. It is a time capsule of a country at a crossroads. Either we can continue to cede this country to corporations, or we can take a stand and give it back to the people. Grade: A —Mike Sebastian Deadly Spin is currently available.

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CALENDARTHE10SPOT BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL

Frank Hoppen

SATURDAYJAN. 22

Modern 50’s style diner

Monster Energy AMA Supercross Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles; supercrossonline.com Monster Energy Supercross is the world’s premier indoor motocross series, comprised of 17 rounds of heart-stopping action. Every week, the best riders from across the globe – like James Stewart, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey – seek to outrace each other on motocross’ most challenging courses. 7 p.m. Tix start at $20.

WEDNESDAYJAN. 19 Los Angeles Art Show

SATURDAYJAN. 22 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

L.A. Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Downtown; laartshow.com More than 100 prominent galleries from around the world exhibit thousands of amazing art pieces, from artists like Rembrandt to Ruscha and more, including painting, sculpture, work on paper, photography and video. Runs through Sunday. $20.

Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; americancinematheque. com Who knows when/if The Hobbit will hit the big screen, so you can soothe your Middle Earth longing in the meantime with Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trio. 1 p.m.

THURSDAYJAN. 20 artLA 2011 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St., Santa Monica; artla.net The interesting art event highlights innovative work from many Los Angelesbased and international galleries alongside dealers and galleries from across the United States, representing an exciting blend of established as well as several emerging artists. Runs through Sunday.

FRIDAYJAN. 21 Body Art Expo Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona; bodyartexpo.com The world’s largest tattoo and body art convention features several events all under one roof: a Ring Girls Competition, a skin show-off party and dozens of models and celebrities, including Randy Couture and UFC’s Joe Stevenson. You don’t want to miss this fun weekend! Runs through Sunday.

FRIDAYJAN. 21 “Fela!” La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd.; lamiradatheatre.com The winner of three 2010 Tony Awards, the production is a provocative hybrid of dance, theater and music, exploring the world of the extremely talented Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. 8 p.m. $20.

FRIDAYJAN. 21 Professional Bull Riders Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim; pbr.com Think you can’t see a rodeo in Los Angeles? Think again as the top 40 pro bull riders come to town. Yee haw, grab your cowboy hat and boots and head to Orange County. Also Saturday.

SUNDAYJAN. 23 Los Angeles Music Video Festival Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles; lamvf.com One of the few festivals in the world that focus exclusively on music videos, the first annual LAMVF brings together the independent music and film communities of Los Angeles in a celebration of local musical talent and creativity.

MONDAYJAN. 24 L.A. Kings vs. Boston Bruins Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Downtown; kings.nhl.com Los Angeles has a pretty good home record this season that will be put to the test by Northeast Division leaders Boston, who have one of the best away gamewin percentages in the league. It’s also Military Monday where military personnel and their families can take advantage of discounted tickets. 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAYJAN. 25 Dazed and Confused ArcLight Sherman Oaks, 15301 Ventura Blvd.; arclightcinemas.com You don’t need to have come of age in the ’70s to enjoy this hilarious high school comedy starring then-unknowns Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey and more. 7:30 p.m.

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

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FASHIONFOCUS

HOODIE BUDDIE Technology in Your Clothing

BY ERICA CARTER IF YOU EVER HAVE A HARD time keeping your mp3 player or iPhone in your pocket while running or exercising, there’s a new gadget in the ’hood … literally. HoodieBuddie is a sweatshirt that contains a standard headphone jack that makes your life easier to plug into your music. What a great concept for those of you who can’t be bothered with holding your devices. The headphones are the drawstrings, soft earbuds that are machine washable – and free from getting tangled up. That makes it really easy to stay plugged in, especially when traveling. HoodieBuddie features HB3 Technology, which features embedded audio specially formulated for the drawstrings. When using your HoodieBuddie, the sound is crisp, pretty much like your headphones that come with an iPod. You can wash the HoodieBuddie, but I recommend using the gentle cycle and hang drying for best results. Should you lose your buds, HoodieBuddie will send extra ones to you. The HoodieBuddie comes in men’s, women’s and unisex sizes, with a large selection of colors and pullover or zip-up styles. New to the line, the Betty White series features everyone’s favorite Golden Girl on tees and sweatshirts. With funny screen prints like “Betty White, Queen of the World” and “Betty White is my Homegirl,” don’t be surprised if you get interrupted while listening to your music! Your purchase also supports the Morris Animal Foundation, an organization dedicated to curing canine cancer. The HoodieBuddie won’t set you back too much in the price department, ranging from $20 to $60, depending on the style you choose. Even better, “like” HoodieBuddie on Facebook for a 10 percent off coupon. And you can send in your pictures of how you use your HoodieBuddie to its fullest for a chance to receive a second HoodieBuddie for free. HoodieBuddie is available at JCPenny and hoodiebuddie.com.

Campus Circle 1.19.11 - 1.25.11