Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 21 Issue 6 by Campus Circle

February 9-15, 2011 \ Volume 21 \ Issue 6 \ Always Free

Film | Music | Culture

CHANNING TATUM On a Quest for The Eagle

SHED POUNDS Playing Video Games

MAKE YOUR SWEETHEART SMILE A Bunch of Gift Ideas © 2 011 CAMPUS CI R C L E • ( 3 2 3 ) 9 3 9 - 8 4 7 7 • 5 0 4 2 WILSHIRE BLVD., #600 LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 • WWW.CAMPUSCIRCLE.COM • ONE FREE COPY PER PERSON

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inside campus circle 17

Editor-in-Chief Jessica Koslow editor.chief@campuscircle.net Managing Editor Yuri Shimoda managing.editor@campuscircle.net Film Editor Jessica Koslow film.editor@campuscircle.net Cover Designer Sean Michael Editorial Interns Deepthi Cauligi, Dana Jeong, Cindy Kyungh Lee

Contributing Writers Tamea Agle, Priscilla Andrade, Scott Bedno, Mary Broadbent, Erica Carter, Richard Castañeda, Nick Day, Amanda D’Egidio, Natasha Desianto, Sola Fasehun, Gillian Ferguson, Stephanie Forshee, Jacob Gaitan, A.J. Grier, Denise Guerra, Ximena Herschberg, Zach Hines, Damon 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, Jacob Gaitan, David Tobin ADVERTISING Sean Bello sean.bello@campuscircle.net Joy Calisoff joy.calisoff@campuscircle.net Jon Bookatz Music Sales Manager jon.bookatz@campuscircle.net Ronit Guedalia ronit.guedalia@campuscircle.net

Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell

Campus Circle newspaper is published 49 times a year and is available free at 40 schools and over 800 retail locations throughout Los Angeles. Circulation: 30,000. Readership: 90,000. PUBLISHED BY CAMPUS CIRCLE, INC. 5042 Wilshire Blvd., PMB 600 Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 939-8477 (323) 939-8656 Fax info@campuscircle.net www.campuscircle.com © 2011 Campus Circle, Inc. All rights reserved.

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04 BLOGS COLORS OF CULTURE

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04 BLOGS THE GREENER SIDE

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13 BLOGS TREND BLENDER 23 BLOGS THE WING GIRLS 06 FILM THE EAGLE Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell trade dancing shoes for Roman sandals. 06 FILM COLD WEATHER Director Aaron Katz reels you into a mysterious disappearance.

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07 FILM DVD DISH 10 FILM PROJECTIONS 10 FILM MOVIE REVIEWS 14 MUSIC FREQUENCY 15 MUSIC MURDER BY DEATH Make Magpie Come to Life at the Echoplex 15 MUSIC REPORT 16 MUSIC NOTES 16 MUSIC CD REVIEWS 17 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS 05 CULTURE BEAUTY BEAT 18 CULTURE VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS 20 CULTURE ON THE MENU 20 CULTURE JET SETTER 21 CULTURE CURTAIN CALL

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GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Colors of Culture D-Day The Greener Side Trend Blender The Wing Girls

COLORSOFCULTURE

A TOAST FOR MR. TOAST Now-Feb. 28 @ Royal/T

by CINDY Kyungah lee ‘Sugar, spice and everything nice.’ That is what Royal/T is made of. If you love surrounding yourself with cute, little plush toys or items that make you squeal at your inability to withstand cuteness, consider giving your undivided attention to Royal/T. Located in Culver City, Royal/T is a space where a cultural big bang occurs. It is a place where art, food and shopping collide and produce an explosion turned kawaii (cute). With its spacious interior, Royal/T is heavily influenced by contemporary Japan. Sit down in the space’s maid café and enjoy the Japanese culture-influenced contemporary art, and immerse your afternoon in the gallery- like atmosphere. Royal/T is an art space that is both approachable and stylish at the same time. With its cement walls that do not distract the viewer’s gaze from the art, the space makes it clear that it is a respectable art space. At the same time, however, the displayed art, cartoon figure installations and a petite retail store within the art space make the multipurpose venue nothing but playful. Through Feb. 28, the retail space within Royal/T is supporting a pop-up store for Mr. Toast, an amiable character created by Dan Goodsell. Everything from plush toys,

Campus Circle > Blogs > Colors of Culture paintings, stickers, T-shirts and small items such as pins of Mr. Toast and his butt buddy, Shaky Bacon, fill the store. Step in and feel for yourself, as I did, a weird sensation that cannot quite be described by one particular word. The pop-up store (in fact, the entirety of Royal/T) is … a bit otherworldly for a lack of better words. The characters that Goodsell introduces to this art space seem animated or perhaps even alive. It may be because of his color choice for the paintings and characters, or the expressions on the characters’ faces. Nevertheless, wherever this type of feeling resonates from, there is some sort of vibrant energy that fills the space. Who knows? It could be Mr. Toast’s natural charm that makes you want to stay in the pop-up store for as long as possible. Other than the two lively characters, the store also welcomes a limited cupcake character to Mr. Toast’s group of friends. He or she (I have not quite figured out its gender) is a special guest attending Mr. Toast’s debut party at the shop. Right beside the pop-up store is a small retail store showing off its collection of items unique to Japan. Here, you can entertain yourself with small decorative objects from character suits to comic books and tea leaves. I know. Tea leaves are a bit random amongst the other objects, but who cares? The packaging is cute. This is not the end of Royal/T. There is more to enjoy here other than the art and shop. If you are done ogling and drooling inside the store and feel dehydrated, or are getting the munchies after spending too much energy running about, just make your way over to the other side of Royal/T and step into the maid café to freshen up. Although I have not had the chance to enjoy the food at the café here, the menu apparently ranges from an assortment of salads, sandwiches and teas, to pastas, rice bowls and brunch. Like its reputation

THEGREENERSIDE

XBOX XCITEMENT by deepthi cauligi

‘Video games are bad for you? That’s what they said about rock ’n’ roll,” says Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. With the introduction of motion sensor games, video gaming has reached a whole new level. These games help players burn calories as they play. Gone are the days when parents were worried about their children growing obese, and gone are the days when social scientists researched and found that video games have a hand in causing obesity among children. Hello, video gamers, Microsoft Kinect is in town. With Kinect for Xbox 360, you can lose calories while having fun. This is referred to as exergaming, which is a combination of exercise and video gaming. Exergaming has definitely become popular in the gaming world. Well, motion sensor game consoles like Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation Move have been in the market and they don’t seem to have made much difference in combating obesity among children. So what is all this big hype about Kinect? The main difference between Wii, Move and Kinect is that the former two play stations use sensors to detect movement, while the latter uses a RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone that renders 3-D motion capture of the entire body along with voice and face recognition

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

DKE

FILM

as a multipurpose venue, you are able to pick and choose from a wide selection of foods. The excitement, however, does not end here. The truly intriguing factor of this café is that waitresses in maid costumes will be by your side to take your order. This type of maid cosplay (costume play in Japanese) is dedicated to specific cafes referred to as maid cafes in Japan. I guess with its love for Japanese culture, Royal/T emulates maid cafes as well. Oh, and one more thing. When you do decide to visit, do not plan to leave the store at Royal/T empty-handed. You might want to double check that you are bringing your wallet. The character items are far too adorable to be left behind in the store. Believe me, I could not resist getting my hands all over Mr. Toast. Royal/T is located at 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City. For more information, visit royal-t.org.

Campus Circle > Blogs > The Greener Side capabilities. Therefore, the player has to move his entire body in order to play games that involve physical movement. Wii and Move don’t necessarily require players to stand up or make complete body movements. Moving the hand holding the sensor will do the work since it uses accelerometer to sense movements. Kinect, on the other hand, is peripheral to Xbox 360. It turns the player into a controller. Yes, you jump and your avatar on the screen jumps. Although Xbox 360 has been in the market for five years, Kinect was just launched during Christmas 2010. So the games for Kinect are limited, but opportunities for game developers are plenty. Artem Kovalovs, an USC alumnus and a game developer at Electronic Arts (EA) feels that it is a “golden opportunity” for budding game developers to come up with innovative games for Kinect platform. USC is the only university in the world that offers a course for developing game prototypes for Xbox 360 Kinect. For the first time, students have access to raw C++ code for Xbox. Michael Zyda, Professor of Engineering Practice at USC who teaches this Immersive Game Development course, which is integrated with the cinema school, is of the opinion that even though Kinect looks promising, “one of the main problems is space. To play Xbox 360 with Kinect one needs to have 8-foot by 8-foot space in front of the television since Kinect, using the built-in camera, detects 42 skeletal points on the human body.” As a result, people who live in houses with small living rooms are at a disadvantage. Though this is a limitation, it is still widely popular. Kinect has definitely made its way into the market in a grand manner and is here to stay. Games launched for Kinect are targeted at young children and even adults. These games have become instant successes. “Kinect Sports,” “Adventures,” “Dance Central” and

Deepthi Cauligi

NEWS

Exergaming is a great way to burn calories while having fun. “Your Fitness” are a few of the most popular set of games for this console. They are all centered upon making players move their entire bodies. “Kinect Sports” includes volleyball, bowling, sprint and boxing. “Kinect Adventures” includes “River Rush,” “Rally Ball,” “Space Pop” and “Reflex Ridge.” “They are fun, exciting and definitely a great innovation since I can exercise at home instead of going to the gym” says Jekin Sanghavi, an employee of Bank of America. “Most people think video games are all about a child staring at a TV with a joystick in his hands. I don’t. They should belong to the entire family. I want families to play video games together,” says Shigeru Miyamoto. Now with Kinect, families can spend time together and get in some exercise as well. Kinect for Xbox 360 is definitely a must-buy, and if you are like me – lazy to go the gym – you can get yourself a good workout by playing any of the Kinect games. So, go get your Kinect console and shed those calories now. Now you can sprint, play volleyball, dance and bowl, among other physical exercises. Be prepared to work up a sweat with the new Kinect for Xbox 360.

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

SUNTEGRITY by erica carter

Sometimes it’s hard to find sun protection for darker skin. Either it doesn’t absorb properly, leaving white streaks on the skin, or it really doesn’t provide the protection that sensitive skin needs. You may think the darker the skin, the harder it is for skin to burn, but for a lot of people, including me, the opposite is true. Another frustrating problem is that sometimes sunscreens can be insanely expensive when they are mineral-free and contain organic ingredients. But in this day and age of skin cancer dangers, it’s crucial to find a product to protect us. A new company has taken all of these things into account: Suntegrity Skincare. Inspired by her mother’s skin cancer and others who had suffered from skin cancer, Tricia Trimble continues the fight against the disease by creating this organic, wholesome ingredientfilled line of products. Using the best scientifically known ingredient that blocks harmful UV rays, zinc oxide, Suntegrity also provides amino acids and super antioxidants that reverse any prior sun damage. Aloe, tea tree oil, grapefruit oil, cucumber fruit extract and an acid extracted from the starch of potatoes are just some of the elements that go into the cruelty-free produced line. My go-to product so far has been the daily use of the face protector with an SPF of 30. After I wash my face and use toner, I put the all-natural sunscreen on, let it sit for about a minute and then use my normal moisturizer. My face looks hydrated, not greasy and without a streak in sight. A little goes a long way; you only really need a nice dollop for your face and neck. Suntegrity offers a SPF 30 body sunscreen that also soaks right in with no streaks. And when you sweat, there’s no buildup. Suntegrity recommends using their Vitamin D supplement pills in your sun defense program, as it is a vitamin that our bodies are unable to produce when we are out in the sun. The vitamins support your immune system and strengthen your body’s ability to protect yourself from sun damage. Finally, a fairly inexpensive way to protect our skin! Suntegrity products can be found at amazon.com, the Detox Market in Venice and Beauty Loops in Redondo Beach. For more information, visit suntegrityskincare.com.

CONSIDERING A CAREER IN THE HAIR INDUSTRY?

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NIGHT SCHOOL | The Sassoon Cosmetology Program can now be studied as a night course for anyone who has prior commitments during the day, such as work, childcare or study. STudeNT PrOFILe | No formal experience is necessary, although you will be required to be hardworking and passionate about hair. durATION | 44 WeekS COST | $22,000* * PAYMeNT PLANS | Sassoon now offers comprehensive payment plans to suit any budget and payment term – please ask one of our Administrators about our various options. FOr MOre INFOrMATION ANd TerMS & CONdITIONS, PLeASe SPeAk TO Our AdMINISTrATION dePT AT 888 757 5100 SASSOON ACAdeMY | 321 SANTA MONICA BLVd SANTA MONICA | CA 90401

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EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Screen Shots Special Features TV Time

FILMINTERVIEWS

THE EAGLE

Channing Tatum soldiers on. by sasha perl-raver When Channing Tatum sidles up to a table at the Beverly Hilton hotel to discuss his new film, The Eagle, an adaptation of the 1954 historical adventure The Eagle of the Ninth, there’s barely a glimmer of the studly street rat persona that first caught Hollywood’s attention in films like Step Up and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. Wearing a crisp, black, button-down dress shirt and well-fitted slacks, Tatum sports a bit more weight than he did as Marcus Aquila, a Roman soldier in 140 A.D. searching to discover the truth surrounding the disappearance of his father’s legion in the north of Britain, but that gravitas isn’t just physical. Tossing out references to film performance in “the first quarter” and explaining complex marketing strategies, Tatum’s business savvy is as prominently on display as his body while sporting a period-appropriate loincloth. Throughout 2011, Tatum has four films scheduled to open and is waiting the imminent start of 21 Jump Street, which will be his first time as a movie’s star and executive producer. The actor, who recently founded his production company, 33 and Out, which backed the low-budget ensemble piece, Ten Year, admits he doesn’t have much of a career strategy, simply a desire to make great films, but he does have very clear criteria for picking his projects. “Either you read a story that you love, it’s a filmmaker you want to work with or it’s character you have to play,”

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews he explains. “They’re all important. But, for me, it’s always filmmaker and then character. If you don’t have a great filmmaker, you will not have a great film. The film is a direct mirror of the director.” Making The Eagle, Tatum had the chance to work with Oscar-winning documentarian-turned-narrative filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September, Touching the Void, The Last King of Scotland). “You’ll see Kevin all over this film!” Tatum says proudly. “It’s so smart and tasteful. [Kevin’s] a scientist. He’s very calm, he never yells – well, he yelled once. It was because I wouldn’t say, ‘You tribal scum,’” Tatum laughs. “He’s like, ‘Say it!’ And I said, ‘I can’t say it. I hate the word.’” Following the director as the most important element of the equation was character, in this case another soldier, a part the young actor has played frequently in the last three years, and one he feels quite comfortable inhabiting. “It comes from what I respect,” he offers, “and that probably comes from my parents. They do not lie. If my dad doesn’t like you, you’ll know. And my mom is too innocent to lie. She doesn’t even cuss.” Filming also gave Tatum the chance to live out a childhood fantasy. “Braveheart and Gladiator are two of my favorite movies of all time,” he gushes. “Those are my Star Wars!” Co-starring with Tatum is Jamie Bell, whom audiences came to know and love as a young boy in Billy Elliot. Now that he’s all grown up, Bell gives Tatum a serious run for his heartthrob money as Esca, Marcus’ slave and confidante. “Jamie says so much without saying anything!” Tatum grins. “He’s so smart. He has so much going on inside that it just oozes out of him, but he’s witty and hilarious. I want him to do a comedy!”

FILMINTERVIEWS

COLD WEATHER

Aaron Katz keeps making movies. by sasha perl-raver What can you get for two or three thou– sand dollars? For most people, it’s a few months’ rent or a car that would probably break an axel before you hit the California state line. But for Aaron Katz and his college cohorts, a few thousand dollars financed Dance Party, USA, the 2006 film that launched their careers when it premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Four years later, following their similarly micro-budget 2007 film, Quiet City, Katz and his longtime collaborators, producers Brendan McFadden and Ben Stambler, return to theaters with Cold Weather, a genreblending mystery set in Katz’s damp, gloomy hometown of Portland, Ore, about a directionless guy who plays detective when his ex is missing. Speaking to the director over the phone, one of the first things we had to discuss was Cold Weather’s budget, which Katz revealed was in the “low six figures,” a tremendous amount considering how much his previous movies were made for. “For us,” he begins, referring to himself, McFadden and Stambler as “us” or “we” as he would throughout our

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

Matt Nettheim

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Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila in The Eagle. Considering the extensive dance background both men have displayed in the disparate flicks Billy Elliot and Step Up/Step Up 2: The Streets, one can’t help but wonder if their training helped them with fight choreography. “Absolutely,” Tatum nods. “Dancing, you have to know spatial movement and it’s steps; knowing how close you have to be, how far away. When you have an ax that has to be in the right place with the camera and everything, it’s a dance – a dangerous, more violent dance where you have to stick a sword in someone’s throat.” Despite three more films on his slate, along with a possible sequel to G.I. Joe and a rumored cameo is the fourth Step Up film (“Ha! I’m not opposed. But they would have to come with a pretty hefty number,” he laughs.), Tatum admits that a break may be in his future. “I do want to take some time, try to reinvent, get better and maybe get behind the camera a little more,” he says. The Eagle releases in theaters Feb. 11.

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews conversation, “it was a ton of money. Even by independent film standards, that’s not a lot of money, but we’d made films for two thousand dollars previously. It was really great to have a little more money this time and be able to do things like pay the crew,” he laughs, “The crew we were working with worked on our first two films. It was great to have people taking three weeks out of their lives and not doing it for free.” Though it’s dwarfed by almost every other budget in Hollywood, making a film for under a million dollars, which is still a lot of money, is a tremendous feat. Asked what he feels is the most important element to focus on, Katz says without hesitation, “the performances. If you don’t have good performances, it doesn’t matter what else you do. There are a lot of ways to stretch resources out or make a movie look like it cost more than it did, but none of that matters if the performances aren’t good.” Asked what inspired him to be so tenacious at the start of his career, Katz chuckles and says, “We saw a lot of people who graduated from film school, not just our school, but any film school, and not make movies. They had ideas for projects but kept waiting for some magical combination of something to happen to get money to make a movie. And, so often, people would just not make a movie. Coming out of school, our goal was just to find a way to make a movie and not a way to not make a movie, if that makes sense.” For Dance Party, USA, McFadden suggested the three friends tally up their resources and devise a plan. “We had someone who could cut the film and owned a camera, we went to Portland where I have a lot of friends and family who could help us out, and we could stay at their houses, and we figured out how much money we had. It was just about $3,000, and that’s how much we made the film for.” Because of their lack of financial scope and focus on

Scott Green

NEWS

Director Aaron Katz (far left) on the set of Cold Weather naturalism, Katz’s films are often classified as “mumblecore.” Asked how he feels about the definition and to describe that brand of filmmaking, Katz replies, “I’m so glad you asked! It gets brought up a lot in Q&A’s and probably half the audience has no idea what’s going on.” He explains that mumblecore was a term coined by Andrew Bujalski’s (Mutual Appreciation, Funny Ha Ha) sound mixer one night at a bar during South by Southwest when asked how he’d describe Bujalski’s movies. An unknown journalist picked the word up and used it to categorize films by filmmakers such as Bujalski, Katz, the Duplass Brothers (Baghead, The Puffy Chair) and Joe Swanberg (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs). “Generally, they’re low-budget, self-financed movies that have naturalistic performances, often with actors who aren’t professionals,” Katz says, adding, “Mostly, what we had in common was we wanted to make films from the real world, and we wanted to find a way to make films when no one was going to give us money.” Cold Weather releases in select theaters Feb. 11.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle DVDDISH

SPECIAL FEATURES by mike sebastian The Majors: A depressed teenager (Keir Gilchrist) checks himself into a mental hospital in the coming-of-age comedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story. He forms a bond of sorts with his fellow patients, played by Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts. Jim Gaffigan and Lauren Graham are his parents. It was written and directed by the creative team behind Half Nelson. Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel are the proverbial rom-com couple who can’t stand each other in Life As We Know It. When the mismatched godparents find themselves the guardians of orphaned Sophie, they get a crash course in parenting and each other. Inspired by a bizarre true story, Middle Men is a darkly comic film about the birth of a booming industry, Internet porn. Luke Wilson stars as a businessman who agrees to help two idiot savants (Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht) get their scheme off the ground. As the money starts pouring in, Wilson finds himself over his head with conmen, mobsters and the FBI. James Caan co-stars. Tyler Perry gets serious with For Colored Girls, an adaptation of the play featuring 20 actresses performing poems about life as women of color. The cast includes: Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton, Whoopi Goldberg and others. Stephen Frears directed Tamara Drewe, an adaptation of the graphic novel, which is a reworking of Far from the Madding Crowd. Also available: Rom-com See You In September starring Estella Warren

COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTSMUSICA HAPPY MADISON PRODUCTION “JUST GO WITH IT” SUPERVISION BY MICHAEL DILBECK BROOKS ARTHUR KEVIN GRADY MUSIC EXECUTIVE BY RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS PRODUCERS BARRY BERNARDI ALLEN COVERT TIM HERLIHY STEVE KOREN BASED ON “CACTUS FLOWER” STAGE PLAY BASED UPON SCREENPLAY BY I.A.L. DIAMOND BY ABE BURROWS A FRENCH PLAY BY BARILLET AND GREDY SCREENPLAY PRODUCED BY ALLAN LOEB AND TIMOTHY DOWLING BY ADAM SANDLER JACK GIARRAPUTO HEATHER PARRY DIRECTED BY DENNIS DUGAN A FILM BY DENNIS DUGAN

The Vault: The great Elia Kazan adapted his own book, America, America, about his uncle who fled persecution in Turkey with dreams of a new life in America. This previously unavailable masterpiece was Kazan’s favorite of his long and fruitful career. The Horror! The Horror! Paranormal Activity

2, a prequel to the original, ups the stakes of the first film. A couple with a newborn baby finds their home completely trashed. Thinking they have been vandalized, they set up security cameras throughout the house, only to find a demonic presence is terrorizing them. Swamp-dwelling psycho Victor Crowley returns for more old school slasher flick gore in Hatchet II. Director Adam Green ratchets up the body count as Marybeth returns to the bayou with a team of hired guns to take revenge on Crowley. Horror icons Tony Todd and Kane Hodder star. The infamous cult film I Spit on Your Grave (1978) comes to Blu-ray along with the 2010 remake. Is it the ultimate feminist film or depraved exploitation? Whatever your take, there’s no denying the film’s visceral impact. After being raped and left for dead in the woods, a young woman takes merciless revenge on her attackers. The film is on the shortlist of films you have to see. Check out the remake for a slicker, less raw alternative. Horror legend Wes Craven returns behind the camera for My Soul to Take. A group of teens that were all born on the day a serial killer vanished start turning up dead.

Blu Notes:

One of Federico Fellini’s greatest achievements, Amarcord (Criterion Collection) is a colorful and nostalgic remembrance of the Italian master’s childhood that continually surprises and delights with oddball humor and larger-than-life characters. Bonus features include archival interviews, a documentary on Fellini’s homecoming, deleted scenes and more. Ridley Scott’s feminist crime drama Thelma & Louise turns 20! Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis play a pair of put-upon Southern women who shoot a rapist and take to the road. Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and a very young Brad Pitt, in his breakout role, co-star.

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CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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INVITES YOU TO SEE AnD tO AttEnD A FREE COnCERt By thE BAnD

At An LOCAtIOn. thE FIRSt 200 PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE tICkEtS tO thE PREMIERE OF

Sunday, February 13 Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Show starts at 9:00 p.m. Ages 18+ WARNER BROS. PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH DARK CASTLE ENTERTAINMENT A PANDA PRODUCTION LIAM NEESON DIANE KRUGER JANUARY JONES COSTUME AIDAN QUINN AND FRANK LANGELLA “UNKNOWN” MUSICBY JOHN OTTMAN AND ALEXANDER RUDD DESIGNER RUTH MYERS EDITED PRODUCTION BASED UPON THE DIRECTOR OF DESIGNER RICHARD BRIDGLAND PHOTOGRAPHY FLAVIO LABIANO BY TIM ALVERSON NOVEL BY DIDIER VAN CAUWELAERT EXECUTIVE SCREENPLAY PRODUCERS SUSAN DOWNEY STEVE RICHARDS SARAH MEYER PETER MCALEESE BY OLIVER BUTCHER & STEPHEN CORNWELL PRODUCED DIRECTED BY JAUME COLLET-SERRA BY JOEL SILVER LEONARD GOLDBERG ANDREW RONA

(Free admission)

Check out

www.TheKeplerMission.com or www.campuscircle.com/screening/UnknownLA to find out where the concert is! Location will be announced Friday, February 11.

IN THEATERS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18 BW CAMPUS CIRCLE PROMO AD

PHASE 4 FILMS & CAMPUS CIRCLE invite you and a guest to an advance screening of BROTHERHOOD on Tuesday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m. in West Hollywood.

FREE ADVANCE SCREENING Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 11am or 7:30pm @ The Angelika Film Center 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas

Bring this ad for you and a guest to attend! [Seating is first come, first served and is not guaranteed]

FREE ADVANCE SCREENING Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 11am or 7:30pm @ The Angelika Film Center 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas

To attend this screening, R.S.V.P. at: Bring this ad for you and a guest to attend! campuscircle.com/screening/brotherhoodla [Seating is first come, first served and is not guaranteed]

IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25

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ROMANCING THE SCREEN Feb. 10-14 @ The Aero and Egyptian Theatres by candice winters So it’s that time OF year again when the citizens of singledom are beat over the head with advertisements, movies and expectations from friends and family to find someone (anyone will do) to spend the evening drinking champagne and walking on rose pedals. If you can’t tell, whether I have a special other or not, I find this particular holiday vastly overrated and incredibly forced upon us by the candy companies. What makes me even more angry are the daft and generic romantic comedies that are filling theaters, especially at this time of year. To be fair, last year’s Valentine’s Day really is a hard movie to compete with because it is that bad. I feel old and pretentious writing this, but I miss (or should I say yearn) for the days when romance wasn’t hooking up, friends with benefits or ‘playing the field,’ which inevitably means cheating on your girlfriend throughout the entire film and convincing her to take you back by the end of it. Recent films like No Strings Attached are not helping a woman out. I read in an interview that Natalie Portman took the role because she thought it offered something different

Campus Circle > Film > Projections for female audiences, that a role like this has not been done before. I’d like to respond with the question, what are the merits of this film and her role in it? Showing men that girls can be like them – aloof, only wanting sex and willing to sacrifice a real relationship for it – isn’t exactly the idea I want to plant in my boyfriend’s head. This Valentine’s season, the choice of films is a superb selection of what are bound to be timeless romance classics. First, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler star in Just Go With It. You don’t have to watch much of the trailer before you know exactly what type of movie it is: a Jennifer Aniston romcom. If you want to bring the kids along for your night of love, Gnomeo & Juliet is bound to be age appropriate. Finally, if you aren’t planning on having any of these type of dates, there is always Never Say Never, the new Justin Bieber film which could be a fun girls’ night out and is bound to satisfy your need for music, charm and a good-looking boy. OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I can offer some solutions to this disastrous selection. The Aero and Egyptian Theatres are hosting a weekend marathon of alternative love stories, the ones that will be around for more than two weekends in theaters and a lifetime on Netflix Instant. From Friday, Feb. 10, culminating on the big day, Feb. 14, audiences are exposed to the very best of romantic films. Of course, a Valentine’s screening marathon would not be complete without the films that have been entertaining the heartsick and love birds alike for decades. Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Doctor Zhivago, From Here to Eternity and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are all on the agenda, spread out so you won’t have to force your bladder through two of the longer running films in a row. I would probably not survive a backto-back screening of Gone with the Wind and Doctor Zhivago – that’s a combined 415 minutes for Valentine’s sake!

MOVIEREVIEWS Cedar Rapids (Fox Searchlight) Do you remember that awkward kid sitting next to you in high school? Or the socially awkward kid who tries so hard to fit in with the cool kids and ends up losing him/herself? Or the lesson Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) learned in the movie Mean Girls? If you watch the hilarious new comedy Cedar Rapids, you will see a combination of that awkward kid, the wannabe and Cady Heron from Mean Girls. Tom Lippe (Ed Helms) is an insurance agent in a remote area in Wisconsin, known as Brown Valley. Tiny and tranquil, the town is filled with overly friendly people that know each other from head to toe. Lippe has never been outside the protective bubble of this town until his insurance company feeds him to the lions by sending him on a mission to an insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lippe is the sort of person who has aged physically but never had the chance to mature emotionally. In love with his seventh grade teacher, who is only in it for the fun, Lippe even fails to be more modern than his childhood teacher. Lippe never really knows how to kick it with his friends – he does not even seem to have any friends. This is about to change when he meets Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly), Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche) and Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). The three take him through the jungle of chaos behind the seemingly serious and uptight convention, and introduce him to the inner party animal that resides in him. Lippe, humorous because of his inability to pop the bubble of his childhood, is naïve yet righteous, and warm hearted in a world of deceit, backstabbing and gossip. Grade: B—Cindy Kyungah Lee

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NEWS

The Notebook screens Feb. 11 at the Aero Theatre. What is so special and inventive about this series is that the people behind it also chose some less likely films. They weren’t afraid to be cliché and throw in The Notebook, which has become a favorite of Generation Y. They also included some off-kilter ones, like Harold and Maude, which is a shockingly dark but excellent film by the great Hal Ashby. Another of my all-time favorites, The Princess Bride directed by Rob Reiner is one of the funniest films that also fulfills my girlish love for all things princesses and swashbuckling heroes. I’m not saying all romantic comedies made these days aren’t worth the time. I’m saying most aren’t worth your time, and you should spend some energy determining which provide quick gratification and which will leave an impact on your heart that goes beyond merely enjoying the Hallmark holiday. Happy hunting. For more information, visit americancinematheque.com.

Campus Circle > Film > Movie Reviews Cedar Rapids releases in theaters Feb. 11.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011 (Shorts International/Magnolia) There’s something about the phrase ‘short and sweet’ that is always overlooked when it comes to films these days. Most movies are drawn out in two-hour epics that don’t even have room to tell the whole story. However, the lovely thing about short films is that they are just precisely that, short. For this year’s Academy Award nominations for Short Film in Animation and Live Action, there are quite a few that are well structured and well written. The nominees for Animation are Day & Night, The Lost Thing, The Gruffalo, Let’s Pollute and Madagascar, Carnet De Voyage. All are clever, cheerful pieces with such great animation that some look almost lifelike. The Lost Thing, The Gruffalo and Madagascar all tell a story either in a journal or book setting. Day & Night and Let’s Pollute have a happy-go-lucky way of getting their messages across about the differences we have with each other, or how ignorant we can be toward the environment, respectively. In the Live Action category, there’s an array of very well made films this year dealing with love, death, politics and humor. The list includes Wish 143, The Confession, The Crush, God of Love and Na Wewe. Ranging from the serious Na Wewe, The Confession and The Crush to the more upbeat God of Love and Wish 143. The Crush, Wish 143 and God of Love all discuss different types of love and affection, from bluntly just wanting to have sex before you die, to having a crush on a school teacher, to being a lounge singer while playing cupid. The Confession depicts a frequent tragedy of war (rebels attacking a minivan

Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche) befriends Tom Lippe (Ed Helms) in Cedar Rapids. full tourists), and Na Wewe chronicles whether schoolboys will choose to confess to their priest about causing a deathly accident. Some nominees offer cute characters that entertain and others serve up more serious subject matter, but all treat us to wonderful storylines. Documentary Shorts releases in select theaters Feb. 18. Grade: B —Mary Broadbent The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011 releases in select theaters Feb. 11.

“FIERCE, VISCERAL AND TERRIFICALLY ENTERTAINING!

‘The Eagle’ delivers authentically intense action. A riveting spectacle.” JEFF CRAIG, SIXTY SECOND PREVIEW

FROM THE ACADEMY AWARD�–WINNING DIRECTOR OF ‘THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND’

IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11th CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRE LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED

MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes – Text EAGLE with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)

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UCR Summer Sessions 2011 All UC and visiting students welcome – just an hour on the freeway! • Classes offered in 8 sessions from 3 to 10 weeks in length • Get back on track or finish your degree • Convenient day & evening classes • Easy online application process • Easy freeway access and parking

www.summer.ucr.edu 12

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The Grammy museum® At L.A. Live

GUY-FRIENDLY

What’s New, What’s In and What’s Hot In Young L.A.’s Fashion Scene by dana jeong exhibit includes:

The fundamental difference between men and women is so immeasurable that we might as well be looking at the world with different lenses – especially when it comes to fashion. For those guys who prefer Lakers games to “Project Runway,” animal prints or flowery tights may as well be Halloween costumes. Simply put, what seems fashionable to us girls does not necessarily appeal to guys in the same way. Here are some items that guys just don’t get and how to make them more guy friendly.

Original guitars from John Lennon, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly Lennon’s signature round, wire-framed glasses Lennon’s typewriter Original drawings Original handwritten song lyrics including “Instant Karma” and the Beatles’ hit “We Can Work It Out” Rare video footage

Leggings

“In The Studio with John Lennon” interactive

Girls wearing leggings as pants? “My first instinct is to run away from them,” says James Jeong. “They terrorize me.” It doesn’t matter whether you have chopstick-skinny legs or elephant thighs; nobody wants to see the spandexed silhouette of your rear. Pair with a shirt long enough to hide at least part of your butt instead of exposing them in full glory

Early Beatles photographs and original posters Original Quarry Men business card Album of the Year GRAMMY® Award for Double Fantasy Sgt. Pepper costume (replica) Early albums Exclusive interview with Yoko Ono

lookbook.nu

on exhibit now thru march 31, 2011

Based on the coffee table book www.hiphopculturebook.com

High-waisted Skirts Apparently, the word “high-waisted” never even entered the guys’ dictionary. Brett Rasmussen describes it as a “really ugly skirt that sits way too high on the stomach.” Throw on a long outer for a relaxed look instead. Adding a thick belt always solves the problem of bulgy love handle effect when your tight skirt seems to divide your stomach in half.

Visitors will learn about the history of hip-hop through interactive mixing and listening stations, video footage, rare photographs and original artifacts, including:

lookbook.nu

• Original, handwritten song lyrics by Tupac Shakur • LL Cool J TROOP suit and Kangol hat • Run DMC leather jacket and pants worn during “Walk This Way” performance with Aerosmith • DJ Jazzy Jeff Homebase Tour jacket • Grandmaster Flash turntables • Hip-Hop sneaker gallery from the private collection of Everlast • and much, much more from Hip-Hop legends

on exhibit now thru may 4, 2011

Military Style

tickets Available at the Museum Box Office, Ticketmaster,® Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.800.745.3000.

visit us now Olympic Blvd. & Figueroa St. in Downtown Los Angeles Mon–Fri 11:30am - 7:30pm Sat–Sun 10am - 7:30pm

book a group tour Contact our Group Sales Department at 213.765.6800, ext.3 or submit your group tour request online. For Educational Programs, please call 213.765.6800, ext.6.

w w w. g r a m m y m u s e u m . o r g lookbook.nu

Chunky lace-up boots and oversized khaki jackets are no longer reserved for ROTC trainees; quite a few girls have been proudly presenting their militaryinspired outfits straight from the runway. Stylish and trendy? Guys don’t think so. “Maybe for a theme party or something,” says Tony K., “but on a daily basis, that’s just weird.” Limit the number of military items to just one or two and mix with some feminine materials such as lace or floral.

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FREQUENCY by brien overly Friendly Fires Feb. 9 @ The Roxy I’ve decided to take it upon myself of late to reinvent the term “jam band.” I’m going to get rid of all former associations the term has with any specific genre of music, because as far as I’m concerned, so-called jam bands don’t play real music and don’t really exist. But hey, that’s just me. Point being, I’m now exclusively applying “jam band” to awesome bands. Starting with Friendly Fires, because literally, every song they’ve released as a Atlantic/Pacific roll into the Echo Feb. 12. single is a jam. Yes, I went there. These guys can do artsy indie, they can do infectious pop, they can do big and epic rock, none of it sounding the least bit forced or contrived. If I could seriously have “Kiss of Life” play in the background of my everyday life, I can guarantee that even my most mundane activities would seem infinitely cooler and more important. That song was practically built for film climaxes in summer blockbusters. And, y’know, me picking up my dry cleaning. For those of you who aren’t me, however, you too can still share in the awesomeness. No matter how stoic a hipster you maintain yourself to be, these guys will have you singing along by the time their set is over. Even despite all the cool cred they’ve amassed, there’s something inherently fun and unpretentious about their music that’s a welcome change from everything else in indie right now.

Murder by Death Feb. 10 @ Detroit Bar Feb. 11 @ Echoplex So much Yes to this show. It’s not so often that the Indiana natives of Murder by Death make their way out to Los Angeles, so it’s only right that we should show appropriate gratitude for the excessively talented and criminally underappreciated band returning to SoCal. The indie-folk foursome are one of the best and hardest working bands in their genre right now, and chances are they’re still not on your radar yet. Writing dark and haunting sing-along jams that are the perfect soundtrack to those long road trip drives through the Midwest, the band can do catchy without losing their signature noir-like grittiness. On top of their intellectual songwriting and artfully arranged instrumentation, the band members are all a bunch of badasses. And yes, that includes cellist Sarah Balliet. Frontman Adam Turla comes off as the kind of guy you want to drink good whiskey with when he sings, which he indeed is, but he’s also the guy you want to have your back when things get real in a whiskey-induced bar fight. The dude … knows his way around a bladed weapon. He’s a poet with his lyrics, probably has the survival skill to endure the zombie apocalypse and has killer taste in cowboy boots. God I’m jealous. Also along for the ride are Portland natives of the Builders and the Butchers, fully rounding out the theme of finding the musical equivalent to the Southern gothic literary genre. While Murder by Death is the quintessential road trip soundtrack, Builders have effectively scored the period piece about revolution-era Deep South. Dark and haunting, the Builders effortlessly paint a vivid landscape and set an ominous mood with their music that’s practically palpable at times. Suffice to say, also more badass than whatever your friends say they’re listening to these days.

Atlantic/Pacific Feb. 12 @ The Echo For all my posturing as a purveyor of all that is righteous, honest, legit and badass in music, I’ll be damned if listening to Atlantic/Pacific doesn’t make me wibble on the inside just a little bit. Barely. Ever so slightly. Like, every time. I can’t help it. Garrett Klahn is relly friggin’ good at what he does. The dude’s a seasoned rock vet, with authenticity for days. Even if this endeavor is slightly on the more mellow and melodic side than his previous ones, the signature intensity remains. Oddly just as cinematic as all the other bands chosen this week, because there always seems to be some unifier, Atlantic/Pacific is the arthouse drama set far outside of conventional civilization (because where else do you do serious soul searching but in the wilderness?) that ends up being a dark horse Oscar contender. Likewise, though they may not be the big, Michael Bay-explosion-heavy summer blockbuster, Klahn and other half John Herguth will win your respect and might even get you to do a little thinking by the time their set is done.

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Killing the Inner Critics by brien overly

‘In our town, people aren’t interested in treating you differently just because you’re in a national band or whatever,” says Murder by Death frontman Adam Turla of his band’s hometown of Bloomington, Ind. With a population only measured in the tens of thousands, the indiefolk foursome are used to being, as cellist Sarah Balliet puts it, “that local band,” despite their 11-year history and the critical accolades they’ve earned. “In L.A., everyone’s aloof because they’re overexposed to music, and everyone’s in a band. Maybe Bloomington doesn’t care, so we don’t get big heads,” Turla adds with a laugh. If ever there was a group of musicians who were low risk for developing pretentious rock star egos, it would indeed be Balliet, Turla, bassist Matt Armstrong and drummer Dagan Thogerson. With last year’s Good Morning, Magpie marking the band’s fifth studio album – arguably their most ambitious one to date – the members of Murder by Death have no problems keeping their feet on the ground and doing things the old-fashioned way. “I took two weeks by myself in the woods doing some backcountry camping, because when it came time to start rehearsing for the record, I wanted to be ready,” says Turla

of the lead-up to writing and recording Good Morning. “I had a lot of ideas for songs, and I just wrote and wrote. I had nothing else to do because there’s no one else to talk to.” While extended leaves of absence in the wilderness tend to invoke images of some of the scarier media figures over the last two decades, Turla’s foray into seclusion proved a successful aid in songwriting. “It was more personal than usual. I was by myself, so a lot of it is more reflective of me than stuff I’ve written before,” he says. “In the past, I’ve done a lot of fictional writing, or fictionalizing true stories and relationships.” From the haunting and evocative poetic introspection of the album’s title track to the more literal firsthand accounts like “You Don’t Miss Twice,” the record is a significant departure from older material on a sonic level as well as a lyrical one. “Red of Tooth and Claw was more of a straightforward rock album, and we wanted to go in a more melodic direction, with more of a sultry feel to it,” says Balliet.“We don’t think of it as a big change for us, we’re just trying to make a record that’s a little different from the last one.” “One of the missions of this band is to get people to listen to whole records, not just one song on their iPod,” he says. “We made a whole project here, we write albums. I want people to enjoy the whole thing. I’m serious about quality control.” It’s that attention to quality that has given the band longevity that has lasted over a decade now and earned them the respect of fans, peers and critics alike along the way. Though the members are still young by all accounts, their DIY mentality has conferred a status as elder statesmen (and stateswoman) of sorts in their scene. “A lot of younger bands we tour with like to ask me questions because I’m so hands on with everything, from

MUSICREPORT by kevin wierzbicki Theophilus London’s Lovers Holiday Brooklyn rapper, songwriter and producer, Theophilus London releases his Lovers Holiday EP this week, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Lovers Holiday is a special season-oflove offering meant to tide London’s fans over until his fulllength drops on Warner Bros. Records later this year and is, according to Theophilus, highly influenced by the romantic music he heard as a teen. “I wrote this EP, five songs about modern love, to document what love is in 2011,” says London. “I grew up on Gaye, the O’Jays and the Jackson 5; amazing music that when you heard it you understood the message coming across. That message was love.” Solange Knowles guests on one cut, and Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara lends her voice to “Why Even Try,” a song that London will trade you for a tweet. Details at theophiluslondon.net.

Icon Love Songs Flowers are nice and chocolates are almost always appreciated, but there’s nothing like music to set the mood when it comes to snuggle time, especially on Valentine’s Day. Now you can get help from some of the real pros of the business thanks to the latest releases in UMe’s ICON Love Songs series. Do you think it would enhance your moves to have Billie Holiday seductively cooing “Cheek to Cheek,” “Embraceable You” or “All the Way” (!!) to your lover? Or maybe that hearing a little soulful interplay between Motown pop stars Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on classics like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Keep on Lovin’ Me Honey” will lead to a little interplay of your own?

Greg Whitaker

MURDER BY DEATH

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews

managing the band to publicity, every part of Murder by Death,” he says. His response to them: “Stay medium sized as long as you can. You’ll be much happier, and your career will last longer. Don’t jump up to touring on a bus because you played for 1,000 people in New York once. We could play larger venues, but I’d rather sell out small intimate ones because I know the shows will be better.” Though the band members are perennially jovial and easygoing, Turla’s advice comes from some hard-learned lessons of his own. As he says, “When we first started to get attention, we had no idea what success was. I think it’s important to be hands-on and not let everybody else decide what’s best for you. Nobody knows your band like you do.” And therein lies the secret behind the band’s humbleness and their work ethic. So what’s the next big issue Turla plans to tackle? With a laugh, he yells, “We need time off. I need my beauty rest!” Nah, no rock stars here… Murder By Death perform Feb. 10 at Detroit Bar and Feb. 11 at the Echoplex. For more information, visit murderbydeath.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Report The Holiday and Gaye/Terrell compilations contain a dozen sexy songs each, as do the other new ICON Love Songs titles from Brian McKnight and Ella Fitzgerald. Best of all, the sets are budget priced so you’ll still be able to pop for those flowers.

Guitarists Can “Experience Clapton” In celebration of the fact that guitarist Eric Clapton has been using their strings for nearly 50 years, Ernie Ball has announced a promotion with prizes, including a chance to fly to London to meet Clapton and see him perform. Here’s how it works: Every set of Ernie Ball acoustic or electric guitar strings purchased at Guitar Center from now through the end of April will contain a code for entry into the Experience Clapton portion of the promotion; 15 of those codes will win a Grand Prize package that includes airfare to London and hotel accommodations, a backstage meet-and-greet with Clapton, entry to his private rehearsal and a ticket to his show at the famous Royal Albert Hall. Select packets of strings will also include prize-winning guitar picks that entitle the winner to everything from entry to next year’s NAMM show in Anaheim to a free guitar to a $100 Guitar Center gift card.

It’s Jewlicious! The seventh Annual Jewlicious Festival (jewlicious.com), celebrating Jewish music, arts and culture, will be held Feb. 25-27 at the Alpert Jewish Community Center in Long Beach. Musical guests this year include the Sklar Brothers, L.A. collective Fool’s Gold, Israeli jam band Acharit HaYamim, New York scenesters Soul Farm and Kosha Dillz. Matisyahu appears as a presenter. The festival also features Sabbath banquets, wine tasting,

Theophilus London aims to transport you to a Lovers Holiday. a surfing prayer service, henna tattooing and the Jewish Film Competition with the screening of award-winning films made by amateur filmmakers. A “Night of Unity” gala kickoff for the event featuring cabaret-style entertainment, worldclass music, casino games, a silent auction, gourmet food and an open bar takes place at the El Rey Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Benny Marchant Braces for Cold Weather Hopefully by the time L.A.-based singer-songwriter Benny Marchant releases his debut full-length album Cold Weather on May 31, the cold snap currently ravaging the country will be over. But Marchant says that the album title and its namesake tune have nothing to do with actual weather conditions. “Cold Weather is just kind of like a metaphor for life,” Marchant explains. Marchant and his band will warmly preview music from the new release during a special appearance at Tommy’s Place on the USC campus on Feb. 12.

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MUSICNOTES

SWEET COMEBACKS by eva recinos

Something’s abuzz in the music world. From short hiatuses to some time spent on side projects, musicians across a spectrum of genres have gone through a rough patch. But lately, quite a few have been making comebacks after years of dropping off of the music radar, whether it be in live shows or in the good old recording studio. Britney Spears: The gal is not gone. Ready to compete with Lady Gaga and a slew of other kooky divas, the allAmerican pop star continues to evolve and released the single “Hold It Against Me,” which won a spot on Billboard’s Top 10 pop songs. The album hits stores in March. Adele: Not to be left behind, the ever-thoughtful and ever-sincere Adele croons to music fans again. Songs such as “Chasing Pavements” and “Hometown” got her in the ears of music fans back in 2008, and now the girl is back in business. Following the trend of naming her albums after numbers, the darling releases 21 on Feb. 22 with help from producers such as Rick Rubin and Ryan Tedder. She’s one spot behind Spears on the UK top charts of songs and her more bluesy, reflective mood will save listeners sick of traditional pop music. Amy Winehouse: The heavy-headed, thick-haired, British-accented dame once created a ruckus with her distinct face and deep, jazzy voice. She didn’t want to go to rehab, and it seems her stint in the music world isn’t over either.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Notes The gal performed at Brazil’s Summer Soul Festival on Jan. 8, where she was expected to reveal some new stuff. Winehouse stuck to covers, though, but the performance and subsequent schedules for other shows proves she is not yet gone entirely from the music world. Cake: After a long seven years, the band recently released a new album entitled Showroom of Compassion. Long hiatuses are difficult to overcome, but if their new CD is not enough evidence of a solid comeback, how about the fact that the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts the week of Jan. 19? The album not only included a temporary tattoo (The Web site encouraged fans to upload photos of them on their skin.) but also brags of being recorded in a studio powered by solar energy. If that’s not getting with the times, I don’t know what is. Foo Fighters: This group of intense yet playful rockers last released Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace in 2007 and continued their creative streak of music videos with heavy doses of riot-geared figures and fake mustaches. With so much time gone by, it’s about time for a comeback. According to Billboard, the band is done recording a new album with 11 songs that include help from Bob Mould and others. Fans can also catch them on the stage starting in May. The Strokes: Coachella tickets are officially sold out, and maybe one of the reasons is because heartthrob Julian Casablancas and crew will be strutting their musical stuff. The festival appearance is a hello to the band’s return to the recording studio. March 22 has a big circle around it for Strokes fans because that’s when the band will grace the music world once again after about five years. The Coachella appearance won’t hurt, either. Yellowcard: The Warped-Tour rising, violin-including, pop-punk band recently announced the upcoming release

CDREVIEWS Campfire OK Strange Like We Are (Ana-Them) Seattle indie pop performers Campfire OK could be the new Death Cab for Cutie or a less ruralized Fleet Foxes. Like those other Seattle-area groups, Campfire OK delivers wounded pop songs replete with temptations, addictions, recriminations, confessions and relationship articulations. On the 44-minute, 12-track debut release, Strange Like We Are, Campfire OK deploys rolling drums, layered electronics and peripheral acoustic instruments such as ghosted trumpet, sheltered banjo and most especially echoed, minor-key piano to provide momentum or emphasis to metaphored tunes. The Ben Gibbard-esque vocals give a steady density to oblique, personalized lyrics, while the organic and detailed alternative-pop flourishes recall Ben Folds Five mixed with Modest Mouse (another fine Washington State outfit). And an eccentric, underlying pulse sometimes evokes the Decemberists, particularly when banjo, brass and tiered keyboards build up to a crest or explode from folkish melodies to a heavier sonic swagger. Grade: B —Doug Simpson Strange Like We Are is currently available.

Iration Fresh Grounds (3 Prong/In Grooves) This Santa Barbara-via-Hawaii band has had songs inhabit the reggae charts at iTunes, they often play reggae festivals and their band name gives a nod to the Rasta patois of Jamaica, the home of reggae music. It therefore is only natural that they are pegged as a reggae band.

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Adele returns to the music scene on Feb. 22 with 21. of a new album. Posting on their Web site, “Today is the day everyone! The first new Yellowcard song in three years is out!” the guys seem pretty excited to be back in the music scene. They’ll have to compete with the likes of strange rapper Nicki Minaj and the return of other alt rock bands, but surely with the right injection of violin notes and bouncy tunes, the guys can make a name for themselves once again. The full album is out March 22.. Sum 41: Following in Yellowcard’s footsteps, the guys of Sum 41 will be shelling out some new stuff soon. For Sum fans, the wait will be shorter with their single out this week, and their album scheduled for a March 29 release date.

Campus Circle > Music > CD Reviews But perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to Iration as a reggae-influenced band, a subtle but important distinction the quintet seems intent on making with the release of the five-song EP Fresh Grounds. No band likes to be pigeonholed, but songs like “Can’t Wait” and “Work It Out” seem to be designed to branch the band out a little bit; a reggae rhythm gives buoyancy to the former, but otherwise the instrumentation is jazzy rock and the latter is mellow, acoustic guitar-driven, California-cool jazz rock without any hint of island flavoring. The slow and aching “No Letter” is a showcase for the emotive vocals of frontman Kai Rediske but also devoid of reggae sounds; that leaves the classic reggae beat of “Summer Nights” and the modern, rocked-up reggae of “All This Time” as the only songs here that really fit the band’s current profile. But that’s clearly the idea behind Fresh Grounds: to blur the lines, and to that end, Iration has done the job while holding firmly to the catchy hooks their fans love them for. Grade: B —Kevin Wierzbicki Fresh Grounds is currently available.

Motörhead The Wörld is Yours (Mötorhead Music) This is one of those bands that when they release a new album, it’s a continuation in a story. The vibe is similar to the others. The rhythm isn’t anything new, but it just sounds better. The vocals are and will always be a classic hail to the black leather. Evil and dirty, Lemmy Kilmister is aging like a fine whiskey, and with the advances in recording technology, his voice is clearer than ever. This story takes us to the darker side of the spectrum that

Mötorhead has been known to embrace. The overall tone is a bit of “I don’t give a fuck.” And I’ve just got to say, the drums sound awesome. Track to down– load immediately: “Outlaw.” This one gets a high grade because of Lemmy. With the speed that this guy is going at, who knows how much longer we’ll have him around. And if you haven’t already caught this band live, they are about as loud as Dinosaur Jr. and twice as pissed off. Grade: A—David Tobin The Wörld is Yours is currently available.

Spokes Everyone I Ever Met (Counter) Why is it that so many great English bands hail from Manchester? The hometown of everyone from the Hollies to Joy Division to the Chameleons to Oasis never seems to lose steam as it churns out one influential after another. An expat friend of mine says it’s because it’s “grim up north.” I’ll take him at his word, because the music seems to speak for itself. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 >>>

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Campus Circle > Music > Live Show Reviews

Tamea Agle

LIVESHOWREVIEWS

The Troubadour crowd clearly wanted more from Fences, aka Chris Mansfield, at the end of his set.

Ill Nino Jan. 27 @ Key Club Currently promoting their fifth studio album, Dead New World, Latin metal band Ill Niño stormed into Los Angeles embracing a massive ovation. The band took the stage while fog machines filled the venue and the floor quivered from distorted vibrations. Everyone erupted with excitement as the six-piece prepared the masses for complete chaos and destruction. Lead singer Cristian Machado instantly pleased the crowd by starting the setlist with “If You Still Hate Me” off their first record, Revolution Revolución. Bodies collided with intense energy as mosh pits scattered across the floor. Guitarists Ahrue Luster and Diego Verduzco provided the aggressive tones everyone craved with their distorted melody shredding. Bassist Lazaro Pina supplied heavy bass lines that caused the walls to shake. Dave Chavarri sat behind a massive drum set as he channeled every fiber in his body to create towering beats. Percussionist Daniel Couto added thick Latin layers into each song as he completed the lineup on stage. The 16-song setlist included material from all five albums. Singer Machado interacted with the crowd by extending his hand over the audience as everyone jumped to make a connection. As they performed “Rumba,” everyone burst with joy as some sang in unison. Combining Spanish lyrics into their music didn’t faze the crowd as the group’s large bilingual following shouted each verse. Machado continuously informed the crowd to move their feet as they played “God Is for the Dead” off their latest record. Every song expelled disorder across the floor as VIP guests climbed onto their tables while the raw energy spilled across the air. As they walked off stage, everyone shouted “Otra, Otra, Otra” as the crowd pleaded for an encore. They rewarded the masses by closing the night with fan favorite “How Can I Live,” while gifting a few with drumsticks and guitar picks. —Jacob Gaitan

Typhoon Jan. 26 @ The Satellite Nothing’s more satisfying than finding a band who surprises you with their creativity and dynamic performance. Many witnessed this as the Satellite welcomed Typhoon to the stage. The band brought a full-bodied sound to their performance, which was epic to witness. A very fitting name for the ensemble, their sound rushed at all angles toward the audience, blending perfectly to create music that ranged from soulful grooves to triumphant orchestra jubilations. The crowd was completely taken by the great variance in sound and enjoyed the witty banter provided by frontman Kyle Morton. Coming from Portland, Ore., they have a concept like no other and a roster of 12 musicians to carry the weight of it

all, including the singer, guitar, bass, drums, cellist, violinist, additional drummer, horn section and pianist. Definitely a sight to see and hear, this is a must for anyone looking for a fresh new taste of indie rock music. Their latest effort entitled A New Kind of House on Tender Loving Empire is due out March 8. —Mary Broadbent

Ying Yang Twins Jan. 28 @ Key Club Nothing but good old rap music. The Ying Yang Twins put on an unforgettable show at the Key Club in West Hollywood. Originally from Atlanta, Ga., both Kaine and D-Roc delivered from the start until the finale. Several singles dating back to 2000 were performed, including the hits “Whistle While You Twerk” and “Say Yi Yi.” Notorious for their energetic spirit on stage while rapping, the Ying Yang Twins simply lit up the entire night at the club, which was filled with a large population of college students and other young adults. This American crunk rap duo placed a fire in everyone’s body with performances of “Salt Shaker,” an electrifying, uptempo danceable track. But the biggest crowd pleaser and favorite was “Get Low,” a mainstream popular tune that Lil Jon crafted with as a hot collaboration with the duo. Other highlights were “What’s Happnin’,” “Shake,” “Bad” and “Wait (The Whisper Song).” A resplendent event for music, the Ying Yang Twins gave Los Angeles a great dose of crunk rap in their 70-minute set. —Marvin Vasquez

Fences Jan. 30 @ The Music Box Fences, of Seattle, Wash., opened on Sunday night for punk rockers Against Me! at the Music Box in Hollywood. While Fences’ performance is much more subdued than that of the headliners, there is no doubt that by the end of the set, he and his accompanying band made more than just a couple new fans in the audience. At the end of his set, the audience screamed and clearly wanted more of the beautifully somber music presented by singer-songwriter Chris Mansfield. Mansfield’s melancholy lyrics are clearly written from the heart and from his personal life experience. While the music and performance do not fit perfectly into any particular genre of music, Fences’ background in jazz comes through in new and surprising ways. At the end of his set, Mansfield, with a “thank you” and a quick goodbye, walked off the stage and allowed his band to continue to play for a short time before following his lead. It was a somewhat quiet, but fitting, end to the set. Fences and his band will be continuing their tour finishing up in Boston at the end of February. Currently supporting Against Me!, Fences is promoting his self-titled album, produced along with Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara. —Tamea Agle

<<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

Spokes’ Everyone I Ever Met is one of the newest in a long tradition of fantastic offerings, and they stand up to the Mancunian reputation seemingly with ease. Their dreamy, string-laden brand of indie pop is nothing short of majestic. Please note: Due to lack of band member credits on any information I was able to drudge up, names are foregone here. I can’t help it, they’re enigmatic. “3 4 5” is atmospheric with an interplay between driving drums, fluid strings and chiming guitars and some lovely female backing vocals in contrast to the male lead vocalist’s mellow croon. The track rises to a breathtaking crescendo by the end. “We Can Make It Out” features tribal drums and group chant carried on soaring strings. This song is pure energy that offers nary a breather until its finale when it collapses into an uneasy calm, like the eye of the storm before rearing its head one last time. “Everyone I Ever Met” is haunting, blending moments of shoegaze with pure aggressive rock. “Sun It Never Comes” is melancholy and subdued with its simple acoustic guitar and subtle vocal performance. “Give It Up To The Night” is equally gorgeous, piano and strings holding up an understated play between male and female vocals. “Peace Rocket” reminds of Arcade Fire with its complex layers and emotional delivery. “Torn Up in Praise” starts with a din of guitar racket, which acts like the earthquake that births the tsunami; the energetic wave that emerges is heavenly. “Happy Needs a Colour” shows off Spokes’ remarkable talent with the kind of compositional prowess one would expect out of a Ryuichi Sakamoto but probably not your average indie ensemble. The closing tracks, while again demonstrating the group’s diversity, might as well have been saved for B-sides, as the album doesn’t benefit too tremendously from their addition. They’re good but don’t quite stand up to the bar that is set by the preceding songs. Everyone I Ever Met is impressive. Let’s hope they’ll cross the pond and wow us with their live show. If this release is any indication, seeing them in the flesh must be explosive. Grade: A —Natasha Desianto Everyone I Ever Met is currently available.

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

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VALENTINE’S GOODIES by angela matano

Getting Ready: Perhaps a bath, laden with Aura Cacia’s Tranquility Aromatherapy Mineral Bath (auracacia.com) to start the unwinding process? The spring flowers scent will transport you to a land far away from quotidian concerns. Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser invigorates and deep cleans, with just a hint of a citrusy scent, leaving behind a well-scrubbed visage. Another terrific facial wash, REN’s Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk (renskincare.com) is ultra gentle for even the most sensitive skin and comes in a futuristic, cool dispenser that men and women alike can love. Artic black currant seed, fennel and sea buckthorn berry oils give it a tinge of the exotic. Lux enough to pamper yet neutral enough to serve for either gender, Collective Wellbeing’s Charcoal Body Wash (collectivewellbeing.com) is environmentally friendly, while still providing a squeaky clean result. ShaKai’s Color Reflect Daily Moisturizing Conditioner works double duty as a leave-in styling cream as well. This natural product works gently yet effectively, leaving all hair types soft and shiny. Pulling It Together: Bobbi Brown’s line of cosmetics (bobbibrowncosmetics.com) anticipates problems and provides solutions. The Spot Treatment Corrector, a case in

Campus Circle > Culture > Special Features point, brightens the under-eye area, eliminating unfortunate traces of exhaustion, leaving behind a bright-eyed face. Erasing sun damage, a must for California girls, just got easier with Specific Beauty’s Skin Brightening Serum (specificbeauty.com). Little brown spots fade quickly and evenly, leaving behind the skin you were meant to have. A great secret for curly-haired girls, Kérastase’s products (kerastase.com) deliver. The Oleo-Curl Intense “definition masque” helps tame and soothe problem hair into a more manageable coiffure. A sheer miracle, Living proof.’s styling treatments (livingproof.com), invented by actual scientists, de-frizzes even the most unruly locks while leaving no smell, residue or greasiness behind. A true wunderkind.

For the Fun of It: Unexpected and bold yet sur– prisingly elegant, Illamasqua’s nail lacquer (illamasqua.com) in Rampage stands out in an increasingly crowded arena. A unique shade of green – lighter than pine, deeper than kelly – this polish provides all the oomph you need no matter how basic your little black dress. The perfect red lipstick turns even the most basic dress into something vroom-y. Ellis Faas’ version (ellisfaas.com), in three different textures – creamy, milky and glazed – pack the perfect punch, while giving a stylish nod to classic screen sirens, like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner. The silver bullet-like casing just adds to the allure. Le Labo’s Fleur D’Oranger 27 (lelabofragrances.com), flirty and floral with a strong citrus bouquet, provides just the right amount of seduction for a romantic Valentine’s evening. Gifts: TokyoMilk’s Honey & The Moon Bon Bon Shea Butter Lotion (tokyo-milk.com) smells as good as it sounds

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SWEETHEARTS READ by angela matano

Flight of Heart: New in paperback, Amy Greene’s Bloodroot offers just the right amount of romance, magic and regional flavor. The perfect read for a weekend getaway. The Lake of Dreams indulges in the collective fantasy of uncovering long lost family secrets. Kim Edwards, the author of the popular The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, does it again, producing a page turning, moving work. Heartbreaking: Allen Shawn writes of an interrupted childhood with his autistic sister in Twin. The memoir throbs with the author’s ache when his sibling, with little notice, gets sent off to an institution at the tender age of eight. Another memoir capitalizing on the popularity of “Hoarders,” Dirty Secret is writer Jessie Sholl’s tale of coming to terms, and trying to tackle, her own mother’s difficult disorder. Lisa Genova’s Left Neglected reminds us what happens in life when the bubble bursts. Sarah Nickerson, a successful career woman and mother, must relearn how to live her life after a severe car accident and finds that taking the scenic route in life might be just what she needs. Heart of Things: Somehow director Steven Soderbergh makes it all look so easy. With a career that encompasses Sex,

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with sugared violet, jasmine and sandalwood, as well as honey, scents. With the charming packaging and sumptuous feel, this moisturizer makes a great present. Simpatico’s mildly fragrant and sensual No. 35 bubble bath (simpatico-home.com) makes a perfect gift if you’re looking to set a serene atmosphere. Simple and elegant, the all-natural ingredients take relaxation to a whole other level. The not-too-sweet but still sexy scents of magnolia, coriander, juniper, clove and cardamom make it appealing to either gender. The adult version of the perfect box of crayons, Urban Decay’s 15-year anniversary collection of glide-on eye pencils (urbandecay.com) offers a tantalizing color for every year of the company’s existence. From classics like “zero” (black) to wild cards like “electric” (near fluorescent turquoise), you will find an eyeliner to suit every occasion. The Bumble Bee Studio (thebumblebeestudio.blogspot. com) makes beauty products so charming and delicious looking that it’s hard not to take a bite – particularly, the Lavender Sugar Scrub, which combines turbinado sugar, blueberry seeds, macadamia nut and coconut into a revitalizer for the skin. Don’t miss the floral bath salts as well for a fantastic and thoughtful basket of treasure. Tocca (tocca.com) creates products evocative of another era, and their pink tulip and green apple body cream is no exception. The box, substantial and tipped in gold, conjures up the elegance of the ’30s when women sat in front of vanities and powdered their noses. Your girlfriend will be transported.

Campus Circle > Culture > Special Features Lies, and Videotape, Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic and Out of Sight, his new book, The Philosophy of Steven Soderbergh, provides insight into an original mind. Another true talent, Busby Berkeley gets the full once over in Jeffrey Spivak’s Buzz. The man behind some of Hollywood’s most lavish musicals lived a private life as interesting as his public one. Heart Racing: If finishing The Hunger Games left a gaping hole in your life, Cameron Stracher’s The Water Wars aims to fill it. Set in a dystopian future where the lack of water trumps all else, this adventure tale will keep you turning pages far into the night. Heart Reflecting: As if looking in our soul’s mirror, Alison Espach captures adolescent angst with insight and wit in The Adults. The narrator’s eye for detail in a swiftly crumbling household chills to the bone. Romance: Even if a Valentine’s vacay is a financial impossibility, Steve Heimoff’s A Wine Journey Along the Russian River is almost as good as the real thing. Read it with a loved one and a bottle of red. For over a century, girls have treasured Little Women. Susan Cheever’s biography, Louisa May Alcott, reveals the person behind the timeless and affecting classic. Another author who captivates generations of readers finds himself captured in Kenneth Slawenski’s J.D. Salinger. The famously reclusive writer emerges, fully human in this well-researched opus. Cook your girlfriend a recipe from Jacques E. Haeringer’s Two for Tonight, and she’ll be putty in your hands. The book bursts with mouth-watering recipes, like cinnamon mousse.

Patricia Meyer Spacks’ new annotated version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice illuminates every detail of the ultimate, swoony girl-meets-boy tale. Skip a Beat: A tantalizing combination of sumptuous and informative, Designs on Film, by Cathy Whitlock, showcases a hundred years of art direction in cinema. Brimming with photo stills spanning from The Wizard of Oz to Edward Scissorhands, this book will enable your favorite movie junkie, in the best way. J.W. Rinzler’s The Sounds of Star Wars combines memorabilia with gadgetry. This tome covers the wonky side of aural effects with all the charms of a toy, providing an actual speaker that plays the “star destroyer rumble” and the “father vs. son lightsaber duel.” It may not be possible to buy the object of your affection an original work of art, but Bridget Riley: Flashback, a gorgeous survey of the artist by Michael Bracewell and Robert Kudielka is a terrific substitute for the visually inclined. Zippy and nutritional, The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark gives personal favorites from the likes of Michel Gondry and Richard Linklater and sheds new light on old favorites, like The Godfather. Warm the Cockles: Eleanor Brown’s The Weird Sisters injects wit and originality into the sibling genre. The eponymous sisters, each at a crossroads, struggle with relationships and each other while doing their best to grow up. Loretta Lynn’s incredible but true autobiography of growing up in tiny Butcher Holler, getting married at 13, having babies and miraculously becoming a huge country star gets told to perfection in Coal Miner’s Daughter.

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MAS MALO

515 W. 7th St., Los Angeles by erica carter One of the best things about our great state of California is the abundance of Mexican food. It’s only natural considering we used to be part of that country, that the cuisine is one of our staples. There are so many varieties in Mexican cuisine, tacos to tamales, tortas, enchiladas, pozole, taquitos, not to mention all the desserts. I find it really difficult to tire of eating it, and apparently I’m not alone seeing the recent surge in nouveau Mexican restaurants. Joining Downtown’s trend of high-end, but approachable eateries (Rivera, Border Grill) is Mas Malo. You may have heard or visited the flagship Malo in Silver Lake, known for their fresh take on Mexican fare and killer cocktails. Well, the fun has spread to 7th Street and Grand Avenue with February’s opening of Mas Malo. Mas Malo occupies over 9,000 square feet, with high ceilings, multi-level dining and mirrored bars. With such a huge space, I thought that dining might feel slightly detached, but the mood lighting and great soundtrack (Morrissey, yes!) actually engulfs the surroundings and makes it kind of lounge-y. I noticed a lot of large parties dining here, a plus for those of us who like to dine big. At the same time, there were couples, so it can easily be a great place for a date. When we were seated, I faced the ground floor bar and immediately started planning on where I’d be sitting for

Campus Circle > Culture > Food Happy Hour when I return. Good thing they offer Happy Hour, as the cocktails are really great for soothing an especially long day or to kick off your weekend. One thing that’s very noticeable at Mas Malo is that tequila is their best friend. There are so many varieties, at least 200. I feel it’s my duty to come back as many times as possible to sample each one. OK, not really, but at least try the other eight out of 10 “favorites” Mas Malo carries. So far, the winner is the Spicy Cucumber Margarita featuring a crisp Blanco, lime juice, bitters and Tapatio. It starts out smooth and ends with a little kick, but not overwhelming, just a little heat to perk up those taste buds for what’s to come. That and the Piñata Smash with serrano chilies, cilantro and pineapple are so good, especially when paired with the highly recommended chewy chips, flashfried triangles of masa and chile negro, with chocolate salsa. I’m more of a spice person, but my partner prefers things on the mild side. Mild doesn’t mean loss of flavor, though, and the tomatillo salsa was bursting with it. The tanginess cut the heat from the margaritas in a very smooth way. Of course, I drank water too. I know what you’re thinking, who mentions water in a feature? I do, because it’s flavored with a hint of cucumber! That’s just one of the little nuances that Mas Malo is great for: staying ahead of the game. Speaking of being ahead of the game, the menu is not only succinct, but includes vegan options. There’s vegan menudo, soy and tofu tortas bathed in a spicy red sauce with creamy avocado, eggplant tacos and the popular vegetarian ground beef and pickle tacos. Ah yes, tacos. I think this is where Mas Malo truly shines. They offer hard-shell versions stuffed to the max with the ingredient of your choice. The lobster taco’s crunchy shell gives way to soft, diced lobster mixed with tomatoes. The

JETSETTER

KISSING IN CLAREMONT by ximena herschberg

A few months ago, I fell in love. It hapPEN– ed by chance. Not with a person but with a charming, whimsical city full of love and romance. Claremont is a college town, but its campuses lie on endless fields of green pastures and its small streets are lined with rows upon rows of deciduous trees reminiscent of autumns I spent on the East Coast. I stayed at Hotel Casa 425 (425 W. First St.; casa425.com) located in the center of it all. This beautiful, modern and minimalist hotel resembles a Spanish hacienda with rooms built around a courtyard. You won’t find souvenir bottles of soaps, shampoos, lotions or conditioners in this place. They make a big effort to be earth friendly. Instead, you will find a king-size Tempur-Pedic bed, a bathtub made for two in the center of the room (separated by sheer, white curtains) and a flat-screen television. While the hotel encourages you to conserve and be responsible with water, they don’t skimp on luxury or comfort. You can rent videos and watch them on your flat-screen while you soak in the tub! For a fun ride around, you can borrow one of the hotel’s bicycles to explore the “old” village of Claremont and everything it has to offer. Nothing is more romantic than a cheese shop. Cool, young hipsters who are passionate about the cheeses they carry and don’t shy away from giving samples

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lobster comes with a thimble of salsa, but it’s really not needed. The ground beef and pickle tacos were just as our server described: “like a cheeseburger in a taco.” The pickles played off the heavily seasoned beef so well; I loved the depth of flavor. Instead of the usual rice and beans you may have become accustomed to, Mas Malo gives you choices like fried guero chilies in lime and salt, potato salad, even radishes with queso fresco. Should you decide to order an entrée, check out the Ensenada shrimp wrapped with bacon and shrimp or the eggless Chile Relleno. As for dessert, Mas Malo has an impressive selection from flan to Tres Leches Cake, prepared traditionally with condensed and evaporated milk. Try and order the Mexican coffee and jelly donuts, which are changed daily but are all a hit. All in all, Mas Malo is a great addition to the Downtown scene, and I don’t think I’ll tire from this nouveau cuisine either. Mas Malo has another location at 4326 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit malorestaurant.com.

Campus Circle > Culture > Travel run Cheese Cave (325 N. Yale Ave.; claremontcheese.com). The location is somewhat hidden but worth looking for. There is also the Folk Music Center & Museum store (220 Yale Ave.; folkmusiccenter.com) founded by Ben Harper’s grandparents that houses all sorts of unique instruments. This place is magical! They had an instrument called the “gut bucket” that uses a washtub as a resonator and a washboard as a percussion instrument. It originated in 1900’s New Orleans among African Americans. There is an array of quirky shops to wander in and out of as well as an ample selection of restaurants to try. The local people I encountered and asked suggestions of were incredibly gracious and helpful. They were delighted to give me recommendations or direct me to where I was headed next. Once you’re finished exploring the “old” village, return to the “new” village (around Hotel Casa 425). Here, you’ll find more amazing restaurants like The Back Abbey (128 N. Oberlin Ave.; thebackabbey.com), with beautiful wooden interior, amazing burgers and an impressive selection of beers and wines. Right next door you can opt to check out a fun, artsy, indie film at the magnificent Laemmle Claremont 5 (450 W. 2nd St.; laemmle.com). Around the corner is a one-of-a-kind shop called Bath Junkie (175 N. Indian Hill Blvd.; bathjunkie.com) that sells all sorts of goodies for a fun bath. You can combine your own scents and create your own bath balls, scrubs, creams and more with over 200 fragrances to choose from. The store’s home base is Arkansas, and this is the only shop of its kind in California. Their products are all natural, and their salt scrub exfoliator followed by a splash of body dessert is divine! What girl wouldn’t love this place? After you’ve finished purchasing your sexy concoctions,

Emanuela Cariolagian, Be In The News, Inc.

NEWS

Take a dip at Hip Kitty Jazz and Fondue Club in Claremont. head over to the Packing House (532 W. First St.; claremontpackinghouse.com). This warehouse was once the site for mass production for the shipping, packing and storing of citrus, the main source of income for the city for years. Elements of the warehouse have been preserved, and it now functions as a shopping center filled with various restaurants, clothing shops and art galleries. This is where I found the awesomeness that is the Hip Kitty Jazz and Fondue Club (502 W. First St.; hipkittyjazz.com). I walked into this restaurant and a 10-piece live salsa band was playing on stage while patrons were dancing their bums off on the dance floor. (The bands change nightly.) There were plenty of couples indulging in variations of fondue. These are just a few reasons why I fell in love with Claremont, and why it’s worthy of a Valentine’s getaway. Who knew you could find romance 34 miles east of Los Angeles? For more information, visit thevillageclaremont.com.

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Ed Krieger

CURTAINCALL

Katie (Krystal Marshall) and Mike (Brian Monahan) in “Play Dates”

“Play Dates” Now-March 6 @ Theatre Asylum Yes, we’ve all been there – once, twice or even more. I’m talking about infatuation, falling head over heels, deception, jealousy and heartbreak. Regardless of whom, where and when, love always leaves that tiny bruise on your heart that may get smaller over time but never completely disappears. Yes, we are all victims and patients. Luckily, “Play Dates” is here to offer all of us a little therapy session. Written by Sam Wolfson (“Jewtopia”) and directed by Jennifer Chambers, “Play Dates” is a show that will make you laugh and tear up at the same time. It chronicles the lifelong journey of a man and a woman searching for love in a truly comical way, starting from kindergarten all the way up to marriage. Every single ingredient of a relationship is presented on the stage with abundant sprinkles of humor. In between laughing every now and then, your heart will gently vibrate when the actors strike the same emotional chords as your own. Stacey (Elizabeth Bond) and Sam (Rob Nagle) meet as 4-year-old kindergarten sweethearts and grow up only to learn about the pain love brings. Bond is perfectly cast as Stacey, the bubbly and often hyperactive redhead, and Nagle as slightly balding, somewhat awkward Sam is her ideal counterpart. Together, they portray a stereotypical couple with their own ups and downs, good days and bad days. Katie (Krystal Marshall) and Mike (Brian Monahan) as a second couple expose another aspect of a relationship: trying to revive the sparks in a marriage. Suddenly freaked out by their everyday routine as a so-called “old, boring couple,” Katie and Mike attempt to relive the precious moments of their honeymoon period. The actors’ brilliant performances in the bathroom scene where they clip each other’s toenails and squeeze each other’s pimples is seriously funny and realistic at the same time. Whether you are in for the laughs or for some advice on love, “Play Dates” will surely mend that invisible scar on your heart by the time you walk out. There will be champagne, roses and other special surprises on Valentine’s Day, so if you have not made any plans yet, this is your chance – even a couple in a serious fight will come out warm and lighthearted. —Dana Jeong Theatre Asylum is located at 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. For more information, visit playdatestheshow.com.

“The Capulets and The Montagues” Now-Feb. 27 @ New Place Studio Theatre We all know the story. “Romeo and Juliet,” star-crossed lovers torn apart by family rivalry, only bound together through death. Yes, Shakespeare’s play is definitely a tragedy, as we all know it. But step into the New Place Studio Theatre in North Hollywood with this version of the play in mind and be ready to be in for a big surprise. Produced by Dakin Matthews and directed by Anne McNaughton, the Andak Stage Company presents Lope de Vega’s “The Capulets and the Montagues.” With the same source story, Lope de Vega introduces a different perspective to the austere play by Shakespeare. This particular play turns the tragic lovers’ tale upside down and inside out. Be ready to laugh at the topsy-turvy play and the ridiculous thought processes of the characters. Only devastated for seconds from the sad fate of Romeo and Juliet, you will find yourself laughing, or rather snickering at the stupidity (in my case), throughout most of Vega’s comic twist. He skillfully manages to transform the tragedy into a comedy. Taking a pair of tweezers, he molds the plot here and there to end the play with a happy ending. Vega shows the unexpected and randomness in the actions of the characters who strive so vigorously to solve their problems. A bit weird, I know. But if you like the unexpected, it is rather an enjoyable play. With great use of stage space and actor recycling, this production succeeds in staying as true to the original Spanish script. And yes, some of the content may be a bit gross to the modern audience, but go ahead and ignore that weird feeling in your stomach. Instead, laud the actors for their enthusiasm and energy. Imagine the location, the nonexistent background noise and the imagined hoards of people in each scene in combination with the actors, and maybe, you may find yourself quickly immersed into Vega’s playful world. —Cindy Kyungah Lee New Place Studio Theatre is located at 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood. For more information, visit andak.org.

CAMPUS CIRCLE/Rock of Ages 4.875” X 5.9” • BW CURTAINCALL DATE: 2/9/2011

VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER by stephanie forshee

CSUN Singers perform at VPAC.

There’s a brand new building at California State University, Northridge this semester. That building will house the likes of Patti LuPone, Arianna Huffington, Joan Rivers, the Russian National Ballet and more. The Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) opened its doors to the CSUN and surrounding communities at a special gala on Jan. 29 and kicked off their inaugural season with a concert by Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III. VPAC’s house won’t be seeing too many empty seats this spring. “We’re doing really well,” says CSUN Dean Robert Bucker. “We’re trying to appeal to an audience that we know we have based on our past experience here. And we’re also trying to identify a new audience. So there’s a great deal of variety and diversity.” After establishing this year’s lineup by the spring of 2010, Bucker is already busy booking guests for the 2011-2012 season. Bucker says the process entails many factors. “It’s not all about trying to bring in our entertainers, our speakers that our crowd audience will find attractive, but also bring in people who haven’t ever considered coming to events here at [CSUN],” he says. Bucker expects VPAC to be a venue that both students and outside residents enjoy. “It’s a stunningly beautiful building. It’s a facility that was built with both public dollars and private dollars, so it is a facility for the entire region,” he states. “The exciting thing for me is seeing the house filled with people.” Valley Performing Arts Center is located at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. For more information, visit valleyperformingartscenter.org.

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Baseball Basketball Football Hockey Soccer

L.AHOOPLA

LAKERS IN SEARCH OF IDENTITY by marvin vasquez

The Los Angeles Lakers are now 0-5 against the top teams in the NBA, with their latest defeat coming at home on Feb. 3 to the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center. Although the Lakers lost the nail-biter by a score of 8988, there is still a lot of reason for concern and reflection. Los Angeles is 0-2 against San Antonio thus far this season, and 0-3 against the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. For the night, both the Lakers and Spurs played solid defense, but forward Antonio McDyess’ buzzer beater sealed the deal for the visitors. He finished the game with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench. “I was in the right place at the right time, and it bounced right to me,” McDyess says. “I haven’t had too many buzzer beaters. I can probably count them on one hand, but this is a big one.” Tony Parker led the way for the team in scoring with 21 points, while Richard Jefferson contributed 18 points and Argentine Manu Ginobili added 14 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Tim Duncan had eight points and eight boards, and George Hill recorded eight off the bench.

Campus Circle > Sports > Basketball “Tony was great,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich tells the media after the win. “He kept us together like he has all year long and just did a fantastic job.” The Lakers really did not begin the game well after being down 22-18 at the end of the first quarter. Yes, they did play good defense in limiting the Spurs to just 22 points, but the Lakers could not surpass the 18-point plateau. This hurt them in the end because in every other quarter the Lakers scored 21 or more points, including 25 in the final quarter. Five different purple and gold players had double figures, led by Pau Gasol’s 19 points and seven rebounds. “It feels a lot better to have a chance to win the game than to lose by 10-plus points,” Gasol says. “It’s tough when you’re struggling. We’re hitting the road, and we’ll have an opportunity to get it together and get back on the right track.” Kobe Bryant nearly had a triple-double with his 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. “It was an ugly game. When you’ve got two good defensive teams, for the most part it’s going to be that way,” Bryant states to reporters. “I think both teams didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. They shot it better in stretches than we did. We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but they just got a great bounce. It bounced right to him.” Lamar Odom powered through with 16 points and six rebounds, and center Andrew Bynum had a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards to go along with a career-high six assists. In addition to that, Ron Artest’s physical, defensive presence gave a spark. Artest finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals in over 40 minutes of play. His minutes have risen since Matt Barnes’ injury. Another factor in the game was the Lakers’ inability to connect from deep; they made just two three-pointers out of a total of 14. They recorded a 42.5 shooting percentage from the

MEN’SBASKETBALL

BRUINS AVENGE EARLIER LOSS TO TROJANS by marvin vasquez

A solid defensive effort resulted in the host UCLA Bruins topping their visiting crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans, on Feb. 2 at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood before 10,419 fans. UCLA’s 64-50 victory came as they ended a fourgame losing streak to USC (12-11, 4-6) and avenged an earlier season loss. “We knew they had a little run and winning streak on us. And we knew this was going to be a big game, not just for the rivalry but because we’re still trying to get in the run for the Pac-10 title,” UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee claims. “We knew this was a big game, and we came out to work hard.” After rapidly making noise in the conference’s standings earlier this season, the Trojans seem to be downgrading on the court, and UCLA’s night to gather a win against them arrived. “We knew they were going to play with a sense of urgency having beaten them four times in a row,” USC head coach Kevin O’Neill says. “We didn’t get enough stops in the first half to put us in a position to win.” The Trojans trailed by just one point at halftime, but were only limited to 15 total points in the second half. UCLA’s defense became a dominant force throughout that time.

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/MCT

FILM

The Lakers’ Ron Artest elbows the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili. field and a 44-38 edge in rebounds, but it was just not enough against a San Antonio squad who looks better than ever. “Too many opportunities at the end of the game,” Lakers head coach Phil Jackson says. “Four attempts cost us. It was a good game. Defensively, we played well.” However, the Lakers did bounce back after losing to the Spurs. They defeated the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday, Feb. 5, 101-95. Gasol posted 34 points and 10 rebounds, while Bryant had 32 points, nine rebounds and five assists. “I’m always in attack mode, and it’s my responsibility to recognize things on the team that can help us,” Bryant says. “I felt like it was time to kind of have a talk with him [Gasol] and tell him it’s OK to be selfish because that’s really what we need from him. Their seven-game road trip continues. Up next for the twotime defending champion Lakers is a trip to Massachusetts Feb. 10 to battle the Boston Celtics.

Campus Circle > Sports > Basketball “We had a little stretch there at the end when we couldn’t get a basket to go down, missed a bunch of free throws,” O’Neill states. “We just don’t have enough right now.” Freshman center Joshua Smith showed skill and poise in the pivotal Pac-10 affair. Smith collected 15 points and six rebounds off the bench, while aggressively pounding his body on both the defensive and offensive side. “We were excited,” Smith remarks. “Any time you play your rivals at home and you win.” And the rivalry is once again on, especially for a surging Bruins squad (16-7, 7-3). For UCLA, Lee was the only other Bruin in double figures with 13 points; 11 came in the first half. Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson contributed eight points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Lazeric Jones added nine points, five rebounds and five assists. “We knew this was going to be a big game, and we came out hard,” Lee says. “We just kept our minds in the game.” Nevertheless, Nelson’s defensive play did not come without proper recognition from this coach. “I was so pleased with Reeves’ defense because he was one-on-one and he wanted that challenge,” Bruins head coach Ben Howland says. “He accepted us and did a great job for us.” As a unit, the Bruins shot a whopping 48 percent from the field, making 24-of-50 shots. However, their ability to retrieve more rebounds (38-24) than the Trojans probably played a significant part in the outcome, especially since 11 were on the offensive end. Two different Trojans chipped in double figures, led by junior center Nikola Vucevic’s 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Senior forward Alex Stepheson scored 14 points, while recording eight rebounds. No other Trojan registered more than seven points as they shot just below 40 percent.

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/MCT

NEWS

UCLA’s Reeves Nelson and Joshua Smith get riled up. “That was a great win for us. Our defense tonight hurt us at times, but at the end of the day, we held them to 39 percent shooting,” Howland says. Vucevic created several dilemmas for the Bruins the entire 40 minutes of play, but Nelson shut him down when it counted the most, including the final six minutes of the game. “We didn’t box out well,” Vucevic says. “After they took a shot, we just looked at the ball, and they came in aggressive and tried to get rebounds. That’s been one of our weaknesses.” UCLA led for almost the entire contest, but their first double-digit edge came nearly at the four-minute mark of the second half. “Everybody did their job,” sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt says. “Defensively, we did a great job of holding them to 15 points in the second half. We passed the ball well and did a good job rebounding.” The Bruins host the Oregon Ducks Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m., while the Trojans are scheduled to entertain the Oregon State Beavers on the same night but at 8 p.m. at the Galen Center.

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CALENDARTHE10SPOT

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BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL

Chuck Zlotnick/Fox Searchlight Pictures

SUNDAYFEB. 13

Find your sweet spot this Valentine’s Day.

“Pro” & “Anti” Valentine’s Day Movies All four SoCal ArcLight locations; arclightcinemas.com Whether you’re feeling “pro” or “anti” this year, each location shows two different movies, including The Notebook, Once, (500) Days of Summer and Titanic. Both movies at each location also play on Monday.

WEDNESDAYFEB. 9 Food, Inc.: Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser in Conversation

SATURDAYFEB. 12 Naked at the Getty Scavenger Hunt

Bovard Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Pkwy, USC; usc.edu The best-selling authors (Fast Food Nation) talk about the industrialization of food and its devastating impact on personal health and the environment. 7 p.m. FREE.

Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles; getty.edu Go on a humorous search for nudity. You don’t need to know about art or the museum – or nudity – to solve their tricky questions. Highlights include a sultry dog whisperer, slapstick with a lemon, an ancient game of wife swap, ToulouseLautrec’s “model” and more. After the hunt, linger in the mountaintop gardens for a great view of the sunset. Also Sunday.

THURSDAYFEB. 10 Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture Anderson School, 110 Westwood Plaza, UCLA; ucla.edu Leon Wieseltier, who served on the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, discusses “Peace Process or War Process? The Defeat of Reason in the Middle East.” 6 p.m. FREE.

FRIDAYFEB. 11 Can’t Buy Me Love Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles; landmarktheaters.com Before he was McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey’s nerdy character attempts to find out whether he can (buy love) or not when he pays the most popular girl in school to be his girlfriend. Cast/crew reunite for post-show Q&A. 11:59 p.m. $10.50.

SATURDAYFEB. 12 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Angel Stadium, 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim; monsterjam.com Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam stars the biggest performers on four wheels: Monster Jam monster trucks. The 12-feet tall, 10,000-pound machines will bring you to your feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over or smash through. 7 p.m.

SATURDAYFEB. 12 “How I Wrote That Song” Key Club, 9039 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; keyclub.com The informative panel discussion features artists and songwriters like CeeLo, Seal, BC Jean (“If I Were a Boy”), Bonnie McKee (“Teenage Dream”), Claude Kelly (“My Life Would Suck Without You”) and many more. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $15 advance, $20 day of.

SUNDAYFEB. 13 Sex and the City Zoo 2 L.A. Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Griffith Park; lazoo.org Have a wild Valentine’s Day, where they celebrate animal mating, dating and cohabitating with a “birds and bees” presentation by zoo veteran Jason Jacobs. He shares some of his insights about the pros and cons of relationships and staying single in the jungle. The unconventional Valentine’s Day festivities include decadent desserts and wonderful wines. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. $35.

MONDAYFEB. 14 My Funny Valentine Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; laughfactory.com Laughter releases endorphins and increases serotonin levels, which can help make your partner hornier. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tix start at $20.

TUESDAYFEB. 15 “Rock of Ages” Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; broadwayla.org In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker – and in L.A.’s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ’80s. Runs through Feb. 27. Tix start at $25.

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

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THEWINGGIRLS

FLAKEY MCFLAKERSONS People have got to be jokin’. OK, so this guy has been trying to get my friend to go on a date with him for months, months. She didn’t feel the connection, let alone any real sparks, but he did and was very persistent. She tried to be more open, with the gentle nudge of a certain Wing Girl, and she agreed to go out with him on a Friday night. Meanwhile, just like everyone else, she was really busy with work and school and everything else and had a few fun things she was offered to do that night, including something for work, but she put this date first. So, this son of a motherless goat texts her Thursday night to say he had something Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. that might not last the whole time, that he had to attend and could she meet after? Are you serious? What is she – a call girl? Even prostitutes have schedules. So, of course, she was pissed, and her friends all had plans. Anyways after that date, the guy tried to reschedule, and she was really hesitant, of course. And then he was giving her crap for not being into rescheduling. She said they could talk on the phone, but he wouldn’t go for that. He insisted she go on a date with him. This guy should have just taken what he could get because it was his bad. He was lucky she even agreed on that. Anyway, moral of the story is: Guys, if you are trying to get a girl to date you, and you have something else come up the same night, you better move heaven and earth to try to still go. And if that’s absolutely completely impossible, then be overly apologetic and make the next date totally open to whenever she can do it. Also, say this is not in your nature and take all the blame. It’s hard for girls to trust you guys anyway, so really make an effort to repair it. Don’t doorbell ditch your date. For more information, visit thewinggirls.com.

Campus Circle 2.9.11 - 2.15.11

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