British Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards Nominees 8 Feb 2010, 11:44 pm

Jude Law, Kiera Knightley and James Earl Jones are among the nominees for the 2010 Laurence Olivier theatre awards, reports CBC.

Jones and Law are nominated for best actor for their roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Hamlet, respectively. Pirates of the Caribbean’s Knightley is being considered for her supporting role in The Misanthrope.

Melanie Chisolm of the Spice Girls is up for best actress in a musical for Blood Brothers, while Mr. Bean’s Rowan Atkinson is nominated for best actor as Fagan in Oliver! Spring Awakening received seven nominations, including one for best new musical.

Winners of the Olivier awards, Britain’s equivalent of the Tonys, will be announced March 21 at a ceremony in London.

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Interview: Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski Goes Solo 8 Feb 2010, 8:30 pm

Jay Malinowski bought his first guitar at a vintage store for $20. He was 13 years old and had to hide it from his parents because he wasn’t allowed to have one.

“I have a way of picking things up and throwing them away immediately,” the lead singer of Bedouin Soundclash told andPOP. “Maybe [my parents] were testing me.”

Still, he knew the guitar was different. He credits his love for the instrument to an old Bob Dylan tape that his mom gave him. And lucky for 28-year-old Malinowski, the guitar suits him well.

Since the release of their first album in 2004, Canada’s own Bedouin Soundclash has been met with success. And now they have one more thing to add to their resume: their own record label, Pirates Blend. The name, Malinowski said, comes from pirate radio and its idea of people “finding their own music by whatever means possible.”

He said their goal is to sign a wide variety of artists, particularly international musicians who wouldn’t otherwise be heard in Canada.

And Malinowski has special reason to be excited about the label, because it’s about to release his first solo album, Bright Lights and Bruises, on Feb. 16.

“It’s just such a new thing for me right now,” Malinowski said of working as a solo artist. “The whole recording process was quite different.”

“I’ve caught myself using the word ‘we’ a lot,” he added with a laugh. “But there’s no one but me.”

The self-produced folk/acoustic album was trivial for Malinowski, who used his song writing as a form of therapy to deal with the tough place he was at in his life. Between a difficult personal breakup and the decision that he and fellow Bedouin Soundclash member Eon Sinclair could no longer work with then-drummer Pat Pengelly, Malinowski had a lot to write about.

The result is a from-the-heart album that Malinowski is both excited and nervous to release.

“There is a bit of hesitation because it’s about a lot of personal things that happened to me,” he said. “There’s a little bit of, ‘I just made a private thing public,’ but ultimately that’s what you do as an artist.”

“And if people can relate,” he added, “then it’s worth it.”

And ultimately, the album helped his healing process.

“I was writing it in a state of mourning and loss,” he said. “It was necessary for me to do it … otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get to a better place.”

Bedouin Soundclash is in a better place too, with the addition of new drummer Sekou Lumumba. A new record is in the works that they hope to have out this summer. Lumumba is also set to join Malinowski and Sinclair in Vancouver, where they will be playing three shows as part of the Winter Olympics. And Malinowski, a Vancouver native, will be running in the torch relay on Feb. 12.

“I’m just really excited to see what the Olympics are like,” he said. “It’s an honour to be part of it.”

Bedouin Soundclash was born when Malinowski was living in a dorm at Queen’s University. He met and bonded with Sinclair through a love of The Clash and the guitar. And the rest, as they say, is history. Malinowski, who went to Queen’s to study fine arts and art history, still has a strong love of painting.

“It’s one of those things that I think when I’m all done with [music], it seems like a nicer life,” he said.

But Malinowski isn’t stopping music anytime soon.

“I love that it’s so democratic,” Malinowski said when asked what he loves about music. “It’s cheap to reproduce, anyone can have it, and it speaks to everyone. That communicative power is what’s inspiring; it helps people make sense of life.”

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Madonna Spending Valentine’s Day in Rio 8 Feb 2010, 2:03 pm

Madonna will be flying to Rio, the hometown of boyfriend Jesus Luz next weekend for the Samba Parade and Valentine’s Day, reports Perez Hilton.

She is the guest of Governor Sergio Cabral, and will watch the parade from his private box.

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Possible Plea Bargain for Sheen 8 Feb 2010, 1:40 pm

Charlie Sheen is being charged in Aspen with felony menacing and misdemeanor assault in connection with an incident with wife Brooke Mueller that occurred Christmas Day, reports TMZ. However, the case may never go to trial, as Sheen says he is open to a plea bargain that involves a misdemeanor. A bargain cannot be entered for at least 60 days, though.

A protective order that bars Sheen and Mueller from communicating is expected to be relaxed. The pair then plan to fly home to Los Angeles and begin living together again.

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Anne Hathaway Left Catholicism for Gay Brother 8 Feb 2010, 12:11 pm

Anne Hathaway says she and her family left the Catholic church when her brother came out as gay, reports Perez Hilton.

“The whole family converted to Episcopalianism after my elder brother came out,” she said. “Why should I support an organization that has a limited view of my beloved brother?”

But Hathaway said she wasn’t happy with Episcopalianism either.

“So I’m… nothing,” she said. “F*ck it, I’m forming. I’m a work in progress.”

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Carrie Prejean Engaged 8 Feb 2010, 12:03 pm

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kyle Boller proposed to girlfriend Carrie Prejean Saturday in her hometown of San Diego, reports E! News. The ex-Miss California, 22, and the NFL star, 28, began dating last year.

Prejean was stripped of her title in the midst of controversy surrounding her anti-same-sex marriage lobbying, alleged sex tapes and a showdown with Larry King.

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Stars Flock to South Beach 8 Feb 2010, 11:48 am

Many celebrities spent the weekend in South Beach for the Super Bowl, reports E! News. The CAA held an exclusive party Saturday night at the W hotel. Attendees included Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, as well as Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez.

Carrie Underwood, who sang the national anthem at Sunday’s game, was also in attendance, as were Jessica Alba, Adrien Grenier and Derek Jeter.

Director Michael Bay hosted a Big Give, Big Game party for charity at his mansion that same night. CW couples Ed Westwick and Jessica Szhor and AnnaLynne McCord and Kellan Lutz were spotted there.

Jennifer Lopez was scheduled to perform at the Axe Lounge at Liv. at 1 a.m., but the starlet didn’t take the stage until 2 a.m. Chase Crawford and Jessica Alba were present for the show. The Hills stars Kristin Cavallari, Audrina Patridge, Spencer Pratt and Lo Bosworth were there filming for the reality show.

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Game Review: James Cameron’s Avatar The Game – It’s not easy being blue… 8 Feb 2010, 8:29 am

Another big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Another tie-in video game. But this one has James Cameron’s name on the box, so it can’t be that bad, right?

To be fair, I had very low expectations for James Cameron’s Avatar – The Video Game. It immediately brought back horrific memories of playing through another movie tie-in videogame with a title as long as my forearm (Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Movie The Game). It has always amazed me that a videogame form of a film seems to need the suffix “The Game” tagged on to the end of the title, as if the general public wouldn’t be able to figure out that the product they are currently holding, which may say Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo on it, isn’t actually the film that’s currently in theatres, but a game based on said film. But I digress….

If you’re expecting any kind of spoilers about the movie from this game, you won’t find them. The game is set two years prior to the events of the film, and you play a forgettable character that really doesn’t matter. You have a wide range of choices at the start of the game as to your gender and race, but this has no affect on the rest of the game, as you soon become a nameless grunt stuck on both sides of the ensuing conflict on the planet of Pandora. The basic story is similar to that of the film in that the humans are on Pandora and the Na’vi don’t really appreciate them, but since this is a few years prior, things are a little less established, and the invading human force hasn’t set up such a large presence – at least, not yet.

Through the main arc of the game, you progress to fighting with the humans and then with the Na’vi, eventually allowing you to make moral choices as to which side of the conflict you feel more at home with. The problem with this is that the game makes it very hard to side with the technologically-inferior Na’vi, especially when you can pilot mech suits, use rocket launchers and flamethrowers when you’re human, and on the flipside use bows and arrows and command bees. Bees? Really? I think I know which side I’m going to be sticking with, thanks.

Graphically, I have to say that Ubisoft once again has done what I thought would’ve been impossible. They manage to actually portray a convincing representation of Pandora, and do it in a way that respects the original medium. The jungle is teeming with life, from smaller insects to some of the larger predators that you can actually hunt or tame, depending on which side of the fight you’re currently on. The draw-distances throughout that game are beautiful, and the entire world seems to just be going about its business, whether or not you’re tearing through the jungle guns blazing or simple walking down a path taking in the sights and sounds. Character details are decent, nothing earth-shaking, but they get the job done. Cutscenes are presented with the in-game engine, which I was impressed with, as Ubisoft avoided using any clips from the film, instead allowing you to become completely immersed in this unique view of Pandora without worrying about filtering out expectations that come with using images from the Hollywood counterpart.

Sound design is both fantastic and dismal at the same time, but for completely different reasons. The sounds of life and nature throughout the jungle, and the effects from the weapons and vehicles are all spot-on. You can stand in one spot in the jungle and just listen to the variety of sounds coming from all around you, none of which seem canned and repetitive. The downside is when it comes to voice-acting. The dialogue is very stiff, and the actors don’t have any emotion behind what they are saying, which sucks the life right out of every single encounter with them. You just know that each time you have to report back to your superior you’re in for a boring short lecture, which is just repeated in text form about a second after the finish speaking to you. It’s almost like the other characters in the game are just as bored as you will be when they send you on some of the side-missions.

Some of these amazing side-missions are: collecting five types of a plant, but since you don’t know what they look like, you basically follow your map to a field and walk around; fixing sonic emitters that “were tampered with”, even though your character is a signal specialist, and admittedly knows nothing about sonic emitters; and then controlling vehicles that handle like bathtubs with bars of soap for wheels to simply get from point A to point B, even though you could’ve simply walked there instead (but you have to use the vehicles, otherwise the mission won’t continue).

Avatar has a multiplayer mode, but it feels tacked on instead of a fully developed gameplay mode. You have basic game choices, like capture the flag and team deathmatch, but once again, you’re faced with the fact that the humans are just simply better equipped than the Na’vi, and nobody wants to be on the Blue team. I’m still waiting to find anyone else playing this online to get a good feel for the multiplayer portion. Anybody out there?

Overall, James Cameron’s Avatar – The Game is a decent attempt from Ubisoft to follow up on the surprise that their version of King Kong was back in 2006. But at this point in the game, people are expecting more from games, especially movie tie-ins. The story is definitely thought out, but bad acting, lopsided weapon balancing, and a potentially player-less online mode relegate this game to the rental column, and even then only if you’re a die-hard Avatar fan.

Graphics: 4/5

Gameplay: 3/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay: 1/5

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Contest: Jag Season 10 DVD 8 Feb 2010, 12:35 am

Jag Season 10 is on DVD this Tuesday (Feb. 9)!

In the final season of the long-running hit series, Navy Cmdr. Harmon Rabb (David James Elliott) and Marine Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie (Catherine Bell) continue their adventures in the world of military crime. They investigate the killing of a soldier in Iraq by friendly fire, look into the drowning of a female sailor and get to the bottom of a Guantanamo Bay death. Meanwhile, Gen. Cresswell (David Andrews) becomes the new judge advocate general.

andPOP is giving away 2 copies of the DVD. To enter, fill out the form below. Contest ends March 12.

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Contest: Arj Barker CD/DVD 8 Feb 2010, 12:21 am

Warner Bros. Records/Degenerate Records comic Arj Barker has released his debut comedy album, LYAO.

In LYAO, which stands for “laugh your ass off,” Arj Barker pokes fun at controversial topics ranging from gay marriages and religion to global warming and losing Pluto as a planet. Barker also points out the constant misunderstandings faced through our growing technological advancements (each track name reflects a common communication abbreviation) which can easily be remedied through fonts that convey tone, such as “Sarcastica” and “Good Times Roman.”

Arj Barker is famously recognized for appearing as Dave, Bret and Jermaine’s friend on the HBO sitcom Flight of the Conchords and as a fifth season semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing. He has made appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well regularly headlining clubs in the US, UK and Australia. Barker has also appeared on Comedy Central Presents in 2000 and 2006, and Premium Blend.

andPOP is giving away a copy of the CD/DVD. To enter, fill out the form below. Contest ends March 5, 2010.

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