Movie of the week: Zombieland

Black comedy. With JESSE EISENBERG, WOODY HARRELSON and ABIGAIL BRESLIN. Director: Ruben Fleischer. 16LV. Opens 20 November.
Rating: 4/5

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
When the world is taken over by the living dead a shy nerd has to run for his life. He teams up with a crazy cowboy and two cool girls and together they shoot and giggle their way to Bill Murray’s house.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
Anyone who’s cool enough to think zombies are funnier than Jim Carrey. These flesh-eating nasties who prefer to eat their steak tartare while it’s still alive and the four heroes who blast them to bits will have you in stitches. The film parodies pornographic violence while saying division leads to anarchy and families who stand together can overcome any danger. But actually it’s just a lot of fun, with the funniest death scenes ever. You’ll laugh at the edgy, pitch-black humour but the movie is also a a biting commentary on our greedy consumer society and the sad state of modern morality. And the four main characters will make your heart throb with joy.

WAIT FOR DVD?
No. If the exams have been stressing you out summon up your few remaining nerves, call a few buddies and get to the nearest moviehouse to enjoy this hilarious, cruelly black comedy. See it with friends who’ll get the in-jokes and enjoy Woody Harrelson’s weird beard - your sense of humour will get a workout you won’t believe, guaranteed. It’s the summer’s most unpredictable, tough and brutal comedy.

POPCORN FACT
The late Patrick Swayze was going to be in this movie but had to pull out because of ill health.

Obsessed with La Roux

- Singer Eleanor (Elly) Jackson and synth player, co-writer and producer Ben Langmaid make up UK-based duo La Roux. They met in 2006 through a mutual friend.

- The band’s name originates from Elly’s red hair - roughly translated “roux” is French for “redheaded man”.

- Elly designs her clothes and adores the attention her wacky look attracts. “I was in a pub the other day and two girls followed me into the toilet and said, ‘Are you La Roux?’ I was touched because she said, ‘You make me feel better about being the way I am’. I thought, at least there’s someone out there for girls to look up to who doesn’t have boobs and a tan and high heels.”

- Their debut album, La Roux, took four and a half years to write and record and spawned the hit Bulletproof. They plan to work on a second album next year.

Leading lady of iCarly

She’s the cute, clever star of one of Nickelodeon’s most popular TV shows. Here are some things you may not know about Miranda Cosgrove, the teen hottie behind the role.

The 16-year-old was born Miranda Taylor Cosgrove on 14 May in Los Angeles. She was homeschooled until 2006, when she enrolled in an online school programme. “I spend four hours a day on set and have a teacher there to help me with my school work. I do pretty much all the work my friends do.”

She began appearing in TV ads at three, and at eight got her big break in 2001’s School of Rock opposite funnyman Jack Black. In the same year she landed a minor role as five-year-old Lana Lang in the TV series Smallville. Things started to snowball in 2004 when she landed the role of Megan Parker in the TV series Drake and Josh, then the lead in iCarly. “I had a really great time on Drake and Josh. My friends are always watching old episodes and laugh because I look so little.”

The actress is also a keen singer and hooked up with her former Drake and Josh co-star Drake Bell to sing iCarly’s theme song, Leave It All to Me. She’s working on her debut album and is co-writing all the songs. “They’re mostly love songs and just fun, pop songs about hanging out with your girlfriends.” She also recorded a song called Raining Sunshine which featured in the hit animated flick Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Does she relate to her iCarly character? “I’m a little like her. I’m really into my family and friends. But while she always has a plan for when things go wrong, I usually go crazy and a friend comes up with a plan.”

She’s taking her fame in her stride and doesn’t mind the attention one bit. “It’s cool when I go to the mall and kids come up to me and tell me which episodes they like and talk to me about how much they enjoy the show. It’s such a good feeling.”

If she weren’t an actress she’d become a marine biologist. “I definitely want to go to college. I have a few friends and we all want to go to the same college, which would be really fun. I’d love to continue acting but I’d also like to be a marine biologist. I’m really into the sea.”

Music news

DON’T MISS . . .
The Parlotones’ concert! The local rock heroes are set to headline two shows: at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town on 13 November and Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg on 14 November. Book tickets at www.powerzone.co. za or Computicket. Tickets cost from R150 to R220.

WIN
Ten readers will each win a signed copy of The Parlotones’ latest album, Stardust Galaxies (see review below). SMS the word STARDUST followed by your name, surname and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 19 November. Each SMS costs R2.

THE PARLOTONES - Stardust Galaxies
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
On their third album SA rock gods The Parlotones prove why they’re masters of the genre. They’ve found their formula and are sticking to it. Push Me to the Floor is an upbeat rock anthem you’ll be hearing for a long time to come, as are Remember When and title track Stardust Galaxies which expertly blends lead singer Kahn Morbee’s voice with that of Freshlyground’s Zolani Mahola.

PARAMORE - Brand New Eyes
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Alet van Zyl
The third album from American rock band Paramore is by far their best. It’s great to hear a rock band with a female lead vocalist that’s this good. Fans will find many gems, especially the energetic first single, Ignorance, as well as The Only Exception and second single Brick by Boring Brick. The slower ballad Misguided Ghosts also stands out. Rock-lovers will adore it.

DIZZEE RASCAL - Tongue n’ Cheek
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Sulaiman Philip
The beats on Dizzee Rascal’s fourth album are raw and unpredictable with a pop feel to them. His voice sounds amazing over electro beats that keep pace with his fast-paced rhyming. The album contains hit singles such as Dance Wiv Me, Holiday and Bonkers. Also listen out for the understated Money, Money. If you have kids around, best you not play Freaky Freaky because it veers towards misogyny.

Ten things about Rihanna’s new album, Rated R

- Set for release on 23 November, this much-hyped album is the fourth studio offering from the Barbados-born singer.

- Rated R was co-produced by big stars including Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake and Timberland.

- The album’s first single, Russian Roulette, was released in October. The hit track was written by Ne-Yo, who also wrote Rihanna’s Unfaithful and Take a Bow.

- It will be the singer’s first music release since her ex, Chris Brown, beat her the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards.

- In the controversial Russian Roulette Rihanna sings she’s “terrified” and it’s her “turn to go”, referring to the dangerous game the song is named after. At the end of the song you can hear her trembling before a gunshot goes off.

- Many believe the single is symbolic of what happened between her and Chris and that it’s about a woman struggling to get out of a harmful relationship.

- The album is named Rated R because of its controversial and explicit lyrics. “Let’s call it liberated,” Ne-yo says. “Expect an edgier, almost angrier Rihanna. She says some things you’ve never heard her say before.”

- Justin Timberlake says fans can expect her best album yet. “She has the world in the palm of her hand right now. The stuff we’ve come up with in the studio, it’s the next step for her. It’s awesome.”

- The cover for the Russian Roulette single has tongues wagging. It shows the singer topless, wrapped in barbed wire - definitely not for the faint-hearted.

- A cover of the Rated R album has been leaked on the internet. It shows a cartoon-like black and white close up of the singer’s face, with her mohawk hairdo, covering half her face with her hand.

WIN
Ten readers will each win a copy of Rihanna’s latest album, Rated R. SMS the word RIHANNA followed by your name, surname and address to 34923 before 5 pm on 19 November 2009. Each SMS costs R2.

DVD reviews

THE PROPOSAL
Romantic comedy. 2009. 108 min. With Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Malin Akerman. Director: Anne Fletcher. 13PGL.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Kim Van Reizig
Canadian Margaret Tate (Bullock) is an ambitious, mean editor-in-chief at an American publishing company and liked by no one - least of all her subservient assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds). Her world comes crashing down when her work permit expires and she learns she may be deported back to Canada and lose her high-ranking job. Her solution? Marry her poor assistant.

Andrew agrees and they begin dating under the eagle eye of a government agent who’s bent on proving their impending marriage is a fake. But when Margaret is forced to spend the weekend with Andrew’s family, where they continue to live their lie, she forms a bond with these down-to-earth, fun-loving folk.

The plot - two unlikely characters hook up and develop feelings for each other when they least expect it - is nothing new. But the leads’ performances will keep you superglued - you’ll love hating Bullock as the arrogant, stuck-up Margaret and adore the already delicious Reynolds who soars from zero to hero.

ADVENTURELAND
Comedy. 2009. 101 min. With Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Ryan Reynolds. Director: Greg Mottola. 16LD.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller
His parents can no longer afford to pay his tuition so geeky student - and virgin - James (Eisenberg) is forced to take a summer job at an amusement park. He falls in with a bunch of co-workers who spend most of their time smoking pot, getting drunk and lusting after one another. James falls for pretty Em (Stewart) but she’s having a secret affair with hunky but married Mike (Reynolds).

Greg Mottola made his name with the classic over-the-top teen comedy Superbad (2007). Adventureland has been marketed as his more-of-the-same follow-up - but that was misleading advertising by the distributors. It’s not the gross-out affair you’d expect but rather a bittersweet coming-of-age tale and while there are funny moments the style is low-key and gentle. Sadly the leads fail to make you care what happens to them and the ending is a bit of a cop-out but it’s an entertaining enough watch.

Game of the week: Wii Sports Resort

Wii. 2009. 3+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jeremy Petersen
If you’ve ever felt your Wii remote is a tad sluggish the Wii MotionPlus adaptor is the best thing since, well, Wii itself. Sports Resort is the first Wii game to make use of the MotionPlus technology. It has 12 games in which you can test your skills, including table tennis, archery and swordplay. The experience is enhanced by the MotionPlus cover. The remote becomes über-responsive the second you slip on the cover, adding extra thrills to your Wii gaming experience and allowing you to focus on the events you like most.