Movie: Race to Witch Mountain

Teen drama. With Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig. Director: Andy Fickman. PG. Opens 27 March.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A confused taxi driver’s life is further complicated when two children suddenly appear on the back seat of his taxi - and he realises they’re aliens from outer space. Now he must rush them to their spacecraft’s launch site.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
It’s not often one can genuinely say a film is ideal for the whole family but there’s no other way to describe this family-friendly, super-slick, exciting teen drama. It may be loaded with improbabilities but it’s a lot more fun than political speeches. And with stars who are better looking and more agile than Ryk Neethling on a good day this film will make your toes curl from pure enjoyment. It’s family fun for everyone and is being released just in time for Easter.

WAIT FOR DVD?
Nah, there are enough DVDs and videogames. Round up the dudes and get down to a cinema - it’s what Easter weekend is for. This flick roars like James Bond’s car. Dwayne Johnson is supercool and the space beings are the best playmates since Nintendo arrived on the scene. And with a fresh twist to the action every few seconds you won’t be bored for a moment. Truly ideal entertainment for everyone.

SIMILAR FILMS
The Game Plan; Freaky Friday; City of Ember.

Alexander Ludwig on our radar

There’s a cute alien in our midst - and we love him! Say hello to ALEXANDER LUDWIG (16) who plays a teen with paranormal powers in the upcoming flick Race to Witch Mountain (see movie review).

*He was born on 7 May 1992 in Vancouver, Canada.

*He’s best known for his role as Will Stanton in the 2007 fantasy film The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising. “Ever since I was a kid I wanted superpowers and in this movie I could do almost anything except fly,” he says.

*He lives with his parents and three siblings (two sisters and a brother) in Vancouver.

*He begged his parents to allow him to pursue acting. “My mom and dad were kind of iffy about the whole thing. The kid actor thing can get a bit warped.”

*His parents eventually relented and he started his acting career at nine in a Harry Potter toy commercial.

*He’s amped about his new role opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain. “I had no idea what was going to come next. This has been such a roller-coaster ride, the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Music news

REVIEWS
IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU by Lily Allen
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin
You’ll want to listen to this one over and over, each time finding something new and intriguing. Yes, she’s controversial and rude and a bit trashy but Lily sizzles. Every track is worth a listen, especially The Fear and Everyone’s At It. There’s crude language so watch out if you don’t want to offend others (or yourself).

WIN
Five readers will each win a copy of Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You. SMS the word LILY with your name, surname and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 9 April. Each SMS costs R2.

SCREAM AIM FIRE: DELUXE EDITION by Bullet for My Valentine
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Alet van Zyl
The Welsh metalcore band’s latest album is pure fury, with occasional hardcore rock ballads. They jump right in with the title track and maintain the pace and volume - Waking the Demon is loud but woven with melodic guitar sounds. Even those who avoid metal will enjoy the slower tracks such as Say Goodnight.

THE LAST DEFINITION by DJ Fresh
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Mduduzi Ndzingi
The final volume in the Definition of House series offers good house music but longstanding fans might think Fresh has changed from his pre-5FM days. Thankfully tracks such as AM PM, by DJ Clock and Euphonic, show he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Fans will want to complete the collection, especially since it’s a triple-disc album with a selection of commercial, deep and laid-back house tunes.

WATCH THIS
SONG: One More Drink
ARTIST: Ludacris with T-Pain
Who would have thought Ludacris has problems in the dating department. In this hilarious video he warns fans about the dangers of drinking and dating. And he should know - in the video he loses his arm after a one-night stand with a nasty-looking woman who becomes sexier after each drink. He teams up with T-Pain for the catchy single from his latest album, Theater of the Mind. This one is a must-see!

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT . . .
*SA group CrashCarBurn is preparing to head for the 14th annual Vans Warped Tour in the US. The power-pop outfit from Joburg is doing 18 shows in July in cities across America and Canada. Other acts include Paramore and Gym Class Heroes.

*The Nokia Music Store will be available in SA from 24 April which means you’ll be able to use it to download millions of digital tracks from international and local stars such as The Parlotones, Goldfish and Arno Carstens. And you don’t have to own a Nokia cellphone - you download songs via your PC. It costs R10 a track and R100 an album – and all music down-loaded is yours to keep.

DVDs of the week

SON OF RAMBOW
Comedy/drama. 2008. 92 min. With Bill Milner, Will Poulter and Jules Sitruk. Director: Garth Jennings. PGV.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller

Shy Will’s (Milner) dad died when he was young and his strictly religious mother doesn’t allow him to watch TV. But when Will sees Rambo: First Blood he falls in love with movies and creates a fantasy world in which he’s Son of Rambow, a young hero on a mission to free his dad from a prisoner-of-war camp. Will’s only friend is the school delinquent and bully, Lee (Poulter). When Lee “borrows” his older brother’s video camera they start filming Will’s story, complete with daring stunts and special effects.

If you’ve had enough of dumbed-down Hollywood teen comedies and sentimental Disney stories crudely upholding “family values” this wonderful British film will be a breath of fresh air. Milner and Poulter, both first-time actors, are excellent and completely believable and the intelligent script and lack of sentiment make this gripping viewing for all ages. It’s about friendship, family bonds and a love of adventure - and above all it’s about the magical allure of movies. See it!

THE HAPPENING
Horror. 2008. 85 min. With Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo. Director: M Night Shyamalan. 16V.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Murphy Malone

People start committing mass suicide in New York’s Central Park for no apparent reason and the weird compulsion spreads through the city and beyond. A biochemical terrorist attack is suspected and there’s a frantic rush to evacuate the city.

Elliot Moore (Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Deschanel) board a train into the countryside where they believe they’ll be safe. They’re not - the epidemic turns out to be an airborne neurotoxin discharged by grass and plants. Then the train stops and they must continue on foot.

Be warned: there are some violent suicide scenes, such as a guy who’s chopped up by a huge industrial lawn-mower and another who’s eaten alive by lions in a zoo.

Horror writer Stephen King liked the movie - maybe you will too.

Game of the week

COMMAND AND CONQUER RED ALERT 3
2008. A
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Jason Arendse

This war strategy game is for those who want an intelligent gaming experience instead of the usual shoot-’em-up ones. The aim is to effectively manage your resources - such as armies, oil and money - in an attempt to conquer your enemies. The tutorial that guides you to every nook and cranny is helpful, especially those new to strategy gaming. Once you’re accustomed to this type of game Red Alert 3 will offer hours of enjoyment as you apply what you’ve learnt to overcome your opposition and conquer the world.

Starting a band, baby

Do you dream about audiences going wild for you, dishing out autographs and having hordes of fans? It doesn’t have to stop at dreaming! We asked some of the hottest names in the music industry for advice on starting a band.

GET YOUR TOOLS
Taxi Violence lead singer George van der Spuy says, “You don’t need the most expensive instrument when you start out. Buy something less expensive and save for something better once you get the hang of it.”

CHOOSING BAND MEMBERS 101
Dirty Skirts lead singer Jeremy de Tolly says, “One of the things I enjoy most about being in a band is spending time with the (Dirty Skirts) guys.”

PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE
Lead singer of Van Coke Kartel and Fokofpolisiekar Francois van Coke says, “When you start out you need to practise every single day.”

WRITE YOUR OWN MUSIC
George says, “The creative process of writing a song and seeing people respond to your song are among the things I enjoy most about being in a band.”

DON’T GIVE UP
Idols host Liezel van der Westhuizen says, “Don’t be discouraged if you’re not successful at first.”

Stealing Love Jones lead singer Esjay Jones says, “You’re going to have many people saying you aren’t good enough and if you can look at yourself objectively and say you have the “it” factor to go far then stand your ground.”

MISTAKES ARE PART OF THE DEAL
Jeremy says, “We’ve made a lot of mistakes (writing and recording bad songs and playing bad gigs) but that’s one of the main reasons we’re successful today. It’s better to try your best and make mistakes than not try. As long as you make it work.”

BE PASSIONATE
Esjay says, “Passion will set you apart from the others. Don’t take no for an answer; if I had, there would be no Stealing Love Jones!

GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD
Jeremy says, “Make it happen! Don’t sit around and make excuses about why you are not doing gigs.”

Francois adds, “Make contact with a more established band and nag them to let your band play with them.”

CD reviews

ALBUM OF THE MONTH
DANGER by Flash Republic
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin

Fans of dance music will be delighted to hear Ryan Dent, Tamara Dey and Craig Massiv are back with their second album. The SA trio have a hit on their hands with the spunky Twister, featuring Tamara on vocals. Other songs you’ll want to listen to are Star and Shut It. A bonus - but only on the deluxe edition - is a second disc with six smoking hot remixes. Big names such as StoneBridge (who has worked with Ne-Yo, Usher and Britney Spears) plus masterful remixes from Fonzerelli and Henry John Morgan will ensure these songs aren’t just a flash in the pan.

WIN!
Tell us what you think of YOU’s music page, Pressplay, and you could win one of 10 copies of the deluxe edition of Flash Republic’s Danger. To enter SMS the word FLASH and your comments, name and address to 34923 by 5 pm on 2 April 2009. Each SMS costs R2.

ONE WORLD by The Cheetah Girls
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Kulsum Enus (14)

The album, based on the third instalment of The Cheetah Girls films, is mainly for teenagers. Youngsters will relate to the lyrics - especially if they have close friends and are in a situation where they have to leave them behind. The songs are a mix of Indian-style beats, rap, pop and R&B. It will have you singing in front of the mirror in no time.

MINISTRY OF SOUND SUMMER ANNUAL by various artists
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Jared Orlin

Arguably the best dance compilations in the business come from the folk at Ministry of Sound. Their new release, Summer Annual, is chock-full of songs to boogie to. Highlights on the three-disc album are Twister, a hit by local dance outfit Flash Republic, and a remix of Feel It by Tamperer and Maya.

PUTUMAYO PRESENTS INDIA by various artists
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Natalie Payne

Ten diverse easy-listening tracks are on the album and we particularly like Uma Mohan’s restful and spiritually uplifting Shiva Panchakshara Stotram/Shiva Shadakshara Stotram and Rajeshwari Sachdev’s rhythmic, vibey Maavan Te Tiyan. A highlight is recent Oscar winner AR Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire fame teamed with Chinmayee on Tere Bina. Wonderful mellow listening.