Heinz Holliger - oboe I, Maurice Bourgue - oboe II & other: May 2008

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Christina Aguilera rocks the vote

Remember when Madonna, draped in the American flag, appeared in a vamping public service announcement for a nascent organization called Rock the Vote? Now, almost two decades later, Christina Aguilera is kicking off the new campaign for the group, but the one wearing the flag is her infant son, Max Liron Bratman.

In the new broadcast ad, set to debut later this summer, Aguilera sings a lullaby of "America the Beautiful" to her son, who was born in January. The Grammy winner said she didn't think twice about putting her son in the spot because it's "inevitable that he will be subjected to some amount of press," so it might as well be channeled into a good cause.

"This election in particular is such an exciting and historical one, and so I was proud to have my son and I stand together for such a powerful moment and message in time," the 27-year-old star said.

Rock the Vote turns 18 this year, appropriate considering its intensified efforts. Executive Director Heather Smith said more than 850,000 users had gotten registration forms from the website this year.

geoff.boucher@latimes.com

Thursday, 29 May 2008

El A Kru

Artist: El A Kru

   Genre(s):
Other

Discography:

Go So

Year: 2004
Tracks: 1

Come Alive

Year: 2004
Tracks: 1

Bay Blade

Year: 2004
Tracks: 1

Sixteen Horsepower

Artist: Sixteen Horsepower

   Genre(s):
Indie
   Other

Discography:

Olden

Year: 2003
Tracks: 20

Folklore

Year: 2002
Tracks: 10

Secret South

Year: 2000
Tracks: 11

Hoarse

Year: 1998
Tracks: 11

Low Estate

Year: 1997
Tracks: 13

David Hazeltine Trio

Artist: David Hazeltine Trio

   Genre(s):
Jazz

Discography:

The Jobim Songbook in New York

Year: 2007
Tracks: 11

Filmax goes Wide with new pact

Two-year deal inked with new distrib

CANNES -- Spanish mini-studio Filmax has announced a two-year distribution pact with freshly launched distributor Wide Pictures, headed by Luis de Val, the former head of Manga Films.

The accord will see Filmax handle distribution in Spain for such titles as Cannes closing-night film "What Just Happened?" and James Mangold's "3:10," starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Peter Fonda.

"I'm convinced this deal will produce great success in the future, not only because of the quality of the films, but because of the synergy and professionalism of both companies," Filmax President Julio Fernandez said.

De Val stepped down in January from his post atop mainstream distributor Manga Films, a branch of the Vertice 360 conglomerate.

With some $30 million earmarked for purchasing, Wide has picked up 25 films, mostly star-driven U.S. fare that De Val hopes can compete with studio product.

See Also

Alfven, Hugo

Artist: Alfven, Hugo

   Genre(s):
Classical

Discography:

Alfven: Symphony No. 4 "From the Outermost Skerries" (Iceland SO, Niklas Willen)

Year: 2005
Tracks: 5

Alfven: The Prodigal Son Suite-Symphony No. 2 (Ireland Nat'l SO, Niklas Willen)

Year: 2001
Tracks: 12

Bergakungen (Swedish RSO, Evgeny Svetlanov)

Year: 1991
Tracks: 27

The Swedish Rapsodies Neeme

Year:
Tracks: 8

Symphony No. 3-Legend of the Skerries-Dalecarlian Rhapsody

Year:
Tracks: 6

Symphony No. 1 Gustaf II Adolf (Swedish RSO, Stig Westerberg)

Year:
Tracks: 12

Hillsong

Harrison Ford - Communist Party Sees Red Over Indiana Jones

The Communist party of St Petersburg has warned the cast of the new Indiana Jones movie to steer clear of the Russian city.

Hollywood actors Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett were accused by party leaders of promoting ant-Soviet propaganda in the 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' film.

The Communist party declared the movie "an insult to the Soviet and Russian people, who remember the difficult 50s", when the country was "concluding its reconstruction after the Great War".

Party officials wrote in a letter to the cast: "You have no future in Russia any more.

"Speaking plainly, it is better for you not to come here. You will be beaten and despised."

The new Indiana Jones movie, which is directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas, pits the archeologist against a menacing KGB agent.

Indy fights against the Russian, played by Blanchett, as she leads a sinister team of Soviet spies in the pursuit of a magic skull.

The plot has made the Communist party's ideology committee see red and residents of Russia's second city have been advised to boycott the film altogether.

However, if recent reviews are anything to go by St Petersburg filmgoers may have had a lucky escape.

Film critic Kaleem Aftab gave the movie just two stars out of five in his review for the Independent newspaper.

He wrote: "There are none of the character clashes that spiced up previous films [and] Ford seems to be going through the motions."

24/05/2008 11:54:52