So I was at my local movie theater yesterday partaking in the latest Fast and Furious movie when I noticed that there were a lot of trailers before the movie began.  At least six were shown so the 1:50 start time was more like 2:10.  In all honesty this doesn’t bother me.  I enjoy a well-produced trailer and while some previews give away too much of the film, I read a lot of movie sites (as you can probably imagine) anyway so there isn’t a film I’m not already aware of.

But the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) are apparently very aware of trailers and they have a couple of issues with them.  According to /Film, NATO is responding to consumer complaints about trailers being too long and showing too much of the movie.

Green-Band Trailer | (Collider)

I didn’t know this, but trailers can run at a maximum of 2.5 minutes.  NATO wants to cut that number down to two minutes.  So apparently that extra 30 seconds in every preview is crucial to spoiling a movie’s plot.  Despite the limit on how long a trailer can be, there isn’t a limit on the number of trailers that can be shown.

So really, if NATO is able to cut down the length of trailers, movie studios will just increase the number of previews which will probably lead to more complaints by consumers.

Another demand from NATO is a shorter marketing window for studios.  With a few exceptions, NATO wants no marketing for films until four months before the release date.  They also want the release date on every piece of marketing.  This guideline seems impossible.  Movie release dates change all the time so that studios can position a film to open at a time they believe will make them the most money.  Limiting the marketing window also reduces anticipation and hype for particular films and I’m pretty sure theater owners don’t want to create a reason for fans not to come to their theaters.

If anything, trailers allow moviegoers more time to get to their seat before the movie they paid to see starts.  So for those “consumers” who complained: just take your time getting to the theater.  Grab a soda and some popcorn and stroll in halfway through the last trailer.  That way it doesn’t interrupt the movie experience for the people already in the theater when the movie starts.

If NATO wants to do something, find a way to recognize idiots who plan to text during a movie.  If they can solve that problem, then they’re onto something.  Leave the trailers alone.

M. Night Shyamalan has another dud on his hands

Remember the M. Night Shyamalan who directed The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs in succession in the late ’90s/early ’00s?  What happened to that guy?  He’s done one dreadful film after another since and based on Rotten Tomatoes’ latest numbers, the Will Smith summer tent-pole After Earth appears to be just as bad.

Jaden Smith | (TheWrap)

With a dismal 13% approval rating on RT, After Earth has been described as dull, ploddingly paced and an overbearingly sentimental vanity project from Will Smith and his son.

This is Shyamalan’s first director-for-hire film and despite the presence of summer movie king Will Smith, the film is expected to finish second behind Fast & Furious 6 which will be in its second week of release.  Not good news for film whose budget is around $130 million.

I continue to root for Shyamalan to succeed.  As someone who considers Unbreakable vastly underrated and Signs a masterpiece, I know Shyamalan has another great film left in him.  For someone who was once considered the next Hitchcock, Shyamalan has continued to spiral down a deep and dark hole of mediocrity.  I thought a collaboration with Smith could change that.  Apparently it hasn’t.

Josh Brolin is latest actor to join ‘Inherent Vice’

The cast for Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film got even more impressive this week as Josh Brolin has joined the cast.  Set in 1969 Los Angeles, Inherent Vice follows a pothead/private detective Larry “Doc Sportello” who is helping a former lover with an interesting case that involves infidelity, mental institutions and policemen called “Bigfoot.”

Joaquin Phoenix is set to star in the film which will also feature Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Martin Short.  Sean Penn is also reportedly in negotiations to join the cast.

It’s nice to see Anderson jumping right into his next project after last year’s bizarre but memorable film The Master.  He typically waits a few years before directing again so this material must be particularly interesting.  Anderson is one of the great filmmakers of our time (although he’s not for everyone) so the thought that his next film will come relatively soon is exciting.

James Lipton was a pimp (literally) back in the day

James Lipton | (TheWrap)

Say what!  James Lipton: Beloved host of “Inside the Actors Studio” was a pimp in another life.  In an interview with Parade magazine, Lipton admitted to holding the unsightly position in 1950s France:

“It was only a few years after the war.  Paris was different then, still poor.  Men couldn’t get jobs and, in the male chauvinist Paris of that time, the women couldn’t get work at all.  It was perfectly respectable for them to go into le milieu,” Lipton said.  “Young women desperately needed money for various reasons.  They were beautiful and young and extraordinary.”

Lipton said he was able to live for a year managing ladies of the evening and at that time, he acted more as an agent for them rather than the seedy pimp type you see today.  Of course he’s changed his stance on the act now saying, “I think if you can’t earn it on your own, then you don’t deserve it.”

I don’t know what’s more surprising: that Lipton was a pimp or that a quick Google search reveals that he’s 86.  The guy doesn’t look or sound a day over 70.  Someone once said pimpin ain’t easy but apparently aging is to James Lipton.  The best line from this story comes from someone who posted this question in the comments section: “He couldn’t drop this bombshell when Will Ferrell was still on SNL?”  Amen to that.

There are examples both good (Apocalypse Now, Titanic) and bad (Heaven’s Gate, Alien 3) where the behind-the-scenes drama turned out to be just as dramatic as what was going on in front of the camera and played some part in determining the quality of the finished film.

But what do you need in a movie production?  The producers are important because they provide the financial backing to finance the film.  Actors are obviously vital since you’re making a movie after all.  Crew members are just as important if not more so as they build sets, make the wardrobe, provide sound and lighting, feed everybody in addition to so much more.  With millions of dollars at stake, every production is a series of moving parts where the ultimate goal is to make a good movie and make a lot of money.

You may have noticed I left out perhaps the most important job on a movie production.  The leader of all of these departments.  The person who has the final say on what will and won’t be in the movie.  That important position is the director.  But what happens when the director fails to show up on the first day?

Photo courtesy of Collider.

That’s what happened to the independent feature Jane Got A Gun.  On Monday in Sante Fe, New Mexico, the cast and crew learned that director Lynne Ramsay was a no-show and had abruptly dropped out of the film.  No statement or email or phone call or even a text and it’s not like this was some small film.  Starring Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton, the low-budget western has been troubled from the start.

Michael Fassbender was originally attached to star opposite Portman but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with X-Men: Days of Future Past.  Jude Law then came on board to replace Fassbender and it appeared a minor setback had been averted.  But just two days after Ramsay’s exit, Law formally withdrew from the film as well.

But producer Scott Steindorff is still planning on moving forward with the film.  They’ve already found a replacement director in Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) and based on the cast they’ve already assembled, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a replacement for the replacement.

As I’ve done research on this story, I discovered a common theme amongst the writers.  In all their time covering the entertainment industry, they’d seen filmmakers step off projects over creative differences, but none could remember a situation when a filmmaker who developed a film didn’t show up for work on the first day of production.

To call this unprofessional is an understatement.  Steindorff was quoted as saying, “I’m shocked and so disappointed someone would do this to 150 crew members who devoted so much time, energy, commitment and loyalty to a project, and then have the director not show up.  It is insane somebody would do this to other people.”

Despite her acrimonious exit, Ramsay will reportedly still receive a paycheck from the project as her deal has a pay or play clause.  Gotta love this business huh.  You can get paid for doing nothing.

‘Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters’ Sequel Planned

Remember Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters?  It only came out two months ago and yet I along with many of you have probably already forgotten about it following terrible reviews and a mediocre box office.  Generally, bad reviews and a lack of financial success means that a studio has no plans for a follow up.

But just because a film bombed in the States doesn’t mean it didn’t make money.  Hansel and Gretel made just $54 million domestically, but it earned more than $150 million from international sales giving it a worldwide gross of more than $200 million against a modest budget of just $50 million.

The rise of international business is a growing trend in Hollywood and it might prove to be detrimental to American audiences as studios become more willing to produce sequels to films no one wants in the U.S.  Last month, A Good Day to Die Hard was released and so far the fifth entry in the franchise has earned a weak $65 million against a $90 million budget.  But the film has raked in another $200 million around the world so the thought of five being the final Die Hard might be premature.

Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.

There are obvious pros and cons to this trend.  On the one hand, there’s potential for under-appreciated films to earn sequels.  But it’s all subjective really.  I would like to see a sequel to Jack Reacher (It sounds like the movie made just enough internationally for that to happen) while others probably are excited about another Hansel and Gretel or another Ice Age or another Madagascar.

The international market has never been more important to Hollywood than it is right now.  Last year John Carter and Battleship were to of the biggest flops in movie history, but they each still made more than $200 million outside of America proving that somewhere in the world there’s an audience for something.

But where do we draw the line?  What’s considered a hit and what isn’t anymore?  Based on the Hansel and Gretel news, don’t assume a bad film will be forgotten about because somewhere in some office, a group of studio executives will be arguing over whether or not we need another Ghost Rider movie.

Worst Trailer of the Month: InAPPropriate Comedy

Next week I will be unveiling my pick for the best trailer of the month but I thought I’d bring to your attention this abomination of a trailer I came across a few days ago.

You’ll notice that I’ve capitalized APP in the title of the movie.  This isn’t a typo (please be gentle with the other ones you find) as the synopsis for the film reads: “In this comedy film, a computer tablet full of the world’s most hilariously offensive apps breaks through the borders of political correctness, stirring up cultural anarchy.”

A movie like this has to star Rob Schneider and Lindsay Lohan and it does, but what on earth is Michelle Rodriguez and Adrien Brody doing in this?  Rodriguez was just in Avatar a couple of years ago and she’s returning to the Fast & Furious franchise this summer.  Although according to her IMDB page, her latest projects have been nothing but sequels (Resident Evil, F&F, Machete) so perhaps she was desperate for something different.

Brody on the other hand completely baffles me.  The man won an Oscar and yet he agreed to star in this?  He has had his fair share of questionable career choices recently (Cadillac Records, High School, The Experiment, something called Giallo) so it isn’t that surprising.

But if you watch the trailer, it makes fun of the fact that an Academy Award winner such as Adrien Brody is in it.  It’s almost saying, “Why did you agree to this because we’re going to make fun of where your career has gone?”  To top it off, the movie is directed by Vince Offer AKA the ShamWow guy.  That’s enough to warrant the award for worst trailer of the month.

Solas is not your typical Celtic band – through intensely-touching lyrics, harmony and soul, Solas brings to light a band members family story of immigration, mining and murder in early 1900′s Butte, Montana:

“In 1910, Solas band leader Seamus Egan’s great-great uncle, Michael Conway, left his home in County Mayo, Ireland, and boarded a ship for America. He was headed to the copper mines and boxing rings of Butte, Montana, also known as, Shamrock City (named so for the influx of Irish immigrants). Six years later, at the age of 25 and in a cloud of mystery, Michael was dead at the hands of local police.”

The album, Shamrock City, tells the story of Michael Conway and the thousands of young men and women who left their homeland of Ireland for what was thought to be ‘The Richest Hill on Earth.’ The emotionally moving songs on the album unveil the spirits and hardships of the young Irish immigrants, and truly draw in heart-felt emotions.

On Thursday, January 24, Solas will play at the Shedd Institute starting at 7:30 pm. Songs from their most driving album to date, Shamrock City, will no doubt be played with heart and soul. A leading-edge stage show will include photos and films of the people of Butte, Montana.

Visit The Shedd Institute for tickets and show details.

Te’o may have been involved in an elaborate Internet hoax.

The term “Catfishing” online has been thrust into the lexicon this week amidst news of a Notre Dame football scandal where it was discovered that star linebacker Manti Te’o's deceased girlfriend Lennay Kekua never existed. Te’o said in a statement that he was the victim of “a sick joke” – that he was duped by online predators into believing Kekua was real. It’s only been a couple of days since this story broke, but we may soon learn the truth as Te’o is scheduled to give his first interview Friday. It’s a story that has become so big and so juicy that Lance Armstrong should be personally thanking each and every person involved.

But where does this term “Catfishing” come from? The answer is a 2010 documentary, and now an MTV show, about one man’s strange journey into the heart of online chat-room darkness.

The tag-line for the film Catfish is “Don’t let anyone tell you what it is.” Another piece of advice should have been, don’t watch the trailer because you’ll be thinking about it as you watch the movie.

The notion that a trailer misrepresents or misinterprets what a movie is really about isn’t surprising. The job of a movie trailer is to sell the movie so people go see it. But in the case of Catfish, the trailer marketed it as a mysterious -is-it-real-or-fake documentary thriller about a young New Yorker searching for his Facebook crush. The first half of the movie kind of sets it up as that. Sort of a Blair Witch Project for the Internet generation. But as the movie nears its conclusion, it doesn’t scare you. It only cautions you about the world we live in. Where not everyone is who they say they are online.

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman decide to make a documentary about Ariel’s brother Nev. Nev is a 24-year-old photographer who specializes in shooting dancers. One day Nev receives a package of a painting someone has done of one of his published photographs. It’s from an 8-year-old girl named Abby. The painting is remarkable and Nev begins to correspond with Abby and her mother Angela. The fact that Henry and Ariel decided to make a documentary about Nev and right when they start to make the film, Nev receives the painting from Abby seems like too big of a coincidence and basically sets up the question of whether or not this actually happened to them.

Nev receives many more paintings of his photographs and over the course of 9 months, he forms a friendship with Abby’s family through Facebook. At some point he becomes particularly interested in Abby’s 19-year-old sister Megan. They become very close through the Internet and over the phone. Megan writes music for Nev, he flirts with her through text messages and eventually he wonders if this is the girl of his dreams. An opportunity opens up for him to be close enough to see her in person.

The many paintings Nev received from Abby.

The three videographers fly to Vail, Colorado to shoot a dance event. On their way back East, they decide to take a detour to meet Megan and the family in Ishpeming, Michigan. It’s time to put a face with the voice over the phone and all of the pictures online. To say everything goes the way they thought it would is an understatement so I won’t reveal anything further.

The film can be frustrating at times because you’re fooled into expecting one movie, and getting another. When the three men start to realize that something isn’t quite right with Angela’s family, the movie becomes an interesting procedural where they use technology in an attempt to uncover the truth. But by the end you may feel unsatisfied and slightly disappointed with what they discover. The final act is dramatically affective and depending on what type of person you are, you’ll either find it sad or slightly disturbing.

Ultimately, the film is an engaging and fascinating commentary on identity and the life we present online and the life we actually live. The film is never boring and the characters, particularly Nev, are likable. The film was marketed as a mysterious thriller and even the title, Catfish, is mysterious. By the end you’ll know the meaning behind the title and while it will come across as thoughtful and deep, it may also feel a little contrived and artificial. But that’s really the whole movie in a nutshell and the question you’re asking yourself as you watch it. Is it completely original and real or is it a hoax acting as a metaphor about how we want other people to see us versus who we actually are?

In the wake of the Te’o story, curiosity in Catfish might go up exponentially. While I may not have loved the film, I’m still thinking about it and that’s always a good enough reason to recommend people see it.

Catfish is available on Netflix disc, Blockbuster and Redbox.

For many people all around the world Star Wars almost became a religion. The way it jumped off the screen and into the lives of millions of people was extraordinary and something that rarely occurs with movies. Especially for those associated with Generation X and the first part of Generation Y the first Star Wars trilogy became something to worship.

Over the years these movies have evolved into an entire empire. From conventions to TV Series to action figures, Star Wars is just about everywhere you can think of. With such a devoted fan base that still finds themselves reuniting with their friends for yet another Star Wars marathon, it’s not hard to imagine why these movies have opened the eyes of many to careers that they would never have dreamed of.

Star Wars truly launched a revolution of individuals fascinated with the latest graphics technology, computer programming, and mechanical engineering; industries that have been at the forefront of our society’s technological revolution.

And while Star Wars still holds a very fond place in the minds of millions throughout the world today, there is another series of movies that the latest generation, Generation Y, has been shaped by: The Lord of the Rings.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy took us into the mind of Tolkein and the world of Middle Earth

The Lord of the Rings, just like Star Wars, is an entirely different world in its own right. Crafted by the genius mind of J.R.R. Tolkein after he returned from his adventures in World War I, this collection of novels and stories created a world completely separate of ours decades before Star Wars was first imagined. With the “main” story being found in a collection of stories that includes The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, Tolkein shaped what would become the epic genre, creating a place known as Middle-Earth that was filled with men, elves, dwarfs, orcs, wizards, and most importantly, hobbits. 

Over the years these series of novels and stories collected their own following of devoted individuals who were enamored with the way Tolkein brought to life a fantasy world that had never been thought of.

Though there were animated films and skits dedicated to The Lord of the Rings as film became a popular new medium, the classic novel reached new heights when Peter Jackson, once a relatively unheard of director from New Zealand, finally got hold of the technology that would allow him to fulfill his long-time dream and bring the epic series to the big screen.

Almost nine years after initial planning and production had been started, The Lord of the Rings finished its first stint on the big screen by sweeping all categories it was nominated for in the Academy Awards for its conclusion, The Return of the King. The winnings also included the award for Best Picture.

Bilbo Baggins (center) surrounded by his dwarf company.

The first trilogy brought audiences right into the world of Middle-Earth, letting them finally see the world that they had imagined for so many years. These movies, while they did draw  in the dedicated fans of the books, were also very important in revitalizing the fantasy genre as well as bringing an entirely new audience, Generation Y, into the world of The Lord of the Rings. 

For Generation Y, these movies quickly became what Star Wars was to their preceding generation; they simply could not get enough of them.

From a soundtrack that inspired many to take up writing to the visualizations that once again reinvigorated a passion for graphics technology, The Lord of the Rings started its own revolution. In fact, it was once hard to imagine a household not playing at least one of the movies during the course of a week.

And, after nine long years of anticipation and browsing the latest rumors, audiences will once again depart for Middle-Earth when The Hobbit reaches theaters all around the world tonight.

Like the second Star Wars trilogy, The Hobbit will explore the beginnings of what would become The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Unlike the second Star Wars trilogy, however, The Hobbit actually has a critically acclaimed story that it will work off of, not some mindless babbling, profit driven, story by George Lucas.

Though The Hobbit is the shortest of the novels in The Lord of the Rings series, it is widely heralded as being the best book of them all as it establishes the basis and gives audiences their first taste of Middle-Earth. And, while the book was initially planned to be broken up into two movies, Peter Jackson has decided to create more of a bridge between the two trilogies by creating three movies: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the famous sword, Sting.

Originally planned to consist of two movies, Peter Jackson and company decided they had more than enough material to work with and expanded the series into a trilogy in late July. The move, unexpected to say the least, will provide for the bridging between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 

The first movie will be an introduction back into the land of Middle-Earth, exploring the initial relationship between Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the dwarf company, of which Thorin is their leader. The film will once again bring back Gollum, the wicked creature who is “possessed” by the powers of the One Ring.

The second and third films, scheduled for release in December 2013 and July 2014, look to pack more of a punch. The second film will be about the dwarves trying to reclaim Erebor from the Smaug, a dragon that has stolen their treasure and claimed their land for his own. The third film, which will in all likelihood be the last time viewers are treated to The Lord of the Rings, will be about Bilbo’s return to The Shire as well as The Five Armies War, one of the most prolific battles in The Lord of the Rings lore.

As can be deduced, An Unexpected Journey will not pack the punch that Lord of the Rings fans grew accustomed to in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. And, unfortunately for some critics, they went into their showing thinking that the first film in The Hobbit trilogy would be just as grand as the final film in The Lord of the Rings. 

What one must understand when going to view this welcoming back to Middle-Earth is that it is meant to be exactly an introduction back to the world of The Lord of the Rings; having a lot of the plot set in The Shire while introducing you to new characters that you will fall in love with and reuniting you with Gandalf, Bilbo (though a much younger version), Galadriel, and Elrond.

Though the movie will undoubtedly pick up towards the middle of the film (and it is rumored that the initial scene between Gollum and Bilbo is breathtaking), just like The Fellowship of the Ring, expect Peter Jackson to set the storyline and tone for what is surely to be one of the best trilogies since, well, The Lord of the Rings. 

While we will all have to wait for the second and third movies in the series just like we did The Two Towers and The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be a great way to once again immerse ourselves in one of the greatest stories ever told.

Because, for many, this has been a long-expected movie. 

The Hobbit will open tonight at 12:01 and can be seen at a wide-range of theaters in the Eugene area, including Regal Cinemas at Valley River Center and the Cinemark at Gateway Mall. 

Pixel Battles is located across from the Ross Store.

But for Pixel Battles, which opened on Black Friday, the experience is a little more relaxed and new age (There’s comfy chairs and high definition televisions now). Owner Jason Zollinger wanted a chill experience when he opened the location, but he also felt he needed to create a safe place for kids to congregate.

“We like to think of it as a place at the mall where kids can keep out of trouble. It’s a good place for parents to drop their kids off so they can hang out and play,” Zollinger said.

Of course he can’t take full credit for the fun environment he’s created. Pixel Battles was originally conceived by Justin Field who started Big City Gamin’ in 2001. Field sold that business in 2009 and moved to Portland where he created the first Pixel Battles location in Tigard, Oregon. Zollinger, who runs a web development company called Atonics Design and Consulting, did some work for Field. After developing a good relationship with him, and having a passion for gaming, Zollinger decided to franchise a Pixel Battles location himself.

Under the direction of Field, Zollinger paid for everything and set up shop at the Gateway Mall in Springfield. As for why he decided on Gateway for his location, Zollinger cites the good relationship he was able to develop with them as well as the high volume of shoppers.

“Gateway Mall recently has made a strong push to get different businesses and small companies to set up in their facility and we were able to work out a nice deal with them. Obviously being in a mall provides a lot of foot traffic and exposure so in the short amount of time we’ve been here, it’s been great.”

Jason Zollinger assisting a customer with Xbox Live.

And time is what you’re buying at the store. One half hour costs $2.99 while an hour goes for $4.99. Game cards for five or ten hours are also available for purchase and if you intend to spend a lot of time there, you can purchase a one month pass for $39.99 and play whenever you want.

Despite being a business that relies on its customers to play video games for a length of time, Zollinger is aware that too much playing can breed unhealthy habits.

“Well, we do try and be a responsible member of the community and in all things I do encourage a healthy regulation of video games. I don’t think it’s really healthy for anybody to sit in front of a screen for hours and hours on end. As much as we enjoy the customer relations and the financial gain from that, we certainly do not feel that that’s a good habit,” Zollinger said.

It’s hard to play in moderation when you see what Pixel Battles has at its disposal. The store offers 43 and 65″ plasma televisions with Xbox 360 (Including nine screens hooked up to Xbox Live), PlayStation 3 and the new Nintendo Wii U available. As for games; Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Madden NFL 13 are a few titles ready to play.

Besides just enjoying playing the games, the store also features tournaments where players can win cash prizes. A fee between $10 and $25 is charged for competing in a tournament and according to Zollinger, how much money you can win depends on how many people come.

“Depending on how many people show up for the tournaments, prizes vary. We had a tournament last Sunday in Tigard and they gave out over $1000 in cash prizes ranging anywhere from $100 to $500 each,” Zollinger said.

The first tournament at the Springfield location will be next Saturday. Anyone interested in finding out more about upcoming tournaments or new games available to play can check out Pixel Battles’ Facebook page.

It’s still early, but so far business has been good for the store. Like movie theaters, Pixel Battles main competition is the American living room. People have consoles at home, but according to Zollinger, the real appeal of PIxel Battles is not only the big screen televisions, but also the community atmosphere.

This is what you can expect at Pixel Battles.

“We kind of consider this the next iteration of an arcade. It’s a place for people to go and enjoy some gaming and networking. Instead of having to haul your television or Xbox and cables over to a friends’ house, you can come here. We’re ready to offer all of that and we can offer each person a 43″ wide screen TV. It’s a fairly compelling experience.”

As someone who grew up playing video games, Zollinger feels that nostalgia at his store. But after a momentary trip down memory lane, he realizes it’s still a business he’s responsible for.

“It’s great to be able to work around something that you enjoy so much for sure. Being a business owner calls to mind that sense of balance where you’re not just focusing on the gaming itself but also on the business as a whole. It’s not just the act of playing a video game, it’s offering a compelling product to a customer.”

Pixel Battles is open Monday-Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm and Sundays from 12-6 pm.

Multiple Genres

Melissa Randel – Vocals
Keith Randel – Guitar/Vocals
James Aronoff – Guitar
Max Miller – Bass
Travis Lein – Drums

The Great Hiatum brings a clash of styles to their music and performances. Photo courtesy of The Great Hiatum

If you’re looking to classify The Great Hiatum in just one genre, you’re going to have a tough time. In fact, classifying them in two genres is troubling as well. This band from Eugene prides themselves on being a little different, something that is evident from the approach they take when composing music. Instead of focusing on just one specific audience, the style of The Great Hiatum ranges from punk to alternative to indie to funk to a blend of everything mixed together. The variation in their music can be well illustrated by listening to the contrasts between Travis’ Song and Scary Situation. 

Whereas Travis’ Song has a much more relaxed and indie feel to the melody, Scary Situation incorporates an interesting play between lyrical beats while emphasizing a little more rock and funk to the music. Led by the vocals of Melissa Randel, these University of Oregon alums have become a prominent band in the Eugene area..

Eastern Sunz, a Pacific Northwest based hip-hop duo, has grabbed attention in 2012 from The John Lennon Songwriting Competition and International Songwriting Competition for some of their lyrics off their new EP Filthy Dirty Hippie, which focuses on political, social, and environmental issues.Though the lyrics are thought-provoking, the title of their EP pokes fun at how they perceive their eco-friendly lyrics amongst the rest of the hip-hop community. Nevertheless, these intelligent lyrics have garnered attention in the independent music scene and have won multiple awards. Rapper Aaron Harris, otherwise known as Courage, often gets inspiration for his music from his graduate studies at the University of Oregon. Along with releasing the newest EP in March, Harris is studying community and regional planning and uses many of the topics highlighted in his studies as inspiration for his music. Harris sat down with the Eugene Daily News to discuss Eastern Sunz, their message of change, their connection to the Eugene community, and exciting new developments for their future.

Eastern Sunz has received a lot of attention lately with their meaningful lyrics and societal messages. Photo courtesy of Eastern Sunz

Susan Latiolait: Explain what it means to you to win multiple songwriting awards?

Aaron Harris: I think that its advantages are that we can book shows and tell promoters that we are an award-winning artist, and lately, we have started working with bands. So getting high-quality artists that want to work with you, it is nice to have some accolades. But it certainly hasn’t helped in getting any big-time publicity.

SL: Why do you believe your lyrics touch people?

AH: Eastern Sunz really focuses on creating more intellectual, politically oriented music, so I think that plays a big factor in it because they are listening to music that maybe a lot of hip-hop songs don’t have. There is definitely hip hop that have messages, but there are also a lot that do not and that’s the center piece of our identity.

SL: How do you get inspiration and ideas for your songs?

AH: Two big motivations for writing songs are traveling and school. Right now I am working on a paper about “wicked problems” which are basically social problems. So you could ask 1000 different people what causes poverty and you would get 1000 different answers…but you can’t solve these problems, so topics like this really contribute to my music. Our first song off our album “Corroded Utopia” that won an independent music award for hip hop album of the year is a song called Treadmill of Productions, and it is a song based from a sociology class and theory about how we live in our society. Those kinds of theories and ideas are the kinds of things that inspire us.

SL: What do you enjoy about playing for the Eugene community?

AH: We love playing anywhere in this region because we consider it being at home. We played a show at the Wow Hall in Eugene and it was great energy. People here love good music and there is a big pool of talent here. You can feel that.

EDN had the opportunity to sit down with Courage (Aaron Harris) of Eastern Sunz to talk about their development over the years. Photo courtesy of Eastern Sunz.

SL: What are your plans for the future?

AH: We are working on a new album; it will be our seventh album, which will hopefully be released this summer. We have put a lot of work into putting together a live band right now. We are in the process of learning all the materiel and practicing five days a week. Our goal is to have that all locked down and have a demo ready to apply to summer festivals in the region and all over the west coast. We have never gone all out with a whole live band before, usually it is just two turntables.

SL: What is it about the live band that you are most excited about?

AH: It is taking our music to a whole new level. We are always developing, so it is really symbolic of us growing. We have drums, bass, keys, saxophone, and a female singer added to our turntables and us. It also attracts a whole wider audience of people; nothing beats a live band. Right now I am just excited to have a lot of talented people who are committed?

SL: Did you find these people for the live band from the Eugene area?

AH: Everybody is from Eugene. My brother will be playing the sax, but everyone else was found rather serendipitously. My brother is a jazz purist. We have both done music for our whole lives, but we have never really crossed paths, so this is a cool opportunity for us to play together.

SL: Do you plan on using your academics for work in the future?

AH: I have always been into sustainability as it pertains to social issues, not just the environmental side, but also social equity. I definitely envision myself having a job as a planner of some sort eventually, but music has always been my number one passion.

Make sure to catch Eastern Sunz play their next show in Eugene at Diablo’s downtown Lounge on Dec. 28, 2012.

On Nov. 11 the eclectic trio, The Devil Makes Three, will bring a little bit of country, a little bit of punk, a little bit folk, and a lot of blues to The McDonald Theatre in Eugene. Their fifth album “Stomp and Smash,” released in Oct. 2011,  brings a new level of eccentricity to the band’s already unique “drum-less” sound. Recorded over two nights at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, this live-recorded album features fiddler Andy Lentz, two new songs, cover songs, and old fan favorites.

As a self-described “rhythm based” trio, The Devil Makes Three creates a wide-range of acoustic music that captures the essence of multiple genres. Consisting of guitarist and front man Pete Bernhard, bassist Lucia Turino, and guitarist Cooper McBean, the band combines their  individual influences such as McBean’s folk favorites John Hurts, Doc Watson and The Reverend Gary Davis, with Berhard’s inspirations of Lightnin’ Hopkins and Tom Waits to create their inimitable blues sound with multiple twists.

Bernhard and McBean first bonded in the eighth grade over their similar music styles while growing up in their hometown in Vermont. Ten years later, Berhard and McBean moved to Santa Cruz after high school to begin their music careers and were soon united with U.C. Santa Cruz student and other Vermont native Turino. Although Turino lacked bass skills, her spiritual personality and passion made a perfect fit for The Devil Makes Three’s simple, finger picking, rhythmic sound.

Devil Makes Three is set to perform at McDonald Theatre this weekend for a performance that will surely impress. Photo courtesy of Devil Makes Three/Brian Parcells

This style is epitomized in songs such as “Old Number Seven,” one of the trio’s most popular hits and re-released on their new live album is a tribute Jack Daniels Whiskey, in which their lyrics states, “Thank you Jack Daniels, old number seven, Tennessee whiskey got me drinking in heaven.” This song illustrates how their mixture of bluesy genres meshes with the band’s “rock out” style of their live shows.

“Stomp and Smash” can be viewed as an album that perfectly reflects their live concerts; a rocking, beat down, acoustic dance concert; a unique feat for a blues bands. But in reality, the name was derived from a misquoting from Frank Zappa that Turino’s father used to say to her as a child. Nevertheless, this album name exemplifies the band’s live persona of a bluesy, country, folky trio, with rock edge.

Jonny Fritz , formerly known as “Corndawg” will join The Devil Makes Three at the McDonald Theatre on Nov. 11. As a country singer-songwriter, Fritz has played in every U.S. state as well as Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, and multiple European countries. First touring around the U.S. on his motorcycle in 2001, Fritz now travels in a retired UPS van with his band, the In-Laws, around the country. His hits such as “Shaved Like a Razor” and “Chevy Beretta” of his latest album “Down on the Bikini Line,” released in Aug. 2011, combine quirky lyrics with a genuine country acoustic sound.

With their unique personal and musical styles Jonny Fritz and The Devil Makes Three will undoubtedly compliment each other as well as the eccentric music loving Eugene community for an unforgettable live performance.

Though all the other nights on this extended weekend have been memorable, at least for us, tonight’s events may be the cream of the crop. For those of us who circled this day just under a year ago as the day of the Duck revenge, today could not have come fast enough.

How do we do that while being 857 miles away (yeah, we googled it) and in no way physically ready to contribute on the football field? We get out to The Cooler and participate in a Duck road game the right way. It’s close to Autzen Stadium so that’s at least reasonably symbolic; plus it’s got a huge projection screen so the game will literally be in your face. They’ve also got drinks and good food. While there is nothing compared to watching an Oregon drubbing of USC in person, we’ll take this as the second best option.

Here’s a shot of the EB’s at Oak Street. That’s where we’ll be tonight.

Victory Celebration: This is an easy call – The Eager Beavers. All innuendo from this point on are purely your own issue. Here’s a link to some EB videos to give you an idea why We’d pick the Beavers after a Duck game. Oak Street Speakeasy is one Eugene’s downtown underground spots, lots of standing room, but the sound down there is usually excellent.

In the remote case of a loss: See above…and see you out there.