lifestyle THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014

Music & Movies Jolie’s a fun hero-villain in ‘Maleficent’ aybe it’s too soon to say the tide has shifted been rehabilitated, by means of the durable Broadway er quite believe Maleficent is bad. That’s because we definitively. But it’s certainly been a unique hit “Wicked”: the witch Elphaba from “The Wizard of know she’s essentially good, and she seems to know Mtime for fairy-tale villains. After hundreds of Oz,” who, it turns out, we just didn’t know enough that we know it; You can see it in the upturned wrinkle years of moral clarity, suddenly we’re getting a new about. of her mouth. look at these evil creatures, who are actually turning And so it is in “Maleficent,” in which director Robert And frankly, the other characters are simply not out to be complex beings, and not that bad at all. Stromberg and screenwriter Linda Woolverton take us that interesting - Stefan, but also Elle Fanning’s Aurora, Really, they’ve just been misunderstood. (And, by the back to the fairy’s youth to better understand her. or “Sleeping Beauty.” The best scenes Aurora has, in way, those charming princes? Highly overrated.) She’s a plucky young thing with lovely wings and fact, are when she’s a gurgling baby and then, The most obvious recent example is “Frozen,” the bright pink lipstick, which will turn blood-red when adorably, a toddler, played by none other than 5-year- animated Disney blockbuster that showed us how the she becomes an adult (the fairy world clearly isn’t lack- old Vivienne Jolie-Pitt. (In the movie’s one laugh-out- Snow Queen, long portrayed as an icy-hearted villain, ing for cosmetics.) One day she meets a young man loud moment, Maleficent tells Aurora: “I don’t like chil- was actually a tragic victim of circumstance, with a from that other, darker world, where humans live. The dren.”) But Fanning as Aurora is too boringly sweet - pure and loving heart. And now we have “Maleficent,” two form a strong bond. But the ugliest human emo- especially compared to the fabulous-in-every-way which tells us that one of the most evil characters in all tions - jealousy and ambition - will intervene. Young Maleficent, with her blazing lips, fashionable black of pop culture is equally vulnerable and misunder- Stefan will grow into the power-hungry older Stefan headgear and exaggerated cheekbones, not to men- stood. Plus, she’s gorgeous. Duh. She’s . (the wild-eyed South African actor Sharlto Copley.) tion her way around a quip. All this is a rather seismic development in fairytale- And his stunning betrayal of Maleficent will instant- In the end, “Maleficent” is fun for its appealing visu- dom. There are numerous versions of “Sleeping ly harden her, turning her into the villainess we recog- als - especially in the forest - and for watching Jolie. Beauty,” stemming back even before Charles Perrault’s nize. Alas, the story’s still all about a guy, in the end. But that’s not enough to make the whole film interest- from 1697, but the fairy who casts an angry spell on But we digress. “Maleficent” is surely targeted to the ing. As the minutes tick by, you might even start feel- the baby princess, dooming her to prick her finger, has same audience - young and female - which has so lov- ing a bit like Sleeping Beauty herself comes to feel: always been, well, just nasty. ingly embraced “Frozen” and its appealing message of Drowsy. “Maleficent,” a Walt Disney Studios release, is But now, 55 years after Disney introduced the char- female solidarity and empowerment. But “Frozen” felt rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America acter named Maleficent in its 1959 classic film- and clever, charming, and fresh. “Maleficent,” less so. “for sequences of fantasy action and violence, includ- colored her skin an eerie green - the studio is back ing frightening images.” Running time: 97 minutes. with a live-action (not to mention 3D) Maleficent Drowsy Two and a half stars out of four. — AP who’s more superheroine than evil fairy. Think Part of this is due, paradoxically, to Jolie’s star Maleficent by way of Lara Croft. And though wattage. Don’t get us wrong: she’s the best thing Maleficent is no longer green-skinned, it’s hard not to about the movie, and always worth watching. But it This photo released by Disney shows Angelina Jolie in a scene from think of another green-skinned villainess who’s also blunts the effectiveness of the narrative if we can nev- ‘Maleficent.’ — AP Cooper praises theatricality of female pop singers

lice Cooper believes many contemporary male artists lack the glamour and over-the-top theatricali- Aty of being a rock star. “It’s been a really funny thing now. All the girls are doing the big productions,” Cooper said in a recent interview. “Shakira, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga - it seems like all the girls decided to do it big these days.” The 66-year-old shock rocker said he’s been impressed with Lady Gaga’s creativity and image. “Lady Gaga said to me, ‘Thanks for letting me steal your show.’ And I said, ‘The funny thing is, your show is nothing like mine,’” he said. “But what we do is more similar than you can imagine. We both created characters and have written for the character.” Cooper’s wild style can be seen in his documentary, “Super Duper Alice Cooper,” out on DVD next week. The highly stylized film chronicles the singer’s life from being the son of a preacher to the creation of his onstage charac- ter to the ups and downs of his five-decade career. He is now on his Raise the Dead tour, and will join Motley Crue for their final tour in July. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer believes rock ‘n’ roll today is “totally anemic,” and he wishes newer rock bands were more interesting. “I hope the next generation will rebel against this generation and come out Alice Cooper poses at the Eyegore Awards at Universal with another Guns N’ Roses,” he said. “Bands that look like Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. — AP photos One Direction’s rock bands and play like rock bands.” — AP

File photo shows US singer Katy Perry performs on lawyers looking stage at the BRIT Awards 2014 at the O2 Arena in into leaked video .

representative for One Direction says the band’s lawyers are dealing with a video showing two band members smoking what the singers referred to as an “illegal Asubstance.” British tabloid The Daily Mail posted a five-minute clip Tuesday of Zayn Malik smoking and speaking with Louis Tomlinson, who is filming. Their publicist said: “This matter is in the hands of our lawyers.” In the video, 22-year- old Tomlinson says they are in Peru. The band, on an international tour, stopped in Lima, Peru, last month. Tomlinson says “joint lit, happy days,” and asks his bandmate, “What do you think Zayn about that kind of content?” “Very controversial,” the 21-year- old Malik responds. The band will perform today in Sunderland, United Kingdom. — AP

Steve Perry does plank in sushi restaurant mily Blunt did the plank in the middle of a sushi were all out having sushi, and one of the other characters, restaurant while exploring her opening sequence for one of the members of J-Squad, Kick, just said, ‘Em, show performs for first Ethe ‘Edge of Tomorrow’. The 31-year-old actress, who Doug [director] that toga move you can do’. I just did in the stars as Rita Vratask in the sci-fi film, revealed the cast and middle of a sushi restaurant and I remember Doug looking crew were out at lunch working out how to introduce char- at me like that and going, ‘That’s it’.” Blunt and her co-star acters when her co-star Christopher ‘Kick’ Gurry insisted had a busy day with three premieres for the time in 19 years she show director one of her impressive yoga film in London, and New York. — Bang Showbiz poses which was later incorporated into the film. ormer Journey frontman Steve Perry took the Talking to the BBC, she explained: “We were trying to stage for the first time since 1995 on Sunday night figure out the best way to introduce the character, so we Fwhen he sang with indie rock band Eels during a concert in St Paul, Minnesota. The 65-year-old elusive rock star surprised the audience at the Fitgerzald Theater during Eels second encore, and sang the band’s 2000 cult hit “It’s a Motherf-er.” “I love that song. When I first heard it, someday I wanted to sing it. Tonight was the first time I ever sang it,” Perry said during the performance. “I don’t know why the Eels don’t do my music.” That was the cue for the band to launch into classic Journey tune “Open Arms,” followed by “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.” Perry left Journey in 1987, but reunited with the band in 1996 to record “Trial By Fire.” A hip injury, how- ever, prevented Perry from touring after the album’s release. He eventually left the band again after putting off a hip replacement surgery for two years, and singer Steve Augeri filled in for the band’s delayed tour. These days, the arena rock band is fronted by Arnel Pineda, a former cover band singer whose rise from anonymity to rock star is captured in 2012 documentary “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.” — Reuters

US actor Tom Cruise, British actress Emily Blunt (right) arrives for the World Premiere of the film ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ Steve Perry at the BFI IMAX cinema in London yesterday. — AP