Films This Week
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So-Cal garage rock band features ‘Superbad’ star on drums

From the moment they began playing together, there was never any question about it. “We have always been The Young Rapscallions,” says Nick Chamian, guitarist for the grooving, fuzz-box-stomping, Los Angeles garage quartet, set to play The Blue Lagoon on Jan. 13. In fact, the group’s moniker came so naturally that neither Chamian, nor his longtime friend and Rapscallions co-founder, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, can remember discussing it.

Chris Rene, Keith Squires (Monikape), and Jarret Cox (Mac Jar) met like many Santa Cruz punk kids do—while skateboarding. “We’d cause a ruckus and the cops would harass us,” recalls Rene, who attended New Brighton Middle School with Cox. But when his friend and his sister died in the same year, 16-year-old Squires turned to rap for solace.

The now-famous local opens up about ‘The X Factor,’ growing up in Santa Cruz, life after addiction, and what’s next on the creative road ahead

Less than a year ago, then 28-year-old Santa Cruz native Chris Rene was collecting trash for a living and battling a drug and alcohol addiction. Today, exactly three weeks after taking third on the first season of FOX’s The X Factor, Rene is at the top of the iTunes charts, nearing a record deal, designing a fashion line, and just over 11 months sober. Motivated by fellow Santa Cruz musician James Durbin’s rise to the top on American Idol, the rapper/songwriter worked up the courage to audition for The X Factor back in September. It was there that Rene touched the heart of America with his original rap song “Young Homie,” and his inspiring story.

SANTA CRUZ > Electric car documentary, charging stations come to Santa Cruz

This Friday, Jan. 13, Santa Cruz will join the ranks of the few U.S. cities selected to stage a public viewing of the 2011 documentary Revenge of the Electric Car. The film is directed by Chris Paine, who will be on hand at the event to field questions, and is a follow-up to his widely viewed and discussed 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?

Revenge of the Electric Car chronicles the resurgence of electric vehicles (EVs) by documenting the efforts of four individuals who are making waves in the automobile industry. A General Motors executive, the heads of Nissan and Tesla, and an independent car converter are each profiled, highlighting the effort that goes into bringing a viable EV to market. The film is a departure from Who Killed the Electric Car?, which largely focused on the destruction of several thousand EVs.

She’s the go-to Scandinavian textile artist. Need some inspiration? Check out jansdotter.com, Lotta Jansdotter’s original website that offers a slew of beautifully created designs by Jansdotter. There, she sells everything from tissue boxes to coin purses to large scale totes. And the best thing yet? She’s now selling a new line of fabric at $11 a yard. These inspired designs are whimsical, colorful, and will make a stunning shirt, bag, quilt or other sewing project all that much more alive. This month, Hart’s Fabric in Santa Cruz will receive their first stock of Jansdotter’s fabric.

There’s no doubt that 2011 will go down in history as the year two locals generated the most buzz for Santa Cruz on a national level and helped raise awareness of the town’s creative verve and musical inspirations. Those locals are, of course, James Durbin and Chris Rene. In fact, this week, Rene, who turned heads recently on The X Factor, is our cover boy.

Author Téa Obreht opens up about writing the wildly successful ‘The Tiger’s Wife’

While 2011 was considered the year of the rabbit, for author Téa Obreht, it was really the year of the tiger. In March of last year, the 26-year-old released her first novel through Random House and became a literary sensation with “The Tiger’s Wife,” a mystical fable set to the backdrop of the recovery of war in the Balkan area. With rich language, compelling storytelling, magical realism, and historical events, it’s no surprise that “The Tiger’s Wife” was such a hit with readers and critics. As a young literary voice, Obreht writes like a longtime seasoned pro—her writings have already been featured in The New Yorker online, The Atlantic online, as well as in the pages of Harper’s.

Chardonnay 2009 

One of the most impressive weddings I have ever attended was at the Bernardus Lodge recently. Not only were the bride and groom an extremely handsome couple, but also they had planned each detail so carefully and thoroughly that the whole event was truly a fairytale affair.

The Bernadus Lodge is a gorgeous facility to hold a function, and well worth a visit. It’s a beautiful premier resort nestled on verdant acres in Carmel Valley—complete with luxurious spa, tennis courts, ballroom, function space and vineyard.

Do you fancy yourself a photographer? Think you’ve got what it takes to shoot the image for the cover of a county-wide publication? Good Times’ second annual GT Active publication is on its way, with an even bigger and better guide to health, fitness and the great outdoors in Santa Cruz County, and we’re looking for a stellar photograph to grace its glossy cover. Send us a photo you’ve taken of something that captures the spirit of health, fitness or outdoor activities in Santa Cruz and your photo might land on the cover of the 2012 GT Active. In addition to eternal glory, the winner will also receive a gift certificate to a local eatery. To enter, email your photo to ph***@gt******.com no later than Wednesday, Feb. 22. Photo: J. Hotchkiss