FFWD Weekly: January 14th, 1999

Bombay the Hard Way

If you’re a fan of the band Cornershop and their blend of traditional East Indian rhythms and contemporary music from the West, you may want to find yourself a copy of Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars. Released by Motel Records, the CD collects the music that famed "Bollywood" soundtrack composers Kalyanji V. Shah and his brother Anandji V. Shah made for the growing Brownsploitation movement of the early ’70s.

The brothers, who at the height of their careers were responsible for the music of over 100 films a year, incorporated elements of North American b-movie music (funk, rock, soul) into the more familiar sounds of their homeland to accompany India’s own spy movies, crime stories and gangster flicks.

With titles like "The Good, The Bad and The Chutney," "Fists of Curry," "Ganges A Go-Go" and "Fear of a Brown Planet," Punjabi The Hard Way is one funky ass offering with enough international flavor to give you heartburn.

Backcountry trail conditions on the Web

Conditions in the mountain parks are constantly changing – sometimes it’s as inconsequential as a half-centimetre of snow, but it could be important as extreme avalanche conditions. Before heading out for a day of skiing in the backcountry, find out what your heading into at the Discover Alberta Web site, which now offers combined up-to-date online avalanche and backcountry trail conditions.

Trail information includes closures, snow levels, current conditions and ratings from poor to excellent for the Banff and Kananaskis Country. Avalanche reports are updated daily by Parks Canada and cover Banff, Kananaskis Country, Jasper, Waterton, Kootenay and Yoho parks, providing detailed snow conditions at the alpine, treeline and below treeline levels, and rating the danger from low (unlikely) to extreme (certain). The pages also provide links to other sites and sources to call for on-site weather information.

Outdoor enthusiasts planning a mountain excursion can log onto the site after 4 p.m. to check tomorrow’s conditions:

Free stuff!

Every week we offer you, good reader, free movie passes – and now we are asking for you to give to a worthy cause. We still have double guest passes to a benefit screening of The Theory of Flight starring Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh. The screening will raise funds for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society. To get a pass, drop by Fast Forward with a cash donation of $10 (come on! it’s for the kids) that we will present to the society on your behalf. The screening plays at the Eau Claire Cinemas on Monday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m.

If you like to swing then you have a chance to win a trip for two to Toronto! The good folks at Alliance are holding a swing dance contest in conjunction with the motion picture release of Blast from the Past. Details of the contest are in the ad in this issue. For some tips on swing dance moves and steps, see their website at www.blastmovie.com. Blast from the Past opens February 5... watch for the January 28 issue of Fast Forward for a chance to win tickets to the advance screening.

Speaking of swinging, The Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra will be playing MacEwan Hall (U of C) on February 5. Make sure you check out next week’s issue for your chance to win tickets, CDs and an opportunity to meet the band at their soundcheck.

Win passes to the advance screening of Playing by Heart at the Showcase Grand on Thursday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. This romantic comedy features a star-studded cast including Jon Stewart, Sean Connery, Anthony Edwards, Dennis Quaid, Gillian Anderson, Gena Rowlands... the list is endless! Check out the ad in this issue for details on how to win.

Free stuff can be picked up starting the Friday following publication. Only those who have not won free stuff in the past four weeks (excluding movie passes) are eligible to win. Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.