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Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Kris Allen Reassures Adam Lambert Fans: 'He's Gonna Be A Megastar'
'He's probably gonna be bigger than me, so don't worry about him,' Allen tells MTV News 'American Idol' expert Jim Cantiello.
By Katie Byrne, with reporting by Jim Cantiello
Kris Allen talks to MTV News after season eight's "Idol" finale
Photo: MTV News
"American Idol" fans might have been surprised by Kris Allen's victory over Adam Lambert on Wednesday night, but no one was more floored than Kris himself.
When "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello caught up with the new champ backstage, he talked about fans Googling his wife, working with Kara DioGuardi and what he has to say to all those heartbroken Glamberts.
Kris Allen: I know Jim — I don't even know how to pronounce your last name.
Jim Cantiello: Holy crap! It's Cantiello.
Allen: Cantiello.
Cantiello: How do you know me, man? I'm just some silly blogger dude.
Allen: I think the "American Idol in 60 Seconds" is the funniest thing ever.
Cantiello: Shut up!
Allen: No lie.
Cantiello: I'm usually pretty nice to you. I'm a big fan.
Allen: I know, right? Usually.
Cantiello: Sorry, I have to be honest.
Allen: I'm critical of myself as well, so don't worry about it.
Cantiello: All right, cool. Let's talk. You won the big show. Holy crap.
Allen: Holy crap, right?
Cantiello: I want to know: What are you going to do with "No Boundaries" to make it a hit? You've got a big mountain to climb.
Allen: [Laughs.] And hurricanes. It's a decent song. It's got a good message, and Kara [DioGuardi] was amazing to work with, she really was. She's a great songwriter, and I hope to sing it as well as I can.
Cantiello: So I have to ask: Your wife is one of the biggest Google trends out there. After every show, "Kris Allen wife" is one of the top three searches. How does that make you feel? It's a little creepy, right?
Allen: Maybe a little creepy, but she's beautiful and she's great and I'm glad to have her in my life. That's weird, though, that they would be searching my wife. She's a star too now.
Cantiello: So what are we going to hear from your album?
Allen: I felt like I put who I'm going to be on the stage during the performances on "American Idol." And I think you're gonna hear more of that kind of stuff.
Cantiello: Any dream collaborators you want to work with? Producers, writers, you want to work with Kara some more?
Allen: Yeah, I'd love to work with Kara. She's a great songwriter, a great person, she's a lot of fun to work with. I felt like just that little bit that we worked together, it made me better, and I really appreciated that. There's plenty of people out there. I have no idea, and I hope people will knock on the door.
Cantiello: They definitely will. You put out stuff on your own before "Idol." Any of that stuff gonna be reworked in a big studio setting?
Allen: Maybe so, but that's something that's a long time ago and in a different place. Hopefully new stuff will come out.
Cantiello: Last question: There's some heartbroken Adam Lambert fans on the Internet. What do you say to them right now to cushion the blow a little bit?
Allen: OK, here's the deal: Adam is gonna be fine. He's gonna be a megastar. He's probably gonna be bigger than me, so don't worry about him. He's great. I'm really happy for him.
Cantiello: Happy for him, and super happy for you. Congratulations, Kris.
Allen: Thanks a lot.
Cantiello: Enjoy the ride.
Are you an "American Idol" expert? Take our ultimate "Idol" quiz to find out! Plus, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
VA - Prison Songs: Historical Recordings from Parchman Farm 1947-48 Volume 2: Don'tcha Hear Poor Mother Calling
Here is the second volume of prison songs, a collection of field recordings made by Alan Lomax during his visit to Mississippi's notorious Parchman Farm state prison in 1947 and on February 9, 1948. The songs collected on Volume 1 were originally released by the Tradition label as Negro Work Songs. Volume 2 features songs that didn't make the cut for the original Negro Work Songs release, though one shouldn't let this fact persuade them from giving this a listen. The songs on Vol. 2 have somewhat of a harsher quality to them, which may be why they were excluded from the original release, yet the heartfelt soul of prisoner's . As with the first volume, there are also tracks featuring Lomax interviewing various prisoners on a variety of subjects, although this volume contains several more than the first.
"For those who may not know, the worksong tradition was a practice carried over from Africa, which manifested first in slave plantations and then in the prison work gang. John Lomax, together with his son Alan, began recording these songs in Southern penitentiaries in 1933. In 1947, and again in 1948, Alan returned to Parchman Farm to gather in the songs we have here. So charged with passion are they that claims of a declining tradition make very odd reading. Yet, when I listen to the Lomaxes earlier collections, I have to agree. Pre-war, the ages of the singers was lower and the melodies were richer and more plentiful. Where the present material wins out is in the march of technology. Pre-war equipment was too limited to record the convicts while they worked. Instead, most of the material was gathered after hours, with the singers worn out from performing the very songs the Lomaxes were trying to capture. By 1947, however, the first modern tape recorder was on the market. With this device it was possible to preserve the sound of negro worksong in full flight."In and out" was a common pattern in Southern penal institutions. It developed from a system of race relations and social attitudes moulded in slavery days and dragged into the twentieth century like a feudal relic. The penitentiary was an important element in the suppression of the negro population. Along with lynch law, the Klan and a system of injudiciously administered floggings, the threat of a spell in the pen kept a potentially unruly black populace in a state of servility. The prisons held their share of hard cases, but for most of the inmates, sentences were short, sharp, frequent and brutal, and they were usually meted for trifling misdemeanours.
Impressions of a high turnover of prisoners are supported by these two CDs. Volume 1 is exclusively from Lomax's 1947 recordings and features protagonists with such colourful nicknames as Bama, Tangle Eye, 22, and Hard Hair. Volume 2 is mostly from Lomax's return trip in 1948, by which time additional singers seem to have found their way into the pen. They include Dobie Red, Curry Childress, and 88. The impression is strengthened when one reads John Lomax's reminiscences of collecting songs in Parchman Farm before World War 11. Of the singers he mentions, only Dobie Red and Tangle Eye were in the pen between 1947 and 1948.
So influential was Murderers' Home that the name Parchman Farm has become synonymous with axe wielding convicts roaring ferocious choruses. However, the institution embraced much more than group worksongs and some of this is reflected in the programming. Axe and hoe songs predominate, but there are one or two solo work songs, several field hollers, including Bama's superb Stackerlee, and a couple of blues. There is also an interview, split over two tracks, during which Bama talks about song leading and about his lot as a three time loser caught in the web of the Mississippi penal system. "In and out, in and out, for the last eighteen years." It fades, heart-rendingly, into a mournful holler by another long time prisoner, Tangle Eye http://allmusicnews.wordpress.com
Listening to the lyrics and how they were sung, I form the opinion that the songs were far more about making it through the can than they were about synchronising work. In all these verses you will not find the slightest iota of fantasy or escapism. If there were any would-be lottery winners in Parchman Farm or Angola they do not show up here. Instead the songs are vested with stark reality and sweat. They are the channelling of rage and resentment against the iniquity and brutality and rank injustice of a penal system which was nothing more than the legitimised extension of plantation slavery. All folksongs involve catharsis but, inside the pen, song was the only voice which allowed prisoners to kick against the system. Shared songs did more than alleviate the work, they alleviated the misery." - Fred McCormick
"These songs belong to the musical tradition which Africans brought to the New World, but they are also as American as the Mississippi River. They were born out of the very rock and earth of this country, as black hands broke the soil, moved, reformed it, and rivers of stinging sweat poured upon the land under the blazing heat of Southern skies, and are mounted upon the passion that this struggle with nature brought forth. They tell us the story of the slave gang, the sharecropper system, the lawless work camp, the chain gang, the pen." - Alan Lomax
Year of Release: 1958/Reissue 1997
Label: Tradition/Rounder
Genre: Field Recording, Folk, Blues
Track List:
1. Don'cha Hear Poor Mother Calling
2. John Henry
3. Strongest Man I Ever Saw
4. Well, I Wonder
5. Lies
6. I'm Goin' Home
7. More Lies
8. O' Berta
9. Disability Boogie Woogie
10. O Rose
11. Hollers
12. Stewball
13. Fox Chase
14. Katy Left Memphis
15. About Prison Singers
16. Rosie
17. High Rollin' Sergeant
18. Garbage Man
19. When I Went to Leland
20. Prodigal Son
21. I'm Goin' to Memphis
22. (Untitled) - (hidden track)
"For those who may not know, the worksong tradition was a practice carried over from Africa, which manifested first in slave plantations and then in the prison work gang. John Lomax, together with his son Alan, began recording these songs in Southern penitentiaries in 1933. In 1947, and again in 1948, Alan returned to Parchman Farm to gather in the songs we have here. So charged with passion are they that claims of a declining tradition make very odd reading. Yet, when I listen to the Lomaxes earlier collections, I have to agree. Pre-war, the ages of the singers was lower and the melodies were richer and more plentiful. Where the present material wins out is in the march of technology. Pre-war equipment was too limited to record the convicts while they worked. Instead, most of the material was gathered after hours, with the singers worn out from performing the very songs the Lomaxes were trying to capture. By 1947, however, the first modern tape recorder was on the market. With this device it was possible to preserve the sound of negro worksong in full flight."In and out" was a common pattern in Southern penal institutions. It developed from a system of race relations and social attitudes moulded in slavery days and dragged into the twentieth century like a feudal relic. The penitentiary was an important element in the suppression of the negro population. Along with lynch law, the Klan and a system of injudiciously administered floggings, the threat of a spell in the pen kept a potentially unruly black populace in a state of servility. The prisons held their share of hard cases, but for most of the inmates, sentences were short, sharp, frequent and brutal, and they were usually meted for trifling misdemeanours.
Impressions of a high turnover of prisoners are supported by these two CDs. Volume 1 is exclusively from Lomax's 1947 recordings and features protagonists with such colourful nicknames as Bama, Tangle Eye, 22, and Hard Hair. Volume 2 is mostly from Lomax's return trip in 1948, by which time additional singers seem to have found their way into the pen. They include Dobie Red, Curry Childress, and 88. The impression is strengthened when one reads John Lomax's reminiscences of collecting songs in Parchman Farm before World War 11. Of the singers he mentions, only Dobie Red and Tangle Eye were in the pen between 1947 and 1948.
So influential was Murderers' Home that the name Parchman Farm has become synonymous with axe wielding convicts roaring ferocious choruses. However, the institution embraced much more than group worksongs and some of this is reflected in the programming. Axe and hoe songs predominate, but there are one or two solo work songs, several field hollers, including Bama's superb Stackerlee, and a couple of blues. There is also an interview, split over two tracks, during which Bama talks about song leading and about his lot as a three time loser caught in the web of the Mississippi penal system. "In and out, in and out, for the last eighteen years." It fades, heart-rendingly, into a mournful holler by another long time prisoner, Tangle Eye http://allmusicnews.wordpress.com
Listening to the lyrics and how they were sung, I form the opinion that the songs were far more about making it through the can than they were about synchronising work. In all these verses you will not find the slightest iota of fantasy or escapism. If there were any would-be lottery winners in Parchman Farm or Angola they do not show up here. Instead the songs are vested with stark reality and sweat. They are the channelling of rage and resentment against the iniquity and brutality and rank injustice of a penal system which was nothing more than the legitimised extension of plantation slavery. All folksongs involve catharsis but, inside the pen, song was the only voice which allowed prisoners to kick against the system. Shared songs did more than alleviate the work, they alleviated the misery." - Fred McCormick
"These songs belong to the musical tradition which Africans brought to the New World, but they are also as American as the Mississippi River. They were born out of the very rock and earth of this country, as black hands broke the soil, moved, reformed it, and rivers of stinging sweat poured upon the land under the blazing heat of Southern skies, and are mounted upon the passion that this struggle with nature brought forth. They tell us the story of the slave gang, the sharecropper system, the lawless work camp, the chain gang, the pen." - Alan Lomax
Year of Release: 1958/Reissue 1997
Label: Tradition/Rounder
Genre: Field Recording, Folk, Blues
Track List:
1. Don'cha Hear Poor Mother Calling
2. John Henry
3. Strongest Man I Ever Saw
4. Well, I Wonder
5. Lies
6. I'm Goin' Home
7. More Lies
8. O' Berta
9. Disability Boogie Woogie
10. O Rose
11. Hollers
12. Stewball
13. Fox Chase
14. Katy Left Memphis
15. About Prison Singers
16. Rosie
17. High Rollin' Sergeant
18. Garbage Man
19. When I Went to Leland
20. Prodigal Son
21. I'm Goin' to Memphis
22. (Untitled) - (hidden track)
Phallus Dei - Cyberflesh
Over at Nothin' Sez Somethin' I've been cramming Legendary Pink Dots down my visitors earholes, so I'll spare you all that pleasure, you can go get'em if you want'em. Another band that is also up in the Nothin' aether with LPD is Phallus Dei (the schlong of God). Phallus Dei is a German/Dutch industrial band dealing dark Gothick romanticism on the one hand with a trashy fascination for sex & violence on the other. Gotta love it.
Phallus Dei began as a musickal projeckt of Oliver St. Lingam (another holy prick) in 1988. Taking his projeckt name from the historic 1969 album by krautrock Amon D l II , St. Lingam released the tapes Pigfuck & Per Crucem Ad Lucem on the Unclean label. PD then signed with Dark Vinyl & released the ground-breaking industrial release Pontifex Maximus in 1991.
Following a successful European tour with Italian industrial musick giants Sigillum S, PhallusDei expanded to a three piece unit with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Mk. E & drummer, multi-instrumentalist Richard van Kruysdijk. With the additional help of Joris Huijbregts (who had previously played with Richard v. K. in the band Lament), the band recorded their follow-up album Cyberflesh. The sound of the group had progressed greatly on Cyberflesh, forming a more matured, guitar-laden sound. Phallus Dei had found a great balance http://ligamusic.com between electronics & guitar, never allowing the abrasive riffs to overshadow their strong beats or experimental vocal styles.
On Cyberflesh, Phallus Dei are: Oliver St. Lingam - vocals & sequencing; Mk. E - guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass, & keyboards; Joris Huijbregts - bass, keyboards, accordion, & sequencing; & Richard van Kruysdijk - drums, percussion, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, & sequencing. Written, arranged, produced & performed by Phallus Dei.
Year of Release: 1993
Label: Paragoric PA 02
Genre: Electronic Industrial, Electro, Gothick Ambient
Track List:
1. Egg (Prologue)
2. She Suffers (& Makes Suffer)
3. Dieu (voice - Salvador Dal )
4. Live on Joy (voice - Klaus Kinski)
5. Tortured Heroine (additional lyrics by Adi Newton)
6. Existence
7. Confessio (additional lyrics by Charles Manson)
8. Man's Son
9. Cyberflesh (voice - Salvador Dal )
10. La Mort (voice - Henry Lee Lucas & Kenneth Bianchi)
11. Clothed in Flesh
12. Live to Tell
13. Taphtatharath (Epilogue)
Phallus Dei began as a musickal projeckt of Oliver St. Lingam (another holy prick) in 1988. Taking his projeckt name from the historic 1969 album by krautrock Amon D l II , St. Lingam released the tapes Pigfuck & Per Crucem Ad Lucem on the Unclean label. PD then signed with Dark Vinyl & released the ground-breaking industrial release Pontifex Maximus in 1991.
Following a successful European tour with Italian industrial musick giants Sigillum S, PhallusDei expanded to a three piece unit with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Mk. E & drummer, multi-instrumentalist Richard van Kruysdijk. With the additional help of Joris Huijbregts (who had previously played with Richard v. K. in the band Lament), the band recorded their follow-up album Cyberflesh. The sound of the group had progressed greatly on Cyberflesh, forming a more matured, guitar-laden sound. Phallus Dei had found a great balance http://ligamusic.com between electronics & guitar, never allowing the abrasive riffs to overshadow their strong beats or experimental vocal styles.
On Cyberflesh, Phallus Dei are: Oliver St. Lingam - vocals & sequencing; Mk. E - guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass, & keyboards; Joris Huijbregts - bass, keyboards, accordion, & sequencing; & Richard van Kruysdijk - drums, percussion, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, & sequencing. Written, arranged, produced & performed by Phallus Dei.
Year of Release: 1993
Label: Paragoric PA 02
Genre: Electronic Industrial, Electro, Gothick Ambient
Track List:
1. Egg (Prologue)
2. She Suffers (& Makes Suffer)
3. Dieu (voice - Salvador Dal )
4. Live on Joy (voice - Klaus Kinski)
5. Tortured Heroine (additional lyrics by Adi Newton)
6. Existence
7. Confessio (additional lyrics by Charles Manson)
8. Man's Son
9. Cyberflesh (voice - Salvador Dal )
10. La Mort (voice - Henry Lee Lucas & Kenneth Bianchi)
11. Clothed in Flesh
12. Live to Tell
13. Taphtatharath (Epilogue)
Music NEWS http://allmusicnews.wordpress.com
Cringer - Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo
Really the main reason I posted this was so I could write 'Tikki tikki tembo no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo'. I always wanted to do that. Also I am a big fan of Lance Hahn (Lance passed away on Sunday, October 21, 2007, due to complications from kidney disease). I've seen both Cringer & J Church many times at Gilman St. & other Bay Area venues & parties. There are mixed feeling about this release, but Cringer was a true voice of their time & place when this came out. The Bay Area anarchist punk scene was just exploding at this time. Lance had taken over the vocal duties from Gardner who was now concentrating on bass. Derek Imose, from Hawaii was playing drums. Lance was now singing his own lyrics, bringing a much more personal delivery of his mix of political, personal, & sometimes impressionistic songs.
Cringer started in Hawaii in 1984 with Lance Hahn, Ed Tarantino, Gardner Maxam & David Carr. Lance & Ed had previously been in the straight edge/skatecore band, Scarred For Life. David had been in several different bands including the Vacuum & Devil Dog. Gardner had been in Hawaii's first hardcore band, the Sharx. This line-up played several times live on KTUH & recorded three demo tapes: a split with Scarred For Life, We Are All AOK & The Vinegar Tasters. They relocated to Los Angeles in 1986. The group got their major debut with a track from an early demo appearing on the Mystic Records compilation, We Got Party. Hooking up with Vinyl Communications in Chula Vista, this line-up recorded their first 7", Perversion Is Their Destiny.
David & Ed split soon after the 7" was recorded. Francis Sippin from Free Will joined on vocals for a short period of time. Simon Barry, who had previously played in the UK anarcho band Flowers In The Dustbin, joined on guitar. This line-up recorded the second 7", Zen Flesh, Zen Bones as well as tracks for the Exclusion compilation on Nabate, Metal Gives Us A Headache on Hippycore & "Cottleston Pie" for The Thing That Ate Floyd on Lookout.
Derrick Imose from Hawaii joined & Simon eventually split. Nigel Wong joined & the group recorded their first album, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo.
Year of Release: 1990
Label: Vinyl Communications VC-12
Genre: Punk
Tracklist:
Side Yin:
A Song about Hawaii
Russia
Sunday
Peace and Harmony
The Dumb Song
Anti Climax
El Salvador
Berlin Wall
Walk In Closet
Side Yang:
Two Friends
Just the Same
This Town
Take Back the Night (revisited)
Carmen
Sentient
Funk Song
Zen Hana Hou
Download: Cringer - Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo
Download Size: 101MB (ripped at 320Kbps)
Cringer started in Hawaii in 1984 with Lance Hahn, Ed Tarantino, Gardner Maxam & David Carr. Lance & Ed had previously been in the straight edge/skatecore band, Scarred For Life. David had been in several different bands including the Vacuum & Devil Dog. Gardner had been in Hawaii's first hardcore band, the Sharx. This line-up played several times live on KTUH & recorded three demo tapes: a split with Scarred For Life, We Are All AOK & The Vinegar Tasters. They relocated to Los Angeles in 1986. The group got their major debut with a track from an early demo appearing on the Mystic Records compilation, We Got Party. Hooking up with Vinyl Communications in Chula Vista, this line-up recorded their first 7", Perversion Is Their Destiny.
David & Ed split soon after the 7" was recorded. Francis Sippin from Free Will joined on vocals for a short period of time. Simon Barry, who had previously played in the UK anarcho band Flowers In The Dustbin, joined on guitar. This line-up recorded the second 7", Zen Flesh, Zen Bones as well as tracks for the Exclusion compilation on Nabate, Metal Gives Us A Headache on Hippycore & "Cottleston Pie" for The Thing That Ate Floyd on Lookout.
Derrick Imose from Hawaii joined & Simon eventually split. Nigel Wong joined & the group recorded their first album, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo.
Year of Release: 1990
Label: Vinyl Communications VC-12
Genre: Punk
Tracklist:
Side Yin:
A Song about Hawaii
Russia
Sunday
Peace and Harmony
The Dumb Song
Anti Climax
El Salvador
Berlin Wall
Walk In Closet
Side Yang:
Two Friends
Just the Same
This Town
Take Back the Night (revisited)
Carmen
Sentient
Funk Song
Zen Hana Hou
Download: Cringer - Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo
Download Size: 101MB (ripped at 320Kbps)
Levi & the Rockats - Live at The Louisiana Hayride
The Louisiana Hayride was a radio broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday helped launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American country music, names that included Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, & Johnny Horton. Elvis first debuted "That's All Right Mama" on October 16, 1954. He stayed with the Hayride for a year before moving on to sign with RCA Records & Colonel Tom Parker. The next big name to hang his star on the Hayride door was Johnny Horton. He remained a member of the Hayride until his death. On November 5, 1960, Horton was killed instantly in a head-on collision with a drunk driver on Highway 79 at Milano, Texas while he was returning home from a performance at the Skyline Club in Austin.
In November 1977, Levi Dexter & his band, The Rockats, made their debut at the Royal College of Art, within the shadow of The Royal Albert Hall. Johnny Thunders jammmed at the end of their set. The headliner band that night was the reggae band Steel Pulse. On December 26, 1977, Levi & the Rockats closed the “Boxing Day Relapse” concert at The Music Machine in London with Siouxie & the Banshees & Adam & the Ants, establishing them as the first neo-Rockabilly band to emerge from the burgeoning London punk scene. In March 1978, Levi records “Evil Minded Mama”, a duet with Jayne County & The Electric Chairs. They toured England, Scotland, & Wales together on the first ever Ted/Punk Tour. By May 1978 Levi had relocated to the U.S. to get an 'American Perspective', moving first to Los Angeles where they were welcomed by bands like X. On November 10th 1978, Levi & the Rockats made their U.S. debut at Max’s Kansas City in New York opening for The Cramps.
On July 14, 1979, Levi & the Roackats, a neo-Rockabilly band from England, newly transplanted to Los Angeles, became the first rock performers to play The Louisiana Hayride since Elvis Presley played there nearly 25 years before. This is the live recording of that historic show.
Levi & the Rockats are: Levi Dexter - vocals; Eddie Dibbles - guitar; Guy Hemmer - rhythm guitar; Smut Smiff - bass; & Dean Thomas - drums. The Rockats were the last act ever introduced by legendary emcee Frank Page, who had emceed the Hayride for over 30 years & who had introduced Presley in 1954. His introduction is the opening track.
Year of Release: 1981
Label: Posh Boy PBS-162
Genre: Rockabilly
Tracklist:
Side A -
Introduction by Mr. Frank Page
Rock-a-Billy Idol
She Ain't No Angel
Tired & Sleepy
Lonesome Saturday Night
Side B -
Room to Rock
Crazy Baby
Love this Kat
Other Side of Midnight
Note from the South.
Download: Levi & the Rockats - Live at The Louisiana Hayride
Download Size: 61.5MB
(Ripped From 28 yr. old PoshBoy Vinyl at 320Kbps)
In November 1977, Levi Dexter & his band, The Rockats, made their debut at the Royal College of Art, within the shadow of The Royal Albert Hall. Johnny Thunders jammmed at the end of their set. The headliner band that night was the reggae band Steel Pulse. On December 26, 1977, Levi & the Rockats closed the “Boxing Day Relapse” concert at The Music Machine in London with Siouxie & the Banshees & Adam & the Ants, establishing them as the first neo-Rockabilly band to emerge from the burgeoning London punk scene. In March 1978, Levi records “Evil Minded Mama”, a duet with Jayne County & The Electric Chairs. They toured England, Scotland, & Wales together on the first ever Ted/Punk Tour. By May 1978 Levi had relocated to the U.S. to get an 'American Perspective', moving first to Los Angeles where they were welcomed by bands like X. On November 10th 1978, Levi & the Rockats made their U.S. debut at Max’s Kansas City in New York opening for The Cramps.
On July 14, 1979, Levi & the Roackats, a neo-Rockabilly band from England, newly transplanted to Los Angeles, became the first rock performers to play The Louisiana Hayride since Elvis Presley played there nearly 25 years before. This is the live recording of that historic show.
Levi & the Rockats are: Levi Dexter - vocals; Eddie Dibbles - guitar; Guy Hemmer - rhythm guitar; Smut Smiff - bass; & Dean Thomas - drums. The Rockats were the last act ever introduced by legendary emcee Frank Page, who had emceed the Hayride for over 30 years & who had introduced Presley in 1954. His introduction is the opening track.
Year of Release: 1981
Label: Posh Boy PBS-162
Genre: Rockabilly
Tracklist:
Side A -
Introduction by Mr. Frank Page
Rock-a-Billy Idol
She Ain't No Angel
Tired & Sleepy
Lonesome Saturday Night
Side B -
Room to Rock
Crazy Baby
Love this Kat
Other Side of Midnight
Note from the South.
Download: Levi & the Rockats - Live at The Louisiana Hayride
Download Size: 61.5MB
(Ripped From 28 yr. old PoshBoy Vinyl at 320Kbps)
The Wesley Willis Fiasco - Spookydisharmoniousconflicthellride
To many the late Wesley Willis will never be considered anything other than a novelty act, his music often reserved for when they need a quick laugh, rarely taking the time to reflect upon the meaning behind his bizarre lyrics. However, his music is important to me for much more personal reasons. My mother, like Willis, is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. It can be very difficult to understand those who have schizophrenia and the depth of the conflict that they must deal with. Wesley Willis is one of the few examples that we have of a person diagnosed with Schizophrenia, who was able to make a career as a successful musician, and share the inner turmoil that he constantly faced with the world. Willis' created music as way of dealing with his encounters with demons, which occurred mainly on the CTA bus lines in Chicago. Willis coined the term "Warhellride" to describe these frequent encounters. His approach to music was simple and crude, often dealing with obscene subject matter, and frequently sporadic in nature.
The majority of Willis' musical output featured only Willis accompanied by his Technics KN keyboard. Willis didn't actually play any of the notes heard on his solo work, instead he simply used the one-note autochord feature on his keyboard. A variety of different programs were utilized, although the bulk of his solo material consist of the same program being used extensively, with only slight variations in the key or tempo of the song. As a result, much of the music on his albums sounds very repetitive. Fortunately the repetiveness is made more tolerable by his outrageous lyrics and vocal delivery.
His lyrics http://ligamusic.com also usually follow a general pattern, although to classify Willis's lyrics according to any conventional rhyme scheme or meter proves difficult. Lyrics generally began with a verse: a four-line spoken stanza, usually consisting of statements about the subject of the song. This was followed by the chorus, which was simply the subject of the song sung anywhere from three to six times in a non-professional, "drunk anthem" type style. Then another verse and another chorus, followed by an instrumental bridge section, where Willis, who had taken to heart the advice he had heard that the ideal song length for radio play is two minutes and 50 seconds would push the "fill" button repeatedly on his keyboard, usually triggering accompanying sound effects. The song ended with another verse, a chorus, and the words "Rock over London! Rock on Chicago," a catchphrase from an hour-long WXRT radio show. It was often followed by a company or product's name and slogan. Each song would end with a different slogan. If performed live, "Chicago" would be replaced with whatever city Willis was performing in.
On a few occasions Willis collaborated with other musicians, with The Wesley Willis Fiasco being the most well known collaborative effort. The style of music was much different from Willis' previous solo material, as the Fiasco concentrated on more of a punk style. The band consisted of Willis on vocals, Pat Barnard on (Lead Guitar), Dale Meiners (Rhythm Guitar), Dave Nooks (Bass) and Brendan Murphy (Drums). They released only one studio album, Spookydisharmoniousconflicthellride (a reference to Willis's description of his schizophrenic episodes). The Fiasco toured with many bands, most notably Rocket from the Crypt, Lordz of Brooklyn, and Sublime. They also released a much sought after and hard to find 7" vinyl split with Sublime, as well as a split with Chicago's The Frogs
Due to conflicts between the Fiasco band's shows and Willis's solo keyboard shows, the band broke up while on tour in Ohio in 1997. Willis stated that the demons in his head worsened during the tour, causing him to constantly yell at the band. After the break up Willis went on to release a number of solo albums. On August 21, 2003, Willis died at the age of 40 in Prospect Heights, Illinois due to complications from chronic myelogenous.
The details of the life Willis lived are perhaps more interesting than the music he was able to produce, as I would assume would be the case for many who live with a powerful psychological disorder such as Schizophrenia. In life Willis was not only known for his music, but for his larger than life personality as well. He would often headbutt fans and random people that he met, which resulted in a large callus on his forehead, which can be seen in almost every photo of him in existence. He was also known for attending hundreds of concerts, where he sold the majority of his CDs face to face. At the time of his death, he had recorded over 1,000 songs but his total life savings were less than $200. Having sold out hundreds of venues across the country, the question still remains where all of his money went. Although Wesley is gone now, and his money remains missing, his legacy and music still remain for all to enjoy. Rock on Chicago... Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions!
Year of Release: 1992
Label: Urban Legends
Genre: Punk, Outsider Music
The majority of Willis' musical output featured only Willis accompanied by his Technics KN keyboard. Willis didn't actually play any of the notes heard on his solo work, instead he simply used the one-note autochord feature on his keyboard. A variety of different programs were utilized, although the bulk of his solo material consist of the same program being used extensively, with only slight variations in the key or tempo of the song. As a result, much of the music on his albums sounds very repetitive. Fortunately the repetiveness is made more tolerable by his outrageous lyrics and vocal delivery.
His lyrics http://ligamusic.com also usually follow a general pattern, although to classify Willis's lyrics according to any conventional rhyme scheme or meter proves difficult. Lyrics generally began with a verse: a four-line spoken stanza, usually consisting of statements about the subject of the song. This was followed by the chorus, which was simply the subject of the song sung anywhere from three to six times in a non-professional, "drunk anthem" type style. Then another verse and another chorus, followed by an instrumental bridge section, where Willis, who had taken to heart the advice he had heard that the ideal song length for radio play is two minutes and 50 seconds would push the "fill" button repeatedly on his keyboard, usually triggering accompanying sound effects. The song ended with another verse, a chorus, and the words "Rock over London! Rock on Chicago," a catchphrase from an hour-long WXRT radio show. It was often followed by a company or product's name and slogan. Each song would end with a different slogan. If performed live, "Chicago" would be replaced with whatever city Willis was performing in.
On a few occasions Willis collaborated with other musicians, with The Wesley Willis Fiasco being the most well known collaborative effort. The style of music was much different from Willis' previous solo material, as the Fiasco concentrated on more of a punk style. The band consisted of Willis on vocals, Pat Barnard on (Lead Guitar), Dale Meiners (Rhythm Guitar), Dave Nooks (Bass) and Brendan Murphy (Drums). They released only one studio album, Spookydisharmoniousconflicthellride (a reference to Willis's description of his schizophrenic episodes). The Fiasco toured with many bands, most notably Rocket from the Crypt, Lordz of Brooklyn, and Sublime. They also released a much sought after and hard to find 7" vinyl split with Sublime, as well as a split with Chicago's The Frogs
Due to conflicts between the Fiasco band's shows and Willis's solo keyboard shows, the band broke up while on tour in Ohio in 1997. Willis stated that the demons in his head worsened during the tour, causing him to constantly yell at the band. After the break up Willis went on to release a number of solo albums. On August 21, 2003, Willis died at the age of 40 in Prospect Heights, Illinois due to complications from chronic myelogenous.
The details of the life Willis lived are perhaps more interesting than the music he was able to produce, as I would assume would be the case for many who live with a powerful psychological disorder such as Schizophrenia. In life Willis was not only known for his music, but for his larger than life personality as well. He would often headbutt fans and random people that he met, which resulted in a large callus on his forehead, which can be seen in almost every photo of him in existence. He was also known for attending hundreds of concerts, where he sold the majority of his CDs face to face. At the time of his death, he had recorded over 1,000 songs but his total life savings were less than $200. Having sold out hundreds of venues across the country, the question still remains where all of his money went. Although Wesley is gone now, and his money remains missing, his legacy and music still remain for all to enjoy. Rock on Chicago... Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions!Year of Release: 1992
Label: Urban Legends
Genre: Punk, Outsider Music
Music blog News http://allmusicnews.wordpress.com
Track List:
1. Get On The Bus
2. I'm Doing It Well On The Side Of The Rea
3. Pop That Pussy
4. Casper The Homosexual Friendly Ghost
5. I Can't Drive
6. He's Doing Time In Jail
7. Bar Is Closed, The
8. Jesus Is The Answer
9. Blood, Guts & Fire Trucks
10. She Loves Me Truly
11. Drink That Whiskey
12. Steve Albini
13. Steve Albini (reprise)
14. I'm Sorry That I Got Fat
Track List:
1. Get On The Bus
2. I'm Doing It Well On The Side Of The Rea
3. Pop That Pussy
4. Casper The Homosexual Friendly Ghost
5. I Can't Drive
6. He's Doing Time In Jail
7. Bar Is Closed, The
8. Jesus Is The Answer
9. Blood, Guts & Fire Trucks
10. She Loves Me Truly
11. Drink That Whiskey
12. Steve Albini
13. Steve Albini (reprise)
14. I'm Sorry That I Got Fat
These Arms Are Snakes/Russian Circles Split 12" EP
This is the first of a series of promo albums released for Record Store Day that I will be posting over the next few days. These Arms are Snakes is a post-hardcore band hailing from Seattle, while the members of post-rock group Russian Circles are natives of Chicago. Both bands are signed to Suicide Squeeze records, and are touring together at the present moment. This split EP was originally released to celebrate their European tour in November 2008, with only 1,000 copies being pressed on 12" black vinyl. 500 copies were sold on tour and 500 were available on Sargent House's webstore. It was reissued once again for Record Store Day, again limited to 1,000 pressings, only this time on 12" clear vinyl.
Year of Release: 2008/Reissued in 2009
Label: Sargent House
Genres: Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Math Rock
Bitrate: 260VBR
Phallus Dei - Pornocrates
As I promised several people, more Phallus Dei. If you want more info about the band, go here. Phallus Dei put a lot of time & creative effort into writing their songs. The payoff is an immaculate sounding & composed piece of musick. This is one powerful album.
"Monumental." On Pornocrates the line-up is the same as Cyberflesh.
Phallus Dei is: Oliver St. Lingam - vocals & sequencing; Mk. E - guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass, & keyboards; Joris Huijbregts - bass, keyboards, accordion, & sequencing; & Richard van Kruysdijk - drums, percussion, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, & sequencing. Written, arranged, produced & performed by Phallus Dei.
Best music http://ligamusic.com
Year of Release: 1994
Label: Paragoric PA 06
Genre: Electronic Industrial
Tracklist:
Dog (Prologue)
On Aloneness
The Arising (A New Day Version)
Unguided Love
Pornocrates (Bloodlust a Go-Go version)
Insignificance
Ladyshave
The Outer Bone
Circles on Circles (Dreams ov Channel Five version)
Never to Believe (My Release version)
Veiled Statues
Dead Birds Floating
Current Lullabye (Epilogue)
Download: Phallus Dei - Pornocrates
Download Size: 109.9MB
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kris Ellestad: A mix of Fleet Foxes and Beirut?
I know, I know, it sounds inconceivable!! But could it be true? We got a lovely and personable email from one Kris Ellestad, a Canadian from the prairies of good ol’ Calgary (S man, where you at?)
Ellestad is a special treat for all of us, because well, he is into this whole digital age mp3 download thing that spurs artists to fame, and he really gets it:
I’ve been writing and recording songs for about 8 years now, though I wouldn’t say I began to write songs I enjoyed playing until about three or four years ago. During that time I put together short ‘albums’ of material from distinct periods in my life, including some live shows, and shared them with family and friends. Some of these I liked more than others, and they ended up on a single-page website I made, all for free download.
In case you misread that last sentence, I’ll repeat a part of it. “…and they ended up on a single-page website I made, all for free download.” Yeah, he’s hip.
But the thing is, we obviously wouldn’t discuss an artist who simply has free music up unless we actually liked the music. Crazy notion right? Ellestad’s music is simple yet beautiful. With a very earthy sound, Ellestad meshes overriding strings and percussion with a mix of what sounds like bells and flutes, depending which track you choose. His voice is eerily reminiscent of Zach Condon’s and the music is lo-fi all the way to its core. The material that I’m sharing with you here is sort of the new direction Ellestad is taking with his music - that direction being a good one. After such a ringing endorsement, how can you not take these tunes for a test run?
Kris Ellestad - “The Secret” [MP3]
Kris Ellestad - “November Steppes” [MP3]
Pick up the other 64 tracks for free download here. Thank you Kris Ellestad.
Miss COED: Misty Dawn
Yowza - you better hold on to something before checking out this chick, or you might pass out from horniness! Ridiculously sexy blond bombshell, Misty Dawn takes looking hot to a whole new level. The 27-year-old Dallas, Texas bikini and glamour model has appeared in countless publications, including the 2006 Miss Bikini and Auto Bodies calendars and was a Playboy Cyber Girl. Excellent http://ligamusic.com
Eminem's Relapse Inspires Our Fantasy Slim Shady Playlist
DJ Drama, the Alchemist, DJ Whoo Kid and more offer up their favorite Em tracks to Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Eminem
Photo: MTV News
Mixtape Daily Special Report
Eminem has been a beast since his demo tape. We all know that. He's told us the good, the bad and the disgusting in his life and never held back any punches. He throws haymakers on the mic, from guest collaborations like "Off the Wall" with Redman and "Renegade" with Jay-Z to the album cut "Marshall Mathers." He's one of the best to ever to do it, and he's made a return to spotlight with his new LP Relapse.
In honor of King Mathers coming back, we're coming double-fisted. First, we have an exclusive, vintage freestyle that Em recorded right here in the MTV offices about a decade ago. As you'll see, Em was still rocking the blond 'do and was a monster, coming off the dome back then. He laid his raps while visiting DJ Stretch Armstrong.
Speaking of DJs, we've assembled some of the best in the game right now to give us their tracks for a fantasy Slim Shady mixtape. Before you have a heart attack, we couldn't include all of Em's greatest songs in one article, but feel free to tell us which ones we should include in part two. Big-up to Alchemist for getting the gig as Em's DJ while he's doing this promo run.
"Just Don't Give a F---"
"It was the first record that really introduced me to Eminem. It was unlike anything I ever heard. When I first heard that, I was an instant fan. When I heard that song, I was a complete nobody at that time. I fooled the world by pretending that I had an online Internet radio show. I got in touch with Eminem and [his manager] Paul Rosenberg and their camp when they was doing promo shows. Back then, I got them to come to my mom's basement, because I was such a fan and I couldn't wait to hear more stuff from this guy. I got them to my mom's basement, and we hung out. He was definitely drunk. ... Definitely, you could tell he was kinda a live wire. He actually came with Royce Da 5'9"." - Clinton Sparks
"The Way I Am"
"To me, Eminem is the ultimate personable artist. He always brings you in his life. 'The Way I Am,' he was already dealing with so much, really coming into his iconic status. For him to deliver that record and deal with what was going on ... it's amazing that a record like that could be a single. Lyrically, he's one of the greatest of all time. That's one of my favorite Eminem records. The flow was ill, as it always is. He delivered quality and gave his Eminem angry approach to it. You could feel the hostility in the record." - DJ Drama
"Love Me" (featuring 50 Cent and Obie Trice)
"That was a hard record right there. I guess it was so much sh-- going on, they didn't concentrate on that record. It was one of those records we should have done the video and pushed it more, but at that time, Eminem didn't need no pushing. He was already moving millions of units. It's hard when you're moving millions of units — 8 million, 10 million units — what's the purpose of concentrating on promoting separate records? Everybody heard it, it was poppin', but I felt they should have put a little light on the record. I think that was the first time we heard Em and 50 together." - DJ Whoo Kid
"Hello"
" 'Hello,' it's Em saying he's back. You could tell Dre mixed that record because of the sound. I like some of the cuts and scratches on the hook. That's the classic Em we love. He's been away for a second. It's Em. His flows on the new album, me personally, I like how he rapped on 'Hello,' the 'Beautiful' record is ill. 'Bagpipes Over Baghdad,' I like the style he raps on that. For my personal taste, I like the introspective Em." - DJ Skee
"Underground"
"When I first heard [Relapse], that was the song I said, 'This is gonna shut mutha----ers up.' Straight up. It would not be an issue. Nobody would be like, 'I didn't like this, I didn't like the flow.' ... When we perform that song, Em takes a spot on the stage, and that's it. He picks a spot and dumbs out. There's not a lot of moving. When we're rehearing the song, you know, 'This is gonna be something crazy.' He says, 'Turn the lights down,' they put the spotlight on Em, and it's just snap rap. In the current day and age, you don't hear songs like that. It doesn't seem like any of that other sh-- going on in the world or in the music industry was going on in his mind when he [made the song]. He was strictly into the craft. I don't think anybody is f---ing with that." - the Alchemist
"Insane"
"The first thing I thought when I heard it was, 'Oh, word? Another thing that happened to him that we're just finding out about?' I was like, 'This guy's life is worse than people think it is.' It's great that he's not afraid to say it or tell the people. There's a lot of people out there that sh-- happens to them that they feel embarrassed or they don't know how to do it. Nobody can tell a tale of tragedy better than Eminem and make it f---ing interesting and cool to listen to and make fun out of it. He's not saying it like 'woe is me.' He's saying, 'This sh-- is f---ed up. F--- it! This is who I became because of it. F--- you.' " - Clinton Sparks
"The Real Slim Shady"
"Em doesn't get much club play [in the U.S.], but when I go overseas and play 'The Real Slim Shady,' that's a classic over there. When people hear it overseas, they be buggin' the f--- out. The beat is hot. It's a long verse, but when the hook comes on, everybody is screaming. It's kinda like 'Jump Around.' I did it recently in Beirut, Lebanon, and parts of France. Those songs connect to the rich people and young kids." - DJ Whoo Kid
"We as Americans"
"That was an old record. That's when he said, 'I don't rap for dead presidents/ I'd rather see the president dead/ It's never been said, but I set precedents.' Sh--, man! He always figures a way to step beyond what other mutha----ers are doing with the bars. I always like that beat too." - the Alchemist
50 Cent's "Patiently Waiting" (featuring Eminem)
"Classic! 50 and Em over an Eminem beat. 50 in rare form, Eminem in rare form. Both on top of the world at the time. A monster who created another monster. That was just classic. Eminem beats at that time was such gold and had such rich sound. 50 fit the beat perfectly on that. Just the hook alone — 'I been patiently waiting for a track to explode on' — summed everything up." - DJ Drama
"8 Mile Road" and "Lose Yourself"
"That whole '8 Mile' soundtrack, even though it wasn't Em on the whole thing, it was ill. 'Lose Yourself,' that was Em's best. That's my favorite commercial Eminem single. That was Em in his prime. It was a great new direction for him. What the people in the mainstream knew him was for some of the funny stuff and all the crazy stuff with Kim. But the inspirational side was great motivation music. I've used it to motivate me. To show a white boy from the 'hood in Detroit can come out and do it, it's inspirational." - DJ Skee
Notorious B.I.G.'s "Dead Wrong Remix" (featuring Eminem)
"That was hot too. Em held it down very well. Nobody complained about that. You would never hear Tupac or Biggie doing songs with 60 percent of the artists that are booked on those remix albums. But Eminem, it felt like B.I.G. would have done a song with Em. With the remixes with dead rappers, I don't pay attention to them, but I wanted to see how Em would alter his lyrics to f--- with Biggie. He hung with him." - DJ Whoo Kid
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
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'Hills' Star Lo Bosworth Avoided 'Pink, Frilly' Gowns For Her Prom
'We had, like, hot outfits and stuff, and we pretended like we were old,' she recalls of her 'Laguna Beach' days.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lo Bosworth
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
It's May — you know what that means. It's getting warm, the flowers are blooming and the time-honored tradition of prom is back again. So get your corsages, turn up the cheesy music and fuel the limos, because this week we're catching up with your favorite stars and helping them relive their favorite prom memories.
Lo Bosworth has several proms to remember fondly. "The Hills" star, who also spent some time in high school in front of the cameras on "Laguna Beach" alongside Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti, told MTV News that she and her friends really made sure they did prom night right back in the day.
"I had so much fun at prom. I went to three proms, actually," she recalled. "I went almost every year of high school, and in Laguna, we did it up."
For the Laguna kids, that meant celebrating prom in the splashiest way possible. "We got huge limos and fabulous dresses — none of this pink, frilly sh--," she said. "We had, like, hot outfits and stuff, and we pretended like we were old, and it was so much fun."
When it came to dates, Lo relied on the company of her best girlfriends, but for one year, there was a very special guy by her side — sort of. "I went with friends every year," she said. "Except one, and that year, I went with my ex-boyfriend. I broke up with him, but we still went to the dance together."
Music News Blog: http://allmusicnews.wordpress.com
Blink-182 Talk Reunion, First Tour In More Than Four Years
'I think it's gonna be amazing,' Tom DeLonge says of the jaunt, which will include Weezer, Fall Out Boy and other acts.
By James Montgomery
Blink-182's Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus
Photo: Jason Merritt
On Thursday night in Hollywood, Blink-182 ended a four-and-a-half-year hiatus with a surprise performance at a T-Mobile party at Paramount Studios. And now that they're officially, 100 percent back, how would they rate the reunion so far?
"Awkward, weird ... a little standoffish. Me and Travis are on one side [of the studio], behind a brick wall, and Tom is outside the wall knocking," Blink's Mark Hoppus told MTV News at the event. "You ever seen that episode of 'The Odd Couple' where they drew the line down the middle of the room? Yeah, it's kind of like that."
"And there's a couple holes where we stick various parts of our bodies through," Tom DeLonge added. "It's really super strange and weird. But it rocks."
And judging by what we heard onstage Thursday night, it does, indeed, rock. So now that they've got one performance under the belt, what about Blink's much-hyped summer tour with Weezer, Fall Out Boy and a rotating list of huge acts (Taking Back Sunday, All-American Rejects, Panic at the Disco, Asher Roth and Chester French)? What can fans expect to see out on the road? Well, lots and lots of lasers, apparently.
"I think it's gonna be amazing. There are amazing bands, they're all big. When we started talking about doing the tour again ... we had all these options start popping up. It was really amazing to be able to end up on the bands we had," DeLonge said. "Usually when you go out on tour, there's a lot of negotiations as far as time and who can do what and when they can do it, or whatever ... I'm gonna be honest right now. The tour is gonna be good. Mark, after f---ing 17 years, might let me have lasers!"
"It's true," Hoppus laughed. "[Lasers] broke up our band at one point, and now it's lasers that are bringing us back together."
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Epson Launches Six Printers in One Go
After a long duration of lull in the printer market, it’s full blooded storm from Epson with their new six printers on the block. The freshmen launched in the market include Epson P50, a multi-function colour photo printer along with five other Stylus segment printers.
The Epson P50 looks somewhat like Epson in its glossy black casing; the designer might always imply that he was inspired by Samsung printers though! It is designed for homes especially and can print documents as well as photo prints.
The five Stylus printers include SX515W, SX415, SX215, SX115 and SX21. All five are meant for homes (once again) and the manufacturer claims to offer prints at an economy; including the lower energy usage. Individual cartridges are provided on these printers to ensure that only the ink that needs replaced gets replaced, and we are talking economy again.
All five printers have subtle difference between each one of them. The top model, SX515W offers Wi-Fi connectivity, 6.3cm LCD viewer and PictBridge connectivity and is priced moderately at …
Fabolous Falls For A Thief In 'Throw It In The Bag' Video
'Definitely want a girl who knows how to go out there and get what she wants,' he says of the inspiration.
By Shaheem Reid
Fabolous and Claudia Jordan
Photo: Fabolous Life
NEW YORK — Def Jam Records had their team working hard Tuesday. In Harlem, Jadakiss and OJ Da Juiceman shot the second part of their "Who's Real" video, while Fabolous filmed his "Throw It in the Bag" clip in lower Manhattan. The-Dream, who sings on Fab's hook, Christina Milian, Irv Gotti, DJ Clue, Ryan Leslie and model Claudia Jordan all came down for cameos.
"This video today is about a girl who likes to throw things in a bag in her own way," Fab said on set. "We got the beautiful Miss Claudia Jordan. You might have seen her on 'Deal or No Deal' or '[Celebrity] Apprentice' or heard her on Jamie Foxx's 'Foxxhole' radio show. We decided to have her in the video because she can walk the walk and talk the talk. ... We had her play as a thief, and she's going in there and throwing things in a bag. But I'm kinda feelin' her. I'm feeling her integrity, I'm feeling her style, I'm feeling her going out and taking what she wants. By the end of the video, I'm kinda looking past her being this big thief, and maybe next time she throws things in the bag is because I'm buying it for her."
Fab said in real life, he's been attracted to women that remind him of Jordan's character.
"Not a shoplifter," he clarified with a chip-tooth grin. "A woman with some edge. Definitely want a girl who knows how to go out there and get what she wants. Not shoplifting, but she makes it happen."
"Throw It in the Bag" is the second video Fab has filmed recently in advance of his summer album, Loso's Way. He already has the clip for "It's My Time" in the can.
"It's saying how long I been in the game and did things my way, and 'It's My Time' again," he explained. "That's more what 'It's My Time' is about — for me to do my thing and wake people up to that. 'Throw It in the Bag,' on the other hand, is another fun record from Fab that has some energy. You can move to it. The girls are gonna like the message to it. Just go out there and not pay attention to what a price tag says: 'Just throw it in the bag.' It's a little motivation for people to go shopping and have some fun with it, too, in the recession."
Over the next several days, Fab is releasing at least two trailers for his album. In one trailer, Fab is decked out in a tux with friends, such as former Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon, enjoying a night on the town when there is an attempt on his life. In another one, Loso walks through a headquarters where cocaine is being cooked up and makes sure his employees are handling their business.
Guest stars on Loso's Way include The-Dream, newcomer Jeremih, Trey Songz, Marsha Ambrosius, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne on a track called "General."
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Witnesses Say London Police Posed as G-20 Protesters
Riot police during protests against the G-20 summit in London on April 1.
Last month we wrote that a photographer in London had written to The Lede to say that he thought he had witnessed undercover police officers trying to incite protesters to violence during the Group of 20 summit in London. This week, The Guardian reports that Tom Brake, a Liberal Democrat M.P. who observed the protests has come forward to say that “he saw what he believed to be two plain-clothes police officers go through a police cordon after presenting their I.D. cards.”
The Guardian reported on Sunday that Mr. Brake plans “to call for an investigation into whether the police used agents provocateurs to incite the crowds.”
New music:
Pixar's journey to Cannes acclaim
Pixar's invitation to launch this year's Cannes Film Festival with their 3D feature Up marks the latest coup for the US computer animation powerhouse.
Lasster (right) is in Cannes with Up's director Pete Docter (left)
It is testament to how the company behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E and Monsters, Inc. has balanced commercial kudos with critical acclaim.
Winner of more than 20 Academy Awards, the company's own proprietary software has placed it at the vanguard of the computer-generated imagery revolution.
But according to its website, Pixar attributes its success to "memorable characters and heart-warming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages."
Pixar's driving force is John Lasseter, a former Disney employee whose formative experiments in computer animation were rejected by the so-called House of Mouse.
Having had his contract terminated, Lasseter ended up making his first short, The Adventures of Andre and Wally B, for a division of George Lucas's LucasFilm.
Technology
When that subsidiary company was bought by Apple founder Steve Jobs in 1986, Pixar was born.
Around this time, computers were often used to fashion special effects in live-action films and to create backgrounds in animated ones.
Lasseter's colleague Ed Catmull, though, challenged him to use the fledgling technology to make characters as well - traditionally the domain of hand-drawn animation.
John's animated shorts impressed Disney so much his old employer agreed to finance his debut feature, 1995's Toy Story.
Up tells of an old man and a boy scout who travel to South America
The first fully computer-animated feature film, it became that year's highest-grossing movie with global box-office takings of $362 million (£238.7 million).
Disney continued to co-produce and distribute Pixar's films, with 1998's A Bug's Life becoming another sizeable hit.
Relations were strained, however, by Disney's contention that Toy Story 2 - a straight-to-video title considered strong enough to warrant a theatrical release - was not covered by their three-picture deal.
Outside the boardroom, Pixar continued to generate a string of blockbuster successes - 2001's Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo (2003)and The Incredibles a year later.
Its shorts, meanwhile, continued to nurture new talent while providing useful testing grounds for the company's latest innovations.
Differences behind the scenes, though, suggested Pixar and Disney's profit-sharing agreement was unsustainable in the long term.
Ambitious
So many were surprised when the companies decided to merge in a 2006 deal which saw Lasseter become Disney/Pixar's overall creative director.
The new arrangement led to the 52-year-old maintain his role at Pixar while taking a supervisory role over Disney's animated product.
Pixar's Walle-E won the best animated feature Oscar earlier this year
Last year Disney/Pixar unveiled an ambitious slate of animated features that will include a third instalment in the Toy Story franchise and a sequel to its 2006 film Cars.
Pixar's other future projects include Newt, a comedy about two bickering salamanders, and The Bear and the Bow, an action adventure set in ancient Scotland.
Since 2000, Pixar have been located at a purpose-built facility in Emeryville, California, a small town close to San Francisco.
Earlier this year, it announced it was opening a second studio in Vancouver, Canada to handle its non-feature projects.
The Pixar team's presence at Cannes begins a lengthy roll-out for Up that will take Lasseter and his colleagues around the world.
Later this year he and his fellow Pixar feature directors will receive a special award at the Venice Film Festival in recognition of their body of work.
Early reactions to Up have been positive, with Variety's critic calling it "a captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along".
Screen International's reviewer agrees, describing Pete Docter's film - out in the UK in October - as "a marvel of a movie which will enchant cinema-goers around the world".
Thursday, April 16, 2009
American Apparel Fights Dirty in Lawsuit with Woody Allen
Just when you thought American Apparel couldn't get any sleazier, founder Dov Charney and his legal team have managed to set a new low. You might remember that back in 2007, the hipster clothing outlet put up a billboard featuring an image of Woody Allen in full Hasidic gear from his 1977 film Annie Hall. Remember that brilliant piece of marketing? Well, turns out nobody bothered to enquire after the man, and before you knew it, he was on the horn with his lawyers to launch a $10 million lawsuit against the company for the unauthorized usage of his image -- Allen even went so far as to call the brand, "sleazy", "young" and "infantile". But it looks like things are going to get even uglier, because legal representation for American Apparel have announced that on May 18th in a Manhattan district court, they will rake over every salacious detail of Allen's personal life in an try to prove that Allen's image isn't worth much to begin with. According to AA's lawyer, "I think Woody Allen overestimates the value of his image. Certainly, our belief is that after the various sex scandals that Woody Allen has been associated with, corporate America's desire to have Woody Allen endorse their product is not what he may believe it is." Now I might be a little biased on this one because I am a big fan of Mr. Allen's work, but dragging up old accusations of child molestation and details from his messy divorce seems shady even by Charney's standards. AA's lawyers have already requested documentation regarding 'sex scandals' and custody hearings (which Allen has refused to provide), and if Charney and his lawyer get their way, they will have turned a simple case of copyright infringement into a full-blown personal raid. Do you think AA has a point? Is Allen's personal life fair game? Or is this just an try to dodge a $10 million payout by embarrassing the man? Sound off below...Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand Read
ndie Roundup: 'Bama Girl,' Moon Walking, 'Anvil,' 'Eichmann'
Tax day can be stressful -- trust me, I feel your pain -- so Indie Roundup is here to make you feel better with soothing news of the intrepid indie film community. Touring. Rachel Goslins' acclaimed doc 'Bama Girl got underway on its so-called "Southern Circuit Tour" this week, barnstorming across the South at a variety of venues through April 24. The doc revolves far a woman who wants to become the first African-American Homecoming Queen at her university, despite the nefarious efforts of a secret society determined to keep the crown lily white. Jette Kernion called it "one of the most entertaining movies" she saw at SXSW last year. More information is to hand at the official site; Ms. Goslins is also blogging adjacent to her adventures. Box Office. Over the weekend, two docs outdrew Hannah Montana on a per-screen basis. Mark Cowen's Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, re-released in four IMAX theatres, took in $15,845 per screen, per Box Office Mojo. Produced and narrated by Tom Hanks, the 40-minute film was originally released in 2005. Sacha Gervasi's Cinematical-approved heavy metal doc Anvil! The Story of Anvil, pulled in $11,550 per-screen at three severely-rocking cinemas. The never-say-die original band members are terribly appealing; check out the trailer embedded below for evidence. Deals. Two films have been acquired for distribution today, according to indieWIRE. Regent Releasing and Here Media picked up Robert Young's docudrama Eichmann and will release it theatrically in October. The film stars the generally terrific Thomas Kretschmann in the title role and Franka Potente as the wife of Eichmann's interrogator after Hitler's architect of "the final solution" was captured in Argentina. After the jump: Today's other deal -- for The Horse Boy; plus news on the Atlanta and New York film fests.Filed under: Documentary, Drama, Independent, Deals, Box Office, Distribution, Exhibition, New York, Other Festivals, Cinematical Indie, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Indie Roundup: 'Bama Girl,' Moon Walking, 'Anvil,' 'Eichmann'
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Hugh Jackman appears as Wolverine in this new Body By Milk handbill, teaching kids that they too can grow adamantium claws if they drink a lot of dairy. PostmodernBarney takes a look at the hidden real uncomfortable plot summaries in movie history. For example, Ghostbusters was really nearly a group of unemployed college professors who destroy hotels with weapons. (Thanks to Jen Yamato) Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for “sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.” [ropesofsilicon] A ton of new stories that just didn’t make the front page of /Film, accessible after the jump. Production on Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice has moved into Chinatown this week to shoot some exteriors for what I can only guess is the Chinese New Year scene. [BadandUgly] A $146 million, 750,000-square-foot film and television production studio is being constructed in Allen Park, Michigan. [wrap] On Easter, President Obama read Where the Wild Things Are, one of his favorite books. I wonder what the president will think of Spike Jonze’s film adjusting. [youtube] Wow, Variety changed their design to look more like The Hollywood Reporter… that makes sense… oh wait, it doesn’t?” Turkish Rambo is finally coming to DVD. [filmjunk] A few clips from Michael Giacchino’s Star Trek score are now online on Colosseum.de. The end title incorporates the theme from the original television series. Milton Bradley is releasing a Transformers-branded All Spark-themed Rubiks Cube. [tfw2005] Van Williams, who played the Green Hornet in the 1960’s, will have a cameo in Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet. [MTV] New Regency and 20th Century Fox are teaming to turn the classic TV series Father Knows Best into a feature film. [Variety] Mini-LOL: Sweahearts has released Twilight-branded glittery heart shaped candies called “Forbidden Fruits,” featuing the Twilight-related phrases such as “LAMB,” “SOUL MATE,” “BITE ME,” “TRUST ME,” and “DAZZLE.” [filmdrunk] Rotten Tomatoes caught up with Bai Ling (Crank 2, Southland Tales) and talked to the actress nearly her five favorite films: Casablanca, Traffic, In the Mood For Love, Red Corner, and Roman Holiday. Richard Jenkins has signed to star opposite Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love for Columbia Pictures. [variety] Zooey Deschanel appears and provides vocals for a new Cotton commercial. Cameron Crowe is working on a documentary nearly the band Pearl Jam. [playlist] Roger Ebert respondes to TCM’s 15 Most Influential Films of All Time. Japanese audiences would love to see a big screen movie reworking of the video game Dragon Quest, according to an online poll. [/Gamer] Edgar Wright has posted a new photo from the set of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which features a bus advertisment for Chris Evan’s movie-star character Lucas Lee. Zac Efron owns a DeLorean, and his favorite movie is Back to the Future. This makes us hate him a little less. Teen Hollywood has spun a quote from Efron, claiming that the High School Musical star would like to play Marty McFly in a new Back to the Future movie. Lets prey some Hollywood executive doesnt read this and get any “brilliant” ideas. [cinematical] Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired the motion picture rights to REMOTE CONTROL, a thriller novel by Mark Burnell nearly a former war correspondent, now British corporate intelligence analyst, who gets caught up in a conspiracy by Western corporations to destabilize the Chinese economy. Following the trail to the United States, he discovers that his former lover is also being pursued. On the run together, they try to unravel the mystery of the conspiracy while trying to stay teeming. [PRN] Another new photo is released of Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables Cinematical has a list of seven great directors who started with B-movies. Rocksteady Games has released another trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum, which focuses on the reveal of Bane. [/Gamer] Someone finally made a video game based on the SAW horror film franchise. Watch the trailer below.
The Green Lantern Has $150 Million Budget, Shooting in Sydney
Warner Bros has decided to shoot The Green Lantern at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney. THR is reporting that the film’s budget is everywhere $150 million. To put that in perspective (and these are all estimated numbers…), Fantastic Four was $100M, Iron Man was $140M, Watchmen was $150M, The Dark Knight was $185M, X-Men: The Last Stand was $210M and Spider-Man 3 topped $258M. But why Australia? The reported $150 million budget is worth a lot more in Sydney. The production was attracted by the decline in value of the Australian dollar, a 15% location rebate from the Australian federal government, on top of the incentives supplied by the New South Wales government. The film is planning to begin in July with verifiable filming scheduled to start in November. The film is currently set to hit theaters on December 17th 2010. Related Stories Could Chris Pine Be The Green Lantern? Martin Campbell in Talks to Direct The Green Lantern Casting Rumor: Ryan Gosling as The Green Lantern? Green Lantern Aims For Spring 2009 Shoot Green Lantern Movie on Fast Track? Justice League Back in Development? The Green Lantern Gets a Director
See Kevin Smith Play Carnegie Hall
A famous venerable legend tells the story of a New Yorker who is approached in the street near Carnegie Hall, and asked, “Pardon me sir, but how do I get to Carnegie Hall?” He replies, “Practice, practice, practice.” Writer/Filmmaker/Entertainer Kevin Smith has announced that he will be doing one of his live events, An Evening With Kevin Smith, in New York City at the famous legendary Carnegie Hall. The show is going to take place on June 17th 2009 at 8:00pm. Tickets go on sale at 11:00am eastern time on Thursday morning. Carnegie Hall won’t be officially announcing the show/sales info to the rest of the world until April 20th. So you have a few days to grab tickets before the rest of New York. You can find more information and order tickets here. Even some of my friends who aren’t fans of Smith’s work love hearing his stories. Smith is hilarious live. If you havent already, check out the dvd releases of his previous stand-ups: An Evening with Kevin Smith, An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder, and SOLD OUT: A Threevening with Kevin Smith. If you’ve never heard Smith tell the story of his experiences writing a new Superman movie, check it out now on YouTube. Related Stories Kevin Smith on the Bright Side of The Internet Kevin Smith Talks About the Dark Side of the Internet Kevin Smith Talks About A Couple of Dicks Kevin Smith and the /Filmcast Review Watchmen (/Filmcast: Ep. 41) A Couple Of Dicks: Warner Bros Doesn’t COP Out /Filmcast Ep. 40 - Dave Gibbons Interview and Rachel Getting Married Review
Errol Morris To Make Second Non-Documentary Film
Update: I have been quickly corrected. This is not Errol’s first non documentary film. He directed a mystery film called The Dark Wind in 1991. One of the best documentarians in the history of cinema has announced that he will be making his first second fictional feature film, kinda. Errol Morris, who won an Academy Award for Fog of War in 2003, has signed on to direct the Untitled Cryonics Project for Mandate Pictures. The film isn’t entirely fictional. Based on Robert F Nelson’s memoir “We Froze the First Man” and a story which aired on NPR’s This American Life titled “You’re as Cold as Ice,” Stranger Than Fiction screenwriter Zach Helm was brought on board to pen the customization. The dark comedy, set in the 1960’s, tells the true story of a television repairman who who joined a group of enthusiasts who believed they could cheat death with a new technology called cryonics. But as Variety puts it, “freezing dead people so scientists could reanimate them in the future turned out to be harder than Nelson thought.” You can listen to the story which ran on NPR on thisAmericanLife.org. I’m very interested to see how Morris does with a non-documentary narrative feature. Related Stories This American Life Getting Into Movies, Plan Spy Romance For Starters Carts of Darkness, a Cool Documentary, is Online VOTD: Survivors by Errol Morris Editors Blog: Oscar Notes
Movie Trailer: Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience
Magnolia Pictures has released the trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience. Set in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, the film tells the story of five days in the life of Chelsea (full-grown film star Sasha Grey in her mainstream film debut), an ultra high-end Manhattan call girl who offers more than sex to her clients, but companionship and conversation – “the girlfriend experience.” Chelsea thinks she has her life totally under control—she feels her future is secure because she runs her own business her own way, makes $2000 an hour, and has a devoted boyfriend (Chris Santos) who accepts her lifestyle. But when you’re in the business of meeting people, you never know who you’re going to meet… The film has a surprise premiere, which I missed, at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Cinematical called it “an intimate and yet honest movie roughly honesty and intimacy.” Film School Rejects said that “Soderbergh has captured some truly stunning visuals and has delivered a non-linear narrative that is both engaging and not overly complicated.” CHUD said it felt like “Soderbergh’s indie half and mainstream half coming together; while related to Bubble, it feels much more attainable and complete.” The trailer is pretty intriguing. The Girlfriend Experience will be released On Demand on April 30th, and will hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, May 22nd. Related Stories Two New Posters Amuse and Impress: The Girlfriend Experience and The Graves Woody Allen and Miyazaki Not Included on EW’s 25 Greatest Active Film Directors List Soderbergh To Direct “Liberace” Biopic, Michael Douglas To Play Lead Matt Damon Defines Summer Style in Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant Steven Soderbergh’s Che Receives Major Response at Cannes, Palm d’Or Talk First Look: The Informant, Jennifer’s Body, Max Payne, Coco Chanel
Transformers 2 Video Game Concept Art
The official website for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game reveals some interesting new concept astuteness wiles. Of course, the craft was created for the video game, and the movie. But since the game is supposedly closely tied into the film’s plot, I thought the concept paintings still might be relavant. Plus, I am a sucker for concept astuteness wiles. Take a look at the piece over which shows how small Bumblebee is in relation to Demolisher. You might remember Optimus Prime dangling off of this massive constructicon in the trailers. More concept craft after the jump.
Eli Roth to Shoot Transformers/Cloverfield Scale Movie this Fall
“I’m nearly done with my new script,” says Eli Roth to MTV. “Yippee” says Brendon to the dog and an episode of Desperate Housewives which is only on by accessory. According to a new interview with the director, he’s planning to shoot n $80 million actioner this fall and then, in the immediate three weeks following, bash out a feature length version of Thanksgiving for $5 million. Those are, I’m sure, figures he just pulled out of the puff but they tell the story. We’ve heard of the sci-fi blockbuster before, when we learned that Roth envisioned it as “PG-13″ but with some extra stuff in standby to make for an unrated DVD, and when he first made the Transformers/Cloverfield comparison. The picture now has a working title, but Roth won’t reveal it yet. He was ready, however, to talk the film up somewhat. It’s going to be something that is really fun with lots of mass destruction. I wanted to do something along the lines of Transformers or Cloverfield that was a little more science fiction-based, and with lots of chaos and mass destruction. When asked what the villain, threat or monster in the film would be, he called on his inner Barnum once more: I don’t want to say what yet. Once it gets set up, I will let everyone know. It is not aliens or robots or a virus - it’s a little more grounded. But when people hear it they are going to be like ‘That is going to be insane!’. There’s no mention in the interview of Trailer Trash, Roth’s proposed compilation of fake movie trailers. He was patently planning to make most of them himself, with guest directors handling a fair handful and there was supposedly going to be a clever way of providing some kind of overall structure to the film. Previously, Roth said he wanted Trash to be his version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, referring to how totally painfully funny it would be. Studios who want to take on the actioner will also be expected to go for Thanksgiving, with Roth offering them only as an indivisible package. Who could turn down an Eli Roth movie for just $5 million? Especially after he’s described how over-the-top it will be: The sickest, bloodiest, most violent slasher movie. I want to make the highest body count slasher film I can. I think Roth has just found a brilliant way of tempting the suits into stumping up the relatively risky $80 million he’s looking to net in funds for the big, bad, slam-bam piece. Related Stories Cool Stuff: Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving T-Shirt and Poster 34 Minute Q&A with Hostel: Part II Director Eli Roth Inglourious Basterds Teaser Trailer Eli Roth Guest Directs Inglourious Basterds IngloUrious BastErds VOTD: Eli Roth on Rock N Roll High School
Dailies From Joel Schumacher’s Creek Show Up Online
Joel Schumacher’s Creek - which I thought was still called Town Creek, until Quiet Earth told me otherwise - is completed and ready to roll out, though I’m yet to see that any trailer or other marketing materials have been issued. Curiously, however, a series of dailies for the film have turned up online and been discovered by the aforementioned QE team. The most striking element is Darko Suvak’s cinematography, which continues Schumacher’s recent trend of collaborating with exiting directors of photography from John Mathieson to Matthew Libatique. While the shots are edited together in some sense, this could in no way be seen as a polished congregation. It certainly makes the film look a whole lot more appealing than I’d ever have imagined - see for yourself after the break. Here’s over 3:00 minutes of the film which, unsurprisingly, contains some spoiler material. Now, this isn’t a leak on a par with Wolverine but I don’t think things like this are really supposed to find their way onto the internet. On the other hand, this could be one of the best viral campaigns in recent times - it certainly creates intrigue for a Joel Schumacher picture which isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Here’s a plot summary for the film, in case you’ve never even heard of it: A man and his brother on a mission of revenge become trapped in a harrowing occult experiment dating back to the Third Reich. I want to know more. Incidentally, screenwriter David Kajganich is the man scripting the in-development new film of Stephen King’s It. You may have recognised Dominic Purcell, Henry Cavill or Michael Fassbender in the clip (well done, Joel - that reads like a real promising set of leads) but probably didn’t recognise Emma Booth. That was her at the window, I believe. Amusingly, she’s also taken on the role of Germaine Greer for Hippie Hippie Shake. Man, I love to see actors pretending to be real life public figures. What does that say nearly me? Related Stories Kiefer Sutherland Talks Lost Boys Prequel, Tells The Tribe to FO The Number 23 Movie Review Joel Schumacher eyes Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman
The End of Terminator Salvation will Divide Audiences
When a fourth Terminator film was first announced, it was revealed that the film would be the first of a planned three-film story arc, or trilogy. Halcyon has already announced the development of Terminator 5. All that is needed before they get the official green light is a nice opening weekend box office, which at this point, is pretty much expected. There has been a lot of internet chatter hither the ending of Terminator Salvation. An early internet leak of the film’s finale angered fans enough to warrant a rewrite. But how does the film end? Obviously the war is far from over by the time the credits role. So does the movie end on a high-note like A New Hope, or more of a dark cliffhanger like Empire Strikes Back? “The ending is indeed elliptical,” McG tells MTV . “And it challenges the audience. It’s not a happy little bow of an ending at all. The ending is tough and requires reflection, and in some degrees it bifurcates the audience. You walk back to the car and one person thinks it means this, and the other person thinks it means that.” One thing is for sure, this is not the ending that Sarah Connor told us connected with. Related Stories McG Wants Robert Patrick for Terminator 5 McG is Developing Terminator 5 Terminator Salvation is Rated PG-13? Internet Leak Leads To Radical Repairs to McG’s Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger Still Reluctant To Appear in Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation Movie
Chris Cunningham’s Gucci Commercial
Why hasn’t Chris Cunningham made a feature film yet? The UK special effects artist turned music video and short film director creates some incredible work . He was once fastened to a big screen conversion of William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer, but rumor has it that he clashed with the Hollywood system. Apparently Chris is now doing commercial work, and last year shot this beautiful commercial for Flora, a new Gucci fragrance. Starring Australian model Abbey Lee, the commercial was shot over four days in Latvia using a field of more than 20,000 fake flowers. You can read more with regard to the commercial on DazedDigital or watch it after the jump. Related Stories No Related Post
Set Visit: The Crazies
Remakes get a bad rap amongst filmgoers, and understandably so. Instead of attempting to fulfill the potential hinted at in failed or dated movie projects, Hollywood has proven time and time again that the sole purpose of most remakes is to cash in on the success of the near faultless original films. Occasionally though, there’s a glimmer of hope. A quick glance at two of the best horror films the genre has to offer—The Thing and The Fly—clearly demonstrates that technological advances in filmmaking can be used to more effectively convey an older film’s story. While those films were remakes of ’50s cinema, we’ve also seen a vast of array of ’70s remakes—Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left—that have proven to be worthy modern takes on dated (albeit classic) material. The Crazies, due out September 25, is the latest remake to try on to join the ranks of those films. Based on the cult classic directed and co-written by George Romero, the film tells the story of a small town struck by insanity when an unknown toxin starts turning its happy, law-abiding citizens into mindless killing machines. Trying desperately to survive both the infected populace and the subsequent military response, the town’s Sherrif (Timothy Olyphant), his pregnant wife (Radha Mitchell), his deputy (Joe Anderson), and an collaborator at the medical center (Danielle Panabaker) find themselves forced to band together if they ever intend on getting out of the town number the living. Last week I was granted the opportunity to visit the film’s set at Peach County High School in Georgia, where the crew was getting prepped for a lengthy night shoot. Once there, we first spent some time speaking to director Breck Eisner (Sahara), who explained his stance on remaking the film. Honestly, any time you do a remake or a reimagining, and this is definitely more of a reimagining than a remake, you want to have target aspects of the movie that they didn’t have access to when they first made it. My theory on remaking movies or reimagining movies is that there should be something that they weren’t proficient to do the first time far. That you can do differently. So it’s not like just redoing Psycho or redoing a perfect movie, it’s redoing something that had limitations. One of big limitations for [George] Romero was obviously budget. I think he had 200 grand or 275 grand to make the entire movie. We’re obviously spending more money than that—it’s not a big budget movie, but we have better assets so we can represent the government as the scale of the force that it needs to be in a movie like this that is oppressive and realistic for us. We spent the rest of the evening having the end of that comment proven to us, as we ventured next to a massive field on the outskirts of the high school. The ground was littered with dozens of identical white tents, black police cruisers with flashing lights, armored trucks, shining spotlights, military men wearing black gas masks, and best of all, numerous combat helicopters flying right overhead. The scene in question was clearly depicting one of the government’s attempts to contain the outbreak, as the masked soldiers were escorting many of the 300 odd film extras they had on set (comprised of nearly as many children as men and women) into various grated vehicles and fenced-in areas of the camp. One of the scenes we witnessed being filmed was a lengthy single-take tracking shot, which followed Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell as they’re escorted off a bus, through one of the tents, and eventually ends with them being separated by the soldiers as Olyphant violently struggles to remain with Radha while she screams in the distance. In terms of scope, I think it’s safe to say that The Crazies won’t disappoint, but it’s still too early to tell if the film is capable of providing us with something we haven’t seen before. Helping to quell any remaining fears though, we return to Eisner, who also answered a number of questions I suspect horror buffs have been wondering ever since the project was first announced. Let’s start with the big one: Yes, the film will be R-rated. In terms of how violent the film will be, Eisner commented that, “It’s horrific and it’s certainly graphic,” but also explained that “It’s not a blood bath by any stretch of the imagination.” The focus here is on realism over excess gore, ever showing blood when aside but never going overboard. Another point of interest was some of the differences from the original, such as the look of the “crazies” themselves. Whereas in the original the infected were visually no different than anyone else, here there are 5 different stages of development—the first being before anything happens, and the fifth being death. The second stage involves noticeable psychological changes, but no physical alterations. After that, the effects become rather gruesome. Massive veins run from their neck up to their face, their eyes are blood-red, and nasty blemishes cover their disease-ridden faces. Eisner explained: The challenge for us was making them look interesting, making them look iconic, but not look like zombies, and not look so far over the top that you don’t believe that there could be a sickness that made this happen. You’ll see when at the very latest stages of the disease, it’s pretty pronounced. We just went through these really horrific books of diseases and started pulling from the best. Seeing what the “crazies” look like was a personal highlight of the set visit for me, since it also entailed examining make-up designer Rob Hall’s FX trailer. Inside we caught a glimpse of what Hall claimed was one of his favorite kills in the film, featuring the remains of a sleazy-looking overweight man that’s had his jaw ripped clean off. We also saw the dead body of, if I’m not mistaken, the town’s mayor, who’s had his rib cage ripped open. As brutal as both of those deaths looked though, I’m much more curious to see the events that lead to the prosthetic hand we found getting a knife stabbed through it, which Hall let slip belongs to Timothy Olyphant’s character. Clearly, the quality of gore is another ground in which the remake seeks to improve on the original, but the changes don’t end there. In the original film, Romero structured the narrative to focus the point of view from both the survivors and the military, whereas this time surrounding Eisner informed us that “There’s no military point of view at all.” Any time you go into the point of military, it goes away from horror and it goes to encounter and ‘Bourne Identity’ kind of tension and not ‘horror’ tension. So, to me it was much more interesting being in the point of view of our townsfolk and with the suppressive, nameless, faceless force, i.e. the military, in bio-containment suits wandering surrounding and being the force that’s putting them through the terror. That as well as the other infected crazies that are roaming the town. In besides to speaking with Breck Eisner, we also had a chance to talk with the film’s cast. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll simply talk some of the more interesting things they had to share. In our interview with Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Live Free or Die Hard), he discussed how he originally didn’t find the character in the script too appealing: “I felt like I had a cliche. We had a wife who was pregnant, we had that, but it wasn’t enough.” But after collaborating with Eisner, they were proficient to flesh him out in a way that really helps to strengthen the relationships in the film. [It's] this idea of being a guy whose father was the sheriff and whose father’s father was the sheriff and watching this unfold and him kind of trying to figure out if he took this job for the right reasons and if he’s the right guy for the job. And of course the fun of it is he doesn’t know why these things are happening. The audience is in on the joke that he’s not. Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill) had a very different type of roadblock to overcome, sharing with us the experience of one of her many physically-draining scenes where she had to bash in the head of a “crazy”. Joe Anderson (The Ruins), meanwhile, elaborated a bit on his character in the film: “Russell’s not a particularly bright guy, but I think he’s kind of driven. He’s a little more gung ho and a little more hot-headed than Dutton [Olyphant's character].” One of the more intriguing bits of info came from Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th), who hinted at what appears to be a very cool car wash sequence: “We pull into the car wash to hide from the helicopters. Things go very wrong.” Not particularly revealing, admittedly, but hopefully this early look at what The Crazies has in store for us is enough to tide you over until a trailer gets released in the months winning. And remember, you can check out the film in theaters this September. Related Stories First Look: Bruce Willis in Surrogates Breck Eisner’s Creature from the Black Lagoon Remake Moving Forward Henry Poole Is Here Movie Trailer Steve Zahn to Star in David Twohy’s The Perfect Getaway The Ruins Movie Poster Stop-Loss Movie Poster
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