Autumnblaze & other: June 2008

Friday 27 June 2008

Squad 21

Artist: Squad 21

   Genre(s):
Punk

Discography:

Skullduggery

Year: 2004
Tracks: 14

Monday 23 June 2008

Andy Street and Mach Krys and Jo Azusa and Jerome

Artist: Andy Street and Mach Krys and Jo Azusa and Jerome

   Genre(s):
New Age

Discography:

Elements-Desert Light

Year: 2003
Tracks: 12

Spirit Of The Wind

Year: 1999
Tracks: 12

Wednesday 18 June 2008

'Incredible Hulk' set to smash boxoffice

'The Happening' also opens wide this weekend

This weekend features a couple of popcorn movies in the best sense of the expression: entertaining and broadly appealing films with the potential to sell lots of tickets and concessions.

Universal bows a much-eyed Marvel remake of "The Incredible Hulk," while Fox unspools M. Night Shyamalan's sci-fi horror film "The Happening." No one is going to fall asleep watching either one, and their combined take should keep the recently reinvigorated summer boxoffice lively.

Prerelease tracking shows that "Hulk" should open comfortably north of $40 million and "Happening" could happen upon $25 million or so. Such performances would help shape a Father's Day weekend capable of besting the $141 million in industry grosses rung up during the comparable frame a year ago, when "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" bowed with $58.1 million amid light competition.

At least one industry analyst -- Drew Crum of the Stifel Nicolaus investment firm -- projects an opening weekend for "Hulk" of up to $60 million. But that forecast looks substantially overheated compared with the consensus estimate.

Most industryites suggest that even a $50 million bow would represent an incredible haul for Universal and Marvel. After all, this was a film greenlighted amid broad skepticism over the merits of a "Hulk" remake.

Produced for an estimated $150 million, the effects-laden film follows the attempt by Universal to bring the Marvel character to the big screen via June 2003's simply titled "Hulk." Despite opening with $62.1 million, the Ang Lee-helmed first "Hulk" sunk like a rock over subsequent frames and was widely dissed as a critical and commercial failure after ringing up a total of $132.2 million domestically.

So though the remake likely will open more modestly, Universal executives hope it will show much sturdier legs than the original and reinvigorate fanboy interest in the franchise. Early critical reaction has been positive.

"We're looking for a solid opening, but it's important that we take a look at what the final domestic version is before we make any comparisons with the film that was made five years ago," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said. "Marvel did a wonderful job addressing any problems that fans may have had with the last film."

Complaints with the first "Hulk" primarily involved its dark tone as well as grumbling over visual effects. Louis Leterrier ("The Transporter") helmed the remake, with Edward Norton replacing Eric Bana in the title role.

"The Hulk is the most popular, the most beloved of all Marvel characters," Universal chairman Marc Shmuger said. "Marvel has reinvented the movie in such a way that it can really connect with its fan base and also cross over into a broader audience. That's a big plus for the company and for the Marvel brand."

If the PG-13 film's boisterously positive reception at its Sunday premiere is any gauge, the green lug might be back on his way to Franchiseville. For now, suffice to say that pre-release interest has prompted exhibitors to schedule a smattering of midnight Thursday showtimes in larger markets, always a good sign.

Shyamalan's recent track record at the boxoffice has been similarly checkered, featuring a disappointing $18 million bow for "Lady in the Water" in July 2006 and the impressive $50.7 million debut for "The Village" in July 2004.

Considering that, Fox executives believe it's a good sign that audience awareness for the R-rated "Happening" is decent for all four polling quadrants, covering younger and older males and females. Yet must-see sentiment appears a tad modest for the Mark Wahlberg starrer.

A $50 million production co-financed by UTV Motion Pictures, "Happening" would be well-served to draw reviews lauding a return to form for the helmer after the critical drubbing of "Lady." Early reviews haven't been auspicious in that regard, but execs predict that word-of-mouth will be strong regardless.

Still, a likely $30 million-plus second frame for the Paramount-distributed "Kung Fu Panda," from DreamWorks Animation, means "Happening" likely will land in third place for the session when all the dust settles.

See Also

Thursday 12 June 2008

Amy Winehouse Arrives Hour Late To Portuguese Festival

Amy Winehouse arrived more than an hour late for her scheduled appearance at a festival in Portugal yesterday (May 30th).

Winehouse's set at the Rock in Rio music festival, one of her first public performances of 2008, was described as “underwhelming" by the media.

Upon arrival, the singer apologised to the 90,000 strong crowd, saying she had been suffering from a sore throat.

The Associated Press reports that Winehouse had cuts on her left arm and that the crowd booed the singer before she arrived.

Yesterday it was confirmed that Winehouse would perform at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations in Hyde Park next month.

Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox and Queen are among the others confirmed for the event on June 27th.

For more information CLICK HERE or check out our new look Gig Guide.

Check out our pictures of the singer below...

See Also

Surly Bird Crushes The Worm

Dennis Rodman was minding his own business last night at Les Deux when some drunk chick dissed him -- hardcore.
Dennis Rodman: Click to watch

For someone who just got out of rehab, he sure makes a lot of late-night club appearances.

See Also

David Torn

Artist: David Torn

   Genre(s):
Soundtrack
   Avantgarde
   Jazz
   Jazz: Jazz-Rock

Discography:

The Order

Year: 2003
Tracks: 16

Polytown

Year: 2001
Tracks: 10

What Means Solid Traveller

Year: 1996
Tracks: 10

Tripping Over God

Year: 1995
Tracks: 13

Door X

Year: 1990
Tracks: 10

Cloud About Mercury

Year: 1986
Tracks: 6

Best Laid Plans

Year: 1985
Tracks: 1

Soft Cells

Year:
Tracks: 61

Microsong Cells

Year:
Tracks: 12

Hard Cells

Year:
Tracks: 40

Cell Damage

Year:
Tracks: 60

New York-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, isaac M. Singer, writer, and self-described "texturalist/guitarist" David Torn lent his distinctive expressive style to legion films and documentaries and collaborations. He worked with composers Howard Shore, Carter Burwell, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, as well as appeared on recordings from k.d. lang, David Bowie, Jim Carroll, Laurie Anderson, and a host of others. His solo workings let in Best Laid Plans (1984), Cloud About Mercury (1986), Door X (1990), Swingy Over God (1995), What Means Solid, Traveller? (1996), Splattercell's Oah (2000), the soundtrack to the Heath Ledger thriller The Order (2003), and the ECM acquittance Prezens (2007).

Angel Rot

Artist: Angel Rot

   Genre(s):
Metal

Discography:

Unlistenable Hymns Of Indulgent Damnage

Year: 1999
Tracks: 10

Formed in 1991 by White Zombie's original guitar player Tom 5 (so nicknamed, fable has it, because his performing was the equate of five guitarists), New Jersey's Angel Rot was one of the nearly unmarked players in New York's resistance metal scene during the '90s. With bassist Mike Davis and drummer Steven Kleiner in towage, Angel Rot recorded their debut, Unlistenable Hymns of Indulgent Damnage, in 1993. But the master tapes were reputedly lost and tied after being recovered, the album only adage the light of clarence Day six-spot geezerhood afterward when it was released by the Man's Ruin label. By then, the trio's touring lineup included bassist Gyda Gash and drummer Scott Octane.

Harry Potter - Radcliffe To Attend Murdered Teens Funeral

HARRY POTTER star DANIEL RADCLIFFE will attend the funeral of his murdered co-star ROBERT KNOX.

The 18-year-old, who won the role of Marcus Belby in the forthcoming film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, died from multiple stab wounds following an altercation in Kent, England last month (May08).

Knox's family have revealed the movie's stars will attend the funeral.

His uncle John Knox, says, "We've heard that the Harry Potter stars have asked to come to Rob's funeral.

"It will be a fitting tribute to Rob. He looked up to them and told us how much he admired them all.

"It was his dream to be an actor and I have no doubt given the time and the training he would have made it."

A man has been charged with Knox's murder.

See Also

Winehouse Denies Israel Rehab Trip

Amy Winehouse has refuted reports she is set to travel to Israel to receive rehabilitative treatment to kick her alleged drug addiction. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the troubled singer was reportedly ordered by her management to undergo a "very short, intensive and effective treatment" costing $12,800 (£6,400) at the western Asian country's Barzilai Medical Centre. But Chris Goodman, a spokesman for the singer, insists the 24-year-old Rehab hitmaker has "no plans" to fly to Israel. He says, "These are just old rumours. She's going back in the studio and has absolutely no plans to go abroad for treatment."

See Also

Karnataka College Of Percussio

Artist: Karnataka College Of Percussio

   Genre(s):
Retro

Discography:

Mishram

Year: 1997
Tracks: 8

Jyothi

Year: 1983
Tracks: 6

Temple of the Dog

Artist: Temple of the Dog

   Genre(s):
ROck: Alternative

Discography:

Temple of the Dog

Year: 1991
Tracks: 10

Temple of the Dog was a one-album project conceived in 1990. The role of Temple of the Dog was to ante up tribute to the tardy Andrew Wood, the pb isaac M. Singer of Mother Love Bone, world Health Organization died of a heroin overdose in 1990. Following his death, Mother Love Bone stone-broke up, merely Wood's bandmates Jeff Ament (freshwater bass) and Stone Gossard (guitar) distinct to continue on the job together. Before Ament and Gossard formed a new stripe, they assembled Temple of the Dog, recruiting Chris Cornell (vocals) and Matt Cameron (drums) from Soundgarden to chassis the nucleus of the chemical group. Temple of the Dog likewise featured contributions from then-unknown singer Eddie Vedder and guitarist Mike McCready.

Temple of the Dog recorded their eponymous album in 1990, releasing it at the ending of the year on A&M Records. The album standard positive reviews upon its release, simply didn't chart until the summer of 1992, when Pearl Jam -- a band Ament, Gossard, Vedder, McCready, and drummer Dave Krusen formed in late 1990 afterwards the pass completion of the Temple of the Dog album -- had a Top Ten album with their debut record, Decade. Following the success of Ten, A&M re-released "Starve Strike" -- a duette between Vedder and Cornell -- as a video and single, and the album apace scaled the charts, reaching the Top Ten and exit pt earlier the end of 1992.

Sugar Ray