Pop Culture Buzz

WATCH THE SECOND “WALL-E” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW

The plot for the next Pixar masterpiece starts on an abandoned Earth where trash has taken over, a robot named WALL-E (which stands for “Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth”-Class) accidentally finds the means for humans to return to their planet. Another machine, EVE, leaves to tell humanity the good news, and WALL-E follows her into space.

After watching this newer trailer I have faith that “Finding Nemo” director Andrew Stanton will be able to pull off this heart warming tale of a lonely robot. I have a feeling that “Wall-E” will be a huge smash hit much like all of Pixar’s films have been. “Ratatouille” is sure to win the Oscar this year and I am sure it is safe to assume that this movie will follow in that film’s success.

NEW PROMOTIONAL ART WORK FROM “WALL-E” BY PIXAR

Director Christopher Nolan returns to Gotham City with this sequel to the critical and fan favorite “Batman Begins”. In “The Dark Knight”, Batman (Christian Bale) squares off against a new foe “the Joker” played by Oscar nominee Heath Ledger.

This movie looks to be just as brooding and realistic as “Batman Begins”, and that is a good thing. As long as these films stay adult and dark they won’t risk the chance of coming off cartoon-ish like past “Batman” films. “The Dark Knight” will be in theaters summer of 2008.

PICTURE FROM “THE DARK KNIGHT”

BOX OFFICE TOTAL THIS WEEKEND / TOTAL GROSS SO FAR

1.) I Am Legend $76,535,000 / $76,535,000

2.) Alvin and the Chipmunks $45,000,000 / $45,000,000

3.) The Golden Compass $9,025,000 / $40,968,000

4.) Enchanted $6,004,000 / $92,271,000

5.) No Country For Old Men $3,000,000 / $33,562,000

6.) The Perfect Holiday $2,965,000 / $3,612,000

7.) Fred Claus $2,305,000 / $68,964,000

8.) This Christmas $2,300,000 / $46,043,000

9.) Atonement $1,853,000 / $2,964,000

10.) August Rush $1,785,000 / $28,065,000

BELOW ARE TWO PICTURES FROM THE 2008 FILM “WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE” DIRECTED BY SPIKE JONZE

“Where the Wild Things Are” is the big screen adaptation of the classic Maurice Sendak picture book of the same name. The film will be directed by Spike Jonze who made the creative “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation”. The film was originally set for release from Universal, and a teaser of the film was attached to the dismal “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. However, disagreements with Jonze led him to take the film to Warner Bros.

The cast includes Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara, Lauren Ambrose. The seven main creatures from the story will be played by actors in up to 275 centimetres tall suits made of foam, although it is expected that their faces will be computer-generated. The movie will combine live action, suitmation, animatronics and CGI.

“Where the Wild Things Are” follows the adventure of a little boy named Max (played by newcomer Max Records). Max is a mischievous young boy who is sent to his room after rebelling against his mother (played by Catherine Keener). Max’s imagination is free to roam, and it soon transports him to a thriving forest bordering a vast sea. He soon sets sail for the land of the “Wild Things” where mischief reigns and Max rules. The film’s target release date is October 3, 2008.

GRADE: A

“Futurama” is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening, who also created “The Simpsons”. “Futurama” aired from March 28, 1999 to August 10, 2003 on FOX before being canceled by FOX. The series has now been revived as four straight-to-DVD films that will be split into a sixteen-episode fifth season. Comedy Central has entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television to syndicate the existing episodes and air the films as new episodes in an episodic format.

In January 2003, Cartoon Network began airing “Futurama” episodes as the centerpiece to the expansion of their Adult Swim cartoon block. In October 2005, Comedy Central picked up the exclusive cable syndication rights to air “Futurama’s” 72-episode run at the start of 2008, following the expiration of Cartoon Network’s contract. It was cited as the largest and most expensive acquisition in the network’s history.

“Benders” big score is the first hour and half long “feature” which brings back all of our favorite characters from the series; Fry, Leela, Dr. Zoidberg, Amy, Professor Farnsworth, Hermes and Bender. The crew is back in business delivering packages through “Planet Express” with hilarious results. The animation is still crisp and fresh and the writing has never been so sharp and witty.

Bender and Fry have always been the most beloved characters of “Futurama” and this direct to DVD movie highlights all the crazy things we love about them. In “Bender’s Big Score” Planet Express has become the victim of a hostile takeover by a company of lurid spammers and the new bosses want to send Bender back in time to steal the world’s most valuable treasures. Watching the crew back in action is a welcomed sight and the humor in this film is just as good as any big screen animated feature that is released today.

“Bender’s Big Score” has a great way of weaving many past episode plot lines through out the story, giving a nudge to die hard fans. If you haven’t had a chance to get into this irreverent cartoon then now is your chance. The return of “Futurama” has been long over due. I am thankful that the Comedy Central and FOX gave new life to this original show. Just like “Family Guy” this show will be around for a lot longer thanks to committed fans and grown up kids like me, check it out!

Just what exactly does Bill Murray whispers to Scarlett Johansson at the end of “Lost in Translation”? Well thanks to curious fans and modern technology, movie buffs have finally cracked the secret “whisper” spoken to Johanssen by Murray during the films final moments.

Slashfilm.com reports that “Lost in Translation” director Sofia Coppola has always maintained that Murray’s whisper at the end of the film was unscripted, and that only he and Johansson knew what was said (and good luck getting it out of either of them). Well, now the secret’s just a YouTube video away thanks to digital processing technology, check it out below!

Mamma Mia! employs the hit songs of famed pop group ABBA to tell the story of Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), a young girl who hopes to discover the identity of her father. On the eve of her wedding Sophie brings three men, Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin Firth), from her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) past back to the Greek island they visited over two decades ago to find out which one is her father.

“Mamma Mia!” is slated for a release date of July 18, 2008 in the United States.

GRADE: A+

In 2006 I went to Coachella and saw a sneak peak at what was to become Daft Punk’s “Alive” concert line up. At the time the French DJ duo were tinkering with songs that would be the design for their upcoming 2007 tour. That show at Coachella in 2006 was the best live concert I had ever seen. That was until the “Alive’ tour came to the bay area this past summer, it was then at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA., that I witnessed an electronic show that would blow my mind and go down in the books as the best concert ever.

You can probably guess my excitement levels when I heard that the tour was giving birth to a live c.d and DVD which was just released. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this live concert c.d. It was well worth the wait I must say, “Alive” has to be one of the best live c.d.’s ever put together. True to the overwhelming excitement and energy they display on stage, the show recorded for “Alive” captures the innovative and bombastic energy that Daft Punk exudes at their concerts.

“Alive” is the world’s first recorded live mash up concert of it’s kind. Mixing all of their huge hits Daft Punk has woven a masterpiece of audio precision. From the opening track of “Robot Rock/Oh Yeah” to the c.d’s closing track “Superheroes/Human After All” the beats and fun don’t stop. You even forget that there is a crowd of thousands screaming in the background of this live c.d. The constant layering of their best tracks gives this c.d. of old hits a fresh sound that gives each song a new fresh feel.

The precise timing and talent it takes to create a live show like “Alive” is rare. Only a gifted band like Daft Punk can blend it’s groundbreaking sound into a newly crafted spectacle for fans. Watching this show twice and then hearing this c.d. reminds me of how much electronic music doesn’t get its credit where credit is due. Daft Punk have become the pioneers of the rave concert and of the electronic live stage act. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the French duo arrive on stage in robots masks and on a 20 foot pyramid shaped U.F.O. then this c.d. is the next best thing.

WATCH MY VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE “DAFT PUNK” SHOW @ THE GREEK THEATER THIS SUMMER BELOW:

GRADE: D

Well, it was bound to happen folks! The “Pirates” franchise came and went, and in the aftermath we still only got one great movie out of the three that Disney released. The first “Pirates” movie was a random fluke that no one could see coming. Watching Johnny Depp flesh out a new character with such imagination and precise acting was a treat for family audiences. When both sequels were released they failed to capture the same magic as the first film creatively but they both managed to break box office records and rake in hundreds of millions of dollars.

The storyline of “Pirates 3″ is all over the place. We have to wait at least 30 minutes into the film before we get to even see Jack Sparrow. At almost three hours the drawn out plot gets lost under the weight of the movies own ego. There is a scene with Jack in limbo that is like “Pirates” on acid and it has no real significance to the plot at all, it just fills time. Even Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom look as if they are just on screen to pick up a hefty pay check. You can tell none of the actors have their hearts in the project anymore, they just got through the motions.

The second “Pirates” movie was too long, to convoluted and just a loud bloated mess. The only redeeming quality from that film was the state of the art special effects that were used on Davey Jones and his crew. The third film doesn’t even offer up any new images or eye popping visuals, it just regurgitates the same schlocky pirate dialog and dark set pieces that were used in the last two pictures. Not even the costumes could hold up to the first film, as we watch “Pirates 3″ we can’t help but feel that some aspects from all three films have been recycled.

When the first film was released people had their doubts that a ride at a theme park could sustain a film’s plot. Of course were wrong when it was released, but all of our worries came true in the last two installments. “Pirates 2 & 3″ just do not compare to the genius and the fresh feeling that the original movie had. It is a shame that this trilogy wasn’t fleshed out correctly. If the characters and plot were in better screen writer’s hands then maybe we could have had a truly special trilogy for the history books. As it stands the first film is the only one worth watching.

ALEXA DAVALOS

Alexa’s first big screen role was in the Vin Diesel film flop called “The Chronicles of Riddick” which was a sequel to “Pitch Black”. After her breakthrough in this past fall’s terrifying “The Mist”, Alexa will next be starring in “Defiance” (2008).

Davalos also appeared as the mutant Gwen Raiden in three episodes of the TV show “Angel” and in 2005 co-starred in the Fox show “Reunion”. In 2003, Davalos was also seen opposite Antonio Banderas in the HBO original film “And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself”.

ISLA FISHER

Isla Fisher has been on a roll lately with a resume that is filled with comedic roles in “Scooby Doo”, “The Wedding Crashers” and “Hot Rod”. In 2008 she will star in “Horton Hears A Who”, “Definately, Maybe”, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “Groupies”.

Fisher resides in Los Angeles, California, as well as in London, with her fiancé, English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. She reportedly has converted to Judaism in advance of her marriage to Cohen, who is Jewish. The famous pair just recently gave birth to a daughter named “Olive”.

MEGAN FOX

Megan’s breakthrough role was in the Lindsay Lohan teenage comedy “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, but her first big role was in this past summer’s blockbuster film “The Transformers”. In 2008 Fox can be seen in “How to Lose Friends & Alienate People”.

Megan has 6 tattoo’s on her body, one of which is of Marily Monroe. In 2007 Fox became engaged to actor Brian Austin Green from the hit 90’s teenage dramatic television show “Bevery Hills 90210″.

VANESSA FERLITO

Vanessa’s break out acting role was in this year’s best film (in my opinion) Quentin Taratino’s female empowerment flick “Death Proof”. Vanessa Ferlito has also had a bit part in this past summer’s mega-hit “Spider-Man 3″.

Vanessa Ferlito is mostly known for her role as Detective Aiden Burn on the CBS crime drama “CSI: New York”. Ferlito is currently pregnant with her first child. She is also a vegetarian, supporter of animal rights, and an active member of PETA.

GABRIELLE UNION

Gabrielle Union is the star of such hits like “Bring It On”, “The Perfect Holiday”, “Daddy’s Little Girls” and “Running with Scissors”. In 2008 she will co-star in the sci-fi family comedy called “Starship Dave” starring Eddie Murphy.

In May 2001, Union married NFL player Chris Howard of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In November of 2005, the couple separated and their divorce was eventually finalized in 2006.

MOTION PICTURES:

Picture, Drama: “American Gangster,”"Atonement,”"Eastern Promises,”"The Great Debaters,”"Michael Clayton,”"No Country for Old Men,”"There Will Be Blood.”

Actress, Drama: Cate Blanchett, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”; Julie Christie, “Away From Her”; Jodie Foster, “The Brave One”; Angelina Jolie, “A Mighty Heart”; Keira Knightley, “Atonement.”

Actor, Drama: George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”; James McAvoy, “Atonement”; Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises”; Denzel Washington, “American Gangster.”

Picture, Musical or Comedy: “Across the Universe,”"Charlie Wilson’s War,”"Hairspray,”"Juno,”"Sweeney Todd.”

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Adams, “Enchanted”; Nikki Blonsky, “Hairspray”; Helena Bonham Carter, “Sweeney Todd”; Marion Cotillard, “La Vie En Rose”; Ellen Page, “Juno.”

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd”; Ryan Gosling, “Lars and the Real Girl”; Tom Hanks, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Savages”; John C. Reilly, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”; Julia Roberts, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”; Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”; Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.”

Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”; Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; John Travolta, “Hairspray”; Tom Wilkinson, “Michael Clayton.”

Director: Tim Burton, “Sweeney Todd”; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Ridley Scott, “American Gangster”; Joe Wright, “Atonement.”

Screenplay: Diablo Cody, “Juno”; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Christopher Hampton, “Atonement”; Ronald Harwood, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Aaron Sorkin, “Charlie Wilson’s War.”

Foreign Language: “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” Romania; “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” France and U.S.; “The Kite Runner,” U.S.; “Lust, Caution,” Taiwan; “Persepolis,” France.

Animated Film: “Bee Movie,”"Ratatouille,”"The Simpsons Movie.”

Original Score: Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder, “Into the Wild”; Clint Eastwood, “Grace Is Gone”; Alberto Iglesias, “The Kite Runner”; Dario Marianelli, “Atonement”; Howard Shore, “Eastern Promises.”

Original Song: “Despedida” from “Love in the Time of Cholera”; “Grace Is Gone” from “Grace Is Gone”; “Guaranteed” from “Into the Wild”; “That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”; “Walk Hard” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

TELEVISION:

Series, Drama: “Big Love,” HBO; “Damages,” FX Networks; “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; “House,” Fox; “Mad Men,” AMC; “The Tudors,” Showtime.

Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, “Medium”; Glenn Close, “Damages”; Minnie Driver, “The Riches”; Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”; Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters”; Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer.”

Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”; Hugh Laurie, “House”; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “The Tudors”; Bill Paxton, “Big Love.”

Series, Musical or Comedy: “30 Rock,” NBC; “Californication,” Showtime; “Entourage,” HBO; “Extras,” HBO; “Pushing Daisies,” ABC.

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”; America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”; Tina Fey, “30 Rock”; Anna Friel, “Pushing Daisies”; Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds.”

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”; Steve Carell, “The Office”; David Duchovny, “Californication”; Ricky Gervais, “Extras”; Lee Pace, “Pushing Daisies.”

Miniseries or Movie: “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” HBO; “The Company,” TNT; “Five Days,” HBO; “Longford,” HBO; “The State Within,” BBC America.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Bryce Dallas Howard, “As You Like It”; Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife”; Queen Latifah, “Life Support”; Sissy Spacek, “Pictures of Hollis Woods”; Ruth Wilson, “Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre).”

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Adam Beach, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”; Ernest Borgnine, “A Grandpa for Christmas”; Jim Broadbent, “Longford”; Jason Isaacs, “The State Within”; James Nesbitt, “Jekyll.”

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Rose Byrne, “Damages”; Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters”; Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy”; Samantha Morton, “Longford”; Anna Paquin, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”; Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl.”

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Ted Danson, “Damages”; Kevin Dillon, “Entourage”; Jeremy Piven, “Entourage”; Andy Serkis, “Longford”; William Shatner, “Boston Legal”; Donald Sutherland, “Dirty Sexy Money.”

*** STARS

People have been comparing “The Golden Compass” to “The Lord of the Rings”, “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Harry Potter” and I happen to think that the comparison is unfair. The only similarity between those films and “The Golden Compass” is that they are each fantasy books that have been adapted for the big screen. If I had to choose, I would say that the storyline and look of “The Golden Compass” was much more rich and fulfilling then the first “Harry Potter” and “Narnia” films.

The story of “The Golden Compass” has been called the “anti-Narnia”. If “Narnia” is a retelling of the story of Jesus and is supposed to evoke faith in God then this film is the opposite. The main group of villains in “Compass” are the Magestirium, a collection of “religious” government officials that will stop at nothing to keep control over the lands inhabitants through fear and power. The comparisons to the Catholic church are not lost on the adult viewer.

The Magestirium is intent on finding out the source of “dust” a magical element that may be the cause and possible explanation to life itself. For this reason alone the Magestirium insist that “dust” does not exist. Also, in this world each human is accompanied by an animal spirit or “daemon” which represents your soul. As a child your daemon is able to change animal shapes until the child matures and an animal spirit is chosen for adulthood. It is during this shift in puberty or growth that the “dust” is most prominent and for this reason the Magestirium is scared that people will learn its abilities.

Many people who are against the Magestirium believe dust to be so magical that it holds the key to other dimensions and is source of the creation of all men and beasts. Fearing their power will be weakened after centuries of control and dogma, the Magestirium tries to find the girl who will bring upon a prophecy that will end their reign. If she can work the mysterious golden compass (or the “alethiometer” as it is also called) then she can free humanity of the evil Magestirium.

In a universe full of talking polar bears, demon spirits and witches “The Golden Compass” never gets dull and is quite unique. The action and special effects will wow adults and terrify some younger kids. The fight sequence with the “ice bears” is so intense that it is not for the little ones. This film is mature and smart and was made for tweens without pandering to them. The message may come off heavy handed, but it is one that has been long over due for children to learn.

I respect this film a lot and fell in love with the characters and all the details of this new world. “The Golden Compass” will keep you in its grip and won’t let you breathe until the climax. I hope this film makes more money so we can see the completion of the trilogy on the big screen.

The performances in “The Golden Compass” by Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and Sam Sheppard only highlight this special film. “The Golden Compass” has a stunning look, a sincere message and an enthralling story, if you are a fan of fantasy films then this is the years best!

Will Farrell has become king of the sports comedy. His last 3 movies have been absolutely perfect; “Blades of Glory”, “Stranger Than Fiction” and “Talladega Nights”. “Semi-Pro” is classic Farrell doing what the fans want. If the plot doesn’t grab you then this trailer will make you laugh out loud. I smell another big hit for Farrell when this film is released Spring of 2008!

GRADE: B

The first track off of Kylie’s new c.d. “X” called “Two Hearts” is a fresh pop song with a driving piano melody that is reminiscent of the The Scissor Sisters fashion forward sound. “In My Arms” is futuristic Kylie doing her best. The electro bass line is saccharine sweet and the hook is classic sounding Kylie.

“The One” is one of this disc’s best tracks. This thumping 80’s sounding song is full of Kylie’s cheeky lyrics and breathy vocals. “The One” sounds like an ode to The Pet Shop Boys much like Robbie Williams did on his last c.d.

“All I See” is a stripped down R&B sounding Kylie with the typical Kylie hooks but with a soft spoken rap style. Kylie has never been a great ballad singer, this is still true on songs like “Cosmic”. Her talents are always used best when supporting fast, fun, gay sounding dance singles like her classics “Come Into My World”, “Slow”, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, “I Believe In Love” and “Love At First Sight”.

“Like A Drug” is classic experimental Kylie. Like “Slow” this song has a hard industrial pop sound that is ahead of its time. “Speakerphone” uses the best aspects of Kylie’s wispy girlie singing voice. This song is the biggest Madonna knock-off of the bunch, and that is a good thing. “Stars” follows the 80’s theme with a great synthesized beat and guitar hook. “Wow” is a neat little track with lots of bells and whistles, it is the most original track on this c.d.

The “Heart Beat Rock” is Kylie doing Fergie or Gwen with mild results. The two step production and rapping show Kylie’s weakness for current trends. “No More Rain” is a fluffy feel good Kylie track that doesn’t highlight the best of what Kylie has to offer, but it is harmless enough to pass as a mild ballad.

The truth of the matter is that Kylie shines best when she is backing a dance track. These two songs give the c.d. an awkward feel to it and in the end the album feels like it has no over all continuity. Her best album to date is still “Fever” followed by the terrific pop album “Body Language”.

The track “Nu Di Ty” is a silly exercise in Britney theatrics and is the weakest song on this light as air c.d. “Sensitized” is a dark cut with a Nelly Furtado-esque feel to it. By the sound of this album it is obvious that Kylie has been studying up on her pop stars and she has learned some new tricks, the influences are all over the place on Kylie’s tenth album.

Kylie has never been “innovative” or “edgy” but she has always had her finger on the pulse of what is cool in pop music. This “come back” album (from surviving breast cancer) isn’t as well constructed as her last pitch perfect c.d. “Body Language”, but it does deliver the silly fun energy you’ve come to expect from a Kylie record. Welcome back girl!

WATCH KYLIE MINOGUE’S “TWO HEARTS” MUSIC VIDEO HERE:

DJ PETER GELDERBLOM

I am not a big fan of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers music. “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic” was their last fun, creative, great sounding record in my opinion. But this track proves my theory that if you “gay remix” any song, that it will end up sounding better than the original. Many songs have improved upon the original just by “gay remixing” it. Check out the fun mash-up music video for “Waiting 4″ below: