Pop Culture Buzz

Robyn’s breakthrough pop CD “Robyn” has finally been released in the U.S. and the publicity machine is in full gear. One of her first singles “Who’s That Girl?” is a stand out track amongst a list of other sparkling gems. The song itself was written by fellow Swedes, The Knife.

A few years ago while making this CD Robyn looked at the way in which The Knife were releasing their music and was impressed. As owners of Rabid Records, siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer (The Knife) have complete creative control over their music and are able to license it to territories and labels as they see fit. Robyn eventually created her own label Konichiwa Records based on their influence.

Robyn wrote this track and then recorded it with the duo around the time they were putting out their second album “Deep Cuts”, the song has a blend of Robyn’s pop shine and the duo’s dark moody electro music combined.

Check out the video for “Who’s That Girl?” below:

STORY FROM WIKIPEDIA.COM

“Christmas on Mars” is a forthcoming science fiction feature film from my favorite Oklahoma psychedelic alternative rock band The Flaming Lips. It has been in development since 2001. Filming was completed in October of 2005, and the film is scheduled to premiere on May 25th, 2008 at the Sasquatch! Music Festival.

According to the band’s website, Christmas on Mars is a film “written and directed by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, and featuring all of the band and many of their associates as actors.”

The film tells the story of the experiences of Major Syrtis during the first Christmas on a newly-colonized Mars. Coyne has described the film as “Maybe “Eraserhead” or “Dead Man” crossed with some kind of fantasy and space aspects, like “The Wizard of Oz” and maybe “2001: A Space Odyssey”, except done without real actors or money, and set at Christmas-time. The story that unfolds is intended to hint at childlike magic within a tragic and realistic situation.”

I have been waiting for this bizarre little “film” for a few years. I am one of the biggest Flaming Lips fans around. 2 years ago I was picked out of the audience at one of their shows in S.F. on New Years Eve to dance on stage. I have been an rabid fan ever since!

It is not intended for ‘Christmas on Mars’ to be released at conventional movie theaters. Instead, a DVD release will be preceded by a number of screenings at rock venues. In true Flaming Lips style, the plan is to use more than the standard movie screening equipment and turn each screening into ‘a big visceral event’.

Lead singer of The Lips Wayne Coyne mentioned that the band plans to take the film on a tour of some sort. “I want the Flaming Lips audience to shape this. It’ll be like our live show, which evolves as it goes. We’ll show it to the audience and let them talk out there on message boards, and then maybe we’ll take that and go back and change it and put it out there again and see what they think. It’ll be a different experience than sitting at home and watching a DVD, for sure. I don’t know if a lot of bands can do that, but the Flaming Lips sure can.”

WATCH THE “CRHISTMAS ON MARS” MOVIE TRAILER BELOW:

MEL C - “NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN” (2000)

THE UNDERDOG PROJECT - “SUMMER JAM” (2000)

ROBBIE WILLIAMS - “LET LOVE BE YOUR ENERGY” (2001)

RACHEL STEVENS - “SWEET DREAMS MY L.A. EX” (2003)

Sam Sparro (born Sam Falso) is a producer, songwriter and performer, and former child actor. He is signed to UK-based record label, Island Records. After hearing Sparro’s singing, Chaka Khan became one of his early admirers….add me to the list of his new fans as well!

Sparro performed this song with Mark Ronson at this year’s Coachella Music Festival and it instantly won me over and now I am a huge Sam Sparro fan. This fun summer jam is currently rising up the UK music charts.

Check out Sam Sparro’s catchy brand of dance music below:

LISTEN TO SOME OF THIS SUMMER’S HOTTEST MUSIC TRACKS BELOW!

JUST HAVE FUN!

GRADE: A

I wish I would have seen this fabulously creepy film in theaters. The attention to detail and the intelligent script make “The Orphanage” a stand out spooky movie with genuine chills and moments of real tension. This movie belongs in the ranks of “The Sixth Sense” and “The Others” as one of the most effective ghost stories ever filmed.

Right off the bat the atmosphere and story start to build up in “The Orphanage”. A lot of the mood and chills in this film come from what is not seen as your imagination runs wild. Leading lady Belen Rueda gives an electric performance as the haunted mother who returns to her childhood orphanage to start a life with her husband and newly adopted son.

The twists and plot devices in this scary picture are refreshing and creative. The dark tone of this movie is highlighted by the vibrant cinematography and uber intelligent script. I was completely mesmerized by every scene in this film up until the films jolting shocking ending.

If you love a good ghost that doesn’t use gore or run of the mill familiar gags to elicit scares, then this fresh adult film is what you have been waiting for. “The Orphanage” is a brilliant work of horror film making and it is already a classic that deserves a cult following for years to come.

“Finding Amanda” is a comedy out this summer starring Brittany Snow and Matthew Broderick. The plot revolves around a television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling, who is sent to Las Vegas to convince his troubled niece to enter rehab.

The trailer below doesn’t give much hope that this quirky little film will be able to fit in amongst the huge blockbusters that are being released this summer. In a sea of multi-million dollar special effects monsters this movie doesn’t have a chance. Thank god for Netflix.

*** 1/2 STARS

This summer is going to be a doozy! Already we are off to a surprise bang with the fast paced ultra charged superhero film “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. With critics already calling this another “super hero summer” this movie will be hard to top. The fleshed out characters, hilarious dialogue and subtle special effects make “Iron Man” already one of the best comic book films ever made.

I was a bit hesitant when I heard Downey Jr. was cast as the drunken billionaire inventor Tony Stark. But as you will find out by watching this high octane action film, Downey Jr. carries the charisma and bubbly energy that is through out this film. Downey Jr. even bulked up to become the next big action star and it suits him well.

The chemistry between Paltrow and Downey is like a throw back to old school Hollywood. The hilariously flirty banter between them creates a great comic tone that keeps the movie from drowning in testosterone. Director John Favreau put a lot of heart and realism into these characters, which is different for a comic book movie. “Iron Man” sits right next to “Spider Man” as one of the most realistic and human movies about superheroes ever created.

In the next few weeks an avalanche of great looking movies will be forced upon the movie going public. “Iron Man” has already set the bar high for all other action films that dare to come out this summer. This film has already been deemed a classic by many fans and for good reason. The witty dialogue, likeable characters, the down played visuals and high energy make “Iron Man” a stand out in the genre.

1.) Iron Man $100,750,000 / $104,250,000

2.) Made of Honor $15,500,000 / $15,500,000

3.) Baby Mama $10,332,000 / $32,329,000

4.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall $6,132,000 / $44,804,000

5.) Harold & Kumar 2 $6,015,000 / $25,270,000

6.) The Forbidden Kingdom $4,200,000 $45,124,000

7.) Nim’s Island $2,750,000 / $42,544,000

8.) Prom Night $2,500,000 / $41,447,000

9.) 21 $2,100,000 / $79,057,000

10.) 88 Minutes $1,600,000 / $15,426,000

LETTERS TO CLEO - HERE AND NOW (1995)

JILL SOBULE - I KISSED A GIRL (1995)

LUCIOUS JACKSON - NAKED EYE (1996)

TRACY BONHAM - MOTHER MOTHER (1997)