Month: November 2014

Categories
People

May she rest in peace.

‘Big Bang Theory’: Voice of Mrs. Wolowitz Dies

Character actress Carol Ann Susi, known as the voice of the unseen Mrs. Wolowitz on “The Big Bang Theory,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a brief battle with cancer, according to Warner Bros. Television. Susi was 62 and had appeared in numerous TV shows since the 1970s.

On “The Big Bang Theory,” she was heard in dozens of episodes as the offstage presence of the screechy, overbearing mother of Simon Helberg’s Howard Wolowitz.

“‘The Big Bang Theory’ family has lost a beloved member today with the passing of Carol Ann Susi, who hilariously and memorably voiced the role of Mrs. Wolowitz. Unseen by viewers, the Mrs. Wolowitz character became a bit of a mystery throughout the show’s eight seasons. What was not a mystery, however, was Carol Ann’s immense talent and comedic timing, which were on display during each unforgettable appearance,” said a statement from Warner Bros. Television, CBS and “Big Bang Theory” exec producers Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro and Bill Prady.

Born in Brooklyn, she studied acting in New York and in the 1970s moved to Los Angeles, where she was cast as reporter Kolchak’s intern in “The Night Stalker.” Among her other TV appearances were “Seinfeld,” “Murphy Brown,” “Cheers,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” “Mad About You,” “Just Shoot Me” and “Six Feet Under.”

She is survived by her brother, Michael Susi.

Categories
People

I hope he does not retire!!

Quentin Tarantino says he will retire after his 10th film

Quentin Tarantino has claimed that he will retire after he has made 10 films. The director currently has seven films to his name.

Tarantino made the claim during a Q&A for buyers at the American Film Market. He is currently making his eighth directorial title, The Hateful Eight.

Speaking at the Q&A, Tarantino said: “I don’t believe you should stay onstage until people are begging you to get off. I like the idea of leaving them wanting a bit more. I do think directing is a young man’s game and I like the idea of an umbilical cord connection from my first to my last movie. I’m not trying to ridicule anyone who thinks differently, but I want to go out while I’m still hard… I like that I will leave a 10-film filmography, and so I’ve got two more to go after this. It’s not etched in stone, but that is the plan.”

However, he did not commit to a total retirement after his 10th movie. “If I get to the 10th, do a good job and don’t screw it up, well that sounds like a good way to end the old career. If, later on, I come across a good movie, I won’t not do it just because I said I wouldn’t. But 10 and done, leaving them wanting more, that sounds right.”

Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, Tarantino is due to start shooting The Hateful Eight at a ranch in Colorado on December 8. Cast members include Channing Tatum, Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern.

Tarantino’s most recent film was the Oscar-nominated Django Unchained with his other films including Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Jackie Brown.

Categories
People

May he rest in peace.

Sugarhill Gang Rapper Dead at 57

Sugarhill Gang rapper Big Bank Hank — born Henry Jackson — has died at age 57. TMZ first reported the news, which Rolling Stone later confirmed.

Jackson was suffering from cancer and passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The Bronx-born rapper was one of hip-hop’s first pioneers as one third of the Sugarhill Gang, whose international hit “Rapper’s Delight” became the first rap single to crack the Billboard Hot 100 top 40. It was also one of the first rap singles, period, and as such had an immense influence on the nascent genre.

Less than one month ago, “Rapper’s Delight” celebrated the 35th anniversary of its debut on the Billboard charts.

Categories
Music

Good luck folks!!

Geldof: New Band Aid single to help fight Ebola

One Direction, Ed Sheeran and a host of other stars are to raise money to fight Ebola with a 30th anniversary version of the Band Aid charity single first recorded in aid of famine relief in Ethiopia.

Bob Geldof and fellow singer-songwriter Midge Ure, the original Band Aid organizers, announced plans to re-record the single — “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” — at a news conference Monday.

Geldof reflected on the cruelty of Ebola, which is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of a person infected with the virus. “Mothers can’t cradle their children; lovers can’t comfort each other; wives can’t hold their husbands’ hands while they die. That’s not right. It can be stopped,” he said.

He also praised the “immensity of bravery” of those caring for Ebola patients in West Africa, where the worst affected nations are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, including British healthcare workers and military.

The lineup for the 30th anniversary single combines some of those involved in the original recording in 1984 as well as fresh talent. Besides pop superstars One Direction, the artists signed up to take part include U2 frontman Bono, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Ellie Goulding.

The new version of the track will be recorded this weekend at the same London studios where the original was created. Some of the lyrics will be updated to reflect the different circumstances of this crisis, 30 years on.

Categories
Television

Could this be a good episode?

Woody Harrelson to host ‘Saturday Night Live’

May the odds be ever in his favor: During tonight’s episode, Saturday Night Live revealed that Hunger Games star (and Academy Award nominee) Woody Harrelson will host the show’s Nov. 15 episode. The True Detective will be joined by musical guest Kendrick Lamar.

Both men have appeared on NBC’s sketch program before. Harrelson has hosted SNL twice already, though never yet in the 21st century—his previous stints came in 1989 and 1992. Lamar, meanwhile, made his SNL debut as musical guest in 2013. Lamar is expected to release his third studio album this year; Harrelson’s next movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 will hit theaters Nov. 21.

Categories
Movies

No movies for me this week, but I look forward to seeing INTERSTELLAR and BIRDMAN next week!!!

Box office report: ‘Ouija’ almost steals No. 1 spot from ‘Nightcrawler’

Halloween doesn’t always fall on a weekend, but when it does, it tends to hit the box office hard: People are too busy dressing up and taking their kids trick-or-treating to go to the movies. And while the weekend’s overall gross wasn’t too impressive—at $94.4 million, the box office hit its lowest since Sept. 12’s $91.1 million weekend—Ouija and Nightcrawler still managed to exceed expectations.

Nightcrawler, a thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal in a performance that many critics have deemed a career high for the actor, opened with $10.91 million. Made on a budget of $8.5 million by Open Road Films, $10.91 million is a win for Nightcrawler. “We are excited about it,” CMO of Open Road Films, Jason Cassidy, told EW. “It’s a great movie and it’s been so well reviewed. We think we’ll have a nice run on it.”

Another movie that’s having a nice run: Ouija, a horror film that had a successful $20 million opening last weekend and almost snuck into the top spot again for a second time with a $10.9 million weekend. A good chunk of its success came, predictably, on Friday when it grossed more than any other film with $3.5 million, probably thanks to younger audiences who flocked to theaters to get a good, old-fashioned thrill.

World War II drama Fury—now in 3,313 theaters—came in right behind Nightcrawler and Ouija with a $9.1 million weekend. The film, which stars headline grabbers like Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf, has earned $60 million to date and was a historical (and, more notably, non-scary) alternative to other films out now. Gone Girl trailed behind Fury with a $8.8 million weekend, proving it’s going to take a lot to slow Amazing Amy down: The thriller, based on Gillian Flynn’s book of the same name, has earned $136.6 million since its Oct. 3 debut and only experienced a 21 percent drop from last weekend.

Although Keanu Reeves’ John Wick looked like it was going to break the top five thanks to critical buzz, animated comedy The Book of Life took the fifth spot instead with $8.3 million. The film, distributed by 20th Century Fox, features voice acting by stars like Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum, but the real draw is its kid-friendliness. The Book of Life is one of few films out now that doesn’t carry a PG-13 or R rating, leaving parents who want to take their kids to the theater essentially no choice. It helps that the film centers around Mexico’s Day of the Dead, a detail that makes The Book of Life appropriate for kids and Halloween.

1. Nightcrawler — $10.91 million
2. Ouija — $10.9 million ($35 million domestic total)
3. Fury – $9.1 million ($60.4 million domestic total)
4. Gone Girl – $8.8 million ($136.6 domestic total)
5. The Book of Life – $8.3 million ($40.5 domestic total)

Outside of the top five, John Wick grossed $8.05 million—a 43 percent decrease in sales from last weekend’s $14.15 million—which brings its domestic total to $27.6 million. St. Vincent, the comedy starring Bill Murray, followed with $7.75 million, bringing its domestic total to $19.5 million after four weeks on the big screen.

Dramatic thriller Before I Go to Sleep didn’t fare quite as well. The film, starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, opened in over 1,900 theaters but made just $2.03 million. Saw, however, opened in over 2,000 theaters for its 10th anniversary and didn’t even break the million mark: Its weekend total was $650,000. Fox Searchlight’s Birdman, starring Michael Keaton, expanded this weekend into 231 theaters and earned $2.5 million.

In global news, Disney’s Big Hero 6 opened in Russia two weeks ago and has earned $10.3 million so far. The animated film opens next weekend in the U.S. alongside Christopher Nolan’s heavily anticipated Interstellar. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is still kicking in China, where it’s grossed $94.3 million to date, bringing its global total to $765 million.

Categories
Letterman

We will miss you Dave!!

‘The Colbert Report’ announces last show date

Stephen Colbert has announced the end date for The Colbert Report, as Colbert is set to take the reins of The Late Show on CBS.

On Thursday night’s show, Colbert announced that the last show of The Colbert Report will be on Thursday, Dec. 18, using the announcement as a ploy to plug the paperback edition of his book, America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t.

“Stephen Colbert, the guy you’ve seen here every night for nine years will be gone. All you’ll have left of me is this book,” Colbert said. “So pick up America Again in paperback for a loved one. Or for a hated one. Go to your local independent book store, because I have a longtime war against Amazon and I will never relent. Or—buy it on Amazon, because, you know, just buy it.”

While there is no exact date set for when Colbert will take over The Late Show from David Letterman, the changing of the guard is expected to take place sometime in 2015.

Categories
Music

She does have some great hits!!

Carrie Underwood Reveals Songs on Double Disc ‘Greatest Hits’

Carrie Underwood wraps up 10 spectacularly successful years in one neat little package with the December 9th release of Greatest Hits: Decade #1. The 25-track collection will features four tracks in never-before-released renditions and also includes two new songs, “Little Toy Guns” (penned by the singer with Chris DeStefano and Hillary Lindsey) and “Something in the Water,” which is already a Top Ten hit for the superstar entertainer. See the complete track listing below.

The 2005 American Idol champ, Underwood has earned 18 Number One singles (half of which she co-wrote) and sold in excess of 64 million records globally. A two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year (and the first female artist so honored), Underwood joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2008. Her four albums have been streamed more than 800 million times worldwide. In 2013, she starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!

A three-time CMA nominee this year, Underwood will return to co-host the awards ceremony with Brad Paisley for the seventh time when the show airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this Wednesday, November 5th at 8 p.m. ET.

Greatest Hits: Decade #1 will be available for digital pre-orders beginning Tuesday, November 4th.

Here is the complete track list:

Disc One
1. “Something in the Water”
2. “Little Toy Guns”
3. “Inside Your Heaven”
4. “Jesus, Take the Wheel”
5. “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
6. “Before He Cheats”
7. “Wasted”
8. “So Small”
9. “All-American Girl”
10. “Last Name”
11. “Just a Dream”
12. “I Told You So” (feat. Randy Travis)

Disc Two
1. “Cowboy Casanova”
2. “Temporary Home”
3. “Undo It”
4. “Mama’s Song”
5. “Remind Me” (duet with Brad Paisley)
6. “Good Girl”
7. “Blown Away”
8. “Two Black Cadillacs”
9. “See You Again”
10. “How Great Thou Art” (with Vince Gill) [Live from ACM Presents: Girls’ Night Out]*
11. “So Small” (writing session worktape 1/24/07)*
12. “Last Name” (writing session worktape 1/22/07)*
13. “Mama’s Song” (writing session worktape 2/5/09)*
* (Never-before-released version)