Categories
People

He was a true music legend and this is horrible news. May he rest in peace.

Chuck Berry, the man who ‘started it all,’ dead at 90

Legendary musician Chuck Berry died at his home just west of St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, according to police. He was 90 years old.

The St. Charles County Police Department confirmed Berry’s death on Facebook, saying police responded to a medical emergency at his home at approximately 12:40 p.m. local time.

Police say Berry was found unresponsive and he was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m.

His family is requesting privacy, according to the police statement.

“Every riff and solo played by rock guitarists over the last 60 years contains DNA that can be traced right back to Chuck Berry,” Sweden’s esteemed Polar Music Prize Foundation stated emphatically when awarding Berry its rock music prize in 2014.

Berry burst onto the scene in the mid-1950s, cutting songs at Chess Records that are woven into the very fabric of what became known as rock ‘n’ roll: Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B. Goode, School Days, Rock and Roll Music, Sweet Little Sixteen, and No Particular Place to Go.

Born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on Oct. 18, 1926, to middle-class parents in the black neighbourhood of The Ville in St. Louis, Mo., Berry would grow up to produce an infectious alchemy of blues, hillbilly music and Western swing.

He wrote story songs — often humorous — about working dead end jobs, or hitting the open road with a girl. They were crammed with geographic locations and innovative lyrics about fast cars, teen dances or consumerism.

“I concentrated on this fun and frolic, these novelties,” he told Rolling Stone in 2000. “I wrote about cars because half the people had cars or wanted them. I wrote about love, because everyone wants that.”

In his youth, Berry learned to play piano, saxophone and guitar. His father was deacon of a Baptist church and his mother was a school principal.

As a musician, he cut a dapper, lanky figure onstage with his conk hairstyle, wispy mustache and sideburns.

He thrilled crowds with nimble work on his Gibson guitar and his most famous move — crouching with his guitar and scooting backwards on one heel in what became known as the “duck walk.”

Rock history wouldn’t be the same if he had served the full 10-year term for an armed robbery spree committed with two friends in his late teens.

But he was let out in three, which left him free to bring his guitar to local clubs and meet, in succession, piano player Johnnie Johnson, bluesman Muddy Waters and Chicago label owner Leonard Chess.

They were the three most instrumental in getting Chess to record Maybellene (originally titled Ida Mae) and Wee Wee Hours in the summer of 1955.

The song was a hit for the 29-year-old Berry, and he soon built a star following among white teenagers, helping him escape an eked-out living in jobs that ranged from hairdresser, gas station attendant to assembly line worker.

If rock and deviance were related, Berry did his best to give the critics ammunition throughout his career, beginning with a Mann Act charge of transporting a minor over state lines in 1960. He said he was bringing her to a job in his club as a hat-check girl. Authorities said the 14-year-old was a prostitute.

While locked up for 18 months he wrote hits Nadine and You Never Can Tell, used memorably 30 years later in the Pulp Fiction film dance scene.

By the mid-1960s, his impact was felt mostly through those he influenced. The Beatles recorded Rock and Roll Music and Roll Over Beethoven, The Rolling Stones opted for Carol, and he (eventually) got himself a co-writing credit when Brian Wilson copped his melodies for Surfin’ U.S.A.

Berry fought fiercely for every penny owed, refusing to be a victim of the theft suffered by other early black rock and rhythm and blues artists.

He kept his overhead low, serving as his own manager and relied on pickup bands around the world instead of travelling with his own group. Berry demanded payment up front for his shows, preferably in cash.

The performance fee went up when he hit the top of the pop charts for the first time in 1972 with My Ding-A-Ling, an absurd novelty song he tried gamely to defend years later to Q magazine.

“A lot of people like that song,” he said. “And I LOVED that song because that little, weenie song made my wallet so fat and happy, ha-ha-ha.”

The “cash in the guitar case” ethos, though, often led to problems. With money in hand, more than a few shows were said to be performed half-heartedly or saw the enigmatic Berry leave the stage early.

More seriously, he spent a few months of 1979 in jail for tax evasion.

Berry’s last recording of original material came in 1979, but the mid-1980s saw a flurry of activity, with Keith Richards of the Stones often at the centre.

The Stones’ shaggy-haired rhythm guitarist inducted Berry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, sheepishly admitting, “It’s very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry because I lifted every lick he ever played.”

Richards was bandleader for tribute concerts to Berry that year in St. Louis, with Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt and Etta James among those performing.

The concert footage was the musical bed for a documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll in which Berry memorably clashed with Richards on camera, and reportedly on set with director Taylor Hackford.

In 1948, shortly after his release from prison on the armed robbery conviction, Berry married Themetta Suggs and they stayed married for the rest of his life.

But in an autobiography released in 1987, he appeared to revel in recounting various flings on the road. As long as you keep “the home fires burning,” he reasoned.

Berry had businesses and a nice spread in suburban Missouri, but trouble came home in July 1990. Acting on a tip that he was moving kilos worth of cocaine (never found), authorities instead allegedly discovered marijuana, hash and pornographic videotapes.

It was alleged that cameras had been installed in air ducts in the women’s washroom at his restaurant.

Berry said he was being framed by a disgruntled employee, but the end result was that he settled out of court a lawsuit filed on behalf of several women.

He might have forever been a pariah in today’s age of social media approbation, but just under three years later, Jack Lemmon was enthusiastically introducing him fronting an all-star band at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration ball as “the man who started it all.”

The last years of his life were marked by accolades like the Kennedy Center honours in 2000, and a touring schedule that belied his age.

Closer to home, he played several gigs every year at the Duck Room stage of the Blueberry Hill club in St. Louis.

Pop star Lorde stopped by the club in March 2014 and posed for pictures with Berry. She tweeted: “Watched chuck berry and his talented family and band play at the duck room tonight, the stars are in my eyes still.”

In 2016, on his 90th birthday, the musician announced the upcoming release of a new studio album — his first in more than 35 years.

Berry is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.

Categories
Rumours

Oh behalf of everyone…absolutely everyone…can I just say Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

‘The Matrix’ remake in the works: Report

A reboot of iconic ’90s sci-fi movie The Matrix is in its early stages.

According to editors at The Hollywood Reporter, film company Warner Bros. has tapped screenwriter Zak Penn, who has worked on X-Men 2 and The Avengers, to pen a new take on the 1999 movie classic.

The Matrix franchise was directed by the Wachowski siblings, and starred Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss. It depicted a dystopian future in which the reality perceived by most humans was actually a simulated one created by machines to subdue the human population. Reeves played computer programmer Neo, aka The One, who is told the truth about his world and is chosen to lead a rebellion against the machines, alongside a group of people freed from the “dream world”.

The film, the fourth-highest grossing film of the year worldwide in 1999, became known for its groundbreaking special effects including its heavily imitated slow-motion “bullet time” effect, which also contributed to it winning four Academy Awards.

It was followed by two less successful sequels – The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, in 2003.

There are few details on what shape the project will take, but sources have told the publication that Warner Bros. are keen to expand The Matrix universe in a similar way to Disney and Lucasfilm which are mining the Star Wars franchise to produce spin-offs such as the upcoming Han Solo movie.

Despite expressing an interest in returning to the franchise, John Wick star Reeves, now 52, is unlikely to be attached to the project, with producers said to be keen on landing Creed star Michael B. Jordan for a lead role.

While promoting the follow up to his hit assassin movie John Wick: Chapter 2, Reeves said he would return for another Matrix movie – but only if the Wachowskis were involved.

“They would have to write it and direct it. And then we’d see what the story is, but yeah, I dunno, that’d be weird, but why not?” he told Yahoo Movies.

The siblings are currently working on a second season of their Netflix show Sense8, and Warner Bros. has made no comment on whether the original helmers have given their blessing to the project.

Categories
Television

This will be an amazing entry to the series. Can’t wait to watch it!!

New Heath Ledger documentary to air on Spike in May

Heath Ledger will be the subject of a new Spike TV documentary, I Am: Heath Ledger, to air in May 2017.

It’s been a little over nine years since the actor’s tragic death at age 28 from an accidental mixture of prescription drugs.

Ledger, the Australian-born star of 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain, and The Dark Knight, among others, was beloved for his rugged handsomeness, as well his low-key demeanor. He was often seen skateboarding down streets of his Brooklyn neighborhood and strolling with Matilda, the young daughter he had with actress Michelle Williams.

Considered one of the most compelling actors of his generation, he brought a deep soulfulness to his roles, especially in Brokeback Mountain, opposite Williams and Jake Gyllenhaal, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

Now his story will be told in Spike’s original documentary series, I Am, which is an inside look at the lives of unique individuals as told by those in their inner circle.

Previous subjects have included JFK Jr., Chris Farley, and Bruce Lee.

Categories
Van Halen

I miss Van Halen AND Van Hagar!!!

How Sammy Hagar’s ‘Unboxed’ LP Led to Van Halen’s Split

On March 15, 1994, then-Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar released Unboxed, a greatest-hits collection focusing on his ’80s solo career.

Though he says his bandmates understood and agreed with his reasons for adding two new songs to this contractually-obligated album at the time, in the coming years Unboxed would be the cause of much dispute for this lineup of the famous group. In fact, looking back, Hagar believes the project is where “all the bad blood started” that ultimately led to his 1996 departure from Van Halen.

In order for Hagar to leave his platinum-plus solo career behind to join Van Halen in 1985, he had to promise to deliver one more full-length solo album to his record label, Geffen. With new bandmate Eddie Van Halen on bass duty, Hagar dutifully released I Never Said Goodbye in 1987, hot on the heels of his Van Halen debut, 5150.

However, the contract also allowed Geffen to release a best-of album from Hagar’s time with the label. He wasn’t obligated to contribute any new music for this collection, but he was offered enough extra money to do so to neatly resolve a messy personal financial situation. “By including two new songs for the Unboxed project, I got Geffen to pay me exactly the amount of money I owed my wife for our divorce settlement.” Hagar explained to Guitar World magazine in 1997. “I paid her off with all the money I received for that album and didn’t make a dime off it.”

Hagar says he got approval from all of his bandmates for this plan. But a couple of years later, when Hagar objected to Van Halen’s plan to release their own hits compilation — declaring it a move only bands who are at the end of a stage in their career, not riding a hot streak of four straight No. 1 albums, should do — he says the Van Halen brothers accused him of being a hypocrite. The disagreements escalated as the pair allegedly pressured Hagar into recording a new song for that collection, as well as the song “Human Beings” for the Twister soundtrack, during what had been planned to be time off for the group.

Ultimately, in an angry phone call on Father’s Day 1996, Hagar quit or was fired from Van Halen, depending on which side you believe. Which meant Unboxed wasn’t the solo career-capping statement he had intended it to be. “I’m telling you this as an honest man,” Hagar states. “If I would have ever dreamed that I wouldn’t be in Van Halen anymore and was going to have resume my solo career again, I would have never contributed anything towards my own greatest hits package, even for the money.” Hagar vented much of his frustration from this situation quite clearly on his first post-Van Halen solo album, 1997’s Marching to Mars.

So was Unboxed worth all this trouble? Well, that’s not really fair to ask, since it was coming out whether or not Hagar had contributed the two new songs (“High Hopes” and “Buying My Way Into Heaven,” both catchy but hardly legacy-enhancing). But apart from the intentional and somewhat perverse exclusion of Hagar’s highest-charting hit to date, 1982’s “Your Love is Driving Me Crazy,” it’s a great collection of highlights from his time with Geffen, full of strong, hooky anthems like “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “I Can’t Drive 55″ and “Heavy Metal.”

Categories
Music

She’s right, it wouldn’t sell. That’s the world we live in now.

Stevie Nicks Says There Will Never Be Another Fleetwood Mac Album

Stevie Nicks said there will probably never be another Fleetwood Mac album.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the singer and songwriter said, “I don’t think there’s any reason to spend a year and an amazing amount of money on a record that, even if it has great things, isn’t going to sell.”

“I don’t think we’ll do another record. If the music business were different, I might feel different,” she added. “What we do is go on the road, do a ton of shows and make lots of money. We have a lot of fun. Making a record isn’t all that much fun.”

Nicks also explained what happened with the planned Fleetwood Mac album that turned into a record by the band’s other two singer-songwriters, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, with help from the remaining members of Fleetwood Mac, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie.

Last year, Fleetwood said recording of the group’s album was delayed by Nicks, who went on a solo tour. “I’ve been on the road since last September, so I don’t understand their premise,” Nicks said. “Christine was gone [from Fleetwood Mac] for 16 years and came back, did a massive tour, and then it’s like, “Now I’m just gonna go back to London and sit in my castle for two years”? She wanted to keep working.

“I will be back with them at the end of the year for, I think, another tour,” Nicks said. “I just needed my two years off. Until then, I wish them the best in whatever they do.”

For now, it appears Nicks is happy to play the solo artist, especially when it comes to a band like Fleetwood Mac, which has had its share of drama over the years.

“When you’re in a band, you have to be part of the team,” she told Rolling Stone. “There’s something comforting about that. But in my solo career, I get to be the boss. Having both, for a Gemini like myself, is perfect. And I knew that in 1981: that me having a solo career would only make Fleetwood Mac better.”

Categories
Awards

I’ve seen most of the television shows that won and I wish I had the chance to see more of the movies. Congratulations everyone!!

Orphan Black, It’s Only the End of the World win big at Canadian Screen Awards

Sure, there were some big winners at the final night of the Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs), with the sci-fi thriller Orphan Black, sprinter bio pic Race and the Xavier Dolan-directed It’s Only the End of the World taking home trophy after trophy.

But it was the handful of heartfelt speeches that made for the most memorable moments during Sunday’s gala in Toronto, hosted by Howie Mandel.

Like Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s acceptance speech. The Kim’s Convenience star nabbed best actor in a comedic role and he sure was proud.

“Yeah, I deserved,” he joked in character as Appa, the moment he got up to the mic.

He then took a big sigh, dropping Appa’s accent, and told the crowd he was “living in a dream.” Lee introduced himself as an immigrant and stressed how important shows and characters like Kim’s are given the current political climate.

“We might have some cultural differences but deep down inside when it comes to family, we are all the same,” he said, moving some of his castmates to tears. “I’ve never been more proud to be a Canadian than right now.”

All this came after Tatiana Maslany’s back-to-back wins for her work in Orphan Black and The Other Half, where she was the one holding back tears and Adrian Holmes’s moving tribute to “all minorities,” which ran overtime and had him yelling over the play-him-off band (he won best actor in a dramatic role for 19-2).

It was a theme that ran throughout the evening — winners were surprised, overwhelmed or emotional, sometimes a mix of the three.

“This has been, without a doubt, the most f—–g surreal day of my life,” Lee told reporters backstage post-win.

Sunday’s gala marked the end of the CSAs, an exhaustive week-long celebration of Canadian film, television and digital media, put on by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Mandel kept spirits high as host however, spending a large chunk of the televised two-hour show out in the crowd, playfully interacting with the performers. There were shades of past Oscars skits as Mandel also gabbed with non-stars, from a woman sitting in the crowd to a trombonist in the pit band.

At one point, he handed out a birthday card for the crowd to sign to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Dolan’s film raked in the most trophies of the evening — six for best film, adapted screenplay, directing, make-up, cinematography and acting — but the Quebec director couldn’t make it, awkwardly sending a surrogate in his place to read prepared remarks off a smart phone.

Between the televised gala and non-televised pre-show awards which started the evening, CBC picked up eight trophies for its shows and documentaries including Murdoch Mysteries, Schitt’s Creek, the Rio Olympic coverage and last summer’s broadcast of the Tragically Hip show in Kingston. Among the night’s big winners:

Best motion picture: It’s Only the End of the World.
Best comedy series: Letterkenny.
Best dramatic series: Orphan Black.
Fan choice award: Natasha Negovanlis.
Earle Grey award: Tantoo Cardinal.
Best actor in a leading role: Stephan James, Race.
Best actress in a leading role: Tatiana Maslany, The Other Half.
Best first feature film: Johnny Ma, Old Stone.
Best actress in a comedic role: Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek.

Even though the show ended up running a few minutes overtime, there was a quick clip to it. And while sometimes speeches from the pre-announced speciality award winners can drag on, Sunday’s were among the night’s most entertaining.

Superstar American comedian Dave Chappelle was on hand to present the Icon Award to Gilbert Rozon and Bruce Hills of Montreal’s Just for Laughs. In true comedic fashion, all three dabbled in a bit of standup on stage.

Chappelle riffed on the differences between his home and Canada, calling Canada “kinder and gentler, like a little gay brother that I didn’t know we had.”

Veteran Canadian actor and Oscar winner Christopher Plummer also had quite a few quips, making fun of his age while accepting his lifetime achievement award.

“I’m old. Dangerously old. I’m so old that when I was a baby, the first word I uttered was in Latin,” the 87-year-old said to huge laughs. “I’ve spent almost 70 years making a fool of myself in this crazy mad profession of ours and I’ve had the time of my life.”

To close, Plummer told the crowd that though he’s old, he’s not done yet.

“The curtain has not yet fallen. It’s simply stuck.”

Categories
Television

That is not a lot of episodes!

‘Game of Thrones’ final season will be even shorter

The “Game of Thrones” end is nearing.

Season 8 of the HBO fantasy drama — its final outing, which will debut in 2018 — will only have six episodes, co-creator David Benioff revealed at Austin’s SXSW festival on Sunday. (Season 7, which premieres July 16, has seven episodes).

While that may be a major bummer for superfans who will face a vast personal wilderness once the show has completed its run, what it really means is that we are this much closer to knowing who will take the Iron Throne.

The showrunners, at least, have revealed their choice. “We identify most with House Lannister. We want to win,” Benioff said of he and co-creator D.B. Weiss, according to coverage of the panel on Vulture. When actress Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark and was co-hosting the panel, asked him, “Is that a spoiler?” Benioff reportedly covered his face with his hands.

In casting news, singer Ed Sheeran is going to do a guest spot in Season 7, playing an unspecified role that he apparently has another cast member to thank for. “For years we were trying to get Ed Sheeran on the show so we could surprise Maisie [Williams],” who is a huge fan, Benioff said. “And this year we finally did it.”

Williams, who plays Arya Stark, also co-hosted panel and Benioff revealed that he and Weiss tested over 300 girls for the part before they downloaded her audition tape in a hotel lobby in Morocco. “There was a little thumbnail picture of Maisie Williams [on our laptop],” he says. “She looked about 7. Like she was 12, but going on 7. So we clicked on the audition video and waited about 40 minutes for it to download. When we saw that audition video she was just f - - king awesome.”

As for a potential spinoff series, the showrunners said they won’t stick around should HBO decide it can’t exist without some element of “Thrones” on its schedule. “There’s always going to be an urge for the characters who maybe will survive to do a spinoff show or a sequel show,” Benioff said. “And I think HBO might well do one. And we’ll watch it. I think it’ll be great, but I think it’s important to get new blood in. New vision.”

Categories
Awards

Very smart move Pearl Jam. Well done!!

Pearl Jam Invite All Five Drummers to Rock Hall Induction Ceremony

Pearl Jam announced Saturday that they will invite all five of their drummers – Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese, Jack Irons and Matt Cameron – to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In a handwritten note posted on the band’s Twitter, the group acknowledged that, with the April 7th date approaching, “we do feel fortunate to be recognized and provided the opportunity to reunite with everyone who has been part of the group.”

“Specifically the drummers who all left their distinctive mark on our band in the pre-Matt Cameron years,” they added.

When Pearl Jam’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was revealed, only two of the band’s drummers – Ten drummer Dave Krusen (to his own surprise) and current and longtime drummer Matt Cameron – were named as inductees alongside Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament.

The Rock Hall’s omissions especially drew the ire of Abbruzzese, who lobbied Pearl Jam to use their clout and have him inducted for his Vs. and Vitalogy contributions. He later questioned the band’s integrity over the Rock Hall snub.

“The members of Pearl Jam have got to know what’s the right thing to do. They can’t justify ignoring my contributions. Like me or not. If there is still a part of that band that remembers how hard we worked, how much blood and how much sweat,” Abbruzzese wrote on Facebook in October. “They will do the right thing.”

“Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese and Jack Irons are each individually great players who gave their all to the early recordings and live gigs,” the band continued in their Saturday statement. “Looking forward to seeing them and all the other musicians on the bill.”

Pearl Jam added that they wished H.R. and Perry Farrell were there to celebrate too, a nod to a hopefully future induction for Bad Brains and Jane’s Addiction after both bands were nominated in 2016.

Asked whether Abbruzzese, Chamberlain and Irons would be inducted into the Rock Hall, a representative for Pearl Jam said the inductees are solely determined by the Rock Hall and not the band. Following Pearl Jam’s invitation, a rep for the Rock Hall confirmed to Rolling Stone that only Krusen and Cameron would be inducted.

Reps for Abbruzzese, Chamberlain and Irons did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Pearl Jam will be enshrined alongside Journey, Joan Baez, ELO, Yes and Tupac Shakur at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 7th.

Categories
Movies

I saw LOGAN again this week and it was better the second time. I look forward to seeing it again. As for KONG: SKULL ISLAND, the special effects and fight scenes are amazing, but the movie’s not very good. I’ll probably never watch it again.

Box office report: Kong: Skull Island clobbers Logan with $61 million

The beastly battle for this weekend’s box office crown wasn’t even close.

Legendary and Warner Bros.’ revival of the iconic King Kong film series, Kong: Skull Island, delivers a whopping $61 million, earning an estimated $11 million more than Peter Jackson’s 2005 series retool, which went on to gross $550 million worldwide across its entire theatrical run.

Industry forecasts had initially pegged Kong: Skull Island — directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts — for a bow in the $40-$50 million range in a tight race with Fox’s Logan, though the mightiest primate in cinema history ultimately flexed his staying power at the head of one of the oldest franchises (one that spans movies, theme park attractions, video games, and toys) in Hollywood history some 84 years after the first Kong flick dazzled audiences all the way back in 1933.

The debut marks a solid start for the big-budget picture, which reportedly cost around $185 million to produce. Internationally, the film posts $81.6 million from 20,400 screens in 65 territories, making it the No. 1-grossing film in the world for the three-day period. Audiences and critics responded positively to the action film, with polled moviegoers giving it a B+ grade on CinemaScore.

Despite glowing reception for Logan, X-Men star Hugh Jackman’s third and final Wolverine spinoff fell roughly 57 percent from its opening number, dipping one slot to No. 2 with an estimated weekend gross of $37.9 million. After just 10 days in theaters, however, the Fox film has made an astonishing $438.3 million worldwide — besting global grosses of both X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($373.1 million in 2009) and The Wolverine ($414.8 million in 2013).

At No. 3, Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out continues to impress, as the film — yet another low-budgeted success for Universal/Blumhouse — crosses the $111 million domestic mark with a third weekend total of $21.1 million. The thriller continues its slow descent down the North American top 10, having fallen a mere 15 percent from week one to week two, followed by 25 percent this week.

Rounding out the top five are the Lionsgate/Summit release The Shack, which pulls in another $10.1 million for a 10-day total of $32.3 million, and Warner Bros. Animation’s The LEGO Batman Movie, which sheds 33 percent for a fifth-weekend finish of $7.8 million.

On the limited front, Focus World’s buzzy cannibal title Raw tallies an estimated $25,230 from two theaters. Helmed by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, Raw made headlines along the festival circuit — namely at TIFF in September, where several audience members reportedly fainted during one of the film’s particularly graphic scenes.

Kristen Stewart carried her Cannes drama Personal Shopper to a healthy start at four sites in New York and Los Angeles, averaging $23,129 per theater for a $92,516 finish at No. 30.

Overall box office is up around 0.3 percent from the same frame last year. Per comScore, check out the March 10-12 weekend box office estimates below.

1. Kong: Skull Island – $61 million
2. Logan – $37.9 million
3. Get Out – $21.1 million
4. The Shack – $10.1 million
5. The LEGO Batman Movie – $7.8 million
6. Before I Fall – $3.1 million
7. Hidden Figures – $2.8 million
8. John Wick: Chapter 2 – $2.7 million
9. MET Opera: La Traviata – $1.8 million
10. La La Land $1.8 million.

Categories
Awards

I’m very excited about one half of this hosting duo.

Bryan Adams, Russell Peters take over as Juno Awards co-hosts

TORONTO — Rocker Bryan Adams and comedian Russell Peters will co-host next month’s Juno Awards, replacing Michael Buble who continues to care for his three-year-old son who is fighting cancer.

The Junos have found success in the past by pairing hosts that were well-known to Canadians but shared seemingly little else in common.

Last year’s Calgary show was hosted by singer Jann Arden and “Amazing Race Canada”’s Jon Montgomery, while 1983’s gala was led by Burton Cummings and Alan Thicke, and the 2014 event had three musicians — Classified, Johnny Reid, and Serena Ryder — as hosts.

In Adams and Peters, the Junos have an unlikely comedic duo but two global stars.

Adams is a radio favourite with hits like “Summer of ’69” and “Heaven,” but he’s not usually a guy to host an awards show. His Juno connections are deep though, with 18 awards to his name, including multiple best artist, best album and best single trophies.

Peters has encountered the Junos a couple of times himself, even if he doesn’t have one on his mantle.

He hosted the 2008 show in Calgary and a year later in Vancouver, and he’s probably better acquainted with quick-witted banter than his counterpart.

Peters also has an upcoming TV series he might try to plug. “The Indian Detective” is currently in production and will premiere on CraveTV, which is owned by CTV’s parent company Bell Media.

Buble had lots of Juno experience too, winning several of the awards and hosting in past years, but the pop crooner chose to sideline his career last fall and exit other recent hosting duties to put his family first.

He pulled out as emcee of the Brit Awards last month, and released a statement saying his son Noah was “progressing well” from his treatment.

“The doctors are very optimistic about the future for our little boy,” he added.

The Junos will be held in Ottawa on April 2, with scheduled performances by artists including Alessia Cara, Arkells, Sarah McLachlan and Shawn Mendes.