Little Mosque filming 2nd season in Saskatchewan
Little Mosque on the Prairie is back on the Prairies.
CBC's hit TV series about Muslims in a fictional Saskatchewan town is wrapping up production in Regina on its second season.
Producer Michael Snook says on-location shooting for parts of 12 episodes will begin Monday and continue into September. Broadcasts of the second season episodes begin Oct. 3.
"We'll be shooting five days in Regina over the next couple of weeks and we'll be shooting five days in Indian Head," Snook said.
The comedy originated in Regina, although CBC ended up moving more than half of the production to a soundstage in Toronto.
Even so, according to Snook, the sitcom has a strong Prairie component.
"The vast majority of our crew are Saskatchewan, some of our day player cast are from Saskatchewan and the core production unit in terms of producer, production manager and so on … are all from here," he said.
After a successful pilot season, the series is ramping up production from eight episodes to 20.
Little Mosque on the Prairie will be aired in a number of other markets this year, including France and French-speaking parts of Switzerland and Africa.
New CD Releases, Aug. 28: Lyle Lovett, Ben Harper, Ringo Starr
Lyle Lovett "It's Not Big It's Large"
The four-time Grammy winner will find out if "13'' can indeed be a lucky number as he prepares to release "It's Not Big It's Large.'' The set, Lovett's 13th album, follows 2003's "My Baby Don't Tolerate" and, before that, 1996's "Road to Ensenada."
"It's Not Big It's Large" was produced by Lovett and longtime collaborator Billy Williams. The 12-track CD, as referenced in its title, features Lovett's signature Large Band. A deluxe version of the album, which includes a DVD with studio footage, is being released simultaneously.
Having recently finished up a co-headlining tour with K.D. Lang, the Texas troubadour will back "It's Not Big It's Large" with a handful of dates in his home state in October.
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Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals "Lifeline"
Having explored "Both Sides of the Gun" last year, Harper quickly returns with another major burst of creativity. The singer/songwriter's new album, "Lifeline," is an 18-track, two-disc affair, divided into two styles: softer acoustic grooves on one disc and more rocking tunes on the other. The record's lead single is the track "In the Colors."
Regular road warriors, Harper and his Innocent Criminals will, of course, tour to support "Lifeline." The band's major North American theater tour will kick off Sept. 1 in Boulder, CO, and is currently scheduled to last through mid-November. Two-night stands are booked in Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle.
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Ringo Starr
"Photograph: Very Best of Ringo Starr"
The man who set the beat for John, Paul and George gets his turn under the spotlight with "Photograph: Very Best of Ringo Starr." This 20-track disc, which is bundled with a bonus DVD, features material from Starr's own impressive solo career.
Starr has had his share of post-Beatles success. Notably, he has charted seven Top 10 pop hits on his own. "Photograph: Very Best of Ringo Starr" includes such fan favorites as "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo."
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Heaven and Hell "Live from Radio City Music Hall"
Heaven and Hell, the reunion of the Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath, proved very popular with fans during a concert tour earlier this year. So popular, in fact, that the group--featuring vocalist Dio, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Vinnie Appice--has decided to schedule another round of shows, which kick off in early September.
If you are still undecided about whether to attend an upcoming Heaven and Hell gig, you might want to check out the group's "Live from Radio City Music Hall." This concert set documents the band's March gig at the famed NYC venue, which was the first stop on the U.S. comeback trail for the band.
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Casting Crowns "The Altar and the Door"
The Christian pop troupe returns with its third album, which follows the platinum-selling albums "Casting Crowns" and "Lifesong." The group has also released two popular concert discs, "Live from Atlanta'' and "Lifesong Live,'' which were certified, respectively, platinum and gold. Casting Crowns is led by singer/songwriter Mark Hall, a man who splits his time between being a pop star and working as a pastor at his local church.
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Other new releases:
Aesop Rock, "None Shall Pass" (Def Jux)
Paul Anka, "Classic Songs, My Way" (Decca)
Atreyu, "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" (Hollywood)
Blu & Exile, "Below the Heavens" (Sound in Color)
Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, "RnR" (Artizen)
Epica, "Divine Conspiracy" (Nuclear Blast)
Victoria Hart, "Whatever Happened to Romance?" (Decca)
The Kingston Trio, "Nick, Bob & John: The Final Concert" (Collector's Choice)
Ledisi, "Lost and Found" (Verve Forecast)
Liars, "Liars" (Mute)
Sophie Milman, "Make Someone Happy" (Koch)
New Young Pony Club, "Fantastic Playroom" (Interscope)
Northern State, "Can I Keep This Pen" (Ipecac)
Deva Premal, "Sings the Moola Mantra" (White Swan)
Queensryche, "Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensryche" (Capitol)
Scorpions, "Humanity Hour 1" (New Door)
The Subdudes, "Street Symphony" (Back Porch)
Owen Wilson pleads for privacy after reported suicide bid
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Oscar-nominated actor Owen Wilson called for privacy on Monday after being hospitalized in Los Angeles following a reported suicide attempt.
The 38-year-old star of "Wedding Crashers" and "Zoolander" was said to be in a good condition at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where he was transferred on Sunday after paramedics were called to his Santa Monica home.
"I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time," Wilson said in a statement released by his representative to celebrity website TMZ.com.
A spokeswoman at Cedars Sinai said Wilson was in a "good condition."
There was no official word on the reasons for Wilson's hospitalization however reports said the actor had attempted suicide.
Later Monday, sources close to the actor cited by syndicated entertainment television show "Extra" said Wilson had attempted to take his own life.
The source cited by the show said Wilson had been discovered by his brother Luke and that the actor's family and friends were in shock.
Santa Monica police and fire department issued a statement saying that medical aid had been dispatched to Wilson's address in Santa Monica.
The statement said "a person" was taken to local hospital but did not provide any details. Local media reported unidentified police sources confirming that the person treated was Wilson.
Wilson is regarded as one of Hollywood's most bankable actors, having appeared in a string of hit comedies.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for his writing work on "The Royal Tenenbaums" in 2001, in which he also starred with brother Luke Wilson and close friend Ben Stiller.
Wilson has also been romantically linked to "You, Me and Dupree" co-star Kate Hudson although their relationship recently ended.
Wilson is currently working on a new comedy with Stiller, "Tropic Thunder".
The Simpsons: The Movie DVD Date, Extras
Our friends in the industry have passed along info to us about The Simpsons Movie on DVD; a jewel we just cannot resist. We think we're the first ones with these details, so we want reward all the Simpsons fans among our readers with the scoop on this:
Homer accidentally causes an environmental catastrophe which could doom Springfield forever. Homer now must save the city and rescue his family. Springfield's usual characters and new favorites all turn up in the first ever movie length version of the hit TV show, 18 years in the making.
The 87-minute big-screen feature will arrive home in both Widescreen and Fullscreen versions (get the Widescreen) on December 18th. Besides the film itself, it's loaded with these extras, all for $29.98 SRP:
Animators commentary: David Silverman, Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore, Rich Moore.
Producers Commentary: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Richard Sakai, Al Jean, Mike Scully, David Silverman, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith
Deleted Scenes:
Levels
Springfield News
DMV
Sausage Truck
Animals Painting
Promos:
Jay Leno Promo
American Idol Promo
American Idol Cold Open
Lobby Promo
TH Spoof
Audio is going to be English Dolby Surround 5.1 and also English DTS 5.1 ES, plus there will be Spanish and French soundtracks in Dolby Surround. Subtitles are English and Spanish, and the film is rated PG-13.
Our thanks to our friends in the industry who provided this to us; they did so on condition of anonymity. They do not have box art for this DVD release, nor have they yet received any information about a potential Blu-ray Disc hi-definition release of the film. We expect these to come later on. Please bear in mind that this info does NOT come from a public announcement, and is therefore subject to change.
HMV Canada Drops Prices
HMV Canada, the country’s leading music retailer with more than 104 stores, revealed today that it was cutting its catalogue pricing by up to 33%.
"Lowering prices will lead to greater value and offer more to our consumers," said Humphrey Kadaner, president of HMV Canada. HMV Canada is a division of HMV Group PLC, based in London, and operates 104 stores in the country.
Kadaner said HMV had been testing the concept in past months at its stores in Edmonton, Alberta, where prices were cut by around 20% on about 60% of compact discs for sale. The move was well received by HMV customers, he added, and the chain decided to continue the pricing cuts across the country.
“We wanted this move to be participative and involve the labels in the decision,” said Kadaner. “The truth is that if we don’t improve [back catalogue] sales, we’ll have to look at reducing inventory.”
The price cuts come at a time when music sales in Canada have slumped dramatically. According to the Canadian Recording Industry Association, the net value of wholesale physical music sales fell 35% in the first quarter of 2007 to $68.7 million, from $105.6 million a year earlier. Unit sales of CDs and music DVDs fell 30% during the quarter to 7.1 million. These figures have had many in the industry – both in retail and Canadian recording companies – concerned, especially since CD sales in the country had already declined by 7% in 2006.
Kadaner said both HMV and Canadian record labels were lowering their margins in the hope of increasing the volume of sales. Though Canadian recording companies have fought with HMV over pricing in the past, they publicly put a brave face on the price cuts.
“We applaud HMV for having the smarts to retain their depth of catalogue while offering lower pricing for consumers,” said Randy Lennox, president of Universal Music Canada.
'Pirates,' Bush Top Teen Awards
LOS ANGELES - "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" dominated the seventh-annual Teen Choice Awards Sunday, taking honors for Choice Movie: Action Adventure.
The movie's stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy also took home awards.
"High School Musical 2" also scored with Choice TV: Movie, as did two of its stars. Zac Efron was dubbed "Choice Male Hottie" and Vanessa Hudgens "Choice Music Breakout Artist: Female."
The Disney Channel movie's presence was felt early in the show, which opened with a 50th-reunion spoof, replacing the youthful cast members with senior citizens.
Even "Choice Comedian" Dane Cook thanked the "HSM2" team, joking, "I couldn't have done this without you."
Sophia Bush was the night's biggest competitive individual-category winner, scoring three awards: Choice Movie Breakout: Female, Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller for "The Hitcher" and Choice Movie Actress: Comedy for "John Tucker Must Die."
Justin Timberlake also scored multiple honors. He won for Choice Music: Male Artist, Choice Music: Payback Track for "What Goes Around . . ..," and was honored with a special, Teen Choice answer to a lifetime-achievement award, "Ultimate Choice."
For all of the show's celebration of youth, it was 53-year-old John Travolta who seemed to cause the biggest stir with the 6,000-plus member audience, generating screams and a standing ovation as he walked to the stage to accept the Choice Summer Movie: Comedy/Musical for "Hairspray."
Hosted by one-time kid stars Hilary Duff and Nick Cannon, the show was telecast by Fox Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Studios Hollywood, with awards doled out at lightning speed.
Presenters blasted through more than 30 categories in less than two hours. Musical performers included Shop Boyz, Kelly Clarkson, as well as winners Avril Lavigne, and Fergie, the latter giving the night's most emotional acceptance speech.
"This award isn't paid for. This award isn't traded for favors," she said, while tearing up. "This is picked by you."
The awards are selected by the teen-voting public, who had been submitting picks online since July 2. Instead of statuettes, winners received life-size surfboards.