Red carpet opening for war film shot near Calgary
Calgary is rolling out the red carpet for Passchendaele, a First World War drama with significant Alberta pedigree.
The province invested more than $5 million in the $21-million production, and much of it was shot last year in and around Calgary — the birthplace of the movie's writer, director, co-producer and star, Paul Gross.
Gross is best known for his role as the upright Mountie in the television program Due South.
An invitation-only screening at the Jack Singer Concert Hall kicked off Wednesday evening with a marching military band and a "red carpet photo opportunity."
In an interview with CBC News Wednesday afternoon, Gross recalled the initial funding meeting with then-premier Ralph Klein, who was expected to be in the audience for the Calgary premiere.
"It was one of the oddest meetings I've had in my life .… I think he was kind of eager to get the meeting over with, because he was already wearing golf cleats," Gross said. "[Without] the confidence this province had in the project, we really would not have made it."
Passchendaele kicked off Toronto's film festival in September to great fanfare, but the absence at Calgary's film festival a week later had some of the city's film workers miffed.
"The Toronto Film Festival is international," explained Gross on Wednesday. "Of course it makes a lot of people aware of it and we thought it was a good way to kick-off the overall promotional part of it."
Inspired by his grandfather
Gross has spent the last decade trying to get the project made. He was inspired by his grandfather, one of thousands of Albertans who fought in the small Belgian village of Passchendaele in 1917. The main character of the film bears his grandfather's name, Sgt. Michael Dunne.
"He was there all the way through it. A very guiding spirit," recalled Gross.
The battle, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, resulted in half a million Allied casualties for a gain of only a few miles.
Beginning on Oct. 26, 1917, Canadian troops drove back the German army to take Passchendaele in a 12-day offensive across marshland pitted with craters and made almost impassable by heavy rains.
Some 16,000 Canadians were killed or wounded, and the strategic gains were small — eight kilometres of territory, which would be taken back by the Germans later in the war. But the victory helped establish the Canadian soldier’s international reputation for awe-inspiring tenacity.
Rhona Mitra Rumored As Catwoman In Batman 3
Batman 3 still isn’t anywhere near close to being made, which means that any casting rumor you hear related to the film is still almost certainly nothing but bunk. Now that I’ve gotten that warning out of the way, here’s the latest in probably wrong Batman 3 casting rumors.
Batman-On-Film says Rhona Mitra may be “in the mix” to play Catwoman in Batman 3. This presupposes Catwoman is even in Batman 3, something which everyone in the world seems to have simply assumed, even though no one involved with the production has even hinted that it’s so.
According to the BOF guys (who themselves are quick to point out this rumor is probably vapor), people were impressed by her role in Doomsday.
Her performance may have gotten someone’s attention, which could have Rhona in contention to wear Batman 3’s as of yet non-existent cat suit. It’s unlikely to pan out, but I’m hoping the mainstream rumor picks this rumor up and runs with it, just to wash the taste of Cher out of everyone’s mouth. In case you were wondering, Cher as Catwoman tastes like dried industrial waste stuck in the ass crack of wet leather.
Give me Rhona Mitra instead.
Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Eagles lead AMA nominees
Alicia Keys, Coldplay and The Eagles led the pack when nominees for the 2008 American Music Awards were announced Tuesday (10/14).
Keys garnered five nominations to top the field, while Coldplay and The Eagles followed closely behind with four apiece. Each of the top-three nominees are in the running for the overall Artist of the Year prize, along with Chris Brown and Lil Wayne.
Nominations for the awards, which are divided into several categories--including Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin and Contemporary Inspirational--were announced by comedian Jimmy Kimmel at a press conference in Beverly Hills. The awards will be presented during a November 23rd live broadcast from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
The complete list of nominees is included below.
AMA nominations are based on sales data compiled by music-industry trade magazine Radio & Records and Nielsen SoundScan. For the second consecutive year, winners will be determined through an online vote open to the general public. In previous years, winners were selected via a national sampling of about 20,000 people.
Votes will be collected through Nov. 7.
Nominees for the 2008 American Music Awards:
POP/ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Chris Brown
Kid Rock
Usher
Favorite Female Artist
Mariah Carey
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
Coldplay
Eagles
Daughtry
Favorite Album
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends"
Eagles, "Long Road Out of Eden"
Alicia Keys, "As I Am"
COUNTRY MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Garth Brooks
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Favorite Female Artist
Reba Mcentire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
Brooks & Dunn
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Favorite Album
Garth Brooks, "The Ultimate Hits"
Rascal Flatts, "Still Feels Good"
Carrie Underwood, "Carnival Ride"
RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Flo Rida
Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Favorite Band, Duo Or Group
G Unit
Three 6 Mafia
Wu-Tang Clan
Favorite Album
Jay-Z, "American Gangster"
Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"
Kayne West, "Graduation"
SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Chris Brown
J. Holiday
Usher
Favorite Female Artist
Mary J. Blige
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Favorite Album
Mary J. Blige, "Growing Pains"
Mariah Carey, "E=Mc2"
Alicia Keys, "As I Am"
SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album
"Alvin And The Chipmunks"
"Juno"
"Mamma Mia!"
ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Linkin Park
ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Daughtry
Eagles
Jordin Sparks
LATIN MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Enrique Iglesias
Juanes
Wisin Y Yandel
CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist
Casting Crowns
Mercyme
Third Day
T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Colbie Caillat
Flo Rida
Jonas Brothers
Paramore
The-Dream
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lil Wayne
Chris Brown
Alicia Keys
Eagles
Coldplay
Dan Akroyd confirms Ghostbusters game still exists
In a radio interview Wednesday morning, actor Dan Akroyd confirmed that Atari has picked up the Ghostbusters game--but don't hold your breath on a release date.
The sad tale of the Ghostbusters game took a turn for the better today after actor Dan Akroyd told a Dallas radio station that the game is still alive.
During the interview with 105.3 KLLI, Akroyd said the game has been picked up by Atari, and is about "a year away" from being released.
The news is by no means definitive, but it's a far cry from the doom and gloom fans experienced after former Ghostbusters developer Sierra Games was acquired and axed by parent publisher Activision Blizzard.
So, Ghostbuster fans can take solace in the fact that this game "might" be coming out in time for the 2009 holiday season, according to Dan Akroyd. Stock up on Ecto Cooler and tune in next year for more info.
Neal Hefti, composer of 'Batman' theme, dies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the movie The Odd Couple and the Batman television series, has died. He was 85.
Hefti died unexpectedly Saturday at his home, said his son Paul Hefti. He said his father was in good health and may have suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Neal Hefti's notable achievements include the iconic theme of the 1960s superhero series Batman, which became a Top 40 hit and won a Grammy Award in 1966 for best instrumental theme. He also composed music for The Odd Couple,Barefoot in the Park and Harlow, which featured his classic track Girl Talk.
His son said the Batman theme was Neal Hefti's most difficult piece, taking him at least one month to compose the driving bass and explosive trumpet bursts.
"He threw away more music paper on this thing than any other song," Paul Hefti told The Associated Press. "It got down to the blues with a funny guitar hook, the lowest common denominator and a fun groove."
As a working composer, Hefti's inspiration was "the job offer and the deadline," said Paul Hefti. "He didn't write songs in between jobs and when he retired he never wrote another song."
"He was one of the really great arrangers and composers of all time," radio and television personality Gary Owens, a longtime friend, told the Los Angeles Times.
Neal Hefti was born Oct. 29, 1922, in Hastings, Neb., and played trumpet with local bands as a teenager to earn money.
As an adult, he worked with and arranged music for the greats of the Big Band era, including Count Basie, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak and Harry James.
His son described a humble beginning to Neal Hefti's career. In 1941, a traveling band that had lost some members to the war effort invited him to tour with them on the East Coast but replaced him afterward, Paul Hefti said.
"He was way over his head," Paul Hefti said. After leaving the band, "he was alone in New York with his trumpet and his case, but there was so much work there those days."
"Porno" proves a five-letter word for movie's ads
LOS ANGELES - Kevin Smith made a movie with such a bothersome title he cannot even place ads for it in some places.
Some newspaper, TV and outdoor ads for Smith's comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" have been rejected because of their content or the five-letter word that ends the title, said Gary Faber, head of marketing for the Weinstein Co., which is releasing the film.
Among those refusing to carry ads are about 15 newspapers and several TV stations and cable channels, Faber said. Commercials for the film during Los Angeles Dodgers games on Fox Sports were dropped at the team's request after some viewers complained, said Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch.
One complaint came from a man watching a game in September with his young son, who did not understand a suicide-squeeze bunt the Dodgers tried, Rawitch said.
"He was explaining to his son what a squeeze bunt was. Commercial break, the ad comes on, and the kid asks, `Dad, what does porno mean?'" Rawitch said. "Dodgers baseball has always been about family, and we've always been sensitive to the type of advertising that runs on our games."
The city of Philadelphia refused "Zack and Miri" posters at bus stops. Similar posters at Boston bus stops have drawn complaints from a child-development expert who said they are inappropriate for children.
Smith found it ironic that the posters have been a problem. Some playfully risque ads with images of "Zack and Miri" stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks were forbidden by the Motion Picture Association of America, which called the ads "highly sexually suggestive and not suitable for general audiences."
So Weinstein came up with posters using stick figures to represent the actors.
"The whole idea was, our hands were so tied on all previous entries we'd given them that this ad was meant to be the innocuous one that would get approved everywhere," Smith said.
Rina Cutler, Philadelphia deputy mayor for transportation, said the stick-figure posters were cute and clever but unacceptable for bus shelters where schoolchildren would see the word "porno."
"If they want to call the movie `Zack and Miri,' that's fine, but Zack and Miri cannot make a porno on my bus shelters," Cutler said.
Opening Oct. 31, "Zack and Miri" features Rogen and Banks as platonic best buddies and roommates who decide to make their own skin flick to dig themselves out of debt.
Diane Levin, an education professor specializing in child development at Boston's Wheelock College, said the posters at city bus stops send a message to children that working in the porn industry is an acceptable occupation.
"It's drawing attention to a movie which is mainstreaming and normalizing pornography, saying if you need money, this is what you do," said Levin, co-author of "So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids."
The stick-figure images are especially appealing to youngsters, since "stick figures are something for children," she said.
Weinstein marketing boss Faber countered: "It's a comedy. It's a joke. We're not advertising a porno. It's not a porno. The word `porno,' it's not supposed to turn you on. It's supposed to make you laugh."
The ratings board of the MPAA initially slapped "Zack and Miri" with an NC-17 rating, a box-office kiss of death because audiences view such films as explicit adult-only flicks. Smith appealed and talked the film down to an R rating.
Faber said the company has been able to place its ads in most of the outlets it has approached. For newspapers that rejected them because of the word "porno," Weinstein might play around with variations that exclude the title, he said.
The company developed a version of the stick-figure poster without the film's name, bearing the slogan, "Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks made a movie so outrageous that we can't even tell you the title."
Madonna and Guy Ritchie announce their divorce
LONDON - Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie will end their marriage after nearly eight years, the couple said in a joint statement Wednesday.
The couple asked the media to "maintain respect for their family at this difficult time," said the statement, e-mailed to The Associated Press by Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's publicist.
A financial settlement has not been agreed by the wealthy couple, who must also decide child custody issues.
In London, Ritchie's mother, Lady Amber Leighton, told reporters that the family wouldn't be making any statement.
Madonna and Ritchie, director of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," married in December 2000 at a Scottish castle. The couple have two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.
The couple are reportedly worth some $525 million, the bulk of that belonging to Madonna. Ritchie has an estimated $35 million fortune. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and a 1,200-acre retreat in Wiltshire, England.
Madonna is to perform concerts Wednesday and Thursday in Boston as her "Sticky and Sweet" tour continues. Ritchie's latest movie, "RocknRolla," recently opened to mixed reviews.
Lawyers said the couple would likely try to come to an agreement before heading to court.
"The judgment of the court would be to try and assess what they came in with and divide what they built up fairly equally," said David Allison, a lawyer with Family Law in Partnership, a London firm.
Ritchie's career has faltered during the marriage, while Madonna's songs, videos and concerts remain popular worldwide.
The needs of the couple's children will also be factored by the court, as they were in Britain's latest high-profile celebrity divorce, the battle between former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills. In that case, McCartney and Mills fought over money and custody of their young daughter.
Mills received 24.3 million pounds in the divorce after four years of marriage.
"The needs of children figure quite highly, and that was one of the reasons Heather Mills got a gigantic amount of money, despite the fact that the bulk of Sir Paul's money was made before the marriage," Allison said.
The Sun newspaper splashed the split across its front page Wednesday under the headline: "We're Divorcing." It was the second time this year that the superstar couple's marriage has come under the media microscope. Over the summer, Madonna was linked — unfairly, she said — to the breakup of New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez and his ex-wife Cynthia.
Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.