Harold Ramis Doesn't Think Ivan Reitman Wants To Make Ghostbusters 3
Harold Ramis is doing the rounds of publicity for his upcoming comedy Year One, and you know what that means: more Ghosbusters 3 rumors! Ramis has confirmed that he's still waiting to see the first draft from The Office writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, and will see where things go from there.
"Everyone says they'll do it, they've all said they'll do it. No one has signed anything yet--we haven't signed anything either--but there's the spirit of willingness in the air."
Ramis also suggested that, whoever directs, the movie, it might not be either him or Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two. "I don't think he wants to; I'm not sure I want to (direct). It's just a lot of open questions. Until we see a script, I don't think anyone really knows how they feel about it. Everyone's open to doing it, that's the main thing, that's what got it moving forward."
I'm pretty sure it's not necessarily Reitman's potential direction, rather the participation of the original cast, that has everyone tentatively excited about this. Will the movie be better if Reitman or Ramis, now an established director himself, handles it? Maybe. But it's just as likely that, with a new cast taking the story in a new direction, a fresh face could handle things even better.
Colbert shaves head for troops
BAGHDAD - Wearing a camouflage suit and tie, Stephen Colbert took his show to Baghdad to entertain U.S. soldiers in Iraq. For openers, President Barack Obama appeared by video to thank the troops.
"You're welcome," the mock pundit answered.
"I wasn't talking to you," the president deadpanned.
To the roaring approval of hundreds of troops at Camp Victory, on the western edge of Baghdad, Colbert taped the first of four episodes of "The Colbert Report," in which he plays a pompous, blustering conservative TV host.
His first guest was the towering, bald Gen. Ray Odierno. When Obama and the U.S. commander suggested Colbert had to look like a soldier in order to be a soldier, the general took an electric razor to Colbert's perfectly parted cable-news coif.
The four shows are being taped in the domed marble hall at Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace are to air this week starting Monday on Comedy Central.
Colbert has promoted the trip for weeks but only vaguely because the military urged caution. Instead, the pundit introduced segments with a jaunty theme: "Where in the World and When in Time is Stephen Colbert Going to Be in the Persian Gulf?"
At Camp Victory, Colbert was in typical, cluelessly egotistical form. He showed a clip pretending that he himself didn't know his destination until he got off the plane and somebody threw a shoe at him.
In another skit, he arrived at Fort Jackson, S.C., in a stretch limousine for "the full 10 hours" of basic training, then struggled to do push-ups and sit-ups while a drill sergeant barked at him.
And, concluding that the six-year war in Iraq must be over because nobody's talking about it anymore, Colbert said he would take it upon himself to make it official: "By the power vested in me by basic cable, I officially declare we have won the Iraq war!"
(To bolster his point, he offered a list of successes, including finding weapons of mass destruction - "easier than we thought" - and told the troops Obama should deploy them to General Motors.)
Odierno gently took issue with the self-sure pundit's suggestion the war had ended.
"We're not quite ready to declare victory," he said. "Things are moving forward but again, it's about bringing long-term stability."
Colbert, who sat at a desk propped up by sandbags painted to make up an American flag, responded by asking Odierno if he can bring long-term stability to the United States when he's done in Iraq.
The 45-year-old comedian, who travelled to Iraq from Kuwait on Friday on board a military transport plane, has said he decided make the trip when he noticed economic news coverage was eclipsing reports from Baghdad.
"It must be nice here in Iraq because I understand some of you keep coming back again and again," he joked. "You've earned so many frequent flier miles, you've earned a free ticket to Afghanistan."
He also joked about the economic crisis, congratulating one soldier in the audience who recently got his college degree while serving in Iraq for being the only 2009 graduate able to land a job.
Former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, chided by Colbert throughout the campaign for his advanced age, made a surprise appearance, thanking the troops in a video for their service and reminding them to clean their muskets.
Many celebrities have visited Iraq to entertain the troops. But Colbert's series - "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando" - marks the first time anyone has broadcast a taped, non-news talk show fully produced and broadcast from Iraq as part of a USO tour.
USO senior official John Hanson said the production faced a major setback when a sandstorm grounded the crew on Saturday, forcing it to cancel plans for an outing.
Both the character and the real Colbert are ardent supporters of the troops. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which helps injured service members and their families, and is a board member of DonorsChoose.org, which is raising money for the education of children of military parents.
Colbert planned the trip after former Assistant Defence Secretary Bing West suggested it last summer following an interview "The Colbert Report." The show sent about 30 production workers, about a third of its regular staff, to Iraq.
Troops in the audience said they enjoyed Colbert's equal opportunity humour.
"Definitely the highlight was seeing him sacrifice his hair," said Spc. Ryan MacLeod, 35, of Greenville, S.C.
'Hangover' takes down `Up' for top box-office spot
LOS ANGELES – Hollywood had a bigger hangover this weekend than expected.
The Warner Bros. comedy "The Hangover" drew larger audiences than earlier projected to raise its weekend ticket sales to $45 million, about $1.8 million more than the studio estimated Sunday.
That made it the No. 1 draw for the weekend instead of Disney and Pixar Animation's "Up," which came in second with $44.1 million. Sunday studio estimates had "Up" edging "The Hangover" by about $1 million.
It's rare that the first- and second-place movies on Sunday flip-flop when final numbers come out Monday. But strong attendance Sunday allowed "The Hangover" to pull ahead.
With heavy matinee traffic, family films such as "Up" usually hold on better through Sunday than adult movies like "The Hangover."
Warner Bros. had expected Sunday's National Basketball Association playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic to cut into business for the R-rated "The Hangover," the tale of four friends at an out-of-control bachelor party weekend in Las Vegas.
Yet more people turned up for the movie than anticipated, said Dan Fellman, Warner head of distribution.
"The Lakers weren't the only winners," Fellman said. "We had an unbelievable day."
Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta said the studio was happy to finish at No. 2 with "Up," whose final weekend total came in about $100,000 lower than the studio estimated Sunday.
"Up" has topped $137 million in just 10 days and is on track to become the latest $200 million blockbuster from Disney and Pixar, whose hits include "WALL-E," "The Incredibles," "Finding Nemo" and the "Toy Story" movies.
New CD Releases, June 9th: Black Eyed Peas, Sonic Youth, Iron Maiden, Dredg, Aventura, and more!!
Black Eyed Peas "THE E.N.D." (Interscope)
The R&B/hip-hop ensemble returns with its fifth studio effort. "The E.N.D."--which stands for "Energy Never Dies"--is the Black Eyed Peas' first original album since 2005's "Monkey Business."
The group--featuring Will.I.Am, Fergie, Apl.De.Ap and Taboo--is off to a quick start with this album. The set's first single, "Boom Boom Pow," has already hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
All told, the Black Eyed Peas have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, thanks to such hit songs as "My Humps," "Pump It" and "Let's Get It Started."
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Sonic Youth "The Eternal" (Matador)
Having released its last nine albums through Geffen, the seminal indie-rock act is set to go indie once again as it puts out its latest offering on the Matador label.
"The Eternal" was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Drive-By Truckers) and marks the debut of former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold as a permanent, full-time member of the group.
Sonic Youth will support "The Eternal" on the road. The 21-city tour is set to begin June 28 in Chicago and will finish up Aug. 2 in Oakland, CA.
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Iron Maiden "Flight 666" (Sony)
This two-disc set documents the legendary metal band's 2008 world tour, which took the group from Mumbai, India and Melbourne, Australia to San Jose, Costa Rica and Sao Paulo, Brazil, and seemingly everywhere else in between.
In all, Iron Maiden's "Somewhere Back in Time World Tour" consisted of 23 shows in Asia, Australia, and North, Central and South America in just 45 days, according to a press release.
This double-disc offering serves as the soundtrack to the feature-length tour documentary, "Iron Maiden: Flight 666," which made its theatrical debut back in April.
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Dredg "The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion" (Dredg)
These Northern California prog-rockers are set to drop their fourth studio effort, something that fans have been waiting for since 2005's "Catch Without Arms."
Dredg will support "The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion" during a co-headlining jaunt through North American clubs and theaters with fellow Californians RX Bandits. The trek begins and ends in Southern California; opening night is July 8 in Anaheim, CA, and the closing stand happens Aug. 30-31 in Los Angeles.
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Aventura "The Last" (Sony)
The New York-based, Dominican boy band is back with its fifth album, which follows the 2007 live offering "Kings of Bachata: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden." The group is known for such Latin radio hits as "El Perdedor" and "Mi Carazoncito," as well as for serving as the opening act on Enrique Iglesias' 2008 tour.
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More new releases:
Above & Beyond Presents: Oceanlab, "Sirens of the Sea Remixed" (Ultra)
Nanci Griffith, "The Loving Kind" (Rounder)
Teena Marie, "Congo Square" (Stax)
Johnny Mathis, "Rapture/Romantically" (Collector's Choice)
Johnny Mathis, "Those Were The Days/Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet" (Collector's Choice)
Johnny Mathis, "Up Up & Away" (Collector's Choice)
Rhett Miller, "Rhett Miller" (Shout Factory)
Placebo, "Battle for the Sun" (Vagrant)
Pleasure P, "The Introduction of Marcus Cooper" (Atlantic)
The Rolling Stones, "Emotional Rescue" (Universal)
The Rolling Stones, "Some Girls" (Universal)
The Rolling Stones, "Tattoo You" (Universal)
Todd Snider, "The Excitement Plan" (Yep Roc)
Paul Van Dyk, "Volume" (Ultra)
Various artists, "Originis: Live from Brasil, Nadja and the Assads" (NSS)
Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band Suit Up For Bonnaroo
It seems surprising to some fans, but Little Steven Van Zandt says Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are as well-suited to play massive festival dates as anyone else.
"I love that fact that we're playing to, I don't know, probably half of the audience who maybe never even heard of us -- certainly never heard us. That's nothing but fun and nothing but exciting," Van Zandt said during conference call with reporters regarding the group's June 13 stop at the Bonnaroo Music and Art Festival. Springsteen and company will also play the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 27.
"I'm hoping we do a whole lot more of these, and I think what I'm expecting...is just, I hope, a lot of young people that have never seen us before, and it's going to be fun."
Van Zandt said he's happy to see summer festival culture growing in North America -- "In Europe it's a festival almost every week in almost every country," he noted -- and dubbed it "a way of balancing out what has been a kind of isolated generation or two between computers and video games and that sort of thing."
As for Bonnaroo itself, Van Zandt said the E Street Band, with its lengthy and heavily improvised shows -- and some songs chosen off the cuff from fan requests -- fits in well with the "jam band" vibe that's still associated wtih the festival.
"We change things a lot normally," he noted. "Every night is different...There is a very wide variety of songs that we've done over the years that Bruce has written over the course of...30, 35 years. There's a lot of stuff to pick from. And then on top of that we build in a certain amount of spontaneity right into the show...The last two weeks we played Ramones, Clash and Tommy James...and all kinds of fun sort of bar band type songs.
"It just loosens everybody up and keeps the thing fresh. There's nothing like playing a song you've never played before and never rehearsed before 20,000 people. It's just kind of an immediate sort of electric sort of joke that kind of keeps everybody very awake."
Van Zandt does see something missing from Bonnaroo, however -- the garage rock that he champions on his syndicated radio show "The Underground Garage," with his Wicked Cool Records label and, he hopes, on a TV show in the near future.
"I took a quick look at the (Bonnaroo) list. I didn't see anybody that we play regularly in our format," he said. "I think as the genre starts to expand here...more young people will be starting to get to know this garage rock world. I think it's probably going to be the next generation that really embraces it. It's a little bit underground right now, still.
"So maybe in the next couple of years, Bonnaroo will start to have a underground garage stage or tent or some kind of garage rock day or some part of the festival. Maybe we can work something out in the future."