Leonard Cohen's heard enough of Hallelujah
If Leonard Cohen gets his wish, other people will stop singing this song.
In an interview with the CBC, Cohen called for a temporary moratorium on new versions of his song Hallelujah.
Cohen said he read a review of the movie Watchmen and the reviewer asked for a moratorium on Hallelujah in movies and TV shows.
He said he feels the same way.
"I think it's a good song, but too many people sing it," he said.
The Montreal poet and songwriter admits he is pleased to see the song take on new life — so many years after he recorded the original version.
Hallelujah was part of the album Various Positions that was rejected by his label, Sony.
The song has been sung by Jeff Buckley, k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright and recently by X Factor and American Idol contestants.
The version of the song featured in Watchmen is Cohen's own.
Recession hits Toronto film festival, filmmakers
TORONTO (Reuters) – The effects of the global recession are forcing big cutbacks in the world of film and could also hamper independent filmmaking for years to come, organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival said on Tuesday.
Festival chief executive Piers Handling said sponsorship funding is down from previous years, meaning cuts to travel and entertainment budgets.
"We've actually had to make some very, very hard decisions, some very difficult decisions," Handling told a news conference announcing some of the top movies.
"We literally looked at every single part of the organization, every facet, and we tried to squeeze every single piece of money."
But Handling said the stars will still show up at the premiere-studded 10-day event, which starts on September 10, and the internal cuts would likely not be obvious to audiences.
He hoped the same number of international stars and filmmakers would attend.
Last year, more than 500 stars and special guests attended the festival, which showed over 300 features and short films.
The organizers broke with tradition this year, picking a British film to open the festival, rather than a Canadian selection.
"Creation" tells of Charles Darwin and his struggle to bring the idea of evolution into a world still rooted in faith. It stars real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Mr. and Mrs. Darwin, and pits them on opposite sides of the divide between reason and faith.
"We fell in love with this movie and this is the one we felt really sets the tone for the conversations we hope will happen around the films at the festival," said festival co-director Cameron Bailey.
The films showing this year were in production before the global recession hit and the organizers had plenty to choose from. But Handling said that is about to change as funding dries up for mid-sized productions in the $5 million to $30 million range.
"It's those smaller, more personal works by filmmakers in mid-career ... established film makers. They are having a tough time right now funding their projects for next year," he told Reuters.
The recession is not hitting blockbuster movies and low budget works as hard, he said.
Fate of 'Corner Gas' site up in the air
REGINA - The Saskatchewan government is wading into the discussion over the future of the set of the hit TV show "Corner Gas."
Tourism Minister Dustin Duncan says a meeting is to be held next Tuesday to talk about the potential development of the site in Rouleau, Sask. - the town that stood in for the fictional community of Dog River.
Rouleau officials say the exterior set for the show's filling station is falling into disrepair since production ended last fall and tourists are disgusted.
But the show's producers say the filling station was designed as a set, not as a tourist destination, and it would be expensive to renovate.
Duncan, who visited the "Corner Gas" set as a tourist, says there's a lot of interest in the site and pride in the show.
The minister says it's early, but he hopes a compromise can be reached that would satisfy the community, the production company and Tourism Saskatchewan.
Courteney Cox, David Arquette 'Scream' for more
We were pretty sure Courteney Cox had a career.
Husband David Arquette has confirmed he and Cox are signed on for a fourth installment in the "Scream" horror series.
"We are going to be doing 'Scream 4,'" Arquette told E! Online. "Kevin Williamson is writing the script at this moment, and hopefully Wes Craven is going to direct."
Arquette and Cox met and fell in love on the set of the first three films, where he played a bumbling deputy and she played a scoop-hungry television reporter.
The movies featured Neve Campbell running from various murderous types; the first movie was notable for killing off Drew Barrymore in its opening moments.
Campbell has (smartly) declined to return to the series.
Cox, meanwhile, can be seen this fall on ABC's "Cougar Town."
Some final words coming from George Carlin
NEW YORK – Some final thoughts are coming from George Carlin.
Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, said Tuesday that the comedian's book "Last Words" will be published in November.
Carlin died in June 2008 at age 71 and worked on the book for the last decade of his life. He collaborated on it with author and humorist Tony Hendra.
Hendra is best known for the memoir "Father Joe."
Carlin's other books included "Brain Droppings" and "Napalm and Silly Putty."
Russell Brand returns to host the VMAs
NEW YORK – MTV liked Russell Brand so much, they called him back for more.
The British comedian-actor — known for his deadpan, off-kilter humor — will host the Video Music Awards for the second year in a row, MTV announced Tuesday.
Brand, 34, says he feels "invigorated" to return as master of ceremonies for the live event, which will be held in New York on Sept. 13.
"It's very bracing, like stepping into a warm — no, a cool — powerful ocean," he said, poetically.
Brand, whose film roles include a scene-stealing role as a rock star in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," famously mocked the Jonas Brothers' purity rings at last year's show in Los Angeles.
"I'm gonna personally invite them because I love those boys," he quipped, noting "there will be some controversy" this time around.
The telecast will be staged at different venues, including Radio City Music Hall, where the VMAs were broadcast in 2006. MTV said country superstar Taylor Swift will perform; the nominees and other performers will be announced later.
"There's gonna be huge performances all over New York City," Brand said. "On Brooklyn Bridge, there will be a performance. You know that spike on top of the Empire State Building? Someone is gonna perform on top of that. ... Its gonna be mind-blowing ... get ready. I don't know if you're wearing a hat, but if you are, you should hold on to it."