'District 9' lifts off with No. 1 weekend at $37M

Source: DAVID GERMAIN (News.Yahoo.Com)

LOS ANGELES – The first-time director and cast of unknowns of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller "District 9" have given Hollywood a late-summer box-office boost.
The Sony release produced by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson led the weekend with a $37 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"District 9" is the debut feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the tale about extraterrestrials forced by humans to live in squalor in a ghetto in South Africa.

The movie built audience interest with a clever marketing campaign playing up the theme of prejudice against aliens, including posters instructing citizens to report non-humans and ads on bus benches stating that the seats are for humans only.

"Everybody was like, 'What is this?' There was a big question mark in people's minds," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It did really pique their interest and drove them to the Internet and elsewhere to discover what's going on."
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," slipped to second place with $22.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $98.8 million.
Another sci-fi tale, the Warner Bros. romance "The Time Traveler's Wife" starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, opened a solid No. 3 with $19.2 million. The film joined the previous weekend's "Julie & Julia" as a choice for women, with females accounting for 76 percent of its audience.

"District 9" and "Time Traveler's Wife" led a wave of five new wide releases for mid-August, when Hollywood's summer output normally is petering out. The rush continues next weekend with another surge of new releases, led by Quentin Tarantino's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds."

"It's getting very crowded, and it's these films that want to compete in the summer time frame but can't compete in the sweet spot of summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Opening 'District 9' against 'Star Trek,' that would not be a good strategy. But to release it now makes sense. August is the month of opportunity for films that in other months of summer would get slaughtered."

The weekend's other debuts: Paramount Vantage's used-car comedy "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," opening at No. 6 with $5.4 million; Disney's animated adventure "Ponyo" from animation master Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"), coming in at No. 9 with $3.5 million; and Summit Entertainment's teen rock 'n' roll tale "Bandslam," which tanked at No. 13 with just $2.3 million despite a cast that includes Vanessa Hudgens of "High School Musical."

It was Hollywood's second weekend in a row of rising revenues after a monthlong slide compared with summer 2008, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" was smashing box-office records.
Overall receipts came in at $142 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "Tropic Thunder" debuted at No. 1 with $25.8 million.
Revenues since the summer season opened the first weekend of May are at $3.77 billion, just a fraction below where Hollywood was last summer, according to Hollywood.com.

Factoring in higher ticket prices, admissions are off 4 percent compared to summer 2008, though movie attendance remains strong given how "The Dark Knight" dominated a year ago. The biggest blockbuster since "Titanic," "The Dark Knight" topped out with a domestic haul of $531 million.
"Considering we had a movie of that magnitude in the mix, I think this summer has held up very well for itself," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released "The Dark Knight."

Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "District 9," $37 million.
2. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $22.5 million.
3. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $19.2 million.
4. "Julie & Julia," $12.4 million.
5. "G-Force," $6.9 million.
6. "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," $5.4 million.
7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $5.2 million.
8. "The Ugly Truth," $4.5 million.
9. "Ponyo," $3.5 million.
10. "500 Days of Summer," $3 million

Taiwan's Jay Chou goes to Hollywood: report

Source: MSN NEWS

Taiwan pop star Jay Chou will star alongside Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz in a movie remake of the popular US television series "The Green Hornet," reports here said on Saturday.

Chou, 30, has been cast as the superhero's sidekick Kato, a role played by the late Chinese-American martial arts icon Bruce Lee about 40 years ago, said the United Daily News.

"I am very happy to act in an international film. I will do my best," the paper quoted Chou as saying in a statement issued by his company JVR Music.

Chou won the role after a video-link audition a month ago with the movie's director Michel Gondry and writer Seth Rogen, who will play the lead character Britt Reid, or The Green Hornet, the report said.

Chou will start shooting for the film, scheduled to be released on July 9 2010, after wrapping up his directorial work for a television series and two concerts in China, it said.

The Apple Daily said Chou replaced Hong Kong star Stephen Chow, who was originally set to direct and act in the film, but had pulled out due to differences with Columbia Pictures.

Chou, also famous in China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia for his pop music, has expanded into filmmaking in recent years, starring in a number of box-office hits including "Initial D," "The Curse of the Golden Flower" and "Secret."

孟庭苇新歌MV遭抢发 内地宣传被迫紧急启动

Source: Celiawu



腾讯音乐讯 日前，台湾的两家地方电视台，不顾孟庭苇整体宣传计划，提前抢发了孟庭苇新歌《飘》的MV，因此导致原计划在发布会上揭晓新歌MV的环节被迫取消。而之前所谈下的台湾网络及电视台的“独家首发”计划，也全部被取消。孟庭苇的内地宣传计划也被迫提前。

由于这两家台湾电视台的意外抢先曝光，为了防止网上盗版新歌MV的泛滥，孟庭苇在内地的唱片经纪公司乐华娱乐，原定在17号开始的宣传计划被全部打乱。原计划在内地17号才推出的新专辑主打歌《飘》的计划，不得不提前进行。目前，孟庭苇在内地17号才开始的宣传工作，已经全部提前，新专辑主打歌MV《飘》也开始在网络和各大电视台已经开始逐步推出。新专辑封面照也不得不提前曝光。

孟庭苇在内地的唱片经纪公司乐华娱乐，更是全员出动，采取了紧急公关措施，在最快的时间内重新制定一份新的宣传时间表。而之前许多谈好的宣传事宜也都将提前十天开始进行。

借着自己即将出道二十年的日子，在09年的夏天孟庭苇推出了全新专辑《孟庭苇的炎夏》。在这张迷你专辑中，孟庭苇尝试了多样改变，首先是终于完成心愿当上唱片制作人，另一个新的尝试就是第一次在夏天发片，今年夏天格外炎热，亚亚笑说：“这是在欢迎我加入炎夏行列吗？”

这次，在新专辑中，孟庭苇制作了五首新歌，第一次担纲音乐制作人，因此孟庭苇除歌手身份加上制作人身份之外，还要自己帮自己配唱！孟庭苇说：“第一次坐在制作人的坐位上感觉很不错，由于我想要一个不一样的孟庭苇，因此在录音的时候我把新的歌唱得很摇滚，结果录音师反而无法接受，一直说，我没办法接受孟庭苇变成这样…，我还试了很多怪唱腔，都是大家从未听过的！”

不过孟庭苇的录音师却是“痛苦”地表示，自己也是亚亚的歌迷，听了那么久清纯的声音，突然间变成很有爆发力的摇滚风格，真的接受不了，一直在求亚亚姐，“你要再试下去，我真的要跑路了”。

Cassette Tape Lamps Illuminate as MP3s Never Will

Source: Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)

It's true, you'll only capture the effect of this picture if you buy many cassette tape lamps. The purchase of just one (in a motif not dissimilar from the consumption of one Lay's potato chip) will lead to inevitable disappointment.
Still, should you wish to take the €220 plunge, one of these handmade cassette tape lamps can be yours. There's no guarantee of the musical selections you'll be offered, so don't come crying to us if you score some Brazilian Jonas Brothers release instead of the still-spectacular TNMT soundtrack. [ooomydesign via inhabitat via bbGadgets via DVICE]

Read More: Design, cassette tape lamp, Cassette, Lamp

New Music: Jay-Z Featuring Rihanna And Kanye West - Run This Town//

Source: TJ (neonlimelight.com)



Jay-Z came up with a brilliant plan to unleash the official first single from this album The Blueprint 3 — the Kanye West and Rihanna-featured “Run This Town” — on New York’s influential hip hop radio station Hot 97 at 9:11 AM this morning. Those numbers are quite important as the album will be released on September 11.

Things didn’t quite go his way. As label and radio execs scrambled to get the song ready to air, fans we forced to wait. Finally, 30 whole minutes later, the song was played, and not long after it was available on the internet.

It was definitely worth the wait.

Jay-Z’s not-cocky-just-confident verses would be enough to make the slow-riding track soar, but the star power added by Rihanna expertly riding the hook and Kanye’s genius one-liners make “Run This Town” the quintessential hip hop record that is sure to run radio.

Madonna Readies “Celebration” Definitive Hits Collection, New Single Out August 3rd

Source: Rollingstone.Com

Madonna confirmed plans to release her definitive greatest hits compilation Celebration today, due September 29th as both a single and double album. As if the lure of 37 Top 10 hits wasn’t enough, Celebration will also feature a pair of new tracks she recently recorded in New York, including the collection’s first single “Celebration,” which was co-produced by house music legend Paul Oakenfold. Celebration’s cover, created by street pop artist Mr. Brainwash, is up now on Madonna’s official website.

While the “Celebration” single won’t be released until August 3rd, remixes of the song are already on their way to the clubs according to the press release. “Celebration” will also be accompanied by a music video, which will be featured on the Celebration DVD. On July 18th, Madonna’s official website recruited fans in Milan, Italy, to appear in the “Celebration” video, asking them to “come dressed to impress, bring all Madonna memorabilia, t-shirts or Madonna outfits you have and be ready to perform, dance or just be yourself.” Music video vet Jonas Åkerlund (”Ray of Light”) is confirmed to direct.

While the album’s track list hasn’t officially been announced, among the confirmed tracks are hits “Everybody,” “Express Yourself,” “Vogue” and “4 Minutes.” As Rock Daily previously reported, Madonna’s fans had a hand in the collection’s track list, sending the Material Girl requests and recommendation through her manager Guy Oseary’s Twitter. The Celebration DVD will be released simultaneously on September 29th and will feature a collection of Madonna’s iconic videos, including a few that have never been on DVD before. No official word yet regarding the other new song on Celebration, but it’s rumored to be leaked song “Revolver.”

Celebration is Madonna’s third greatest hits compilation and marks the last release under the Warner Music umbrella before the Material Girl leaves her career-spanning record company for a Live Nation 360 deal.

Jordin Sparks: Battlefield

Source: Caroline Sullivan
The Guardian, Friday 17 July 2009

The youngest-ever winner of American Idol, at 17, Jordin Sparks has spent the subsequent two years setting herself up as an irreproachably wholesome purveyor of lovelorn yet optimistic pop/R&B. The 2007 hit No Air gave you the breathy, cleancut gist; this second album employs the same tricks - almost literally, in the case of Let It Rain, which has a tremulous build-up and heroic chorus ("Let it rain, wash me clean," she commands) that could've been cadged from No Air. Squelchy electronics and a relatively earthy lyric ("Look in her eyes, she's mentally undressing him") give SOS an urban hue, and the clattering Let It Rain is modern R&B worthy of Rihanna. Regrettably, though, Sparks sounds more comfortable with power ballads such as No Parade; and there's an inner Pat Benatar struggling to get out on the title track. OK if you like this kind of thing