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PopWireNews, Reviews and Commentary from the World of Popular Culture Friday, May 16 2008Are cell phones ruining the concert experience?What if you gave a concert and the crowd refused to watch? It's not as far-fetched as it seems. As more and more concertgoers fiddle with cell phone cameras and fidget with...  The winner of the 'Narnia' sequel? Ben Barnes, by a hairThere's a changing of the guard in the Walden-Disney movie franchise, "The Chronicles of Narnia." The young actors who were the leads in 2005's "The Lion, the Witch and the... First-place Fox adding just two new shows to its fall scheduleNot needing much new programming after beating the other networks senseless in the Nielsen ratings this season, and not having much to choose from anyway after a writers'... Thursday, May 15 2008Free downloads pay off for musiciansForget "pay what you want." The new model for the music industry may be "pay it forward." Coldplay has become the latest band to discover that giving away your music - even a little bit for a little time - may, in the long run, end up being worth more than the conventional model of only selling it. GIVING A LITTLE TO GET SOME SALES While up-and-coming artists have been giving away their... Which network shows will live and which won't next seasonAuthor argues Clear Channel destroyed radioJuliette Binoche had to provide her own dialogue in 'Flight of the Red Balloon'Filmmaker makes a statement about crime in DetroitFast chat with stage, screen and TV star Peter GallagherBroadway's Tony Award nominations salute Chicago theater companiesFor fall, ‘CSI' also stands for ‘comedy strategy implemented' on CBSIndiana Jones, from A to ZWednesday, May 14 2008Should Stephen Fry move his 'Bones' to 'House'?British actors, comedians and writers Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry have been friends and colleagues for many years. As the comedy team of Fry and Laurie, they appeared in the British TV shows "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and "Jeeves and Wooster." So when Laurie came to America to star as misanthropic diagnostician Dr. Gregory House in the Fox medical drama "House," it seemed only a matter of time... Neil Young is putting his past on Blu-rayThe TV choices for fall are generating little heatNovelist Michael Ondaatje's borderless imaginationOne-name wonders vie to be the next Amy WinehouseWorld's most prestigious film festival, in its 61st year, opens Wednesday'In the Heights' leads 2008 Tony Awards nomineesTuesday, May 13 2008Video-game companies pulling the plug on industry associationAt a time when video-game companies are raking in record sales, it's odd to think that the industry's main trade association is collapsing. But it sounds as if that's exactly what's happening, and E3, the big annual gaming expo, could end up crushed in the rubble. Activision, which recently surpassed Electronic Arts as the world's biggest game publisher, and Vivendi, another premier publisher,... Networks hyping fall programs lessWas (Not Was) refound each other — and their grooveLea Thompson stars in Hallmark Channel film 'Final Approach'Q&A with country singer Trisha YearwoodHistoric 'Big Trail' makes widescreen DVD debut10 years later, what's up with the 'Seinfeld' gang?Monday, May 12 2008Return to Everest: In PBS documentary, storm survivor reflects on his decision to turn backLou Kasischke has a gentle voice and a kind face. When he talks about surviving the Mt. Everest tragedy of May 10, 1996, it's with the introspection of someone who's spent a dozen years sorting out the meaning of it all. He was 400 vertical feet away from the summit when he decided to turn back. Others in his expedition kept going. Four of them died. "I could have gone the short distance to the... 10 years after Frank Sinatra's death, daughter Nancy helps keep the legend aliveLady Antebellum plays to a media-savvy generationWill actors be the next to go on strike?As band's tour comes to an end, drummer says the reunion was done for all the right reasonsFriday, May 9 2008Networks dogged by drop in ratingsI wouldn't want to be a TV executive next week, as broadcasters meet with advertisers in New York to talk about the fall season, make the case that network television's still the place to put their ads and try to explain, yet again, where all those missing viewers have gone. A few years ago, ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson kicked off his network's dog-and-pony show by taking the... Steven Spielberg moves to the next video game levelThe always politically incorrect Bill Maher talks politics, cannibalsClassic 1950s sci-fi collection arrives on DVDGrand Theft Auto car-jacks pop cultureThursday, May 8 2008Here's hoping MTV can help make newspapers cool againGod bless Amanda Lorber, a senior at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla., who says "Journalists are the most important part of the world." Oh, a woman after my own heart. Say it loud and proud. Amanda is editor-in-chief of the Circuit, an award-winning student publication that serves as the setting for MTV's new reality series "The Paper" (10:30 p.m. EDT Mondays). You heard right. A school... 'Son of Rambow' turns childhood adventure into comedyWake up! The fall TV lineup is being announcedKISS' spaceman Ace Frehley is now grounded in solo lifeWiMax deal could lead to universal connectivityHelen Hunt returns to the limelight with 'Then She Found Me''The Life Before Her Eyes' director shrugs off criticismWednesday, May 7 2008These ‘60s Japanese cartoons led to anime and the new 'Speed Racer' film"Speed Racer" careens into theaters Friday, dragging with it a $120 million budget, the bruised reputation of directors the Wachowski brothers - whose careers need a shot of nitro after the flameouts of the last two "Matrix" debacles - and the summer hopes of a movie industry desperately in need of a few winners. Back in the `60s and `70s, though, few could imagine that Hollywood would ever pin... Stephenie Meyer's vampire novels were the dawning of a careerBorn 100 years ago, Pulitzer winner William Saroyan was a pop-culture icon in his heydayThis is a made-for-TV electionTuesday, May 6 2008Not much to pick from in 'American Idol's' four finalistsThere is some debate about whether this has been the strangest season of "American Idol" to date. But there's no question it has seemed like the longest. From the opening audition circus in Philadelphia to last week's precognition display by Paula Abdul, TV's giant karaoke contest has been a marathon instead of a sprint. (Of course, time drags when you have back-to-back-to-back theme weeks of... Fall of Rome — and movie epicsPink Floyd ex Roger Waters has left the dark sideIndian tabla master Zakir Hussain says he never stops learningTCM pays tribute to Frank Sinatra through the month of MaySwedish pop singer Lykke Li inspired by MadonnaMonday, May 5 2008Rapper Tech N9ne sells himself hard as he pursues 'the hip-hop presidency'It was the mid-1980s, and in Kansas City, Mo., teenager Aaron Dontez Yates decided to move from straight-up beatboxing to writing his own rhymes. All he needed was a name. Not the one his auntie and mama gave him when he was born, but a real name, a name with weight that would give his rhymes that extra layer of respect they deserved. He and his buddy paged through a book of guns and ammo, but... 'Iron Man' is a movie that cannot be ignoredIf the Met OKs encores, is Broadway far behind?The Eagles deliver a great one to open Stagecoach festivalBritish pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is enjoying her day in the sunFriday, May 2 2008Composer spent 20 years writing opera about abolitionist John BrownKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shortly after 10 p.m. on May 24, 1856, John Brown and seven other men, including four of his sons, stole into the night near Osawatomie, Kan., dragged five pro-slavery settlers from their cabins and hacked them to death. JOHN BROWN The Lyric Opera of Kansas City presents a world premiere of an opera in three acts by Kirke Mechem. May 3-11 at the Lyric Theatre, 11th... Nortec Collective makes music without bordersWiMax: The next Wi-Fi?Roots rocker Steve Earle gets worked up over politics, money, addictionsJon Favreau's preparation pays off in 'Iron Man'Thursday, May 1 2008David Lynch tours to tout the benefits of Transcendental Meditation in schoolsDavid Lynch doesn't want to be the spokesman for anything. The Oscar-nominated director still prefers to let his movies - such as "Eraserhead," "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive" and the recent "Inland Empire" - speak for themselves. But, in recent years, as he learned more about increasingly stressed-out children and violent schools, Lynch felt he might be able to help by... TV looks to sweep viewers away with May madnessSummer '08 at the movies: superheroes, gal pals and moreThe Roots, in new album, tangle with the big issuesFast chat with 'Then She Found Me' star Colin FirthWednesday, April 30 2008Latest 'Grand Theft Auto' steps it up a levelThe latest "Grand Theft Auto" videogame crashes into stores this week with all of the controversy of its predecessors in hot pursuit. The series is renowned and reviled for its brutal violence in realistic city settings. It's also a popular franchise, with the industry speculating that the latest version -- available for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 -- will sell 6 million... Wynonna Judd finds freedom in talking candidly about a life filled with controversy and adversityIt's Super Year for once-troubled actor Robert Downey Jr., starting with 'Iron Man'Panic at the Disco headlines New Jersey's Bamboozle festivalSly Stone says he's ready to step back into the spotlightTuesday, April 29 2008'Iron Man' is the buzz-magnet movie that kicks off the summer seasonWhen Jon Favreau explains his role as director of "Iron Man," the Marvel superhero movie that opens Friday, he relies on his own superpower: candor. "I'm not operating the camera," he says. "I'm not performing, really, in it. I'm not building the costumes or the sets and I'm not doing the CGI work. What your job is as a director is to maintain a tone that's consistent and create a personality... Pop 20: A comic con really is as American as apple pieBritish rapper/singer Estelle shines on new albumPioneering activist performer Gil Scott-Heron speaks up againColin Hay is still a man at work, although in smaller venuesRelease of 'Grand Theft Auto IV' could be biggest everMonday, April 28 2008This week's DVD releases"I'm Not There" Genius Products/The Weinstein Co., $28.95, rated R Another side of Bob Dylan - or rather, many sides of Bob Dylan are shown in Todd Haynes' adventurous film in which different actors (including Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw and Marcus Carl Franklin) portray the legendary singer-songwriter at various stages of his career.... Merle Haggard may have mellowed a bit, but continues to speak his mind'Law & Order: SVU,' Tuesday night on NBCRoger Waters achieves another kind of awesome at CoachellaSummer at the movies: Five weekends to keep in mindPushing 50, Madonna is still in vogueDebut of 'Grand Theft Auto IV' drives debate anewMiguel Zenon turns traditional Puerto Rican sounds into innovative jazzFriday, April 25 2008New York City Ballet honoring Broadway/ballet choreographer Jerome Robbins"There was probably no better choreographer in the history of Broadway," says Mikhail Baryshnikov of his friend Jerome Robbins. The quick-witted, neurotic Robbins may be most famous for "West Side Story" and "Fiddler on the Roof," but he was wowing Broadway audiences - and producers - as early as 1944, at age 26, with "On the Town." But in 1948, enraptured by the New York City Ballet's debut... Arresting cinema: Despite censorship, 'Death of a Cyclist' filmmaker made artAlicia Keys: From near-breakdown to breakthrough with 'Yes I Am'PBS jumps aboard the reality 'actioner' bandwagon with 'Carrier'Thursday, April 24 2008Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is racking up the frequent-flyer milesBlack Rebel Motorcycle Club sure is doing a bit of globetrotting for a band that was supposed to be cooling its wheels in 2008. On its current tour, the one the West Coast trio didn't initially envision for itself, BRMC will travel to Mexico, Ireland, deep into Europe and eventually to Russia. Already logged is a trip to Argentina, where the band played to a festival crowd of 60,000 one night... Veteran character actor Richard Jenkins gets a star turn in 'The Visitors'Aaron Eckhart takes comedy seriously with 'Meet Bill'Ten years in the making, documentary sings Celia Cruz's praisesWednesday, April 23 2008Good riddance to 'Grey's Anatomy's' Gizzie"Grey's Anatomy" finally returns Thursday night, and creator Shonda Rhimes, who usually guards every plot twist as if it were her junior high diary, is blabbing away about how Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) are getting back together "for good." She's not saying how or when it will happen, just that it will happen and that fans will cheer and toss confetti and do the wave in... Despite TV and movie success, Wanda Sykes is still a stand-up galThe blockbuster Jay-Z/Mary J. Blige tour shows off hip-hop's savvy showbiz evolution'Ugly Betty,' Thursday on ABCA fast chat with stage and TV star Linda Lavin'Law & Order' loses another star, and here comes 'Lost'Stairway to heaven is paved with books5 questions for eclectic British singer-songwriter Joe JacksonTuesday, April 22 2008Is 'Idol' idling on autopilot?Half the fun of Fox's "American Idol" has always been complaining about it afterward, so why am I not feeling the love yet this season? Maybe it's the seven-season itch, maybe it's just the circle of life - how long can any show last as a nation's No. 1 distraction? - but even the hourlong episodes lately seem longer than they should. And anything longer than an hour feels, to use a Simon-like... Canadian singer Feist's success has been as easy as ‘1234'Billy Bragg plays politics — and moreJudy Collins continues to view life from both sides nowCarlos Santana says his old hits don't mean a thing without new creative swingIt may not be in TriBeCa, but it's still the TriBeCa Film FestivalFor political coverage, cable has become kingThe Broadway stage has been set this season for social dramas with big messagesMonday, April 21 2008Tina Fey, star of '30 Rock,' says her life is pretty goodOn "30 Rock," the NBC comedy Tina Fey created, writes and produces, she plays Liz Lemon, a competent television producer whose personal life is a catastrophe. In "Baby Mama," which opens Friday, Fey portrays Kate Holbrook, a competent Philadelphia organic-food store executive yearning for a baby whose personal life is a catastrophe. The central difference between Liz and Kate is that the latter... Young @ Heart senior singing group makes documentaryGearing up for a different Coachella — thanks to Prince'Forbidden Kingdom' gives boost to weekend box-office receipts‘Command & Conquer 3' delves into star's history; ‘War' is now for Xbox 360With its teen idol years long past, band of brothers is quietly evolvingReady for prom? Just hope it's not the stuff of moviesReturn of cultural events to Pakistani city signals budding changesFriday, April 18 2008Flavor Flav is serious about his new sitcom, 'Under One Roof'Watch out, world. Flavor Flav is getting serious. Sure, he still peppers his conversation with some "Yeahhhh, boyeeee!" and every now and then he busts out one of those wild cackles that have made him one of hip-hop's most recognizable rappers of the past two decades as part of Public Enemy. But as Flav talks about his first sitcom, "Under One Roof" (premiering Wednesday night at 8 EDT on... Thoughts on the British Empire, both tragic and comicChange is gonna come to 'Lost'The Movie Masochist: Deranged killers for all occasions'Harold & Kumar' make an encore appearance, at... Guantanamo BayDemocrats invade Colbert NationOutdoor rock festivals are bigger and better than everWork ethic helps newcomer Sarah Johns find country music successThursday, April 17 2008After taking on McDonald's, Morgan Spurlock went after Osama Bin LadenIt took 14 months to lose the 25 or so pounds he gained by living "large" for his first-person documentary, "Super Size Me." But for his latest movie trick, Morgan Spurlock tried something that could have killed him a lot faster than two all-beef patties. "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" - the very title, the whole idea of it, is "ludicrous," grumbles The Hollywood Reporter. But... Mariah Carey has a winning formula with new album 'E=MC2'Fast chat: Uma Thurman on 'The Life Before Her Eyes' |
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