Aerosmith’s Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock tour is set to hit Western Canada in September. And the band will be joined by rock icon Joan Jett for five dates.
The band’s official website says, “With Very Special Guest, JOAN JETT and THE BLACKHEARTS the night is sure to be one to ROCK the hardest of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL fans. As the leader of the hard-rocking Blackhearts, JETT’S had eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics “Bad Reputation,” “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” and “Crimson and Clover.” JETT was even one of only two women named to Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time. JETT says, ‘I have one goal and one goal only—rocking the hell out of every listener I can reach.’”
Aerosmith has had kind of a hard year, with recent breakups and reunions, as well as some physical troubles. Most recently when guitarist Joe Perry was injured in a motorcycle accident.
Frontman, Steven Tyler, who infamously announced he was taking some time off to concentrate on “Brand Tyler” last year, before coming back to the band (and his senses), said, “I thought it was time to get my MOJO back, by rocking South America and Europe with a little HOME RUN at Boston’s Fenway Park thrown in and then off to the rest of America to do what we do best! We’re gonna rock you into the middle of next week!”
And after that…Canada.
The first show is September 8, 2010 in Winnipeg.
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First Disney transformed their animated classic Alice in Wonderland into Tim Burton’s 3D live-action extravaganza. Now the House of Mouse is planning on converting a modern piece from cartoon to live action.
The legendary Chinese adventure Mulan, first brought to the screen in 1998, is now set for a remake with real people, according to a report on ChannelNewsAsia.com.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Zhang Ziyi is set to star in the movie, after having pushed the studio to get behind the project. The report says the project will boast a $100 million budget.
The story of a female warrior who must disguise herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army, Mulan is based on the legend of Hua Mulan, who is believed to have lived during the Wei Dynasty (386-534). Whether the story is real or myth remains unknown and is still debated.
Disney’s original animated production of Mulan was a smash hit, grossing $304 million at the box office and scoring Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
Chuck Russell, director of The Mask, has come on board to helm the picture, which will be shot in English and 3D. Filming is set to begin in China this October.
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UFC star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has only just begun his acting career, but after playing a starring role in this summer’s The A-Team, the beefy bruiser says his thespian days may already be over.
The reason? Hollywood just doesn’t pay as well as the fight game.
Jackson took over for Mr. T in the action romp as the fist-swinging B.A. Baracus, but the 32-year-old fighter says he makes more money in the octagon than he does on a studio set.
Jackson told the UK’s The Sun that if he were to keep making movies he’d end broke and that it’s always been more important to him to make a good income than to be famous.
“For what I get paid for doing movies now I would end up in the poor house,” Jackson told the paper. “I have a lot of bills. I make more money fighting. I don’t know if it’s politically incorrect to talk about money, but I didn’t start fighting to be famous. I started fighting to put food on the table – I got kids, you know?”
Lest anyone think the Tennessee-born grappler is only concerned about fast cars and bling, Jackson is quick to point out that his concerns run much deeper. “My family in Memphis are quite poor,” he says. “So I have to take care of them.”
Jackson recently signed a 6-fight contract with the UFC and is expected to face Brazilian Lyoto Machida in his next match in November.
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The odds were kind of against alternative stand up comic Zach Galifianakis having a big career in Hollywood. His comedy was weird, he’s got a big beard and his last name is almost literally impossible to spell.
But fortunately, thanks to a little blockbuster called The Hangover, Galifianakis suddenly has one of the hottest careers in Tinseltown.
Deadline reports that the 40-year-old comedian has just inked a deal with Dreamworks to star in Reply All, a comedy about a guy who hits the wrong button while sending an “indiscreet” email.
Galifianakis will produce the picture, which will be written and executive produced by Phil Johnston. Johnston had been shopping Reply All all over Hollywood and Dreamworks had the best reply.
It’s just the latest in a string of gigs for Galifianakis. Next on the docket for the funnyman will be a starring role in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, then he’ll team with Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. in Due Date before heading off to Thailand with the boys for The Hangover 2.
The next chance for fans to check him out on the big screen however, is this Friday. Look for him in the sure-to-be-hilarious Dinner for Schmucks, co-starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell.
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Seven doctors and one nurse being investigated by California authorities in connection with the death of Michael Jackson have been cleared of any wrongdoing, reports CNN.
Cristina Gasparac, spokeswoman for California Attorney General Jerry Brown, reportedly stated that the eight suspects will not face criminal prosecution, due to insufficient evidence.
Only one doctor, who admitted prescribing drugs to Jackson before the star’s death, could face disciplinary action from the California Medical Board. Jackson was known to have sought prescriptions under several fake names and reportedly obtained meds from the doctor in question using an alias.
Gasparac stated that, “After reviewing hundreds of pages of records and documents obtained from the medical practitioners, the attorney general’s office has referred one doctor, who wrote prescriptions to an alias known to have been used by Jackson, to the California medical board for further review.”
Gasparac was reporting the results of an extensive probe that does not include Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been officially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the pop icon’s death.
Jackson’s official cause of death was ruled to be an overdose of Propofol, a powerful anaesthetic.
A separate report cited by CNN noted that Lorazepam, an anti anxiety drug, could also have been a contributing factor in Jackson’s death.
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Metalheads in love can now tie the knot at Ozzfest, thanks to the new “Unholy Matrimony” package, reports Starpulse. The metal festival is offering a complete wedding package alongside this year’s line-up of Mötley Crüe, Rob Halford, and the Prince of Darkness himself. And let’s not forget Drowning Pool, Exodus, Devil Driver and Goatwhore.
The official Ozzfest website gives the details on the package, which offers everything a head-banging marrying couple could want — except a legal marriage license:
“Each special package includes a variety of items to mark the special day and 10 general admission pit tickets for the bride & groom and 8 guests; an official OZZFest wedding ceremony by ordained minister, OZZFest’s MC Big Dave; an OZZFest cake and champagne toast.”
The package also includes early entry to the venue, access to the VIP lounge, a backstage tour and lots of merch for the bride and groom and their 8 guests. Black hooded robes will not be provided. And you might not want to release any live doves.
Options have reportedly already been sold for shows in California, Connecticut and New Jersey.
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Rapper Sean “Puff Daddy P. Diddy” Combs has called journalist Martin Bashir the “R” word. Bashir, a British Pakistani journalist best known for a controversial 2002 Michael Jackson documentary, recently made Combs the subject of a detailed interrogation on ABC news, after which Combs spoke to Vibe magazine about the experience. He was not impressed.
Bashir grilled the super mogul about his parenting, particularly buying a $360,000 dollar Maybach for his son’s 16th birthday. Diddy gave Justin Dior Combs the luxury car during a lavish bash at the M2 Ultra lounge club in NYC that was broadcast on MTV.
Diddy, who was visibly rattled during the interview, told Vibe magazine he now believes the grilling was racist.
“The whole thing about giving a Maybach to my son, that’s really like a racist question,” he told Vibe “You don’t ask white people what they buy their kids. And they buy ‘em Porsches and convertible Bentleys, and it ain’t no question. It’s really a racist question and put things back in perspective with money and the way that people still look at you. And I’m not saying that consciously he’s a racist. But he probably don’t even realize that he would not ask Steve Jobs that. He would be like Steve Jobs has that money and that’s the gift his kid is supposed to get.”
Combs then added that he regrets the interview, during which the infamously tactless Bashir asked tired old questions about who killed Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls and demanded to know if Combs would market “Diddy dog food” just to get his name on it. Combs admits he should have known what he was walking into.
Combs said, “There were times in the interview when I had to give him an ultimatum. The questions weren’t being handled the right way. In hindsight, when I saw him, I shouldn’t [have] done the interview because I know the style of interview that he does.”
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It’s a good time to be Russell Brand. First, he starred in Get Him To the Greek, one of the funniest movies of the summer. Next, he announced his engagement to the gorgeous pop star Katy Perry.
Now Deadline reports that the British funnyman has just signed on to star as a Renaissance-era swordsman in the action-comedy Hawkwood.
Thus far, most of Brand’s Hollywood roles have consisted of variations on the same theme: drunken lout. He played the drunken lout Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and then reprised the role for Greek. He’s also currently shooting a remake of Dudley Moore’s Arthur, in which he plays Arthur, a drunken lout.
But the interestingly-coiffed star is starting to spread his wings and explore his theatrical options. He’s already filmed Julie Taymor’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which he plays Trinculo and after Arthur, he’ll provide the voice for the son of the Easter Bunny in the animated comedy Hop.
But Hawkwood is a character near and dear to the comic’s heart as he was the one who got the ball rolling on the project at Fox. The real-life John Hawkwood was a master swordsman and a soldier-for-hire back in the 14th century.
Production on Hawkwood will likely begin once Arthur wraps and Brand has married his California Gurl.
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Ever since he decided that the last thing he wanted to do was spend more time with Hobbits, director Guillermo del Toro has been quick to line up new projects. Now the fantasy auteur has announced his biggest plans to date.
Del Toro famously quit his work on the two upcoming Hobbit films earlier this summer. The Pan’s Labyrinth director had agreed to co-write and shoot both installments of the Lord of the Rings prequel, but left the project once the scripts were done.
Following that shocking turn of events, del Toro’s first announcement was that he would be writing and producing The Haunted Mansion for Disney. But that still left room on his schedule to direct a picture.
Now Deadline reports that the Hellboy helmer has signed on to take the reigns on an epic, 3D adaptation of HP Lovecraft’s fantasy classic At The Mountains Of Madness. Even better, Avatar mastermind James Cameron is also coming on board to produce.
Lovecraft’s story is about a scientific discovery at the South Pole that suggests that human beings are actually descended from aliens. It doesn’t take long after that for scary things to start happening.
Del Toro first set up the project at Dreamworks way back in 2004 and the film was greenlit in 2007. The director then put those plans on hold to work on The Hobbit, but you already know how that turned out.
Shooting on At The Mountains of Madness is scheduled to start next summer.
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It’s a summer of low concert ticket sales, poor attendance and cancelled tours. Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, The Eagles, John Mayer and Lilith Fair are among those that have had to cancel or shuffle dates. But some acts are doing just fine. These include the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift and Bon jovi. And Iron Maiden – the metal giants have been packing venues and selling out dates across Canada, including those in Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson attributes at least part of this success to reasonable ticket prices and says acts who charge exorbitant fees get what they deserve when those tickets don’t sell.
The ridiculous prices, which can rocket into the near thousands of dollars, are attempts to recoup money lost from record sales in a dying industry. But, according to Contact Music, Dickinson says Maiden refused to bow to pressure from record industry bosses to hike costs.
Dickinson tells Sky News, “It’s a massive commitment to come to see a band. They deserve not just a great show but they deserve a reasonable ticket price. Other people have inflated ticket prices to obscene levels and it’s just not right. It’s a rock ‘n’ roll show, it’s not a cash cow.”
Maiden is heading into the European leg of their Final Frontier Tour.
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