First off, let me report that Lil’ Wayne — who was previously not seen in my last Grammy rehearsal post — did in fact show up on Thursday, and his tardiness was apparently due less to him being on hip-hop time and more to L.A. traffic. (It’s been raining pretty steadily here, and everyone gets all confused when that happens.) Due to a variety of scheduling conflicts of my own, I was only at Staples for a couple hours on Friday, but that was enough time to catch a few run-throughs of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” production number, a Sapphic, dancey thing that comes complete with YouTube videos of fans singing along (in a twist on the “My Grammy Moment” contest), and one big reveal that I’ll not spoil, though it’s something she’s done at least once before. I also picked up some gossip on the shattering, explosive F/X involved in what the always post-apocalyptic Rihanna’s got planned. But the real reason I was there can be seen below: A chance to talk to country superstar Kenny Chesney, who’ll be performing a simple and lovely version of “Better as a Memory” on the broadcast. Fun fact about that song: It was pseudonymically written by his publicist, Holly Gleason, who you’ll see at the very start of the video. That’s a good publicist. Roll tape!
Archive: February 2009 (341-350 of 448)
'Friday Night Lights': Gaius Charles blogs last night's show!
Over the last three seasons, there are few times that I can remember where I was and what I was doing the first time I read an episode of Friday Night Lights. The ones I can remember are somewhat random: Episode 104, "Who’s your Daddy," August 7, 2006 (these dates are approximate so don’t get all "Smoking Gun" on me). I was sitting in my car, outside a coffee shop in Austin and blasting my AC as I battled a 100-plus degree wave (welcome to Texas). Episode 201: "Last Days of Summer," July 16, 2007. I was lounging in my hotel room at the Beverly Hilton in L.A. (trying to resist the mini bar), and getting ready for NBC’s TCA convention later that evening.
But I’ll never forget where I was when I read episode 304, "Hello, Goodbye." August 5th 2008. I remember coming home after getting some grub on another record hot day, which by now I had actually gotten used to. As I came up the stairs, I saw a package on my doorstep watching me, waiting for me…though I had also been waiting on it.
It was pretty easy to fall back into the rhythm of filming the show. I quickly reacquainted myself with the sights and sounds of Austin/Dillion and our outstanding cast and crew…but it was all of course all bittersweet. For as early as July, the announcement had been made that "the Smash" would only be around for a limited engagement. So from the beginning of season 3, there was always a lovingly sentimental vibe that trailed me on set.
Now the only question was, how would it occur? Jason Katims, our brilliant head writer, had given me some bullet points as to the overall arc of the four episodes, but he was keeping the details air tight. Now here’s a little TV production "inside baseball." The crew of the show always gets a production draft of any given script ahead of the actors. And if you got a friend on the other side of the line, they’ll keep you informed in the gap as to what’s coming down the pipe. We had already started shooting episodes 1 and 2 of the new season and my sources were telling me I should be getting episode 3 any day.
Val Kilmer's next role: New Mexico governor?
What is it with actors running for high office? Ever since Ronald Reagan proved it could be done, Hollywood entertainers have been making power grabs at every level of the American government. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fred Thompson. Gopher from The Love Boat. Even Congressman Sonny Bono made a run for the Senate, years before Al Franken got the idea. And now Val Kilmer may be mulling over a bid for the Governor of New Mexico in 2010, when Bill Richardson’s second term runs out.
The one-time Batman owns a ranch in the state, which technically makes him eligible to be on a ballot, but, really? He has enough trouble drawing people into movie theaters, let alone voting booths: The guy hasn’t had a $100 million hit in 10 years, since he did the voice of God in The Prince of Egypt (talk about a power grab).
What do you think, Pop Watchers? Is New Mexico ready to elect The Saint for Governor?
Enter the Fray: Christian Bale, Jennifer Hudson, and the octuplets!
Another February, another Groundhog Day, another six more weeks of winter (damn you, Punxsutawney Phil!). Mandi Bierly recommends Bones, 30 Rock, and other tasty television treats to keep you warm until mid-March, but I’d like to add ”reading Enter the Fray” to that list, because everybody knows Friday columns that round up the top commented-on PopWatch posts is proven to raise your body temperature fractions of a degree. "Is that actually true?" you may ask. Well, PopWatch reader, I don’t know. I’m not a scientist. Enter the Fray with me anyway:
10. The first big political debate of 2009, and it’s between Bill O’Reilly and…Jessica Alba?
9. You Losties reacted to Wednesday’s episode, ”The Little Prince.”
8. The amazingly talented Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl (with one of the best renditions of the song I’ve heard, like, ever). Michael Slezak raved about the performance, while Adam B. Vary wondered why it was such a big deal that it turned out to be Hudson lip-syncing to her own track — she’s hardly the first person to do such a thing.
7. The octuplets’ mom spoke for the first time since her pretty-miraculous-even-if-you-think-she-might-be-crazy birth of eight babies last week.
6. Heroes returned with a brand-new story arc called ”Fugitives,” which Marc Bernardin thinks shows some promise.
5. Bachelor host Chris Harrison blogged about all the juicy behind-the-scenes action that takes place during each rose ceremony.
4. For those of us more interested in the $3 million advertising spots than the actual game, Annie Barrett’s commentary on the Super Bowl XLIII commercials should do the trick.
3. Some guy named Bruce Springsteen performed during the Super Bowl halftime show, maybe you’ve heard of him?
2. Them’s fightin’ words: Soul legend Etta James started some drama with the President over his choice of Beyonce (who played James in Cadillac Records last year) to perform James’ ”At Last” at his inauguration ball, instead of the songstress herself.
1. Christian Bale detonated some major F-bombs on the set of Terminator Salvation. Is it wrong that I want the dance remix on my iPod for the gym?
Johnny Depp narrating Doors documentary?
Hey, they’re making a movie about the Doors with a soulful rebel-type actor who was born about 40-plus years ago! No, not that one. I’m talking about When You’re Strange, the upcoming Doors documentary that Johnny Depp is reportedly going to narrate. Now, it arguably would have been way cooler if Val Kilmer had reprised his famous Jim Morrison portrayal as this movie’s narrator — but old Val is rumored to be contemplating a run for governor of NewMexico, so you’ve gotta assume he was just too busy. Oh well. Anyway, as someone who’s honestly never been the world’s biggest Doors fan but does think Johnny Depp is a very hip guy, I’m somewhat more interested in seeing this documentary now. How about you? Does this make you more or less likely to seek out When You’re Strange?
More on the Doors:
Jim Morrison made it onto EW’s All-Time Best Rock Frontpeople
Owen Gleiberman’s take on the (Depp-free) Sundance cut of When You’re Strange…
…and Whitney Pastorek’s take on the same
The Doors: A 1991 Re-Assessment
'The Dark Knight': Too dark for the Kids' Choice Awards?
Nickelodeon just announced the Favorite Movie contenders for its annual Kids’ Choice Awards (airing on March 28). And the nominees are….
High School Musical 3
Iron Man
Bedtime Stories
The Dark Knight
If you’re like me, you did a double take at the last title on this list. Is Dark Knight really a kid pic? I’ve got no beef with parents who let their children see it; the movie’s rated PG-13, after all. But this is the same show that nominated George Lopez as Favorite Male Movie Star for his "role" in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Do nihilistic terrorists (i.e. the Joker) and talking dogs really have the same entertainment value for kids today?
What do you think, PopWatchers? Is it just me, or is Dark Knight a little too dark for the Kids Choice Awards?
Site of the Day: 'You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD'
We’ve all done it: plopped a movie into the DVD player with the best intentions of finishing, knowing full-well we’d be sound asleep in 20 minutes. Then, later that night (or even the next morning), you wake to the DVD menu playing the same song or snippet on a never-ending loop.
The creators of You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD are no strangers to this phenomenon. The site lets you choose from 12 DVD menus — from the soothing orchestral scores of Pride & Prejudice and Punch-Drunk Love to the obnoxious Sugarcult song attached to the Van Wilder menu –- and play them over and over again. What else is there to do on the site? Well, besides raise an eyebrow over the paraphernalia on the coffee table? Nothing. But you totally have to check it out anyway.
Happy birthday, Bob Marley!
Today, on what would’ve been the 64th birthday of Robert Nesta Marley, millions of American students sparked up the copy of Legend they downloaded off BitTorrent — most without the slightest clue that the day had any significance to the man whose tunes they were jammin’ to. Okay, I kid, I kid (sort of). It’s always easy to poke fun at the way Marley’s image has been posthumously co-opted, but really, who are we to say he would have minded very much? Marley’s goal in life was to entertain and enlighten. He’s continued to do that for countless listeners since his too-early death in 1981, even if not all of them seem to fully grasp the message behind his music. So let’s stay positive today. Right now I’m grooving on the live version of "Them Belly Full (But WeHungry)" you’ll find below — a total classic, though Marley didn’twrite the song himself. What are your favorite Marley tunes?
More on Bob Marley:
Legend is one of EW’s New Music Classics
Margeaux Watson took an in-depth look at how Bob’s children are keeping his legacy alive
Who shot Bob Marley in 1976?
Who should play Bob Marley in an upcoming biopic?
Grammys '09: Backstage video with Sugarland and Adele
As previously mentioned, my friend and yours, Whitney Pastorek, is all up in the Staples Center this weekend chillaxin’. And by "chillaxin’" (her word!), she meant "shooting awesome backstage videos." Below, check out what Whitney got to see last night at country trio Sugarland and Brit crooner Adele’s rehearsal together. Pretty cool! Looks like this year’s show is shaping up nicely, no?
More on the Grammys:
Gallery: Who will win the Grammys? Who should?
Katie Couric’s All-Access Grammy Special: 10 things we learned
Grammy Rehearsals, Day One: Sugarland, Smokey Robinson… and a tardy Lil’ Wayne
The Grammys are selling. Are you buying?
Axl Speaks! Well, writes anyway!
In an interview posted today at billboard.com, Axl Rose has broken his silence over Chinese Democracy, the long awaited Guns N’ Roses album which was finally released through Best Buy last November (Typical! You wait decades for anything to emerge from the GNR camp, and then two come along just a quarter of a year apart.) In the conducted-via-email piece, Rose offers a number of reasons for the album’s absurdly long gestation period –- including his construction of a studio and search for a suitable producer -– and then begins whaling on GNR’s label, Universal, for allegedly not supporting a CD that has so far sold an unimpressive 537,000 copies. "I’ve been asking for a marketing plan for five years and still haven’t got anything," the singer writes at one point. Indeed, as the feature progresses, Rose seems to become more and more angry. Towards the end, in a response to a question about whether he will work with former GNR members, Rose says, "In regards to Slash, I read a desperate fan’s message about, what if one of us were to die and looking back I had the possibility of a reunion now, blah blah blah. And my thoughts are, ‘Yeah, and while you’re at the show your baby accidentally kicks a candle and burns your house down, killing himself and the rest of your family.’"
Frankly, it’s kind of fun to imagine Rose hunched over a hot computer, those distinctive features reddening with every query until he perhaps finally decides to throw the whole thing out the window (and possibly disappears with it, should his braids have gotten entangled in the keyboard). But what do you think? Is Rose right to blame his label for his CD’s lack of success? Is the real problem his own reluctance to promote the album (or, dare we say, the album itself)? And what on earth have household fires got to do with anything?
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