The more I see of the English language film version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the higher my hopes become that it will do justice to the Stieg Larsson novel it’s based on. The second trailer lays out the plot and sets up the story’s main characters – Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander – while also showing off some of the film’s action sequences without giving too much away.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was directed by David Fincher (The Social Network) and hits theaters on December 21, 2011.
At the same time, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an unusual but ingenious investigator with Milton Security, is hired to do a background check on Blomkvist, a job that ultimately leads to her joining Mikael in his investigation of who killed Harriet Vanger.
Though Lisbeth shields herself from a world that has repeatedly betrayed her, her hacking skills and single-minded focus become invaluable. While Mikael goes face-to-face with the tight-lipped Vangers, Lisbeth plies the wired shadows. They begin to trace a chain of homicides from the past into the present, forging a fragile strand of trust even as they are pulled into the most savage currents of modern crime.
The Grey is set for a January 27, 2012 release. The action drama also features Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson, James Badge Dale, and Nonso Anozie.
Maria Bello stars as Detective Jane Timoney in NBC’s new primetime drama Prime Suspect. The series is based on the BBC show and is set to premiere on September 22, 2011.
Season one also features Aidan Quinn as Lt. Kevin Sweeney, Brian F. O’Byrne as Det. Reg Duffy, and Tim Griffin as Det. Augie Blando. Kirk Acevedo plays Det. Luisito Calderon, Damon Gupton is Det. Evrard Velerio, and Peter Gerety plays Desmond Timoney.
The Plot:From Emmy Award-nominated producers Peter Berg (NBC’s Friday Night Lights) and Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives) comes the crime drama Prime Suspect that takes a look inside a New York City homicide department. The series stars Maria Bello as tough-as-nails NYPD homicide Detective Jane Timoney, an outsider who has just transferred to a new squad where her new colleagues already dislike her.
Jane is confident and focused – and also rude, abrupt, and occasionally reckless. She has her vices, and rumors of a questionable past follow her everywhere – but at the end of the day, she’s an instinctively brilliant cop who can’t be distracted from the only important thing: the prime suspect.
All five of the nominees in the CMA Entertainer of the Year category – Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift,and Keith Urban – are confirmed to perform at the 45th Annual CMA Awards on November 9, 2011. The show will be broadcast live from Nashville Tennessee and will once again be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
Tickets for the CMA Awards go on sale on September 24th (10:00 AM/CT) at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
More on the Five Entertainer of the Year Nominees [Courtesy of the Country Music Association]:
Jason Aldean received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011 including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for My Kinda Party; and Single and Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson.
CMA’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Brad Paisley, received five nominations in 2011 for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for This is Country Music; and Musical Event and Music Video of the Year for “Old Alabama,” featuring Alabama. Paisley remains in the No. 3 spot for the most career nominations in CMA Awards history. He has been nominated every year since 2000 and has amassed an incredible 57 career nominations to date. Only George Strait (81) and Alan Jackson (80) have more. Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards to date, including three consecutive Male Vocalist awards (2007-2009) and Album of the Year (in 2006 for Time Well Wasted). He is No. 5 for the most career wins in CMA Awards history, behind only George Strait (22), Brooks & Dunn (19), Vince Gill (18), and Alan Jackson (16).
CMA’s current Male Vocalist of the Year Blake Shelton also received five nominations this year including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for All About Tonight; and Single, and Music Video of the Year for “Honey Bee.” These are Shelton’s first nominations in the Entertainer and Album categories. Shelton has won two CMA Awards thus far in his career. In addition to Male Vocalist, he also won Musical Event of the Year in 2010 for his performance of “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins.
Taylor Swift also received five nominations including Entertainer; Female Vocalist; Album for Speak Now; Music Video for “Mean”; and Song of the Year for writing “Mean.” Swift received five nominations but can receive an additional trophy as co-producer of her album. Swift won the Horizon Award in 2007 and two years later was named Entertainer of the Year (2009).
Keith Urban received two nominations this year including Entertainer and Male Vocalist. He won Entertainer in 2005 and was named Male Vocalist for three consecutive years (2004-2006). Urban is currently touring North America in support of his album, Get Closer.
Britt Robertson and Thomas Dekker lead the cast of The CW’s new fantasy horror series The Secret Circle. Based on the book series by L.J. Smith, The Secret Circle is set to premiere on September 15, 2011.
Britt Robertson stars as Cassie Blake, Thomas Dekker plays Adam Conant, Gale Harold is Charles Meade, and Phoebe Tonkin stars as Faye Chamberlain. Jessica Parker Kennedy is Melissa, Shelly Hennig is Diana Meade, Louis Hunter is Nick, Ashley Crow is Jane Blake, and Natasha Henstridge plays Dawn Chamberlain.
The Synopsis:
Cassie Blake was a happy, normal teenage girl – until her mother Amelia dies in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, Cassie moves in with her warm and loving grandmother Jane in the beautiful small town of Chance Harbor, Washington – the town her mother left so many years before – where the residents seem to know more about Cassie than she does about herself…
As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, including sweet-natured Diana and her handsome boyfriend Adam, brooding loner Nick, mean-girl Faye and her sidekick Melissa, strange and frightening things begin to happen. When her new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they’ve been waiting for Cassie to join them and complete a new generation of the Secret Circle, Cassie refuses to believe them – until Adam shows her how to unlock her incredible magical powers.
But it’s not until Cassie discovers a message from her mother in an old leather-bound book of spells hidden in her mother’s childhood bedroom, that she understands her true and dangerous destiny. What Cassie and the others don’t yet know is that darker powers are at play, powers that might be linked to the adults in the town, including Diana’s father and Faye’s mother – and that Cassie’s mother’s death might not have been an accident.
Studios can host special screenings and Q&A panel discussions, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has put the kabosh on lavish receptions with free food and drinks. The Academy issued a press release on September 21, 2011 outlining new rules put in place for the 2012 Oscar campaign season and beyond.
From the Academy’s press release:
“Prior to the nominations announcement (January 24, 2012), there are no restrictions on screening events to which Academy members may be invited. These events may include the live participation of individuals involved with the film (Q&A panel discussions, etc.) as well as receptions with food and beverage. After the nominations have been announced, Academy members may continue be invited to screenings that have filmmaker participation elements but receptions are not permitted. While there is no restriction on the total number of screenings of a particular movie, no one individual from the film can participate in more than two panel discussions. Previously, Academy members could not be invited to any screening event that included live participation of the filmmaker(s) or a reception either before or after the nominations had been announced.
Additionally, after nominations are announced and until final polls close, members may not be invited to or attend any non-screening event that promotes or honors a nominated movie or individual nominee. Nominees themselves are also prohibited from attending such events. Academy-sanctioned events and awards ceremonies presented by the various guilds, critics groups and other organizations are exempt.
The regulations now emphasize that viewing motion pictures in a theatrical setting is highly preferred over any other viewing method. The distribution of screeners is still permitted, however, with specific restrictions on packaging and accompanying materials. The digital distribution of movies to Academy members is now acceptable, as long as the delivery method conforms to the regulations.
The long-standing ban on negative campaigning about other nominated films or individuals is now extended to social media platforms, and specific penalties are spelled out. Academy members will be subject to a one-year suspension for first-time violations and expulsion for any subsequent violations. As in the past, any form of advertising that includes quotes or comments – negative or positive – by Academy members is prohibited.”
The 84th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Rush’sTime Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland is set for an October 26, 2011 release in theaters (visit www.RushTimeMachinePremiere.com for screening info) followed by the release of a 2 CD live album as well as the Blu-ray/DVD release on November 8th. Anthem Entertainment and Zoë Vision revealed the DVD “is an evening with Rush performing their classic hits and features the legendary Moving Pictures album live in its entirety.” Moving Pictures is the group’s most successful album and includes fan favorites “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “YYZ.”
Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland was shot in April and is Rush’s frist live concert filmed in the US. Time Machine 2011 includes concept tour videos, outtakes from the short films, an alternate film version video for “Tom Sawyer”, and rare live footage of “Need Some Love” from Laura Secord Secondary School with original drummer John Rutsey, and “Anthem” from Passaic, New Jersey.
Track List:
Set One:
The ‘Real’ History of Rush Episode No. 2 “Don’t Be Rash”
The Spirit of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin’ Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone
Faithless
BU2B
Free Will
Marathon
Subdivisions
Set Two:
The ‘Real’ History of Rush Episode No. 17 “…and Rock and Roll is My Name”
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Moto Perpetuo (featuring Love For Sale)
O’Malley’s Break
Closer To The Heart
2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx
Far Cry
>Alice Cooper’s sequel to his 1975 Welcome to My Nightmare – Welcome 2 My Nightmare – currently rests at #22 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking his highest charting release in two decades. Released by Universal Music Enterprises on September 13, 2011, Welcome 2 My Nightmare features a duet with Ke$ha (“What Baby Wants”) and “I’ll Bite Your Face Off,” which was the first single off the album and is currently #2 at Classic Rock Radio.
In addition to Ke$ha, collaborators on Welcome 2 My Nightmare include original Alice Cooper members Denis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith, and guitarist Steve Hunter.
Alice Cooper’s been busy with his “No More Mr. Nice Guy” but took a break to play at the Whisky a Go-Go on Sunset Strip in Hollywood with guitar prodigy Orianthi (his newest band member), Ke$ha and The Doors’ Robby Krieger. The event marked his first gig on the Sunset Strip in 40 years, according to Universal Music Enterprises.
Alice Cooper’s Worldwide “No More Mr. Nice Guy” 2011 Tour Continues:
September 24 Brisbane, Australia Centre
September 26 Sydney, Australia Enmore Theatre
September 29 Melbourne, Australia Palais
September 30 Melbourne, Australia Palais
October 2 Perth, Australia Challenge Stadium
October 5 Singapore The Coliseum
October 7 Jakarta, Indonesia Ex-Park Plaza
October 12 Rome, Italy Atlantico
October 13 Padova, Italy Gran Teatro Geox
October 14 Milan/Bergamo, Italy Live Club
October 16 Basel, Switzerland St Jakobshalle
October 17 Graz, Austria Steiermarkhalle
October 18 Vienna, Austria Gasometer
October 20 Chemnitz, Germany Stadthalle
October 21 Goppingen, Germany EWS Arena
October 22 Mannheim, Germany Rosengarten
October 23 Zoetermoor, Holland Silverdome
October 25 Sheffield, England City Hall
October 26 Bristol, England Colston Hall
October 27 Birmingham, England NIA
October 29 London, England Alexandra Palace
October 30 Manchester, England O2 Apollo
October 31 Glasgow, Scotland Clyde Auditorium
November 2 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique
November 3 Lille, France Zenith
November 5 Toulouse, France Zenith
November 6 Lyon, France Halle Tony Garnier
November 8 Paris, France Zenith
November 9 Rouen, France Zenith
November 10 Rennes, France Liberte
November 12 Bremen, Germany Pier III
Mulheim An Der Ruhr,
November 13 Germany RWE Arena
November 14 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle
November 17 St Petersburg, Russia Oktiaborski
Crocus City Hall Expo, 3rd
November 19 Moscow, Russia Pavilion
November 26 Mt Pleasant, Michigan Soaring Eagle
November 27 Huntington, W Virginia Keith Albee Theatre
November 29 Verona NY Turning Stone
November 30 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
December 2 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
December 3 Bridgeport, CT The Klein
December 5 Kingston, ON K-Rock Centre
December 6 Kitchener, ON Centre On The Square
December 7 Oshawa, ON GM Centre
December 9 Merrillville, IN Star Plaza Theatre
December 10 Erie, PA Warner Theatre
December 12 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
December 13 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Center
December 14 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
December 15 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live Arena
The 2012 PGA Awards will be held on January 21st at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.
Past David O. Selznick Achievement Award winners include Stanley Kramer, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Roger Corman, Laura Ziskin, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, John Lasseter and Scott Rudin.
In the official announcement, Producers Guild Awards co-chairs Paula Wagner and Michael Manheim said, “As one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time, Steven’s continued genius, imagination and fearlessness in the world of feature film entertainment is unmatched in this industry. Steven has produced some of the most iconic films in the history of cinema and we have no doubt he will continue to bring thrilling adventures, emotionally moving storylines, thought provoking characters and cult classics to audiences across the globe. We’re extremely proud to recognize Steven’s contributions to the producing craft as well as the entire film industry with the David O. Selznick honor.”
“David O. Selznick is a true legend in the producing field, and I am tremendously honored to be associated with his name and to join the company of so many distinguished filmmakers who have received this accolade,” commented Spielberg. “I am extremely grateful to the Producers Guild.”
More on Steven Spielberg’s Career [Courtesy of the Producers Guild of America]:
Spielberg is, collectively, the top-grossing director of all time, having helmed such blockbusters as E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, the INDIANA JONES franchise and JURASSIC PARK. Among his myriad of honors, Spielberg is a three-time Academy Award®-winner, taking home his first two wins for Best Director and Best Picture for SCHINDLER’S LIST, which received a total of seven Oscars® and his third for Best Director for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
He has also earned Academy Award® nominations for Best Director for MUNICH, E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Additionally, he earned DGA Award nominations for those films as well as JAWS, THE COLOR PURPLE, EMPIRE OF THE SUN and AMISTAD. In 2000, he received the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the recipient of the Irving G. Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Foreign Press’s Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Kennedy Center Honor, among other career tributes.
More recently, he was a producer of SUPER 8 directed by JJ Abrams. His upcoming releases include his direction of the 3D animated film THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN, due for release December 23rd in most international territories by Columbia Pictures and domestically by Paramount Pictures. It is produced by Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy. He also directed WAR HORSE, based on an award-winning novel which has been adapted into a major stage hit in London and recently won Broadway’s Tony Award for Best Drama. The DreamWorks Studios film opens December 28th. His next film for DreamWorks will be his direction of LINCOLN which begins production in October.
Apart from his filmmaking work and his television projects, Spielberg has devoted his time and resources to many philanthropic causes. The impact of his work on SCHINDLER’S LIST led him to establish the Righteous Persons Foundation; he also founded Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation which became the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education in 2005; and he is the Chairman Emeritus of the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Source: Producers Guild of America – Sept 21, 2011
To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.” R.E.M.
Although the news comes as a shock to fans, R.E.M. band member Mike Mills says the group knows the time is right to say good-bye. “During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, ‘what next’? Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together,” offered Mills on the group’s site.
Michael Stipe echoed that sentiment, saying, “A wise man once said–‘the skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it.”
Mills added, “We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love and respect each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this — there’s no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring off. We’ve made this decision together, amicably and with each other’s best interests at heart.”
And guitarist Peter Buck acknowledged R.E.M’s fans: “One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.”
“Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years. Even if it’s only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of the club: watching a group of 19 year olds trying to change the world.”
The group is planning a Greatest Hits album to be released in November 2011.
More on R.E.M. [Courtesy of Warner Bros Records]:
R.E.M. is unique in that they are very much still the group of friends from Athens, Georgia that they’ve been since the band formed in 1979. While their career has spanned 15 studio albums and huge global success, the band itself only ever comprised the four original members. The one person to leave this tight-knit group was drummer Bill Berry, who retired two years after suffering a brain aneurysm on-stage during 1995’s “Monster” tour. But not before extracting a promise from his band mates that they would continue on as R.E.M.: “Bill insisted he would stay, if his leaving meant breaking the band up,” remembers Michael Stipe.
