TV / Film News

Terence Blanchard Completes Score for "Cadillac Records"

Source: Muse Media
November 20, 2008

Grammy-winning composer/trumpet player Terence Blanchard completes score for Cadillac Records Film starring Beyonc Knowles and Adrien Brody to be released Dec. 5 by Tristar Pictures World-renowned film composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard has completed the score for Cadillac Records, the feature film about the story of Chess Records, the label in the 1950s that was home to Chuck Berry, Etta James, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. To be released Dec. 5th by Sony’s Tristar Pictures, the film stars Beyonc ...

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Ben Burtt Sounds off on Wall-E

Source: All About Jazz
November 17, 2008

The voice of Wall-e and M-O and Sound & Character Voice In ancticipation of Tuesday's release of Wall-E on DVD, Disney Home VIdeo has provided us with an interview with Ben Burtt, the legendary sound effects maestro.

QUESTION: You had just finished a stint on Star Wars when you were offered Wall-E and I imagine the last thing you wanted to work on was robots?

BEN BURTT: That is absolutely true. Creating the illusion of voices is the hardest task. ...

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Academy Disqualifies 'Dark' Score

Source: All About Jazz
November 16, 2008

Music cue sheet lists five names as composers The score for “The Dark Knight" has been disqualified by the executive committee of the Academy music branch.

Formal letters to that effect are expected to go out this week to composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, who collaborated on the music. Their previous collaboration, on “Batman Begins," was similarly disqualified in 2005. Sources inside the committee said that the big issue was the fact that five names were ...

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Elvis Costello Talk Show

Source: JamBase
November 15, 2008

Sundance Channel To Premier “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." On December 3, 2008 13-Episode Season of Talk/Performance Series Kicks off with Guest Sir Elton John One-Hour Program Airs Wednesday Nights at 9:00PM ET/PT

Elvis Costello Sundance Channel will launch the debut season of the new talk/performance series “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." fuses the best elements of talk and music television, inviting viewers to enjoy an in-depth conversation between ...

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The Art (and Business) of the James Bond Theme Song

Source: All About Jazz
November 13, 2008

A James Bond theme song has two purposes to lead the marketing charge that drives you to the box office and to be a sonic backdrop while nude women dance in silhouette over the opening credits. This may explain why the Bond songbook is not overstuffed with examples of subtlety.

Bond tunes are commercials, but often they're very good ones. Here are the five best and worst of the genre.

THE WORST

“All Time High," Rita Coolidge From ...

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The Monkees' 'Head' Trip

Source: Michael Ricci
November 12, 2008

Hey, hey it's the Monkees! People say they're messing around. But they're too busy rehearsing with Head co-writer & co-producer Jack Nicholson to bring anybody down.

The made-for-TV musical group's surrealistic 1968 film, penned by Jack Nicholson, got no love at the box office, but American Cinematheque has resurrected it. Forty years ago, the Monkees' only feature film, Head, hit theaters -- and people have been scratching their heads ever since. Though far from a masterpiece like the Beatles' “A ...

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FCC Approves Use of TV Spectrum for Broadband

Source: All About Jazz
November 4, 2008

In the hotly contested battle for the use of white spaces, the unused portions of the television broadcast spectrum, technology companies have scored a big win.

The Federal Communications Commission today approved the use of new unlicensed wireless devices in the spectrum to provide broadband connectivity. The decision comes as no surprise since field tests last month showed test devices offered little interference, refuting what some opponents had alleged. The issue over the use of white spaces by new devices ...

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Wilco to Hit Colbert Report

Source: JamBase
October 29, 2008

Wilco To Be Featured on “The Colbert Report"

Wilco As if good ol' Stephen Colbert wasn't enough to make you watch “The Colbert Report," this Thursday the wonderful Wilco lads will be the special musical guest. Set to perform one song, the Chicago rockers follow a long line of quality live music on The Report including The Roots, R.E.M., Nas, Feist, the Decemberists and many more. The program airs this Thursday, October 30, on Comedy Central at 10:30 p.m. EDT. ...

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