And In Entertainment News...

[Elastic Dawg]

I'VE SEEN THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN.

It's basically a docudrama about the 1946 "Phantom Killer" slayings. It's kinda like a Unsolved Mysteries segment crossed with a slasher movie. It gets kinda tedious and boring at times (the party scene and parts with the bumbling sheriff comes to mind), but it's got this hopeless, dreadful atmosphere I really like. The kill scenes are really well-done, especially the part with the trumpet. The appearance of the killer (who looks like Jason in Friday the 13th part 2) is really cool. It's not one of the best movies ever, but it's still a neat little gem that deserves more attention than it gets (which probably has to do with the fact it was only ever released on VHS)

ftr, I saw it on TCM's "TCM Underground" block last January. Hand over the 100 dbs, cleppear.

[Clappy]

I'VE SEEN THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN.

It's basically a docudrama about the 1946 "Phantom Killer" slayings. It's kinda like a Unsolved Mysteries segment crossed with a slasher movie. It gets kinda tedious and boring at times (the party scene and parts with the bumbling sheriff comes to mind), but it's got this hopeless, dreadful atmosphere I really like. The kill scenes are really well-done, especially the part with the trumpet. The appearance of the killer (who looks like Jason in Friday the 13th part 2) is really cool. It's not one of the best movies ever, but it's still a neat little gem that deserves more attention than it gets (which probably has to do with the fact it was only ever released on VHS)

ftr, I saw it on TCM's "TCM Underground" block last January. Hand over the 100 dbs, cleppear.

I should have known you would recognize the movie. It's right up your alley. Congratulations Elastic, you are 100 doubloons richer. Let me get on my laptop and you'll get your prize in a few minutes.

[Wumbo]

-Rocker/actor Lenny Kravitz is going to be Marvin Gaye in a biopic. Surprisingly, I'm not shaking my head at this.

I can definitely see Kravitz pulling it off. Speaking of music...

This Week in Music

​Bruno Mars is nervous about releasing the second single from his new album, "Unorthodox Jukebox". The song is called "When I Was Your Man". He says that he's never been this nervous and he can't explain it. Don't worry, Bruno. It can't possibly be worse than Marry You.

Chris Martin and Eric Clapton have both signed up for the 12.12.12 benefit concert, benefiting those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Other acts include Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West. In addition, newlyweds Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel volunteered to pass out emergency supplies in New York, and Lady Gaga has donated 1 million dollars to the cause. Great examples of celebrities' good deeds. Kudos.

Rihanna and Mumford & Sons are to headline the T in the Park festival in Scotland next July. Hopefully not at the same time. I'm pretty sure folk music and techno-shit doesn't blend.

Ke$ha apparently went on a "spirit journey" to prepare for her second album, "Warrior". This involved diving with sharks in the Galapagos Islands, rehabilitating baby lions in South Africa, and waking up in the morning NOT feeling like P. Diddy.

Tulisa Contostavlos misses working with N-Dubz. Apparently I missed it too.

Keith Richards has revealed that he stayed up for two full days before performing concerts in the 80's. And to think that we blamed the disheveled look on drugs.

In other Keith Richards confession news, he has admitted that he sometimes "despises" Mick Jagger. *resist urge to make Moves Like Jagger jealousy joke* He's described it as a love/hate relationship.

The Killers' new Christmas single, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECHv5KV4ZuM, was originally written for the album "Battle Born". After adding sleigh bells (and new lyrics, I presume), it became a Christmas song. Give it a listen, it's pretty awesome.

Finally, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" has been crowned the UK's biggest-selling single of 2012. It's also one of now 123 songs in UK Charts' 60-year history to score more than a million sales. Coming in second and third, respectively, are Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and fun.'s "We Are Young" ft. Janelle Monae.

Albums out this week: Ke$ha's Warrior, Wiz Khalifa's O.N.I.F.C., and more.

[JCM]

Teevee News

This was an eventful week for television.

• MTV has decided not to go forward with a second season of "The Inbetweeners", which premiered in August and was an adaptation of a British sitcom of the same name. Considering MTV's track record with British shows, this didn't come as too much of a surprise.
  
• "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane wants to bring his beloved and controversial Fox show to the big screen, telling students at UCLA on Wednesday that a theatrical version of the show will definitely happen. Let's hope it doesn't happen in our lifetimes.
  
• NBC will premiere its new drama "Do No Harm" at 10 p.m. on January 31. The premiere date takes advantage of the one-hour series finale of "30 Rock," which will air at 8 p.m. on that same night.
  
• Nickelodeon has greenlit "Sam & Cat," a hybrid spinoff of "iCarly" - which ended its run last week - and the Nickelodeon series "Victorious." The series - from "iCarly" and "Victorious" creator Dan Schneider - will star Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande as teen entrepreneurs who start their own after-school babysitting business.
  
• Spike TV has inked new seasons of "Tattoo Nightmares" and "Ink Master," the network said Monday. Both series have proven to be ratings winners for the network, with "Ink Master" averaging 1.8 million viewers per episode so far this season. "Tattoo Nightmares," meanwhile, has averaged 1.5 million total viewers in its maiden season.
  
• British author J.K. Rowling's first adult novel "The Casual Vacancy" will be adapted for the small screen, the BBC announced on Monday. BBC One and BBC Drama have commissioned the exclusive adaptation from The Blair Partnership literary agency which represents the author. The series is expected to air in 2014.
  
• Shock jock Howard Stern will return as a judge for his second season on NBC's summer talent show "America's Got Talent," the broadcaster said on Monday, although the high-priced radio host appears to have done little to improve the show's ratings.
  
• Fox has given a 13-episode order to a new animated series, "Murder Police," from "Family Guy" executive producers David Goodman and Jason Ruiz. The series, which will be produced by Bento Box Animation via 20th Century Fox Television, centers around a dedicated, but inept detective and his colleagues - some perverted, some corrupt, some just plain lazy - in a twisted city precinct.
  
• The Walt Disney Co. was ordered to pay the British creator of the television game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" $319 million after a Los Angeles court rejected the company's request for a new trial. Britain's Celador International, which created the quiz show, sued Disney in 2004 alleging that the company hid some of the show's U.S. profits from Celador.
  
• In other Disney news, Netflix will provide TV viewers with live and animated Disney, Pixar, Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm movies starting in 2016, as Walt Disney Co on Tuesday became the first major studio to choose Netflix over cable TV networks.
  

[Elastic Dawg]

I should have known you would recognize the movie. It's right up your alley. Congratulations Elastic, you are 100 doubloons richer. Let me get on my laptop and you'll get your prize in a few minutes.

YESH!

I gotta ask though, of all the random horror movies to remake why this one? I can't see the docudrama format working for a newer horror movie, tbh.

[dragiiin123]

can you all stop being so biased

[Clappy]

can you all stop being so biased

The day you stop spamming.

[Wumbo]

This Week in Music

Ed Sheeran will be getting a tattoo to commemorate his song "The 'A' Team" being nominated for Song of the Year. Just remember, Eddie: Fame is fleeting, but tattoos are permanent. (Although he does deserve the nomination.) Other artists nominated for this category: fun. for "We Are Young", Miguel for "Adorn", Carly Rae Jepsen for "Call Me Maybe", and Kelly Clarkson for "Stronger".

Tulisa recently performed live from the 34th floor of the BT Tower. She showcased songs from her debut album, "The Female Boss", as well as covering Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time".

Florence Welch recently stopped a concert to break up a fight in the crowd. Now she can add "bouncer" to her impressive resume.

Eminem will headline the UK's Reading and Leeds festival this year. He previously appeared in 2001, showcasing songs from "The Marshall Mathers LP". He is likely to be showcasing new songs this time around, as he is strongly rumoured to be recording a new album next year, including a track recorded with Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar. Eminem's not one to shy away from controversy, so this should be interesting.

The ACAs (American Country Awards) saw Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert as the big winners. Luke took home 9 accolades, while Miranda scooped up 3. However, when "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" wins something, nobody really wins.

Bruno Mars has promised that the video to his new single "Young Girls" will be unlike anything he has ever done before. He's also proclaimed that his new album "Unorthodox Jukebox" will be darker than his 2012 release "Doo Wops and Hooligans". I for one am excited. Can't wait to see Bruno evolve as an artist.

Leonard Cohen will be playing a one-off show in London on June 21, 2013. Maybe the Mayans were off by 6 months.

Lady Gaga will join the Rolling Stones on their 50 and Counting Tour. Bringing the average age down to about 55.

One Direction will be releasing a new version of Blondie's "One Way or Another" for the Comic Relief charity campaign. Normally i'd make a "HAR HAR ONE DIRECTION AND COMEDY RELIEF GO HAND IN HAND" joke, but I'm really pleased to see that 1D is giving back to the community... after taking so much unnecessary love from us.

Albums out this week include Boys Like Girls' Crazy World, Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox, Green Day's Tre!, and more.

[JCM]

This Television in Week

• ABC has given a direct-to-series order to a new "X Files"-esque drama titled "Weird Desk". The series will revolve around a beyond-top secret organization, dubbed "Weird Desk," that investigates paranormal, supernatural and extraterrestrial occurrences based on information re-routed from the CIA and the NSA. The 13-episode series will premiere in Summer 2013.
  
• Dark drug drama "Breaking Bad" dominated television nominations for the annual Writers Guild Awards on Thursday, with "Modern Family" leading the way in the comedy category. BB is likely to face stiff competition from psychological thriller "Homeland," which won the WGA's award for best new drama last year and has since bagged an Emmy and Golden Globe. The WGA will hand out its awards in all categories on February 17 at simultaneous ceremonies in both New York and Los Angeles.
  
• Jason Alexander will guest-star on the beleaguered NBC comedy "Community" following the announcement that Chevy Chase - who plays Pierce Hawthorne on the series - would be leaving the show due to an an ugly standoff with the its creator and former showrunner, Dan Harmon. "Community" returns to the air February 7.
  
• Sean Bean, who played ill-fated Lord of Winterfell Eddard Stark in HBO's "Game of Thrones," has signed on to replace Brendan Fraser in TNT's upcoming pilot "Legends." Fraser dropped out of the pilot last month; the show would have marked his first starring turn on a TV series.
  
• Reinhold Weege, creator of the hit NBC sitcom "Night Court" and writer of other notable television shows, including "Barney Miller" and "M*A*S*H," has died. He was 63 years old.
  
• FX has ordered the Middle Eastern drama pilot "Tyrant" from "Homeland" producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, as well as "Six Feet Under" and "Lost" producer Craig Wright. Production is tentatively slated to begin in the spring.
  
• "The Colbert Report" has promoted former supervising producer and head writer Barry Julien to co-executive producer, series host, writer and executive producer. In addition to Jullien's promotion, Opus Moreschi, previously a writer for the series, has been moved up to head writer on the Comedy Central news-show spoof.
  
• Cheryl Cole, who was originally hired as a judge for the American version of "The X Factor" but was replaced by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger before the show premiered, is now suing the producers of the show for housing, wardrobe, styling and general living expenses.
  

[Old Man Jenkins]

As a fan of that sort of a shit, I'm actually looking forward to Weird Desk.

[Wumbo]

This Week in Music

Madonna apparently earns more money than any other performer on tour. Because who wouldn't want to pay to see a geriatric flounce out onto the stage two hours late? Runners-up include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Roger Waters, and Cirque Du Soleil's version of Michael Jackson's Immortal World Tour. Surprisingly, Bieber only ranks #20.

Marilyn Manson received 24 stitches to his ear after a bar fight. Exactly the kind of grotesque feel he needed for his next video.

Deadmau5 proposed to his girlfriend, tattoo artist Kat Von D, via Twitter. Surprisingly, she said yes. Just another thing to get away with when you're a celebrity. Oh, well. He kept it short and sweet, emphasis on "short" because it's Twitter.

The Killers are set to headline the Isle of Wight Festival in 2013, joining other headliners The Stone Roses and Bon Jovi, as well as Ellie Goulding, fun., The Script, Blondie, and more.

Albums out this week: Angels and Airwaves' Stomping the Phantom Brake Pedal, Chief Keef's Finally Rich, T.I.'s Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head, and more.

Probably won't be updating next week... a little thing called Christmas is going down. Also, I will be in New York the week after, so that's it for 2012 in music news!

[JCM]

This Week on the Small Screen

• HBO will develop Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's upcoming book "Double Down: Game Change 2012," about the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
  
• The father of "Modern Family" star Ariel Winter was given temporary control over the teenage actress' estate on Wednesday in a court-approved settlement in Los Angeles after allegations that her mother had abused her.
  
• Margo Martindale, who won an Emmy for her role on FX's "Justified," is returning to the network on the new spy series "The Americans."
  
• Fox has signed a new three-year first look deal with director/producer Shawn Levy's 21 Laps, the production company behind "Night at the Museum" and "The Watch."
  
• There is a crazy family living at the White House, and this time, it's not the Bushes. It's the Gilchrists, whose never-ending follies pulse and push upcoming TV comedy romp "1600 Penn." The show, which takes its title from the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue street address of the White House, debuts on January 10 on NBC.
  
• The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" film received its long-awaited U.S. broadcast television debut last Friday on PBS.
  
• L.A. Reid, an "X Factor" judge, says he is leaving the TV talent show next season after two years on the panel to return to the record label full time.
  
• TLC has pushed back the premiere of its "Best Funeral Ever" special to January 6 at 10/9c in light of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. last week. "Best Funeral Ever" was initially scheduled to premiere on December 26 at 8/7c.
  
• Greg Daniels, who birthed the American version of "The Office", has sold a half-hour comedy to Fox about a so-so tennis pro who returns to his college town to get a fresh start on life.
  
• Participant Media, the company behind films including "Lincoln" and "The Help," is starting a new cable network targeting millenial viewers, with content from Davis Guggenheim and The Jim Henson Company, among others.
  

[Clappy]

Been dragging a little with movie news lately...

-Ricky Gervais will be taking the lead role in the next Muppet role. Ironically enough, Gervais had a cameo in the previous film. I wonder if we are going to get some sort of continuity here, but I highly doubt it.

-Vin Diesel will be the new Kojak as the 70s CBS television series will be getting a feature film adaptation. Sometimes actors just perfectly age into a movie role and this is the case here.

-So Jackie Chan signed on for The Expendables 3. Proving once again that The Expendables knows how to recruit cheesy, B-list action stars.

-So that direct to DVD Cars spin-off Planes is now getting a theatrical release. Planes is now scheduled to hit theaters August 9, 2013. It should be noted that Pixar has no involvement with this movie, so my interest is not real high.

-Samuel Jackson and David Ellis are reuniting once again. After previously working together on Snakes on a Plane, their next movie is called Kites. Since we all know what joke is coming, let's get it over with already. "I'm sick of these fucking kites on my motherfucking kites."

-Disney has officially announced a sequel to 2010's Alice in Wonderland. And to be quite honest, I don't give a damn since the original was a massive disappointment.

-Peter Jackson is working on The Adventures of Tintin sequel that is projected to be released in 2015. Trading once again a mega-director for a mega-director after Steven Speilberg did the original.

-Those loveable Angry Birds are getting a feature film in the summer of 2016. And as an in the closet massive fanboy of the game, I am excited.

-And finally...more Transformers 4 casting news. I've previously noted that they have Mark Wahlberg is the new lead. Well the live action Last Airbender actress who played Katara (Nicola Peltz) and some guy named Brenton Thwaites (I'm not going to even act like I have a clue who he is) have signed on to play currently named characters Girlfriend and Boyfriend. Girlfriend is going to be the daughter of Marky Mark and sadly this unnecessary sequel is still happening.

[Steel Sponge]

Is there an open spot for animation related news, or is that not an option?

[Wumbo]

I think it would cross over too much with TV and Movies.

[Wumbo]

All right, let's bring it back.

This Week in Music

Contrary to popular belief, David Bowie is apparently not retired. The singer released a new single today, his 66th birthday. The single is entitled "Where Are We Now?", and will appear on a new album entitled "The Next Day", which will be released in March.

Speaking of new albums, Paramore have teased the first track from their upcoming self-titled album, the first in nearly four years. The single is called "Now".

Finally, Vampire Weekend has promised a "darker and a bit spookier" album for this year. I'm not a listener, so Vampire fans, interpret that how you will.

fun. has streamed a new song off the Girls soundtrack, which is available now. It was originally going to be on the band's "Some Nights" album, but it contained an uncleared sample on the chorus, which had to be rewritten. Have a listen here.

The Rolling Stones, in addition to their many 50th anniversary shows, may be headlining this year's Coachella festival in California. This is just a rumour, but Keith Richards has said that he felt the band needed to do more shows, after their final 50th anniversary show. "We Barely got off the starting blocks," he told Rolling Stone (teehee). "It would be dopey to bring things up to this level and say 'Well, that's that, 50 years, bye-bye'." On the back of that statement, keep your ears open.

Justin Bieber has been caught smoking pot at a party. I'm not fond of his music, but here's hoping that Justin doesn't take that dirt road of has-been teen stars that are drug-addicted husks of what they used to be.

Albums out this week: Conor Maynard's Contrast, Dropkick Murphys' Signed and Sealed in Blood, Never Shout Never's Indigo, and more.

[Wumbo]

This Week in Music

A new Black Sabbath album with Ozzy Osbourne is slated ot be released in June. Their new album will be called 13, and will be the first Black Sabbath album with Ozzy released since 1978's Never Say Die!

In other album news, New York rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be releasing one this April, entitled Mosquito. A teaser trailer for the album can be found http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_Ce365czGC0.

Motörhead, a band renowned for being one of the world's loudest, has launched a line of headphones. Called Motörheadphöones, they are advertised as being made "by rockers for rockers". The prices will range from $49.99 to $129.99 US. Lemmy, the frontman, has also criticized Dr. Dre's Beats, saying they're "like listening through a towel". In all fairness, Beats are really bass-heavy, which is good for hip hop but not for rock. So, if future deafness is something you can overlook, pick up a pair of Motörheadphönes today.

As Clappy's thread says, Justin Timberlake has released his first single in over 6 (!) years. The single is called "Suit and Tier", and will come out on his upcoming album, The 20/20 Experience, set to hit stores sometime this year. Take a listen here.

Miss iconic 90's bands such as Sugar Ray and the Spin Doctors? Well, the SS One Hit Wonder is for you! It's a concert cruise featuring the two aforementioned bands plus Smash Mouth, Marcy Playground, and others, setting sail from Miami on October 18th, traveling to Nassau before returning on the 21st.

Albums out this week: Dawn Richard's Goldenheart, Sean Lennon's Alter Egos, Yo La Tengo's Fade Out, and more.

[JCM]

haven't done one of these in a while

Television News

• TBS said Friday that it has greenlit a new series, tentatively titled "Deal With It," which will be executive-produced by Howie Mandel. The network doesn't say whether Mandel will appear on camera, but for the sake of children everywhere, we hope that he won't.
  
• Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will guest-star on the NBC procedural drama "Law & Order: SVU" next month. Tyson will play Reggie Rhodes, a murderer on death row who was victimized by a difficult childhood.
  
• Five actors who've played the Doctor in the long-running British sci-fi series "Doctor Who" are uniting for an audio drama to be released in November, in celebration of the series' 50th anniversary.
  
• Showtime serial killer drama "Dexter" will premiere June 30 and lead into the new show "Ray Donovan." "Homeland," meanwhile, will premiere September 29, and will lead into the new "Masters of Sex."
  
• The CW is looking to take another bite out of the vampire genre with a spinoff of its hit series "The Vampire Diaries." The potential spinoff, which will be tested with a backdoor pilot on the April 25 episode of "The Vampire Diaries," will center on vampire clan the Original family, with "Vampire Diaries" star Joseph Morgan reprising his role as Klaus.
  
• Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey's upcoming HBO crime series "True Detective" has added Michelle Monaghan to its cast. Monaghan, whose credits include starring roles in the thrillers "Eagle Eye" and "Source Code," will play Maggie Hart, the wife of Harrelson's Martin Hart character.
  
• Jessica Simpson will go from reality TV to scripted TV for her next venture: a comedy based on her life. Simpson will play herself in the unnamed sitcom being developed for NBC.
  

And now, the moment none of you have been waiting for: the 2013 Golden Globe Winners for Television!

• Best series, drama: "Homeland"
  
• Best actress, drama: Claire Danes, "Homeland"
  
• Best actor, drama: Damian Lewis, "Homeland"
  
• Best series, musical or comedy: "Girls"
  
• Best actress, musical or comedy: Lena Dunham, "Girls"
  
• Best actor, musical or comedy: Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
  
• Best miniseries or movie: "Game Change"
  
• Best actress, miniseries or movie: Julianne Moore, "Game Change"
  
• Best actor, miniseries or movie: Kevin Costner, "Hatfields & McCoys"
  
• Best supporting actress, series, miniseries or movie: Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
  
• Best supporting actor, series, miniseries or movie: Ed Harris, "Game Change"
  

[Clappy]

It's been awhile hasn't it? Well there really hasn't been much to report on, so I delayed this kinda intentionally for more meaty movie notes.

-Christopher Nolan's next film will be Steven Speilberg sloppy seconds. After Speilberg dropped the project "Interstellar" from his list, Nolan quickly snatched it. Interstellar involves "a group of explorers traveling through a wormhole, where they encounter time travel and alternate dimensions." Nolan will be rewriting his brother Jonathan Nolan's original script to incorporate his own story idea.

-Brad Pitt will become Pontius Pilate in a biopic. Hey, if he keeps growing his hair and facial hair out, he might as well portary Jesus Christ himself.

-Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be in the Sin City sequel. As much as I love JGL, he is starting to sign on for far too many projects.

-Aaron Johnson, Kick-Ass himself, will be the star of the Godzilla remake. Hopefully he doesn't Broderick it up with his quirkiness.

-Tina Fey will be one of the stars of the next Muppet movie. Which also now has a release date for March 21, 2014.

-So Wes Anderson has casted a hell of a lot of actors for his next movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Bob Balaban, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Saorise Ronan, and Owen Wilson. Now that we know everyone who will be in the hotel, wonder what the Grand Budapest is?

-So in the category of "Projects Only Elastic Would Be Interested", The Hebrew Hammer vs Hitler is happening. The movie is suppose to be a spoof of blaxploitation films, so there you go Elastic.

-Texas Chainsaw 3D is getting a sequel and this will probably put a nail in the franchise for seven or eight years until someone else wants to remake this movie....again and again.

-Oh and there are awards going on, but not many people apparently care when I announced it on the XAT a few days ago, so I don't think anyone else would care on here either. Go Silver Linings Playbook and Argo!

See? Like I said. Not many exciting news stories over the many weeks since my last update.

[Old Man Jenkins]

Texas Chainsaw 3D had me during the first quarter of the film but lost me during the other 75%.

Much respect to Ben Affleck on his Best Director Globe win.