Pamela Anderson - Anderson Jets To The Middle East For Charity Gala & other

Thursday, 14 August 2008

Liam Gallagher gets muddy - The Daily Gossip

Welcome to the Daily Gossip: your daily stop-off to regain out world Health Organization in the world of music has been up to what.

Today�s top gossip:

Liam Gallagher was seen knee deep in the muddy streams of Bourton-On-The-Water in the Cotswolds. Gallagher was filming a video promo for 'I'm Outta Time', which is set to be the second individual from Oasis' new album 'Dig Out Your Soul', out October 6. Gallagher was heard muttering "I wish I hadn�t scripted this medicine now," as the director ordered some other take (The Guardian).

From the papers:

Mike Skinner has gone diva. The Streets' mainman apparently ordered an array of horrific demands for his stay at Myhotel in Brighton, including a vintage carousel horse (Daily Mirror).

Tito Jackson is beingness sued by his former family escort. Matt Fiddes, of Barnstaple, Devon, claims he is owed money relating to a loan given to Jackson to fly to the UK for tV work (The Independent).

Bono was spotted wearing three-inch heels in St Tropez (Daily Mirror).

Paul McCartney played an impromptu gig for a four-month old baby named Jude. On hearing the child's list, Macca whipped out his harmonica and played the baby a song (Daily Mirror).

Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon was captured in a series of unflattering beach photos while on holiday in Sardinia (Daily Record).

Didz Hammond says isaac Bashevis Singer Carl Barat's recent bout of acute pancreatitis has been skilful for Dirty Pretty Things. "We've all slowed down a bit," he said (Daily Record).

John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman has been allowed yearly visits in a individual, homelike setting with his wife since 1992. Chapman is up for parole again this week after 28 years in pokey, although 's widow Yoko Ono has publicly opposed his release (The Sun).

Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil is set to be released from prison on December 30 (Daily Mirror)

E-mailed in from NME.COM users:

James Righton of Klaxons watched Health and No Age at the London Scala (from Dave).

Check bet on tomorrow for the next Daily Gossip. E-mail your spots to news@nme.com.

More information

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

LaBeouf Faces DUI Charge After Sunday Morning Car Crash

Transformers star Shia Labeouf is in trouble with the

Friday, 27 June 2008

Festival keeps going despite sponsor void

Form-changing documentaries, Cannes Film Festival winners, and a large number of local films show the New Zealand Film Festival programme has not been affected by the lack of a major sponsor.

Returning director Bill Gosden was determined not to let the lack of a major sponsor hold back the New Zealand Film Festival series this winter.

The 16-city festival, which starts in Auckland on July 10, is without a major sponsor for the first time in some years after Telecom withdrew its support last year.

But when deciding where the cutbacks would be, Gosden and the festival board resolved the programme would not suffer. As a result, a programme of about 200 titles nationwide is before viewers, about the same as last year.

"The board decided we needed to maintain all the services that people expect us to provide," Gosden, who is back directing the festival after a year's sabbatical, told NZPA.

"The only area we have cut back on is the souvenir programme, which won't be printed this year. We may also end up under budget compared to recent years in the number of visiting filmmakers, but we have been given permission to bring some extra people out if they become available."

It certainly doesn't appear the festival has scrimped on quality titles judging by the number of high-profile films secured from this year's Cannes Film Festival in May, films many festivals compete to screen.

They include the Jury Prize winner Gomorrah (an Italian mafia drama), Three Monkeys from Turkey (winner of best director for Nuri Bilge Ceylan), and the best screenplay winner Lorna's Silence from long-time festival heroes Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne of Belgium.

Just as notable an acquisition is Waltz With Bashir, which will close the festival in Auckland. Based on an Israeli soldier's recollection of the Israel-Lebanon war of the 1980s, it is primarily a documentary, but 90 percent of the film is animated.

Waltz With Bashir is one of several films bending the documentary genre in new ways. They include a film by maverick Canadian Guy Maddin called My Winnipeg, for which Gosden says the fact it was commissioned by the Documentary Channel "is where any resemblance to documentary as we know it ends".

"We weren't sure what part of the programme to put some of these films in," Gosden said.

New Zealanders also make contributions to bending documentary conventions in this year's festival.

Veteran Vincent Ward revisits the subject of his 1978 film In Spring One Plants Alone with his new work Rain Of The Children, described as a fusion of documentary, myth and personal history.

Meanwhile, Florian Habicht, who entertained many audiences with Kaikohe Demolition, is back with Rubbings From A Live Man, which looks at veteran performer Warwick Broadhead.

Just as fascinating is likely to be New Zealand director Pietra Brettkelly's portrait of artist Vanessa Beecroft, best-known for her controversial portrait of herself as the Madonna breast-feeding two baby Sudanese twins.

The film, which tracks her attempts to adopt the twins, played at the Sundance Festival this year and leaves judgments of Beecroft up to the viewer.

New Zealand films also feature strongly this year. The festival is opening with Apron Strings, the first feature from acclaimed short film maker Sima Urale, and there are a total of 14 New Zealand features playing this year.

Gosden also said it was a good year for comedies, and for low-key observational comedies in particular.

"Films like O'Horten and The Band's Visit tend more towards the droll than the uproariously funny, and they are very good," Gosden said.

"Even Welcome To The Sticks, a comedy which became the most popular French film of all time, has a certain restraint to it."

Restraint is not a major part of the section curated by cult movie fan Ant Timpson. It is once again named the Incredibly Strange Film Festival, the name it had when first run as an independent event in the early 1990s.

Timpson's selection became part of the New Zealand Film Festival under the name That's Incredible Cinema in 2004 following years of battles with censorship activists, but it has assumed its old name following a slight rebranding.

"We were finding that Ant's programme and the main programme were kind of drifting into each other. A couple of his films could easily have gone into the main programme and vice versa," Gosden said.

"He and I sat down and decided we needed to move back to more defined, distinct programmes. But having said that, the films that open and close the Melbourne Film Festival this year are both in Ant's programme."

One other change which should help film festival junkies is that the festival website is giving a much more comprehensive list of which films hit regional venues, which run smaller programmes than the main cities, at a much earlier stage.

"You get some people in Hamilton and Palmerston North who will travel to Auckland or Wellington if they know the film won't be coming to their city, so this year they'll know much earlier," Gosden said.

Film chat is also better catered for -- the festival's Myspace page enables greater fan networking, and the festival is for the second year holding filmmaker forums in Auckland and Wellington.

"We are just as interested in ideas and discussion so for us, these discussions are an important part of the festival."

* The New Zealand Film Festival begins in Auckland (July 10-27). From there it heads to Wellington (July 18-August 3), Dunedin (July 25-August 10) and Christchurch (July 31-August 17).

Afterwards it plays in Palmerston North (August 7-24), Hamilton (August 14-31), Napier (August 20-September 7), Tauranga (August 28-September 10), New Plymouth (September 4-17), Nelson (September 11-24), Masterton (October 15-29), Queenstown (October 23-November 5), Levin (October 28-November 12), Gisborne (November 6-19), Whangarei (November 13-26) and Greymouth (October 2-8).

For details visit www.nzff.co.nz.

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Thursday, 19 June 2008

Tony Awards: ‘Times,’ ‘Post’ Both Predict Stew Upset

Photos: Carol Rosegg (Stew); Joan Marcus (Miranda); Courtesy of the American Theater Wing (Tony)

We argued yesterday that despite the many virtues of Stew's Passing Strange — great performances, awesome lighting design, rock music on Broadway that actually sounds like rock music — it simply wasn't the kind of show that could upset In the Heights for Best Musical at Sunday's Tony awards. But today, Campbell Robertson at the Times and Michael Riedel at the Post offer their awards predictions, both based on conversations with actual Tony voters, and they both predict Passing Strange will pull the upset.

Could we have been wrong? Of course! But we don't think we were. And since none of the rest of the awards are in doubt — or even matter, financially — we'll go officially on the record with what once seemed a safe bet but suddenly seems like picking the underdog: In the Heights will win Best Musical at the Tonys.

So how about it, Campbell and Michael? We're not allowed to bet money, but if we're wrong, we'll grant you one thing that's definitely in our power to grant: the position of editor-in-chief of New York Magazine. Can you step up?

Sunday in the Dark With Tony? [NYT]
'COUNTY'-ING ON A TONY [NYP]

Earlier: Finally, Some Drama at the Tonys: Could ‘Passing Strange’ Upset ‘In the Heights’?

Thursday, 12 June 2008

Replacements revisited

WHEN they set out in 1979, they were as wild, thrilling and trashy as The Sex
Pistols. By the time they disbanded, The Replacements were as musical,
inspired and eclectic as The Clash.

Fronted by the mercurial Paul Westerberg, the US band had a chaotic chemistry
involving rock ’n’ roll, country, folk, pop and even tear-stained balladry,
all embedded in impossibly loose punk.

Here SFTW assesses their first three albums and the early Stink EP, all
re-issued with loads of fascinating extra tracks. Their remaining four
albums are re-released in August.
SORRY MA, FORGOT TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH (1981):
The original album’s 18 tracks, many barely two minutes long, were a fast,
loud introduction with the tinniest level of production possible.
Rating **** STINK (1982):
This mini-album bore the band’s first great anthem, Kids Don’t Follow, plus
F*** School and Dope Smokin’ Moron as it railed against stuffy middle-class
America.
Rating ***1/2 HOOTENANNY (1983):
Taking its name from what people call informal gatherings of folksingers, this
album saw Westerberg growing as a songwriter. Color Me Impressed is a
rocking standout track.Rating **** LET IT BE (1984):
It all came together in one intense rush of genius. Unsatisfied was the raw
Reagan-era counterpart to the Stones’ Satisfaction. The opening pairing of I
Will Dare and Favorite Thing defined the spirit of Eighties youth.
Rating *****

Friday, 6 June 2008

Knight Knocked Unconscious With Car Appliance

LATEST: Hip-hop mogul MARION 'SUGE' KNIGHT was reportedly knocked unconscious by a man branding a tyre iron, during a confrontation at a Hollywood nightclub at the weekend (10May08).

The Death Row Records founder was enjoying a night out at Shag on Saturday (10May08) when he and his entourage got involved in a verbal altercation with an unnamed man, which resulted in Knight being knocked out cold for almost three minutes.

Reports initially suggested the fight had resulted from an argument about money, but sources now claim that while Knight did exchange words with a partygoer about cash, it was another man who was responsible for his beating.

According to Ballerstatus.net, Knight became angry when he realised someone was filming his heated conversation on a cell phone. Knight is then reported to have grabbed the onlooker and held him in a headlock as he tried to confiscate the mobile.

But the assailant broke free and ran out of the club, chased by members of Knight's crew. Shortly afterwards, the man pulled up in his car in front of Shag, before opening his trunk and retrieving what is alleged to have been a tyre iron - which he then used to strike Knight on the back of his head.

Knight was taken to hospital after the incident, but has refused to help police with their enquiries. He has since said he will handle the incident "internally".

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