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7/ 8/08

Right-Click

7/ 8/08

5:00 PM

Mike Skinner Not As Lazy As We Thought

Photo: WireImage

1. The Streets, Everything Is Borrowed snippets
Mike Skinner has posted clips from his upcoming album on his MySpace page to prove that he's actually working on one. [Stereogum]

2. RZA feat. U-God, "You Can't Stop Me Now"
The Wu-Tang leader remakes the best track on 8 Diagrams with an extended, possibly unnecessary gunshot-enhanced introduction, making us even more excited for his upcoming kung-fu movie. [Nah Right]

3. Flying Lotus feat. Lil Wayne, "Robo-Tussin"
If you've ever wondered what Wayne's "A Milli" would sound like if it had been recorded in outer space, Flying Lotus, thankfully, has you covered. [Gorilla vs. Bear]

Plus: Nellie McKay does the Beatles! »

More: Right-Click »flying lotus, killer mike, lil wayne, mike skinner, music, nellie mckay, rza, the streets, u-god

Tube Junkie

7/ 8/08

4:30 PM

Holy Crap: 50 Cent’s New Video Game Looks Awesome

Admittedly, we've been a little hard on 50 Cent in the past; for all his talk, his most recent album turned out sort of crappy, plus his acting is terrible. But after watching the above video preview of his new video game, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, we're actually excited for a Curtis Jackson entertainment product for seemingly the first time in ages. In the game (we are not making this up) 50 Cent performs a concert somewhere in the war-torn Middle East, but, afterward, the show's promoter refuses to pay him in cash and instead gives him a diamond-encrusted skull. On the way to the airport, 50 gets robbed by mysterious attackers, and it's up to him and his weed carriers to reclaim the skull using only rocket launchers, AK-47s, and an endless fleet of tanks and helicopters. It's also a love story, apparently. Why does this guy even bother recording albums anyway?

New 50 Cent Trailer: Still Amazing [Kotaku]

More: Tube Junkie »50 cent, 50 cent: blood in the sand, music, video games

Apropos of Nothing

7/ 8/08

3:45 PM

Quentin Tarantino Finishes ‘Inglorious Bastards’ Screenplay, Needs Money to Make It Into Movie

Photo: Getty Images

According to Vulture buddy Nikki Finke, Quentin Tarantino has finally completed the screenplay for Inglorious Bastards, his long-delayed, oft-promised WWII movie, and sent it out to four major studios. Apparently there's a chance that Harvey Weinstein could produce it, but the film's financing likely won't come from the Weinstein Company. Finke says this falls in line with rumors that Harvey's having money problems (sadly, he can no longer afford garbage pickup*), though it's certainly also possible that he doesn't want to lose his shirt like he did on last year's Grindhouse.

So who the hell is going to pay for this thing? »

More: Apropos of Nothing »harvey weinstein, inglorious bastards, movies, quentin tarantino

Art Candy

7/ 8/08

3:00 PM

Artist Adam Wallcagave: the Undisputed World Leader in Barnacled Light Fixtures

Adam Wallcagave’s UMI (2008)Courtesy of Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Adam Wallcagave, a skilled plasterer who apparently lives in the pages of a Jules Verne novel, has submerged Chelsea's Jonathan LeVine Gallery through July 26, decking it with gaudy, barnacled chandeliers with names like Lady Pinkwater and Nina Simone that seem to want to wind their shiny tendrils around you like some sort of sea monster. One can only imagine the nursery of Wallcagave’s progeny: a gooey little lair where Nemo might fancy hiding out. —Emma Pearse

More: Art Candy »adam wallcagave, art

Overnights

7/ 8/08

2:30 PM

‘Weeds’: We Sit Shivah for Albert Brooks

Photo: Courtesy of Showtime

This season, Weeds has done away with the opening song, and along with it, the little ticky-tacky boxes on a hillside. We wish they would bring back the endless domestic scenes — Nancy in the tub, spraying a dying plant; Heylia and Conrad in the kitchen, baking cookies and ruminating on the blah blah blah of life, that theme we so enjoyed last episode. This one played out like a confused adventure satire: Rush Hour 3 meets Bonnie and Clyde — especially the latter, it being more cruel than funny.

More: Overnights »albert brooks, tv, weeds

Countdown

7/ 8/08

1:45 PM

Could Seth MacFarlane Be the Best Thing About ‘Hellboy II’?

Strange as it may be to say it, maybe so! We're big fans of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and director Guillermo del Toro — not to mention Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, and even Jeffrey Tambor — but the idea of the Family Guy creator playing an upright ectoplasmic German trapped in a pressurized suit cracks us up even thinking about it. And this clip makes MacFarlane sound like the Nazis in Top Secret!, which makes us laugh even more. Early reviews suggest that MacFarlane steals every scene he's in, calling him "brilliant," "hilarious," and "riotous." Who would have thought that the voice of Stewie might turn in the best bit-part performance of the year? We'll have to remember him for next year's Vulture Award.

Exclusive Clip: See ‘Family Guy’ Creator Seth MacFarlane’s Character In ‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ [Movies Blog/MTV]

More: Countdown »hellboy 2, hellboy 2: the golden army, movies, seth macfarlane, the vulture award

Quote Machine

7/ 8/08

1:00 PM

The Media Has Vastly Overestimated Kanye West’s Insanity, According to Crazed Blog Post

Photo: WireImage

"Now the media is saying I'm going to anger management something or 'nother. I have never had any conversations about anger management. If anything, I need anger enhancement!!" —Kanye West [KanyeUniverseCity.com]

"It's 'Golden Rule' writing. I think, 'What if it was about me?'" —David Sedaris on toning down his writing about his family and friends [AP via Yahoo]

"I think everybody is a secret admirer of Barry Manilow. When I was kid I used to be fully into punk — you know, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones — and/or progressive rock — Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Pink Floyd. But secretly, at the end of the day, the cassette that went into my car was 'Mandy.'" —Guillermo del Toro, closeted Barry Manilow fan [MTV]

"The toughest thing about being a movie director is resisting the temptation to be a nice guy." —Rob Cohen has no problem being an jerk [MTV]

"For the first couple weeks I just wanted to walk around with a t-shirt that said, 'It's prosthetic.'" —Adam Scott on getting asked about his sex scenes in Tell Me You Love Me [BlackBook]

More: Quote Machine »adam scott, david sedaris, guillermo del toro, kanye west, rob cohen

Apropos of Nothing

7/ 8/08

12:30 PM

Sacha Baron Cohen Possibly to Blame for Gay Cage-Fighting Matches in Arkansas

Courtesy of Paramount

Two separate cage-fighting matches ended in man-on-man kissing in Arkansas last month, upsetting Texarkana audiences lured by $1 beer specials and fueling speculation that the events were a prank staged by Sacha Baron Cohen for his upcoming Brüno movie. Hilariously billed as "Blue Collar Brawlin'," the fights pitted a character named "Straight Dave" against a planted crowd member, but things took an unexpected turn: "The two men stripped down to their underwear, kissed and rubbed on each other," said a Fort Smith police sergeant. Signs posted at the events warned those in attendance that they'd be filmed, and they also inexplicably signed waivers, so it's a safe bet a few will find themselves unexpectedly starring as beer-throwing homophobes when Brüno hits theaters sometime next year.

This, combined with the speculation surrounding other Baron Cohen sightings, makes now the greatest-ever time to pull gay-themed pranks and get tons of attention. We're looking forward to Brüno, but we're probably even more excited to hear about all the drunk dudes kissing at football games and NASCAR events in the hopes of getting on the Drudge Report.

Fake Ark. bouts showing men kissing draw suspicion [AP]

More: Apropos of Nothing »bruno, movies, sacha baron cohen

Ranters and Ravers

7/ 8/08

11:45 AM

Michiko Kakutani Writes Worst-Ever Jacket Copy for ‘The Sister’

Courtesy of Knopf

First-time novelist Poppy Adams has to be fairly happy with the Michiko Kakutani review of The Sister in today's Times. Sure, it's not a rave — Kakutani has problems with the book's ending in particular — but Adams does hit the jackpot when Kakutani compares it to The Secret History. It's a comparison Knopf's clearly been aiming for, right down to the white marble statue on the front cover. However, there has to be some forehead-slapping this morning in the Knopf offices over this highly unquotable lede:

Imagine a mash-up of the campy 1962 chiller “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and Arnold Bennett’s 1908 novel “The Old Wives’ Tale.” Then imagine the result rewritten as a Gothic novel by an amateur lepidopterist — not a Nabokov exactly, but a novelist with a scientific bent — and you have a pretty good idea of Poppy Adams’s first novel, “The Sister.”

Yes, dear reader. Please imagine that.

Hush, Hush, Sister Dearest, Your Fall Was an Accident [NYT]

More: Ranters and Ravers »books, critics, knopf, michiko kakutani, poppy adams, the sister

Apropos of Nothing

7/ 8/08

11:00 AM

Nickelback Sign First Live Nation 360 Deal That Actually Sort of Makes Sense

Photo: Getty Images

Despite the implosion of the recorded-music industry, the decline of the concert business, and widespread criticism over the apparent stupidity of deals exactly like this, Live Nation announced today that it's signed the dapper gentlemen of Nickelback to a long-term, all-encompassing 360 deal worth as much as $70 million, covering their albums, tours, licensing, and merchandise (previous LN signees have included Shakira, Jay-Z, Madonna, and U2, who signed a much smaller, less-inclusive deal). As with Jay-Z's signing, though, Nickelback still owe two albums to their old label, Roadrunner Records, so the soonest they could possibly release one through Live Nation is 2011, long after all of the still-remaining record stores are expected to close and sink into the ocean. Still, the deal will likely be a good one for the concert promoter; Nickelback's 2007 tour grossed an astounding $60.7 million, probably owing in large part to blog hype and the band's effortless onstage charisma.

Nickelback Signs Up With Live Nation [NYT]
Nickelback latest to join Live Nation in global deal [Reuters via Idolator]

More: Apropos of Nothing »live nation, music, nickelback

The Take

7/ 8/08

10:30 AM

YouTube Dancer Matt Harding Taking the Stride Gum Message Into the New York ‘Times’

Screencap: Matt Harding's YouTube.

In today's Times, Charles McGrath lends the Gray Lady's imprimatur to Matt Harding, that guy who films himself doing that goofy dance all over the world. "It’s the online equivalent of a platinum hit, seeping from one computer to the next like a virus," McGrath writes of "Where the Hell Is Matt," employing a weirdly malevolent metaphor, but whatever: If this article gets even more people to watch Matt Harding's video, or his outtakes, or his awesome Google Earth animation, or College Humor's "Where the Hell Is Matt's Girlfriend," that's pretty excellent — for the world, for Matt Harding, and for Stride Gum.

Stride is the chewing-gum company that underwrote Matt's last two expeditions, just because they thought his ideas were kind of funny. McGrath marvels at the anti-advertising advertising that ensues: "Amazingly, in this era of shameless commercial tie-ins, Mr. Harding is not obliged to wear a Stride T-shirt or deliver a little pitch for the product."

But Stride has the last laugh! »

More: The Take »dance, matt harding, video, youtube

Chat Room

7/ 8/08

9:45 AM

Guillermo del Toro on ‘Hellboy II’ and Impressing a Girl on a First Date

Photo: Getty Images

In 2004, director Guillermo del Toro brought Mike Mignola's Hellboy to the big screen, starring Ron Perlman as a gruff, reluctant, occult crime fighter who just happens to be a giant, red harbinger of the apocalypse. A fantastically imagined (if midsize) commercial hit, the movie was the lead punch in a one-two combo — the other being 2006's Pan's Labyrinth — that landed Del Toro the plum assignment of following in Peter Jackson's footsteps with a movie adaptation of The Hobbit. In advance of this week's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Del Toro spoke with Vulture about returning to the franchise, and the difference between climbing Mount Everest and driving on the freeway.

This film has much more of a fantastical feel than the first Hellboy. Did that have anything to do with the success of Pan's Labyrinth?
The funny thing is that there's both accidentally Mignola-esque stuff and purposefully as well, because Mike and I did come up with the basic story line, and I think that's the direction he's taking the comics, by coincidence. When I told him some of my ideas, he said, "That's exactly what we're plotting already." There are moments in the film, like when The Golden Army opens, that are completely chiaroscuro, backlit by the fire. If you freeze-framed, it would be a Mignola panel.

"You leave a big tip on the table and that's really impressive. They go, 'Hmm ... a 40 percent tip, he's a nice guy!' It's in the detail, you know?" »

More: Chat Room »guillermo del toro, hellboy, hellboy 2, hellboy 2: the golden army, movies, the hobbit

The Industry

7/ 8/08

9:00 AM

Colombian Hostages: The Movie, Coming Soon?

Ingrid BetancourtPhoto: Getty Images

Hostages Hold Hollywood Hostage: It's only been a week since the bait-and-switch rescue of the 15 FARC Colombian hostages, and already Hollywood is circling for the rights. Will it come from Phil Maloof's negotiations with the Colombian government for their side of the story? Or from the three American contractors who are negotiating with UTA? Or perhaps from Ingrid Betancourt herself, who is seeking her own feature deal through a French literary agent? These questions ignore the obvious problem with this true-life story: The daring third-act rescue goes off without a shot fired. Boring! [Variety]

Meanwhile: The Hollywood Reporter is claiming a deal's already been made, for Colombian director Simon Brand to direct the movie for Vertigo Entertainment and Colombian TV network RCN. Who'd they actually make the deal with? The article doesn't say. [HR]

…and the Tucker Max Players: Jesse Bradford, Matt Czurchy, and Geoff Stults have joined the cast of Tucker Max's douchetastic voyage into cinema, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Czuchry will abandon his Gilmore Girls past and play Tucker Max himself, while Bradford and Stults will play Max's friends. [HR]

Broadway Turns Kinky: Kinky Boots, the 2006 British comedy about a drag queen who saves a struggling midwestern shoe business by designing a line of fetish shoes, has been picked up for the stage by producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig. Legally Blonde's Jerry Mitchell is in talks to direct. This actually sounds good: There's enough heart to appeal to critics and enough sex to actually make money. [HR]

Enormous, IMAX-quality dragons, coming soon! »

More: The Industry »aya sumika, colombian hostages, daryl roth, flight of the dragon, geoff stults, hal luftig, i hope they serve beer in hell, ingrid betancourt, jerry mitchell, jesse bradford, kinky boots, matt czurchy, movies, numbers, rcn, simon brand, tucker max, vertigo entertainment

7/ 7/08

In the Magazine

7/ 7/08

5:30 PM

Julie Hagerty Touches Down on Broadway, and Other Culture Highlights From This Week's ‘New York’

Photo: Chris Buck

In this week's issue of New York, Adam Sternbergh checks in with Airplane! star Julie Hagerty, currently appearing in Broadway's The Marriage of Bette and Boo. John Leonard sings the praises of Generation Kill, the new HBO miniseries from The Wire's Ed Burns. Hugo Lindgren finds MGMT worthy of the hype. David Edelstein reviews Full Battle Rattle, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Journey to the Center of the Earth (in that order). Need help with your Netflix queue? Logan Hill sorts through this month's new DVDs. Plus, Sam Anderson soberly assesses Iain Gately's new book Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol.

More: In the Magazine

Right-Click

7/ 7/08

5:00 PM

Astrology Partly to Blame for Bloc Party's Lyrics

Photo: Getty Images

1. Bloc Party, "Mercury"
"My Mercury's in retrograde," sings Kele Okereke on BP's excellent first single from their upcoming third album. Apparently it's about an astrological condition that signifies "difficulties in communication," which may explain why none of other lyrics make any sense either. [Stereogum]

2. Max Vernon, "I Kissed a Girl" (Katy Perry Cover)
Max Vernon keeps the original gender pronouns on this doo-wop cover of Katy Perry's jam of the summer. We wonder if he's going to teach your girlfriend how to dance with you while he's at it. [The Music Slut]

3. RAC feat. Karl Kling, "Take on Me" (a-ha Cover)
This awesome cover is about as close as you'll get to hearing the Postal Service do a-ha's singular classic. [Hits in the Car]

Plus: The Kooks do Coldplay! »

More: Right-Click »bloc party, coldplay, katy perry, max vernon, music, rac, sally shapiro, the kooks

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Art Candy: One new artwork, every day.

Beef: Cultural rivalries and confrontations.

Chat Room: Entertainment and culture Q&As.

The Comics Page: Excerpts from new graphic novels.

The Early-Evening News: So what the hell happened today?

The Industry: The morning trade news roundup.

Kudos: Awards news, buzz, and predictions.

Leak of the Week: Listening in on the file-sharing networks.

The List: Culture by the numbers.

Overnights: Recaps of TV shows.

Right-Click: The hottest new MP3s.

Trailer Mix: Movie trailers reviewed.

Tube Junkie: Nuggets from the online video archives.

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