Pittsburgh Form

Margaret Cho Blames Homphobia For Being Booted Off Dancing With The Stars

pittsbutgh form — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:07:52 +0000

October 14, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)- Margaret Cho blames homophobia for
being bounced off of Dancing With The Stars, the comedian exclusively
revealed to RumorFix.com.

Cho, who is touring the country doing stand-up comedy promoting her new
comedy CD Cho Dependent, told RumorFix exclusively, “I don’t ever want to
imagine the country is homophobic, but there could be a measure of that in
the results.”

The openly-bisexual actress says her last dance was “all about gay pride, in
order to heal my own heart about the recent teen suicides.”

The comedian, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, tells RumorFix.com, “I
wasn’t the worst dancer, but I couldn’t control the message of who I am.”

Margaret tells RumorFix.com it was more important for her to send a message
to kids and parents than to win the Mirrored Trophy.

Kylie Minogue “Rare and Unseen” DVD coming October 19

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:07:39 +0000

Includes the film from the ITN archive, lost and now restored TV interviews from the past and rare films of the singer talking about her career.

The next title in the “Rare and Unseen” series looks at the Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue. Starting her career at the tender age of eleven on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987. Her first single, “Locomotion”, spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and became the highest selling single of the decade. She has released nearly a dozen albums, has achieved worldwide success and is especially popular in Australia and the UK.

Told through missing-believed-wiped archive interviews and rare and unseen footage of the singer talking, this insightful DVD is a worthy addition to any Kylie collection. Items genuinely unseen and never before on DVD including film from the ITN archive. Includes lost and now restored TV interviews from the past and rare film of the singer talking about her career.

Featuring:
Ø      Australian interview with 21 year old Kylie
Ø      British TV interviews from the 80′s, 90′s and 2000′s
Ø      ‘Ghost Train’ children’s show – thought wiped, now restored
Ø      Talking about The Delinquents, Moulin Rouge, Magic Roundabout
Ø      At V&A Exhibition, Dolce and Gabbana in Italy, NME, Capital and BRITs 2010
Ø      First ever TV appearance, London’s 6 O’ Clock Show, Des and Mel, Audience with…
Ø      Body Language, Love Kylie, Showgirl Princess, Elle Style press interviews
Ø      Christmas Lights 1989, perfume launch and LOGIEs
Ø      Los Angeles Interview, Stage comeback, Cameo role in comedy play
Item: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD5046D

8th Doctor movie finally on DVD!

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:06:11 +0000

At long last, BBC Video will be able to fill the gaping hole in many North American collections of Doctor Who DVDs. Or perhaps you’ve been hoping to streamline down from a raggedy old VHS taped off-air fourteen years ago. The 1996 Doctor Who movie marks an important step in the show’s history between the classic years that ended in 1989 and the new series that began in 2005, and the forthcoming DVD has 3 hours of extras to document the production from every angle. Though Paul McGann (Luther, Collision, Our Mutual Friend) was to star as the Eighth Doctor only once on television, he made an indelible impression on fans, and he went on to record a series of Big Finish Audio Adventures and animated webisodes for BBC.com that kept the idea of Doctor Who alive during some very lean years.

You will be “BRAINJACKED”

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:59:39 +0000

BRAINJACKED

Writer-producer -director Andrew Allan’s film opens with a fantastically stylish and gory scene of someone ripping their own skull open to reveal their gore-soaked brain. It certainly grabs the attention!

Then we’re flung into a spot of group sex, as witnessed by confused teenager Tristan (Chris Jackson). It’s his family home where it’s all happening, his widowed mother is the gangbang centrepiece and his stepdad is the protagonist. But Tristan’s not welcome and is swiftly turfed out when he attempts to curtail the fun.

Homeless and suffering from hideous migraines, he manages to stagger in the dead of night to a park bench where he plans to spend the night. At that moment an angelic figure arrives in the form of pretty blonde Laney (Somali Rose).

She warms to Tristan instantly and points to the circular red scar on her forehead, telling him she knows what he’s going through and she can direct him to a place that can help him out. With surprisingly few questions, Tristan follows Laney to a futuristic bunker where he meets several others with similar marks on their foreheads.

Laney introduces Tristan to Dr Karas (Rod Grant) and persuades the shady neurosurgeon to bestow his gift upon the wayward youth.

And so, Tristan is ushered willingly but unwittingly into an operation room in preparation for what is promised will be a cure to all of his problems. Karas is even good enough to let Tristan witness someone else receive the treatment first: a drill through a specific part of the skull, releasing pressure on the brain and thus prompting a sense of perpetual elation.

It’s a genuine practice – trepanning, or trepanation. But I would advise against people trying it at home. Well, not on yourself.

Back to the film, and young Tristan is horrified to observe as Karas drills into a fellow man’s forehead. Well, as much as we all love the horror genre, there aren’t many of us – myself included – who can get away with the sight of blood …

So, Tristan resists Karas’ offer of trepanation to begin with. But the migraines continue in the meantime.

Eventually, of course, he gives in to temptation and finds that trepanation makes him such a happier person. What’s more, he begins to notice that so many people in everyday lives bear similar scars.

But then it all starts going awry. Laney begins acting weird, Karas starts looking more and more like Eli Roth, and the friendly faces Tristan has warmed to within the neurosurgeon’s underground dwelling are behaving worryingly like some kind of commune …

Original, stylish and imaginatively photographed, BRAINJACKED is an easy watch because it’s constantly entertaining. It looks and feels very much like an early-90s Frank Hennenlotter effort. I suppose drawing a comparison to early Cronenberg is obvious, but I hesitate to use him as a reference – this isn’t in the same league as even his earliest body horror films.

BRAINJACKED is certainly gory though, in that 80s splatter style, and moves in some satisfyingly surprising directions in the latter half: it’s impossible to predict where it will be headed, and all the more enjoyable for it.

Of course, the trappings of low budget cinema are here. The acting is iffy, the FX are hit-and-miss (some sequences of general carnage are good, but the actual head-drilling scenes are not a patch on that show-stopping moment that we all remember from THE DRILLER KILLER) and the running time is filled by too many neon-lit softcore sex scenes.

I’ll look out for Allan in future though, definitely. This is a promising early directorial effort from the guy who had the good sense to produce Herschell Gordon Lewis’ THE UH-OH SHOW.

The screener disc from Unearthed is an early one and as such has no menus or extras.

Picture quality was decent enough, with strong colours and a fair amount of detail evident. Darker scenes were not as clear as they could have been but overall the presentation was a good one.

English 2.0 was clear and consistent throughout.

I’m not sure how many chapters the retail disc will offer, but the screener disc gave out 19 chapters to its main feature.

As mentioned above, there was no bonus material on the screener disc. However, the retail disc is set to include a plethora of goodies which include three audio commentary tracks, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a short film, a location tour and trailers.

BRAINJACKED is a frequently surprising little film that strives to be different. For that reason alone, I think it’s worth commending. It’s not always successful at what it does – the plot becomes messy and the performances are not always on the money – but if you’re feeling in a forgiving mood and on the lookout for something quirky but gory too, this is well worth a look.

It’s nice to see Unearthed furnishing modern stuff with such worthy DVD releases too. And people are saying the format is dead? Not a chance, on the evidence of this.

Review by Stuart Willis

Released by Unearthed Films

Region 1 – NTSC

Not Rated

Extras :

Sister Smile – The Tragic Tale Of The Singing Nun Coming to DVD on October 19

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:31:35 +0000

The complex life and death story of the Singing Nun who had a
worldwide hit in 1963 with “Dominique.”

Back in late 1963, a Belgian nun known only as Soeur Sourire, or Sister Smile, topped America’s pop music charts with the relentlessly cheerful tune “Dominique,” from an album that sold 1.5 million copies. From the little that is known of the ill-fated nun’s life, Roger Deutsch has made the boldly speculative yet persuasive Italian-language film “Suor Sorriso” in which the nun (Ginevra Colonna) emerges as a tormented, unstable woman who abruptly left the convent after her recording triumph before taking her final vows.

Running a shelter for wayward girls, she and another ex-nun (Simona Caparrini) enter a passionate, tumultuous and destructive affair. Colonna’s volcanic Deckers craves spiritual redemption as well as the other woman’s love but is so beset by demons that she embarks on a flamboyant, drug-fueled downward spiral that ultimately engulfs her lover as well as herself.

“Deutsch’s film portrait of a woman’s journey into hell, and her tragic death, is harrowing, fascinating, and illuminating. This riveting film, which made the festival rounds when it was first released, deserves wider distribution and a chance to be seen by a broader audience.”
- Film Threat ****
“Beautifully photographed and full of disturbing surrealism and even more disturbing spirituality (and just a hint of stigmata), Sister Smile features a harrowing lead performance by Ginevra Colonna…”
-Los Angeles Weekly

“A visionary dream, rich in poetry and which moves the spectator in unexpected ways. Honest and full of ideas.”
-Aut, Italy

“Courageous…A profound drama. Ginevra Colona is magnificent.”
-Reuters , Brazil

“With eloquent performances and delicate cinematography, Sister Smile travels from innocence to tragedy without a false note.”
-Chicago Tribune ***

Link to Item: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD5016D

Updated Sherlock Holmes is must-see TV

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Some time ago I wrote about the new Sherlock series with great anticipation, and I am delighted to hear that in two short weeks this 21st century take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories has made a clean sweep with the British public – ratings, reviews, the works. The only complaint is that a season of only three 90-minute films now seems cruelly short. Creators Steven Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who) have nothing against the Victorian period and all those lovely adaptations with hansom cabs emerging from the fog. They simply approached the concept as if Conan Doyle were writing in today’s London. Now that I have seen the first two films, I can attest that Sherlock remains remarkably true in spirit to the original stories, and sometimes even the original dialogue. Mark your calendars for Sherlock’s premiere season on Masterpiece Mystery! starting October 24th through November 7th. The DVD and Blu-ray of the first three films will follow shortly after the broadcast, and includes audio commentaries by creators and actors as well as a 30-minute “making of” featurette.

Brass Bed to release Park The Van debut MELT WHITE on Sept. 21st, tour the US, and try to not get slapped by Issac Brock (again).

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:55:31 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“If you’ve never heard music before, you’ve never heard nothing like us” says Andrew Toups of Lafayette, LA pop outfit Brass Bed. Truer words were never spoken. Drawing influences from Television, Big Star, Dukes of the Stratosphere and 60’s pop revivalist acts like the Louisiana rooted Elephant Six Collective, Brass Bed’s Melt White takes on the shape of an album by a very accomplished act. It’s difficult to accept that this is the band’s first official release, but that’s what it is. Drifting effortlessly between abstract noise, swirling guitars and skillfully crafted pop tones, the sound is equal parts classic and modern, ballsy & still sweet? Isn’t that the code these days?

From this wealth of musical wisdom comes their new LP Melt White, presenting 11 sonic adventures. Recorded in Austin, TX with Danny Reisch at Cacophony Recorders and Good Danny’s studios, this album presents the potent live Brass Bed sound on tracks like “Pop Mission” and “Begs Me Not To Beg” and studio playfulness of their early home recordings on “Aria” and “God Save The Thieves”.

Download an mp3 of “Begs Me Not To Beg”
Download an mp3 of “Pop Mission”

If crafting an amazingly diverse and powerful rock record isn’t enough, the band is also touring the country in support of it, and widening their travels and tales with gems like the time Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) slapped Christiaan Madar (lead guitar/vocals) in a Dallas, TX bar after Madar said he was from Louisiana. No blood spilled, just awkward confusion as Brock was also very insistent that the slap be returned without explanation for his initial assault. He made good further by putting the whole band on a VIP list for the Modest Mouse show the following night. Hoping for slaps of even greater magnitude (your publication perhaps), Brass Bed are going back on tour once again, willing to deliver a performance that will melt your brain. Bring a bottle of water.

With the live Brass Bed show, there’s a spirit of brevity as the band seamlessly flows into and out of songs with feedback and clever arrangements that bridge one song from the next – this is something you’ll want to hear and share. They’ve whittled their craft while sharing stages with bands like The Walkmen, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Here We Go Magic, Generationals, Elf Power, and Oakley Hall. It shines through, this band has matured into quite the display of what is capable in a live rock show. Melt White is frittered with the bounty that only the meticulous craft of timeless songs can bring about, and we are very excited to be bringing it to you this fall on Park the Van Records. Park The Van formed in New Orleans, LA and brought the world Dr. Dog. We’ve since become the home great bands such as Generationals, The Spinto Band, The Teeth, and The High Strung. Hope you dig Brass Bed, see them live at one of the many stops below.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES – (more on the way)

Friday August 27@ Tipitina’s in New Orleans, LA
Friday September 17 @ Antone’s in Austin, TX
Saturday September 18 @ Limelight in San Antonio, TX
Thursday September 23 @ Spaceland in Los Angeles, CA
Saturday September 25 @ Old Ironsides in Sacramento, CA
Sunday September 26 @ TBA in Arcata, CA
Monday September 27 @ Wandering Goat in Eugene, OR
Tuesday September 28 @ The Woods in Portland, OR
Wednesday September 29 @ Sunset Tavern in Seattle, WA
Friday October 1 @ The Woodshed in Salt Lake City, UT
Saturday October 2 @ Old Main Theater in Boulder, CO
Sunday October 3 @ Hi-Dive in Denver, CO
Friday October 22 @ Littlefield (PTV CMJ Showcase) in Brooklyn, NY
Saturday October 23 @ Kung Fu Neck Tie in Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday October 26 @ The Bottletree in Birmingham, AL
Thursday October 28 @ The Thirsty Hippo in Hattiesburg, MS
Friday October 29 @ The Saturn Bar in New Orleans, LA

Brass Bed Website: http://www.brassbedisbrassbed.com (great live videos!)
Brass Bed on Park The Van: http://www.parkthevan.com/brassbed (more info on the band)
Brass Bed on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/brassbed

Academy to Present Animator Chuck Jones’s Oscar®-nominated and Winning Shorts

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:42:05 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present all nine Oscar-nominated and winning shorts directed by legendary animator Chuck Jones on Friday, August 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The screening is presented in conjunction with the Academy’s current exhibition “Chuck Jones: An Animator’s Life From A to Z-Z-Z-Z,” which includes drawings, storyboards, cels and other materials from his work. There will be special gallery hours from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and after the screening.

The diverse group of Jones’s animated shorts to be showcased includes three Oscar winners: “For Scent-Imental Reasons” (1949), featuring Jones’s original character Pepé Le Pew, the documentary short “So Much for So Little” (1949) and the whimsical romance “The Dot and the Line” (1965). The six other shorts in the program received Oscar nominations: “Mouse Wreckers” (1948), “From A to Z-Z-Z-Z” (1953), “High Note” (1960), “Beep Prepared” (1961), “Nelly’s Folly” (1961) and “Now Hear This” (1962). The 35mm prints are courtesy of Warner Bros. and the Academy Film Archive.

Tickets for the screening are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. All seating is unreserved.

“Chuck Jones: An Animator’s Life From A to Z-Z-Z-Z” is open to the public through August 22 in the Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills. Regular viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends, noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free.

For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

Free EP from Juston Stens (ex-Dr.Dog)

pittsbutgh form — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:33:20 +0000

Juston Stens, ex-Dr.Dog drummer, and his new band give away debut EP at:
www.parkthevan.com/getreal , announce shows in NY, Philly, CMJ & more!

The debut EP from ex-Dr. Dog drummer Juston Stens and his new rock n’ roll band Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang,
will be released on August 24th, but you can get it entirely for free by signing up at www.parkthevan.com/getreal. This offer
will only be available for the next two weeks. Says Philebrity.com of the EP: “…some deeper 1970s vibrations such as
Pussycats-era Nilsson, Todd Rundgren and other shaggy weirdos like Thunderclap Newman, Emmit Rhodes and Jerry
Rafferty… and we must say, it’s all killer, no filler.” Enjoy some free Summer jams courtesy of Park The Van Records.

After 6 years, countless tours, and 5 albums with Dr. Dog the time had come to part ways and for Juston to realize his own
musical journeys and visions. In his own words: “After a long break, I needed to return to myself, my guitar, my piano, my pencil
and paper, and my voice.” Juston, self taught multi-instrumentalist, put down the drumsticks and returned to guitar to write new
and finish old songs of life, love, loss, heartache, heart break, and death while managing to keep a positive outlook throughout
the entire experience.

In January of 2010 Juston left Philadelphia for Tucson, AZ to record with his dear friends The Golden Boots. From there he
drove East to Black Mountain, NC to record with the mountain wizard Seth Kauffman of Floating Action. To round it all off he
returned to Philadelphia mix with long time Dr.Dog collaborator/engineer Bill Moriarty. This collection of songs is to be released
in a series of 7″ records later this year, and later as a digital EP on Park The Van Records.

“Juston Stens will never die!” This was the chant created by the members of Dr. Dog to celebrate the intensity, integrity, and
ingenuity of Dr. Dog’s hard hitting metronomic mad-man Juston Stens. It was often heard after playing a killer set, wiping off the
bloody knuckles, or just fixing something on the tour van or an amp in a way that would amaze even MacGyver… and so, it has
become the working title of Juston’s upcoming debut full length album, which is slated to be recorded with and produced by
Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and this full band venture will include newer songs co-written with newest member Ms.
Carrie Battle (Harlan Twins, Pittsburgh, PA)

You can catch Juston + his band of brothers and rock n roll super friends at any of the dates below:

August 4^th @ Penn Treaty Park in Philadelphia, PA (free show – Philebrity.com Rock n Roll BBQ)
August 24^th @ Northstar Bar in Philadelphia, PA w/TV Torso
August 25^th @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn, NY w/TV Torso, Slow Animal
August 26^th @ Mojo 13 in Wilmington, DE w/The Spinto Band, TV Torso
August 27^th@ Mercury Lounge in New York, NY w/TV Torso, Arms
August 28^th @ Lizard Lounge in Boston, MA
October 13^th @ Pianos in New York, NY
October 22^nd @ Littlefield in Brooklyn, NY (Park The Van CMJ Showcase)
w/Generationals, Brass Bed, From A Fountain, Giant Cloud & more
October 27^th @ Pianos in New York, NY

Music is available below, let me know if you want to hear more, and email chris@parkthevan.com if you’d like to request an interview with Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang.

Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/totalposermusic
Free EP Download: http://www.parkthevan.com/getreal

CBS TELEVISION STUDIOS AND ONI PRESS A LEADING INDEPENDENT COMIC BOOK PUBLISHER SIGN FIRST LOOK DEAL TODEVELOP TELEVISION SERIES AND EVENT PROGRAMMING

pittsbutgh form — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:13:52 +0000

San Diego, CA –CBS Television Studios has entered into a first look deal with leading independent comic book publisher Oni Press and its sister company Closed on Mondays Entertainment. The announcement was made at Comic Con by David Stapf, President, CBS Studios and Eric Gitter, President of Closed On Monday Entertainment.

Oni Press, in conjunction with CBS Television Studios, will mine its extensive library as well as its upcoming slate of comic and graphic novels to develop and create TV series and event programming.

Oni Press has concentrated their efforts in the feature film world with great success having developed numerous feature film projects with some of Hollywood ’s top producers. Oni Press published the source material for the highly anticipated Universal Pictures summer event movie SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Credit:

Universal Pictures

which will be released on August 13. Eric Gitter serves as a producer of the film.

In addition to SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, Oni Press and Closed on Mondays have many properties currently in various stages of development including THE RETURN OF KING DOUG with Ben Stiller and Red Hour Films, CIUDAD with Joe & Anthony Russo, both at Paramount; THE DAMNED with Parkes/MacDonald at DreamWorks; LAST CALL with Barry Josephson, LEADING MAN with Marc Platt and FRENEMY OF THE STATE with Brian Grazer and Imagine at Universal.

“CBS Television Studios gets us and gets it when it comes to turning significant source material into quality series and event programs,” said Eric Gitter from the Comic Con convention. “We have had great success in the feature film world and we see this partnership with CBS Television Studios as the launch of what is going to be a significant television business.”

CBS Television Studios is the industry’s leading supplier of primetime network programming, producing 24 series. The roster of popular and critically acclaimed series includes the phenomenally successful NCIS and CSI franchises and the two highest-rated freshman series of year — NCIS: LOS ANGELES and THE GOOD WIFE. In addition, the Studio’s roster includes MEDIUM for CBS and The CW’s popular series, 90210.