Tuesday, 1 July 2008

Jennifer Anniston may fly with the Conchords

New Zealand's "fourth most popular folk duo", Flight of the Conchords, may be stepping up a notch in the calibre of co-stars in their next New York-based TV series.

Wellington-based Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie may be joined by Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston in the next series commissioned for the HBO cable network, the Daily Telegraph reported in Sydney.

"To think that we have had calls from Jennifer Aniston's people saying she really likes the show and Steven Spielberg requesting a copy of the series, it's pretty crazy," McKenzie, 32, said from Los Angeles.

The first series, aired in the US last June and McKenzie said American viewers warmed undertones of trans-Tasman rivalry.

In their first television show, a comedy series set in New York, Clement and McKenzie played struggling musicians and recount their attempts to crack the big-time.

"We have just started 10 weeks of writing the second series and we are definitely going to explore the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand at a government ambassadorial level.

"One storyline is one of us ending up in a relationship with an Australian."

"Americans really latched onto it and strangers keep coming up to me on the street and asking me about the rivalry, which we all know generally only comes out during a rugby match," McKenzie said.

"I think it's similar to the Canadian and American relationship, so now they feel like they have been let in on a secret joke between the Kiwis and Aussies."

The pair won a Grammy Award for comedy album of the year in February, had the soundtrack from the TV show go to number three on the American billboard charts, and recently had Oscar winner Susan Sarandon asking to meet them after a comedy show recently.

"Luckily we are working a lot which is keeping us fairly grounded," McKenzie told the Daily Telegraph.

- NZPA





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Thursday, 19 June 2008

Hercules And Love Affair announce US dates

Hercules and Love Affair are gearing up for a short tour of the US, kicking off July 23 in Los Angeles.

The band will play three shows on the west coast before heading east for a performance at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York on August 8.

The dates will support the release of their self-titled debut album, which comes out June 24 via Mute/DFA.

The band enjoyed a hit single in the UK earlier this year with �??Blind�??, sung by Antony Hegarty from Antony & the Johnsons.

The dates are:

Los Angeles, CA The Echo (July 23)
San Diego, CA Casbah (25)
San Francisco CA Mezzanine (26)
New York NY The Fillmore at Irving Plaza (August 8)

--By our New York staff.
Find out more about NME.

Friday, 13 June 2008

Emerson, Lake and Powell

Emerson, Lake and Powell   
Artist: Emerson, Lake and Powell

   Genre(s): 
Rock: Hard-Rock
   



Discography:


ELP   
 ELP

   Year: 1986   
Tracks: 8




 





The Skatalites Meet King Tubby

Sunday, 8 June 2008

Catherine Zeta Jones - Man Exposes Himself To Zeta-jones

Actress CATHERINE ZETA JONES was left terrified after an elderly man exposed his genitals to her and two young co-stars on the set of her new movie.

The 38-year-old was filming scenes for romantic comedy The Rebound in New York with two youngsters when the toothless flasher struck.

A source tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "She did genuinely look disgusted."




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Saturday, 7 June 2008

Mallorca Lee and James Allan

Mallorca Lee and James Allan   
Artist: Mallorca Lee and James Allan

   Genre(s): 
Trance
   



Discography:


Twisted Pineapple EP   
 Twisted Pineapple EP

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 2




 






Mongol

From Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov, Mongol tries to correct the story of Genghis Khan as presented in previous Hollywood disasters like The Conqueror and Genghis Khan. This fascinating look at Khan�s early years begins with his birth as Temudgin in 1162. The story methodically follows him from his harrowing and dangerous childhood all the way to the infamous battles that defined him. Bodrov�s portrait is also a love story, covering Khan�s family life and marriage to Borte, the only woman who truly understood him and knew what he could become. One of the film�s most successful sequences involves the abduction of Borte. Temudgin�s desperate and ultimately brave rescue is a spectacular action sequence in which he penetrates the enemies� camp with thousands of horsemen. Eventually, he is set on a path to seal his destiny against his own blood brother, Jamukha. It�s a conflict that results in Temudgin�s slavery but eventual freedom to become Genghis Khan--the man who conquered more territory than any other warrior.Cast not with an eye for stars, this telling of the Genghis Khan story has credibility going for it. Previous Hollywood versions have made the mistake of bringing in known actors such as Omar Sharif to play the role--and most notoriously, John Wayne famously butchered interpretation of Khan in 1956�s The Conqueror. But in Mongol, after a worldwide search, Bodrov smartly cast Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano as the adult Temudgin, who makes Khan his own. As his blood brother Jamukha, Chinese actor Honglei Sun acquits himself well, while inspiration of inspirations, a real Mongolian actress named Khulan Chuluun makes for a beautiful and forceful Borte. The international flavor of the cast oddly seems to actually add authenticity to the production when logic would say otherwise. Perhaps that is the ultimate tribute to director Bodrov.Sergei Bodrov is a powerhouse director. His previous films--including the acclaimed Prisoner of the Mountains and Nomad--do not prepare us for the breathtaking splendor and scope of Mongol. This is absolutely the kind of sweeping epic we might have expected from David Lean in his Lawrence of Arabia heyday. Even though the director did employ some CGI tricks for the massive battle scenes, the mix of technology and humanity is flawless. Key to his success is the human dimension of a larger-than-life story that keeps us involved with characters who are truly heroic and the stuff of mythology. Special mention should go to the magnificent cinematography of Sergey Trofimov and Rogier Stoffers, on a par with anything seen on the widescreen in many years. Tuomas Kantelinen�s inventive score is another plus for the impressive film.

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Earthkeeper

Earthkeeper   
Artist: Earthkeeper

   Genre(s): 
New Age
   



Discography:


Mystic Journey   
 Mystic Journey

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 8