3D’s Wednesday Video Spotlight: Revelation Chapter 4
It’s time for your weekly Rooster Teeth update. This week brings Chapter 4 of the “Red vs Blue” series “Revelation.” I have also posted the new episode of their “RT Shorts” series. Please enjoy, but watch out for the language.
—3D
Alex O’Loughlin stars in first romantic comedy with “The Back-Up Plan”
Alex O’Loughlin in “The Back-Up Plan”
From Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
‘Back-up Plan’ Aussie actor deliver pregnant laughs
For his first romantic comedy, Alex O’Loughlin didn’t choose the typical boy-meets-girl kind of movie.
While filming “The Back-Up Plan,” the Australian actor found himself recalling real-life pregnancy moments, mingling with dogs and a toothy chinchilla and co-starring in a water-birthing sequence he calls “the funniest scene I’ve ever been involved in.”
“I’d never seen or heard of a script that dealt with this issue, of artificial insemination and how to deal with love at the same time. And the other thing is this script … it’s genuinely funny,” O’Loughlin said in a phone interview from his Los Angeles home.
“But there’s also some moving, real, sort of dramatic moments. It just felt really well balanced.”
“The Back-Up Plan,” which opened at No. 2 at the box office last weekend, stars Jennifer Lopez as Zoe, a New York City pet shop owner who decides to become artificially inseminated after years of unsuccessful spouse seeking. Her feet are no sooner out of the stirrups and on the rainy sidewalk outside the doctor’s office when she meets O’Loughlin’s Stan, a divorced goat farmer and cheese maker unsure about having children.
Their courtship gets complicated when Zoe learns she is expecting twins. For Stan, wooing Zoe suddenly involves coping with outrageous food cravings, witnessing a fellow mom’s hilariously horrifying water birth and making major life decisions.
The Aussie heartthrob, 33, said the film authentically mines the realities of gestation for laughs, reminding him of the days leading up to his now-12-year-old son’s arrival.
“It’s funny and moving and poignant and pertinent to some issues today … for men and women when it comes to love,” O’Loughlin said.
Mostly seen on TV, the actor decided to go with “The Back-Up Plan” after meeting his co-star, actress/singer/producer J.Lo, who is making her film comeback after giving birth to twins in 2008.
“We hit it off right away,” O’Loughlin said. “From the day that I met her at her house in Long Island … and had a laugh and had a chat and had a cup of tea, we realized we would work well together. And we did.”
He also enjoyed spending time with “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan and the many canines on the set, but his first encounter with a chinchilla resulted in a bitten finger.
“I’d never seen one before, and I’m like ‘what’s this?’ and I stuck my finger in the cage and it bit me,” he said with a laugh.
It’s not the first time Hollywood has bitten O’Loughlin. A graduate of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, he was first seen by American audiences on the critically acclaimed police drama “The Shield.”
His breakout role playing vampire and private detective Mick St. John in the cult favorite CBS series “Moonlight” transformed his career. But the show was unceremoniously canceled in 2008 after 16 episodes, despite its fiercely faithful following.
“I have a wonderful fan base, and I have a group of people across the planet who are forever supportive and loving in watching my every move and are there for me in whatever way I need them,” he said.
“And it means so much to me, because that show, you have to understand, meant the world to me. … I poured my heart into it, and then it goes away and there’s nothing you can do. But the magical thing about that show is that it went away but it never really went away because so many people loved it.”
His next foray into TV, the CBS medical drama “Three Rivers,” was even more short-lived.
“You have to be ready to put your absolute entire self into something and love it 100 percent and give it your all and have it just disappear. You become resilient in a way, but then again, you can’t become too resilient because you’ll stop. You’ll lose the facility to give the way you did originally,” he said.
Although moviemaking is less grueling, O’Loughlin is returning to TV, starring as Detective Steve McGarrett in CBS’ remake of the long-running cop show “Hawaii Five-O.” He even gets to deliver the famous line, “Book ‘em, Danno.”
“It was something I really had to think about because you give so much of yourself when you work in television. You sacrifice so much of your life and you never know where the end is,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve made the right decision, and hopefully it’s gonna be great.”
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on April 28, 2010
Eli Young Band
Today’s featured event:
STILLWATER – Hear great red dirt/Texas country and dine on, um, exotic food at the 19th Annual Calf Fry, starting tonight at the Tumbleweed Dance Hall, 5212 Lakeview Drive.
Tonight’s lineup features the Eli Young Band, Turnpike Troubadours and Chad Sullins. The music begins at 8 p.m.
The “Testicle Festival” runs through Saturday. Others playing this year’s event include Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, Oklahoma-Texas band Cross Canadian Ragweed, Randy Rogers Band, Bellamy Brothers and Wade Bowen.
Look for my interview with recent three-time Academy of Country Music Awards winner Lambert Friday here at the blog.
For more information, go to www.calffry.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
New releases for April 27, 2010: “Burned,” Sugar Free Allstars, “Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas,” “It’s Complicated”
Kristin and P.C. Cast
Oklahoma mother-daughter writing team P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast release this week another book in their popular young adult vampire/paranormal “House of Night” series with “Burned.”
Also new on the bookshelf are autobiographies from actresses Pam Grier and Molly Ringwald.
For music lovers, this week offers new albums from Hole, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Frampton and Jo Dee Messina.
In addition, Oklahoma “kindie rock” band Sugar Free Allstars have out a new CD titled “Funky, Fresh and Sugar Free.”
Movies new to DVD this week include the Meryl Streep/Alec Baldwin/Steve Martin romantic comedy “It’s Complicated” and Heath Ledger’s last film, Terry Gilliam’s fantasy “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” To read my “Parnassus” review, click here.
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books from Amazon.com, VideoETA.com and The Oklahoman’s Renee Lawrence:
CDs
Sugar Free Allstars, “Funky, Fresh and Sugar Free.”
Melissa Etheridge, “Fearless Love.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter, “The Age of Miracles.”
Hole, “Nobody’s Daughter.”
Peter Frampton, “Thank You Mr Churchill.”
Jo Dee Messina, “Unmistakable Love.”
B.o.B, “B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.”
Miranda Cosgrove, “Sparks Fly.”
Sons of Sylvia, “Revelation.”
DVDs
The Descent: Part 2
Disgrace
District B13: Ultimatum
Five Minutes of Heaven
Georgia O’Keeffe
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
It’s Complicated
Ride With The Devil
Books
“Burned” (House of Night Series, No. 7) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.
“Savor the Moment” (Bride Quartet Series, No. 3) by Nora Roberts.
“Lover Mine” (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, No. 8 ) by J.R. Ward.
“The 9th Judgment” (Women’s Murder Club Series, No. 9) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.
“The Carrie Diaries” by Candace Bushnell.
“The God of the Hive” by Laurie R. King.
“The Inside Story” (Sisters Grimm Series, No. 8 ) by Michael Buckley.
“The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook” by Mireille Guiliano.
“Reckless” by Andrew Gross.
“Island Beneath the Sea” by Isabel Allende.
“The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” by Wes Moore.
“Return to Sender” by Fern Michaels.
“The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook” by Jillian Michaels.
“This Is Why You’re Fat (and How to Get Thin Forever)” by Jackie Warner.
“Winston’s War: Churchill, 1940-1945” by Max Hastings.
“A Thread So Thin” by Marie Bostwick.
“Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin” by Hampton Sides.
“The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me” by Bruce Feiler.
“Foxy: My Life in Three Acts” by Pam Grier with Andrea Cagan.
“Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life” by Ian K. Smith.
“The Father of Us All: War and History, Ancient and Modern” by Victor Davis Hanson.
“Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment” by Peter Buffett.
“Getting the Pretty Back: Friendships, Family and Finding the Perfect Lipstick” by Molly Ringwald.
“The Long Song: A Novel” by Andrea Levy.
“Spiritual Partnership: The Journey to Authentic Power” by Gary Zukav.
“Paradise General: Riding the Surge at a Combat Hospital in Iraq” by Dave Hnida.
-BAM
Garth Brooks to play benefit show with Idaho symphony
Garth Brooks (Associated Press file photo)
Oklahoma country music superstar Garth Brooks will perform a benefit concert Aug. 1 with he Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Sun Valley, Idaho, according to AOL’s The Boot.
The Owasso resident also play a solo show – featuring just Brooks and his guitar – in the symphony’s sole fundraiser of the year. The event will support free symphony concerts and the symphony’s education programs.
The connection between the Oklahoma native and the Idaho symphony was made possible by hotelier Steve Wynn, who last year lured Brooks out of retirement for his five-year series of weekend concerts at the Wynn Las Vegas. According to The Boot, Wynn happens to be a Sun Valley resident and generous supporter of the Sun Valley Pavilion, where the Aug. 1 benefit concert will take place.
“We didn’t seek a country music star … it’s been a group effort to have Garth Brooks play at our benefit,” Sun Valley Summer Symphony Executive Director Jennifer Teisinger tells The Boot. “Steve Wynn has been very supportive, and we are putting this show together with Garth. It is a collaborative effort.”
Brooks is well known for using his music to support various charities. In 2007, the Tulsa-born, Yukon-bred star became the first artist to release two editions of his latest album simultaneously to help benefit a charity. His “pink edition” of “The Ultimate Hits” was released to raise money for the breast cancer initiative Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Ticket information for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony benefit concert will be released in June at www.svsummersymphony.org.
- BAM
Toby Keith to visit troops this spring on four-country USO tour
Toby Keith performs on his 2008 USO tour.
Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith will visit troops this spring on a four-country United Service Organization tour. The tour will take the Norman resident to Korea, Germany and the Persian Gulf, according to a news release.
Due to security reasons, more details on the countries and tour dates cannot be released at this time.
On the 14-day USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour, Keith will sign autographs, pose for photos and perform for military families in Germany and Korea and for troops serving on the front lines.
It will be the singer/songwriter/entertainer’s eighth USO tour.
Since his first USO tour in 2002, Keith has traveled to more than 10 countries. In total, he has worked to lift the spirits of more than 140,000 service men and women, many at small remote outposts.
Best wishes to Toby on his latest overseas journey.
-BAM
Hanson to play hometown Tulsa show at Cain’s Ballroom during “Shout It Out” tour
Tulsa band of brothers Hanson has announced the first two legs of their North American tour in support of their highly anticipated fifth record, “Shout It Out.” The trio will wrap the first leg of the tour Aug. 25 with a hometown show at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, according to a news release.
Tickets for the Tulsa show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Advance tickets are priced at $27, plus fees. For tickets and information, go to www.cainsballroom.com or www.protix.com.
The announcement of the tour follows a whirlwind week of excitement for the band’s debut single, “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’,”which was released to digital outlets last Friday in conjunction with the premiere network television performance of the song on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
The recent music video debut on MySpace garnered praise from fans and critics alike, including Perez Hilton, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Absolute Punk, Salon and BAM’s Blog. The video, featuring “Weird” Al Yankovic, was viewed more than 1 million times in the first few days of release, and is still gathering hits. The exuberant homage to classic film “The Blues Brothers” recreates the iconic scene where the soulful music of Ray Charles and the Blues Brothers Band incites more than 300 people to dance in the street.
According to Billboard, “Shout It Out” represents some of the band’s “most soulful work ever committed to record,” while Salon hailed that the new single “may be their finest moment yet.” Entertainment Weekly praised “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” as “a delicious, catchy slice of pop-soul,” while Idolator predicted, “don’t be surprised if there’s a Hanson revival in 2010″.
The first leg of the “Shout It Out Tour” begins July 21 with support from Rooney, and covers the East Coast, South and Midwest. The second leg, featuring A Rocket To The Moon, covers the Southwest and West Coast and begins Sept. 14.
The “Shout It Out Tour” also provides a platform for the three-time Grammy-nominated band to continue their passion and support for independent music by partnering with OurStage to host an opening band contest in each market, where local indie artists can compete for the chance to share the stage with the band.
Ben Campbell, CEO of OurStage, said in the release, “We are honored that Hanson approached OurStage to find emerging artists to perform as opening acts at local stops of their tour. Hanson has been a leader in the music industry for a long time as musicians and by running their own label, paving the way for other emerging artists seeking to make a name for themselves.”
Hanson is announced their partnership to create dynamic live streaming content with Livestream.com. The partnership began Monday night with the start of the band’s sold-out, five-night concert series at New York’s Gramercy Theatre. Each concert will feature the band performing one of their albums in its entirety, leading up to the worldwide debut of “Shout It Out” on Friday, the final night. The live streaming concert series will be viewable by the public on www.Hanson.net, www.Livestream.com and www.MSN.com.
The live broadcast gives fans around the world the opportunity to be a part of the career-spanning event, and begins a series of exciting live streaming content to be continued throughout the rollout of “Shout It Out.”
“Our band has always been fueled by a dynamic relationship with our fans, and the launch of live content with Livestream is going to open a new door for us to engage music fans wherever they are in real time through Livestream’s player which can be embedded anywhere from Facebook to Twitter and turn a broadcast into an online conversation,” said Taylor Hanson in the release.
Isaac added, “The live platform is where we think the future is for artists who want to really engage their fans.”
“Shout It Out,” to be released on Hanson’s own 3CG Records on June 8, was written and produced by Hanson, augmented with special guests: Funk Brothers bassist Bob Babbitt, who played on some of Motown’s greatest hits, as well as horn arranger Jerry Hey, who worked with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Earth, Wind and Fire and many more.
See the full list of the first two legs of Hanson’s North American tour after the break.
What to do in Oklahoma on April 27, 2010
Jeff Beck performs last week on “American Idol’s” charity episode “Idol Gives Back.” (Fox photo)
Today’s featured event:
TULSA – Hear legendary guitarist Jeff Beck at 7 tonight at the Brady Theater, 105 W Brady Street.
For more information, go to www.bradytheater.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Tickets go on sale Friday for Lyle Lovett’s summer Tulsa show
Lyle Lovett (Associated Press file photo)
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett and his Large Band will play a lively but intimate show at 7 p.m. July 11 at Chapman Music Hall in the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
According to a news release, Lovett will bring his trademark wittiness and charm to the stage, along with more than a dozen musicians, including a horn section and a vocal group.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Tickets are priced at $47.50 and $57.50, and may be purchased at the PAC Ticket Office and Reasor’s Grocery Stores, by phone at (918) 596-7111 or (800) 364-7111, or online at www.tulsapac.com or www.MyTicketOffice.com.
According to LyleLovett.com, the singer-songwriter and his band also will play July 9 at Norman’s Riverwind Casino and July 10 at Thackerville’s WinStar World Casino. Ticket information is not yet available on those venues’ websites.
-BAM
Box office report for April 26, 2010: “Dragon” burns “The Back-Up Plan”
DreamWorks Animation’s steadily soaring “How to Train Your Dragon” continues to heat up the box office.
Released a month ago, the animated adventure took in $15 million to reclaim the No. 1 spot in its fifth weekend in theaters, according to the Associated Press. “How to Train Your Dragon” opened in first place in late March, but has held up strongly and climbed to the top again amid a pack of middling new releases.
The well-reviewed family film raised its total to $178 million and is on its way to becoming a $200 million hit. It seems poised to rank among DreamWorks’ most successful animated films outside the “Shrek” franchise.
Jennifer Lopez’s romantic comedy “The Back-up Plan,” released by CBS Films, debuted weakly with $12.3 million for second place. Another comedy, Steve Carell and Tina Fey’s “Date Night” from 20th Century Fox, ranked at No. 3 with $10.6 million, raising its total to $63.5 million.
Among the weekend’s other newcomers, the Warner Bros. action flick “The Losers” made just $9.6 million to place in fourth place. Disney’s Earth Day nature film “Oceans” had a solid opening for a documentary, coming in at No. 8 with $6 million, according to the AP.
The scandalous superhero story “Kick-A**” dropped to No. 5, after narrowly beating out “Dragon” for first place the previous weekend. In its second weekend, “Kick-Ass” made $9.5 million, down 52 percent from its debut, lifting its total to $34.9 million.
Overall Hollywood revenues should top out at about $100 million, the lowest-grossing weekend of the year, reports the AP.
Fans may simply be watching their pennies amid the slow economic recovery, saving their money for the onslaught of summer blockbusters that starts May 7 with a little superhero film called “Iron Man 2.”
Here is the weekend top 10 list, from the AP:
1. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $15 million.
2. “The Back-up Plan,” $12.3 million.
3. “Date Night,” $10.6 million.
4. “The Losers,” $9.6 million.
5. “Kick-Ass,” $9.5 million.
6. “Clash of the Titans,” $9 million.
7. “Death at a Funeral,” $8 million.
8. “Oceans,” $6 million.
9. “The Last Song,” $3.7 million.
10. “Alice in Wonderland,” $2.2 million.
- BAM
