Ben Affleck talks about his Oklahoma filmmaking experience on Jimmy Kimmel
Ben Affleck (Associated Press photo)
Actor/writer/director Ben Affleck praised Oklahoma Monday night when he appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Affleck is starring with Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in a new film from director Terrence Malick, and the as-yet-untitled project has been shooting in Bartlesville. (Affleck replaced Christian Bale on the project when the “Batman Begins” star dropped out.)
Affleck appeared on Kimmel’s late-night program to promote his forthcoming drama “The Company Men,” due in theaters Dec. 10. Like many of his films, including his latest “The Town” and his most famous “Good Will Hunting,” “The Company Men” is set in Affleck’s hometown of Boston.
Kimmel joked, “You’ve finally done a film set in Boston. That’s great. You know there are other places, right. If you look at a map, you’ll see all sorts of city names, and you can go to any of them.”
Affleck used that opening to chat about his experiences in Oklahoma.
“I am always trying to do movies elsewhere. … Actually, I just did a movie in Oklahoma, so there you go,” he said. “That was great. It was kind of the opposite (of Boston). Everybody was really friendly. I didn’t know places like this existed. You leave your wallet in the store and somebody calls you, ‘Hey you left your wallet and $1,000.’ Really? You go down the street and people wave.”
“And people don’t do that in Boston?” Kimmel asked.
“Uh, they express similar feelings in different ways,” Affleck joked, saying you might get a call about your lost wallet, but the money would be gone.
Affleck and Kimmel also chatted about Thanksgiving, Disneyland, awards season and, of course, their fake romance.
To watch Monday’s episode featuring Affleck, click here. Kimmel’s interview with Affleck starts at about 14:30.
-BAM
Oklahoma singers can compete Friday in “Country Song” Singing Challenge
Screen Gems, CMT, 101.9 The Twister and Rooster’s Chicken & Beer are looking for the best singer in the country! Aspiring singers can compete in the “Country Strong” Singing Challenge for a chance to win a trip to Nashville and an appearance on CMT.
The Oklahoma City “Country Strong” Singing Challenge is set for 8 to 10 p.m. Friday at Rooster’s Chicken & Beer, 115 E Reno.
The contest is open to people 18 and older. Participants must sing a 60-second, a cappella version of “Country Strong” or “Silver Wings.” Clips from the songs can be found at www.countrystrong.cmt.com
The Oklahoma City winner scores $500 and will compete for national prize of a trip to Nashville, a meeting with Sony Music Executive and a spot on Country Music Television. To pre-register and reserve your audition spot, e-mail CountryStrongOKC@Moroch.com
To read the rules, download entry forms or download the music cues, go to www.countrystrong.CMT.com. For more information, call 848-6800, Ext. 322 or Ext. 321.
“Country Strong” opens in theaters nationwide on Jan. 7.
-BAM
Grammy winner Kenny Loggins sets February Tulsa show
Grammy winner Kenny Loggins will perform Feb. 17 at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, the venue announced today.
Tickets start at $45 and go on sale Jan. 6.
Loggins’ career began in 1971, when he partnered with former Buffalo Springfield guitarist Jim Messina. In seven years, the duo released nine albums, featuring such hits as “Angry Eyes,” “Danny’s Song,” “House at Pooh Corner” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance.” The two reunited with a studio album, a tour and a live album in 2005.
After ending his run with Messina, Loggins’ career accelerated as a solo performer, with much of his success coming on soundtrack work throughout the ‘80s. To date, Loggins has released 13 solo studio albums, with four reaching platinum status and three earning gold status.
In his first three years as a solo performer, Loggins charted five songs, including a duet with Stevie Nicks, “Whenever I Call You Friend,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1979 for “What a Fool Believes” and in 1980 the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal for “This is It.”
In 1980, Loggins recorded a trio of songs for the soundtrack to “Caddyshack,” including “I’m Alright,” “Mr. Night” and “Lead the Way.” “I’m Alright,” which served as the film’s theme song, peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Loggins’ success on the Caddyshack soundtrack earned him more soundtrack work, including “Footloose,” “Top Gun” and “Over the Top.” Tracks include “Footloose,” which became his first No. 1 smash, and the iconic “Top Gun” track, “Danger Zone,” which peaked at No. 2 in 1986. In 1997, Loggins earned an Oscar nomination for the “One Fine Day” song “For the First Time,” which also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is off Interstate 44 at exit 240A. For more information, go to The Joint section of www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com or by calling (918) 384-ROCK. The Joint box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. All guests must be 21 years of age or older.
-BAM
Roy Clark helps Brad Paisley close “H20 World Tour” in Tulsa
Country Music Hall of Famer and Tulsa resident Roy Clark and Brad Paisley jam during Paisley's Nov. 20 concert at Tulsa's BOK Center. (Photo by Ben Enos)
Country Music Hall of Famer and Tulsa resident Roy Clark surprised Oklahoma music fans Nov. 20 when he joined superstar Brad Paisley on stage for a rare live performance. Paisley wrapped up his 2010 “H2O World Tour” with a concert at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
Clark made a special guest appearance to play an instrumental version of “Ghost Riders in the Sky” alongside Paisley, pairing two of country music’s great guitarists.
“I learned to play guitar with a Roy Clark songbook, so I blame all of this on him” Paisley told the sold-out crowd.
“Brad’s show and guitar playing really inspired me! I’m going on tour!” Clark said after feeling the excitement and energy of Paisley’s show.
It was the first time the two Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year award winners have ever played together. Clark received the top CMA honor in 1973 and Paisley won the title for the first time earlier this month at the 2010 CMA Awards.
Over the past year, Paisley has played to nearly a million fans in more than 73 markets, including more than 51,000 at Boston’s Gillette Stadium, 70,000 at AquaPalooza, more than 35,000 at Gulf Shores for “Concerts for the Gulf,” two sold-out shows in London, England, and Notodden Norway’s Musikkfestival.
Darius Rucker and Justin Moore have been special guests on the tour, and Steel Magnolia, Easton Corbin and Josh Thompson were performers on the Water World Stage.
The final leg of the H2O World tour – appropriately renamed the “H2O Frozen Over” tour – kicks off Jan. 20 in Green Bay, Wisc., with Jerrod Niemann and Rucker as special guests. Check www.bradpaisley.com for tour information.
-BAM
George Strait, Reba McEntire Oklahoma City tickets on sale Friday morning
George Strait (Associated Press file photo)
Reba McEntire (AP file)
Country music royalty George Strait and Reba McEntire once again will rule arenas as they extend their blockbuster tour into 2011.
The second stop on their New Year’s itinerary is set for Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City Arena (formerly Ford Center), and tickets are going on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Tickets are priced at $89.50 and $79.50, plus applicable fees. They will be available at the arena box office; all Ticketmaster outlets including participating Suncoast, FYE and Homeland stores; by phone at (800) 745-3000; and online at www.theokcarena.com.
Grammy Award-winning singer Lee Ann Womack will once again join Strait and McEntire as the opening act on the tour.
The pairing of Strait, the Texas native known as the king of country music, and McEntire, the big-voiced country queen from Chockie, OK, garnered rave reviews and sold out venues around the country this year. In February, the tour played the BOK Center in Tulsa, where it sold out in less than an hour. The concert set a record for the BOK Center, marking the first time more than 18,000 tickets had been sold for one event.
The Texas “Troubadour” and the redheaded Oklahoma diva got the idea to launch their superstar after they performed the opening concert at the Dallas Cowboys’ new Cowboys Stadium in 2009; the show also featured Womack, who was asked at the last minute to fill in for an ill Julianne Hough.
One of the most successful female recording artists in history, Reba — the rare music star who can get away with going by just her first name — has sold more than 55 million albums worldwide, earned 33 No. 1 singles and was recently recognized as the biggest female hitmaker in country music history by Billboard, Mediabase and Country Aircheck. She is the winner of 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, seven Country Music Awards and two Grammy Awards.
On Nov. 9, she released her second album on Valory, “All the Women I Am.” The lead-off single “Turn on the Radio” has reached No. 6 the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart; it marks her 59th top 10 on the Hot Country Songs list, the most for any female artist, according to Billboard.
Reba also will play a sold-out show at 8 p.m. Saturday at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville. For more information, call (800) 622-6317 or go to www.winstarworldcasino.com.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Strait has the most No. 1 singles of any artist in history, including Elvis Presley, with 57 to date when including all charts. He has sold nearly 69 million records, and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, he has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind the Beatles and Elvis.
Strait’s 2009 CD “Twang” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in Strait’s career that a new release has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. His current single, “The Breath You Take,” is No. 10 on the Billboard country songs list.
Womack has sold more than 6 million albums, won two Grammys and earned numerous other milestone awards. Her 2008 album “Call Me Crazy” has garnered widespread critical acclaim.
-BAM
New releases for Nov. 30, 2010: “Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “Fantasia Anthology”
The most anticipated DVD release of the week isn’t due until midnight Saturday, when “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” drops. The home video release of the third film based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series is sure to be greeted with parties and excitement from “Twi-hard” fans.
Look for my new interview with “Eclipse” director David Slade on Friday in The Oklahoman, on NewsOK and here on BAM’s Blog.
Disney released today “The Fantasia Anthology,” a gorgeously remastered special edition that includes both the 1940 animated musical and the 2000 follow-up. It is available on either four Blu-ray discs or two DVDs. The Mouse House also dropped today its live-action “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” starring Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel, on DVD and Blu-ray.
Here is a list of the new CDs, DVDs and books from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Black Eyed Peas, “The Beginning.”
“Glee” cast, “’Glee:’ The Music, Volume 4.”
Tim McGraw, “Number One Hits.”
Jazmine Sullivan, “Love Me Back.”
Bryan Adams, “Bare Bones.”
El Debarge, “Second Chance.”
Chrisette Michele, “Let Freedom Reign.”
Soulja Boy, “The DeAndre Way.”
DVDs
“The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story”
“Cairo Time”
“The Fantasia Anthology” (“Fantasia” and “Fantasia 2000″ Special Edition)
“Going the Distance”
“Knight and Day”
“Life in Flight”
“The Lucy Show: The Official Third Season”
“Parks & Recreation: Season Two”
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” – midnight Saturday
“Valhalla Rising”
“Vampires Suck”
“Waking Sleeping Beauty”
Books
“Port Mortuary (Kay Scarpetta Series No. 18)” by Patricia Cornwell
“Matched” by Ally Condie
“Hungry for You (Argeneau Vampire Series No. 14)” by Lynsay Sands
“Devoured by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity Series No. 7)” by Alexandra Ivy
“Rescue” by Anita Shreve
“Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex” by Troy Denning
“Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series No. 8)” by J. R. Ward
“The Other Side” by J. D. Robb, Mary Blayney
“The Sooner the Better” by Debbie Macomber
-BAM
OKC Museum of Art to show Millennium Trilogy films starting today
Noomi Rapace portrays Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is planning a blowout starting today in honor of the internationally best-selling Millennium Trilogy.
The museum’s Noble Theater, 415 Couch Drive, will screen over the next two weeks all three blockbuster Swedish-language films based on the popular book series: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played with Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”
Series opener “Dragon Tattoo” will screen at 7:30 p.m. today and Dec. 7. “Played with Fire” will be shown at 7:30 pm. Wednesday, Thursday and Dec. 8-9. The finale, “Hornet’s Nest,” will screen at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Dec. 10-11 and 2 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 12.
The films, which include English subtitles, are adapted from the late Steig Larsson’s crime thriller trilogy, which has sold more than 20 million copies in 40 countries. A Swedish journalist and author, Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004, shortly after he finished the series. The books were published posthumously.
The Swedish films have proven so popular that an American version of “Dragon Tattoo” is planned for 2011 release. Oscar nominee David Fincher will direct the Hollywood adaptation, which will star Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson and Stellan Skarsgard.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 30, 2010
Daniel Walcher
Today’s featured event:
Hear local talents folk-rock singer-songwriter Daniel Walcher and Chase Kerby, lead singer of The City Lives, perform together at The Mane Event, a fundraiser benefiting Locks of Love, at 6 tonight at Iguana Mexican Grill, 9 NW 9.
Walcher and Kerby were both selected to perform as solo acoustic artists at last year’s SXSW Oklahoma Showcase, hosted by the Oklahoma Film & Music Office.
The Mane Event – hosted by Liz Dueweke from the FOX Morning Show – is the final push of Oklahoma City’s first-ever month-long hair donation and fundraising drive. The event is free to attend and open to the public.
Festivities will include a taco-eating contest starting at 7:15 p.m. and featuring local television and radio personalities Andrew Speno (FOX 25), Lance West and Scott Hines (News Channel 4/OK 43) and Ferris O’Brien (105.3 FM “The Spy”). There will also be a drawing for prizes including a diamond from Samuel Gordon Jewelers and Visa gift cards.
Locks of Love is a public nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/iguanamexicangrill.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Box office report for Nov. 29, 2010: “Harry Potter 7″ has a bit more magic than “Tangled”
In the box office battle between a teenage wizard and a fairy-tale princess, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ had just a bit more magic than Disney’s animated adventure “Tangled.”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ remained the No. 1 movie with $50.3 million over the Thanksgiving weekend, closely followed by the animated musical “Tangled” with $49.1 million, according to the Associated Press.
The penultimate “Harry Potter” movie raised its domestic total to $220.4 million after just 10 days in theaters.
“Tangled” is the latest Disney animated princess tale, with Mandy Moore providing the voice of Rapunzel. The movie raised its five-day total to $69 million since opening the day before Thanksgiving.
While “Deathly Hallows” continued to conjure box office magic, Disney’s “Tangled” far exceeded industry expectations, delivering the second-biggest Thanksgiving debut ever behind “Toy Story 2,” which had a $57.4 million opening.
Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane told the AP the studio would have been happy if “Tangled” had matched the $34 million debut of its hit “Enchanted” over Thanksgiving 2007.
Three other new wide releases had unremarkable openings, led by Christina Aguilera and Cher’s song-and-dance tale “Burlesque” at No. 4 with $11.8 million for the weekend and a five-day total of $17.2 million since premiering Wednesday.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway’s romance “Love & Other Drugs” debuted at No. 6 with a three-day haul of $9.9 million and a total of $14 million since opening Wednesday.
Dwayne Johnson’s return to R-rated action “Faster” opened at No. 7 with $8.7 million for the weekend and $12.2 million since its Wednesday debut.
With a $125 million opening weekend, “Deathly Hallows” had the biggest start yet for the franchise about the young wizard. Its 10-day total also surpasses the previous high of $201 million set by “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and last year’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
“That kind of tells you how big the last ‘Potter’ is going to be,” Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros., told the AP. “If you look at films like ‘Lord of the Rings,’ when you get to the last one, anticipation is just overwhelming.”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the final installment in the franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series, hits theaters next July.
Despite big business for “Harry Potter” and “Tangled,” Hollywood fell short of the Thanksgiving revenue record set last year, when “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” and “The Blind Side” led the box office.
Revenues from Wednesday to Sunday last Thanksgiving totaled $273 million, compared to $267 million this season, according to the AP.
Here are the top 10 films, according to the AP:
1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” $50.3 million.
2. “Tangled,” $49.1 million.
3. “Megamind,” $12.9 million.
4. “Burlesque,” $11.8 million.
5. “Unstoppable,” $11.75 million.
6. “Love & Other Drugs,” $9.9 million.
7. “Faster,” $8.7 million.
8. “Due Date,” $7.3 million.
9. “The Next Three Days,” $4.8 million.
10. “Morning Glory,” $4 million.
-BAM
RIP Irvin Kershner
Irvin Kershner works on the set of "RoboCop 2." (Associated Press file photo)
Irvin Kershner, who directed the “Star Wars” sequel “The Empire Strikes Back,” has died at age 87. Kershner died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long illness, said Adriana Santini, a family friend. His agent, Derek Maki, also confirmed the death Monday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Kershner’s “Empire,” the second “Star Wars” movie made and the fifth in the chronology, has become the most critically respected and fan-favored film in the franchise.
The Philadelphia native told Vanity Fair in October that he tried to give his 1980 follow-up more depth than the original film, 1977′s “Star Wars.”
“When I finally accepted the assignment, I knew that it was going to be a dark film, with more depth to the characters than in the first film,” he said. “It took a few years for the critics to catch up with the film and to see it as a fairy tale rather than a comic book.”
Kershner said he had only one sharp disagreement with “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. The script originally called for the heroine, Princess Leah (Carrie Fisher), to tell good-hearted scoundrel Han Solo (Harrison Ford) “I love you” and for him to reply “I love you, too.”
“I shot the line and it just didn’t seem right for the character of Han Solo,” Kershner said.
Instead, Ford improvised the reply: “I know.”
Lucas only agreed to accept the changed after test previews. It has become one of the best-known exchanges from the franchise.
A graduate of USC film school – he also was on the USC faculty – Kershner got his first movie break in 1958 when Roger Corman hired him to shoot a low-budget feature called “Stakeout on Dope Street.”
He went on to direct a number of noted features in the 1960s and ’70s, including “A Fine Madness” with Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward and Jean Seberg, “The Flim-Flam Man” with George C. Scott, “Loving” with George Segal and Eva Marie Saint, and “The Eyes of Laura Mars” with Faye Dunaway.
The 1976 television movie “Raid on Entebbe” earned him an Emmy nomination for direction.
Besides “Empire,” his big-budget work included the 1983 James Bond movie “Never Say Never Again” with Connery and “Robocop 2″ in 1990.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.
- BAM
