“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ makes $900 million worldwide in record time
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ crossed the $900 million worldwide mark on Wednesday, making it the fastest movie ever to reach that milestone, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
The eighth and final film based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series reached that milestone in just 15 days, breaking “Avatar’s” 18-day record.
On Wednesday, Deathly Hallows Part 2 brought in $24.7 million worldwide ($5.2 million from domestic and $19.5 million from foreign), lifting its total to $906.8 million, according to the box-office tracking site. The final film in the franchise climbed to 19th place on the all-time chart, whizzing past the series’ fourth installment, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” which garnered $896.9 million.
The first film in the magical series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” still ranks as the top-grossing with $974.8 million, but not for long. Box Office Mojo reports that “Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ is on course to join the $1 billion club by early next week.
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Video: “Dirty Girl” trailer
Check out the trailer from “Dirty Girl,” a teen comedy set in Norman in 1987 that was shown at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. It was picked up by The Weinstein Co., which has recently set an Oct. 7 release date.
The movie is written and directed by Abe Sylvia, a Broadway performer and choreographer-turned-director who reportedly drew on his experiences as an adolescent in Oklahoma while making the film.
Here is the synposis:
“Dirty Girl” is the story of Danielle (Juno Temple), the dirty girl of Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma, circa 1987. When Danielle’s misbehavior gets her banished to a remedial class, she is paired on a parenting project with Clarke (Jeremy Dozier), an innocent closet-case with no friends. Danielle is determined to get to California to find the father she’s never met, and Clarke is desperate to escape being sent to military school by his homophobic dad. Together, the mismatched misfits light out for California, and discover each other and themselves through a funny and serendipitous friendship.
The movie also stars Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen and country singers/actors Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw.
McGraw is set to bring his “Emotional Traffic” tour to Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre at 8 p.m. Tuesday. (The show was originally set for 7 p.m. but has been moved back an hour due to the heat wave.) I’ll have a new feature on McGraw here on BAM’s Blog in the coming days. For more information or tickets to the show, go to www.zooamp.com.
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Artspace at Untitled to open new exhibit “Can You See Me Now: Photos Made On Phones” Friday
In the introduction to “The Best Camera is the One That’s with You,” Chase Jarvis’ book of photographs made over the course of a year using his cell phone, he stated that as an artist, he felt more free with the little camera built into his iPhone than he ever had with other cameras and that somehow, he had recovered an innocence lost and was able to see the world anew. It is in this spirit that Artspace at Untitled arrived at the idea of the exhibit “Can You See Me Now: Photos Made On Phones.”
The exhibit will open with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the gallery, 1 NE 3. On view through Oct. 1, the exhibit features 34 landscapes, urbanscapes, portraits, abstractions and still life images captured by cellphone cameras.
The gallery received submissions from as far away as London and Moscow and from across the United States, although a majority came from Oklahoma, according to Untitled’s website. Participants were asked to submit six images, and three judges, all nationally recognized professional photographers, selected one photograph from each of the winners that they felt best represented their use of the cell phone camera.
For more information, call 815-9995 or go to www.artspaceatuntitled.org.
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Video: Behind the scenes of the Flaming Lips’ “I Wanna Get High But I Don’t Want Brain Damage” video
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips recently worked with Providence, R.I.-based experimental rockers Lightning Bolt on a 12-inch, four-track collaborative release. The trippy-as-you-should-expect music video for one of their joint efforts, “I Wanna Get High But I Don’t Want Brain Damage,” was crafted by Oklahoma City’s Delo Creative and is now available to barrage your senses – in a good way.
In addition, Delo Creative has released a brief behind-the-scenes video of head Lip Wayne Coyne, whose mouth dominates the music video. (I shouldn’t have to tell you this because it’s Wayne Coyne, but this making-of video is probably NSFW. I guess it depends on where you work, but the name of the song should be some indication of where Wayne’s stream-of-consciousness conversation is going here.)
The Lips are set to headline the inaugural Brady District Block Party Saturday, Aug. 6 in the Tulsa arts district. The event also will feature Primus, Mutemath, Civil Twilight, AWOLNATION and more. Click here for more information.
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Video: Behind the scenes of Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood’s “Remind Me” music video
The video for Brad Paisley’s current single, “Remind Me,” a duet with Checotah native Carrie Underwood debuted online this week, and the TV show “Extra” has a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the mini-movie.
The video is directed by award winning directors Robert Deaton and George Flanigen and produced by Mark Kalbfeld.
The video was filmed in the El Mirage desert, about 90 miles north east of Los Angeles. The day was hot, dry and windy – even a sand cyclone appeared.
“This is my first desert video – I always said I wouldn’t do one of those cliché desert videos but Robert (Deaton) pitched his idea and it all made sense,” says Paisley in a news release. “It’s a big metaphor – Carrie and I are in a desert walking towards one another. It’s as symbolic as it gets in reference to the song.”
“It was important to us that the video be shot with a sophisticated approach,” adds Underwood in the release. “The song and recording came together in such a wonderful, natural way. We wanted the video to also be something we could be proud of … and we are!”
Once they reach each other in the desert, the country music superstars refrain from playing out any of the passion in the song’s lyric.
“We had to go very delicate in how we did it because, obviously, we’re both separately married to other people,” Underwood told “Extra.” “It would be weird with our friendship like being in this lovey, smushy, gushy story. So we had to do it from like an art perspective.”
“That’s what she told me when I pitched the first idea for the video,” deadpanned Paisley.
The video from “Remind Me” will debut on “GAC Turbo Track” on Saturday and CMT’s “Hot Shot” on Monday.
“Remind Me” is the third single from Paisley’s current album, “This Is Country Music,” and the ballad has sky-rocketed to No. 9 on both the Billboard Country Singles Chart and Mediabase Country Singles Chart.
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Video: Wanda Jackson and Imelda May sing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” in New York’s Central Park
Oklahoma’s own Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson performed for a crowd of thousand’s Wednesday night in New York’s Central Park.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t there, but this had to be a highlight of the night: Irish singer Imelda May joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for a fun rendition of the Jerry Lee Lewis classic “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” that led into Jackson’s own signature hit “Let’s Have a Party.”
If this doesn’t get your blood pumping, I regret to inform you that you passed on sometime during the day and your body just doesn’t know it yet!
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Video: Harrison Ford tells off Chewbacca on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and his team come up with some amazing comedic skits, and this bit from Wednesday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” just might be my favorite, after “Handsome Men’s Club,” of course.
In it, “Cowboys & Aliens” star Harrison Ford is getting ready to go on the show when he gets a visit from an unwelcome guest from his “Star Wars” days: Chewbacca. His Wookie ex-sidekick is seeking to make peace after wronging the Han Solo actor, but Ford isn’t interested in ending their feud. Instead, Ford declares that his “Cowboys & Aliens” co-star and James Bond actor Daniel Craig is “my Wookie b—- now!”
See, this is why Harrison Ford is a superstar.
“Cowboys & Aliens” opens in theaters Friday.
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Free Tulsa Festival to bring live music to Blue Dome District Friday and Saturday
The second annual Free Tulsa Music Festival, presented by the McNellies Group, will be Friday and Saturday in downtown Tulsa. The two-day festival will feature more than 100 live performances spread across 15 stages throughout the Blue Dome Arts District. The free event will include both indoor and outdoor shows, and streets in the district will close promptly at 5 p.m. both days.
“Cities need festivals, they are buzz generators and a great economic push for downtown businesses. Not to mention this is a great opportunity to support your local bands,” said Jonathan Schroeder from the Free Tulsa Team in a news release.
“It’s exciting to see these local businesses and bands come together for this music festival,” said Jill Simpson, Director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office, in the release. “Oklahoma’s music industry is rapidly growing and to have a festival in Tulsa once again to promote local music is a great opportunity for bands to showcase their talent. Then when you add an economic boost to this equation, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
Artists ranging from the veteran Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey to the post-modern punk duo Skating Polly will take over the rooftops, bars, and restaurants that have popularized Tulsa’s newly energized downtown streets. The main stage will be near McNellies, and performances will take place at the Dust Bowl/Dilly Deli Patio Stage, Fassler Hall, Arnie’s Bar, Woody’s Corner Bar and a number of other venues.
Kurt Freudenberger of Oklahoma band The Pretty Black Chains, who will also play the festival said in release, “Free Tulsa and similar events like it mean a lot to us, because we know how stressful it is to put on something like this, especially when it’s free. The people that organize it go through a lot to put on something that showcases a mass number of Oklahoma bands, with nothing to gain other than the sheer satisfaction of doing so. With DFest gone, it’s really cool that there are people willing to step up and try to fill the void. We and other bands appreciate it very much.”
For more information, go to www.freetulsa2011.com.
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Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill makes Huffington Post’s “Best Celebrity-Owned Restaurants” list
Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith stands in Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Bricktown at the Oklahoma City restaurant's opening in 2005 (AP file)
Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Oklahoma City has been featured on The Daily Meal’s list of 25 “Best Celebrity-Owned Restaurants.” TheDailyMeal.com is part of the Huffington Post website.
The Oklahoma country music star started his growing chain of restaurants with the opening of the location in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown food and entertainment district in 2005. The chain has since expanded with locations inside the Tulsa Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and WinStar World Casino in Thackerville. The three restaurants in Keith’s home state are part of the Hal Smith Restaurant Group.
There also are locations in Las Vegas; Denver; Auburn Hills, Mich.; Mesa, Ariz.; and St. Louis Park, Minn.
For its list of top celebrity-owned restaurants, The Daily Meal considered eateries owned by actors, musicians and athletes, but not by celebrity chefs.
More than 100 restaurants were considered, including those owned by Michael Jordan, Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake, Bill Murray and Robert De Niro. Price was not factored, but food, décor, and service were among the criteria. The Daily Meal used Zagat as a primary source, with local reviews and Gayot breaking ties.
Keith’s Oklahoma City bar and grill was ranked No. 22, sandwiched between Timberlake’s New York restaurants Destino at No. 21 and Southern Hospitality at No. 23.
“There are high ceilings, large neon beer bottles, and oversized pictures of Keith with his patriotic guitar held above his head,” The Daily Meal writes in its ranking of Keith’s OKC location. “Food-wise, it’s all about Tex-Mex and barbecue. Nachos, chips, and queso with salsa. Favorites on the menu include St. Louis ribs, chicken fried steak, meatloaf, and sandwiches made with cheese, steak, chicken, and fish.”
The list includes the calf fries (hand-breaded and deep fried with spicy, horseradish cocktail sauce) and the fried bologna sandwich (with barbecue sauce, Jack, Cheddar, lettuce, and tomato) as notable items on the OKC restaurant’s menu. (Personally, I recommend the chicken-fried steak, but only if you share it with a friend and both of you fast for at least a day in advance and plan for a nap and a vigorous workout after.)
Keith’s eatery is the only Oklahoma restaurant on the list. Other restaurants in the Southwest U.S. to make the ranking were NBA star Yao Ming’s Yao Restaurant & Bar in Houston at No. 19 and NFL great John Elway’s Elway’s in Denver at No. 3.
Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk’s Market Restaurant and Bar in Del Mar, Calif. topped the list.
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Toby Keith to release new album “Clancy’s Tavern” on Oct. 25
Toby Keith (AP file)
Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith announced this morning that he will release his next studio album, “Clancy’s Tavern,” in the U.S. and worldwide on Oct. 25.
The album’s lead single, “Made In America,” already has become Keith’s fastest-rising song in five years. The Norman resident penned the patriotic anthem with frequent songwriting partner Bobby Pinson.
The Billboard country songs chart has “Made in America” marked as a “Greatest Gainer,” having moved up from No. 16 to No. 13 this week. It has been on the Billboard chart for seven weeks.
“It’s not really political statement, but it’s just about a couple that raised this boy who’s in the song and it just talks about all of the ways they support their country and how patriotic they are with the way they live every day,” he told me in a recent phone interview. “They’re not prejudiced, they’re just made in America.”
Keith also released today the official music video for “Made in America.” To see it, click here.
The album takes its name from the title track, a tribute to his grandmother’s nightclub, which he famously referenced in his biographical hit “Honky Tonk U.” With its “Irish waltz” vibe, Keith told me he anticipates “Clancy’s Tavern” will be a big hit for him internationally, and he is looking forward to playing it overseas when he embarks on the second European tour of his career in October.
“We’ve only been there once, and we sold every show out, so they’re gonna expand it this time and get a few more venues on the board,” he said. “We were real excited. We didn’t know what to expect (in 2009).”
“Clancy’s Tavern” will be the follow-up to Keith’s 2010 album “Bullets in the Gun,” which debuted last October at the top of both the cross-genre Billboard 200 and the Billboard country albums charts. “Clancy’s Tavern” will be one of the most eagerly anticipated country music releases for the fall.
See a sampling of the lyrics from the closely-guarded title track after the break:
