Toby Keith postpones tour date after undergoing gallbladder surgery
Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith has postponed a tour date after undergoing surgery to have his gallbladder removed, reports the Associated Press.
The Norman resident was due to make a stop Thursday at Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wis., for an Army Concert Tour date. Instead, Keith has rescheduled his stop there for Aug. 30.
Gretchen Wilson and others will perform at Fort McCoy on Thursday in Keith’s place.
Keith, 51, plans to resume his “Live in Overdrive” tour Friday at the WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Keith’s spokeswoman told the AP he is doing fine after the outpatient procedure.
Keith’s daughter and fellow Oklahoma country singer Krystal Keith tweeted (@KrystalKeith) Monday, “My dad is doing good today. He’s a champ! Surgery went well, just resting! Keep him in your prayers!”
Best wishes to Toby for a speedy recovery.
-BAM
Video: “Skyfall” U.S. and international trailers
After grandly escorting Queen Elizabeth II to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics last Friday, Daniel Craig’s James Bond is back with the drop of the international and U.S. trailers for his latest cinematic outing as 007, “Skyfall.”
In “Skyfall,” Bond’s loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
The trailer features Naomie Harris as a government operative ordered to take what looks like a kill shot on Bond, Ben Whishaw as the young, whip-smart new Q and a blonde Javier Bardem as the movie’s villain, Raoul Silva.
Due in U.S. theaters Nov. 9, the 23rd official Bond movie co-stars Ralph Fiennes, Helen McCrory, Bérénice Marlohe and Albert Finney. It is directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes.
-BAM
Video: Carrie Underwood “Blown Away”
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood has debuted her latest music video, for the dramatic story-song “Blown Away,” exclusively on E! and E! Online. To watch it now, click here.
The “Wizard of Oz”-inspired mini-movie for her fourth album’s title track was directed by Randee St. Nicholas and produced by Brandon Bonfiglo for Randee St. Nicholas Photography, according to a news release. The video was filmed in a rural area outside Nashville, Tenn.
“Blown Away” is her new album’s second and current single, which has amassed sales in excess of a quarter of a million. The song was written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, who also co-penned her smash hit “Before He Cheats.”
The 2005 “American Idol” winner will launch the North American portion of her third headline arena tour, “The Blown Away Tour” on Sept.14 in Manchester, N.H., continuing through December. It will include home state shows Oct. 25 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City and Nov. 21 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com and www.bokcenter.com.
Underwood’s “Blown Away” album made history this spring by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, making her only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1, according to the release. “Blown Away” also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart making her only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1. “Blown Away” became country’s best-selling digital album debut since 2010. “Good Girl,” her first single from “Blown Away,” has already achieved the No. 1 slot on both Billboard and Country Aircheck’s country airplay charts and become her 15th career No. 1 single.
Since releasing “Some Hearts” in 2005, the Oklahoma native has sold more than 15 million albums with “Some Hearts,” 2007’s “Carnival Ride,” and 2009’s “Play On,” making her the best-selling “American Idol” in the United States. She’s accumulated 15 No. 1 singles, seven of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only “American Idol” winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums. She is a five-time Grammy winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
To see an E! exclusive behind-the-scenes interview with Underwood about the “Blown Away” video, click here.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on July 31, 2012: Hear I See Stars and more at The Conservatory
I See Stars
Today’s featured event:
Hear I See Stars, For The Fallen Dreams, Stray From The Path, Make Me Famous and Betraying The Matyrs at 4:30 p.m. today at The Conservatory, 8911 N Western. The show is a pre-season date on “The All-Stars Tour 2012.”
For more information, go to www.conservatoryokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Who can fill Reba McEntire and George Strait’s shoes, Country Weekly wonders
The King and Queen of Country Music – Texas troubadour George Strait and Oklahoma songstress Reba McEntire – are featured on the cover of the Aug. 6 issue of Country Weekly magazine, on sale today.
In the cover story, titled “Who Can Fill Their Shoes?,” the magazine wonders which of today’s country artists will achieve legendary status. Country Weekly promises to take a look at some of today’s hottest stars and makes the case for their consideration as country music legends.
Among those in the running: Checotah native Carrie Underwood, Ada native Blake Shelton and his wife and fellow Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert. Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley also are featured in the special cover story.
-BAM
Carrie Underwood premiering “Blown Away” music video tonight on E!
The broadcast and online world premieres of Carrie Underwood’s latest video, “Blown Away,” will take place today during a 24-hour exclusive window domestically and internationally on E! News at 6 and 10:30 p.m. and on the homepage of E! Online.
The country music superstar’s “Blown Away” video was directed by Randee St. Nicholas and produced by Brandon Bonfiglo for Randee St. Nicholas Photography, according to a news release. “Blown Away” is the title track of Underwood’s fourth album and her current single, which has amassed sales in excess of a quarter of a million. The song was written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, who also co-penned her smash hit, “Before He Cheats.”
The 2005 “American Idol” winner will launch the North American portion of her third headline arena tour, “The Blown Away Tour” on Sept.14 in Manchester, New Hampshire continuing through December. It will include home state shows Oct. 25 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City and Nov. 21 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com and www.bokcenter.com.
Underwood’s “Blown Away” album made history this spring by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, making her only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1, according to the release. “Blown Away” also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart making her only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1. “Blown Away” became country’s best-selling digital album debut since 2010. “Good Girl,” her first single from “Blown Away,” has already achieved the No. 1 slot on both Billboard and Country Aircheck’s country airplay charts and become her 15th career No. 1 single.
Since releasing “Some Hearts” in 2005, the Oklahoma native has sold more than 15 million albums with “Some Hearts,” 2007’s “Carnival Ride,” and 2009’s “Play On,” making her the best-selling “American Idol” in the United States. She’s accumulated 15 No. 1 singles, seven of which she co-wrote, and became the first country artist in history and the only “American Idol” winner ever to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums. She is a five-time Grammy winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Check out this powerful trailer for the “Blown Away” video, along with Underwood’s mighty performance at the Billboard Music Awards back in May:
-BAM
Video: Miranda Lambert’s “Fastest Girl in Town,” co-starring Danica Patrick
Country music superstar Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, released on VEVO today her music video for “Fastest Girl in Town,” co-starring NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
As Lambert promised last week, the video for the raucous third single from her 2011 album “Four the Record” is indeed “like a little mini-action movie,” with the the singer-songwriter and Patrick playing bad girls with a hankering for muscle cars and trouble.
Directed by Trey Fanjoy, the video also features actor W. Earl Brown, co-star of HBO’s Deadwood and the upcoming film “The Lone Ranger.” It was filmed in Tennessee, according to GAC.com.
-BAM
BAM’s Blog surpasses 10,000 posts
On Friday, I was apparently so busy posting about country music superstars Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Toby Keith – along with updating readers on other music, movie and arts news – that I failed to notice that we passed 10,000 posts here at BAM’s Blogs!
Since Feb. 14, 2008, my guest bloggers and I have worked hard to bring you the most informative and enlightening entertainment news and reviews, with a special focus on Oklahoma music, film, talents and events.
With our 10,010th post, we thank you, our loyal readers, for your continued support of BAM’s Blog. We hope you have enjoyed reading as much as we have enjoyed “covering everything that’s entertaining” for you.
-BAM
Peter Jackson confirms that he will make a third “Hobbit” film
Peter Jackson (AP file)
Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson confirmed on Facebook today that he will indeed make a third “Hobbit” movie, drawing not only from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel, which had been planned as a two-movie adaptation, but also from the 125 pages of appendices the author included at the end of his LOTR trilogy capper “Return of the King.”
Here is the message, titled “An unexpected journey,” that Jackson posted on Facebook today:
It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran [Walsh], Phil[lippa Boyens] and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie – and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.’
We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.
So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.
It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, “a tale that grew in the telling.”
Cheers,
Peter J
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is due in theaters Dec. 14, and the second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is set to open Dec. 13, 2013.
The last installment will hit theaters in the summer of 2014, according to EW.com.
Jackson hinted earlier this summer during Comic-Con in San Diego, Calif., that he was considering turning “The Hobbit” into a trilogy, and after weeks of intense talks with Warner Bros., it looks like he will be extending his sweeping blockbuster exploration of Middle-Earth into six films instead of five.
Check out the trailer from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of the filmmaker’s second Tolkien trilogy:
-BAM
Box office report for July 30, 2012: “The Dark Knight Rises” remains No. 1
Despite the lingering horror of the deadly Aurora, Colo., shooting at a midnight screening and strong competition from the London Olympics, “The Dark Knight Rises” continued its box-office dominance over the weekend, even if it fell short of the lofty, record-breaking numbers of its predecessor.
The third and final film in writer/director Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga stayed atop the box office for the second straight weekend, making just more than $64 million. But it’s lagging behind the staggering numbers of the second film in the series, 2008′s “The Dark Knight,” according to the Associated Press.
The three-quel has grossed more than $289 million in its first 10 days in theaters. It was the third-highest 10-day total ever, BoxOfficeMojo.com said on Twitter (@boxofficemojo). Still, “The Dark Knight Rises” dropped 60 percent from its opening weekend of $160.9 million.
By comparison, “The Dark Knight” took a 53 percent drop in its second weekend with a gross of nearly $75.2 million and a 10-day cumulative gross of $313.8 million, according to the AP.
Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., declined to comment to the AP the Sunday estimates again out of respect for the victims of the Aurora, Colo., shooting that left 12 people dead and another 58 injured at a midnight showing of the film on opening night.
Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the AP that if anything hurt the box-office numbers this weekend, it was Friday night’s opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which drew a record-setting 40.7 million viewers in the United States.
“For a film that opened as big as this did, considering the situation and what happened last weekend and all that, I would say this is a very strong showing,” Dergarabedian said of “The Dark Knight Rises.” “It’s made almost $300 million in North America and its mid-week (attendance) is very strong. It made $19 million last Monday.”
In second place this weekend was the animated family film “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” which is still going strong in its third week. It made $13.3 million for a domestic total of nearly $114.9 million, according to the AP. The fourth movie in the 20th Century Fox franchise features the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah.
Both of the new movies in wide release opened weakly. The 20th Century Fox comedy “The Watch” came in third place with $13 million. Big-name comic actors Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill play a group of guys who come together to form a neighborhood watch; despite the star power, the film was panned critically, receiving only 14 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
In addition, Southwestern cinema chain Harkins Theatres, which has a Bricktown location, didn’t play “The Watch” at any of its locations this weekend. Harkins Theatres and Twentieth Century Fox were unable to reach an equitable agreement with regards to the film’s licensing fee, according to a Harkins news release.
“Step Up Revolution” — the fourth film in the dance franchise, which is set in Miami this time — opened at No. 4 with $11.8 million. Richie Fay, Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution, told the AP that the number was a little disappointing because the studio expected it to end up in the mid-teens. But the core audience for the previous three “Step Up” films showed up: 63 percent was female and 71 percent was younger than 24.
In limited release, Fox Searchlight’s “Ruby Sparks” grossed $151,881 in 13 theaters for a strong per-screen average of $11,683. Since its opening Wednesday, it’s made $191,717. The romantic comedy from the directors of “Little Miss Sunshine” stars Paul Dano as a novelist with writer’s block who creates his dream girl, played by Dano’s real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the script. Look for my interview with Dano on Aug. 17, when the movie opens in Oklahoma City.
Here are the top 10 movies from the past weekend, courtesy the AP:
1. “The Dark Knight Rises,” $64 million. ($122.1 million international.)
2. “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” $13 million. ($49.4 million international.)
3. “The Watch,” $13 million.
4. “Step Up Revolution,” $11.8 million. ($5.2 million international.)
5. “Ted,” $7.4 million. ($2.7 million international.)
6. “The Amazing Spider-Man,” $6.8 million.
7. “Brave,” $4.2 million. ($9.6 million international.)
8. “Magic Mike,” $2.6 million. ($5.3 million international.)
9. “Savages,” $1.8 million. ($2 million international.)
10. “Moonrise Kingdom,” $1.4 million.
-BAM
