Enter now to win FREE fabulous prizes in the BAM’s Blog Birthday Giveaway
As I mentioned earlier this week, BAM’s Blog celebrated its fourth birthday on Tuesday, which was Valentine’s Day.
That’s right, back on Feb. 14, 2008, I posted my very first entry on the brand-new BAM’s Blog: a list of my favorite films appropriate for Valentine’s Day viewing.
Since, the blog has become home to nearly 9,000 posts and more than 38,000 comments. For the past two years, the blog has earned more than 1 million page views a year.
In other words, we’re really feeling the love from our loyal readers.
So, we’re celebrating the birthday of BAM’s Blog with a giveaway for our loyal and beloved readers: That’s right, it’s my blog’s birthday, and you could win an awesome gift.
This year, the BAM’s Blog Birthday Giveway is a fabulous prize pack featuring a copy of Toby Keith’s new album “Clancy’s Tavern” autographed by TK, a copy of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ special edition DVD, a beautiful “Ben-Hur” leather-bound notebook, a Blu-ray copy of Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” other children’s DVDs, CDs from country stars like Willie Nelson and Trace Adkins and more!
To win, simply email featuresdesk@opubco.com and put “Happy birthday BAM’s Blog” in the subject line. In the email, write a short happy birthday wish for the blog, and you will be entered in the random drawing.
The deadline to enter is noon next Friday, Feb. 24. The winner will be drawn that afternoon.
Good luck and thanks for helping to make BAM’s Blog a success!
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 14, 2012: Audra Mae, The World Famous Tony Williams, “Take Shelter”
Putnam City High School graduate Audra Mae and her new band The Almighty Sound today released their self-titled, full-length debut album.
Oklahoma City native The World Famous Tony Williams also released today a new album, “King or the Fool.” Kanye West, John Legend and The Kid Daytona are among the well-known artists featured on various tracks, and West, who is Williams’ cousin, produced several tracks on the album.
In addition, the underrated psychological drama “Take Shelter” is new on DVD. I highly recommend the film, but be prepared to be outraged that Michael Shannon didn’t get an Oscar nominated.
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound, “Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound.”
The World Famous Tony Williams, “The King or the Fool.”
Amos Lee, “As the Crow Flies.”
Hillsong, “Live in Miami” (CD/DVD set).
Audrey Assad, “Heart.”
Heartless Bastards, “Arrow.”
Le’Andria Johnson, “Evolution of Le’Andria Johnson.”
Band of Skulls, “Sweet Sour.”
Madonna and Abel Korzeniowski, “W.E. (Music from the Motion Picture).”
Punch Brothers, “Who’s Feeling Young Now?”
Santana, “Anthology 68-69: The Early San Francisco Years.”
DVDs
All Things Fall Apart
Beavis & Butt-Head: Volume 4
The Dead
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Family Matters: The Complete Second Season
The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence
The Interrupters
Mama, I Want to Sing
Mozart’s Sister
Paranormal Activity 3
The Rum Diary
Storage Wars: Volume 2
Take Shelter
Tiny Furniture
Books
The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice
I’ve Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella
The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt
Enemies: A History of the FBI by Tim Weiner
The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha
Private Games by James Patterson, Mark Sullivan
-BAM
Fall in love with a good DVD on Valentine’s Day
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
Fall in love with a good DVD on Valentine’s Day
Column: For the fifth year, entertainment writer and blogger Brandy “BAM” McDonnell lists her favorite movies to watch at home on the official day of love.
With Valentine’s Day falling on Tuesday this year, a night out on the town may not be the most practical plan for couples determined to celebrate on the official day of love.
Of course, film fans know that you can always find romance with a good DVD, Blu-ray or Netflix stream.
Way back on Feb. 14, 2008, I posted my first entry on my new blog, BAM’s Blog: a list of my favorite films appropriate for Valentine’s Day home viewing, conveniently categorized so that lovebirds of every feather could find the ideal cinematic treat for Valentine’s Day.
Some traditions are worth keeping, so here is a preview of the 2012 edition of the BAM’s Blog recommended Valentine’s Day DVDs. On Tuesday, look for the full, official fifth annual list, which has been updated since last year to include a few more films that I’ve recently fallen for, at blog.newsok.com/bamsblog.
Romantic comedies
The films in this category must be both uproariously funny and aw-inspiringly romantic. For all the rom-coms coming out of Hollywood, it’s telling that this part of the list gets updated the least:
“It Happened One Night” (1934): An out-of-work reporter (Clark Gable) and rebellious heiress (Claudette Colbert) take a bumpy road trip in Frank Capra’s Oscar-winner.
“The Philadelphia Story” (1940): Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant get entangled in a love pentagon in this classic screwball comedy, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies.
“When Harry Met Sally” (1989): Hilarity ensues as Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) move from loathing to friendship to love.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001): Brit Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) tries to improve her life and find real love in this chick flick.
"Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Happily ever after
Fairy tales and other fantasies appear here; in this category, the path to true love may be perilous, but love eventually wins the day:
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961): True love develops between professional escort Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) and kept man Paul “Fred” Varjak (George Peppard) in the iconic film from the late, great director Blake Edwards, a Tulsa native.
“Ladyhawke” (1985): A knight (Rutger Hauer) and his lady fair (Michelle Pfeiffer) must break the curse set on them by an evil bishop (John Wood). Just try to ignore the dated ’80s soundtrack from The Alan Parsons Project collaborator Andrew Powell. (I’m just sure music in the 12th century didn’t use quite so many synthesizers.)
“Serendipity” (2001): Suspend your disbelief and enjoy Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara’s (Kate Beckinsale) efforts to find one another after their magical first meeting. The film recently was released on Blu-ray, for extra lovely viewing.
“Jane Eyre” (2011): Director Cary Fukunaga (“Sin Nombre”) and his talented young cast, including Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell, bring fresh energy to the often-adapted gothic tale. Every aspect of the narrative is heightened: The mystery crackles with suspense, the romance smolders with sensuality, and the coming-of-age story flares with intensity.
Bittersweet treats
If you need or enjoy a good weep, one of these films just might be for you. Some of the endings are kind of happy, others are a bit tragic, but love is what makes the world go ‘round in these tales:
“Casablanca” (1942): Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman give up their passionate love affair to save the world from the Nazis. Sigh. A classic.
“Like Water for Chocolate” (1992): Tita (Lumi Cavazos) and Pedro (Marco Leonardi) are desperately in love, but tradition prohibits Tita, the youngest daughter in her family, from marrying, instead condemning her to a lifetime of caring for her tyrannical mother (Regina Torne). The Mexican movie was nominated for a 1993 Golden Globe for best foreign language film.
“Once” (2007): A Dublin, Ireland, street musician (Glen Hansard) and talented Eastern European immigrant (Marketa Irglova) make beautiful music together, but she has a husband and he has a girlfriend. Will they become a duet or go their separate ways? The movie, which won a best original song Oscar for the gorgeous theme “Falling Slowly,” has been adapted for the stage and is set to debut soon on Broadway.
“(500) Days of Summer” (2009): In his feature film debut, Marc Webb, director of the upcoming reboot “The Amazing Super-Man,” cast off the wretched conventions of modern- day romantic comedies, telling an emotionally resonant love story with a nonlinear plot line, amazing soundtrack and strong performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.
"Tangled"
Family-friendly fare
So what if you have a couple of tykes snuggled between you and your sweetie on the couch? You can still enjoy a romantic movie that’s appropriate for the whole clan:
Any of the Disney “princess” movies: The ones with my favorite heroines include “Mulan,” “Aladdin” and “Tangled,” along with “Beauty and the Beast,” which is still showing in 3-D in some movie theaters.
“The Princess Bride” (1987): Westley (Cary Elwes) refuses to let pirates, a prince or even death come between him and his Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright).
“Shrek” (2001) and “Shrek 2” (2004): Grumpy ogre Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and his Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) discover that their love isn’t based on society’s rules of beauty. And that’s OK.
“WALL-E” (2008): A lonely trash-compacting robot finds a hand to hold with a sleek probe droid in another of Pixar’s winners for best animated film.
Romance and weapons
Say you enjoy your romance mixed with plenty of action, maybe even some cinematic gunplay. Consider yourself locked and loaded with these films:
“The Terminator” (1984): Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) travels across time to save Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) from the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). He travels across time for her! Now that’s romantic.
“Desperado” (1995): It’s got Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek falling in love between all the flying bullets, so this actioner offers everyone someone quite nice to look at.
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005): Shawnee-born Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have smokin’ chemistry as assassins on opposite sides.
“300” (2006): Sure, most of this pumped-up Greek legend is focused on big battle sequences and impressive pectorals, but King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) make one hot power couple.
-BAM
Target, Walmart hosting “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” release parties tonight
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. To read my interview with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” director Bill Condon, click here.
Target, Walmart hosting “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” release parties
Forget vampires vs. werewolves: Friday night’s anticipated DVD release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” is setting up an epic battle between big-box giants Target and Walmart.
“Breaking Dawn — Part 1” drops on DVD and Blu-ray at the stroke of midnight Saturday, with release parties planned Friday night (tonight) at Walmart and Target locations across the country, including many Oklahoma stores.
Nearly 500 Target stores nationwide, including the Midwest City, Norman and Quail Springs locations, will extend their hours to 1 a.m. Saturday morning for the release events. Beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, fans will be shown an exclusive, world-premiere scene from the fifth and final film, “Breaking Dawn — Part 2.”
At midnight, fans can purchase the Target exclusive, limited edition DVD of “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” that includes an authentic prop flower from the wedding scene encased in an acrylic keepsake, according to a news release.
For more information, go to Target.com/Twilight.
More than 2,700 Walmart stores across the country, including several across Oklahoma, will have giveaways, trivia games and “Twilight”-theme bakery treats at release parties beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. The stores will feature a cameo by Cullen vampire Rosalie (Nikki Reed) on their in-store TV feed during the lead-up to the release, according to Home Media Magazine.
Walmart also will be selling an exclusively packaged version of the movie, the “Bella’s Wedding Special Edition,” featuring collectible wedding dress packaging, a fabric poster of Bella and Edward’s big day and music videos from Bruno Mars and Christina Perri.
For more information, go to www.walmart.com/moviecenter.
— BAM
Bill Condon takes on twice the challenges with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies; “Part 1″ to be released on DVD at midnight Saturday
From left, Robert Pattinson, Bill Condon andTaylor Lautner attend a Nov. 17, 2011, film premiere of "The Twilight Sage: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" in Barcelona, Spain. AP photo
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Bill Condon takes on twice the challenges with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies
The “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls” director made “Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray at midnight Saturday, and “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” due in theaters Nov. 16, at the same time.
LOS ANGELES — Director Bill Condon’s initiation into the global pop culture phenomenon known as “The Twilight Saga” began with a literal honeymoon period.
Adapting “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth and final book in Stephenie Meyer’s supernaturally popular vampire-romance series, involved dividing the weighty character- and milestone-packed novel into two movies that were filmed simultaneously. But the process started with just Kristen Stewart, who plays human heroine Bella Swan, and Robert Pattinson, who plays her courtly vampire sweetheart Edward Cullen, filming their characters’ honeymoon in Brazil.
“We started this big movie very small. It was only Rob and Kristen plus a couple other actors for half a day … We were starting on a honeymoon. It was kind of a dreamy thing to do, you know. I found it great,” Condon said during a fall press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel. “We had some weather problems and got rained in, socked in, and all had to sleep in bathtubs and things at the honeymoon house. But everything about it was magical.”
“Twi-hard” fans of the series seemed to agree: “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” has grossed nearly $702 million worldwide since it opened in theaters Nov. 18.
The penultimate film in the blockbuster franchise drops on DVD and Blu-ray at the stroke of midnight Saturday, with release parties planned Friday night (tonight) at Walmart and Target locations across the country, including many Oklahoma stores. For more information on the release parties planned at the retail giants, click here.
“The biggest challenge is that these books are so beloved by so many people that you want to make sure that it’s your take on the material but that it doesn’t betray what people’s expectations are and yet still becomes a fully cinematic experience,” said Condon, 56, who became the fourth director to work on “The Twilight Saga” when he took the helm of the final two movies.
“Making two movies at once wasn’t fun, either. Well, it was fun. It was hard, though. It was hard ‘cause it was such a big thing,” he added. “Kristen … would be young Bella, high school girl, in the morning and then a vampire in the afternoon and then a pregnant mother in the evening. She had days like that. It was crazy.”
Condon, who won an adapted screenplay Oscar for the 1998 biopic “Gods and Monsters,” is best known for directing the movie musicals “Dreamgirls” and “Chicago,” as well as the fact-based drama “Kinsey.” Part of the appeal of the “Twilight” films, he said, was the chance to helm an old-fashioned melodrama.
“I’m … a big fan of classic Hollywood genres. And that’s a genre that’s sort of fallen out of fashion. … I think like other things like detective stories it became something that TV took over, and it became devalued. But some of our greatest directors worked in that forum. And it allows you to immerse yourself in emotion, you know, and to do that both with camera and music, with design and color, so I very much embraced and didn’t fight against (that),” he said. “It’s a valuable genre that I think because it often puts women and women concerns in the center, gets devalued too, which is too bad.”
Along with Edward and Bella’s highly anticipated wedding and honeymoon, “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” includes the dramatic arrival of their daughter, Renesmee. The birth not only threatens Bella’s life — an emergency vampire conversion is her only hope for survival — it also endangers the Cullen clan’s pact with the local werewolves of the Quileute Tribe, including Bella’s best pal, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).
“That’s a good example of the challenges because obviously it’s very, very kind of powerfully described in the book, and you want to be true to that experience. But how do you show some of those things? As with a lot of other things, I think the key to doing it and being able to have that experience is to tell it from Bella’s point of view,” Condon said.
“Once Bella’s on that slab, we’re only gonna see what she can see as these things are happening to her — and we’re only gonna see it through her eyes as she gets weaker, as the morphine takes over.”
The harrowing birth of Renesmee and rebirth of Bella as a vampire set up the series’ eagerly awaited finale in “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” due in theaters Nov. 16. When they learn the baby has been targeted by the corrupt vampire peacekeepers known as the Volturi, the Cullens gather other covens to make a stand and protect the child.
“I remember we would have scenes with the Cullens and you’d have eight or nine vampires in a room and I was thinking, ‘Oh, good, this is an easy day.’ Because we had so many scenes with literally 27 people in a room,” he said. “It’s huge that way. But we have such good actors and it is important that everybody get their moment to define who they are. It’s a real challenge …. about the second movie. But we gather these vampires from around the world, and we want to know as we get into the climax of that movie what each of them represents and what their powers are and who they are.”
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 7, 2012: David Cook, Cady Groves, Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Dierks Bentley, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″, “Phantom of the Opera”
Season 7 “American Idol” winner David Cook, who has Tulsa ties, has released today an EP titled “This Quiet Night” exclusively through Walmart. The CD includes acoustic performances of five songs from his 2011 album “This Loud Morning.”
Emerging pop singer-songwriter Cady Groves, who grew up in Marlow, Cache and Yukon, also is released today her “This Little Girl” EP.
Featuring tracks including her popular first single “This Little Girl” the digital EP will be available at all digital service providers and will include fan-favorite track “We’re The Sh*t” as well as Groves cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You”. The physical version will be available www.cadygroves.com and will include the same tracks as the digital version with the addition of Groves duet “Oh Darlin’” with Plug in Stereo.
Groves, who was just spotlighted in Seventeen Magazine’s “Ultimate Guide To Music” will be joining her labelmates and friends Hot Chelle Rae in select North American markets in February and March. (See the full list of tour dates after the break; it looks Dallas will be the closest she comes to Oklahoma.).
Among LPs, this week boasts new releases from Van Halen, Paul McCartney and Dierks Bentley. To read my review of Dierks’ latest, click here.
This week’s new DVDs include the 25th anniversary performance of “The Phantom of the Opera,” which I’ll be reviewing in the coming days; the excellent documentary “Project Nim,” which made my top 10 movies of 2011 list; and oh yeah, a little blockbuster called “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” which will be released in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
CDs
David Cook, “This Quiet Night” EP (Walmart exclusive)
Van Halen, “A Different Kind of Truth.”
Paul McCartney, “Kisses on the Bottom.”
Dierks Bentley, “Home.”
The Fray, “Scars & Stories.”
Various artists, “Waylon: The Music Inside, Volume II.”
Tony Bennett, “Isn’t It Romantic.”
Steve Tyrell, “I’ll Take Romance.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, “Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: In Celebration of 25 Years.”
Air, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” (CD/DVD).
Edith Piaf, “Edith Piaf” (3-CD special edition).
DVD
Anonymous
Downton Abbey: Season 2
Father Dowling Mysteries: The First Season
Fireflies in the Garden
Project Nim
The Rebound
The Sunset Limited
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (midnight Saturday)
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
A Warrior’s Heart
Books
Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success by Rory Vaden
Kill Shot (Mitch Rapp)by Vince Flynn
Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales by Ali Wentworth
Hilarity Ensues by Tucker Max
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 7, 2012: David Cook, Cady Groves, Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Dierks Bentley, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″, “Phantom of the Opera”
Blu-ray review: “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas”
No holiday custom goes unbesmirched, no ethnic or religious stereotype is left untapped, no boundary of good taste is untested in “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas,” the third installment in the uproarious if uneven stoner comedy series.
The series’ screenwriters, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, deserve credit for letting their characters grow up — well, sort of — which means they have more on their mind than finding the nearest burger joint where they can alleviate the munchies.
To start, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are no longer the close pals they were in their younger days. Always the more responsible of the pair, Harold has married and is trying to have a baby with the sweet and sexy Maria (Paula Garcés), plus he has moved into a fancy house in the suburbs and taken a Wall Street job. Sure, he has to dodge egg-throwing Occupy protestors when he leaves work, but his life is otherwise quiet, stable and complete with a new best pal, his fussy neighbor Todd (Tom Lennon).
Since his girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) dumped him, Kumar, meanwhile, has failed the drug test for a hospital job, befriended his much-younger horndog neighbor Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld) and is whiling his life away smoking pot in the crappy apartment he once shared with Harold. When a package addressed to Harold arrives, Kumar ventures out to the suburbs to deliver it and inadvertently torches the prized Christmas tree Harold’s frightening father-in-law (Danny Trejo) raised from a sapling.
Along with their new buddies Adrian and Todd and Todd’s toddler Ava, who will soon consume a holiday buffet of illicit drugs, Harold and Kumar go on a surrealistic quest to find a new Christmas tree, encountering a psychotic Ukrainian gangster (Elias Koteas), a popular seasonal toy called the Wafflebot, and of course, the always-debauched and hilarious Neil Patrick Harris. In the movie’s, um, high point, they even become clay animated.
The doped-up duo’s yuletide adventure doesn’t have the giddy freshness of their initial outing, 2004’s “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” but it boasts more inspired and consistent laughs than 2008’s “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”
Bonus features: The theatrical cut and the six-minute-longer “Extra Dope Edition,” deleted scenes, comedic vignettes featuring Tom Lennon and a behind-the-scenes featurette about the claymation sequence.
— BAM
New releases for Jan. 31, 2012: “House of Night” novella, “Drive,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Leonard Cohen, Aranda
P.C. and Kristin Cast
Tulsa mother-daughter writing team P.C. and Kristin Cast have released “Lenobia’s Vow,” a new novella in their “House of Night” vampire book series.
Oklahoma City rockers Aranda have released the digital edition of their album “Stop the World.” The physical CD will be released Feb. 14. Leonard Cohen, Ringo Starr and Lana Del Rey have released new albums, while Metallica has dropped a new EP.
In the new cinematic home releases, my all-time favorite movie, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” debuted on Blu-ray today. Plus, one of my favorite movies of 2011, “Drive,” which was sadly overlooked by the Academy Awards, arrived on DVD and Blu-ray today.
Here is a list of more CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Aranda, “Stop the World” (digital only)
Leonard Cohen, “Old Ideas.”
Ringo Starr, “Ringo 2012.”
Lana Del Rey, “Born to Die.”
Metallica, “Beyond Magnetic” EP.
“The Fresh Beat Band,” “Music from the Hit TV Show.”
Gotye, “Making Mirrors.”
New Broadway Cast, “Godspell.”
Simone Dinnerstein, “Something Almost Being Said: Music of Bach and Schubert.”
DVDs
Arthur
The Big Year
Chalet Girl
The Double
Dream House
Drive
In Time
Janie Jones
Spork
Texas Killing Fields
The Thing
Thunder Soul
To Kill a Mockingbird (Blu-ray)
Treasure Buddies
You and I
Books
Lenobia’s Vow: A House of Night Novella by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Final Fantasy XIII-2: The Complete Official Guide – Collector’s Edition by Piggyback
Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! by Alan Richardson, Karen Tack
Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
White Girl Problems by Babe Walker
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae (Cynster Sisters Trilogy) by Stephanie Laurens
How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America by Otis Webb Brawley MD, Paul Goldberg
-BAM
New releases: Grammy nominees, “Chimes of Freedom,” Tim McGraw, “50/50,” “Real Steel,” “Taken”
Blake Shelton’s Grammy-nominated chart-topping ballad “Honey Bee” is among the 22 tracks on the “2012 Grammy Nominees” compilation album, out today.
Blake Shelton (AP file)
The Ada native is nominated for best country album for “Red River Blue” and best country solo performance for the album’s chart-topping first single “Honey Bee.” The Tishomingo resident’s No. 1 hit “God Gave Me You,” written by contemporary Christian singer Dave Barnes, also earned a nod for best country song, an award presented to songwriters.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards air live from Los Angeles on Feb. 12 on CBS.
Other stars with songs on the “2012 Grammy Nominees” album include Adele, Bruno Mars, The Black Keys, Bon Iver, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, The Band Perry and Tony Bennett with the late Amy Winehouse.
Shelton’s fellow “The Voice” judges Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 also have their hit “Moves Like Jagger” on the Grammy compilation.
Maroon 5 also is among the high-profile, wide-ranging musicians covering Bob Dylan on “Chimes of Freedom,” a tribute to the folk legend with proceeds going to Amnesty International. The four-CD collection also music from Patti Smith, Pete Townshend, Diana Krall, My Morning Jacket, Sting, Lenny Kravitz and many others.
In addition, country music superstar Tim McGraw has at long last released “Emotional Traffic,” his final album for Curb Records. Look for my review in the coming days.
Among the movies, the father-son robot-boxing drama “Real Steel,” which today garnered an Oscar nomination for best visual effects, is new on DVD and Blu-ray. To read my review, click here. And the cancer comedy “50/50,” which was surprisingly snubbed in every Academy Awards category, also is available for home viewing.
In the books section, Robert Crais, 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, has released his latest Elvis Cole album, “Taken.”
Here is a list of this week’s new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Tim McGraw, “Emotional Traffic.”
Various artists, “2012 Grammy Nominees.”
Various artists, “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan.”
Celtic Woman, “Believe.”
The Doors, “L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Edition).”
Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Area 52.”
Kellie Pickler, “100 Proof.”
Dion, “Tank Full of Blues.”
Scorpions, “Comeblack.”
DVDs
50/50
Another Happy Day
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Season One
Few Options
The Lie
Real Steel
Revenge of the Electric Car
The Whistleblower
The Woman
Books
Taken by Robert Crais
Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired–and Secretive–Company Really Works by Adam Lashinsky
Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by RoseMarie Terenzio
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Strategy For You: Building a Bridge to the Life You Want by Rich Horwath
Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It by Amy Atlas
-BAM
DVD review: “Real Steel” Blu-ray + DVD
A version of this review appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Real Steel” Blu-ray + DVD
“Real Steel” wins in a surprising decision on the strength of its one-two punch: hard-hitting robot action crossed with a tender father-son story.
Directed by Shawn Levy (the “Night at the Museum” franchise), the action-drama puts a sci-fi, near-future twist on the timeworn but still entertaining underdog sports movie formula. The sport of boxing has some particularly mighty forays into the genre under its belt. While “Real Steel” doesn’t measure up to champs like “Rocky” and “Cinderella Man,” it is a solid if not spectacular contender.
Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, once a modestly successful journeyman boxer who had the No. 2 fighter in the world on the ropes but missed his shot at glory. He never got it back, since in 2025, human boxing was replaced by high-tech, action-packed robot boxing.
A few years later, Charlie is lugging out-of-date robot fighters to two-bit fairs and underground bouts across the country. Prone to rash decisions and perpetually in debt, he is only able to keep up his borderline existence thanks to a cagey ability to dodge creditors and the largesse of former flame Bailey (Evangeline Lilly), who owns the gym where he trained as a boxer and helps him maintain his beat-up metal warriors.
When another of his exes dies, leaving behind an 11-year-old son (Dakota Goya) Charlie has rarely seen, the caddish former fighter wants to offload the responsibility as soon as possible. The boy, Max, has an aunt eager to adopt him, but a rich uncle willing to pay Charlie big bucks to keep Max until the couple returns from their summer vacation and then sign over the rights to the child.
Although Max resents his father, he loves robot boxing. When the boy unearths an old sparring ‘bot in a junkyard, he persuades his cash-strapped dad to get the droid, named Atom, a fight. Fortunately, Atom has a rare shadow function that allows him to learn Charlie’s boxing moves, and father and son have enough technical savvy and spare parts to update the tough robot into a strong fighter.
After winning their way through the bush leagues, naturally, Charlie, Max and Atom earn a spot in the championship bout against the undefeated powerhouse Zeus and his wealthy owners.
A consummate entertainer, Jackman makes you want to root for Charlie even when he acts like a jerk, and young Goya brings a wide-eyed, contagious enthusiasm to the proceedings. Plus, the filmmakers, including producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, make the canny choice to combine built-to-scale robot puppets with computer-generated effects, giving the fight sequences a believability and finesse superior to the nausea-inducing “Transformers” action scenes.
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, blooper reel, two making-of featurettes and an ESPN-style fictional mini-documentary about Charlie, along with Second Screen, which allows viewers to see behind-the-scenes content on their iPad or computer while watching the film.
— BAM
