DJ Hero 2 available today for all major consoles, retailers throw in limited-time extras

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DJ Hero 2, the Activision music game that features 83 original, exclusive mixes, is available for all wannabe amateur DJs today!  Let’s talk bundles.  The Party Bundle ($149.99) includes a copy of the game, two turntable controllers, and a microphone.  The Turntable Bundle ($99.99) includes a copy of the game and one turntable controller.  You can also purchase the standalone game ($59.99).  In addition to these bundles, retailers are offering limited-time extras.  If you purchase the game at Amazon between 10/17 & 10/23 you will receive a free copy of Linkin Park’s album A Thousand Suns; if you purchase the Party or Turntable Bundle at Best Buy you will receive a premium hard-shell turntable carrying case that converts to a performance-ready DJ stand; and if you get the Party Bundle for Xbox 360 or Wii at WalMart you will receive a free copy of the original DJ Hero.  Not bad, eh?  Look after the break for the full PR.

[Via DJ Hero; Engadget] Continue reading DJ Hero 2 available today for all major consoles, retailers throw in limited-time extras →

‘The Social Network’ soundtrack is available now

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If you’ve seen The Social Network you know that one of the most standout redeeming qualities of the movie (besides the stellar writing and acting) is the dark, ominous, electric music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  The 19 track soundtrack is available to purchase today for $7.99; that’s a steal.  Download it at iTunes or order a physical copy from Amazon.

Piranha 3D sequel gets titled, director and writers announced, already being worked on

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Piranha 3D splashed into theatres last summer, surprisingly cashing in a worldwide gross of $71 million (it cost about $40 million to produce and market).  After a strong opening weekend performance at the box office, Dimension Films announced a sequel would be on its way.  Today Dimension announced the creative team behind the sequel now officially titled Piranha 3DD (get it? boobies!).  John Gulager will direct and Saw 3D scribes Melton and Marcus Dunstan will pen the script.  Gulager, Melton, and Dunstan worked together in the past on Dimension horror flick Feast, a film that was featured in the show Project Greenlight.  No word on why Piranha 3D director Alexandre Aja dropped out of the project.  I hope the new team has the creative umph to bring back the perfect summer movie tongue-in-cheek bloody fun the original so successfully made famous and enjoyable.  Dimension does not want to miss a summer release; as long as the writers can pump out a timely script, you can expect 3DD to hit theatres this August.

[Via Deadline]

Conan’s band gets named, fans “voting” for first guest

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Conan’s late night house band has gone through a couple names in recent years.  The Max Weinberg 7 stuck for a whole 16 years during Conan’s tenure at Late Night with Conan O’Brien.  The Tonight Show Band didn’t last nearly as long for reasons you should be aware of.  And it then changed to The Legally Prohibited Band this year when Conan brought the band with him on The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.  Today the house band gets a brand new name that will hopefully stick for years to come: The Basic Cable Band.  It’s got a nice ring to it, huh?  As we already know, drummer Max Weinberg has left the band and guitarist Jimmy Vivino will take over as band leader.  He will be joined by returning band members Scott Healy (keyboards), Mike Merritt (bass), Mark Pender (trumpet), Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg (trombone), Jerry Vivino (saxophone, woodwinds, and vocals), and James Wormworth (drums).

Yesterday it was announced on the TeamCoCo blog that the fans will have the power to decide the TBS late night show’s very first guest.  Potential guests include Tom from MySpace, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Jack Nicholson, Pope Bendict XVI, Vladimir Putin, REO Speedwagon, Hassanal Bolkiah (The Sultan of Brunei), Thomas Pynchon, Gerhard Ertl, Arlene Wagner, and the full cast of the live-action “Fat Albert” movie (not including Kenan Thompson).  Click here and get your vote on!  You are restricted to one vote per day, but you can vote as many times as you want and for how ever many people you want.  Take heed of this disclaimer, though: “None of these people have actually been booked on our show. For one reason or another, we haven’t contacted any of these people – In fact, we’re kind of hoping that, if someone on this poll starts getting a lot of votes, these folks will actually feel a bit guilty and will agree to be our first guest!!”

Conan premieres November 8 at 11PM on TBS.

[Via Deadline; TeamCoCo]

NBC grants ‘The Event’, ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles’ & ‘Outsourced’ full season orders [Update: ‘Chase’ & ‘Chuck’ picked up, ‘Undercovers’ gets 4 additional scripts]

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Happy times at the Peacock today.  NBC just picked up full season orders for freshman dramas The Event and Law & Order: Los Angeles and the controversial comedy Outsourced.  According to Deadline, the three NBC shows have averaged 9.1 million, 8.7 million viewers, and 6.3 million viewers overall, respectively.  It’s mentioned that although The Event continues to dip in viewership each week since its strong premiere, it has remained a “solid DVR performer” for the network.  So Jason Ritter (above), you can relax a bit; your stay at NBC just got longer.  Legal drama Outlaw is the sole NBC cancellation.

NBC President Angela Bromstad: “We are pleased with the quality of The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles and Outsourced, and feel they are an important part of helping to re-build our schedule and our studio pipeline.  We believe in these new series and the creative auspices behind them.”

No word on the back nine episode order for other NBC dramas Chase and Undercovers.  Deadline reports that Chase is expected to get it, and Undercovers recently received an order for 6 additional scripts.  That’s a very good sign, Abrams fans.  In addition, Ausiello reports that NBC is about to order more episodes of the fan-favorite Chuck…

Update: NBC has picked up Chase and Chuck for full season orders.  Chuck will receive an additional 11 episodes instead of the standard back nine (so it will air 24 episodes in total).  The network still hasn’t decided the fate of the J.J. Abrams spy series Undercovers, but things are looking up since they’ve ordered 4 more scripts to be penned.

[Via Deadline, here & here; thanks AndrewSeely for image help]

ABC delays ‘V’ season 2 premiere to January [Update: Episode order cut from 13 to 10]

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Missing ABC’s hit sci-fi series V?  Me too.  I hate to say it but we are going to have to wait an extra two months longer to find out what the heck is up with that red sky.  Though ABC initially announced a November return, they have since pushed the premiere to January 4, 2011.  ABC’s other sci-fi show No Ordinary Family will move from Tuesday at 9PM to 8PM from November 30 until January 4; following the return of V it will move back to its 8PM time slot and serve as an appropriate lead-in to the show.  What’s going to take up Ordinary‘s slot when it moves?  Skating with the Stars.  Ugh, I know.

Update: More bad news.  According to Deadline, ABC is prepared to cut the V season 2 episode order from 13 to 10 episodes.  Why the slight but noticable trim?  It’s due to “scheduling reasons” revolving around ABC’s reality programming.  When V was delayed to the January 4 premiere date, it gave the sci-fi series room for a 12 week run precisely until March 29 when the spring season of Dancing with the Stars is set to premiere.  This period between early January and late March is expected to include 2 preemptions, leveling the total number of V episodes to 10.  A sprinkle of good news?  V season 2 is still in production, so the creative staff will have ample to time to adjust the storyline to make it fit in this tighter schedule.  Allow me to fume for a moment.  I can’t stand that network TV has to bow down to mindless reality programming, giving shows like Dancing/Skating with the Stars precedence over stimulating, creative powerhouses such as V.  I understand where is ABC is coming from; Stars is a ratings champ and V certainly does not attract as many eyeballs (though it should).  But STILL.

[Via Deadline, here & here]

‘Iron Man 3’ gets a 2013 release date, Disney will distribute the film

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Comic book fans and movie-goers, mark down your calendars.  Iron Man 3 will hit theatres May 3, 2013.  Let the countdown begin, right?

In related news, Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Marvel Studios announced in a joint press release that Disney will handle the worldwide marketing and distribution rights for The Avengers and Iron Man 3.  Under the new deal, Disney will pay Paramount $115 million for the transfer of the distribution rights to the two upcoming Marvel movies.  Paramount will remain the worldwide distributor of Thor and Captain America, and the first two Iron Man films.

Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Pictures: “Five years ago, when Paramount and Marvel made our initial deal, both our businesses were in very different places,” said Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Pictures. “We are grateful for the partnership we have had with the terrific Marvel team over these years and proud of the work we have done together. Today, this new agreement is the right deal for Paramount, for Marvel and for Disney. We look forward to working together on Thor and Captain America, and we wish Disney and Marvel the utmost success, in what we know will be a very productive and wide-ranging partnership.”

Reminder: Thor releases May 6, 2011, followed by a July 22, 2011 Captain America theatrical release.  The Avengers is due out in 2012.

[Via Deadline]

It’s (finally) official: Peter Jackson will direct ‘The Hobbit’ [Update: Martin Freeman cast as Bilbo]

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Peter Jackson, the man who helmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy movie adaptations will be back to direct the two-part prequel series The Hobbit.  Originally Jackson was going to serve as executive producer with Guillermo del Toro as director.  But when MGM’s financial woes forced production delays del Toro decided to back out of the project leaving the director spot open for some time.  Since the beginning of last summer it had been rumored that Jackson would take control of the reigns again, and today Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, and MGM finally confirmed it.  In a statement Jackson said, “Exploring Tolkien’s Middle-earth goes way beyond a normal film-making experience.  It’s an all-immersive journey into a very special place of imagination, beauty and drama.  We’re looking forward to re-entering this wondrous world with Gandalf and Bilbo – and our friends at New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers and MGM”.

The Hobbit will be cut up into two parts (as originally planned by del Toro) and will be shot in 3D.  Principal photography begins in February 2011.  Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, and Hugo Weaving are locked in to reprise their roles as Gandalf, Gollum and Elrond, respectively.  It has not been confirmed whether or not Ian Holm will return to star as Bilbo Baggins.

Update (10/21): Casting news!  Martin Freeman (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Hot Fuzz) is Bilbo Baggins.  The following actors comprise Bilbo’s Company of Dwarves who set forth to reclaim a treasure from a dangerous dragon: Richard Armitage (MI-5, Captain America: The First Avenger) is Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the Company of Dwarves; Aidan Turner (Being Human) and Rob Kazinsky (EastEnders) will play Kili and Fili; Graham McTavish (Secretariat) is Dwalin, John Callen (Power Rangers Jungle Fury) is Oin; Stephen Hunter (All Saints) is Bombur, Mark Hadlow (King Kong) is Dori, and Peter Hambleton (The Strip) is Gloin.

Peter Jackson on Freeman as Baggins: “Despite the various rumors and speculation surround this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us.  There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin.  He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave — exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.”

[Via EW; Wiki; Deadline]

Kid Cudi selects MOTM2 album cover [Update: deluxe edition]

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And here it is!  Definitely not as racy and bizarre as Kanye West’s George Condo piece, but it doesn’t have to be.  There’s the signature dark overtone Cudder brings to the table with his music, and in the torn image he’s sitting on a stool in front of a picture of a colorful night sky looking at an empty shot glass.  Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager drops November 9.  Get psyched.

Update: Look after the break for the deluxe edition album cover.  It’s basically the same image except that the picture of the night sky is slightly tweaked.  The deluxe edition packs the CD and a DVD featuring a half-hour documentary by Jason Goldwatch/DECON and three music videos (Erase Me, Soundtrack 2 My Life, Cudderisback).

[Via DatNewCudi, here & here] Continue reading Kid Cudi selects MOTM2 album cover [Update: deluxe edition] →

Kanye West finalizing new album, complaining about “banned” album cover

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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West’s fifth studio album, drops in about one month’s time on November 22.  In anticipation of the album’s release, Kanye is giving fans a peek into his final plans.  He tweeted on Sunday, “Last day to wrap the album… I’m feeling so blessed on this day… finishing my 5th studio album in 6 years! Lining up piano sample replays.”  He then revealed, “Adding the voice samples from the VMA performance to the album version of Runaway also the whole song is 8 minutes long.”  So the single version of “Runaway” (now available on iTunes) is not the final version making it to the album.  Good to hear, since those voice samples rock.  On Twitter he also spilled that the Runaway short film (which is 35 minutes in length) to accompany the new album will premiere simultaneously on MTV, MTV2, BET, MTV.com, BET.com, and VH1.com next Saturday, October 23 at 8PM ET.

So now let’s talk about that “banned” album cover you see sitting above.  It’s a George Condo piece featuring a cartoonish (and nude) Kanye West sprawled out on a bed with a nude, winged, and polka dotted tailed, armless woman-beast on top of him.  On Twitter Kanye screamed, “Yoooo they banned my album cover!!!!!” and continued, “Banned in the USA!!! They don’t want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!”  He went on to share his excitement about the album cover and the reaction it was getting.  “I know that cover just blew yall minds … I wish yall could see how hard I’m smiling right now!!!”  Then he started to complain about the “ban”.  “In the 70s album covers had actual nudity… It’s so funny that people forget that… Everything has been so commercialized now.”  “In all honesty … I really don’t be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers #Kanyeshrug!”  “I wanna sell albums but not at the expense of my true creativity.”  “So Nirvana can have a naked human being on they cover but I can’t have a PAINTING of a monster with no arms and a polka dot tail and wings.”  But was the album cover acutally banned after all?  The answer, quite simply, is no.

According to the LA Times, the racy cover was not “banned” in the full sense of the word.  An anonomous source close to the matter says that Kanye’s label UMG Island Def Jam “strongly urged [Kanye] to use alternate art” but added that Kanye “was told if he wanted to do it, the label would stand behind him.”  The same source also said that the main issue at hand “was whether or not mass-market retailers such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart would carry an album featuring venomous nudes.”  But in a statement to EW, Wal-Mart denies rejecting the album art.  Said a Wal-Mart spokesperson: “We’re excited about Kanye West’s new album and we look forward to carrying it in our stores on November 22nd.  As always, it’s our standard practice to carry the edited parental advisory version.  We did not reject the cover artwork and it was never presented to us to view.”

So there you have it.  The label did not ban the album cover and giant retailers do not have the intention to boycott it.  This appears to be a classic case of Kanye West stirring up some controversy and igniting the hype for what promises to be a hot commodity come this November.

[Via @kanyewest; EW, here & here; LATimes]