The award-winning sci-fi novelist Neil Gaiman will be animated for a guest role on the long-running kid’s show Arthur. Gaiman, the creator of Coraline, author of The Graveyard Book and new contributor to Doctor Who will make a Halloween week guest appearance as himself on the animated PBS series. The episode will air on October 25th.
From the press release: “This season, we’re hoping to empower our young viewers to go after their goals and dreams. Whether that means becoming a wheelchair basketball champion, or expressing yourself through writing, drawing, and making movies, Arthur and his friends show kids that determination and hard work really pay off,” said Executive Producer Jacqui Deegan. “Neil serves as a great role model and we’re excited to have him to reinforce these important lessons for our audiences.” The new season premieres Oct. 11th.
Gaiman’s role comes in an episode called “Falafelosophy,” inspiring one of the kids who’s trying her hand at writing and illustrating a graphic novel. It’s paired with what sounds like a suitable companion story, “Tales of the Grotesquely Grim Bunny,” about changes on the shelves at the local comic shop.
HERE is Rolling Stone’s list of the top 25 record stores from San Francisco to Boston. I have been lucky enough to shop at 6 of them. (Thanks for the tip Greg Kirkos)
Amoeba Music located in Hollywood, San Francisco and Berkeley, CA. Even in the days when record-store chains ruled the music world, nothing compared to Amoeba. It was, and is, simply the most thorough and welcoming place a record lover could hope to shop. Each of its three stores features more than 100,000 items — much of it surprisingly high-grade, and with loads of surprises and rarities around seemingly every corner. Which, as anyone who’s been to any of them can tell you, is a lot of corners.
Jerod Gibson combines typography and illustration to create these eye catching posters. The series incorporates quotes, phrases and dialogue from famous films and television series.
For Star Wars fans looking for a way to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, this book: The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back ($85) will seem heaven sent. J.W. Rinzler follows up his magnificent The Making of Star Wars (2007) with this in-depth account of the production of the second act in George Lucas’ original three-act epic. The author distills information gathered from a variety of sources: interviews with the actors and filmmakers recorded while the movie was in production; archival records; newspaper and magazine articles; new interviews; and books (including the now-rare Once upon a Galaxy, Alan Arnold’s 1980 making-of book).
Rinzler explores every aspect of the production, from the writing of the screenplay to casting to location filming to special effects to composing the score and designing print ads. The book is profusely illustrated with preproduction sketches, on-set photos, excerpts from various script drafts, reproductions of Lucas’ handwritten notes, and more. Even fans who consider themselves quite knowledgeable about the movie might be surprised at some of the information here (Jeremy Bulloch, who played bounty hunter Boba Fett, was the half-brother of associate producer Robert Watts; the design of one of Empire’s classic posters was modeled on a poster for a rerelease of Gone with the Wind). A splendid, comprehensive, and utterly indispensable book. (Thanks for the tip Don)
Angela Kinsey from The Office visits Gabba Land. Watch an all new episode this Sunday, September 19th, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Ms. Angela teaches Muno and friends all of the great aspects of school, like making friends and show & tell. The Super Music Friends Show guest is The Faint!
19 of Crowded House’s top hits and fan favorites have been gathered for a new CD and digital collection to be released October 26 by Capitol/EMI. Celebrating the Australian band’s 25th anniversary, The Very Very Best Of Crowded House features the hits “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Something So Strong,” “Better Be Home Soon” and other standout singles and album tracks. For fans who want more, an expanded digital-only edition features 32 tracks and will also be available on October 26 for download purchase from all major digital service providers.
Originally consisting of New Zealander Neil Finn (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and two Australians, Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass), Crowded House was formed in Melbourne in 1985. The band’s self-titled debut, Crowded House was released in 1986 and reached #12 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, and its breakout single, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” rocketed to #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart and became a worldwide smash in 1987. “Something So Strong,” the album’s second single, reached #7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and also cracked the Mainstream Rock Top 10. 1988′s Temple Of Low Men reached Billboard’s Top 50 and its single, “Better Be Home Soon,” reached the Mainstream Rock chart’s Top 20.
Neil Finn’s brother and former Split Enz bandmate Tim Finn joined Crowded House for the writing and recording of Woodface, the band’s third Top 100 album, released in 1991. Tim Finn left the band later that year and was replaced by the American multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart, who became a permanent member. Crowded House founding member Paul Hester died in 2005; Matt Sherrod joined the band on drums.
The Very Very Best Of Crowded House (Available on CD, Digital)
1 Something So Strong
2 Weather With You
3 It’s Only Natural
4 Chocolate Cake
5 Fall At Your Feet
6 Distant Sun
7 Better Be Home Soon
8 Four Seasons In One Day
9 Don’t Dream It’s Over
10 Mean To Me
11 Locked out
12 Don’t Stop Now
13 Pineapple Head
14 Instinct
15 Fingers Of Love
16 Private Universe
17 Not The Girl You Think You Are
18 Nails In My Feet
19 Pour Le Monde
The Very Very Best Of Crowded House (Available Digital Only)
1 Now We’re Getting Somewhere
2 World Where You Live
3 Weather With You
4 Something So Strong
5 When You Come
6 Fingers Of Love
7 Four Seasons In One Day
8 Distant Sun
9 Don’t Stop Now
10 Sister Madly
11 Chocolate Cake
12 Locked Out
13 Never Be The Same
14 Hole In The River
15 Not The Girl You Think You Are
16 Better Be Home Soon
17 Mean To Me
18 It’s Only Natural
19 Fall At Your Feet
20 Recurring Dream
21 Private Universe
22 Pineapple Head
23 She Called Up
24 I Feel Possessed
25 Instinct
26 Everything Is Good For You
27 Into Temptation
28 Nails In My Feet
29 Don’t Dream It’s Over
30 Pour Le Monde
31 Whispers And Moans
32 Throw Your Arms Around Me (Live) The Roxy, Los Angeles February 26, 1987
Columbia Pictures has revealed the trailer for director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s thriller The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Timothy Dalton and Steven Berkoff.
Opening in theaters on December 10, 2010, the film revolves around Frank (Depp), an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise (Jolie) is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Venice, Frank pursues a potential romance but soon finds himself the pursued as he and Elise are caught in a whirlwind of intrigue and danger.
Is Angry Birds making you neurotic on a particularly difficult level? Help is on the way…meet the new bird for the game: The Mighty Eagle. The Mighty Eagle itself isn’t much to see – it’s a sort of black blur that sweeps across the screen, obliterating everything in its path.
Mighty Eagle will soon be available later this Fall as an in-game purchase. There is a catch: after you’ve used it once, you’ll have to go back and complete that level properly if you want to use it in the future. Apparently the eagle is a big fan of sardines, so players will need a can of the smelly fish to call upon his help.
It’s free dessert day! In honor of the premiere new sweets-themed Top Chef: Just Desserts on Bravo restaurants around the country are offering free desserts on September 15. In order to participate you have to book through Open Table. You can get a free dessert for every 2 diners at your table and each person must order a minimum of one entrée. See the list on Open Tablefor participating restaurants and their meal participation.
The Bravo Dish blog also says that over 200 locations in 20 markets will be sampling free desserts for fans to gear up to watch the premiere that evening. There will also be Top Chef Just Desserts Trucks in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago popping up in spots all over the respective cities throughout the day on September 15 offering treats including Breyers and Extra Dessert Delights Gum. Follow theBravo TV Twitter or Just Desserts Facebook page to learn more on where to get your free dessert.
Posted by Larry Fire 
