Darth Vader Struck By Prostate Cancer
By admin | March 18, 2009
David Prowse, the British actor who impersonated Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” series, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the British media. He’s already been doing chemotherapy at Royal Marsden hospital in London. Prowse, who is 74 years old, says he’s feeling good after the therapy, the main side effects being the hair fall and some heat waves.
David Prowse has performed in Stanley Kubrik’s “A Clockwork Orange” and in some episodes from “The Benny Hill Show” and “Doctor Who”.
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American Idol Top 11 Country Week
By admin | March 18, 2009
March 17 marked a new milestone in the American Idol 2009 contest, with the 11 finalists striving to get through to glory.
The contestants were singing country music this time, and their performance was somehow unexpected for some of them. If we only think at Anoop Desai who was almost about to go home last week, because of his poor performance singing “Beat It” by Michael Jackson, this night he was much better. Simon appreciated his evolution, so he’s probably safe through this stage of the competition. Anoop sang “You are always on my mind”, of Willie Nelson.
The recent widower Danny Gokey sang “Jesus Takes the Wheel” of Carrie Underwood’s, in an original manner. Danny is good, but he’s just exaggerating a bit towards the end of the performance.
Megan Joy Corkrey was touching in her original variant of Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” and she’s probably not going to be eliminated this week.
Then we saw Matt Giraud singing “So Small” by Carrie Underwood. He surely is good, he stands good chances to become the next American Idol for Season 8.
Allison Iraheta sang “Blame it On your Heart” by Patty Loveless, in a mature way. Judges liked her performance.
Kris Allen opted for Garth Brooks’ “To Make You Feel My Love”, making it his own version in a nice way.
Who is going to go home from AI 2009 contest after the March 17th performance? We will know it very soon.
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Natasha Richardson Skiing Accident
By admin | March 17, 2009
The 45 years old British actress Natasha Richardson, has ended her skiing day in the hospital, because of a head injury. She was in Quebec, in the Most Tremblant ski resort, so she was taken at the nearest hospital, Centre Hospitalier Laurentien. Then she was treansferred to Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal.
Natasha’s husband, the actor Liam Neeson, who was filming in Toronto, took a plane to Montreal as soon as he heard the news about his wife. At this moment, there are no news about her condition.
Photo credit: ABCNews.go.com
Natasha Richardson, the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson, followed acting classes at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. In 1998, she won a Tony award for her impersonating the character of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
Later update: I’ve just found out that Natasha Richardson died as follow to her severe brain damage from skiing accident. May she rest in peace.
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Andy Samberg Will Be Hosting MTV Movie Awards
By admin | March 17, 2009
The 2009 MTV Movie Awards ceremony will take place on May 31st, airing live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. So far, it has been announced that the “Saturday Night Live” star, Andy Samberg is going to be the host of this year’s awards show. Samberg said that he is excited to host the MTV Movie Awards, as he is a big fan of the show and has always been. Besides, this is a chance to step in the shoes of some of his heroes who have been the show hosts in the past such as Justin Timberlake, Mike Myers or Ben Stiller.
Andy Samberg Photo: Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic
The MTV Movie Awards is an event which is considered by a part of the audience as being more glamorous and more interesting than the Oscars. We are alooking forward to see who gets the awards. Until then, predictions are welcome!
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AI 2009 Top 13 Show Results: Eliminated Contestants
By admin | March 16, 2009
The top 13 finalists on American Idol Season 8 which is not ongoing had to sing a Michael Jackson song for the show.
The bottom 4 contestants were Jasamine Murray, Megan Corkrey, Anoop Desai and Jorge Nunez. The judges were not impressed by their efforts, and finally, two of them had to leave the show: Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez.
Now, that we have the top 11 contestants, tonight they are going to sing Grand Ole Opry songs. In the beginning, Brad Paisley, as well as Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis will be singing for the audience.
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Ron Silver Dies to Esophageal Cancer at 62
By admin | March 16, 2009
Ron Silver, actor and political activist, died yesterday, after struggling two years with esophageal cancer. He was 62 years old.
One of the milestones in Ron Silver’s career as an actor was the winning of a Tony Award for his performance in “Speed-The-Plow”, on Broadway. In that play, Silver was sharing the stage with Madonna and Joe Mantegna. Other noticeable performances were “Silkwood”, “Timecop”, “Reversal of Fortune” and “Garbo Talks”, where he performed together with Anne Brancroft. Many people remember him, as well as Anjelica Huston from Paul Mazursky’s “Enemies: A Love Story”.
While there’s no doubt Ron Silver will be remembered for his acting, he will also be on many people’s minds as the co-founder of the One Jerusalem organization and of the Creative Coalition.
In February 2008, he started hosting a weekly radio program aimed at politics, The Ron Silver Show, on Sirius Satellite Radio.
I’m sorry to say this, but it makes me think that we ought to get screened for esophageal cancer every 1-2 years, after 40-50 years of age. Esophageal and colon cancer can be treated if they are diagnosed early. Too bad this implies undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy, which not all people can easily stand.
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Who Is Danny Gokey?
By admin | March 11, 2009
Have you seen the Top 13 American Idol Season 8 finalists? Six girls and seven boys are going to compete for becoming the next American Idol. Among them, Danny Gokey, a 28 years old church praise and worship music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While he enjoys the job at the church, Danny would rather sing the mainstream music of the young generation. This is totally understandable.
Instruments Danny plays: vocals only
Auditioned in: Kansas City, Missouri, on August 8th 2008, just one month after his wife, Sophia, suffered a heart surgery and died from post-surgery complications. She had always encouraged Danny to go for the contest, as she believed in his talent.
For the Top 13 Hollywood week, his song of choice was “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” by Michael Jackson.
Will Danny Gokey win this season of American Idol contest? This is far too early to tell, but he surely has a touching story. Besides, his presence on the scene is good, his voice sounds almost like a professional, so he’s got enough chances to win. Are you betting on Danny Gokey for the big finale?
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Top 13 Finalists for American Idol 2009
By admin | March 11, 2009
Finally, about one week ago, the top 13 finalists competing for this year’s American Idol contest, Season 8, have been chosen. It is the first time in the history of this popular TV show that 13 people are going for the final. This is going to get more and more interesting, as we advance in the contest. For now, let’s see who the lucky ducks of AI 2009 are:
Kris Allen
Age: 23
Lives in: Conway, AR
Occupation: Kris Allen is a student at the University of Central Arkansas
Singing since: 13 years old.
Megan Joy Corkrey
Age: 23
Lives in: Sandy, UT, with her 2-year-old son, Ryder
Occupation: self-professed “foodie”
Singing since: 3 years of age
Anoop Desai
Age: 22
Lives in: Chapel Hill, NC.
Occupation:working on his Master’s degree in Folklore at the University of North Carolina.
Singing since: in the childhood he was a member of the UNC Clef Hangers, an a cappella group.
Matt Giraud
Age: 23
Lives in: Kalamazoo, MI
Occupation: piano player and singer in local clubs and hotels
Danny Gokey
Age: 28
Living in:Milwaukee, WI
Occupation: president and founder of a non-profit organization
Alexis Grace
Age: 21
Living in Memphis, TN
Occupation: member of the Concert Choir at the University of Memphis
Singing since: 7 years old
Allison Iraheta
Age: 16
Lives in: Downey
Occupation: high school junior
Singing since: 5 years of age
Adam Lambert
Age: 27
Living in: Hollywood
Occupation: musical theater performer
Singing since: 10 years of age
Scott MacIntyre
Age: 23
Originating from: Scottsdale, AZ
Scott graduated from Arizona State University at age 19, and attended graduate school in London, England
Musical skills: plays piano, guitar and drums.
Jasmine Murray
Age: 17
Living in: Starkville, MS
Occupation: student at The Mississippi School of the Arts
Singing since: 3 years of age
Jorge Nunez
Age: 21
Lives in: in Carolina, Puerto Rico
Occupation: student at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Lil Rounds
Age: 24
Living in: Memphis, TN; she is married, with three children.
Singing since: 3 years of age
Michael Sarver
Age: 27
Living in Jasper, TX; he is married with two children
Occupation: oil rig worker
Out of the 13 finalists, Anoop Desai was the last one to find a wild card. He knew he didn’t make the top 12, but he got a great surprise to discover that the top 12 is actually Top 13, for the first time in the American Idol.
Topics: American Idol, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
American Idol Kansas City, Missouri, Auditions
By admin | January 15, 2009
American Idol Season 8 is already here. We’ve seen the Arizona auditions in the first day of the premiere, and now we are watching the Kansas auditions, in the second day of the 2009 tv show. The tonight’s auditions are taking place in Kansas City, MO, the home town of one of the last season’s contestants, David Cook. It’s good to see that this second night of the show features Jason Castro, as his brother Michael is competing for Hollywood.
These are the contestants we’ve seen tonight in Kansas City. Out of them, 26 got their ticket to Hollywood.
Chelsea Marquardt
Her voice sounded strange, despite the fact that she looked pretty on the stage. When Simon Cowell compared her to a cat jumping off the Empire State building and making her last noises as she goes down, we knew it was the end for Chelsea. She’s got a NO.
Ashley Anderson
Ashley’s song was “Footsteps in the Sand” by Leona Lewis. Unfortunately, she misses some of the lyrics, fact punished by Simon Cowell, who’s the writer of this song. Her good voice singing a Sara Bareilles song, finally convinced the judges to give her a ticket for Hollywood.
Casey Carlson
She sang “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton. Not incredibly good, but not bad either, she passes on to the next stage of the American Idol 2009.
Brian Hetter
His song was “Think” of Aretha Franklin’s. His voice is horrible, and he makes a fool of himself by exaggerating the way he moves. His outfit was incredibly hilarious, so it is possible that people remember him for a long time, but not for his musical performance.
James Michael Avance
“When you say nothing at all” was his song, but he’d better remained silent, as his voice did not convince anyone of his musical talent.
Von Smith
The song he’s chosen was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Randy, Simon, Paula and Kara liked him and gave him the ticket to Hollywood.
Michael Castro
Michael is singing “In Love With a Girl”, of Gavin DeGraw’s. The judges give him the ticket. I don’t know if his family relationship with Jason Castro had a big contribution to this decision, but here’s Michael, good to go to Hollywood.
Vaughn English
He doesn’t make it, the judges sent him home quickly.
Matt Breitzke
Married with children, Matt manages to go to Hollywood, despite the fact that Randy is not very fond of his musical skills. He was singing “Ain’t No Sunshine”.
Jasmine Joseph
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, but she doesn’t make it further. All judges agree to send her home.
Jessica Paige Furney
Jessica ’s choice of song is “Cry Baby” of Janis Joplin. She lives with her very old grandma, a bit deaf, and popping pills, and she was celebrating her 20th birthday on the audition day. Her present was the ticket to Hollywood. She deserved it, as she has a good voice. I think she has potential to win the Idol in 2009.
Asia and India McClain
India made it to Hollywood, while Asia didn’t. I was not too impressed by India either, so I think she’s going to leave the show rather early.
Jamar Rogers
“California Dreamin’”, sang in a very strange way, in my opinion, earned him the ticket. His voice was not bad.
Danny Gokey
Fresh widower, as his wife passed away just a few months ago, Danny is a music teacher. Singing “How to Save a Life”, he earned his ticket, as all four judges liked him.
Anoop Desai
Looking awfully, he features a good voice, and that makes the judges say YES.
Andrew Lang
Singing “My Girl”, Andrew came with two cheerleaders, criticized by Simon, and finally he’s being sent back home.
Asa Barnes
He is a band director in a highschool. His song: “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. He sounds rather nasal, but he gets a ticket to Hollywood.
Michael Nicewonder
His performance was so bad that Simon and Kara made fun of it and let him go back home. He started to cry after the audition.
Dennis Brigham
He enters the stage with a backflip and he tells Simon about a dream he had, featuring Simon and him dancing together. He sings Chris Brown’s “Hey Lil Mama”, and he gets an yellow ticket.
Mia Conley
Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You” is her song. She gets rejected by the judges.
Lil Rounds
The judges loved her and they gave her the ticket to Hollywood. Lil is from Memphis, and her song was a Stevie Wonder one.
This concludes the second day of American Idol 2009, auditions held in Kansas City, MO.
Stay tuned, there’s more to come, as the show has just started.
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American Idol Season 8 Schedule
By admin | January 14, 2009
We’ve already seen the fist premiere night of the 2009 American Idol season, featuring lots of flops, but also interesting voices who may become the next pop music stars. As we were used to, this year’s Idol will visit a series of cities, until the finale, which will feature 12 contestants elected by the population in America, who will vote for their favorites. For the finalists selection, in the Hollywood round, there will be 36 competitors, not only 24 as in the previous seasons. Another novelty is the “wild card”, which will apply on March 5th. This means that the judges will allow three rejected contestants to join the show again, for a second chance.
Here you can find out the announced official schedule of American Idol 2009, to be aired on FOX TV:
- Tuesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 1
- Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 2
- Tuesday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode
- Wednesday, Jan. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode
- Tuesday, Jan. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode
- Wednesday, Jan. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode
- Thursday, Jan. 29 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode
- Tuesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1
- Wednesday, Feb. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2
- Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 3
- Wednesday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM)Hollywood Round, Part 4 - Top 36 Semifinalists Announced
- Tuesday, Feb. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform
- Wednesday, Feb. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM) First LIVE Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) Finalists Advance
- Tuesday, Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform
- Wednesday, Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM) LIVE Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) 3 Finalists Advance
- Tuesday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform
- Wednesday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) LIVE Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) 3 Finalists Advance
- Thursday, March 5 (8:00-9:00 PM) Wild Card Round - Top 12 Finalists Revealed
- Tuesday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Finalists Perform
This is where the schedule stops for now, but let’s live through March 10th and see who’s in the finale, then we’ll probably know more on how they will be scheduled to compete for the big award.
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