Archive for the 'Music' Category
November 5th, 2009, 1:27 pm by Jayson Peters
The band No Doubt doesn’t like a feature in the new Band Hero video game that lets players control digital versions of real band members and change things up by making them sing other artists’ songs.
It’s called “character manipulation, and a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Activision claims this lets players have all sorts of bawdy fun by making lead singer Gwen Stefani perform suggestive lyrics from the Rolling Stones hit Honky Tonk Women, for example. It claims the band raised objections but they were not heeded, and the result is a “virtual karaoke circus act.”
No Doubt is seeking unspecified damages and an order barring Activision from using any band members’ likenesses with non-No Doubt songs.
Just a few months ago, the widow and former bandmates of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain railed against Activision for using the late grunge rocker’s likeness to play other artists’ songs in Guitar Hero 5. Before that, the company settled a lawsuit over Brutal Legend, a rock ’n’ roll adventure game starring Jack Black that the company tried to kill after it acquired a smaller developer. The game was published last month by Activision’s rival, Electronic Arts.
Via The Associated Press
Posted in: Business • Gaming • Music • Activision • lawsuit | Post a Comment »
October 3rd, 2009, 7:00 am by Jayson Peters
Every week Mandy Zajac, the Tribune’s entertainment expert, shares her picks for cool things to do in her Get Out Weekend video. This week she had to squeeze in a fourth pick to accomodate “Star Wars in Concert,” 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.
Here’s a sneak peek at 2:24:
And here’s a look back at the week in Nerdvana:
Dude, where’s my card? ‘Stoner Fluxx’ coming back into print
Looney Labs starts a new imprint for “adult-oriented” card games.
It’s no Tatooine: C-3PO’s impressions of the Valley
Be careful where you eat in Yuma. Talk about “slowly digested over a thousand years” …
Jocks bow to the nerds when fantasy meets football
Blizzard’s COO buys a chunk of the Steelers.
Weekend Reading
 Some links that caught my eye but didn’t merit their own blog entries.
‘Dollhouse’ debut is ratings deja vu
How exactly did this get renewed instead of ‘Sarah Connor’?
‘SNL’ staggers blindly F-word
Noob!
Free computer game for Yom Kippur
Don’t mess with a bitter old rabbi.
 From zombies to Venom
Spider-spinoff closer to reality.
Local events: ‘Star Wars’ deconstructed — the LEGO way
Book it to the LEGO Store and Barnes & Noble.
‘I sense a great disturbance on the server’
‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ beta signups begin.
‘Paranormal Activity’ screenings this weekend in Tempe
Can you handle the terror?
C-3PO tweets as ‘Star Wars in Concert’ begins U.S. tour
Six million forms of communication, indeed.
Zombieland’s sense of humor alive and kicking
A review of the Woody Harrelson flick out this weekend.
Investor sues ‘Stargate’ computer game developer
Did MGM license the sci-fi brand to the wrong company?
Sith happens
Why didn’t Darth Vader cross the road?
Posted in: Events • Music • Nerdvana Weekly • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels | Post a Comment »
September 27th, 2009, 12:04 am by Jayson Peters
The last part of my interview with “Star Wars in Concert” narrator and C-3PO performer Anthony Daniels:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
PHOTO: JAYSON PETERS, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE
When Anthony Daniels visited the Valley Sept. 14 to promote his Oct. 4 appearance for “Star Wars in Concert” at Glendale’s Jobing.com Arena and get a feel for the venue, he found a warm welcome — but not warm enough.
He found the “ice palace,” as he called it, chilly in contrast to the triple-digit temperatures that greeted him on his first visit to Phoenix, and was graciously worried that the four local journalists meeting with him would be unconfortable!
We assured him it was a welcome respite from the heat, and settled in for a nice, long chat with the actor. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Movies • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels | 1 Comment »
September 24th, 2009, 5:22 pm by Jayson Peters
More of my interview with “Star Wars in Concert” narrator and C-3PO performer Anthony Daniels:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
 Anthony Daniels has the distinction of not only being the only actor to portray the same character in all six Star Wars films, but also for having the first line in the first film produced - Episode IV: A New Hope - and the last line in the last film produced - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
It’s this bookending that mark him as a sort of voice of the Star Wars saga; Threepio, along with his handy counterpart R2-D2, serve as the eyes and ears and voice of the common man in sweeping galactic events, a technique adapted by Lucas from Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s characters in The Hidden Fortress.
PHOTO: JAYSON PETERS, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Movies • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels | Post a Comment »
September 20th, 2009, 5:18 pm by Jayson Peters
More of my interview with “Star Wars in Concert” narrator and C-3PO performer Anthony Daniels:
Part 1 | Part 2
PHOTO: ANOTHER PLANET ENTERTAINMENT
Unlike the Star Wars films, where John Williams’ score was cut to the film, “Star Wars in Concert” features footage that was cut to emphasize the music.
“We all know John Williams’ music, but I think a lot of people don’t know how it’s made,” said Anthony Daniels, narrator of the production and the voice of C-3PO going back to the original Star Wars movie in 1977. “Here they can actually see the violins are working in counterpoint to the cello, the double bass, the percussion sure as heck makes itself heard, because the brass comes in — but they’re all taking from each other, interweaving, repeating, repeating back again, throwing the ball back at each other all the time. … And it’s live. Very few people go to live concerts. I mean a lot of them go, but a lot more people could go if we take away the mystery.”
 But there’s more than music to “Star Wars in Concert”: Traveling with the show is an exclusive exhibit of props, production artwork and costumes - including one of Daniels’ own original C-3PO suits. “So you can gaze in its glass case and think why would anybody, even for ready money, wear that kind of thing,” Daniels said wryly. “Which is why I’m very happy not to be wearing it here for the show.”
PHOTO: STARWARSINCONCERT.COM
Daniels said there is a moment in the show, however, where his suit “becomes a little golden.
“There are shades of Threepio that appear within the concert, but it’s very much me,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels | 1 Comment »
September 18th, 2009, 2:35 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
The excellent musical documentary “Nerdcore Rising” about the increase in popularity of so-called nerdcore hip-hop came out on DVD this week. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, it’s even available to stream instantly. Nerdcore takes the genre and spins it in a new direction. Instead of bragging about toughness, money or crime, these rappers talk about the important stuff, like video games, Star Wars, web comics and more.
If the movie sounds interesting and you’d like to see the real thing, you’re in luck. MC Frontalot, the godfather of nerdcore himself, is playing a show in Mesa tommorow night, Saturday, Sept. 19. Also on the bill are Yellow Minute and video game rockers The OneUps. The show is scheduled for 10 p.m. at The Royal Gardens, 1940 E. Main St. in Mesa. Tickets are $10.
If that’s still not enough for you, there will be a 7 p.m. screening of “Nerdcore Rising” (along with the also acclaimed rock-umentary “Anvil” at 9 p.m.) at MADCAP Theaters, 730 South Mill Ave. in Tempe, next Friday. Tickets for both movies are $2.
Posted in: DVDs • Music • MC Frontalot • nerdcore | Post a Comment »
September 16th, 2009, 3:04 pm by Jayson Peters
There’s a scene in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi where the chatty droid C-3PO, having saved his friends from ending up as dinner for the primitive Ewok tribe by impersonating a god, tells his furry followers an epic tale of galactic war, romance and the Force to win their help in fighting the evil Empire. This alien bedtime story may be gibberish, but the honest voice of Anthony Daniels shines through the funny words and golden façade to reach people in a galaxy far, far away.
That was a long time ago. Now Daniels, the actor who has played “Threepio” since the character debuted in 1977’s Star Wars, is telling the story all over again, but in a different way: He’s the narrator of “Star Wars in Concert,” a live show stopping in Glendale for two performances Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena. He stopped in the Valley on Monday to promote the tour and get a feel for the venue.
As an 86-piece orchestra performs the film score of John Williams, Daniels will lead the audience through film montages that tell story of all six Star Wars films in the space of 90 minutes.
PHOTO CREDIT: JAYSON PETERS, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE
“What I’m doing is just telling the story, and I hope we tell it in a very clear way that allows people to understand the story of Star Wars,” Daniels said. “Some people, I hope, will come who have never seen Star Wars and will go away knowing the story. I reckon there are people out there who are embarrassed to say they have never seen Star Wars or would like to actually know, without going through the whole six films, what it’s about.”
But even people who are familiar with the movies will come away with something new, he said.
“You know the movie but now you’re seeing it through a different pair of binoculars and getting a very different feeling about it. Rather like the original films, there are so many things within that screen - so many cuts - that you are hard-pressed to see everything, frankly.”
Look for more about “Star Wars in Concert” from my interview with Mr. Daniels as the event approaches.
“Star Wars in Concert”
When: 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 4
Where: Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale
Cost: $29.75 to $69.74
Information: StarWarsinConcert.com |
See also: Anthony Daniels on board for ‘Star Tours II’
Posted in: Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels | Post a Comment »
September 15th, 2009, 9:35 am by Jayson Peters
Members of the Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy will sign copies of their new comic book series Saturday at Atomic Comics’ Chandler Fashion Center location, 3155 w. Chandler Blvd. Pete Wentz and Andy Hurley are both comic book geeks, and they will meet with fans and sign copies of the premiere issue from 3 to 4 p.m.
Hit the jump for details and a teaser video. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Collecting • Comics • Events • Geek gear • Music • Atomic Comics • Fall Out Boy | 2 Comments »
September 15th, 2009, 12:04 am by Jayson Peters
 Anthony Daniels (Photo: Jayson Peters/TRIBUNE) Anthony Daniels, the man behind the voice and sometimes the metal of Star Wars droid C-3PO, confirmed Monday that he has been working with Disney to record new material for its theme parks’ “Star Tours” attraction.
“I’ve been working on it for a while,” said the British actor, who was visiting the Valley to promote “Star Wars in Concert” Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.
Daniels was reluctant to discuss Star Tours, due to both the secrecy surrounding the project and his excitement about the concert — but he did allow the briefest of detours into Disney territory. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Disney • Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • Anthony Daniels • Star Tours | 1 Comment »
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Anthony Daniels, who was the voice of C-3PO in all six Star Wars films and is now traveling the country with “Star Wars in Concert,” has added Twitter to his famed 6 million forms of communication. The British actor, who narrates the musical tribute to the saga at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, uses the handle 
