TV News: Popular vampire classic The Lost Boys on Sony Max

Some of the cast members of The Lost Boys.

The Lost Boys is one of the films that made vampires sexy and bloodsucking hip long before the current Twilight and True Blood obsession began.

It also launched the second wave of 1980s Brat Packers on the world – including Kiefer Sutherland (24, Phone Booth), Jason Patric (Speed 2: Cruise Control, My Sister’s Keeper), the late Corey Haim (Licence to Drive, Silver Bullet) and Corey Feldman (Stand By Me, Gremlins).

In this comedy-horror, Oscar winner Dianne Wiest (Bullets over Broadway, Hannah and Her Sisters) stars as a mother who moves with her two sons to a small coastal town in California that has been plagued by bikers and mysterious deaths. They get drawn into the sinister, tempting, rock ’n roll world of vampires... and nothing will ever be the same again!

Don’t miss this darkly entertaining fantasy flick that won a Young Artist Award for Feldman, and took home a Saturn Award for best horror movie.

Check it out Monday at 21:00 on Sony Max (channel 126 on DStv).

Music News: Fuzigish performing at Tings 'n Times next week

Local band Fuzigish will be performing at Tings 'n Times on 9 July and there will all kinds of specials on the night

The Setlist album will be on sale for R100 and there will also be limited edition Setlist USB sticks which features all five albums as well as artwork, demos and more for sale.

Cover charge for the evening will be R40.

Music News: Chromium releases new version of My Perfection

Chromium has released a new version of My Perfection.

Local band Chromium has released a new version of My Perfection featuring singer Babette Labuschagne.

In a recent press release the band stated that it is completely different of what Chromium usually does, but having three studio albums under their belt as well as having branched out to a new acoustic route to perform in clubs that would usually shy away from the band, it was time to experiment a little and try reach new fans and friends, by showing them that Chromium has a beautiful "quieter" side. 

The download is online for a limited time only.

Download "My Perfection Featuring Babette Labuschagne":  http://www.mediafire.com/?3ain99nb4srzblg

TV News: Top Billing chats to Terry Pheto

Jeannie D on the red carpet.

Top Billing joins the CBS cast and crew as they welcome Terry Pheto into her acting role at their multi-award winning show The Bold and the Beautiful.

Terry will play a world renowned South African surgeon. “I’ve been watching Top Billing since I was a little girl,” says the star of the Oscar winning film Tsotsi.

Jeannie D asked for some acting advice and Terry happily shared some ‘end scene’ acting tips. “You must always remember the ten seconds stare at the end of the acting scene,” comically says Terry.

Jeannie also walked on the red carpet of the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards®. The ceremony was hosted at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Remember to check out this episode on 5 July at 19:30 on SABC3.

TV News: Deadliest Warrior on Sony Max

Check out Deadliest Warrior next week on Sony Max.

Would zombies beat vampires in a hypothetical fight to the death? What about Vikings versus samurais?

Well, check out Deadliest Warrior from Tuesday 5 July at 21:00 on Sony Max (channel 126 on DStv) for more.

Through CGI re-enactments and using 21^st century scientific deductions and expert opinion, this documentary series examines which historical and modern warriors would prove most lethal should they meet on the battlefield.

Each episode will pit two of civilisation’s most feared warriors against each other, examining in depth aspects such as weapons, armour, strategy, skills and even diet, and culminating in an epic computer-generated dramatisation of a battle.

Deadliest Warrior is narrated by Drew Skye, and is hosted by biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin, medical consultant Dr Armand Dorian and simulations programmer Max Geiger.

Movie News: Captain America trailer

Movie Review: Green Lantern worth the watch

Ryan Reynolds is Hal Jordan in Green Lantern.

By Clarissa du Plessis

Green Lantern 3D (Directed by Martin Campbell). With Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins.

If you are a big fan of comic book movie adaptations such as Spider-Man or Superman, you know that in some cases these adaptations will include a thin to moderate layer of cheese.

Luckily Green Lantern’s movie adaptation takes it easy on the cheesy-ness (think extra thin cheese) and delivers a good comic-to-movie offering.

Ryan Reynolds portrays Hal Jordan, a test pilot with a big chip on his shoulder. His father died in an airplane accident right before his eyes when he was a kid and as an adult he is still haunted by the memory.

After messing up a huge contract opportunity for his childhood friend Carol (Lively), Hal heads to his family for a birthday party, but gets whisked away afterwards – in a green forcefield bubble.

Hal ends up next to a harbour where a spacecraft has crashed. He finds a badly injured alien and even though he manages to drag him to shore, it is obvious that the alien is not going to live. Said alien then gives a green ring to Hal, telling him that the ring chose him.

Hal soon discovers that this magical ring chose him to become part of the Green Lantern Corps, a group of beings tasked with protecting the universe with the aid of the magic powers of their rings.

And there is a really ugly piece of evil heading closer to earth...

Green Lantern is a pretty cool movie with impressive special effects, a sleek design and interesting characters, and hopefully the rumoured sequel will happen (the hidden scene in the credits creates an expectation for this).

Green Lantern might not be the best superhero movie you have ever seen, but it could just come close.

Gadget News: New Disney Comics App

Disney Publishing last week announced its new Disney Comics App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. Disney Comics gives readers instant access to one of the most extensive collections of comics, short stories and graphic novels ever created, ranging from classic adventures starring Mickey Mouse to brand new stories like Cars 2 and Toy Story. 

The launch collection includes more than 50 comics for readers of all ages and features Disney classic characters like Donald Duck, Disney-Pixar stories featuring Toy Story’s Buzz and Woody, and feature film-based comics based on TRON: Legacy and Tangled.  

Readers can choose portrait or landscape mode, automatic or manual smart panelling, and can view double spreads. Disney Comics also enables readers to preview comics before making a purchase, share their stories with Facebook friends, and save all content to their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch for offline reading. An added feature lets readers receive automatic updates when stories relating to a favourite Disney character become available. 

The Disney Comics App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore. Individual stories are $.99 and themed bundles are available for $3.99 through In-App Purchase.

Visit www.disney.com/disneycomics, www.facebook.com/DisneyDigitalBooks or follow @DisneyDigitalBooks on Twitter.

Movie News: Punk in Africa premiere



Wild Youth, circa 1979.
Photo: Gen Hadlow



The documentary film Punk in Africa will have its local premiere at the 32^nd Durban International Film festival on 28 July.

The film is directed by Keith Jones and Deon Maas and will have its first public screening at The Musgrave theatre in Durban on Thursday July 28 at 22:00 as part of the official DIFF program. There will be a second screening on Friday 29 July at The Royal at 14:00.

Punk in Africa is the story of the multi-racial punk movement within the recent political and social upheavals experienced in three Southern African countries: South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

In these societies, the punk subculture represented a genuinely radical political impulse, playing out against a backdrop of intense political struggle, economic hardship and even civil war. The film includes music, interviews and rare and unseen archive footage of Suck, Wild Youth, Safari Suits, Power Age, National Wake, KOOS, Kalahari Surfers, The Genuines, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Fuzigish, Sibling Rivalry, 340ml, Panzer, The Rudimentals, Evicted, Sticky Antlers, Freak, LYT, Jagwa Music, Fruits and Veggies, Swivel Foot and more.

The Durban International Film Festival will take place from 21 to 31 July and will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a focus on films from South Africa and Africa.

The Punk in Africa DVD & CD Soundtrack will be released soon.

Also check out www.punkinafrica.co.za .

Movie News: New movie from Bloemfontein’s Kyle van Tonder

By Clarissa du Plessis

Bloemfontein director Kyle van Tonder recently released his latest movie, Incoherent.

The storyline focuses on Kevin (Jan Brink), who operates the many surveillance cameras for a large company. After witnessing a horrific event, Kevin’s life will never be the same again.

Also starring in Incoherent are Caval Goodyear, Nieke Lombard, Jaco van der Merwe, Anna Visser, Pascual Wakefield and Rowlen von Gericke.

Kyle chatted to Reaction Entertainment about his latest movie.

Incoherent has a script that clearly pushes boundaries - how long did
you take to finish it and what was the most challenging part in
completing it?
I polished the script for a few months until we got final approval for
some initial funding. From start to finish, including coming up with
idea, finishing the music and editing the whole film probably took
about a year.

The hardest thing about writing Incoherent was having to
constantly work around the lack of resources available to me (such as
locations and actors). I needed to make it good, but it still had to be
shot in Bloemfontein. Shooting Incoherent was another story, problems
come along everyday, but the biggest challenge during production was
trying to work out a schedule that made sense to the cast (who were
all volunteers). The schedule still changed a lot even while we were
shooting.

Kyle van Tonder in action.

What did you want to do differently this time around?
Everything. I wanted to try and improve on every aspect of the
filmmaking process.

Would you consider a sequel to Incoherent?
Haha ... no. I don't do sequels. I think it's the perfect ending, you
shouldn't need to pick up on that.

Where can people get hold of the Incoherent DVD?
Contact me: contact@vtkproductions.com .

Festival News: Westlife performing in Namibia in September!

Westlife will be performing at the
Hart van Windhoek Festival.

If you enjoyed last year’s Hart van Windhoek Festival, then this year brace yourself for double the fun. Hart van Windhoek 2011 takes place on 16 and 17 September at the Wanderers Stadium in Windhoek. Not only will festival-goers be entertained by more than 35 top artists and their bands, they’re also in for a special treat with internationally acclaimed group Westlife coming all the way from Ireland to perform on Friday 16 September!

This is the second year Huisgenoot, in partnership with Hilltop Live, will be presenting this festival. FNB Namibia, KykNet, Tafel Lager, Shoprite and Checkers also form part of the team working to make this an unforgettable weekend. Shoprite and Checkers are in charge of the food court, where hungry festival-goers will find a variety of stalls offering all sorts of traditional Windhoek food.

Tafel Lager is the official sponsor and will provide more than 100 metres of bar space, while FNB Namibia will offer financial services.  KykNet will be there to capture all the best moments on camera and the kids can also look forward to the KykNet play area, where there will be fun games, jumping castles and characters from their favourite TV programmes.

Apart from Westlife, there will also be performances by Romanz, Nianell, Kurt Darren, Theuns Jordaan, Charlize Berg, Heinz Winckler, Charné, Kobus Muller, Viljoen Retief, Adam Tas, Wicus van der Merwe, George Meiring, Adam, Snotkop, MoniQue, Jay, Bongi, Corlea, Melissa van der Spuy, Broers, Lee Scott Die Heuwels Fantasties, Nicholis Louw, David Fourie, Dewald Louw, Sorina – die Flooze, Karlien Husselman, Freshlyground and Namibian artists Ludik and Pieter Naude. Keep an eye on the Hart van Windhoek Facebook page for updates on additional Namibian artists and to enter the festival's SMS competition.

If you live in Johannesburg or Cape Town, why not make use of the YOU Travel Club package to Windhoek. The package includes return flights, accommodation and festival entrance. For more information phone 011-866-9545 or e-mail huisgenoot@megatrav.co.za.

Tickets to the festival are available at Computicket at your local Shoprite and Checkers. Tickets for Friday (including the Westlife performance) are N$205 and N$120 for Saturday. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates at a cost of N$250 for Friday and N$150 for Saturday. Reserved parking is available at N$30 a day.

Visit www.hartvanwindhoek.com for more information.

Music News: New album from David Guetta releasing in August

Global hit-maker and superstar David Guetta is ready to make the world dance again with the announcement that he will release his fifth studio album, Nothing But The Beat, on 29 August.

Guetta has enlisted an all-star cast which includes Flo-Rida, Nicki Minaj, Taio Cruz, Ludacris, will.i.am, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Akon and more. This is the Grammy award winning DJ’s first album since 2009’s global breakthrough smash One Love which has sold over 3 million albums and 12 million singles world-wide.

Guetta released the album’s first single, Where Them Girls At, featuring Flo-Rida and Nicki Minaj, last month and it has since sold over 800 000 digital tracks and reached the top 10 on the singles charts in more than 15 countries. The video will premiere on 28 June. Following to this first single success, David Guetta will release Little Bad Girl feat. Taio Cruz & Ludacris om 27 June.

Music News: Teargas nominated for BET Award



Teargas has been nominated for a BET Award!



Famous local hip hop group Teargas will be presenting South Africa in Hollywood on 26 June! KO, Ma-E and Bantu have been nominated for the category Best International Act – African – in the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, alongside Fally Ipupa (Congo), 2Face (Nigeria), D’Banj (Nigeria), Angelique Kidjo (Benin) and D-Black (Ghana).

The nomination follows two SAMA nominations for Best Urban DVD and Best Music Video for 2011.

The BET awards are scheduled to happen in Los Angeles on June 26 and will be hosted by American actor and comedian Kevin Hart.

Visit the Teargas website at: http://www.teargasonline.co.za/

TV News: Net#work BBDO receives third Cannes Lion Grand Prix Award

Abdulla Miya (Net#work BBDO Managing Director), Jenny Glover
(Net#work BBDO Creative Director),
Brent Singer (Net#work BBDO Creative Director) and
Rob McLennan (Net#work BBDO Executive Creative Director)

Johannesburg based agency Net#work BBDO made history earlier in the week at the 58^th annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, by becoming the first ever South African agency to have won three Cannes Lion Grand Prix Awards in just five years.

In 2007 the Cannes jury awarded Net#work BBDO with their first Cannes Lion Grand Prix in the Outdoor category for their Nedbank solar-powered ‘Power to the People’ Billboard campaign.

Net#work BBDO continued their winning ways in 2009 when they were awarded another Cannes Lion Grand Prix, this time in the Radio category for their Virgin Atlantic Upper Class ‘Plain Insanity – Ferret, Dog, Dancer’ campaign. On Tuesday evening Net#work BBDO won the prestigious Cannes Lion Radio Grand Prix for their ‘Mercedes-Benz – Safety Features Love, Bud, Toby’ radio campaign.

 

Net#work BBDO is run from their creative base in Johannesburg by Abdulla Miya (Managing Director), Rob McLennan (Executive Creative Director), Boniswa Pezisa (Chairperson), Joy Turnbull (Deputy Managing Director) and Graeme Jenner (Creative Director). - Provided by Total Exposure

Festival News: White Mountain Festival on its way

aKING is one of the bands confirmed for this year’s
White Mountain Festival. Photo: Adriaan Louw 

For three days of great live music in an idyllic setting, don’t miss the annual White Mountain Festival from 29 September to 2 October 2011.

Held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle in the scenic Central Drakensberg, the festival offers acoustic performances by some of the country’s top artists, as well as arts and crafts, assorted food stalls and a beer market featuring several local breweries.

There is also a wide choice of outdoor leisure activities for the whole family, ranging from abseiling, paintball and helicopter flips to fishing, boating, hiking and a zip line across a nearby 100m-wide gorge.  Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, rustic 150-year-old pub, children’s playground, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Early Bird tickets are now on sale at Computicket for R400, which includes camping for the entire festival.  This offer is valid until the end of June, after which advance tickets will cost R500.

For more information, visit www.whitemountain.co.za or call 031 563 0824.
- Provided by C-Weed Entertainment Promotions

Music News: New Collin Street video features Rian van Heerden

Bloemfontein based band Collin Street recently released a brand new video for their song Heels of Steel. The video also features famous radio personality Rian van Heerden.

“Rian and I are good friends and he has always been a fan of the band,” says Beukes van Zyl of the band. “When I told him about the video he thought it was a cool idea and I asked him to be part of it.”

For more about the band, check out: http://collinstreetband.com/AboutUs.aspx

Movie News: The Bang Bang Club opens 22 July



The Bang Bang Club opens on 22 July.

 The Bang Bang Club, a South African based movie, will soon hit movie theaters and features a cast of local as well as international acts. The Bang Bang Club was the name given to four young photographer - Greg Marinovich (Ryan Phillippe), Kevin Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek (Frank Rautenbach) and Joao Silva (Neels Van Jaarsveld) - in South Africa. The film tells the remarkable and sometimes harrowing story of these young men – and the extraordinary extremes they went to in order to capture their pictures. Robin (Malin Akerman) is their photo-editor, who looked out for them, protected them and made sure their photographs were seen across the world.

Based on the book by Marinovich and Silva, The Bang Bang Club tells the true story of these four young men, recounting their relationships with each other and the stresses, tensions and moral dilemmas of working in situations of extreme violence, pain and suffering. It is also the story of the final demise of apartheid and the birth of a new South Africa.

The Bang Bang Club opens on 22 July and more famous local actors featured in the movie include Lika van den Bergh and Darren Kelfkens.

http://www.thebangbangclubmovie.co.za/

Movie News: Green Lantern opening this weekend

Green Lantern opens 24 June at the movies.

We are already fans of Iron Man. We have seen the eye popping biceps of Thor in 3D. And now, we are preparing to invite another “superhero” onto our list of favourite on-screen heroes: the Green Lantern.

Hollywood hunk Ryan Reynolds – who will also be seen in the X-Men spin-off Deadpool in 2014, steps into the shoes of Hal Jordan, a test pilot who receives a magical green ring and becomes part of the Green Lantern Corps, a group of warriors tasked with protecting the universe.

Add to the mix the lovely Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Hal's childhood sweetheart and fellow pilot, plus other familiar faces such as Peter Sarsgaard and the oh-so-evil-looking Mark Strong as Sinestro, Hal's mentor.

Green Lantern opens on Friday 24 June and has an age restriction of 10 for language and violence. Check out the movie's official website: http://greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com

TV News: Zetske van Pletzen and Altus Theart engaged!

Zetske van Pletzen and Altus Theart are engaged.

 

Zetske van Pletzen and Altus Theart quietly celebrated their engagement on Tuesday 14 June.  The two actors have been together for the past three years and Altus felt it was time to pop the question: firstly to Zetske during a romantic, intimate evening and the next morning, true to tradition, he also asked her dad Pierre van Pletzen and his wife, Sandra Vaughn, as well as her mother, Elzette Maarschalk and her husband Joseph Clarke, for their daughter’s hand.

The talented family were delighted at the good news. Pierre said he had asked for someone’s hand so often on stage, that it was quite refreshing to be on the receiving end for a change! “Altus was very quick off the mark – he said good morning and launched into his speech. When I realised what he was asking me, I threw my hands in the air with joy. I’m extremely happy for them – they are such wonderful, down-to-earth people,” he said.

Sandra Vaughn thought it was the best news of the year.   “Not only are Zetske en Altus extremely talented and wonderful individuals, together they become the perfect sum! Personally, I’m delighted that they had the good taste to choose each other! I wish them God’s richest blessings.”

“Wow, congratulations. At last!” said Elzette. “Altus is crazy about Zetske and manages to bring out the best in her. When he came over to ask for her hand, I asked Zetske if he would leave her alone if we said “no” and she replied in a tiny voice “I hope not!” So, we know she loves him dearly and we wish both of them the very best.”

“Yeah! Good for you!” added her second dad, Joseph Clarke.  “Now remember to put God first in your relationship. You are now ONE. We love you both dearly!”

Zetske’s brother, musician Peach, was equally chuffed. “What?!!! No way! Congratulations!!” He added that he wasn’t all that surprised as he thought it was a long time coming.

Zetske and Altus met in 2008 when they played brother and sister in Kruispad. They clicked immediately and their friendship quickly deepened into something more. Like Altus, Zetske felt it was time for the next step in their relationship.

“I am so happy and excited, and I’m ready to commit,” she said.

Zetske is currently on the 7de Laan set with her dad, Pierre, to record a storyline that will be on air in August, while Altus is in Deon Opperman’s musical Tree Aan in the State Theatre. Due to their busy schedules, they will only be able to have their engagement party on 30 July. They plan to marry early in the new year. - Provided by Sewendelaan Publicity

Movie News: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer

TV News: Falling Skies on TopTV



Falling Skies starts 4 July on Fox Entertainment.



If you are a TopTV subscriber and a big fan of science fiction dramas on TV, you will be pleased to hear of a brand new show making its debut on the Fox Entertainment channel (180).

Falling Skies (showing from Monday 4 July at 20:15) tells the story of a group of ordinary people who must survive the aftermath of an alien invasion. The survivors must band together for survival.

Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) is the leader of the group and must also find his missing son.

The cast of Falling Skies also includes actress Moon Bloodgood (Terminator: Salvation) and Will Patton (Armageddon) and movie legend Steven Spielberg is executive producer.

Check out the trailer:

Official Trailer: Falling Skies

Movie News: Cars 2 releasing 6 July

Lightning McQueen and Mater get entangled in a new adventure in Cars 2. Picture: Disney/Pixar

 

If you loved the animated movie Cars, you only have to wait until 6 July for the next adventure of the racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson).

When Lightning and his friend Mater head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car, they get caught up in a whole new adventure. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer).

Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.

Sounds like we need to go book those tickets...

Music News: Rammstein still live and loud!

Rammstein will be releasing a new compilation soon...

The awesomeness that is German band Rammstein graced South African shores this year and delivered two fantastic shows filled with all that fans expected and more. So we were equally excited when a recent Rammstein newsletter announced the planned release of Made in Germany 1995 - 2011.

This release will feature 20 of the band's best songs, including a new song plus a DVD with all the band's music videos.

Rammstein will also embark on an European tour in November.

Check out www.rammstein.com for more info.

Movie Review: X-Men: First Class

By Clarissa du Plessis

X-Men: First Class breathes new life into the much loved mutant franchise.

X-Men: First Class

(Director: Michael Vaughn). Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne.

Being a huge fan of all the X-Men movies, including the Wolverine spin-off, I was needless to say super excited to go watch the latest on-screen installment of the popular series. More mutants, younger versions of Magneto and Professor X? Yes, please.

First Class opens with an already famous scene from the previous X-Men trilogy. A young Erik (who will later become Magneto) is shown being torn away from his parents at a Nazi concentration camp and displays a scary amount of power when he bends iron gates out of shape while screaming for his parents. This attracts the attention of Klaus Schmidt (Kevin Bacon), who now has some evil plans up his sleeve...

Meanwile, young Charles Xavier meets Raven, a shapeshifting girl to whom he grows close to – in the brother/sister sense, not the romantic route.

Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) is mutant scientist who joins the ranks of professor Charles Xavier.

 Years later, Erik (Fassbender) is out for revenge against those who tormented him. Apart from his impressive use of many languages, his powers have also grown. His main target for revenge is Schmidt, who now call himself Sebastian Shaw. Shaw is planning a nuclear war, but he is not alone. At his side are Emma Frost, a telepath whose skin can turn to diamonds, the teleporter Azazel and the whirlwind creating Riptide. Shaw also has the power to absorb energy and then use it as he sees fit.

While persuing Shaw and his followers, Erik is rescued by Charles (McAvoy) and soon part of a bigger plan develops: to find and unite mutants and possibly assemble a team to stop Shaw. Soon mutant such as Hank McCoy (later Beast), Angel (a suprisingly talented Zoe Kravitz), Havok, Banshee and Darwin join Xavier’s ranks, but will they be able to stop Shaw?

First Class truly delivers a solid offering to fans of the X-Men movies. With good special effects, some cool cameos and, as always, a focus on the human side of the characters, we are holding thumbs for more X-Men movies in the future.