Disney Releases Official Specs for Fantastic ‘Fantasia’ BD

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has official announced the full specs for its upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of Fantasia. The former, which dates from 1940, has become one of Disney's most admired classics. If the quality of remastering for a hi-def release is anything like that of Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, animation fans are in for a visual and auditory treat.
The Blu-ray edition of The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will be a 4-disc release that includes both the original film and its turn-of-the-millennium follow-up. Like the original, Fantasia 2000 is a lively mix of classical music and animated imagery. The 'cast' includes a host of famous names, including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman and Quincy Jones.
Among the special features on the Blu-ray will be the Academy Award® nominated short Destino. Started in 1946 as a collaboration between Walt Disney and the painter Salvador Dali, Destino was not completed until 2003 when Roy E. Disney took on the project. The story of this classic short is told in a documentary included on the BD release titled 'Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino.'
The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will also be available as a 2-Disc DVD. Both editions will be released on November 30.
For the full specs, read the official announcement below:
BURBANK, Calif., September 2010 — Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 — the magical, animated musical masterpiece and the contemporary classic inspired by it — debut in highly anticipated Blu-ray High Definition and DVD 2-Movie Collection Special Editions on November 30. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is opening the Disney vault to be able to present these two films that broke the boundaries of imagination in the highest quality possible.
The Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-Movie Collection Special Edition will be available in a 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack ($45.99 SRP) and a 2-Disc DVD ($39.99 SRP) for a very limited time only. The Blu-ray transformation of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will reveal the magic, music and majesty of both films as never before experienced, with state-of-the-art picture restoration of the original Fantasia and pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound. The Blu-ray combo pack is a tremendous value featuring, in addition to the two films in two different formats, a wealth of bonus features.
Among those Blu-ray special features is the highly requested Academy Award® nominated short Destino. Available for the first time ever on Blu-ray, the seven minute film is the result of a unique collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali begun in 1946, but put on hold due to studio financial concerns. In 2003, Roy E. Disney worked with a team of modern day animators to complete the film as a tribute to Walt’s pioneering artistic vision. Accompanying the highly anticipated short is an all-new feature length documentary entitled “Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino,” which explores the origins of the relationship between Disney and Dali, their collaboration on Destino, and ultimately how the film came to fruition so many years after its inception.
Fantasia, an unprecedented and magnificent feast of music and animated images, was initially released by the Studio in 1940 as a “road show” release. The following year, at the 14th Annual Academy Awards, Fantasia earned two Special Awards. The first was given to Walt Disney and associates for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures, being the first commercial film released in multi-channel sound using a process called Fantasound, and the second to conductor Leopold Stokowski and his associates “for…unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music…thereby widening the scope of the motion picture as entertainment and as an art form.”
Considered avant-garde during its time, Fantasia has gone on to become one of the most popular movies of all time and today is considered a classic. In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Stokowski, this groundbreaking film, which consists of animation set to eight musical pieces, is narrated by Deems Taylor and includes an appearance by Mickey Mouse (voiced by Disney himself).
Equally impressive is Fantasia 2000, the awe-inspiring extravaganza of sight and sound, executive produced by the late Roy E. Disney. Featuring an array of celebrity hosts including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman and Quincy Jones, the film, like its predecessor, expertly visualizes classical music compositions with various forms of animation and live-action introductions. Fantasia 2000 is primarily performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by James Levine.
Synopsis: The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience. Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.
Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off. There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons, a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.
Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:
New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley
Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.
Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:
Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.
The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animato
rs until this notebook was recovered.
Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.
Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection
With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.
Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:
Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.
Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Everything on the DVD plus:
Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.
Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.
Disney’s Virtual Vault — BD-Live Feature
Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection
Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes)
With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment
To read about The Black Cauldron re-release, click over to the next page.
Disney is also releasing a 25th Anniversary Edition of its often forgotten animated feature The Black Cauldron. This one is only coming to DVD, though, and with a less extensive set of extra features.
The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition offers a new digital transfer with a small number of original bonus features. These include a never-before-released deleted scene and a game. These are in addition to the special features included on past releases.
In case you are one of the many people that The Black Cauldron has passed by, here are the official details:
The Black Cauldron, Walt Disney Pictures’ 25th animated feature-length film, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Special Edition DVD release September 14 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain books, this mystical, action-packed adventure debuts just in time for Halloween. The film tells the story of Taran, an apprentice pig keeper with dreams of becoming a great warrior, who embarks on a quest to find a magical and powerful Black Cauldron before the evil tyrant Horned King can possess it for his own diabolical purposes. Fantastical characters like the oracular pig Hen Wen, the willful princess Eilonwy, and the droll but annoying Gurgi face witches, elves, magic swords and other obstacles. As they journey through these thrilling escapades, Taran begins to learn the true meaning of what it is to be a hero.
New Bonus Features Include:
Deleted Scene—The Fairfolk: Viewers join Taran, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy as they travel into the depths of the earth and meet the Fairfolk.
The Witches’ Challenge Game—In order to defeat the dark powers of the Horned King, players must gain possession the magical sword from the Witches of Morva by solving their riddles.
Plus Classic DVD Bonus Features:
Still Frame Gallery—A compilation of behind-the-scenes artwork and photos.
Quest For the Black Cauldron—A trivia game in which players compete against the evil Horned King in a race to reach the Black Cauldron first.
Trick Or Treat—Classic Donald Duck cartoon from 1952.
The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Special Edition will be released on September 14.

George Lucas Apparently Believes the World Will End in 2012

Right. So out of left field we learn today that George Lucas allegedly — and we do say allegedly here because you'll have to carefully consider the source on this — believes that the world will end in 2012…along with the Mayans, half a dozen cults, and anyone else who's dropped acid whilst reading Nostradamus.
Actor Seth Rogen told the Toronto Star that he recently met his filmmaking idol, and after about 25 minutes found himself incredibly confused. No, not because Lucas tried to explain why he's interested in making another Star Wars trilogy, but because he's certain the world will soon end.
You heard us correctly.
Rogen was meeting with Lucas (and Steven Spielberg) to discuss a new movie project when the Star Wars creator apparently dropped the personal belief bombshell.
“George Lucas sits down and seriously proceeds to talk for around 25 minutes about how he thinks the world is gonna end in the year 2012, like, for real. He thinks it," Rogen told the Star. “He’s going on about the tectonic plates and all the time Spielberg is, like, rolling his eyes, like, ’My nerdy friend won’t shut up, I’m sorry.'"
At first Rogen thought Lucas was joking but soon realized he wasn't. He claims he asked Lucas if the filmmaker had built a spaceship and if Rogen could have a seat on it.
“He claimed he didn’t have a spaceship, but there’s no doubt there’s a Millennium Falcon in a garage somewhere with a pilot just waiting to go… It’s gonna be him and Steven Spielberg and I’ll be blown up like the rest of us,” Rogen said.
Surreal experience, or masterful leg pulling…? You be the judge.
On the other hand, perhaps the truly surreal thing here is that Rogen was actually in a meeting with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg about a movie.
We just have one question before you ponder: If Lucas really believes that the world will end next year, then why is he planning more Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies…to say nothing of all the other film and television projects he has in development?
OK…maybe he's not CERTAIN certain.

NOLLYWOOD CELEBS & THEIR BETTER HALVES!

1. Desmond Elliot and his wife Vickie;(above) the two met as high school sweethearts and have been inseperable ever since. Vickie who is a banker keeps Desmond grounded and focused; well with family of four (two sets of twins) and a large retinue of dogs, who wouldnt? Big ups to both of them!
Nollywood celebrities; we have loved them, cried with them, signed autographs and hugged them but do we know their better halves? Those silent, patient souls that stand silently aside as their other half recieve so much adulation and praise. They put up with alot; the frantic adoration of fans who sometimes ignore them like their not there. Then those love scenes in the movies! Ooh lala! How do they cope? The stories, the lies, the rumours! Would you want to be in their shoes? Do you honestly think you have what it takes to be the strong silent one behind a successful actor or actress? Many really can't deal with it but for those who do, I duff my hat! Ladies and gentlemen, here's presenting the spouses of some of our more popular Nollywood actors!
2. Omotola and Matthew Jalade-Ekeinde;The couple just celebrated their 15th year anniversary! Wow! No small feat in Nollyweird! Matthew met Omo T in her teens and recognizing a good thing, married her almost immediately. The union has produced four lovely children and they continue to wax strong despite the pressures of fame and public scrutiny.
3. Ramsey and Emilia Nouah; Heart throb, beef cake, loverboy, martinee idol... whatever you want to call him, Ramsey is a director's dream; able to interprete any role you give to him if he is tasked enough. Forget that directors like to box him into the 'loverboy mode'. Ramsey is also a devoted father and husband to Emilia who he has been married to for several years and they have three children.
4. Ini Edo and Philip Ehiagwina; Nollywood sweetheart, Ini Edo has been the object of alot people's fantasies but sorry, she got snapped up a couple of years ago by American based business man, Philip Ehiagwina! lol! He's the man that goes home to that sugar! hahaha! Chocholate brown and perfectly built, Ini continues to woo her fans with her flawless acting. Shedding several pounds, she now sports a svelte, sleek look making her look even more fantastic.
6. Omoni & Nnamdi Oboli; Lovely couple Omoni and Nnamdi continue to be the couple to emulate. Sweet and cute looking together, they met earlier on in life when Omoni just started acting in Nollywood. A long hiatus from the industry and a stint in the U.K produced, three lovely boys. Undeterred by the strapping of motherhood and long absence from the industry, Omoni determinedly forged ahead and has become one of most sought after actresses in Nollywood.
7. Daniel and Doris Ademinokan; Lovely couple Daniel and Doris continue to woo fans where ever they go! He is a handsome director and she is a lovely actress and together they make magic together. Though they both startted in the Yoruba film industry, they sometimes cross over into the English movie genre. Daniel and Doris sometimes work together, and he has to direct her sometime as a love interest opposite an actor!! How does he handle that?! hahaha! The two have a lovely son together and continue to make great movies together!
Van and Adjoa Vicker: Ghanaian actor and heartthrob, Van Vicker might have legions of fans all over the world but he remains very much in love with his wife Adjoa! The lovely couple live in Ghana with their three children

Distinguished ladies of entertainment

Some of them are talent managers, producers and still others play indispensable roles as scriptwriters . Others like Kate Henshaw-Nuttal who regularly deliver good tidings from Promised and Rita Dominic indisputably have built reputation for themselves as brand ambassadors. In this report, Samuel Olatunji explores what makes them tick.
Mildred Okwo
Very few will recognize her in public, but her work speaks volumes. She’s a talent manager par excellence and a wonderful producer and director. She manages Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw, Jim Iyke and Mike Ezuronye . A recent movie she produced didn’t say less. Genevieve Nnaji, who played the lead role in the movie, said she’s never had it so good. Why Mildred has not released the AMAA rated movie is best known to her.
Peace Anyiam Osigwe
She’s been “a godmother” of sorts for movie makers. She came up with the idea of the AMAA a while ago and it’s been Africa’s Oscars . She’s also a reputable producer and as a matter of fact she produced The GRA Women, a soap now running in Nigeria and Ghana.
Amaka Igwe
Her fans call her “the queen of the soaps” but Amaka does more than that. In recent times she’s been organizing workshops for aspiring filmmakers. Amaka is among the brains behind Checkmate, Fortunes and many other soaps of note .
Joy Ilibeno
Joy is the toast of movie lovers. She’s Head of Operations at Pan African Movies, West Africa. Now that Joy is distributing African movies in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, Joy is the arrowhead of movie producers who know their onions.
Emem Isong
In a male-dominated Nollywood , Emem Isong has carved a niche for herself and paved the way for aspiring female movie producers. From Games Women Play to Reloaded, Emem has left non in Nollywood in doubt that she still has a lot up her sleeves. She is reputed to have given Stella Damasus her first lead role, an opportunity which surely was instrumental in placing considerably ahead her peers. Nse Ikpe Etim also benefited immensely from Stella’s repertoire.
Vivian Ejike
Vivian Ejike is a banker-turned movie maker. Amongst her works are Silent Scandal, Private Storm and When the Heart Lies. She has a reputation of improving with very movie she produces which means she’s quite creative and dynamic . One of Vivian’s creative energy is Chelsea Eze who featured in one of her movies and now gradually carving a niche for herself in Nollywood

Michael Jackson Seemed Healthy, Strong During Concert Rehearsals

Two days before he died, Michael Jackson appeared strong during one of the final rehearsals for his highly anticipated comeback concerts, a promoter told jurors Wednesday as the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop superstar's physician entered its second day.
Paul Gongaware, an executive for AEG Live, said Jackson appeared engaged and energetic during the session.
Prosecutors called Gongaware to show the importance of Jackson's comeback concerts and in an apparent attempt to show that both the singer and his physician were deeply engaged in preparations for the show before Jackson died on June 25, 2009.
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Gongaware also testified that he saw Dr. Conrad Murray at one of Jackson's rehearsals after people affiliated with the planned concerts complained that the singer had been missing some of the sessions.
Prosecutors wrapped up their direct questioning of Gongaware before defense attorney Ed Chernoff briefly questioned the executive.
Under the cross-examination, Gongaware acknowledged the concert giant is being sued by Jackson's mother for negligent supervision of defendant Murray when he worked with Jackson.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's death.
Prosecutors allege Murray caused Jackson's death by providing him with a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives without the proper lifesaving equipment or skills.
Another AEG employee, attorney Kathy Jorrie, testified about drafting a contract for Murray to work as Jackson's personal physician.
At one point in negotiations, Murray requested his contract be modified to allow him to hire another physician in case he was tired or unavailable while Jackson was performing in London, she testified.
"He wanted to make sure that there was somebody else available to be of assistance," Jarrie said.
Prosecutors also planned to call one of Jackson's bodyguards and his personal assistant, who Murray frantically called after he found the singer unconscious.
In opening statements Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Murray delayed summoning emergency crews and lied to doctors and medics when he failed to reveal he had been giving Jackson the medications to try to help the entertainer sleep.
Chernoff claimed Jackson gave himself a fatal dose of medication in a desperate attempt to get some sleep.
He said Murray had been trying to wean Jackson off propofol, but the entertainer kept requesting it on the day he died.
"Michael Jackson started begging," Chernoff said. "When Michael Jackson told Dr. Murray, `I have to sleep. They will cancel my performance,' he meant it."
He told jurors that Jackson swallowed enough of the sedative lorazepam to put six people to sleep before ingesting propofol. The combination, which Chernoff called a "perfect storm" of medications, killed Jackson so quickly that he didn't even have chance to close his eyes.
Prosecutors rejected Murray's version and told jurors the Houston-based cardiologist also had a tremendous stake in Jackson appearing in the concerts.
The doctor had initially asked to be paid $5 million a year for working with Jackson, but Gongaware said he immediately rejected the proposal. Instead, Murray accepted an offer to become Jackson's doctor for $150,000 a month -- a sum he was never paid because his contract hadn't been signed before Jackson's death.
If convicted, Murray could face up to four years in prison and have to relinquish his medical license.

Top Celebrities Storm Silverbird Galleria For "Mirror Boy" Premiere

Beyond the premiere of 'Mirror Boy', the movie profiled internationally as the future of Nollywood, Silverbird Galleria will on Friday, August 5, 2011 become another stars arcade as the line up of stars and celebrities expected at the event is almost endless.
With increasing buzz and expectation as count down begins to the 'Mirror Boy' premiere, the producer of the movie Obi Emelonye and publicist Prestige Platform has stepped out to say the success of the movie will surpass all its earlier successes in UK and Ghana.
Their boast is obviously not baseless as 'Mirror Boy' though yet to hit the cinemas, was nominated for 12 ZAFFA awards in the following categories; best film, best film editing, best story, best sound editing, best child performance male, best screenplay, best cinematography, best producer, best director, best supporting actress (Gam Fatima Jabi), best lead actress (Genevieve Nnaji) and best actor (Osita Iheme).
'Mirror Boy' was the first African movie ever to be premiered at the Empire Leicester Square in London, UK; it survived at the British cinemas for weeks, coming up among the top five in the first week and top twelve in the second week. It had a mind-blowing effect on the Ghanaian cinemas thereby making it the highest selling Nollywood movie of all time in Ghana. At the 2011 AMAA award, 'Mirror Boy' won the Best Young Actor Award and was nominated for the Best Film and Best Supp Actor. 'Mirror Boy' was nominated for Best Film and Best pan African Actor at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2011 and for her role in 'Mirror Boy', Genevieve Nnaji won the award for The Best Breakthrough Performance at the Monaco Films Awards.
Written, produced & directed by Obi Emelonye, an award winning UK based Nigerian film maker, 'Mirror Boy' is an enthralling journey as seen through the eyes of a London- born 12 year old African boy, Tijani. After a London street fight on 13th of June, in which a local boy is hurt, Tijan's mother decides to take him back their roots, to Gambia. On their arrival in Banjul, Tijan encounters a strange apparition, a boy smiling at him in a mirror and vanishing. Seeing the same boy in a crowded street market the next day sets in motion a chain of events, with Tijan finding himself lost. While Tijan's panic-stricken mother struggles to find her son, Tijan is left alone in the company of the enigmatic Mirror Boy, seemingly only visible to him. A cathartic climax helps TIJANI to unravel the mystery of the MIRROR BOY. It also provides him with a rather mystical explanation for the way his life has cascaded from the 13th of June towards this inter-twined fate with a father he has never met.

Support Disaster Relief Efforts in Japan and Non-Nuclear Groups Worldwide

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and special guests are coming together for a special benefit event on Sunday, August 7, atShoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) to support Japan disaster relief efforts, and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy. The presenting sponsor VantagePoint Capital Partners(www.vpcp.com) is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency. The show will begin at3 PM. Children 10 and under admitted free on the lawn with an adult ticket. Tickets go on sale Monday,June 27 at 10AM at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Reserved seats are $99.50, $50.00 and $35.00 and general admission lawn tickets are $19.50, plus applicable charges. Special Gold and Silver circle seats are available through the Guacamole Fund (www.guacfund.org).
“The disaster in Fukushima is not only a disaster for Japan. It is a global disaster. We come together now across cultural boundaries, political and generational boundaries, to call for changes in the way we use energy, and in the ways we conduct the search for solutions to the problems facing humanity,” saysJackson Browne. “We join with the people of Japan, and people everywhere who believe in a non-nuclear future.”
“From solar power plants and next-generation wind turbines to energy-efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, we see technology innovations solving our most important energy needs,” says Alan Salzman, Managing Partner of VantagePoint Capital Partners, a global leader in funding the transformative energy companies of the 21st century. “We join with the many artists involved in this concert to raise funds for the Japan disaster relief efforts and call for sensible and clean energy solutions.”
It was shortly after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns at theFukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan that the decision was made to coordinate a benefit. Shoreline Amphitheatre was chosen because of its close proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California’s history and deep association with Japan—and because nuclear reactors on the California coast store spent fuel rods in the same manner as at Fukushima. The concert date falls between the anniversaries of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945).
“The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power,” says Graham Nash. ”We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it.”
“We’re so lucky to have been able to bring back some of the original MUSE team to collaborate with some new and younger artists for MUSE 2, so that we can immediately help with the Japan relief effort and raise funds and awareness for the no nukes issue,” says Bonnie Raitt. ”I’m excited to be a part of this important and truly collaborative effort. It’s going to be a very special, one of a kind event.”
Pat Simmons, of The Doobie Brothers, who performed at the original MUSE shows adds, “We are so proud to be reuniting with so many of our talented friends, who share our concern for the safety, and sustainable future of our fragile planet. Current events have brought us to a turning point in our human existence. It’s time to consider alternatives to the present course of energy production that have been forced upon us by an aggressive corporate power structure. We join together to generate funds to help our Japanese friends, as they recover from the devastation that they have had to endure, due to man’s careless use of nuclear energy, and nature’s unpredictability. Through these efforts we also hope to raise public awareness of the challenges we are faced with, and the important responsibilities we share in moving us towards a safer, nuclear free future.”
The concert stage will be powered by an integrated system of clean, alternative energy sources, using solar, biodiesel, and wind technologies. The energy-saving GRNLite LED lighting rig for the show has been donated by Bandit Lites, and Schubert Systems has donated the sound rig. In addition, Shoreline is the largest Green certified concert venue in the United States and is a founding member of the Green Music Group. One goal is that the concert will inspire musicians in other areas to organize shows that both employ and promote safe energy alternatives, and that raise funds for disaster relief efforts and for groups—local, regional, national, and international alike—advocating non-nuclear programs and initiatives.
“As Japan struggles to subdue meltdowns at Fukushima, and Ft. Calhoun Nuclear in Nebraskastruggles to keep its reactor and spent fuel above the Missouri’s floodwaters, we once again face a crucial choice,” says John Hall (who, in addition to being a musician, was aU.S. Representative from New York, 2007-2011). ”Will we, as a country, invest in clean, renewable sources of energy, or will we continue to use taxpayer dollars to indemnify and subsidize the dirty, deadly old technologies that are making our planet unlivable?”
“Even though the news cycle has moved on from the Fukushima disaster, this is another massive world energy disaster from which there will be long-term effects,” addsJason Mraz. “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing show that will not only help those in Japan, but that will also call attention to the urgent need to embrace safe, clean energy alternatives.”
Japanese musician and multi-instrumentalist, Kitaro, joined the bill as a way to give thanks “for all of the support for Japan from the world, and to all of the Japanese, who are helping each other.” He adds, ”It is time to consider the change to alternative clean energy instead of nuclear power.”

Ted Haggard to appear on wife swap television show

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (AP) — Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard and Hollywood actor Gary Busey are trading partners for a week for an upcoming edition of ABC-TV's "Celebrity Wife Swap."
Haggard's wife Gayle will temporarily move in with Busey. It was unclear if the actor's longtime girlfriend would be the one to stay with Haggard under the arrangement.
Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado Springs had about 14,000 followers when he resigned in 2006 after a man said Haggard paid him for sex for more than three years. The reality show isn't about infidelity, but about wives experiencing daily life in another wife's home.
The Denver Post says the network and the production company confirmed the program plans.

The end of the world: R.E.M. calling it quits

NEW YORK (AP) — R.I.P. to R.E.M.
The alternative rock group that shook up the music world with its experimental, edgy sound and then earned multiplatinum success and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced on its website Wednesday that it has "decided to call it a day as a band."
"A wise man once said — 'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.' We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it," frontman Michael Stipe said in a statement on the website.
"I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way."
The Grammy-winning group, now composed of Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills, released its debut album "Murmur" in 1983; at the time it was a quartet, with drummer Bill Berry. He left the group in 1997, two years after he suffered symptoms of an aneurysm onstage.
The group got its start in Athens, Ga., coming out of the region's flourishing indie-rock scene. The band was credited for helping launch college radio with songs such as "Radio Free Europe."
Later, the mainstream caught on, and R.E.M. became chart-topping rockers, selling millions of albums with hits like "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," ''Losing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts."
Stipe, the band's chief songwriter, crafted songs that were atypical of the standard rock fare. "Man on the Moon" was about the late comic Andy Kaufman. "Losing My Religion" was not about religion at all, but about trying to relay the feelings of a crush.
The band's videos also became staples on MTV in the 1990s, including the eye-catching "Losing My Religion" and the stark "Everybody Hurts," which had Stipe walking through a highway traffic jam.
R.E.M. became one of the more forceful voices of 1990s rock, and came along around the same time as another rock quartet — U2. But whereas U2 managed to maintain (and even increase) its popularity over the years, R.E.M. stumbled commercially in recent years, and their hits dwindled.
The band continued to create music that resonated with critics and their core group of fans; the group's last album, "Collapse into Now," was released in March and a greatest hits retrospective is in the works.
But Mills said the band was running out of ideas.
"During our last tour, and while making 'Collapse Into Now' and putting together this greatest hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, 'What next?'" he said. "Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together."
Buck said the band parts as "great friends" and thanked fans for their support.
"One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us," said Buck. "It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you."
Warner Bros. Records chairman and producer Rob Cavallo said, "To call R.E.M. one of the greatest bands in contemporary music is an understatement. They leave behind a body of work whose breadth, honesty, creativity and power has not only inspired millions of fans around the world, but also has influenced — and will continue to influence — generations of songwriters and performers for years to come."
Warner Bros. is releasing the greatest hits retrospective in November.

Emmy presenter Sheen wishes his old show well

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlie Sheen turned a surprise appearance on the Emmys into a platform to offer his blessing to his old series.
He was on hand Sunday night as presenter of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, which he wryly described as "my old category."
But the actor, who had a rancorous parting last season from "Two and a Half Men," took a moment before reading the nominees to wish his former series well.
"From the bottom of my heart," he said, "I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."
On Monday, the new season begins with Ashton Kutcher replacing Sheen in the CBS hit.

My Life Is Like Charlie Sheen’s

When we hear the name “Charlie Sheen” we can’t help but think of goddesses, Adonis DNA, briefcases full of cocaine and all-round bad behavior. However, boxer-turned-actor Mike Tyson claims to lead a lifestyle similar to that of the fired sitcom star.
“I don’t envy anything about his life, my life is pretty much parallel to his,” Tyson told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column ahead of Comedy Central’s “Charlie Sheen Roasting” in Los Angeles over the weekend. “I don’t envy him.”

In fact, Tyson’s own wild ways are soon set to become small screen fodder as he’s teamed up to co-produce with Entourage’s Doug Ellin for a HBO scripted drama about a young boxer growing up in New Jersey, loosely based on Tyson’s tumultuous life.
“The show is going to be all about me… following me around as a kid, going to the gym, getting into trouble, getting people pregnant, unwed mothers, all that s**t, having babies out of wedlock all the f**king time, getting up to stuff before fights, all that stuff,” he continued.
But in the present-day Tyson household, only girly viewing is allowed.
“My wife makes me watch all that ‘Housewives’ and ‘Kardashians’ BS. I have to watch the Kardashians, my wife will kill me if I don’t,” he explained.
That's the best reason we've heard of.

Olivia Wilde shoots down romance rumors, gives advice to young actresses

 
Olivia Wilde has quickly become one of the hottest women in Hollywood.
The “Cowboys and Aliens” star is on the October cover of Allure magazine, where she opens up about her divorce, making out with Mischa Barton and all those pesky rumors about who she is dating.

 

On rumors about her dating life:
“In order to be dating all the people they think I am, I’d need four vaginas! It’s impossible!”
On her favorite beauty products:
“I steal from makeup artists a lot.”
On kissing Mischa Barton on “The O.C.”:
“We did a lot of kissing. It was a relationship. It wasn’t a weird sensationalized moment that was just for sweeps week. These two young women were really falling in love. Women tell me that it helped them figure out their sexuality.”
Her advice for young starlets entering the business:
“If I could tell young actresses anything, it would be to just be yourself through and through. I mean, really be hard-core about sticking to your identity, because what makes you unusual is what’s going to assure your success.”
On her divorce from Italian Prince and film director, Tao Ruspoli:
“(It was) the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with. I got married at a very young age, so I sort of jumped into a stage of adulthood prematurely. I learned quite a lot.”
The new issue of Allure hits newsstands September 20.