Another Honor for Duran Duran – Headlining the Olympics

by Jade Robledo

It is a GREAT time to be a Duranie. That is, a fan of Duran Duran.

First there was the release of the artwork for their upcoming DVD / CD, A Diamond in the Mind. Then there was the first date of the South American leg of the All You Need Is Now tour, a date in which the band was joined on stage by popular Brazilian singer Fernanda Takai for a duet of “Ordinary World.” Now the news from this morning.

It has been announced that Duran Duran was selected to perform at the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London on July 27th. As the United Kingdom consists of four different nations, it was decided that the opening ceremonies should consist of live performances from an act representing each part. Duran Duran were chosen for England, with Snow Patrol representing Northern Ireland, Stereophonics selected for Wales and Paolo Nutini on behalf of Scotland. Each act will perform a “greatest hits” set in front of 60,000 fans in Hyde Park, and countless others watching throughout the world.

For those who may want a bit more than one of their many hit songs from the past three decades, the tentative release date for A Diamond in the Mind is set for July 10th, 17 days before the Hyde Park show. Filmed at MEN Arena in Manchester, England on December 16th, the DVD / CD set showcases the band’s critically acclaimed 2011 release, All You Need Is Now, along with their older hits.

If you are lucky you will be able to catch the band live. Their upcoming dates can be found on their official site.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Official Trailer; Twilight Hits Comic Con

Sherlock Holmes 2 image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Robert Downey Jr. is back to super sleuthing in the sequel to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes. The next Warner Bros. installment, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is due in theaters on December 16, 2011 and the official trailer is available now for your perusal! Head over to Apple Trailers to check out the clip.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/sherlockholmesagameofshadows/

Downey Jr. will once again be joined by Jude Law as his famous sidekick, Dr. Watson. Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty are also on board.

In Marvel super hero news, Robert Downey Jr. stepped out in Hollywood this week to support actor Chris Holmes at the premiere of Captain America which opens in theaters across America July 22nd.

It’s anyone’s guess if Robert Downey Jr. will show up at the madness & mayhem that is the wonderful glory of Comic Con in San Diego this weekend. Fans & journalists alike were shocked when several of the big studios announced they were pulling out of the traditional Hall H film panels. It’s beyond this reviewer’s comprehension as to why they would want to miss out on promoting their upcoming films to more than 100, 000 Comic Con attendees.

Summit Entertainment won’t disappoint the Twilight fans this year though. The cast of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 including Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Robert Pattinson and more have already hit the floor at Comic Con walking the red carpet to attend the Breaking Dawn press conference. Nikki Reed was outside greeting fans and signing autographs for fans who have been camping outside the venue since Monday.

 

Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe announce American tour dates

Image courtesy of Bruno Mars

Fresh off his GRAMMY win for Best Male Pop Vocal for his song Just the Way You Are, singer Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe announce a co-headlining tour of North America this summer, Hooligans in Wondaland. Complete tour dates for the May & June trek across America are listed below. Fan club presale via Bruno Mars website begins on Thursday 2/17 and public on-sale starts Saturday 2/26. Which show will we see you at?

Mars’ is currently filming the video for his next single, the Lazy Song in Los Angeles this week.

Tour dates:

Weds 5-4 @ Roseland Ballroom New York, NY
Sat 5-7 @ Agganis Arena Boston, MA
Sun 5-8 @ Susquehanna Bank Ctr. Camden, NJ
Tue 5-10 @ Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA
Weds 5-11 @ Fillmore Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL
Tues 5-17 @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prarie Grand Prarie, TX
Weds 5-18 @ Reliant Arena Houston, TX
Fri 5-20 @ Jubliee CityFest Montgomery, AL
Sun 5-22 @ Caesars Windsor Windsor, ON
Tues 5-24 @ Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
Weds 5-25 @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium St. Paul, MN
Fri 5-27 @ Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL
Sat 5-28 @ Uptown Theatre Kansas City, MO
Sun 5-29 @ 1st Bank Center Broomfield, CO
Mon 5-30 @ McKay Events Center Oren, UT
Thurs 6-2 @ WAMU Theater @ Qwest Field Seattle, WA
Fri 6-3 @ Rogers Arena Vancouver, BC
Sat 6-4 @ Roseland Theatre Portland, OR
Tues 6-7 @ Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Reno, NV
Weds 6-8 @ Bill Graham Civic Auditiorium San Francisco, CA
Fri 6-10 @ Spotlight 29 Casino Coachella, CA
Sat 6-11 @ San Diego County Fair Del Mar, CA
Sun 6-12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA
Weds 6-15 @ Comerica Theatre Phoenix, AZ

Jack Black to Host Kids Choice Awards 2011

Always full of surprises, actor/comedian Jack Black will take viewers on a wild ride as he returns to host Nickelodeon’s 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards, premiering live on Saturday, April 2, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/Tape delayed for West Coast).  Back by popular demand, Black, who will star in the upcoming film Kung Fu Panda 2, returns for the third time (2006 and 2008) to host the ultimate kid experience from the all-new venue, the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles.

Katy Perry gets slimed at Kids Choice 2010

Nominees Include Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Robert Downey Jr., Emma Watson, Tim Allen, Miranda Cosgrove, Will Ferrell, Selena Gomez, Big Time Rush, Jack Black, Victoria Justice, Steve Carell, Cameron Diaz and More!

This year, first-time nominees rule the categories as Nickelodeon’s very own Big Time Rush nabbed two – one for Favorite TV Show (up against iCarly, The Suite Life on Deck and Wizards of Waverly Place), the other in the Favorite Music Group category (against Black Eyed Peas, Jonas Brothers and first-time nominee Lady Antebellum). Recording artist Train (nominated for “Hey, Soul Sister” in the Favorite Song category,) Bruno Mars (nominated for Favorite Male Singer) and Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks (nominated for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie for Toy Story 3) also scored first-time nominations. Gold medal Olympian Lindsey Vonn made her debut in the Favorite Female Athlete category against Danica Patrick, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

Viewers will also vote on who kicked the most butt in film this year as Jackie Chan (The Karate Kid), Steve Carell (Despicable Me), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man 2 and first-time nominee) and Will Ferrell (Megamind) compete for the Favorite Butt-Kicker award.

The animated movie categories are filled with star power as Cameron Diaz (Shrek Forever After), Eddie Murphy (Shrek Forever After), Tom Hanks (Toy Story 3) and Tim Allen (Toy Story 3) all received nominations for Favorite Voice in an Animated Movie.

In television, American Idol returns for its seventh nomination in Favorite Reality Show, up against America’s Funniest Home Videos, America’s Got Talent and Wipeout, while TV sidekicks battle it out as David Henrie, Jennette McCurdy, Noah Munck and Brenda Song compete for the Funniest Sidekick Category.

 Last year, Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno was catapulted during a high-flying stunt into a pool of slime! Who will get the slime honors for 2011?

Duran Duran announce UK tour dates

by Cindy Robinson

Duran Duran are set to return to the stage with a number of tour dates set for May this year. The British band have revealed 11 dates where they will be performing across the UK. It’s the bands first tour of their homeland in a few years and looks to be a sellout. Fan club pre-sales begin later this week via the bands site.

The band featuring Simon le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor will begin their worldwide tour with a handful of special performances in the USA including the The VH1 Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam on February 3rd, in Grand Prairie, TX and the famous Southern California Coachella festival on April 17, 2011.

Duran Durans new album is called All You Need Is Now (produced by Mark Ronson) and is available now on iTunes. An extended edition physical CD is expected in March 2011. The 80’s hitmakers still have a massive fan base and have remained popular through the decades with great albums like the Wedding Album in the mid 90’s with the massive hit Ordinary World and more recently with the Astronaut album. Their new album All You Need Is Now looks destined to be another of their smash successes craftily blending sounds that could easily have come from their early hit album Rio while incorporating a modern twist to the music.

The full dates are as follows:

• 18th May 2011 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
• 19th May 2011 Glasgow SECC
• 21st May 2011 Birmingham LG Arena
• 22nd May 2011 Nottingham Capital FM Arena
• 23rd May 2011 Liverpool Echo Arena
• 28th May 2011 London The O2 Arena
• 30th May 2011 Brighton Centre
• 31st May 2011 Bournemouth International Centre
• 1st June 2011 Cardiff International Arena
• 3rd June 2011 Manchester MEN Arena
• 4th June 2011 Sheffield Motorpoint Arena

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Little Fockers in Theaters This Christmas

Universal Pictures third enstallment in the hilarious Focker film series, Little Fockers, hits theaters December 22nd just in time for some Holiday cheer & laughter. The film continues with the original cast of ROBERT DENIRO, BEN STILLER, OWEN WILSON, BLYTHE DANNER and TERI POLO with the addition of some fun new faces with JESSICA ALBA, LAURA DERN and of course the return of Academy Award® winners DUSTIN HOFFMAN and BARBRA STREISAND as Bernie & Roz Focker.

The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (De Niro) and Gaylord “Greg” Focker, (Stiller) escalates to new comedic heights in this latest installment.

It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get “in” with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack.

When Greg and Pam’s entire clan – including Pam’s forever lovelorn ex-boyfriend, Kevin (Wilson) gathers for the twins birthday party, Greg must prove to the always skeptical, ever watching Jack that he’s fully capable as the man of the house. With all the comedic misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack’s final test and become the family’s next “Godfocker”…or will the circle of trust be broken for good?

If you ‘like’ Little Fockers on Facebook, you can enter to win a $1500 American Airlines gift card. Just fill in your details and look for the confirmation of your entry. Limit one entry per person now through January 5, 2011.

This sure fire hit is rated PG-13 and will be a hilarious outing for the teens & adults in your family this Holiday season.

L.A. County Passes Sweeping Ban on Plastic Bags

Image via Wikipedia

Care2 and the L.A. Times report that Los Angeles County has banned plastic grocery bags! With a 3-1 vote in favor of the measure, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a sweeping ban on plastic grocery bags in unincorporated areas of the county.

The ban will affect nearly 1.1 million residents countywide and has been called one of the nation’s most aggressive environmental measures to date.

The official measure reads: “No store shall provide to any customer a plastic carryout bag.” Plastic bags that are used to hold fruit, vegetables or raw meat in order to prevent contamination with other grocery items will be exempt from the ban.

Grocers that continue to offer plastic bags will be required to charge customers 10 cents per bag, according to the ordinance. The revenue will be retained by the stores to purchase the paper bags and educate customers about the law.

Similar plastic bag bans passed in San Francisco and Malibu are less strict because they don’t involve a surcharge. Environmental advocates of banning plastic bags say these measures provide no incentive for consumers to switch to reusable cloth bags, the most eco-friendly option.

While it will be a challenge for those uneducated in the ways of recycling to get used to the plastic bag ban, L.A. County can draw on the recent experiences of the cities of San Francisco and Malibu who have already passed these ordinances. Consumers will become more aware of what they purchase and how they carry those items home.

For most consumers, I believe a small scavenger hunt around their homes and garages would easily reveal plenty of bags they can use for shopping, whether those are plastic bags from previous purchases, reusable cloth bags or even large gift bags. Those of us who already use reusable bags, often keep them in our cars, desks or somewhere handy in the home where they can easily be grabbed before one heads out the door to go shopping.

I hope consumers will learn to be more resourceful and use what they need instead of continuing to live in a society where everything is deemed disposable with little thought to the future of our planet and the creatures that inhabit it.

What was that noise? Did you hear it? Why yes, it was me shouting with joy from the rooftops! Please recycle, we’ve only got one Earth.

Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and Thirty Seconds To Mars Reveal 2011 Tour Dates

Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

2011 is shaping up to be a busy year in rock music. Seriously, who needs socks in their stockings this Christmas when tickets to these great rock shows are available? I can see that my new Iron Man 2 calendar that Santa is sure to bring is rapidly filling up for next year! Who’s on your must see list for 2011?

Linkin Park will hit the road in the USA to support their latest release, A Thousand Suns, out now. The Prodigy,  Pendulum and Does It Offend You, Yeah? are slated to open select dates on the tour. Fan club pre-sale tickets are available now via Linkin Park’s site with public on sales scheduled for this weekend via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

Dates for Linkin Park’s 2011 tour:

Jan 20 Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
Jan 22 Tampa, FL @ St Pete Times Forum
Jan 23 Atlanta, GA @ Phillips Arena
Jan 25 Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
Jan 26 Chicago, IL @ United Center
Jan 28 Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Jan 29 Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Jan 31 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Feb 1 Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Feb 4 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Feb 7 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Feb 8 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Feb 10 Washington DC @ Verizon Center
Feb 11 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Feb 15 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Feb 17 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Feb 19 Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand – Garden Arena
Feb 20 San Diego @ Viejas Arena
Feb 23 Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
Feb 25 Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena
Feb 26 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center

Gerard Way of MCR

My Chemical Romance will launch Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, on November 22nd with a record release party at the House of Blues on Sunset in Hollywood, CA. The sold out concert will be broadcast live on MTV. MCR will play a handful of Christmas shows across the USA, including the world famous KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas before launching into their World Contamination tour in 2011. Pre-sale tickets are currently available to fans via the bands website with public on sales scheduled for this weekend via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

 

 Dates for My Chemical Romance’s The World Contamination Tour:

APRIL
1                Portland, OR  @ Roseland Theatre
2                Vancouver, BC  @ Center for Performing Arts
3                Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
5                Edmonton, AB  @ Edmonton Event Centre
6                Calgary, AB  @ MacEwan Hall
8                Salt Lake City  @ In the Venue
9                Denver, CO @ Fillmore
10              Des Moines, IA  @ Val Air Ballroom
12              Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
13              Milwaukee, WI  @ Eagles Ballroom
15              Chicago, IL  @ Aragon 
17              Cleveland, OH  @ House Of Blues
20              Montreal, QC  @ Metropolis
22             New York, NY @ Terminal 5

MAY
5               Boston, MA  @ House Of Blues
6               Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theater
7               Sayreville, NJ   @ Starland Ballroom
10             Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11             Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
17             West Palm Bch, FL  @ Revolution
18             Orlando, FL  @ House Of Blues
20             Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
21             Dallas, TX   @ House Of Blues

Thirty Seconds To Mars also announced their 2011 U.S. tour, presented by HP and Live Nation which will kick off in San Diego at the House of Blues on January 11th. Tickets will be available via Live Nation/Ticketmaster on November 19th.

Thirty Seconds To Mars Tour Dates

Jan 11 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Jan 12 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Jan 14 Pomona, CA The Fox
Jan 15 San Jose, CA San Jose Events Center
Jan 16 Davis, CA Freeborn Hall
Jan 18 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater
Jan 21 Denver, CO Fillmore
Jan 23 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Jan 24 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Jan 25 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
Jan 26 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Jan 28 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Jan 30 Louisville, KY Expo Five
Jan 31 Richmond, VA The National
Feb 2 Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theater
Feb 3 Rochester, NY Armory
Feb 4 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
Feb 5 Wallingford, CT Oakdale

Robert Downey Jr. Drives Me Nuts – Peanuts That Is!

Robert Downey Jr. drives me nuts! OK, ok, so most Life On The Scene readers already know that, but literally, he’s gone nutty this time. Mr. Peanut will speak in a new ad campaign as Kraft Foods and Planters launch an image makeover with the Golden Globe® winning actor of  Sherlock Holmes and the Iron Man movies gives him a voice.

Robert Downey Jr

Kris Wixom, a creative director at Being, the advertising company behind the campaign, tells the New York Times that Downey, Jr. was chosen because of his “everyman suaveness” and because he has “a voice that could wear the top hat, monocle and cane and still feel contemporary and cool.”

“At Planters, we know how to throw a remarkable holiday party,” Mr. Peanut says in the ad. “Just serve classy snacks and be a gracious host — no matter who shows up.”

Mr. Peanut must fend off party guest Richard the Nutcracker. Fortunately, judging by his bandaged noggin, Mr. Peanut just a week earlier proved a tough nut to crack.

“Well, forgive and forget,” Mr. Peanut says before wielding his cane like a weapon — lodging it into Richard’s lethal mouth — and cracking wise as he escapes a social jam.

The animated commercials will begin airing on Tuesday and can be viewed on Mr. Peanuts Facebook page now.

I actually keep an antique glass Mr. Peanut jar in my bathroom at home to hold Q-Tips! Another chance to hear Robert Downey Jr.’s voice on a regular basis advertising a product I’ve always enjoyed is indeed a win-win scenario for me. He looks so cute as a peanut, I could just nibble him right up!

 

There is also a Seasons Greetings ad featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Peanut singing Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire.

Due Date With Robert Downey Jr. in Theaters November 5th

Due Date courtesy of Warner Bros.

From director Todd Phillips (the Hangover) and Warner Bros. Pictures, comes Due Date, a  hilarious new comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as two unlikely companions thrown together on a road trip that turns out to be as life-changing as it is outrageous.

Downey plays Peter Highman, an expectant first-time father whose wife’s due date is only days away. As he hurries to catch a flight home to Los Angeles from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor and disaster-magnet Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) leads to the two of them being tossed off the plane and placed on a no-fly list.

With no alternatives in sight, Peter is forced to hitch a ride with Ethan and his French bulldog on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter’s last nerve.

The comedy also stars Michelle Monaghan, Juliette Lewis and Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx. The film will open on November 5, 2010. Early reviews and theater audience reaction to the trailer have been great. This movie  looks to be another sure-fire hit for Downey.