Pop Culture Checklist

Here’s a rundown on what’s coming up in the next couple weeks. Leave a post if you know any other local or regional events going on. 

Regional happenings
If you’re a pro-wrestling fan, you won’t want to miss a book signing by WWE wrestler Mick Foley.
He’ll be promoting his book, “Hardcore Diaries” at 1 p.m. Saturday at Borders in Taylor. It’s located at Southgate Mall on Eureka Rd.
The event is free and open to everyone.
Speaking of wrestling, don’t forget to get “WrestleMania 23” on pay-per-view Sunday. It’s at Ford Field in Detroit this year.
In Toledo, the “Great Chili Cook-Off” will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Stranahan Theater, located on 645 Heatherdowns Blvd.

Quick hits
–Mushroomhead (alternative rock) is performing April 6 at Harpo’s Concert Theater in Detroit.
–“We Are The Fury” is a Rock/Indie/Alternative band out of Toledo. They are performing at 8 p.m. April 7 at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit.
–Friday the 13^th Metal Showcase will take stage April 13 at Headliners in Toledo.
–Nas (rap) will be at the State Theatre in Detroit on April 19.
–Ying Yang Twins (hip/hop) will perform April 19 at Club Bijou in Toledo.
–Martina McBride (country) will be at the Seagate Center, in Toledo, on April 29.
–Otto Vector, a Detroit-area band that play dance music, will perform May 4 at Frankie’s in Toledo.
–Elvis Costello and The Imposters will perform May 11 at the State Theatre in Detroit.
–Incubus will be at the State Theatre, Detroit, on May 22.
 

On the tube…
The Travel Channel attempts to discover the theories and questions of miracles in a three-part series called “Miracle Quest.” Host Flavia Colgan travels to Italy, France and the United States as she embarks the wonders of miracles and believers who travel the world to visit the sites of the well-known miracles.
It begins at 8 p.m. Friday on the Travel Channel through April 14. If you miss it, don’t worry. They plan on re-airing the episodes at various times. Check local listings for the full schedule.

On HBO, catch comedian Jerry Seinfeld being honored for his impact in comedy. HBO is airing “Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award” to him at 9 p.m. Sunday. Hosted by Anderson Cooper, special guests include comedians Chris Rock, Garry Shandling and Robert Klein.
More reality shows are set to make its season premieres. The third season of “Flip This House” begins at 9 p.m. Saturday on A/E. This reality series follows three real-estate moguls who buy homes, and quickly renovate them before flipping them for a profit.
Also on A/E, “Sons of Hollywood” will make its debut at 10 p.m. Sunday. It follows the sons of producer Aaron Spelling and rock star Rod Stewart as they try to find success in the entertainment industry in California.
The 10^th season of “The Bachelor” premieres at 9:30 Monday on ABC. U.S. Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin, 30, is this year’s bachelor.  
A new season of “The Deadliest Catch” begins at 9 p.m. Tuesday on the Discovery Channel.
The premiere of the World Poker Tour’s fifth anniversary season will air at 9 p.m. Wednesday on the Travel Channel. The Mirage Poker Showdown will kick off the new season.
Sports on TV
NCAA basketball action returns this weekend. The Ohio State vs. Georgetown match-up is at 6 p.m. Saturday, while Florida takes on UCLA at 8:47 p.m. Saturday.
The championship game will be held at 9 p.m. Monday.
The Detroit Pistons have some good home games coming up as the regular season comes to a close soon.
They will host the Miami Heat at 1 p.m. Sunday, followed by the Chicago Bulls on April 4. It will mark the second return for Ben Wallace after he defected to the Bulls. Another home game features LeBron James as Cleveland comes to town at 1 p.m. April 8.
The home opener for the Detroit Tigers will be at 1 p.m. Monday on Fox. They play the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rental recommendations
Besides the movie DVDs being released on Tuesday, don’t forget to pick up these television series DVDs that also will be available.
–“Entourage” season 3, part 1
–“Roseanne” season 7
–“Twin Peaks” season 2
–“Law and Order” season 5
–“Mind of Mencia” uncensored season 2

Sanjaya has yet again survived another week on American Idol. 

Instead, Chris Sligh was voted off Wednesday night. Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato rounded out the bottom three. 

Tony Bennett will be the guest star for next week’s show.

Model Paulina Porizkova was the first celebrity eliminated from “Dancing With The Stars” Tuesday night. 

It’s not too shocking since she didn’t stand out in the crowd, plus the fact that Billy Ray Cyrus surprised us all on Monday with a good performance. 

Like a co-worker says about reality show elimination rounds, they’re just “trimming the fat” until they get to the ones who are actually talented. 

Who’s next to be eliminated? I think it will be Leeza Gibbons or Billy Ray…what do you think?

Here’s a brief rundown on some recent news in the movie industry:  

After the huge success of “The Departed,” Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are teaming up for another film. They just signed on for “The Wolf of Wall Street,” based on Jordan Belfort’s autobiography. The “Sopranos” writer, Terence Winter, is writing the script. 

Leo plays a stockbrocker who spent 20 months in prison after he refused to cooperate in a securities fraud case that involved corruption on Wall St.

Cate Blanchett has signed on to star in the “Fourth Installment of the Indiana Jones Adventures.” Filming starts in June, with the movie debuting on May 22, 2008.  Harrison Ford and Sean Connery also star in the film, which is being directed by Steven Spielberg. 

Tom Cruise recently agreed to star in an untitled World War II movie. It will be based on actual events during the war where German generals come up with a plan to assassinate Adolph Hitler at the height of the war. The next Cruise movie is “Lions for Lambs,” that will come out on Nov. 9. Other stars in the movie include Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. 

Billy Bob Thorton and Halle Berry will reunite for another movie. They will star in “Tulia,” which is about an attorney (Berry) who fights to expose a series of corrupt and racially motivated drug convictions in Tulia, Texas, in 1999. It’s due out in theaters in 2008. 

Shooting begins this summer for “Mummy 3.” Actor Jet Li has joined the cast, and will be starring as the main villain. The storyline is under wraps but it is known that the story is set in China. It will hit the big screen on July 11, 2008. 

The first of two “Nancy Drew” movies will debut on June 15. Emma Roberts stars as the teenage girl who solves mysteries.

After a six-week wait, the autopsy results for Anna Nicole Smith was announced this morning.

They ruled her death accidental, and there’s no evidence of foul play. Rumors have been swirling that Howard K. Stern killed her but I guess that theory has to be dismissed.

The drama isn’t over yet, though. Howard K. and Larry Birkhead are awaiting DNA tests to see who is the father of Danielynn. I would love to see the results be revealed on the Maury talk show. That would be classic TV! Personally, I’m rooting for Larry…

It’s pop theme week on American Idol this week. The top 10 finalists will get guidance from Gwen Stefani. The show airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox, followed by the results show at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Here’s your weekly buzz on upcoming events in the pop culture world.

Feel free to add any news if you don’t see it here, especially anything cool happening locally or regionally.

Big-screen debuts

It looks like there are some good movies opening this weekend, but I think “300” will remain on top this weekend.

The sequel to “The Hills Have Eyes” opens this weekend. This time around, a group of National Guard members fall victim to mutant people living in the New Mexico desert hills.

If you didn’t get enough of Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed,” then you’ll love “Shooter” that opens Friday. He gets the starring role in this film, where he portrays a former Marine sniper that returns to his

old job after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately, he is framed for the attempt and goes on a hunt for the real killer.

And for all you “Office” fans, you’ll want to check out “The Last Mimzy.” It stars Rainn Wilson, who is better known for his role as Dwight Schrute on TV sitcom. The movie is a sci-fi flick that tells the story of two siblings who develop special talents after finding a mysterious box of toys.

Speaking of movies…

You can’t be too surprised by this one, but latest news is that an L.A. company is beginning production on an Anna Nicole Smith movie. Two actresses, not yet cast, are expected to play Smith at different ages. The movie could be released as early as June.

Listen up

There are lots of new album releases coming out on Tuesday.

Here are a few to look out for next week:

“Good Morning Revival” by Good Charlotte

“ Crystal Visions – The Very Best of Stevie Nicks” by Stevie Nicks

“Big” by Macy Gray

“Let it go” by Tim McGraw

“Dogg Chit” by Tha Dogg Pound

“Songs of Inspiration II” by Alabama

For all you couch potatoes

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials for Discovery Channel’s upcoming show called “Planet Earth.” The 11-part documentary series premieres Sunday. I don’t usually watch nature shows but this looks worth it. It took 71 cameramen more than 2,000 days in 200 locations to capture High-Def images of our planet. Judging by the commercials alone, I think it’s worth a look.

It will air on consecutive Sundays from March 25 through April 22, which happens to be “Earth Day.” Sigourney Weaver narrates the series.

The Madness continues…

Plenty of basketball returns tonight. The “Sweet 16” gets underway tonight in NCAA basketball action. All the games will be shown on CBS throughout the weekend.

If you’re not a hoops fan, check out some tennis matches on ESPN 2 this weekend. It’s the ATP Tennis Sony Ericson Open. It starts today.

Get your tickets!

Seats are still available for the Tragically Hip concert on April 13 at the State Theatre in Detroit . Call (313) 961-5451 for more info.

Tickets are still available to see Harry Connick Jr. on April 12. He’s playing at Stranahan Theatre in Toledo . Call (419) 381-8851 for tickets.

Reality check

Yes, it’s true. Sanjaya is still on American Idol after last night’s elimination round. Instead, Stephanie Edwards was voted off.

This means that Sanjaya, possibly the worst singer to step on the Idol stage, made it to the top 10. That also means he’ll be on the American Idol tour – an honor only given to the top 10 singers of each season.

On Monday, Dancing with the Stars returns for “round two.” It airs at 8 p.m. Monday on ABC. It will be followed up with an elimination round on Tuesday.

In its fourth season, the show made a slight change in the elimination process. Instead of booting a ‘celebrity’ off the show after one week, they are giving them two weeks before the first elimination round.

In other words, we have to suffer through one more Billy Ray Cyrus routine before he gets kicked off on Tuesday. Could I be wrong? It’s possible, but doubtful. I think Apolo Ohno (Olympic speed skater) is the next Mario Lopez. Let me know what you think!

Welcome! This weekly blog is to keep you in the ‘now’ of what’s going on in the pop culture world. I’ll fill you in on upcoming concerts, what DVDs are being released and what’s going on around town.
Be sure to check the weekly updates so you don’t miss out on what everyone else is talking about.
Here are some dates and events you will want to pencil into your calendar. If you hear about any cool events, be sure to let me know. Either reply to this post or email at mswartz@monroenews.com.
If you feel like chatting, call me at 240-5784.
Here’s your first dose of news:

Small screen debuts
With the cold, overcast days upon us, you might want to stay inside this weekend. If so, try to rent Casino Royale – just released earlier this week. Since that one will be snatched up fast, the Prestige is a worthy rental. You won’t be disappointed.
A nice, safe romantic comedy (aka: chic flick) is the Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. It just came out this past Tuesday. But if Jude or Cameron aren’t your type, what about Patrick Swayze or Demi Moore? Buy the special collector’s edition DVD of “Ghost,” it’s on the shelves right now. And yes, it really has been 17 years since it debuted on the big screen – yikes! 
 
Listen up
 A lot of potentially good albums will be released on Tuesday. The one I am most looking forward to is “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank” by Modest Mouse. One of the singles, “Dashboard,” is already getting decent airtime. 
 I know their previous album, “Good News For People Who Love Bad News” was their breakout in the mainstream, but my personal favorite album is “Lonesome Crowded West.” Let me know what you think. 
 Also in stores Tuesday is the debut of Stephen Marley, the son of Reggae legend Bob Marley. His album, “Mind Control” is worth a listen. He’s been in the music business a long time so I’m curious to hear what he has to offer. It will be hard not to compare him to his dad, though.  
Yet another American Idol contestant is looking to break through. Elliott Yamin, who fell short last season, is releasing a self-titled debut album on Tuesday. If you don’t remember him, he’s the one nicknamed “snaggletooth” for his unfortunate crossbite. But now he’s all smiles – he had $50,000 worth of porcelain veneers put in along with other dental work. 
 
He got your votes, now get his tickets  
 Do you need your American Idol fix? If so, tickets are now on sale for a Taylor Hicks concert. He’s performing April 22 at Royal Oak Music Theatre. Get your tickets by calling 800-919-6272. 
 In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, Taylor won last season’s “American Idol” over Katherine McPhee. 
 
Scratch your funny bone
 If sitcom shows are letting you down, check out some really funny comedians performing in the area. Grafton Inn in Carleton holds a Comedy Night every Wednesday and Ambassador Hall in Monroe offers a dinner comedy show on the second Friday of each month. The performers are no amateurs, either. They are comedians you’ve seen on Comedy Central or HBO. Check it out! 

Sports
 If you are a basketball fan, I think you know what time it is. March Madness is running wild. Hours and hours of college basketball can be seen all weekend long. 
 If you prefer professional basketball, then don’t miss the Detroit Pistons take on the Dallas Mavericks at home on Sunday. It starts at 3:30 p.m. This is a true test for the Pistons because the Mavericks boast the best record in the league.