Pop Culture Checklist

Welcome to the weekly buzz, a segment that offers listings of upcoming shows, movies and local and regional events. It appears every Thursday. Please feel free to add any pop culture information if you don’t see it here.
LOCAL EVENTS
–The Mainstreet Hoe Down is back. The all day event begins at noon Saturday in downtown Monroe. Activities include food, live entertainment, store specials, a BBQ, and much more. Get all the details in today’s Evening News.
–The annual Ida Volunteer Fireman’s Homecoming will be held Friday through Sunday. It will be at Ida Fireman’s Park, 3016 Lewis Ave., Ida. Bingo, raffles, kids games, gambling and beer stands are just some of the events. Check out the full schedule of events in the Evening News.
–St. Joseph Catholic Church, Erie, will hold its annual Labor Day festival from Saturday through Monday. Dinners, live entertainment, kids games, bingo, gambling, and sports tournaments will be held. The church is located at 2214 Manhattan St., Erie.
REGIONAL EVENTS
–Detroit International Jazz Festival will have nearly 85 acts performing Friday through Monday. It’s free. It’s located at Hart Plaza, downtown Detroit. 
–RiverFest will be held in Promenade Park, in downtown Toledo, on Sunday. Live entertainment will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., and FamilyFest will be from 5 to 10 p.m. A fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m.
–The annual Michigan Peach Festival will be held in Romeo through Monday. Call (586) 752-4436 for details.
–The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival will be held Friday through Monday. Call (313) 875-7877 for details.
–Saline Community Fair begins Monday through Sept. 8. Call (734) 429-1131 for details.
–Royal Oak Music Theatre is having an Open House and Free Concert on Thursday, Sept. 6. The live show includes performances by The Go, The Singles, Zoos of Berlin, and Citizen Smile. Doors open at 7 p.m. and all ages are welcome. It’s located at 318 W. Fourth St. The show is being held to introduce their newly renovated theater.
MOVIES
Here’s a list of movies opening this weekend:
–Halloween
–Death Sentence
(Balls of Fury opened on Wednesday)
DVD
–It was announced last week that all 180 episodes – from the pilot of the two-part finale – will be included in a 32-disc “Seinfeld: The Complete Series collection.” It goes on sale for $284 on Nov. 6. It includes features, such as a roundtable discussion with the cast, and other bonus features.
Also, as part of the collection, a 226-page coffee table book devoted to the series.
On that same day, a four-disc set of “Seinfeld: Season 9 DVD” for $50 goes on sale.
–A DVD release of “My So-Called Life: The Complete Series” will go on sale Oct. 30. It will include many features, such as commentary from the cast.
Here’s a list of some DVDs being released on Tuesday, Sept. 4:
–Delta Farce
–Georgia Rule
–The Unholy
–Wind Chill
–The Murder Game
–I’m Reed Fish
–30 Rock: Season 1
–The Black Donnellys: The Complete Series
–Bosom Buddies: The Second Season
–Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke: Special Collector’s Edition
–Chill Out Scooby-Doo!
–Desperate Housewives: Third Season
–The Office: Season Three
–Prison Break: Season 2
SPORTS
You have your pick of sports to watch on TV this weekend. The U.S. Open is being shown on the USA Network, while the Detroit Tigers will be playing in Oakland this weekend.
The Detroit Grand Prix is happening this weekend, also, for all you racing fans.
And, of course, there’s football. I love football season – college and professional. Since the NFL doesn’t start for another week, college games are starting up tonight, Friday, and Saturday.
Two games are kicking off the season tonight. At 7 p.m. on ESPN 2, it’s Tulsa at Louisiana-Monroe. At 8 p.m., on ESPN, it’s LSU at Mississippi State. Friday’s game will air at 8 p.m. on ESPN. It’s Washington at Syracuse.
And don’t forget your local high school football teams. There are 8 games scheduled for tonight, and three more on Friday. Check the Monroe Evening News for times and match-ups.
TELEVISION
–ESPN is bringing back the reality series “The Contender” with Sugar Ray Leonard. It kicks off at 10 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
–Scott Baio’s VH1 show was picked up for another season. “Scott Baio is 45…and Single” will not be about being single any longer, however. The new season will be about his impending fatherhood, preparing for marriage, and becoming a father to an 18-year-old step-daughter.
–It was recently announced that The Price Is Right with Drew Carey premieres at 11 a.m. Oct. 15 on CBS. The network says to look for contestants making some lucky spins on the Big Wheel, and others having a shot at winning some of the most expensive cars ever given away.
–Comedy Central renewed “South Park” for three more seasons.
–On Sept. 13, Oprah will discuss the controversial O.J. Simpson book “If I Did It.” The show will feature Denise Brown, Nicole Simpson’s sister, and Fred and Kim Goldman, father and sister of Ron Goldman.
-A “24” alum is going to the “ER.” Former CTU boss Michelle Dessler, whose real name is Reiko Aylesworth, will be joining the cast of ER this season. Her character will be involved with John Stamos’ character, Gates.  

The new “Dancing with the Stars” cast was announced today. The show returns on Sept. 24 on ABC. 

Here’s the 12 cast members. By just looking at the list, I give the nod to Albert Reed. What do you think? 

–Wayne Newton, Vegas singer 

–Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxer 

–Mark Cuban, entrepreneur 

–Melanie Brown, aka Scary Spice 

–Sabrina Bryan, of Cheetah Girls on Disney Channel 

–Helio Castroneves, Indy 500 champ 

–Jennie Garth, actress 

–Josie Maran, model/actress 

–Cameron Mathison, actress on “All My Children” 

–Marie Osmond, singer 

–Albert Reed, model 

–Jane Seymour, actress 

Good morning, everyone. I hope you survived Friday’s storm and blackouts. At least Sunday was nice! 

Well, there’s a couple disturbing news stories this morning. 

First, actor Owen Wilson tried to commit suicide over the weekend. He was transported by paramedics on Sunday after the attempt. He apparently slit his left wrist and had taken unidentified pills. A family member found him and rushed him to the hospital. He was transferred to another hospital, where he received detox treatment. 

Wilson is best known for his roles in movies like “Wedding Crashers,” “You, Me and Dupree,” and “Zoolander.” 

In another surprising incident, the son of Hulk Hogan was seriously injured in a car accident on Sunday. Hulk’s son, Nick, was driving a Toyota Supra at a high rate of speed, lost control, and hit a raised median. The car flipped around, and the back end hit a tree. The car was totaled. 

Nick was airlifted to a hospital in St. Petersburg, but his injuries are not known. However, it is considered serious. Alcohol didn’t play a part, but high speeds is probably what caused the crash. 

Nick can be seen in the reality TV show “Hogan Knows Best.” 

Happy Friday to everyone! 

Here’s the latest news on castings and upcoming movies. 

–Universal Pictures picked up a comedy called “Renaissance Men” written by Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight Schrute from “The Office.” The story is about two down-and-out community theater actors who think they’ve accidentally killed a co-star. Panicked, they hide out in a Renaissance fair. 

Wilson also is writing “Bonzai Shadowhands,” a ninja comedy. 

–Watch the trailer of Brad Pitt’s “The Assassination of Jesse James” at http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford/26180/main.

The movie opens Sept. 21. 

–According to the Hollywood Reporter, Carla Gugino will join Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in “Righteous Kill.” De Niro and Pacino play New York cops chasing a serial killer. Gugino will play a crime-scene investigator who gets involved with De Nior’s character. 

Most recently, Gugino is best known for her roles in HBO’s “Entourage” and the movie “Night at the Museum.” 

–Variety reports that Ice Cube will be in the film “Comeback,” a movie he also is producing. It’s based on a true story. Ice Cube will play a former high school football star who helps his niece become the first female quarterback in Pop Warner football at 11 years old. The team is in Wallace, Ill. 

–G.I. Joe action hero will hit the big screen. Paramount Pictures will make a live-action film based on the Hasbro military action figures. Stephen Sommers will direct the movie. He’s also directed the “Mummy” movies and “Van Helsing.” 

Welcome to the weekly buzz, a segment that offers listings of upcoming shows, movies and local and regional events. It appears every Thursday. Please feel free to add any pop culture information if you don’t see it here.
LOCAL EVENTS
–Johnny Knorr Orchestra – a 14-piece Big Band – will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at St. Mary’s Park.
–Monroe KOA campground is hosting a Car & Truck/Craft Show on Saturday. It will feature over 200 classic cars and trucks. A craft show and flea market also will be open. Call the campground at 856-4972 for all the details.
–“Charlotte’s Web” will be shown at 8:30 p.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Park. It’s a free event.
–“Community Back 2 School Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Arthur Lesow Community Center, 120 Eastchester St. The free event includes live entertainment, free food, school supplies, immunizations, dental exams, and eye glasses repair. Registration is required by Friday for school supply giveaway.
REGIONAL EVENTS
–Lenawee County Heritage Festival is from Saturday and Sunday in Adrian. For more information, call (517) 263-1669.
–Michigan Renaissance Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday in Holly. Full-contact armored jousting, rides, games, and much more will be on hand. For details, call (800) 601-4848.
–The German-American Festival will be held from Friday through Sunday at Oak Shade Grove, in Oregon, Ohio.
–The Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the International Park at the SS Willis B. Boyer, in Toledo.
–Dog Days Festival for Dogs and Their People will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Secor Metropark, in Berky, Ohio.
–The Chelsea Community Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday at Chelsea Fairgrounds, 20501 Old US-12. Cost is $5 each.
–The ‘Cruzin’ the Park Swamp Meet and Car Event will be held Friday through Sunday at Lower Huron Metroparks, 17845 Savage Rd., in Belleville. It features hundreds of classic cars and street rods on display and car competitions. It’s an all-day event.
–The Saline Pro Rodeo will be held Friday through Sunday at Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Saline-Ann Arbor Rd., in Ann Arbor. The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 7 p.m. Sunday.
GET YOUR TICKETS!
–Comedian Craig Gass will be performing Sept. 6, 7, and 8 at the Ann Arbor Comedy Club. He was in ABC’s Next Best Thing, HBO’s “Sex in the City”, and is one of the celebrity voices of the Howard Stern Show.
For tickets, call (734) 996-9080. The comedy club is located at 314 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor.
TELEVISION
The Teen Choice Awards airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on Fox. Hilary Duff and Nick Cannon will host the show.
Some of the live performances include Fergie singing “Big Girls Don’t Cry”; Kelly Clarkson performing “Never Again,” and Avril Lavigne singing “Girlfriend.”
In other news:
–E! will air a special documentary called “Diana’s Last Day” at 8 p.m. Sunday. It commemorates the 10^th anniversary of her death on Aug. 31, 1997. The documentary will recount the last 24 hours of Princess Diana’s life.
–HBO is bringing back “Entourage” for a fifth season in 2008. The network also announced that “Flight of the Conchords” also will be back for a second season.
–“The Closer” on TNT will have a two-part finale that will air on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. Larry King will make a guest appearance. He will appear as himself, interviewing a congresswoman about the show’s high-profile murder case.
MOVIES
Flicks coming out Friday:
-Closing Escrow
-Dedication
-Deep Water
-The Hottest State
-Illegal Tender
-Mr. Bean’s Holiday
-The Nanny Diaries
-Resurrecting the Champ
-Right at Your Door
-September Dawn
-War
**Hannah Takes the Stairs opened Wednesday
**Balls of Fury opens on Wednesday, Aug. 29
DVD
For those who loved the Smurfs cartoons growing up, you’ll love this news. A 2-disc DVD set of “Smurfs – Season 1, Volume 1” will go on sale on Dec. 4.
In the meantime, here is a list of some DVDs to be released on Tuesday, Aug. 28:
–Blades of Glory (it’s hilarious!! Rent it NOW!)
–Heroes: Season One  
–Kickin’ It Old Skool
–Year of the Dog
MUSIC
Here is the latest news in the music world:
–Last year’s American Idol winner signed with Jive Records last week with an album due out in November. Jordin Sparks’ first single, “Tattoo,” will hit the radio airwaves on Monday.
–Bob Dylan will release “Modern Times” on Aug. 28 – his first album in five years.
–Bruce Springsteen is back with the E Street Band to release a new album on Oct. 2. The album is called “Magic.”
–The latest on Lindsay Lohan is that she wants to revive her singing career. However, Universals Music execs aren’t as excited about the idea. Lohan has made it known that she wants to put out a third album, but the feeling among the execs is that she needs to clean herself up first.
–Morrissey will begin his fall tour in late September. He will perform at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Oct. 19.

Yesterday I had a blog about J.K. Rowling working on a detective novel. 

According to The Guardian, a Scottish newspaper, that is just a rumor that got out of hand. Rowling’s agent said it is false, and that she’s taking a break following the seventh and final publication of the Harry Potter series.

Well, it didn’t take J.K. Rowling long to move on. 

After years of “Harry Potter” novels, the author is moving on to crime fiction. Reports say she is currently working on a detective novel. She was spotted at cafes in Scotland working on her next book. 

It will be hard to follow the success of the Harry Potter series. The seven Potter books have sold more than 335 million copies worldwide, and it made Rowling the richest woman in Britain. She’s worth $1 billion. 

The teen comedy “Superbad” grabbed the number one spot at the box office over the weekend. 

It brought in $31.2 million in its debut, beating out last weekend’s number one movie “Rush Hour 3.” 

Supebad is about the adventures of two high school friends trying to score alcohol and girls. 

Here are the top 10 movies from the weekend: 

1. Superbad, $31.2 million 

2. Rush Hour 3, $21. 8 million 

3. Bourne Ultimatum, $19 million 

4. The Simpsons Movie, $6.7 million 

5. The Invasion, $6 million 

6. Stardust, $5.2 million 

7. Hairspray, $4.3 million 

8. Underdog, $3.6 million 

9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, $3.54 million 

10. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, $3.5 million 

Welcome to the weekly buzz, a segment that offers listings of upcoming shows, movies and local and regional events. It appears every Thursday. Please feel free to add any pop culture information if you don’t see it here.
LOCAL EVENTS
–St. Stephen’s 59^th annual Polish Festival will be held Friday through Sunday at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, 18858 Huron River Dr., New Boston. For details, call 753-5268.
–Estral Beach fireman’s festival will be held Friday and Saturday at the Estral Beach lake front at 7194 Lakeview Blvd. Live bands, a carnival, beer tents, gambling, and an appearance by the Hooter Girls will be on tap.
–“Hot Summer Talents ‘07” features Monroe’s finest young musicians. The outdoor concert will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Loranger Square pavilion in downtown Monroe. It’s free.
–“Shout!” will perform Beatles tribute music at 7 p.m. tonight at St. Mary’s Park.
–Monroe Area Cloudbusters Club will hold a radio-controlled model air show. It will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Nike Park, Newport Rd., in Newport. There will be flight demonstrations and raffles. In case of bad weather, it will be held Aug. 26.
–Outlaw Professional Wrestling presents “Monroe Meltdown” on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the first match at 7:30 p.m. at Arthur Lesow Community Center, 120 Eastchester St. Tickets are $5.
 
REGIONAL EVENTS
–13^th annual Woodward Dream Cruise will be held on Saturday in Ferndale.
–The Michigan State Fair runs from Aug. 22 through Sept. 3. The fairgrounds are located at the corner of Eight Mile Rd. and Woodward Ave. in Detroit. For details, visit www.michigan.gov/mistatefair.
–Ypsilanti Heritage Festival will be held Friday through Sunday. Visit www.ypsilantiheritagefestival.com for more information.
–Ann Arbor Antiques Market will be on Sunday. For more information, call (850) 349-9766.
–Toledo Zoo is hosting a “Rock’n’Roar” concert featuring three bands. Music of the 1970’s and 1980’s will be performed. It will be held on Friday.
–The Maumee Summer Fair parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday in uptown Maumee, Ohio.
TV NEWS
Okay, I’m trying to remain hopeful regarding my favorite show, “24,” but I’m holding my breath. There has been another production delay. Filming was supposed to begin Aug. 27, but now shooting will start Sept. 10. The delay is to allow writers to complete enough scripts for the new season-long plot.
This is the second production delay, after the original script fell through. Writers are doing major revamping since last season wasn’t that great.
In other news:
–NBC signed Carson Daly to a two-year deal to host “Last Call with Carson Daly.” He’ll also host NBC’s New Year’s Eve show. The network also added another season of “America’s Got Talent” with Jerry Springer, David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan. “Last Comic Standing” with host Bill Bellamy also got the nod for another season.
The finale of “America’s Got Talent” is Tuesday, while “Last Comic Standing” ends Sept. 19.
–Hilary Duff and Nick Cannon will co-host the 9^th annual Teen Choice Awards at 8 p.m. Aug. 26 on Fox. Some of the categories include Choice Breakout TV Show, Choice Sidekick and Choice Rumble. Fans can vote until Sunday at www.fox.com/teenchoice.
Here are some shows premiering in the next week:
–On Disney, “High School Musical 2” kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday. 
–“Find Your Style,” a show where a designer helps design-challenged homeowners, begins at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on HGTV.
–On WE, “American Princess” premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday. 12 women travel to England, where they’re trained in etiquette, grooming, presentation and aristocratic style to compete for cash and an English title.
–“Anchorwoman” begins 8 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.
–ABC Family debuted its own original series last week called “Slacker Cats.” It’s a grown-up series about a group of cats and the humans from whom they free-load. It stars Buckley and Eddie, two felines who go through adventures together in the town of Wendell.
It features the voices of stand-up comedian Harland Wiliams, Kiersten Warren (“Desperate Housewives”), comic Emo Philips, Nicole Sullivan (“MADtv”), Niecy Nash (“Reno 911”), and others.
It airs at 10 p.m. Mondays on ABC Family. For more information, check out the official site at http://a51.abcfamily.go.com/shows/slackercats/Home/index.html.
MUSIC
–The Beastie Boys added more shows to their tour. Among the dates added, they will perform at The Fillmore in Detroit on Sept. 24.
–Regina Spektor, the Russian-born singer who has been dubbed the anti-folk songstress, will launch a fall tour. She’ll be at The Fillmore in Detroit on Oct. 10. If you’ve never heard of her, check out her music. It’s really good! Her latest CD, released last year, is called “Begin to Hope.”
–The Counting Crows is releasing a new album, “Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings.” It’s expected to be ready in November.
On Sept. 18, the band will release a double CD of “August And Everything After,” that features a re-mastered version of the band’s 1993 debut along with demos and a complete 1994 concert from Paris.
–The Eagles will release a new album in more than 28 years. It comes out in October. The first single, “How Long,” from the album “Long Road Out of Eden” hits the radio airwaves today. The album only will be sold at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Walmart.com.
–The Flaming Lips announced a fall tour. It kicks off Sept. 7 in Chicago, and they will perform Oct. 1 at Clutch Cargo’s in Detroit. Last April, they released their latest album called “At War With the Mystics.”
 
MOVIES
Here is a list of movies premiering this weekend:
–Death at a Funeral
–The Invasion
–The Last Legion
–Superbad
–The 11^th Hour
–The King of Kong
 
DVD
Here is a list of some of the upcoming DVD releases on Tuesday, Aug. 21:
–Broken English
–The Dark Backward
–House: Season Three
–The Lives of Others
–Perfect Stranger
–Serenity
–RoboCop: 20^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition
–South Park: The Complete Tenth Season
–Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season

Lots of casting news is happening in the movie world. 

Here is the latest news: 

–Yes, there is a “Lost Boys 2” remake (ugghh…why do they mess with a good thing?) It will be a directly to DVD sequel, however. Both Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, the stars of the original movie, will make cameo appearances along with the other Frog brother, Jamison Newlander. 

The movie also will star Tad Hilgenbrinck (American Pie: Band Camp), Autumn Reeser (The O.C.), and Angus Sutherland – Keifer Sutherland’s half-brother. 

–Jessica Alba, Romany Malco and Verne Troyer have signed on to join Mike Myers in a film called “The Love Guru.” Myers will play an American who leaves India as a child, where he was raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune. It will be released June 20. 

–Renee Zellweger and Viggo Mortensen will join Ed Harris’ western drama called “Appaloosa.” It’s based on a Robert B. Parker novel. The movie is about two friends hired to protect a lawless town from being harassed by a renegade rancher. But their plans are disrupted when an attractive widow comes to town. Shooting begins Oct. 1. 

–Tim Allen and Elisha Cuthbert will star in “The Six Wives of Henry Lefay.” The comedy is about a salesman who is presumed dead after he goes missing while on a skydiving trip. His current wife and her five predecessors fight over who gets to bury him. 

–Nicole Kidman will produce and possibly star in a U.S. remake of the Columbian horror flick called “Al final del espectro.” The movie is about a woman who is encouraged by her father to take refuge in a fancy apartment building after a tragedy. She becomes a shut-in and begins to see a ghost. 

–Thomas Haden Church will join Eddie Murphy in the comedy called “NowhereLand.” Murphy stars as an overworked executive who finds refuge in a magical land created by his daughter. Church will play the man’s rival at work. It will be released in 2008. 

–Ice Cube’s production company picked up the film right to “10.” Based on a novel by Shannon Eric Denton and Keith Giffen, the movie is about a guy who gets a letter in the mail telling him he’s in a competition with nine others. Whoever gets out alive wins. The guy throws away the letter, but then a man holding an ax shows up at the door.