Pop Culture Checklist

After a summer layoff, it’s the return of your favorite TV shows! This is the official kickoff week to the fall premieres. Let me know what new shows you like and don’t like. And of course, enjoy all of your favorite shows returning this season!

Here’s a list of TV premieres for this week:  

Tonight

8 p.m. – Deal or No Deal (NBC). Donald Trump will be the banker

8 p.m. — Prison Break (FOX)

9 p.m. – K-Ville (FOX)

Tuesday, Sept. 18

8 p.m. – Beauty and the Geek (CW)

Wednesday, Sept. 19

9 p.m. – Gossip Girl (CW)

8 p.m. — Kid Nation (CBS)

8 p.m. — America’s Next Top Model (CW)

8 p.m. — Back To You (FOX)

8:30 p.m. — Til’ Death (FOX)

9 p.m. – Gossip Girl (CW)

9 p.m. — Kitchen Nightmares (FOX)

Thursday, Sept. 20

8 p.m. – Survivor: China (CBS)

Friday, Sept. 21

8 p.m. – Friday Night Smackdown (CW)

Sunday, Sept. 23

7 p.m. – CW Now (CW)

7 p.m. – 60 Minutes (CBS)

7:30 p.m. – Online Nation (CW)

8 p.m. — The Simpsons (Fox)

8 p.m. – Viva Laughlin (CBS)

8 p.m. – Gossip Girl (CW)

8:30 p.m. — King of the Hill (Fox)

9 p.m. — Family Guy (Fox)

9 p.m. – Cold Case (CBS)

10 p.m. – Shark (CBS)

If 50 Cent is true to his word, he is now officially retired. After mouthing off that he should win the album release battle between him and Kanye West, he has lost. He said if lost, he would retire. Preliminary numbers are in, and Kanye’s “Graduation” will debut at number one with between 800,000 and 900,000 copies sold during the first week. 50 Cent is expected to sell more than 600,000 copies of his album “Curtis.” Country star Kenny Chesney, who I expected to win, ended up in third place. His album, “Just As I Am: Poets and Pirates,” have sold around 400,000 copies.  

So will 50 Cent really retire? Highly doubtful. Has he learned to keep his mouth shut? Highly doubtful.

I couldn’t pull myself away from the TV last night with both the Emmys and football, especially when Tom Brady is playing in the nightcap. What I’m tyring to say is that I didn’t catch every minute of the Emmys, but I caught the most memorable moments.

As expected, the Sopranos got their due by taking home best drama series. No big surprise there. I was glad to see Terry O’Quinn from Lost win best supporting actor. He deserved it – the best episodes from last season are when he starred in it. The Office cast was funny, as always. I can’t believe they lost to 30 Rock. Even though 30 Rock is funny, the Office is much better and has a better overall cast.

Speaking of surprises, why does America Ferrera of Ugly Betty keep winning these awards? It’s like they’re trying to shove this show down our throats – I don’t know ONE person who watches this show. If you are that one person, please tell me why this show is getting all this attention. And why does The Amazing Race keep winning best reality series? It’s their fifth win – what about Top Chef or Dancing With The Stars? Anything but the Amazing Race!

Luckily, however, there was a bright spot. Jaimie Pressly won supporting actress for My Name is Earl – she’s hilarious on that show. Good for her! And of course, there were the ‘political statement’ moments. Specifically, Sally Field. She spewed about the war and the mothers of the world. She was bleeped, however, but what she said was, “If the mothers ruled the world, there would be no G—damned wars in the first place…” I’m all for world peace, but award shows are not the place for political statements.

Okay, these are some of my thoughts. What are yours?  Here’s the list of winners:

Drama Series: “The Sopranos,” HBO. Comedy Series: “30 Rock,” NBC.

Miniseries: “Broken Trail,” AMC.

Variety, Music or Comedy Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Variety, Music or Comedy Special: “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.

Made-for-TV Movie: “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” HBO.

Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, ” Boston Legal,” ABC.

Actor, Comedy Series: Ricky Gervais, “Extras,” HBO.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Robert Duvall, “Broken Trail,” AMC.

Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC.

Actress, Comedy Series: America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty,” ABC.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre),” PBS. 

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Terry O’Quinn, “Lost,” ABC.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, “Entourage,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden

Church, “Broken Trail,” AMC.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl,” NBC.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Judy Davis, “The Starter Wife,” USA.

Individual Performance, Variety or Music Program: Tony Bennett, “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.

Directing, Drama Series: “The Sopranos: Kennedy and Heidi,” HBO.

Directing, Comedy Series: “Ugly Betty: Pilot,” ABC.

Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: “Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre),” PBS.

Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Program: “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” NBC.

Writing for a Drama Series: “The Sopranos: Made in America,” HBO.

Writing, Comedy Series: “The Office: Gay Witch Hunt,” NBC.

Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: “Prime Suspect: The Final Act,” PBS.

Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC

Don’t forget to watch your favorite TV stars at the 59^th Primetime Emmy Awards. Ryan Seacrest hosts the show, which airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on FOX.  Lisa Renna and Joey Fatone will host the Red Carpet pre-show on the TV Guide Channel, beginning at 6 p.m. And of course, the E! Channel also will begin its Red Carpet show at 6 p.m.

Also, if you’re as bummed as I am that Joan Rivers won’t be on the red carpet, then check out her blog. She and her daughter, Melissa, will blog about the Emmy’s and fashion trends at emmyswithjoan.com.  And if you can’t get enough of the Britney bashing, there may be more. According to US Weekly, Fox is trying to get her to appear on the award show to apologize for her horrid performance last Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards. Britney is in negotiations with the show, so it’s unclear if she’ll actually show up or not.  

Okay, now back to the real reason for the Emmys – your favorite TV shows! HBO’s “The Sopranos” received 15 nominations, including Best Drama and top acting noms for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco. HBO’s made-for-TV movie “Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee” led all Emmy nods with 17. AMC’s miniseries “Broken Trail” followed with 16. The following is a list of some of the categories: Best Drama — The Sopranos, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Heroes

Best Comedy Series — Entourage, The Office, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, Ugly Betty

Outstanding Actor in Drama Series — Kiefer Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Hugh Laurie, Denis Leary, James Spader

Outstanding Actress in Drama Series — Patricia Arquette, Minnie Driver, Edie Falco, Mariska Hargitay, Kyra Sedgwick

Outstanding Actor in Comedy Series — Alec Baldwin, Steve Carell, Ricky Gervais, Tony Shalhoub, Charlie Sheen

Outstanding Actress in Comedy Series — Mary Louise Parker, Tina Fey, America Ferrera, Felicity Huffman, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss

Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series — Jon Cryer, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris, Rainn Wilson

Outstanding Supporting Actress in Comedy Series — Jaime Pressly, Jenna Fischer, Holland Taylor, Conchata Ferrell, Vanessa Williams, Elizabeth Perkins

Best Reality Series — Top Chef, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, American Idol, The Amazing Race

Salvador Dali, the Spanish surrealist painter, will soon be played by Al Pacino. Pacino and Cillian Murphy will star in “Dali & I: The Surreal Story.” The movie will span the 1960’s-1980’s and will follow Dali’s life when most of his best known work was behind him and he became more flamboyant. 

Dali died in 1989, and most of his famous art work was done in his earlier years. Later in his life, he became more known for his eccentric ways. His most famous works is “The Persistence of Memory” from 1931 (I have a copy hanging in my house). He uses a lot of symbolism in all of his surreal paintings. Check out his work. I think you’ll like it.

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
–“Bark in the Park,” an annual fundraiser walk for animals, will be held Saturday at St. Mary’s Park in Monroe. Walk your pet, and participate in raffles, contests, and other activities. It’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cash donations accepted.
–18^th Annual Hawkfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Marshlands Museum and Nature Center at Lake Erie Metropark, 32481 W. Jefferson Ave., Brownstown Township.
–A charity hockey game will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday at Monroe Multi-Sports Complex, 333 N. Dixie Hwy. The fundraiser will help local youth who want to learn how to skate, play hockey or figure skate.
–Downtown Temperance Day Charity Car Cruise and Swap Meet will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 8330 Lewis Ave., Temperance.
–Downtown Temperance Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Carr’s Grove park and downtown Temperance. Garage sales, flea market, food, sidewalk sales, and much more will be available. Also, a ‘Charity Car Cruise and Swap Meet’ will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 8330 Lewis Ave., Temperance.
–The Stand Strength team will be at First Wesleyan Church, 426 Jerome St., on Saturday and Sunday. It will be at 5 p.m. Saturday and during the 10 a.m. services on Sunday. They will perform feats of strength, and deliver messages of anti-drugs, anti-alcohol, abstinence and academic excellence. 
REGIONAL EVENTS
–The Harvest Moon Festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Woodhaven Civic Center Park.
–11^th Annual Pumpkin Festival will be held Friday through Sunday in Romulus. For details, call (734) 955-4577.
–The Ann Arbor Antiques Market will be held Saturday and Sunday in Ann Arbor. For information, call 850-349-9766 or 352-771-8928.
–Michigan Renaissance Festival is Saturday and Sunday in Holly. Full-contact armored jousting, rides, games, and over 190 artisan shops will be on hand. For details, call 800-601-4848.
–Toledo Irish-American Festival will be held Friday through Saturday at International Park, Toledo. It’s 6 p.m. to midnight Friday; 2 p.m. to midnight Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
–Latino Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdday in Meadowlark Park, in Fostoria, Ohio.
–The Manchester Merchant’s Oktoberfest will be held from 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday. The free festival is located along the River Raisin in downtown Manchester. Some activities include a classic car show, bed race, sidewalk sales, square dancing, a beer tent, and German food.
MUSIC
–George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic will perform on Sunday. Get your tickets at the Royal Oak Music Theatre! Other upcoming shows at the theatre include Steve Vai on Sept. 22 and Blue October on Oct. 6. Visit for http://www.royaloakmusictheatre.com/ for a full schedule.
–Gov’t Mule, with special guest Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, will perform on Oct. 28 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. Friday. All ages welcome. Call (800) 919-6272 to charge by phone. Other see above web site for other ticket information.
–The White Stripes cancelled its U.S. tour because drummer and vocalist Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety. They apologized on their web site.
–This is more book related, but it is about music, too. Photographer Robert Altman, known for his work at Rolling Stone, has also worked for other major publications. He released a new book, “The Sixties,” that includes images of the 1960’s. Numerous musicians, actors, anti-war protests, and hippies are included in the book. It looks very cool. It’s on sale now.
TELEVISION
Don’t forget to watch the 59^th Primetime Emmy Awards. Ryan Seacrest hosts the show, which airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on FOX. Lisa Renna and Joey Fatone will host the Red Carpet pre-show on the TV Guide Channel, beginning at 6 p.m. And of course, the E! Channel also will begin its Red Carpet show at 6 p.m.
Also, if you’re as bummed as I am that Joan Rivers won’t be on the red carpet, then check out her blog. She and her daughter, Melissa, will blog about the Emmy’s and fashion trends at emmyswithjoan.com, a special section of the website VH1Eyecandy.com. It will include an online video and two video podcasts wrapping up the red carpset and awards show portions of the night.
 In other TV news…
–“Live with Regis and Kelly” is wrapping up the show’s 20^th anniversary celebration on Friday. Former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford will return as a guest on Friday. It airs at 9 a.m. on ABC.
–Lucy Lawless will play a character far from the days of her Xena character. She stars in USA Network’s “Burn Notice” as an emotional frazzled mom who searches for her missing husband and son. It airs at 10 p.m. tonight on USA.
Also, you can see Lucy play herself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” on Oct. 21.  
–Jon Stewart will host the 80^th annual Academy Awards. This will be his second time hosting the Oscars – he first hosted in 2006. The award show is scheduled for Feb. 24 on ABC.
–Remember the “American Gladiators” TV show from the 1990’s? Well, it’s back! Contestants will once again go up against muscle men named Thunder, Blaze, and Nitro in hopes of winning prizes. They have to beat them at various obstacle courses to win. It’s due out sometime in mid-season, according to Variety.
 
Here is a list of premieres beginning in the next week:
Tonight
10 and 10:30 p.m. – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
Friday, Sept. 14
9 p.m. — Nashville (FOX)
Saturday, Sept. 15
11 p.m. — MADtv (FOX)
Midnight – Talk Show with Spike Feresten (FOX) 
Monday, Sept. 17
8 p.m. – Deal or No Deal (NBC). Donald Trump will be the banker 
8 p.m. — Prison Break (FOX)
9 p.m. – K-Ville (FOX)
Tuesday, Sept. 18
8 p.m. – Beauty and the Geek (CW)
Wednesday, Sept. 19
9 p.m. – Gossip Girl (CW)
8 p.m. — Kid Nation (CBS)
8 p.m. — America’s Next Top Model (CW)
8 p.m. — Back To You (FOX)
8:30 p.m. — Til’ Death (FOX)
9 p.m. – Gossip Girl (CW)
9 p.m. — Kitchen Nightmares (FOX)
Thursday, Sept. 20
8 p.m. – Survivor: China (CBS)
MOVIES
Movies opening on Friday:
-Mr. Woodcock
-The Brave One
-Eastern Promises
DVD
Here is a list of some of the releases scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18:
-We Are Marshall
-Grindhouse
-Lucky You
-Closure
-Two Weeks
-Gracie
-Beyond the Gates
-The Backyardigans: Super Secret Super Spy
-Boston Legal: Season Three
-Brothers & Sisters: First Season
-Family Guy: Volume 5
-Everybody Loves Raymond: Ninth Season
-Deliverance (35^th anniversary deluxe edition)
-Married…With Children: Seventh Season
-Saturday Night Fever: Special Collector’s Edition
-Smallville: Complete Sixth Season
-Smallville: Seasons 1-6
-Wall Street: 20^th Anniversary Edition

The following is a list of recent news in the film-making biz!
–This is great news – Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are teaming up again! After making “Fight Club” in 1999, the duo will star in a movie called “State of Play.” It is a Universal Pictures’ adaptation of the British miniseries.
Norton will play a congressman who is threatened by an investigation into the death of his mistress. Pitt will play a journalist who oversees the murder investigation.
(I hope the duo is as good as they were in Fight Club, but who didn’t love the character Tyler Durden? Great flick!)
–Sacha Baron Cohen is returning to the big screen after the success of “Borat.” He signed on for a film adaptation of “Bruno,” a character introduced in his “Ali G” HBO comedy show. He will play an over-the-top fashion reporter.
–Michigan native Jeff Daniels will star in a spy movie called “Traitor” with Neal McDonough, Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce. The movie is about a former U.S. Special Forces operative who aids terrorists, but it’s actually unclear where his loyalties lie.
–Sean Play and Matt Damon will star in a movie together. Penn will play Harvey Milk, an openly gay 1970’s politician. Damon will play his assassin.
Milk was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco. He and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in 1978. His assassin, Dan White, was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
–Kate Bosworth will star in “Veronika Decides to Die,” which is based on a book by Paulo Coelho.
Her character wakes up in a mental institution after a failed suicide attempt. After a weakened hearts, she finds out she has only days to live. She is determined to find true love and a will to survive. Shooting begins this winter in New York.
–Jennifer Hudson has joined the cast of “Sex in the City” movie. She will play an assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw. Shooting begins Sept. 19 in New York.
–Zac Efron, the High School Musical star, will be in a comedy called “17.” It’s about a middle-aged father who wakes up to find that he’s 17 again. He then enrolls in the same high school as his two kids to be close to them. The movie begins production in December. 

Hi everyone. I’m back from my trip to Philadelphia!
It was a blast, and I almost had a brush with a celebrity. I just missed seeing Mark Wahlberg – I couldn’t believe it. He was walking into church – the same church my friend had just got married in just an hour before – what timing! A friend saw him in church and talked to him, so I guess it really does pay to go to church!
Anyway, a lot has happened since last week so here are a few roundup items that are currently in the news.
–First, I don’t think I need to recap the MTV Video Music Awards. I think we’ve all heard enough about how awful Britney was on stage, and about the fight between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee. And I don’t even want to talk about Kanye West. I think he just talks too much!
–Do you miss VH1’s “World Series of Pop Culture” contest as much as I do? I love that show! Well, if you miss it, VH1 has an alternative for you. They have a new online game called the Juggernaut – a tough pop culture trivia game. Check it out!
–The new Indiana Jones movie finally has an official title. It is “Indianan Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It hits theaters on May 22, 2008.
–Speaking of movies, “3:10 to Yuma” was number one at the box office last weekend. It knocked off “Halloween” for the top spot.
–Today is finally the day that 50 Cent and Kanye go up against each other via album releases. Who will win the rap battle? The overall battle will be won by Kenny Chesney, in my opinion.
–The Beatles’ second movie, “Help!” will be released in a double-DVD edition on Oct. 30 via Apple Corps Ltd and EMI Music.
–Coldplay will release its fourth album sometime next year.
–The season premiere of “Cold Case” will feature 8 Nirvana songs. The songs are “All Apologies,” “Heart Shaped Box,” “Stay Away,” “If You Must,” “Lithium,” “Drain You,” “Come as You Are,” “Something in the Way,” and “All Apologies.”
The show airs at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23 on CBS.  

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.
Even though the weekly buzz is normally posted on Thursdays, you’re getting it a day early since I’ll be on vacation – yeahhh! I’ll be back next Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?
I am, and I’m sure you are too. Here is this weekend’s NFL TV schedule:
Thursday, Sept. 6
-8:30 p.m., New Orleans at Indianapolis (NBC)
(John Mellencamp will help kick off the NFL season with a special pre-game show. Faith Hill and Kelly Clarkson also will perform. The pre-game show begins at 8 p.m.) 
Sunday, Sept. 9
-4:15 p.m., Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (FOX)
-8:15 p.m., N.Y. Giants at Dallas (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 10
-7 p.m., Baltimore at Cincinnati (ESPN)
10:15 p.m., Arizona at S.F. (ESPN)
TV PREMIERES  
September means more than the return of football. It also means the long-awaited wait of your favorite TV shows are returning!
Here’s a list of TV shows premiering in the next week:
Thursday, Sept. 6
-8 p.m., Are You Smarter than a 5^th Grader? (Fox)
-9 p.m., Don’t Forget the Lyrics! (Fox)
Saturday, Sept. 8
-8 p.m., Cops (Fox)
-8:30 p.m., Cops (Fox)
-9 p.m., America’s Most Wanted (Fox)
Tuesday, Sept. 11
-8 p.m., The Biggest Loser (NBC)
Thursday, Sept. 13
-9 p.m., Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)
-10 p.m., It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
ALSO…
The MTV Video Music Awards will air at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 on MTV. Timbaland hosts the event from The Palms in Las Vegas.
Speaking of television, talk shows are back with new shows. Here’s the lineup for today and Friday:
THURSDAY:
David Letterman – Jessica Alba, George Saunders, Manchester Orchestra
Jay Leno – Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Cuban, Kings of Leon
Late Late Show – Eddie Izzard, Goo Goo Dolls, John Roy
Conan O’Brien – Will Arnett, Patti Scialfa
Last Call – Tom Green, the Honorary Title
Jimmy Kimmel – Seth Green, Ashley Jenson, Galactic with Lyrics Born
FRIDAY:
Regis and Kelly – Richard Gere, Avril Lavigne, guest co-host Anderson Cooper
The View – Rachael Ray, Monique Coleman, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson
Ellen – George Lopez, Jeff Corwin, Jeff Lewis and Jenni Pulos
David Letterman – Rachael Ray, Frank Rich, Arctic Monkeys
Jay Leno – Dr. Phil McGraw, Chandra Wilson, Joe Henry
Late Late Show – Julie Delpy, Alfred Molina
Conan O’Brien – Jeff Garlin, Hot Hot Heat
Last Call – Aries Spears, Ben Kweller
Jimmy Kimmel – Daniel Radcliffe, Jim Cramer, Hurricane Chris
MUSIC
Tuesday is the big showdown: It’s 50 Cent vs. Kanye West. Both are releasing their new albums on Tuesday, and 50 Cent said if he loses to Kanye, he will retire from his recording career. Wow! This will be interesting. 50 Cent’s album is called “Curtis” and Kanye’s album is “Graduation.”
Personally, I think neither album will be number one. I have to give the nod to Kenny Chesney, who is releasing “Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates” on the same day.
Other CD’s being released on Tuesday, Sept. 11
–Goo Goo Dolls, “Greatest Hits”
–Hot Hot Heat, “Happiness Ltd.”
–Pinback, “Autumn of the Seraphs”
–Ani DiFranco, “Canon”
–Jupiter Rising, “Electropop”
–Shout Out Louds, “Our Ill Wills”
–Ann Wilson, “Hope & Glory”
–Merle Haggard, “Hag: The Studio Recordings 1968-1976”
–The Go! Team, “Proof of Youth”
In other music news…
–Morrissey will perform on Oct. 19 at Royal Oak Music Theatre with special guest Kristeen Young. Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m. Friday! Get your tickets at the theatre’s box office, all tickets.com outlets, tickets.com, or charge by phone at (800) 919-6272. Cost is $49.50 and $75.
–Kelly Clarkson announced a fall tour. She will perform at The Fillmore in Detroit on Oct. 28.
–Boyz II Men, the R&B group from the 1990’s, will release a new album called “Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA” on Nov. 13. American Idol judge Randy Jackson is producing the album. The group will cover Motown classics by Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and others.
–American Idol’s beatboxing runner-up Blake Lewis signed a record deal. His debut album will be released later this year.
MOVIES…opening on Friday:
-3:10 to Yuma
-Shoot ‘Em Up
-The Brothers Solomon
DVD’s…being released on Tuesday, Sept. 11:
-Bones: Season Two
-Charmed: The Complete Series
-Charmed: The Complete Final Season
-Dirty Sanchez
-DOA: Dead or Alive
-Even Money
-Away From Her
-The Addams Family: Volume 3
-Face/Off: Special Collector’s Edition
-Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season
-Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Third Season
-The Graduate – 40^th Anniversary Edition
-Las Vegas: Season Four
-The Starter Wife
-Supernatural: Complete Second Season
-Supernatural: Seasons 1 & 2
-Two and a Half Men: Complete First Season
-Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Volume 3
-Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Volumes 1-3
LOCAL EVENTS
-St. Joseph Catholic Church, Monroe, will hold its 84^th Homecoming Festival on Saturday and Sunday. It will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Food, children’s games, booths, auctions, bocce, and other activities will be held. The church is located at 924 E. Second St.
-Monroe KOA is holding its annual “Corn Maze” from Saturday through Oct. 28. The maze is made up of 25 acres. The campground is located at 15600 Tunnicliffe Rd., Petersburg. Call 800-KOA-7646 for more information.
-The first-ever “9-11 Memorial Bike Night” will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday on Washington St. in downtown Monroe. City of Monroe Firefighters Local 326 is sponsoring the event.
-River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St., will show “Dirty Dancing” for its next Classic Movie Series. The movie begins at 7 p.m. Friday. Cost is $5.
-Old-Fashioned Day Festival Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Whiteford One-Room School, at the corner of Whiteford Center and W. Temperance Rds.
-St. Joseph Catholic Church, Maybee, is having its Parish Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The church is located at 9207 Joseph St., Maybee.
-The Ottawa Lake Music Jam, featuring acoustic instruments, will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church, 8307 Memorial Hwy., Ottawa Lake.  
REGIONAL EVENTS
-Toledo Zoo will hold its 3^rd annual Big Feed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 8.
Animal feeding demonstrations are scheduled at various locations around the zoo, located at 2700 Broadway Ave. Call (419) 385-4040.
-50^th annual Arts Festival will be held Sunday at Lourdes College, 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania, Ohio. It’s from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features over 300 juried arts and crafts artisans.
-A Butterfly Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at The Toledo Zoo, 2700 Broadway Ave., Toledo.
-“Celebration on the Grand” is a festival that attracts over 200,000 people each year to Grand Rapids. Live music and fireworks are part of the festival, held today through Saturday. Call (616) 752-8257 for more information.
-The Jackson Family Fall Festival will be held from Friday through Sunday. It’s located on 20 acres, near US 127 and I-94. Call (517) 841-0203 for details.
-Carleton Varney Antique & Design Fall Festival will be held from Friday through Sunday at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Call (906) 847-3331 for details.
-Art & Apples Festival in Rochester Municipal Park will be held from Friday through Sunday. Nearly 300 artists, live entertainment, children’s activities, and hundres of homemade apple pies will be available. Call (248) 651-4110 or visit www.artandapplesfestival.com.
-The 5^th annual “Bookfest” will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, 315 Detroit St. Over 100 booths featuring books, speakers, calligraphy, and other activities will take place.

Rob Zombie’s version of “Halloween” took the number one box office spot over Labor Day weekend. 

It earned $31 million – a record for a Labor Day opening. 

Here’s the top 10: 

1. Halloween, $31 million 

2. Superbad, $18 million 

3. Balls of Fury, $13.8 million 

4. The Bourne Ultimatum, $12.4 million 

5. Rush Hour 3, $12.3 million 

6. Mr. Bean’s Holiday, $10.1 million 

7. The Nanny Diaries, $7.8 million 

8. Death Sentence, $5.2 million 

9. War, $5.1 million 

10. Stardust, $4 million