LUCIDMEDIA

Lucid News – September 25th

Written by Nadine Bachan Friday, 25 September 2009 14:14

The weekly look at pop culture and entertainment news.

Announcements from STP, Foo Fighters, and ScreamFest

In music news, rock group Stone Temple Pilots (which – for the moment – includes Scott Weiland), have officially released the details of their upcoming North American tour. Beginning in early October, the band will play Bayfest in Alabama before heading off across the United States. Canadian stops will include Victoria, Kelowna, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and London.

The tracklisting for Foo Fighters’s Greatest Hits album has been finalized; “Everlong,” “Big Me,” “Best of You” and “Learn to Fly” will be among the 16 tracks. Two new songs, “Wheels” and “Word Forward,” will stand alongside the old favourites. “Wheels” will be released as a single on September 29th. A rare-photo booklet and a special DVD of the band’s music videos, live footage, and other special features will also be included in the compilation for its issue in early November.

If you happen to be on the West Coast, ScreamFest Horror Film Festival 2009 (dubbed by fans as “the Sundance of horror) will take place this year at the Grauman’s Mann Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, California from October 16th to 25th. The perfect way to get geared up for Halloween, or if you’re just an aficionado of all things terrifying, the festival will be quite an event. This year’s line-up will include screenings of Macabre, Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl, Necromentia, Cabin Fever 2, The Fourth Kind, Detour, and several other feature and short-length films.

The world of Harry Potter comes to life

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is almost ready to open the new section of the theme park, one that will simulate the magical world of Harry Potter. Patrons will be able to visit Ollivander’s shop, order a butter beer from Three Broomsticks or Hog’s Head Pub, or try a chocolate frog and an every-flavour jellybean at Honeydukes Sweetshop. New rides will take people soaring on the wings of a Hippogriff, or allow them to traverse the halls of Hogwarts. You can even have a seat on the Hogwarts Express train. The theme park is expected to be the kind of experience fans of the franchise have been waiting for. The attraction is set to open in Spring 2010. Although, the time for theme parks have long past for me, I can’t help but be excited by this development and long to be a kid again. But then again, children and adults all over have been charmed by the magical realm of Harry Potter – surely people of all ages will be flocking to Orlando next year in record numbers.

An end to another year of TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival wrapped this year with the Awards Reception at the Intercontinental Hotel. And the winners are …

Best Canadian Short Film:
Pedro Pires’s Danse Macabre; Honourable mention: Jamie Travis’s The Armoire

SKYY Vodka Award for Best Canadian Feature Film:
Alexandre Franchi’s The Wild Hunt

The City of Toronto and Astral Media’s The Movie Network Award for Best Canadian Feature Film:
Ruba Nadda’s Cairo Time; Honourable Mention: Bernard Émond's La Donation (The Legacy)

FIPRESCI Prize (Discovery):
Laxmikant Shetgaonkar’s The Man Beyond the Bridge

FIPRESCI Prize (Special Presentations):
Bruno Dumont’s Hadewijch
Cadillac People’s Choice Award:
Lee Daniels’s Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire;
1st runner-up: Bruce Beresford’s Mao’s Last Dancer
2nd runner-up: Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Micmacs (Micmacs à tirelarigot)

Cadillac People’s Choice Award – Documentary:
Leanne Pooley’s The Topp Twins
Runner-up: Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story

Cadillac People’s Choice Award – Midnight Madness:
Sean Byrne’s The Loved Ones
Runner-up: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig’s Daybreakers

Congratulations to all of the recipients to everyone involved in making the 34th year of TIFF such a success.