LUCIDMEDIA

Lucid News – October 23rd

Written by Brendan P Frye Tuesday, 27 October 2009 10:12

A week’s worth of news from the world of arts, entertainment and pop culture

Live U2 on Youtube … say that three times fast

Mark your calendar this Sunday October 25th because super-group U2, who are currently enjoying a highly successful tour, have announced that they will be streaming their performance at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California live on You Tube. The live streaming video will be available in 16 countries and Bono hopes he will be able to encourage some of the fans to donate to his Red charity while they watch the show. Millions are expected to log on so be aware that the You Tube server might get overloaded. This will be the first time You Tube is used to stream the entire live concert of a popular band.

Smashing Pumpkins offer their own version of a giveaway

Billy Corgan has announced that he and the band will gradually releasing all 44 tracks from their upcoming eighth album, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. (Doesn’t that already seem like a rip-off of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness?) Each single will be available for free, one at a time over the coming months. During that time, the tracks will be packaged into 11 special edition EPs (each containing four tracks) that will eventually be collectively released as a box set. The alt-rock frontman, who is currently the only original member left in the band, has high hopes for the new music, calling his latest effort a concept album that “harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.”

Upcoming films for fright fans

The spooks and thrills of October are in the full force for the film community. With several scary flicks already in theatres, things are definitely getting much more terrifying with several new movies coming our way this weekend:

Saw VI: Yes, you read it correctly, the Saw franchise has managed to squeeze out a sixth instalment. What horrors has Jigsaw dreamed up for his unsuspecting victims this time? Looking at the posters, something involving hooks, pulleys, and a merry-go-round from hell ought to turn our stomachs this time.

Antichrist: The infamous Lars von Trier film, which won an anti-prize at Cannes this year, is finally being released. The film stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a couple grieving over the tragic death of their son by secluding themselves in the woods and consequently going crazy. The graphic imagery and rife misogyny has been widely criticized since its festival premiere, but I guess even negative reviews are good publicity.

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant: This adventure/horror/comedy looks promising. It seems to be focused on the fantasy and story rather than pretty faces (I’m talking about you, Twilight). I like John C. Reilly and, oddly enough, this film seems to have given him a little room to stretch his acting muscle. He usually plays a minor character or Will Ferrell’s buddy. I love films that are witty and entertaining, appealing to people of all ages. I hope this one doesn’t disappoint.

On a final note:

The International Festival of Authors celebrates 30 years at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto this weekend. Authors attend and participating in this year’s events includes Margaret Atwood, Anne Michaels, Paul Theroux and Alice Munro (who will be reading from and discussing her new work Too Much Happiness). There will be plenty of workshops, panels, discussions and readings for booklovers to take part in. The festival will run until October 31st. Check out all the detail about IFOA XXX at http://www.readings.org.