Aimee Mann Streaming Live on June 3, 2008 at Amoeba.com

Aimee Mann will be playing live at Amoeba Records at 6400 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on June 3rd 6PM PST. Watch the show here.

 

 

   

Designer of Pringles Can Buried in His Creation

Dr Fredric J. Baur, who was 89, had told his family to ensure his final resting place was the inside of one of his most famous creations.

They honored his request by having his ashes buried in a Pringles tube.  You can read the article here.

Griffin’s PowerDock

Do you live in a multiple-iPod/iPhone home? If so, you know how hard it is to keep them all organized and charged. Enter Griffin’s PowerDock ($50-$70). This brushed aluminum charging station, available in two models, charges two or four iPods/iPhones at a time, keeping them all rounded up and juiced up.

30 Upcoming Movie Sequels You Didn’t Know About

The Brazilian Job: The follow up to Paramount’s US remake of The Italian Job is still on the cards and it’s got a 2009 release date marked. Jason Statham, Mos Def, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are attached, as is director F Gary Gray.

 

I, Robot 2: It’s in the scripting stages still with a potential 2010 release date planned. No news on Will Smith’s involvement.

 

I Am Legend 2: Warner’s huge Christmas 2007 hit could also have a follow up, although it’d be interesting to see if Will Smith returned to it. A 2010 release date is also being discussed for this one.

 

Beverly Hills Cop 4: If Die Hard can still do it at the box office, why can’t Axel Foley?  

 

National Treasure 3: Not a huge surprise, but as the Nic Cage Indiana Jones knock off franchise has proved to be quite a juggernaut, you’ll only have to wait until 2011 for the third film in the series.

 

Cars 2: Will be in theaters in 2011.

 

Toy Story 3:  It won’t, as speculated, be a straight-to-DVD affair, and Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are both expected back on voicing duties. It’ll be out in 2010.

 

Jeepers Creepers 3: MGM is planning a third instalment in the horror franchise with director Victor Salva still attached.

 

Shrek 5: The fourth film was a no-brainer after the tepid third outing made so much cash.  A fifth instalment has also been confirmed. 

 

Night at the Museum 2: Ben Stiller is returning for his most commercially successful role outside of the Meet the Parents franchise. 

 

Crank 2: High Voltage: Shooting starts next month, for a 2009 release, and Jason Statham returns as Chev Chelios. 

 

Transporter 3: Statham again. He’s making this too, and it’s in pre-production. Presumably, he’ll go from Crank 2 straight onto this.

 

Super Troopers 2: Expect it in 2010, as it’s in the early writing stages.

 

Silent Hill 2: Sony is looking at a follow up to the popular video game adaptation. 2010 is the current slated release date.

 

The Descent 2: We understand that Neil Marshall won’t be directed this one, which has the working title of The De2cent. He’s attached as Executive Producer, with Jon Harris stepping behind the camera (he edited the first film, as well as the more recent Stardust).

 

The Grudge 3: It’s in pre-production now, for release next year. 

 

Ice Age 3: Scheduled for release on 1st July 2009.

 

Ghost Rider 2: A surprise hit last year, Marvel is developing a follow-up to the Nic Cage comic book flick, and tentatively has 2009 marked for release. No director is thus far attached.

 

The Untouchables: Capone Rising: A prequel to Brian De Palma’s cracking prohibition thriller of, er, twenty years ago. De Palma is back behind the camera, and the project is in the pre-production stages now.

 

The Thomas Crown Affair 2:  It’s taken them ages to do a sequel and Paul Verhoeven is slated to direct the follow-up. Pierce Brosnan returns and filming starts shortly.

 

The People Under The Stairs 2: No sign of any Wes Craven involvement but a release may even be this year. 

 

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: The Mummy 3, which is out on August 1, 2008. Brendan Fraser and Jet Li star.

 

Punisher: War Zone: Ray Stevenson becomes the third person to play The Punisher on screen. You’ll be able to find out how he did on September 12th this year.

 

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder: Casper Van Diem is back, but it’s going straight to DVD, as the second film did. It’s due out later this year.

 

Pink Panther 2: Due out on February 13, 2009.

 

Ace Ventura 3: No Jim Carrey and direct to DVD.

 

War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave: Another straight to DVD sequel, but this one’s of note because it’s directed by Soul Man/Hitcher star C Thomas Howell.

 

Jurassic Park 4: Laura Dern is still attached and should be released in 2009. 

 

Scary Movie 5/Saw 5: Both should be released by the end of 2008.

 

10 Questions for Denis Leary

Dimension to Develop Joe Hill’s “Locke & Key” As a Movie Franchise

Dimension Films has acquired screen rights to “Locke & Key,” a graphic novel written by Joe Hill that will be developed as a potential franchise.

Hill, son of author Stephen King, made his first screen sale with his debut novel, “Heart-Shaped Box,” which Warner Bros. is developing.

Dimension bought film and TV rights to “Locke & Key” from IDW Publishing and will develop the property as a feature. John Davis is producing.

The story revolves around a trio of children who become the caretakers of Keyhouse, a mansion in New England that is full of secrets and magic. The kids discover doors that take them to different places, give them powers and even alter gender and skin color. Behind one door is a dangerously violent creature.

Dimension has had a lot of luck with King — “1408″ and “The Mist” came from King novellas, and Eli Roth is directing a feature adaptation of his novel “The Cell” — but Dimension chief Bob Weinstein said that wasn’t why he bought the property.

“I love what Joe wrote. There are fun elements that horror fans love, and it feels like a franchise where you can feel satisfied with each film, but there is a door left open for the next one,” said Weinstein.

Joe Hill’s “Locke & Key” Hardcover

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them…. and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…! Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

 

This 152 page hardcover graphic novel is due out on September 29, 2008 and can be pre-ordered here.

 

Harry Potter’s Portrait Artist

J.K. Rowling gave birth to Harry Potter, but Mary GrandPre breathed life into him for millions of readers. As illustrator of the Potter saga, GrandPre made evocative drawings that traced Harry’s often-perilous journey through adolescence, and in the process shaped the world’s image of the book’s hero. GrandPre spoke with TIME about how she went about drawing Potter and what it was like to recast Harry’s image for an upcoming 10th anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

 

TIME: How’d you wrangle the Potter gig in the first place?

 

Mary GrandPre: It was just like any other job at the time. I got a phone call from Scholastic. They wanted to know if I had time to do a cover illustration for a book about this boy who had magical powers. At that point I was really busy with other work, and I said I didn’t have time. [My contact, David Saylor] really wanted me to do it, and asked if I would reconsider if he sent me the story. I read it, and I really liked it, so I made sure to make room for it in my schedule. The rest is history. I’m glad I did it.

 

What was it like to go back and draw Harry as an 11-year-old [for the upcoming anniversary edition] now that his story has finished unfolding?

 

It was really a nice opportunity. As Harry grew, I always wished I could go back and make a new piece for each book. So when the anniversary cover idea came up, I was really excited to do that. It’s like getting to do a new portrait of this old soul you really know.

 

What did you try to do differently, given what you’ve learned about him as he traveled through the saga?

 

The first cover was a designed cover, with a certain trendy feel to it. As you got to know him, it was more about depicting Harry as a real person. By the fifth cover, I was more interested in Harry on an emotional, personal level rather than creating a graphically designed, compositionally correct cover. I tried to bring that emotional and personal feeling to this anniversary cover.

 

Do you think you could render Harry at age 30, or age 60?

 

Sure. It takes time to draw and redraw, and to study his facial structure. The more I draw Harry, the more acquainted I become with him in my head. I try to use each previous drawing as a map for the next one. I need to start drawing to know what he’d look like. [Plus, J.K. Rowling] is such a visual writer. I’ve always looked to her writing as the main inspiration for the drawings. For a storybook or cover illustrator, the first responsibility is to draw from the writing. She makes it really easy because she’s so descriptive.

 

Did you consult with Rowling as you were preparing to depict the characters?

 

Not directly. My relationship was with [art director] David Saylor and Arthur Levine [the book's editor]. They would consult with her, and show her my sketches. She was always very agreeable, it seemed like, for the images I came up with. I think we had the same thing in mind. It’s really been a nice pairing for her and I.

 

Can you tell me a little bit more about your procedure for mapping out each book’s illustrations?

 

I worked out a system where, as I read, I’d highlight different things — descriptions of characters, cool scenes — in different colors. Then I could scan by color for what I needed to find. I’d start sketching real loosely, with pencil on tracing paper. I’d do a series of tracings on top of that, and on top of that, until I had what I felt was a good-looking character. It’s really just sketching and re-sketching, and paying attention to the words and descriptions. Harry Potter fans are so in tune. They pay attention to every detail, and if you mess up, you’ll know about it the next day.

 

Did rabid fans ever get in touch with you to tell you that you messed up, or that your drawings weren’t the way they pictured it?

 

Not so much. There were some discussions online where people at times weren’t happy with my work because they have their own ideas of what things should look like. I read a few of them and then stopped. You do the best you can. It’s pretty high pressure, because [the series] is so in the limelight. But by the same token, that passionate fan is also the most appreciative fan. I get a lot of great fan mail. Most people I talk to are really appreciative of the work.

 

How much time did it take you to illustrate each book?

 

It’s usually rushed; it seems like the artist is usually the last one to get the assignment. I’m not a fast reader, so I usually gave myself about two weeks to read and digest and make notes on the manuscript. Then another week for cover sketches, and another week or two for all the chapter headings. So I think you’re probably looking at a couple months for reading it and creating all the artwork.

 

Are there legal limitations regarding where and how you can draw the characters? If someone offered you an obscene amount of money to do a mural of Harry in his or her house, could you do it?

 

I don’t know if I’d be allowed, but I’d choose not to. I don’t want to take the value away from the character. The whole property issue is pretty complex. And I have so many other ways I want to spend my creative time that I wouldn’t do it anyway.

 

Are there other characters you’d love to have illustrated?

 

If I were to pick a classic character, Alice in Wonderland would be a really fun one to maybe put a modern spin on her. I know that’s been done, but it would be fun to do it my way.

 

Did your illustrations ever deviate at all from the way the characters are described in the book?

 

No. I guess I wouldn’t feel right if they did. I know there’s a bit of a discrepancy between the movies and the books. But as a book illustrator, I have this obligation and sense of responsibility — and privilege — to stay true to the writing.

 

Did the movies affect your conception of what the characters looked like?

 

I stayed away from watching the movies. Now that the series is done, I’m watching them. I can enjoy them now, because I don’t have to worry about them messing up my mind.

 

Your cover art often seems to contain hints of what’s to come without spoiling the plot. Is that a difficult line for you to walk?

 

A little bit, but that’s the fun part too. You’re teasing the readers with something that piques your interest. It’s fun to design that into the cover, and show hints and shadows. The mood in the book is often set by suggesting things – a sound, a soft color, a shadow. I try to do that with the illustrations, too, to give that sense of mystery to it when I can.

 

What was it like to be one of a tiny handful of people who knew what was coming while the rest of the world waited in anticipation?

 

It was kind of cool. I felt pretty privileged. And I had to be real careful that nobody knew I had the manuscript. I kept it in a safe. I had to swear my husband to secrecy. It’s very, very, very serious business. Starting with maybe book four or five, every time there was a new manuscript, one of the Scholastic people would fly it out and I’d meet them to pick it up. It always felt like some clandestine meeting.

 

How many people knew what happened in the books in advance?

 

I don’t know. I’m guessing probably eight, nine or 10.

 

Did people try to worm information out of you?

 

Yeah, sometimes. Not too much. My friends and family are really cool about it. They don’t even really talk about it much with me. They understand that’s part of what I do, and that there’s a confidentiality agreement.

 

How did the ending of the series stack up against your own expectations?

 

I think it was a good last book. It was a really nice way to wrap it up. I’d have to say it was my favorite of the seven. And it was my favorite to draw.