andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Just when I thought Ryan Gosling couldn’t get any sexier. Well, he’s in a band now. Not just any band – a duo with his best friend (and sister’s ex-boyfriend) Zach Shields called Dead Man’s Bones featuring, throughout the entire album, the Silverdale Conservatory Children’s Choir.

The result: songs with titles like “My Body is a Zombie for You” (the chorus of which is shouted by the aforementioned children), set to ominous piano-folk and the Roy Orbison-esque voice of Gosling. The mood is something like the Billy the Kid scene from I’m Not There, and if that reference is too obscure, let’s just call it Halloween. In the video for the band’s first single, “In the Room Where You Sleep”, the choir is outfitted in an array of costumes from skeleton to pirate to ghost.

Gosling has clearly gotten into character yet again – he and Shields created their own label, Werewolf Heart, that will release the debut Never Let a Lack of Talent Get You Down this summer. (Werewolf Heart has also taken on upcoming releases from Ima Robot and The Goat.) And just this week, Dead Man’s Bones announced plans for a North American tour in October, with stops in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and will include a local talent show before each performance.

READ MORE »

Rumours have been flying everywhere that Disney stars like Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus and “Twilight” actor Robert Pattinson will make appearances during the Academy Awards on Sunday February 22.

“High School Musical” star Zac Efron and his girlfriend and “High School Musical” co-star Vanessa Hudgens are rumoured to be presenting the award for Best Original Song according to E! Online.

On Monday, rumours started about “Twilight’s” Robert Pattinson and if he would present an award. However, there has been no confirmation of this, or if co-star Kristen Stewart will present the award with Pattinson.

Last year, “Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus made an appearance at the Academy Awards, and although there has been no confirmation if Cyrus is scheduled to take the stage, it has been reported by E! Online that she will be at the Oscars in support of the animated flick “Bolt,” which is nominated under the Animated Feature category.

“Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus could potentially receive an Oscar nomination for the song “I Thought I Lost You,” featured on the “Bolt” movie soundtrack.

The song was co-written by Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele and performed with John Travolta in the animated Disney film.

The Los Angeles Times has labeled the teen star as a presumptive favourite in the category of Best Original Song.

“I knew she was writing it with her partner, and I thought, ‘Well, it will be a cute song, whatever it is. I’d agreed to sing it, so whatever it is I’m going to sing it, ‘ ” John Travolta told MTV News.

“Well, it was something great.” Travolta continues, “I mean, those lyrics, the melody, those choruses are A-plus stuff, you know? She’s really gifted at writing, and she really wanted to write something good for me as the character Bolt, so she went out of her way with her writing partner to come up with something good, and I really think they pulled it off. I know something about music, and I’m telling ya, I was blown away.”

“Bolt” follows a Hollywood dog (played by John Travolta) who escapes from his trailer in search of Penny (played by Miley Cyrus).

Oscar’s feeling deep.

Reuters reports that when the nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced yesterday, industry watchers were quick to point out that films about political and social issues are in this year – gay romance, race relations and government corruption are but a sample of the predominant themes.

“I think this year is the year that small movies get attention because they deal with complexities, they go to the gray area,” said Ang Lee, whose Brokeback Mountain nabbed eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. “They deal with issues, and they ask questions; they don’t really give resolution. That’s the mood this year.”

Crash, from Canadian writer-director Paul Haggis, and Good Night, and Good Luck both garnered six nominations each, including Best Picture. The other nominees in that category are Munich and Capote. Of the five Best Picture nominees, only Munich (which had a budget of $68 million) could be considered a big studio production. Steven Spielberg joked that he could have financed the other four movies and have enough money left over for The Squid and the Whale.

On a more serious note, Spielberg said, “This is a courageous year for filmmakers. … They are saying ‘If I never make another film, this one says what I think and feel.’”

A slew of new faces is also noticeable in the acting categories – 14 of the names are first-time Oscar nominees. Although the lack of proven star power may hurt ratings, it makes the competition more refreshing.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) is the only one in the Best Actor category who has been nominated before. He faces off against Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck).

First-time Oscar nominees for Best Actress include Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line, Felicity Huffman for Transamerica, and Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice. The newcomers will compete with Oscar winners Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents) and Charlize Theron (North Country).

In the supporting actress category we have a lone past Oscar winner, Frances McDormand from North Country. The others are Amy Adams (Junebug), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) and Catherine Keener (Capote).

Finally, competing for best supporting actor with Oscar winner William Hurt (A History of Violence) are newcomers Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), Matt Dillon (Crash), triple-threat George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck) and Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man).

The Academy Awards will air on March 5. Visit http://www.oscar.com/nominees/list.html for the complete list of nominees.