Pop Culture Safari!

Details and pics from Batman: The Brave and the Bold musical episode!

Sounds like fun.

Mayhem of the Music Meister!
October 23rd, 2009
Batman and Black Canary are pitted against Music Meister, who is able to exert powerful mind control through song. When he hijacks a communications satellite, the entire world becomes subject to his musical bidding.

Cast
Diedrich Bader as Batman
John DiMaggio as Aquaman, Gorilla Grodd
James Arnold Taylor as Green Arrow
Dee Bradley Baker as Clock King
Kevin Michael Richardson as Black Manta
Grey DeLisle as Black Canary
Tom Kenny as Babyface
Neil Patrick Harris as Music Meister

Music
Theme Written and Performed by Andy Strumer
Music by Michael McCuisition, Lolita Ritmanis, Kristopher Carter

CD new releases Oct. 21, 2009: Flight of the Conchords! Sufijan Stevens! King Crimson! Batman Brave and the Bold musical! More!

CDs of note this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.

I Told You I Was Freaky by Flight of the Conchords

Lungs by Florence + the Machine

Red by King Crimson

The BQE by Sufjan Stevens

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Mayhem of the Music Meister! - Soundtrack [CD on Demand]

One Step Beyond by Madness

Piece of Her Heart: The Epic and Shout Years by Erma Franklin

DVD new releases: Peanuts 70s collection! Fawlty Towers and Black Adder remastered! Route 66! William Castle horror flicks! Plastic Man! More!

New DVDs of note this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.

Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Vol. 1 (It's a Mystery Charlie Brown / Play It Again / A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving / It's the Easter Beagle / There's No Time for Love / You're Not Elected)

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered

Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition

Route 66: Season 3, Vol. 2

The William Castle Film Collection (13 Frightened Girls / 13 Ghosts / Homicidal / Strait-Jacket / The Old Dark House / Mr. Sardonicus / The Tingler / Zotz!)

Plastic Man: The Complete Collection

Sherlock Holmes: The Archive Collection

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles

Hitchcock for Halloween: The Birds trailer

Pop links: Free download of new Paul McCartney collaboration! Peter Blake teams with Brian Wilson!

Amazon is offering a free download of "Where Would We Go," a song by Paul McCartney and his touring guitarist Rusty Anderson, off Anderson's new album Born on Earth.

-----

Artist Peter Blake, famed for creating the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album cover, has produced an exhibition and book of artworks inspired by Brian Wilson's That Lucky Old Sun album.

DC Direct January 2010 solicitations

Here's a look at DC Direct items included in DC Comics' January 2010 solicitations.

Justice League Trophy Room: Batman Modern Utility Belt Replica

The latest addition to the JLA TROPHY ROOM is one of the most recognizable and important parts of Batman's costume - his modern utility belt!

This prop replica of Batman's belt is made of faux-leather, includes eight pouches with real, working high-gloss gold snaps with Batman logo emblems and a real, working gold-plated metal buckle with a Batman logo emblem.

In addition to a Certificate of Authenticity, a metal display shelf on which the belt can be mounted is included, along with mounting hardware.

Detective Comics Box Set

Five of Gotham City's most colorful figures are collected in this special action figure box set, in both 3D and comics forms!

A 64-page original collection of classic stories featuring Batman, Robin, Batgirl, The Riddler and Bat-Mite is packaged along with an action figure of each character. The stories included in the special DETECTIVE COMICS CLASSICS book are "The Riddler's Prison-Puzzle Problem!" from DETECTIVE COMICS #377, "Tall, Dark, Handsome - and Missing!" from DETECTIVE COMICS #384, "Hunt for the Helpless Hostage!" from DETECTIVE COMICS #385, "The Invader from Hell!" from BATMAN FAMILY #1, and "Bat-Mite" from WHO'S WHO: THE DEFINITE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #2.

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Harley Quinn Statue

DESIGNED BY ADAM HUGHES o SCULPTED BY JACK MATHEWS
The Joker's love, Harley Quinn, is the latest statue to join the insanely popular COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSE statue series! Due to the overwhelming success of this series, DC Direct specially commissioned fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes to design this statue. Harley is posed wearing her trademark harlequin outfit and is holding an oversized mallet. And she is the perfect companion to the next statue in the series, Poison Ivy!

Women of the DC Universe 3: Raven Bust

New Teen Titans member Raven is the latest character to join the popular WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE bust series! Raven appears as her mysterious, hooded self in this rendition from illustrator Amanda Conner.

The Raven Bust has a base identical to that of fellow Teen Titan Wonder Girl from Series 2 of the WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE bust line.

History of the DC Universe Series 4

All based on art from George Pérez's seminal HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE comic book, the figures included here are Silver Age Martian Manhunter; Captain Atom in his original blue and red costume; Kobra in his original costume; and Superman as Nightwing, from Superman's time in the Bottle City of Kandor, when he took on the alias of Nightwing.

Green Lantern Honor Guard Ring Prop Replica

Don't miss out on this exciting new metal ring prop replica, inspired by the contemporary design of the rings worn by the exclusive Honor Guard of the Green Lantern Corps!

Cast in silver metal with a green enamel inlay, the ring also features decorative ridges around the band. The ring comes packaged in a two-part box foil-stamped with the Green Lantern logo and with protective foam inside.

Hitchcock for Halloween: Vertigo trailer

Hitchcock for Halloween: 1964 TV interview

Pop links: Pythons reunite! Asterix at 50! Bill Cosby's rap album! So long George Tuska

Surviving members of Monty Python got together yesterday to receive a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award in New York.

The presentation was made at the official 40th anniversary Monty Python reunion event in New York co-hosted by the Independent Film Channel, and followed a screening of a new documentary, "Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)."

...The five remaining members of Monty Python took questions from the audience at the event and reminisced. [John] Cleese recalled his most embarrassing moment as "when the queen came down to watch and my trousers fell down."

Also, here are the Pythons on "Regis and Kelly":

-----

The sublime Asterix series celebrates its 50th anniversary this month.

Despite their defiantly French character, the comic book adventures of the first century BC warrior have sold 325 million copies -- 200 million of them abroad -- and been translated into 107 languages and dialects.

The 20-year-old Asterix theme park outside Paris rivals even the same city's Disneyland as a tourist draw and a series of hit movies, including both live action and animated capers, have been worldwide hits.

-----

Listen, if you dare, to Bill Cosby's "hip hop" album, how streaming on the comedian's official site.

Bill Cosby Presents The Cosnarati: State of Emergency, a Cosby-approved hip-hop record [features] special guests like Alicia Keys, LL Cool J and Eric Clapton.

The comedian says of the songs: "You're not going to curse. You're not going to put women down. You're not going to put the glory of the gun somewhere. And you're not going to put a whole lot of violence up front like that's the thing that will cleanse you and make you feel better."

It's quite awful.

-----

Veteran Marvel Comics artist George Tuska has passed away at age 93. He was one of the greats.

With a solid, dynamic style, Tuska can truly be said to be one of the architects of the Marvel Universe — integrating influences from his more innovative peers, Tuska’s work boiled down the essence of 60s and 70s superheroes to its purest elements.

Video find: The Kinks sing Waterloo Sunset

One of my favorite songs ever. Did Dave's shades!

Hitchcock for Halloween: movie cameos

Sir Alfred was famous for doing brief cameos in his pics. Here's a compilation:

Video find: The Kinks sing Sunny Afternoon...in the snow!

Pop links: Buy a Don Draper suit! Emitt Rhodes! Python at 40! Sex Pistols sue! Vintage Dalek toys! Dirk Gently TV bound!

Brooks Brothers plans to carry "Mad Men" Don Draper-style suits. Slick.

Brooks Brothers is offering a limited-edition (only 250) "Mad Men Edition" suit, retailing at $998, which is "inspired" by the 1960s-era office duds worn by Draper (Jon Hamm) in the AMC series which is set among '60s-era Madison Avenue ad execs.

The suit is available from Monday, Oct. 19, through the Nov. 8 "Mad Men" season finale.

-----

"One Man Beatles," a documentary on power pop cult hero Emitt Rhodes is set to debut at the International Rome Film Festival.

Synopsis
A young director crosses the ocean to find Emitt Rhodes, the mysterious forgotten American pop star from the 1960s/70s, once dubbed as the secret alter ego of Paul McCartney. But these theories are refuted by Emitt himself, flushed out and placed in front of a video camera after many years spent holed up in his house full of old guitars and vintage amplifiers. His words reveal a past filled with regrets. His voice and his music proving his pure talent. Cosimo Messeri records his American dream in a dazed and enthusiastic diary, a portrait of unfulfilled ambitions and loneliness that smacks of Chekov.

-----

Via Mark Evanier: Monty Python members Terry Jones, John Cleese and Terry Gilliam on CNBC, talking about the group's 40th anniversary.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

-----

More Pythons: NPR has a feature on the new documentary about the group.

-----

The Sex Pistols are suing an ice cream maker over its new advertising campaign.

London-based company Icecreamists' online advertisements feature a picture of the Queen backed by a Union flag, with an ice cream spoon in her mouth and the words "God save the cream" written across her face. Lawyers for the band say the design is too similar to the Sex Pistols' Jamie Reid-designed artwork, which was used on singles including 'God Save The Queen'.

------

The Attic of Astounding Artifacts displays vintage Dalek toys.

-----

The BBC plans an adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently" books.

Literary agent Ed Victor, who represents the author’s estate revealed the news at a Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy celebration in central London.

He said he had seen ‘a great script – not just a good script’ for the planned adaptation, but warned: ‘With the BBC, it can take forever’.

He said the producer attached to the project – thought to be former Cosby Show executive Caryn Mandabach – described the novels as ‘the greatest storytelling opportunity for television since Star Trek’.

New Princess and the Frog pictures

Some images from Disney's upcoming animated film.

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus movie posters

Two posters for the upcoming Terry Gilliam film, starring the late Heath Ledger.

Hitchcock for Halloween: Hitchcock on What's My Line?

Fantastic friends: Jack Kirby and Frank Zappa

I'd seen this photo of these two great American artists before, but never really heard any details about this seemingly odd pairing. Now, courtesy of Royal Flush, Ahmet Zappa talks about his old man's friendship with cartoonist exraordinaire, Jack "King" Kirby.

“I loved Spider-man; it’s the jam,” gushed Ahmet. “My dad loved comics and was the first to advertise rock n’ roll in comics, for We’re Only In It For The Money [in Fantastic Four #72, 1968, Natch!]. My mother made Dweezil and I costumes of Spider-Man and The Mighty Thor.”

...“He told my dad stuff like, ‘Darth Vader was Doctor Doom and the Force is the Source’ and that George Lucas ripped him off. Now this you may not know, and I was only a kid, but I remember learning at the dinner table that my dad was asked to write the music for Star Wars; he turned it down, he said he wasn’t interested. That would’ve been really strange, the lives of us Star Wars fans woulda taken a different turn and that whole score woulda sounded like Tatooine Cantina music.”

Pop links: Godfather star dies; Meskin's Vigilante

Singer/actor Al Martino, famed for uttering the line "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" in "The Godfather" is dead at age 82.

-----

Pappy presents a couple of classic Vigilante tales with art by the great Mort Meskin.