Music
Ayreon - Universe
Ayreon Universe is Ayreon live in concert for the first time ever, organized and arranged by Arjen A. Lucassen and Joost van den Broek. The Ayreon Universe set list features selected songs from all Ayreon albums plus a selection of Star One songs.
Vocalists include Floor Jansen – Nightwish, Damian Wilson – Threshold, Hansi Kürsch - Blind Guardian, Tommy Karevik – Kamelot, Anneke van Giersbergen - The Gentle Storm, Marco Hietala – Nightwish, Jonas Renkse – Katatonia, Mike Mills – Toehider, Marcela Bovio - Stream of Passion, Robert Soeterboek - Star One, John Jaycee Cuijpers - Praying Mantis, Edward Reekers – Kayak, Maggy Luyten – Nightmare, Lisette van den Berg - Scarlet Stories, and Jay van Feggelen and Irene Jansen - Ayreon
This concert is available in many different boxed sets (audio, video, t-shirts, signed, etc.) and comes out on March 30. I will definitely be picking up the pack with all of the CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays!
And just to whet your appetite:
Judas Priest – Firepower review
The metal gods are back with their umpteenth latest album!
First of all, it’s so refreshing to see people rocking out who are much older than me.
Secondly, don’t think these are a bunch of has-beens churning out crap for a quick buck. One thing I’ve always admired about this band is that they put their heart into doing the best they can. They are absolutely a fan-centered band.
I’m pleased to report this is an excellent album. It’s probably their best since Painkiller. While there isn’t a signature track, every song is solid without a dud in the bunch.
If you’re a fan of the band or old-school metal, you won’t be disappointed. Halford’s vocals sound amazing and relatively young Richie Faulkner tears it up on the guitar.
Highly recommended!
Movies
Some news from JoBlo:
Aerial footage of the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park.
The latest addition to the Disney theme park arena is the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction, which will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Star Wars. The park is still under construction and won’t be open until 2019, but you can take a look at the foundations and sheer scope of the park in this new video released by Disney. Here, there is some aerial drone footage of the park, showing off the massive soon-to-be-completed structures.
Watch Tommy Wiseau (from The Room) get inserted into a bunch of disaster movies.
The video posted by Screen Junkies arrives just a few days before THE DISASTER ARTIST, a film based on Wiseau's unique experiences while making "the Citizen Kane of bad movies," THE ROOM, makes its Blu-Ray and DVD debut. When making the parody video, Screen Junkies invited Wiseau to stand in front of a green screen while reacting to each of the films selected. Once Tommy was done being Tommy, the outlet cut it all together to hilarious effect.
Over the years, Frank Herbert's "Dune" has proven to be a notoriously difficult project to adapt. As the novel is quite dense, it's been almost impossible to whittle down the story in order to get it to fit into a single film, but it seems that Denis Villeneuve may have found a way around that. The BLADE RUNNER 2049 director will be the next to tackle DUNE, and he offered a quick update (via The Playlist) while speaking to a packed house in Montreal’s Place des Arts’ Théâtre Maisonneuve for the Rendez-Vous du Cinema Quebecois this week.
Dune will probably take two years to make. The goal is to make two films, maybe more.
Books
Available March 15 –
Blue Sludge Blues by Shannon Lawrence
A collection of frights, from the psychological to the monstrous. These tales are a reminder of how much we have to fear…
Find it at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo
Last Call by Tara Watson
Newly-single attorney Gwen Cooper’s list of things that make her happy is pretty simple:
1. her teenage sons
2. her stilettos
3. finally taking control of her own life
Find it on Amazon
Available March 16 –
The Thick of Things by J.L. Campbell
When love takes you by storm, hang on for the ride of your life.
Find it on Amazon
Computer Animated Movie Trivia
Since Coco just came out on DVD, let’s do a little movie trivia on computer animated films. Name the movie from the actors and year.
1 – Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, 2002
2 – Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, 2012
3 - Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, 2001
4 - Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, 2011
5 - Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, 1998
6 - Patton Oswalt, Brad Garrett, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, 2007
7 - Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, 2016
8 – Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, 2006
Answers on March 26!
Impressed by the Ayeron concert footage? Fan of Judas Priest? Ready to explore the new area of Star Wars at Disney World? Think Dune needs another remake? Picking up any new books this week? And can you guess the trivia?
I will be visiting family the third full week of March and won’t be online. However, I will have a really unique post March 19 at the IWSG site on lessons learned from really bad movies.
97 comments:
Congratulations to all those with new books coming out. I will be trying to resist, but will probably fail. Again.
Dune was such an awful movie, at least there is a point to remaking that to try and make it better. Not much is as bad as that room thing though haha
Ice Age
Madagascar
Shrek
Ummm
Antz
Ratatioulle(spelling)
Zootopia
Over the Hedge
Ayeron looks and sounds amazing! I am sure it would be stimulating to experience live. I am not sure I have heard of them? Judas Priest I don’t think I ever really got?
I hope you have a stellar week!
I had *no idea* that Judas Priest was still putting music out! Wow, that's a blast from the past for me.
Enjoy your week with family!
The Star Wars park sounds interesting, but I get sick on rides so not for me. Have a fun week off with your family!
Hi, Alex!
That all star symphonic metal extravaganza looks excellent. I have already featured Floor Jansen/Nightwish and Marcela Bovio/Stream of Passion on SDMM. This looks like a first rate production. It's good to see Priest back with Firepower. The disaster film reel was hilarious.
Have a great week, good buddy Alex!
Pat, the whispering stuff was bad. You got seven out of eight!
Truedessa! I've posted about Ayreon many times. You must check them out. Pure genius.
Elizabeth, isn't that amazing?
Natalie, I'm not riding either.
Shady, both are incredible vocalists.
Still haven't seen Coco, but it's on my To Watch list. Did see The Midnighters - I thought it was going to be more horror than thriller but it was good.
I hope your visiting family goes well, Alex.
The Star Wars park would probably be the only Disney park my son would want to visit!
Star Wars park looks fun and I saw something about Toy Story Land - it looked awesome. I still have to get to Harry Potter World too - FL has all the fun. Quite the variety post today - a manic Monday. I did see Wrinkle in Time - not as good as the book, but it was okay. That's my contribution today. Have a good one
The music clip is yummy!
And I know Shrek is at no 3 - gosh!
Theme parks are so not my thing, too much energy required, but I wouldn't mind going to the Stars Wars one.
Have a great week.
Will surely get that Judas Priest album
Congrats to the authors of the new releases! Wishing them well. Have a great visit with family!
I would definitely like to see an updated version of Dune! The Star Wars theme park also sounds incredible...but I haven't even been to Hogwarts yet. That must come first.
That Star Wars set looks large enough to hold the death star. That place is HUGE.
That Ayeron footage reminds me of TSO.
The last movie is Over the Hedge. It's a shame they never made a sequel.
Looking forward to the Star War park opening. Can't wait to see what they do. I still need to do Harry Potter and I live in Florida only an hour away from all of it.
Wow, that place is going to be huge! I haven't got to the Harry Potter world yet. One day! As for the Dune remake, I don't know. There's so many new ideas out there, why don't they make movies from those? Congrats to everyone releasing a book! :)
1 - Ice Age
3 - Shrek
6 - Ratatouille (one of my all-time favorites)
8 - Over the Hedge
Madeline, haven't seen that one yet.
Sandra, that might be worth the trip alone.
Joanne, Harry Potter world is amazing. So immersive.
Nila, got one!
Charles, you won't regret it.
Patricia, you definitely need to see that.
Diane, correct. Can't do one now that Shandling is gone.
Juneta, get with it!
Christine, you need to go.
Michelle, you got four!
That Star Wars footage is cool. Another remake of Dune? Maybe they should stop trying to pull it off. None of the adaptations have been very successful from my perspective. Cheers - Ellen
My husband is already saving up for the Star Wars theme park!
The HH and I may have to make a Disney visit come 2019:)
That new theme park is going to be amazing.
There are a lot of singers in Ayreon Universe! It looks like they put on a good show.
Have a good time with your family.
J.L. Campbell always makes such wonderful books. I know the first is Ice Age, the second is Madagascar and the third is Shrek. That's only because those movies are some of my kid's favorites. Tommy Wiseau is unintentionally hilarious.
Hi Alex - I think I'll have to pass on most of these .. but good luck to all our authors and their new releases. I'll get to see as many films as I can when they get here - to my surprise there are quite a few outlets ... more private than public. Have a very good week with your family - cheers Hilary
Wow - that Ayreon trailer is packed with power. The vocals are really nice too. I love it. Thanks, Alex.
Have a great week.
I got about half of the Trivia but some of them I'm totally clueless about. Although I think I've only seen one movie on that list anyway.
Metal Gods would be a good name for a band on its own.
Is that Star Wars park real? Is it part of Disneyland or a new theme park? And if new, where is it being built? As for your trivia quiz, I hadn't realized how many amazing actors have done voices. I only know Madagascar and Shrek.
I can never remember, which one is Disney World? Florida or California? They really do go to town on these theme parks don't they?
Congrats to all the new books out there! If I ever get to Disney World, it'll be fun to visit. Can't wait to read the lessons learned on bad movies—sounds entertaining.
I got a kick out of the Tommy Wiseau inserts. I've seen all of those disaster films as well as The Room so I could appreciate the humor. Still haven't seen The Disaster Artist, but from the clips it looks hilarious.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Disney is onto a good cash cow with Star Wars director JJ Abrams and the new cast.
Congrats to all with the new books!
Disney's Star Wars theme area doesn't surprise me; I'm surprised it took them this long to go for it, unless they were waiting on copyright. As long as Luke never sings "A whole new world" while standing on a horizon with Jasmine flying by on a carpet, I'll be okay. (I like Disney and I like Star Wars, but no movie mash-ups, please.)
The Star War park is a mammoth complement to the Disney World. The last time Hank and family were in Florida was 2 decades ago. 2019 gives ideal time in preparation for a return visit.
Hank
Over the years, I've liked Judas Priest but never loved them. Even so, it's nice to hear they've put out a good effort, rather than churning out something just to keep the money rolling in.
A Dune remake sounds great! We have the current ones on DVD and they're . . . lacking, but not awful. Let's see if someone else can tackle it and do the books justice.
Annalisa, be an expensive trip for you.
Sherry, yes there are!
Maurice, got three!
You as well, Robyn!
JE, it would if it weren't already a Judas Priest song.
Rhonda, it's real - Disney World, Florida!
Jo, the big one is in Florida.
Lee, I do want to see that one.
Spacer Guy, yes they are.
Tyrean, or sings Small World!
Hank, you would be amazed at what has changed since that time.
Lynda, lacking is a nice way to put it.
The new Disney theme park sounds like it will be fun.
I've not seen any of the movies. No surprise there.
Congratulations on all the new books.
I'm going to curl up on the sofa, Patches on my lap, and watch the DVD Grease. Now there's one I can understand.
Have a great week.
When I was a kid, I could draw the Judas Priest cover in my sleep. I didn't know they came out with a new one. I will check Amazon Prime. Right now, I'm listening to BonJovi's new one but it's missing Richie's guitar.
Another stab at Dune? Good luck to them. Mind you, LoTR was another book that took a few attempts to turn into a movie. It took the right inspiration at the right time - for example, realizing that the market was ready for a series of 3-hour movies to tell one story - before it clicked, big time. I think they need a similar confluence of circumstances for Dune, not least of which is the artistic vision to bring it fully to life.
Judas Priest was never in my lp collection, even as a teen. I was into smooth jazz, moody blues, chicago, seals and crofts, etc. Chuck Mangione got me and the rest is history. Alex, enjoy your break my friend and make happy memories. Hugs!
The music from that trailer sounds quite good if they don’t go too heavy metal. I like that clip of the Star Wars Disney theme park..is that in Florida or California? Now, as for the clues...1. Ice Age. 2. Madagascar. 3. Shriek. 4. Ringo. 5. Ants 6. Guessing...Cars?? 7. Zootopia 8. Over the Hedge.
All I can say about that Star Wars park footage is "Wow!" and I need to start planning a trip with my Star Wars fanatic friends.
I might be able to get a few from this trivia without looking at answers above me, although some of these are total guesses: 1. Ice Age, 2. Madagascar, 3. Shrek, 4. Rango, 5 and 6. Don't know, 7. Inside Out, 8. Over the Hedge
Better late than never Alex. Another good post full of news and reviews.
Yvonne.
Beverly, you do that!
Ivy, get it! Cool you could draw the covers.
Ian, maybe third time will be the charm.
Katherine, nothing wrong with that! Thank you.
Birgit, Florida. And you got seven right!
Elizabeth, you got five right!
I just saw The Disaster Artist this weekend, so seeing Tommy Wiseau inserted into disaster movies was just what I needed!
Enjoy the family trip. A little break for a recharge is a good thing.
sherry @ fundinmental
The mini-series they did of Dune a while back was pretty great.
I have a hard time seeing how this guy is going to do a better job.
I actually know some of the trivia- not all of them, but some. :)
Nice to see some books by blogging buddies coming out this week. Wishing everyone all the best with their sales!
Have fun visiting with family!
~Jess
I saw them constructing Galaxy's Edge when I was in Disneyland last year. My kids are already into it, so I can't wait:)
I've never been big on JP but son & husband will be thrilled. Thank you so much for the mention. Huge congrats--and the very best wishes--to Shannon Lawrence & J.L. Campbell!
Why don't they just make a TV show version of Dune? I'm of the opinion that anything that long and dense should be done over multiple hours.
Let's see if I know any of the trivia...
1. Ice Age
2. Madagascar
3. Shrek
...and I'm out.
Hi Alex! Lots of good stuff on this post. To be honest, I've never heard of Ayreon Universe, or most of the artists on it. That concert was quite a creative production. Enjoy you time with your family.
Enjoyed the Ayreon Trailer. Their music reminded me of Meatloaf. What do you think?
The Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge attraction looks like it's going to be amazing. I heard they were building a Star Wars attraction at Disneyland, but this sounds like it's going to be a whole different park right next to Disneyland, which means admission isn't included in the price we pay to get into Disneyland. California Adventure charges a separate price to get into it, too. There are package deals, so I'm guessing they might offer a two-park or even three-park package deal. I'm sure it will cost a fortune, too! Better start saving my pennies -- nope, better make that quarters, now! Thanks, Alex!
I picked up several new books this week - and put them right back down because my stacks (plural) of books to read are now out of control. I'm reading three books currently and yet I'm still drowning in stuff I want to read!
Ah well. Maybe I should watch a good movie instead...
As I was at Stokercon, picking up new books is almost a requirement. Currently I'm loving Christopher Golden's "Dead Ringers." I think you'd enjoy it, Alex.
Have a great vacation!
I didn't know Judas Priest was still making albums. As for the animated shows, I know Shrek, Rango, Zootopia (watched 100 times by my son) and Madagasar. :) Wishing you a nice visit with your family. :)
LG, I still need to catch that film.
Andrew, I wouldn't be excited except the director has an awesome track record so far.
Tara, you're welcome!
Liz, they did a mini series. Looks really dated now. And you got three right.
Sandra, Meatloaf? The man or the food?
Lynn, guess they want to be more like Disney World.
JH, is that anything like the movie?
Rosey, you got four right!
Love seeing books by bloggy friends being released! All sound so good!!!
I'd LOVE to see the Star Wars park one day :)
How you have a great time visiting family! That Star Wars theme park looks awesome. I'd love to go visit it once it's finished.
"First of all, it’s so refreshing to see people rocking out who are much older than me." This comment made me laugh Alex! Thanks for the reviews on the music! Both sound amazing! Wow, for the Star Wars! That sure is going to be something when it's done! Congrats to everyone on their books! Have fun visiting your family! Take Care!
I'm glad that a remake of Dune is on its way. Movies like "The Hobbit" and "It" have shown that you can make money by splitting books up into multiple installments. So I think this is a good thing. I know "The Hobbit" was kind of a hot mess, but its formula for taking bite-sized chunks out of a much larger story is one that studio execs should pay attention to.
Ha. The man. It had that full-bodied, opera-rock sound his music has. At least it sounded that way to me.
Saw Black Panther yesterday. Lots of action and amazing effects.
I need to get back into buying CD's. Ayeron is definitely on my wish list. I only know 3 and 4 on your movie list, lol.
Have a good trip.
Thank you for posting about my release, Alex! And congratulations out to J.L. and Tara!
I'm going to have to go to that theme park. Maybe I'll even take the kids. ;)
1. Ice Age
2. Madagascar
7. Zootopia
8. Over the Hedge
Have fun on your visit! I hope it's to someplace warm. I'm so tired of the cold weather.
Look at Judas Priest still rockin' and rollin' that's awesome! I wonder if they need to Aleve before they step on stage? haha
Elsie
I'll have to tell my husband about JP. He'll be interested for sure.
I'm not sure how I feel about Star Wars at Disney. Let's hope it's awesome.
Congrats to Shannon, Tara and Joy!
Tee Ayreon concert looks really cool.
Great that Judas Priest is still active. I usually tend to like the old stuff better. But a good thing is that it may create attention among the young generation. I'm happy to see that my sons are listening to bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Jimi Hendrix >:)
Cold As Heaven
Looking forward to seeing a new Dune. Also thought if they could turn GOT into a series, why not Dune. thanks for the book reveals, Alex. I'm hosting Shannon tomorrow.
Happy family visit! Congratulations to Shannon. Now THIS is a Disney exhibit I can visit with full-force enthusiasm!
Congrats to the authors with new releases.
That disaster montage cracked me up. Love that kind of stuff. Enjoy your time with your family!
I must confess, I never heard of Ayreon before, but I LOVED that clip. A couple years ago, "somebody" posted a video of a Greek band that blew me away, but I cannot remember the name of that band to save my life. The musicians were all classically trained and their playing was fabulous. Judging by the names of the artists in Ayreon, it must be of Dutch origins. Good stuff. (THIS name, I wrote down so I won't forget it!)
I've already succumbed to purchasing the books you featured. I have no backbone when it comes to books...
Enjoy your visit with family.
Crow, it should have been just older than me, because I'm not that far behind...
Michael, I still think The Hobbit was great.
Donna, certain bands require owning the CD - and they are one of them.
Shannon, you're welcome! And you got four right.
Elsie, I sometimes do!
CA, it's always good to see the younger generation embracing the classics, especially when those classic bands still put out fresh material.
Susan, glad you wrote it down! Most but not all of the musicians in Ayreon are European.
Wow Judas Priest is back! Talk about a long career!
Enjoy your vacay. We'll leave the light on for ya.
I love the way you talk about and hype music you enjoy. Even if it's not always my cup of tea, I enjoy your appreciation and excitement over the music you enjoy. I've even tried a few new things thanks to you.
I think this is probably the best time to tackle a Dune adaptation, but hope this director is a real fan and not just someone trying to do something that hasn't been done before.
The first 3 of movie trivia were easy, but rest required some thought. Guess I'm heading to IMDB to see if I'm on the right track.
I do know a few of those movies. The animated industry really gets the big name actors, don't they? I would give a new attempt at a Dune movie a chance.
I've not been to Disney World in ages. Doesn't it cost,like, $1,000,000 for a single ticket now?? ;-)
Enjoy your family visit! I don't consider myself a serious, hardcore Star Wars fan, but I like the movies, and never pass up a chance to visit an amusement park or ride!
I'm sure Star Wars at Disney World will be a huge attraction.
Donna, I know!
Thanks, Sandra.
Thanks, Toi. I know most people don't like prog and heavy metal, but they do rock my world.
Liz, at least a hundred!
Dune, huh? I'm not opposed to another version, tho I will say I enjoyed the one with Kyle McLaughlin (fear is the mindkiller). Still it didn't quite capture the book, which I also enjoyed. So, it will be interesting to see what Villeneuve does. Long wait tho.
I'm not opposed to a remake of Dune, even tho I did enjoy the version with Kyle McLaughlin in it (fear is the mindkiller). It'll be interesting to see what Villeneuve does with it.
Hope you enjoy your family visit, Alex!
Nice to know J.L. has a new book out. Thanks for letting us know but all these great new releases.
I am so sorry I missed this post. A vacation was in order for me and the kids. I'm listening to the Ayeron Concert footage now and i love it. It reminds me of fun rock opera with a bit more metal. Like Meatloaf with roughened vocal chords. I think I flunked all your trivia questions though :)
My son would love the Star Wars park.Enjoy your travels.
Enjoy your family holiday!
I have friends who are working on Star Wars Disney. I keep dropping hints about a "visit", but alas no luck yet.
Have a great visit with family!
I still need to read Dune. I'm ashamed that I have never read it. It must be a "dense" book, as everyone I know who's read it wouldn't know how to adapt it into a movie. You'd have to cut quite a bit from it.
Dune was an awesome book (its sequels not so much). The movie didn't reflect AT ALL any of this. A re-make might be okay, but I will withold judgment until its release.
I enjoy heavy metal when it is an integral part of the movie.
You know you're getting old when the members of Judas Priest look old. LOL. My 5 sons loved that band. Our house would rock. I'm sure the neighbours were happy to see us move. Enjoyed your post on Lessons Learned, Alex. Great info.
Marcy, maybe someone will get it right.
JH, I did!
Erika, we are both refreshed from a vacation then! If you enjoyed the concert snippet, you'd enjoy Ayreon.
Leslie, that's awesome.
Joylene, you do indeed know you're getting old!
I'd definitely be willing to share Dragon of the Stars or any of your books with my local library. Send away!
Revolution 2050 sounds pretty deep and interesting.
Glad you enjoyed Ready Player One. Had you read the book first or was this your introduction to the story?
I'm looking forward to eventually watching Jumanji 2.
I made a whole video about how I liked Shape of Water, but still thought it was really weird and understand why it's not for everyone.
The only reason Rampage is halfway interesting to me is because I love ape movies...that's it.
I'm so looking forward to Infinity War!
Judas Priest are playing in Zurich this summer!
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