Entertainment News

A thick fog rolls in to the small coastal town of Antonio Bay, exactly 100 years after a conspiracy by its founders resulted in the deaths of all the men aboard the ship known as the Elizabeth Dane.

In celebration of Studio Canal’s brand new 4K restoration, John Carpenter’s The Fog has once again engulfed cinemas across the UK, presented in stunning 4K. While The Fog isn’t often the first film that springs to mind when thinking about the work of John Carpenter, it is most definitely one of his most under-appreciated movies.

It starts with a creepy camp-fire story told by an old sailor as a group of children surround him, aglow with the light of the fire. He tells them of the legend of the Elizabeth Dane - a ship that wrecked in the waters of their coastal town, killing everyone on-board. It is a delightfully creepy and old-school tale that sets the tone perfectly for a film that is less a terrifying horror movie and more a slow-burn, suspenseful ghost story that’s thick with atmosphere.

Jamie Lee Curtis teams up with Carpenter for the second time in her career, playing a character that is almost the polar opposite of Halloween’s sweet and innocent Laurie Strode. She plays Elizabeth Solley, a drifter hitch-hiking from town to town, trying to find her place in the world. She gets picked up by the always awesome Tom Atkins, playing a character called Nick Castle - a great little nod to the original actor who played Michael Myers. Elizabeth and Nick hit it off straight away and, before you know it, they’re in bed together! See? Elizabeth is a far cry from the timid Laurie Strode who was mortified to hear that somebody wanted to take her to her high school dance. Curtis and Atkins have great chemistry and all these years later, it’s just a lot of fun to watch these two icons of horror cinema bounce off of one another. But they aren’t the only horror icons here - Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother Janet Leigh also stars as Kathy Williams, the woman organising and overseeing Antonio Bay’s centennial celebrations along with her assistant Sandy, played by Halloween’s Nancy Kyes. Damn, The Fog really is a who’s who of horror cinema! The real standout here is Adrienne Barbeau, who plays Antonio Bay’s resident radio host, Stevie Wayne. While she never really gets to interact with the other characters, she still comes away as one of the best-rounded characters in the entire movie and perhaps the most useful, too. You see, once the titular fog descends upon the town, Stevie sits perched in her broadcasting station in the town’s lighthouse, warning those below of everything that’s happening. Even when she isn’t on screen, her presence is still felt as her voice flows from the speakers of a car radio or echoes through dingy bars. She’s a fantastic character who is also one of the most vulnerable, as she has to face the horrors of what the Fog brings all alone, secluded from the rest of the town and its people.

The titular Fog is a character unto itself and as soon as you see those thick, glowing clowns rolling in, your body immediately tightens, as if you’re preparing yourself for the terror that’s about to be unleashed. The Fog is carrying the vengeful spirits of the Elizabeth Dane crew, who are hell-bent on enacting violent revenge on the residents of Antonio Bay for a 100-year-old conspiracy. The spirits themselves are kept shrouded in darkness, mere silhouettes within the fog that engulfs them. When it comes to horror, Carpenter is a “less is more” type filmmaker, believing that oftentimes what we don't see is a lot scarier than what we do, and this technique works beautifully in The Fog. We see just enough of the vengeful spirits, without it ever spilling into eye-rolling overkill. In typical Carpenter fashion, as well as writing and directing, he also provides the score for The Fog and it is an expertly crafted and deeply ominous piece of work, serving as a perfect accompaniment to the horrors on screen. This is arguably one of Carpenter’s best scores.

John Carpenter’s The Fog is a wonderfully old-fashioned ghost story that’s rich in character and dripping with style. Still very early in his career at this point, John Carpenter was fast carving a name for himself within the genre and honing his skills as a master of suspense. The minimalist style on display in Halloween just two years earlier is carried over to The Fog, with Carpenter relying heavily on the use of light and shadows to crank up the suspense. The Fog plays almost like an ultra-scary episode of Scooby Doo, with a rag-tag group of people trying their best to solve the mystery of what is happening to their town. It is cool and intense and while perhaps not quite as memorable as some of his best work, The Fog is a fantastic entry into Carpenter’s overall filmography and a film that holds up exceptionally well.

The Fog (4K) is available now in a spectacular Collector’s Edition set from Studio Canal.

Busted have grown-up without growing old with their fourth album ‘Half Way There’ which will be released on February 8^th. It finds the trio returning to their hyperactive pop-punk sound for the first time since 2003’s all-conquering, multi-Platinum album ‘A Present For Everyone’.

In addition, the band are also excited to confirm details of a major UK arena tour for March 2019.

James Bourne, Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis approached the new album with a simple goal in mind: “How do we make the ultimate Busted album?”

They spent a year working on the album. They wrote more material than ever, much of it at Bourne’s apartment in North London where they spent so much time together back when they first started the band. They constantly revisited each idea to make the album as strong as it could possibly be, and also had the opportunity to work with their dream producer Gil Norton, the man behind classic albums from Foo Fighters and Pixies.

The result is an album that expands upon Busted’s trajectory the first time around. It’s a rush of melody and effervescent riffs as they blend huge arena-filling choruses with the classic pop-punk sound of Blink 182 and New Found Glory. Lyrically it’s often reflective and nostalgic (‘Reunion’, ‘All My Friends’ and a mini Busted autobiography in the shape of ‘It Happens’), but there are some fantastical flights of fancy too in the shape of ‘Shipwrecked In Atlantis’ and a tribute to Elon Musk in ‘Race To Mars’.

‘Nineties’ is one of the tracks which will claim a place alongside other Busted favourites such as ‘Year 3000’ and ‘Crashed The Wedding’. Opening in low-key fashion, the track erupts into life by taking us back to the era of Smashing Pumpkins and Macaulay Culkin and the carefree “days of ditching school to watch The Goonies.” The track features a co-writing credit for their old friend Dougie Poynter of McFly.

“I cannot wait for fans to hear this record and to be able to talk to them on social media about it,” says Willis. “I just have a feeling that they’re going to love it.”

“If I was a Busted fan, I’d listen to this record and feel like I got my band back,” agrees Bourne.

Simpson adds, “It still has humorous elements and we’re still having a lot of fun, but we have some very poignant songs too. Our fans grew up with us so they’ll be able to relate to them too.”

‘Half Way There’ is Busted’s fourth album and their second after returning with ‘Night Driver’ in 2016. The title is a play on the reference in their huge hit ‘Year 3000’ to the band releasing their seventh album. Now they’re halfway to achieving precisely that, and far ahead of schedule.

Capturing the band’s larger-than-life personalities, the album cover was conceptualised and shot by Rankin.

The UK's top selling album group of the 21st century, Westlife, have announced that they will be touring the UK and Ireland for the first time in seven years next May, June and July. They will be performing at Arena Birmingham on Friday 21^st, 22^nd and now 23^rd June 2019.

The shows will see the global pop kings perform brand new songs, alongside their greatest hits and all 14 of their UK No.1 hits including as 'Swear It Again', ‘Flying Without Wings', ‘You Raise Me Up’ and 'Unbreakable'.

Shane, Nicky, Mark and Kian announced their return to music two weeks ago to a frenzy of media coverage and social media activity. The band have signed a new record deal with Virgin EMI and will release new music soon.

These shows will be their first as a group since they played Croke Park in Dublin on 23rd June 2012.

Westlife have sold over 55 million records worldwide and are the only band to have their first 7 singles enter the UK chart at No.1. They also have the most singles of any artist to debut at No.1 in the UK. Overall the band have had an incredible 14 No.1 singles, behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles. They have had 33 No.1 albums worldwide.

As a live act, Westlife have sold five million concert tickets worldwide.

There’s FAB-U-LOUS news for Strictly fans across the country today, as it’s announced that all four TV Judges will join the 2019 Strictly Come Dancing UK Arena Tour.  Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli will star alongside Head TV Judge Shirley Ballas - who makes her debut on the live extravaganza - for 29 supersized sparkle-filled shows fox-trotting around the country in January and February next year.  Tickets are on sale now!

The awesome foursome will join tour host and 2016 Strictly winner Ore Oduba, at some of the biggest entertainment venues across the UK, opening at Arena Birmingham on 18 January.

The live show will also be directed by Craig Revel Horwood and feature many of the celebrities and professional dancers from the current series of the award-winning BBC One show.  Further casting announcements will be made over the coming weeks.

Shirley Ballas said: “I’m really looking forward to joining Darcey, Bruno and Craig on the Strictly live tour judging panel. I’ve heard so much about the amazing audiences at the arena shows and can’t wait to get the show on the road in January!”

Darcey Bussell added: “I had a wonderful experience with the Strictly company on the 2018 tour and am really excited to be able to join them again in January, and to meet the show’s fantastic audiences across the country!”

Bruno Tonioli remarked: “It’s great news that Shirley will be joining us on the judging panel on the live tour next year. We are all in for a treat - with the amazing dance routines, the stunning costumes and the incredible live music - it’s going to be fantastico!”

Craig Revel Horwood agreed: “2019 is going to be our best Strictly tour yet. There’ll be the glitz, there’ll be the glamour and of course the Glitterball winner at every show. And Shirley joining us on tour and Ore back as our host, it’s the perfect night out for all the family to enjoy. One word, three syllables: FAB-U-LOUS!”

Arena audiences are in for a real treat, as they enjoy a fantastic evening of entertainment, showcasing all the amazing choreography and incredible live music that Strictly is famous for.  They will experience a host of breathtaking dance routines guaranteed to leave them spellbound, together with all the glitz, glamour and magic of the TV show live on stage. This is a must-see spectacle for fans of all ages.

As well as enjoying the glittering routines, arena audiences have the power to decide who wins the coveted Live Tour Glitterball Trophy at the end of each show.  After each celebrity couple has performed, the judges will provide their invaluable critique and scores - but the audience can also vote via text for their favourite couple and ultimately, they will decide who wins!

Timber, the new outdoor arts festival celebrating the story of the National Forest in the Midlands, has been nominated for the prestigious UK Festivals Awards, the top accolade of the festival world.

The festival of the National Forest, which celebrated trees and woodlands through music, arts, woodland fun and ideas, has been nominated in two categories: Best New Festival and Best Small Festival. Now, the National Forest Company, who created Timber in partnership with not-for-profit festival producers Wild Rumpus, is encouraging members of the public to vote for the festival and bring one – or both – these awards back to the National Forest.

Jo Maker, Festival Co-ordinator for Timber at the National Forest Company, said: “This is a real coup to be up for both Best New Festival and Best Small Festival in our first year! Competition is fierce, but these prestigious UK Festival Awards celebrate the best of the nation's festivals and would be huge recognition for our achievements with Timber 2018.

“Feedback received from festival-goers this year spoke of a real connection with nature, and the amazing atmosphere. It was so chilled out and different to other more commercial festivals with its use of the extensive woodland spaces which people could explore rather than standing in a field with a large music stage.”

Jo continued: “The shortlisted festivals are decided via online voting which closes on 30 October. We are hoping all our supporters – those who joined us at Timber this year, and those who have it top of their list for next – will vote for Timber and encourage their friends and family to do the same, in support of this exciting new festival for the National Forest.”

The match, which will take place on Sunday 28th October at Nottingham’s City Ground, 3pm kick-off, will include the appearance of international Reggae artist Freddie McGregor who will sing the Jamaican national anthem before the match and perform during half time and after the game.

We've got 7 pairs of tickets to give away to our lucky readers!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer this simple question.

What country do the Reggae Girlz hail from?

a) UK

b) Jamaica

c) USA

Just email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your answer, along with your name and a contact telephone number, with the subject "Reggae Girlz Competition"

Competition closes at 23:59 on the 25th October

Singing star Sister Aisha was in her home city last night to open a new exhibition at Wolverhampton Central Library showcasing the very best of reggae record sleeves.

‘Covers: Retracing Reggae Record Sleeves in London’ is a book and touring exhibition by photographer Alex Bartsch and curator Al ‘Fingers’ Newman, who has documented reggae record covers that were shot in London between 1967 and 1988.

The project features over 50 reggae record sleeves, photographed decades later in their original locations, held up at arm’s-length to blend in with their surroundings.

The exhibition runs until Sunday, November 18, is free to attend and can be seen during library opening times: Monday to Thursday (10am–7pm), Friday (10am–5pm) and Saturday (10am–2pm).

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “Music and art are a fantastic collaboration and this exhibition celebrates an iconic era.

“Visitors will be able to see the photographs at Wolverhampton Central Library and pin point attractions around London that make the record covers come to life.”

Presented alongside the sleeves are interviews with those involved in the making of the records – including the original singers, producers, photographers, graphic designers and record label employees.

This unique series offers a fascinating insight into the history of reggae music in the UK, an often overlooked but essential part of Britain’s musical identity and popular culture and features Aisha, also known as Sister Aisha, who is a reggae singer from City of Wolverhampton.

Aisha, Al ‘Fingers’ Newman and Alex Bartsch last night (Wednesday) attended a special launch at Central Library.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is delighted to announce that the first artist for Kew the Music 2019 will be R&B superstar, Craig David, headlining the show on Friday 12 July.

Tickets are on sale from Friday 19 October, 2018 and music-lovers can book ahead for the unmissable evenings at the iconic, atmospheric venue which returns from 9-14 July, 2019.

Craig David Friday 12 July With 15 Million albums sold worldwide and multi Grammy nominations as well as a top 10 billboard hit 7 Days, plus 4.5 million single sales and 290 million single streams in the last year alone – Craig David is the most talked about return to music in decades! A contemporary R&B singer, songwriter and rapper, Craig David's debut studio album, Born to Do It, was released in 2000, after which he has released a further five studio albums, earning himself 20 UK Top 40 singles, and seven UK Top 40 albums. David's latest album The Time is Now is an exciting stylistic mix of tropical house and R&B.

Proving to be a hit amongst all generations of music lovers, the popular concerts are the perfect evening out for all the family to enjoy. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drink, or to enjoy the open-air bars and tasty street food stalls. A sensational summer's evening awaits.

Kew the Music has recently won the prestigious “Tony Kane Cultural Experience of the Year” at the Time & Leisure Food & Culture 2018 Awards, cementing the glorious week-long summer picnic concerts as a highlight in the cultural calendar.

Ready for some hot stuff…? Simon Beaufoy’s award-winning stage play based on the Fox Searchlights Pictures Motion Picture, The Full Monty returns to Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 5 – Saturday 10 November for the final time ever!

The stage adaptation of The Full Monty has enjoyed nightly standing ovations and sell-out audiences across multiple tours of the UK and Ireland. This current tour will mark the final ever chance for audiences to see this award-winning production.

The Full Monty tells the story of six out-of-work, impoverished steelworkers from Sheffield and is based on the smash hit film of the same name. The production is adapted for the stage by Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy, who also wrote the screenplay for the original film. This hilarious and heartfelt production also features the iconic songs from the film including hits by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones.

Once again, the all-star cast is led by Gary Lucy (Luke Morgan in Hol-lyoaks, EastEnders, The Bill, Footballers’s Wives, winner of Dancing On Ice) who has made the role of Gaz his own during his long association with the production. Gary Lucy is joined on stage by Andrew Dunn (best known as Tony in Dinnerladies and for his regular appearances playing Alastair Camp-bell in Bremner, Bird & Fortune) as Gerald, Louis Emerick (Mike Thornberry in Coronation Street, Norman the Doorman in Benidorm, Brookside, Last of the Sumer Wine) as Horse, Joe Gill (Finn Barton in Emmerdale) as Lomper, Kai Owen (Rhys in Torchwood & Pete in Hollyoaks) as Dave and James Redmond (Finn in Hollyoaks & Abs Denham in Casualty) as Guy.

The production’s female members of the cast shed light on the other side of the well-known story, portraying the challenging journey’s they face to stand by their men and how they ultimately take their hats off to them all. Liz Carney plays the role of Jean, Amy Thompson as Mandy, Bryonie Pritchard as Linda and Keeley Fitzgerald as Sharon. Other cast members include Andrew Ashford, Stephen Donald, Alex Frost, Fraser Kelly and Lee Toomes.

The Full Monty is Simon Beaufoy’s first work for the theatre. His screen credits include: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, Battle of the Sexes & Slumdog Millionaire as well as The Full Monty.

The production is directed by Rupert Hill whose credits include directing the films Leatherbird, Mole Hills, and Rolling with Punches. Rupert is also an actor and has been a previous Full Monty cast member and known for playing the role of Jamie Baldwin in Coronation Street.

The Full Monty is designed by Robert Jones (National Theatre and RSC), Choreography by Ian West (The Blues Brothers & The Play What I Wrote), Lighting by Colin Grenfell (theatre award winner for Blackwatch) and sound by Luke Swaffield (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime).

He is a unique guy and the man that plays role in some of the baddest films such as Friday and Rush Hour. Both movies are in demand to come back and be apart of our lives once again.

There is no denying the presence of this movie star, its almost surreal being able to watch such a massive entertainer live on stage we took the risk of sitting at the front of a packed arena but luckily he didn’t have anything embarrassing to say about us.

Yes Chris is sharp charismatic and makes an effort with attire, just his squeaky voice alone would have you laughing more than the jokes he told, so whats his content like? Its pretty much the lifestyle of Chris Tucker which is quite funny, naturally he talks about his movie experience with Jackie Chan and Michael Jackson.

Not many comedians can say they have these experiences so the content is quite original and fresh to hear. The great thing is he doesn’t fake stories his lifestlyle and what he has been through is genuinely funny. Like your Richard Pryors and Eddie Murphys Chris doesn’t swear at all in his sketches and is clean but still raw. The whole experience with Chris tucker feels exclusive and he is definatley in a league of his own. We wont give away too much but its so hilarious his sketch about his experience with Michael Jackson in Neverland you actually feel like you was there with him.

Chris Tucker for sure is ground breaking stand up and worth the cash, he keeps you glued and laughing from start to finish.

A night out I would enjoy to actually see him perform the exact same way again.

British owned airline flybmi has teamed up with Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to create a unique competition opportunity for students to compose a piece of music for the airline’s on-board entertainment systems.

All current music students are eligible to enter and will be required to compose a three-minute piece. The piece can be instrumental, contain vocals or a combination of the two.

flybmi is looking for a piece of music that is both relaxing and uplifting, and will appeal to their customer base of business and leisure travellers. The winning piece will become the ‘official music of flybmi’ and will be played on board all flights across the airline’s entire network as customers embark and disembark.

The lucky winner will not only have their music featured on all flights but they will also receive a pair of tickets to use on any route on flybmi’s network. From the UK this could be flights to Paris, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Gothenburg, Brussels, Aberdeen, Oslo, Esbjerg and Stavanger.

The competition has been arranged by Birmingham City University alumnus and flybmi’s Marketing and Customer Director, Antony Price, and Michael Wolters, Deputy Head of Composition, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Michael Wolters said:

“As well as developing the talents of the next generation of great musicians, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire pays care and attention to musicians as entrepreneurs. It prepares students for the opportunities and challenges presented by the future of the profession, with the intention that they leave us as employable music professionals. This involves the ability to create work outside the traditional concert hall.

“This exciting competition with flybmi is one such example and working to a brief allows our students to think about the type of corporate commissions they will be faced with once they graduate. Of course, it will be really inspiring for the winner to hear their music playing as they board the aircraft, knowing that their song will be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of passengers across Europe.”

With a rich history dating back to 1859, the new £57 million Royal Birmingham Conservatoire opened in 2017 on the City Centre Campus of its parent institution, Birmingham City University. Headed by Principal Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, the college boasts such illustrious alumni as soul singer-songwriter Laura Mvula, baritone Rhydian Roberts and conductor Michael Seal.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students have until Monday 31 December to enter the flybmi contest.

The world’s most beloved tenor, Andrea Bocelli, has announced he will be returning to the UK for a 4-date arena tour in the autumn of 2019, including a date at Birmingham’s Genting Arena (soon to be renamed Resorts World Arena).

Andrea Bocelli will release his highly anticipated new 16-track album ‘Si’ on 26^th October – his first brand new material in 14 years – billed as “a celebration of love, family, faith and hope”.  ‘Si’ will feature tracks co-written with Ed Sheeran and Tiziano Ferro as well as duets with Dua Lipa, fellow contemporary classical star Josh Groban and soprano Aida Garifullina. The album also sees Bocelli’s 20-year old son Matteo collaborate with him on the track ‘Fall On Me’ which appears on the soundtrack to the upcoming Disney movie The Nutcracker and The Four Realms.

Reportedly the biggest selling solo classical artist of all time with over 80 million worldwide album sales, Bocelli has performed for four US Presidents, two Popes and many Royal families across the world, as well as at high-profile ceremonies for the Olympic Games and the World Cup. The Maestro has countless music awards to his name over past 25 years in music and even boasts a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he received in 2010 for his contribution to live theatre.

Bocelli is acclaimed worldwide as one of the most accomplished representatives of Italy’s finest vocal tradition, his rich and unique voice being one of the most distinctive of all time. The tenor actively supports numerous philanthropic causes furthering medical and scientific research, tackling poverty, as well as promoting compulsory primary education worldwide.

These new 2019 show dates will showcase songs from Bocelli’s latest album as well as a wide repertoire from across his 15 studio albums.

While appearing on American talk show, The Talk, Tim Allen – the voice of Buzz Lightyear – revealed that some of the final scenes in the highly-anticipated Toy Story 4 were “hard to get through.”

Toy Story has always been a franchise overflowing with heart and emotion and has never shied away from tugging at our heartstrings. Remember when Buzz Lightyear first figures out he’s a plastic toy in the original Toy Story? Remember when Jessie, the always-upbeat cowgirl breaks down and reveals her heart-breaking backstory in which her owner completely forgets about her and then just discards of her like she never meant anything in Toy Story 2? Remember when Toy Story 3 came along and blew every other emotional scene that came before it completely out of the water? Well, according to Tim Allen, we can expect more of the same in Toy Story 4.

At one point, Allen even compares Toy Story 4 to the recent Avengers: Infinity War;

“If you’re at all a superhero fan, because I am, Infinity War didn’t seem like it was going to work but it was a lot of vignettes that all made sense” he said, seemingly alluding to the possibility that Toy Story 4 will follow a similar structure, which suggests that our favourite collection of toys all get separated at some point and must embark on their own adventures to get back to one another.

“I have to resist getting emotional” Allen says. “I don't want to give it away, but this is an incredibly great story. It is so emotional, it’s so funny, it’s so big – the idea they've come up with, I’m startled by it. I couldn't even get through the last scene.”

While many fans were left disappointed at the announcement of Toy Story 4, feeling that Toy Story 3 perfectly brought the story to a close, perhaps this revelation from Allen may temper their worries and give them a little confidence in the upcoming sequel.

One thing is for certain, the Toy Story franchise has never failed to deliver the goods when it comes to funny, heart-warming and emotional storytelling and it is difficult to imagine Toy Story 4 will be any different.

Get your hankies ready – Toy Story 4 is set to hit UK cinemas on June 21^st, 2019.

Welsh actor Taron Egerton has transformed into Elton John for his role in the upcoming biopic about the iconic singer that tells the story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

The thinning hair, the ridiculous spectacles, the gold bomber jacket, the short-shorts and the winged platform boots…they are unmistakably Elton.

The film is now in production and also stars Bodyguard and Game of Thrones actor, Richard Madden, who is playing John Reid – Elton’s former lover and manager. Billy Elliot’s Jamie Bell stars as Bernie Taupin, who wrote a catalogue of hits with Elton and Bryce Dallas Howard and Steven Mackintosh are starring as Elton’s parents, Sheila Eileen Dwight and Stanley Dwight.

Rocketman is being directed by Dexter Fletcher, who worked with Egerton on 2015’s Eddie the Eagle – a biography of Eddie Edwards, the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper. Rocketman also features a screenplay that has been written by Lee Hall, the Oscar nominated writer of Billy Elliot and War Horse.

X-Men: First Class and Kingsman director, Matthew Vaughn, is on board as Producer and has predicted that the film “is going to make people’s jaws hit the ground”.

Vaughn also went on to say that Elton John himself gave them his blessing and told them to “Tell it all. Go as R-rated as you need to” and Vaughn says “We do just that. The flaws and the genius are all there.”

Elton John is also on serving as a Producer on the movie, showing that he isn’t afraid of the fact that this movie is going to highlight all aspects of his life, from the good to the bad to the ugly. Elton is notorious for how honest and outspoken he is, so it stands to reason that his biopic should be the same way.

Rocketman will hit UK cinemas on May 31^st, 2019.

Bruce Dern is set to play George Spahn in Quentin Tarantino’s hotly-anticipated ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The role originally went to Dern’s long-time friend and collaborator Burt Reynolds, who was unable to shoot after being hospitalised due to illness before sadly passing away on September 6^th.

Dern and Reynolds appeared together several times over the years and their relationship goes way back to 1965, when they both appeared in an episode of World War II series 12 O’clock High. They also appeared together in the 1999 TV-movie Hard Time: The Premonition and the 2003 Western, Hard Ground. It seems fitting that Reynolds would be replaced by his good friend, who also happens to be another icon of 1970’s cinema.

Bruce Dern first worked with Tarantino on Django Unchained in a brief role as Old Man Carrucan, before reteaming with the controversial director on 2015’s The Hateful Eight in a much larger role as Sanford Smithers – a despicable, former Confederate general who finds himself stuck in a haberdashery with the man who has a deep, personal grudge against him. It was an intense, mean-spirited performance with Dern commanding the screen with a furious presence.

Now, Dern is also set to star in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – a film that tells the story of a struggling actor and his long-time stunt double who embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the 1969 Los Angeles, around the time of the infamous Charles Manson murders.

Dern will play George Spahn, the real-life American rancher who would rent out his property to the film industry as a location for Westerns. However, Spahn is chiefly remembered for his association with the Manson Family, after housing Charles Manson and his followers throughout the late 60s. It is believed that the 1969 murders of Sharon Tate, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Earl Parent, Jay Sebring and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were planned by Manson and his devotees at the Spahn Ranch.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has what is arguably the single greatest ensemble cast ever assembled and is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Damian Lewis, Tim Roth, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, James Marsden, Clifton Collins Jr, Michael Madsen, Lorenza Izzo, James Remar, Zoe Bell, Dreama Walker and, of course, Bruce Dern.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is currently in production and set for release on July 26^th, 2019.

Kids Music Day is also being supported this year by CASIO EMI, Alfred Music, Remo, Conn-Selmer and Kala Brand Music, all leaders in the music industry.  Casio has been manufacturing quality keyboards for consumers and professionals alike for nearly forty years, while Alfred Music has been in the music publishing business since the early days of Tin Pan Alley.   The REMO name has been synonymous with quality drums and percussion equipment for over 60 years.  Conn-Selmer is the leading manufacturer & distributor of musical instruments for student, amateur and professional use.  Kala Brand Music has quickly made a name for itself with quality ukulele instruments played by both professionals and amateurs.  Keep Music Alive is honored to welcome these partners helping to share the Kids Music Day message, inspiring more kids to begin their musical journey.  

Kids Music Day is one of two international music holidays founded by the organization Keep Music Alive.  In March 2018, the organization partnered with over 600 music school and music retail locations in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and 10 additional countries to offer free lessons to new students (kids and adults) as part of the 3rd Annual Teach Music Week.  Some of the largest music chains in the world have participated in Kids Music Day and Teach Music Week with many of their locations including Music & Arts, Guitar Center, Kindermusik, Music Together, Gymboree, Long & McQuade, Bach to Rock and the legendary School of Rock.