Rob Zombie to Remake The Blob

Whaaatt!!

Rob Zombie to Remake The Blob

via /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) on 8/27/09

Just when I was hoping that Rob Zombie would step away from remakes/sequels, and return to direct an original project, we’ve learned that the rock musician turned filmmaker has signed on to write, direct, and produce a remake of the 1958 horror classic The Blob.

Variety reports that funding is in place to make an R-rated $30 million film, and Zombie will complete the script while he’s on tour with his new album this fall. Producers are confident that a distribution deal will be made before the production begins in Spring 2010.

The original film tells the story of people of a small town who refuse to listen to a group of teenagers who witnessed a mysterious creature from another planet land on earth. The ever-growing giant blob of jelly absorbs the humans it contacts and destroys the town.

My immediate reaction is that the story won’t work for audiences today unless you made it a period horror-comedy, something like Mars Attacks or Slither. But that is not in the plans. Zombie says he intends “to make it scary,” and touts the “freedom” he has been given “to take it in any crazy direction.” Zombie was a fan of the original, but has much different plans for the reinvention.  So don’t expect a “big red blobby thing” as Zombie says “That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now.” The list of producers includes original Blob producer Jack H. Harris.

I’m a fan of Zombie’s first two films, but pretty much hated his Halloween remake. The sequel, which hits theaters this weekend, doesn’t look any better. I think I’d much rather see him develop an original film than make another remake/sequel.

• The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Teaser Trailer
• Does Michael Myers Speak For the First Time in Halloween 2? Rob Zombie Denied. Today Confirms?
• Halloween II Movie Trailer #2
• James Cameron Joins Heavy Metal
• H2 Retitled Halloween II? New Featurette on YouTube
• Rob Zombie Interview Part 2: H2 (Halloween 2), Tyrannosaurus Rex, El Superbeasto, and Dumb Teens

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Them Crooked Vultures Tonight!!!

This band is going to be epic!!

Them Crooked Vultures to support Arctic Monkeys tonight (August 26)

via NME.COM - News by news@nme.com on 8/26/09

Them Crooked Vultures - the supergroup formed from members of Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age and Led Zeppelin - are believed to be making their UK live debut tonight (August 26).

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Here's some cool Star Wars stuff

Check this out. Pretty cooool!

Cool Stuff: Star Wars Invades San Francisco Desktop Backgrounds

via /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) on 8/25/09

Last year we posted a video which featured Ships and vehicles from Star Wars’ Galatic Empire composited  into San Francisco’s Fleet Week. And earlier this Summer you might remember we posted another video from Mike Horn which showed what would really happen if Darth Vader encountered Star Trek’s USS Enterprise (another video also set in San Francisco).

I was happy to discover that Horn has created a series of Star Wars inspired San Francisco photographs (perfect for your computer desktop background). I’m currently based in the Bay Area and who isn’t a fan of the wonderful picturesque views that almost every corner offers? And then you add the Galactic Empire into the mix…

You can download all of the photos on Horn’s Flickr account. If you’re logging in, you will have access to the super high resolution versions (3000×2000 pixels), which are perfect for your computer desktop background. I currently have the photo of the Star Destroyer flying over the Bay Bridge at dawn.

Cool Stuff is a daily feature of slashfilm.com. Know of any geekarific creations or cool products which should be featured on Cool Stuff? E-Mail us at orfilms@gmail.com.

• Will Disney Unveil Star Tours 2.0 at D23 Expo?
• Cool Stuff: Star Wars Y-Wing-Themed Bedroom
• Cool Stuff: LightSaver T-Shirt
• VOTD: Star Wars in 3 Minutes Animated in a Notebook
• Live-Action Star Wars Series In Pre-Production In Australia?
• VOTD: R2-D2 Falls In Love With a Fire Hydrant

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

New Pearl Jam - "Supersonic"

New Pearl Jam?! NO WAY!!

New Pearl Jam - "Supersonic"

via Stereogum by Stereogum on 8/25/09

Pearl Jam really hit the Target with their Cameron Crowe directed video for "The Fixer" the other day, and today we get studio sounds from that track's b-side, "Supersonic." (It also appears as track 8 on the Backspacer LP.) "Supersonic" pairs well with "The Fixer" -- another quick shot of PJ trying to demonstrate they're vital(ogy) despite their years via uptempo power chords, a quick riffed bridge giving McCready a shred showcase, and EdVed asking big, defiant questions and saying the word "shit." Rock.

Continue reading New Pearl Jam - "Supersonic"...

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

How to Create the Indiana Jones Face Melt Effect

This is a great thing to know! check it out

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-the-Indiana-Jones-Face-Melt-Effect

How to Create the Indiana Jones Face Melt Effect

via How to of the Day on 8/25/09

Filming your own movie that ends with the bad guy getting his face melted off? Doing a spoof of Indiana Jones? Find out below how to create your own face-melting scene!

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Would You Watch a 'Wizard of Oz' Sequel?

Well, would ya?!

Would You Watch a 'Wizard of Oz' Sequel?

via Cinematical by Cinematical staff on 8/24/09

By: Peter Hall

Warner Brothers wants to make a sequel to the 1939 Victor Fleming adaptation of Frank L. Baum's The Wizard of Oz. On the surface that seems all well and good, but the original news source, an article from the UK's Daily Express, shares a few surprising details that make this a contender for an award I just made up: Most Unexpected Film News I've Read in a While.

It's no surprise that the WB would want to send Dakota Fanning over the rainbow, but it is kind of shocking to learn they've no intention of a remake. The fifteen year old Fanning would play a grand daughter of Dorothy who, for an unknown reason, ends up in the land of the Tin Man. But before that gives you visions of Robin Williams heading back to Neverland in Hook, take a gander at this quote from one of the film's producers: "You've still got Dorothy trapped in an odd place, but she's much closer to the Ripley character from Alien [Sigourney Weaver] than a helpless singing girl."

Read the rest over at SciFi Squad

Is it time for a Wizard of Oz sequel, or is this one property that shouldn't be touched?

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Apple Releases Snow Leopard

WooHooo!!

Apple releases Snow Leopard

via The Guardian World News by Kevin Anderson on 8/24/09

Apple has released Snow Leopard, an update to its Mac operating system, two months ahead of Microsoft's next major update to Windows

Apple has let the Snow Leopard out of its cage a little early.

The next version of its operating system, OS X 10.6 aka Snow Leopard, was supposed to be out in September, but Apple announced today that it will go on sale on Friday.

The update offers several refinements rather than a host of new features.

Apple has released a major update to its QuickTime multimedia software, which will make it easier for even novices to edit video. It also has built-in support to upload your videos to YouTube. The new QuickTime will also do screencasts, recordings of what is happening on your screen with narration. It is often used by companies to create tutorials or demos of their software or websites.

For an additional fee, Apple's mail and calendar applications will also support Microsoft's Exchange e-mail and communications server software, helping Apple's operating system compete better in the workplace.

In the past few years, the computer chip industry has been in the process of two major transitions, one from 32-bit chips to 64-bit and from single cores to multiple cores. Both are reflected in Snow Leopard.

The update to the operating system boasts better 64-bit support. The main advantage of 64-bit computing is the ability to address more memory. Apple's Mac Pro workstations can hold 32GB of RAM, but 32-bit applications can only take advantage of 4GB of that memory. Apple's own applications, including the Safari web browser and iCal, have all been rewritten as 64-bit, helping them run faster. Indeed, Apple says its TimeMachine backup software will work 80% faster.

The other major trend of the past few years has been the move to multi-core chips. Apple laptops all have dual-core chips, and Apple's Mac Pro workstations can accommodate up to two four-core chips. Applications need to be rewritten to take full advantage of all of these cores, but Apple's new operating system has a new technology that they are calling Grand Central Dispatch. The company says will make it easier for developers to write applications to take full advantage of multiple cores.

Modern computers also have very powerful graphics processors. Normally, these processors are only responsible for decoding video and rendering graphics, but they can also be used to supplement the general processing power of the computer. Apple has also included support for OpenCL, a technology that makes it easier to tap this extra computing power.

The operating system also trims 7GB from the installation. Some of the space savings is down to end of support for the older PowerPC chips that Apple used in its computers from 1994 until it began to transition to Intel chips in 2006.

Microsoft will also be releasing a major update to its operating system. Windows 7 is set for release on 22 October.

• Apple
• Windows

Kevin Anderson

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Terry Gilliam Wants to Work For Pixar?!

Great interview with Terry Gilliam. You should check it out.

Terry Gilliam Wants to Work For Pixar - Plus An Exclusive Video Interview With The Man Himself

via /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) on 8/24/09

After the break, a video interview in which Terry Gilliam and I discuss The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and his real plans for adapting Philip K. Dick. But first…

Who doesn’t love Pixar? Okay, apart from Armond White? Not many folk, no? And it seems like Terry Gilliam is as enamored with the powerhouse animation studio as the rest of us. Speaking at a BFI special event career retrospective last Friday night, Gilliam came around to discussing the state of modern animation. After praising Pixar for their films, noting how they are clearly a studio run by “creative people” and not suits, and commenting on how much of the bold political cinema he’s seen recently has been in animated family films, Gilliam also let on that he wants to work for the studio. He revealed that he met Andrew Stanton at the premiere of Wall-E and quite sincerely told him to “hold the door open” for him.

Gilliam went so far as to claim he’d “sweep the floors” at Pixar just to be in such a creative, supportive environment, but also seemed quite serious when he talked about it being somewhere he could move to and make movies once financing in the live-action realm became too difficult. Are you listening, Mr. Lasseter?

After the on-stage event, I got to sit down and speak to Gilliam and also record our chat for you. The first part of our discussion was about fans and reception of the Parnassus trailer, and you’ll soon be able to see that video over at the “official unofficial” Parnassus fan support site. Here, though, is the more “newsy” part of out discussion.

This video has been slightly edited because we touched on some things that can’t really be public… yet. Give it time.

If you have the time, please give some genuine help to the marketing of Parnassus by click-voting where in the world you are over at the support site.

• Will Sony Pictures Classics Release The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus On Christmas Day?
• Gilliamwatch: Johnny Depp Definitely Not Joining The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, New Philip K. Dick Adaptation And More
• Gilliam Announces That He’s Canned Zero Theorem, Offers Depp First Dibs On Quixote… But Depp Doesn’t Seem To Be Biting
• Behind the Scenes Footage From The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
• Early Buzz and New Clip: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
• Page 3

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Parody Of Anti-Drug Dog Commercial

I though this was hilarious...

* a comedy parody of the anti-drug dog commercial I did for...

via aubrey plaza on 2/12/09

* a comedy parody of the anti-drug dog commercial I did for College Humor.com

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Michael Jackson burial postponed

Michael Jackson burial postponed

via NME.COM - News by news@nme.com on 8/23/09

Michael Jackson will now be buried on September 3 in Los Angeles, his family have announced, rather than on August 31.

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Xpression presents ‘The Forbidden Colour’

Xpression presents ‘The Forbidden Colour’

via Percussion, Drumset, Drumline...Drumming News by DCE News Service (English) on 8/20/09

Xpression, the winter guard section of the french unit Unik Star, has announced the new winter show. After several years performing under the name Xpression, the winter guard group will continue as Xpression Performance Ensemble.

The theme of the show for the 2010 winterguard season is 'The Forbidden Colour'. A new instruction and design team for the new winterguard season ; Alliance Winterguard based in Colchester in England is building an advanced and exclusive concept, including movements and all equipment and uniforms.

There will be 2 big clinics (including Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in Hellemmes (F) in September and October with six UK instructors and specialists: Jason and Denni Hawke, Erin Murphy, Frankie Armstrong, Helen Tomlin and Jessica Chapman.

The coordinators, Jason and Denni Hawke, have marched, taught and judged at all levels within DCUK, DCE and BYBA. More information can be found at www.unikstar.com.

Posted via email from onlinedrumlessons's posterous

Concord Celebrates 25 Years!

A great thing you should check out if you're in the area! Read more about it  Concord celebrates 25 years via Percussion, Drumset, Drumline...Drumming News by DCE News Service (English) on 8/22/09 Concord from Sheffield will be celebrating their 25th anniversary of the formation of Concord Drum & Bugle Corps on 17th October 2009. Tickets are available through the website. The evening at the Davy's Sporting Club will feature a performance by The Concord Experience and Concord Allstars, an exhibition of photographs, videos and memorabilia. It's an opportunity for everyone who has been involved in Concord to meet old friends from accross the past 25 years. Admissionb tickets are £ 5.00 if booked in advance via www.concord.org.uk and £ 7.00 on the door. Numbers are limited. The evening will commence at 7.30 pm. (Source: dcuk.org.uk)

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous

I've found the cure to your temperamental throw offs!!

Have you ever tried to turn off the snare in the middle of a gig and your lame throw off just wont budge? Well, I've found the cure! Just wash it! I was fussing and fighting with my lame throw off. Taking it apart, looking at the parts, checking out how it all functions, yada yada yada... Then it just dawned on me to put it in a bowl of soap and hot water. Maybe that'll work? Im telling you, bolts of butter! Try it! It worked for me! In case you don't know what a throw off is. It's the switch on the snare drum that turns off and on the snare wire on the bottom of the snare drum. Though this may not be the "all cure" in every case, but its worth a shot. It just might make you think twice before spending $30 on a new one. -Dom

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous

How To Play Drum Rudiments and Why They Are Important

When learning drums its important to learn grooves and beats, but its also important to learn how to play drum rudiments. They are one of the most crucial things to learn when learning how to play drums. That is why they are called rudiments. They are the foundation to anything that you will play there after. It takes time and much practice to develop great rudiment technique, but it must be practiced.  There are 26 American Rudiments which include the flam, flam tap, three stroke ruff, ratamacue, paradiddle, and five stroke roll just to name a few. These are very common rudiments that many drummers including my self use all the time when playing drums. Not only for gaining speed and endurance, but also they're great for practical use.  When learning how to play drum rudiments. I suggest take three a week and master them. Then the next week learn three more while reviewing the previous three, and so on. When practicing the actual rudiments, practice them in this manner. Start from slow to fast gradually and back to slow again gradually. By practicing them this way it will provide conditioning for the hand while also building your vocabulary of the rudiments.  The greatest part about learning how to play drum rudiments. Is you don't necessarily have to be at the drum set to practice them. You can be just about any where, in the car, at work, in school, sitting on the couch watching TV! You don't even need sticks to practice them. Though it is very important to practice them with sticks but once you get the feeling of how the rudiments make the sticks feel in your hand. It's ok to try them with out sticks. Here's a video about basic stickings and how they must be practiced. And by stickings I mean rudiments. Stickings are just the patterns that are played by our hands whether they be alternating or one hand alone for a period of time. For example RLRL may be a sticking or RRRR LLLL may also be a sticking.  (R = Right Hand, L = Left Hand) In conclusion, with out rudiments there wouldn't be drumming and with out drumming there wouldn't these amazing guys and gals that make the rock roll, or J-azz. So learn how to play your drum rudiments. They're essential!

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous

How To Play Drum & Bass Beats

In this lesson we're going to learn how to play Drum and Bass beats similar to the ones that ?uestlove (Questlove) and Jose Pasillas from Incubus create.  Drum and Bass beats or d’n'b or aka Jungle is a style that originated in the UK in the late 80’s. Consisting of really fast breakbeats or "broken" beats and really heavy bass lines usually sampled from dub style reggae. Its a cool sound because you have a really fast drums going over a complex bass and slow moving melodies.  Some cool tracks that would be worth checking out would be the ending of Break You Off by The Roots, or Magic Medicine done by Incubus. Let's Learn How To Play These Drum & Bass Beats To learn how to play drum and bass beats we'll start by taking an ordinary beat and adding elements to it. Starting with grace notes or ghost notes in between each 8th note played by the hi hat. - After you get that down, then its time to get the beat up to speed. The starting tempo should be moderately slow, around 70bpm would be a good start. Then you just gradually speed it up until the beat is completely doubled. Meaning that, at 70bpm your going to be playing 16th notes on the hi hat instead of 8ths. - Once you have the beat and are comfortable play at that tempo, then its time to start playing around with back beat. We move the snare hit on beat 4 and the kick drum hit on beat 1 back a half a beat. To the “and” of 4 and the “and” of 1 giving it that d’n'b feel.  - When learning how to play drum and bass beats keep in mind the idea behind these is they’re meant to sound like they’re “broken” and really choppy. Almost to the point were you can tell where the down beat is. A couple tricks I like to use would be: - Dampening the snare head with my right hand while still playing the hi hat. It gives off a totally different snare sound. - Put my keys on the snare while playing. it gives it a really dirty kind of industrial sound. One of my favorites. - Or a small cymbal like a splash on the snare drum to give it a real metallic sound.

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous

How To Play Funky Drummer

In this video we're going to learn how to play Funky Drummer done by James Brown and his band. Though it never really did that well on the pop charts from its single released in the 1970s. It finally got an album release in the mid 80s on James Brown’s compilation album In The Jungle Groove. The drum solo on the recording is performed by Clyde Stubblefield and is probably one of the most sampled rhythmic beat in hip hop and pop music today. To learn how to play Funky Drummer we'll break it down by starting with the bass drum pattern. Its a pretty simple one to learn, nothing really fast or hard. Although the bass drum pattern differs on the recording, I stick with the most common pattern that he plays. Next we learn the snare pattern. This one is a little difficult to learn, because it feels like the hi hat and snare should be played separately but in fact they are played together all the time. Slowing things down will make it easier to learn this. Putting the snare and bass together can be a little challenging. Maybe try just playing eighth notes on the hi hat instead of sixteenths, or maybe slow it down to where you can play each note correctly. Its always good practice to play things really slow and correctly rather than normal tempo and fumbling through it. The hi hat openings are the most difficult part of this beat because it feels like it comes on such odd times. But actually its not that random. I think to my self that each time I have to open hi hat it comes right after beats 2 and 4. Playing with your heel up will makes things tons easier. Thanks -Dom

Posted via email from Dominic's posterous

Learn How To Play Drums

I love the drums! So much that I've been playing them for over 14 years now. I want to show people what opportunities drums have given me and not only that but show people how to play drums. 

For as long as I can remember I've always had a love for music and especially drums. I've always wondered how and why the music that I would listen to sounded that way, and why it made me feel the way I did. At the age of nine my brother had a roommate that played drums and I loved going over to there house and watch him practice and play with other players. 

I would hop on the drum set after he would be done and mess around on it trying to learn how to play the drums. It never really came that easy at first. Until he showed me a few tricks of the trade that made it easier and in turn made the drums more fun to play. Once I started learning how to play the drums better and better I soon grew attached and I have never looked back. 

Learning how to play the drums was one of the best things I could have done with my life. I want people to have the same opportunities that I have had all from learning how to play drums. It's not only a hobby of mine but its a profession and a never ending learning process. The best thing about learning how to play drums is the more I learn, the more I want to learn and, the more I want to learn the easier it is to learn. 

When learning how to play drums I would recommend looking for a cheap drum set. Something good enough to learn on. You don't want to spend to much money on one, because who knows is if 6 months you're going to hate it. Learning how to play drums means learning how to practice. Practice makes perfect they always say. And in the case of learning how to play drums its no different. 

Learning the how to practice will take some time to get your flow down. But you need to know how to practice because you will find that you'll not only get better faster, but you'll find better results in your playing. 

For more information on how to play drums. Visit this website: Bang The Drums Quickly