Spec deal at MGM for Kimmel pal

'Le Car' from mastermind behind Damon, Affleck shorts

Who knew that shtupping Matt Damon and Ben Affleck could be such a career booster?


"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" segment director Wayne McClammy, who helmed and co-wrote the popular short video spoofs "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" and "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck," has sold a spec titled "Le Car" to MGM that he co-wrote with "Kimmel" colleague Will Burke.


McClammy also is attached to direct the comedy, which Temple Hill Entertainment partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are attached to produce.


"Le Car" is designed to unspool as a "found film" made in the 1980s about a group of CIA agents who try to foil a plot by an evil car aiming to detonate an H-bomb at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.


This is the fourth comedy spec that MGM has picked up since April; "Bobism," "The Zookeeper" and "Executive VP David M. Murch's Adventures in the Land of Zametherea" also are in the studio's development stable.


Executives Cale Boyter and Becky Sloviter will oversee "Le Car" for MGM.


McClammy's "Kimmel" shorts generated tens of millions of views online and rocketed him into the Web comedy pantheon. The writer-director, repped by Paradigm and Rain Management Group, also handles directing duties on Comedy Central's "The Sarah Silverman Program." He recently enrolled to direct "Cool School," a Fox comedy penned by Derek Guiley, David Schneiderman and Mark Perez.


Paradigm also reps Burke, an actor who has appeared on "NCIS" and "Sex and the City," for this deal.


Temple Hill has the video game adaptation "Gears of War" in development at New Line, and it produced the Jennifer Aniston starrer "Management," which MGM will release in September.



Borys Kit and Kimberly Nordyke contributed to this report.

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Junior Wells and Junior Mance

   
Artist: Junior Wells and Junior Mance

   Genre(s): 
R&B: Soul
   

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Discography:


   
 Buddy and the Juniors

   Year: 1992   
Tracks: 7

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More Colorful Characters Descend on R. Kelly Trial

Photo: Getty Images
As R. Kelly's child-pornography trail slowly turns into the 23rd chapter of Trapped in the Closet (except gravely serious and not funny at all), two men from Kansas City are en route to Chicago where they're expected to give an explosive press conference tomorrow that will purportedly be "big news" and "reveal all." Keith Murrell and Charles "Chuck" Freeman are former associates of Kelly and Lisa Van Allen (the woman who testified Monday that she'd partaken in videotaped threesomes with Kelly and his alleged underage victim) who have been accused by Kelly's lawyers of extortion and faking the sex tape at the center of the trial.

Neither has been called as a witness, but Van Allen mentioned their names in court on Monday and claimed that Kelly's business manager paid Murrell $20,000 to return a second sex tape featuring one of those threesomes (both men currently refuse to say if they know of any additional copies). Also, Freeman sued Kelly in 2002 for reneging on a deal to pay him $100,000 for recovering the sex tape at the center of this case (we certainly hope he lost because clearly he didn't do a very good job). "The truth lies in Kansas!," Freeman told the Chicago Sun-Times last night. "Everything will come out when we get to Chicago. It will be big news." He added cryptically, "There's more to this case than R. Kelly."

What the heck does that mean? We have no idea! Is any of this good news for R. Kelly? Probably not!

Can Kansas City duo shed light on alleged threesome tape? [Kelly Chronicles/Chicago Sun-Times]

Album Review: We Are Scientists, "Brain Thrust Mastery" (Astralwerks)

We Are Scientists [ tickets ], Brooklyn-based indie-dance rockers with a knack for fun, catchy choruses and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, make a spectacular return with their sophomore release, "Brain Thrust Mastery." The band's 2006 major-label debut, "With Love and Squalor," a feisty mix of high-energy rock and shout-along hooks, aligned We Are Scientists with such famed UK-acts as Editors and Arctic Monkeys. Since that album, We Are Scientists lost a member (drummer Michael Tapper) and replaced him with two musicians-for-hire who bring with them an array of instrumental sounds, including keyboards and saxophone. Despite Tapper's absence, We Are Scientists' music is fuller and bigger than ever.With "Brain Thrust Mastery," the Scientists (vocalist/guitarist Keith Murray and bassist Chris Cain) take the concept of their previous songs--startling, rapid indie rock and '90s garage-driven tunes--and turn them into Cure-like unforgettable '80s new wave melodies, TV on the Radio climaxes and Bloc Party-esque lively guitar moments. Lyrically, Murray still contemplates the beauty of endless drunken nights and takes playful approaches to romantic drama. Undertones of wit, sarcasm and wordplay have become trademarks of this clever duo. Astute listeners (and most of this group's fans are) will find a plethora of brilliant lyrical antics. On "Tonight," Murray insists: "I promise to remember that making promises is always a mistake." Encouraging the party not to stop is the album's most outstanding pop track, "After Hours," during which Murray sings: "We're finally drunk enough that we're finally soaking up the hours that everyone else blows away � One final round 'cause time means nothing." Although there are a couple of swoon-worthy ballads, overall, "Brain Thrust Mastery" is essential party music at its finest. Side effects from listening may include worn-out dancing shoes and a heavy-duty hangover.

Devotchka

   
Artist: Devotchka

   Genre(s): 
Rock
   

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Discography:


   
 Curse Your Little Heart

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 6


   
 How It Ends

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 14


   
 Una Volta

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 11


   
 Supermelodrama

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 13

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Devotchka formed in Mile-High City, CO, and included Nick Urata on vocals, guitar, and trumpet; violinist/accordionist Tom Hagerman; sousaphone/bass doer Jeanie Schroder; and drummer Shawn King. Supporting musicians revolved in and out of the eclectic group's identity card, confluent such sounds as strings and bazoukis. Spell around described Devotchka's sound as polka-rock or circus music, the ring was actually a cross-pollination of legion influences, including club, spaghetti Westerns, and the immigrant dance music of Eastern Europe. Supermelodrama, their self-released 2000 debut, garnered legion accolades, and the isthmus toured in support of the record with such luminaries as Calexico, 16 H.P., Whipping Mollie, and Bowman Prewitt. Una Count Alessandro Volta followed in May 2003. Issued by the Bowlder, CO, indie Cicero, Devotchka promoted the criminal record album through and through a tour with illustrious burlesque/fetish entertainer Devil tree Von Teese.





Electronic

Corrie star named Celeb Mum of the Year

Corrie star named Celeb Mum of the Year

'Coronation Street' star Kym Ryder has been named Famous person Florist's chrysanthemum of the Twelvemonth by Tesco Magazine.
The 31-year-old actress, wHO plays barmaid Michelle Connor in the soap, has two children, 12-year-old Jacques Louis David and 10-year-old Emily.
The actress was reportedly chosen as Famous person Mum of the Yr because of her power to balance her acting and charity function with her class life.
Ryder said: "I'm shocked and thrilled to have won this award from Tesco Powder magazine. And I feel humbled to have south Korean won alongside such amazing mums, whose stories ar rightfully incredible."
"I'll be delivery scores of tissues to the awards ceremony as I know it testament be a really emotional and inspiring day."

Owen Wilson ready to return to work

Owen Wilson ready to return to work

Sir Richard Owen Wilson is countersink to return to work vI months later a reported self-annihilation endeavor.
The 39-year-old is starring in 'Marley & Me', a comedy about a author world Health Organization adopts a mischievous dog, according to Hoi polloi cartridge clip.
The film, which co-stars Jennifer Aniston as Wilson's married woman, is scheduled to be shot in Miami from 10 Mar until mid-May and is based on the script of the lapp nominate by John Grogan.
Grogan told People: "I'm thrilled they're starting production on this. It's been a long prison term approach and I real couldn't be happier on that. I read the script and I like it. I think it's truly true to the book."
The source likewise said that he is delighted that President Wilson is involved with the send off. He said: "I'm actually really thrilled to have Robert Owen Edmund Wilson portray me. We don't look anything alike just I suppose his personality volition be a great fit to my own. And my married woman, Jenny, is thrilled with existence played by Jennifer Anniston and so am I. What's non to like, right?"
James Wilson has been keeping a relatively low profile, and this marks the start time Angus Frank Johnstone Wilson has worked since the crisis that adage him admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical checkup Center.
In Sept, the worker dropped out of the Ben Stiller-directed clowning 'Tropic Thunder' and was replaced by Gospel According to Matthew McConaughey.
'Marley & Me' is scheduled to be released on Christmas Clarence Day.