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IMAX launching ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Fan Event

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

With the release of the final trailer to Ghostbusters: Afterlife — featuring the voices and brief appearances of some of its original series stars including Dan Aykroyd, the late Harold Ramis, and Bill Murray — comes news IMAX is doing the movie big.

Well, “big” is not a surprise for the giant format theaters, but in the case of the new film, they’re hosting a Ghostbusters Fan Event in the U.S. and Canada to celebrate the movie’s launch on November 19.

The special event will be live-streamed from Los Angeles at 8pm Eastern in select theaters, and will not only show the new Sony Pictures movie, but will also feature a Q&A with director Jason Reitman and his dad, producer — and original Ghostbusters director — Ivan Reitman.

The select theaters will also treat fans to commemorative posters and other goodies.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars the original cast, which also includes Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts, as well as series newcomers Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and McKenna Grace.

Here’s a list of the participating IMAX locations:

United States

California

AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX Theatre – San Francisco, CA
Esquire IMAX Theatre – Sacramento, CA
Regal Edwards Irvine Spectrum & IMAX – Irvine, CA
TCL Chinese Theatres IMAX – Hollywood, CA
AMC Mission Valley 20 & IMAX Theatre – San Diego, CA

Washington DC
AMC Georgetown 14 & IMAX Theatre – Washington, DC

Florida
AMC Aventura 24 & IMAX Theatre – Aventura, FL

Georgia
Regal Atlantic Station & IMAX Theatre – Atlanta, GA

Illinois
AMC Oakbrook 12 & IMAX Theatre – Oak Brook, IL

Minnesota
AMC Rosedale 14 & IMAX Theatre – Roseville, MN

Massachusetts
AMC Boston Common 19 – IMAX – Boston, MA

New York
AMC Empire 25 & IMAX Theatre – New York, NY

North Carolina
Regal Stonecrest At Piper Glen & IMAX – Charlotte, NC

Pennsylvania
Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX Theatre – King of Prussia, PA

Texas
AMC Northpark 15 & IMAX Theatre – Dallas, TX
Regal Edwards Houston Marq*E & IMAX – Houston, TX
Santikos Palladium IMAX Theatre – San Antonio, TX

Tennessee
Malco Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX Theatre – Memphis, TN

Washington
Regal Thornton Place & IMAX Theatre – Seattle, WA

Canada

Cineplex Cinemas Winston Churchill & IMAX Theatre – Oakville, ON

Hearst’s magazine workers protest mandatory return-to-office through the National Labor Relations Board

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After more than a year of working remotely through the COVID-19 pandemic, staffers at Hearst’s magazines are fighting back against a mandatory return to office.

Workers at the magazine-publishing division of Hearst — which runs outlets including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Men’s Health — have filed an unfair labor practices charge against their employer with the National Labor Relations Board via their union, the Writer’s Guild of America East.

The document filed with the NLRB and shared with ABC News by the union alleges unfair labor practices because the management failed to negotiate with workers in good faith over return-to-office protocols.

The labor action from the magazine journalists comes as a slew of companies across the country are now seeking to bring employees back into the office and face new resistance after some 20 months of remote work during the health crisis.

Record-high levels of people quitting their jobs as the pandemic wanes and other unique labor market conditions have also been linked to workers being emboldened to negotiate for what they want in the workplace recently, especially as major companies have reported struggling to find staff.

Over 300 employees (out of a bargaining unit of some 450 people) from Hearst’s magazines division also signed a petition that was delivered to management demanding workplace location flexibility.

“We, the undersigned, trust in our colleagues to perform all their work responsibilities from the location that is most suitable to their needs. We have seen our colleagues adapt to unprecedented changes in our work lives without a drop in productivity,” the petition, shared with ABC News by the union, states. “We do not believe that a return to office is the same as a return to work, because for all Hearst employees, we have never stopped working, regardless of our location.”

The petition adds that while some employees require access to the office to do their work, they are simply seeking a “continuation of the functional norm that we have reached as a result of our extraordinary circumstances, with employees and teams able to make decisions that are appropriate for their work needs.”

In a Twitter thread posted by the Hearst Magazines Media Union, the group says that they have been seeking to negotiate with management “for months” over return-to-office plans but still feel in the dark. The thread adds that it was only four business days before the scheduled return that some New York-based employees learned of the COVID exposure policy, and that many health and safety questions remain unanswered.

“It’s our position that by barreling ahead with these last-minute plans, management is making a unilateral change to our work circumstances without adequately bargaining over the change as required by federal law,” the union tweeted. “We are ready to cooperate with any investigation the NLRB deems necessary and are hopeful this process will reinforce to the company how serious we are about workplace safety.”

Some journalists working at Hearst have weighed in on the debate on Twitter, arguing flexible work arrangement offers more time to spend with family and more.

A Hearst magazine’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Tuesday.

“We recognize that returning to the office is a big step and that some people are apprehensive about it,” Debi Chirichella, Hearst’s president, said in an email to staff last month, according to the New York Times, which reported that Hearst is seeking employees to be in the office at least three days a week. Chirichella continued: “Adjusting to this new way of working will require the same flexibility, patience and collaboration that we all demonstrated when we began working from home.”

Data from the Department of Labor indicates that many companies are in the process of recalling workers back to their offices. The DOL said that 11.6% of employed person’s teleworked because of the pandemic last month, down from 13.2% in September.

Glass Animals break ‘Billboard’ record for longest journey to top 10

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It’s taken from the middle of — not June — but January until now for Glass Animals to finally score their first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit.

Yes, believe it or not, the British band’s single “Heat Waves” has finally reached number 10 on the Hot 100, 42 weeks after it first entered that chart back on January 16 of this year. That’s the longest any song has ever taken to get to the top 10 in the more than 60-year history of the chart.

The previous record was held by country superstar and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, whose single “Before He Cheats” took 38 weeks to hit the top 10. Other acts who’ve seen their hits take 30 or more weeks to reach those heights include Imagine Dragons, Nickelback, Creed, and country-pop crossover stars Gabby Barrett, Lonestar and Faith Hill.

“Heat Waves” is from Glass Animals’ third album, Dreamland, which became their first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 upon its release in August of 2020. The band’s current single is “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance.”

Glass Animals are up for Favorite Pop Duo or Group and Favorite Rock Artist at the American Music Awards, which will be handed out later this month on ABC.

U2 debuts new “Your Song Saved My Life” music video promoting Education Through Music charity

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

U2 and the upcoming animated film Sing 2 have teamed up with the Education Through Music nonprofit to create a special music video for the Irish rockers’ new tune “Your Song Saved My Life” to promote the organization, which provides music classes to children in under-resourced schools throughout North America.

The video, which premiered today on U2’s YouTube channel, features several students and teachers from the Education Through Music (ETM) program, who, through interviews, voice-overs and subtitles, share why music has had such an important positive impact on their lives. The clip seeks to demonstrate the importance of ETM’s goal of making high-quality music education available to more young people across America.

You can support ETM and find out more about the program by visiting YourSongSavedMyLife.com and www.national.etmonline.org.

As previously reported, “Your Song Saved My Life,” which was released last week, will appear on the soundtrack album for Sing 2, which features Bono making his animated film debut as the voice of a rock-star lion character named Clay Calloway. The flick is scheduled to get its U.S. premiere on December 22.

The album, which will be released on December 17, also features Bono duetting with Sing 2 co-star Scarlett Johansson on a version of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” as well as Johansson performing renditions of the band’s “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.” On the latter tune, Scarlett is joined by Sing 2 cast members Reese Witherspoon, Nick Kroll and Taron Egerton.

The 21-song soundtrack also includes tunes by Elton John, Whitney Houston, Billie Eilish, Pharrell Williams and more. You can pre-order the album now.

Wait and bark: Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg shares dog’s reaction to new mask

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Not only do Slipknot‘s masks terrify humans, but they’re pretty confusing to dogs, too.

Drummer Jay Weinberg posted an Instagram video of his dog, a Brussels Griffon named Papaya, reacting to his new mask. Weinberg placed the mask on the floor next to Papaya, who then proceeded to circle and sniff it intently in between intermittent barking.

That the mask might have an interesting smell for dogs probably shouldn’t be that surprising, given that a tour laundry specialist once deemed garments worn by Slipknot to be the “most soiled” he’s ever handled.

Weinberg debuted his new mask during Slipknot’s performance at Knotfest Los Angeles last week. The show also featured the live premiere of the Knot’s new single, “The Chapletown Rag.”

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Viola Davis transforms into Michelle Obama in ‘The First Lady’; Steve McQueen sets next feature, ‘Blitz’

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Entertainment Weekly has shared the first-look images of Viola Davis as former First Lady Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady, an anthology series about women in the White House.

As previously reported, the new series, told from the perspective of the women “at the heart of the White House” will also star Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, Cailee Spaeny as Anna Roosevelt, and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. The First Lady is scheduled to be released on Showtime in the spring of 2022.

In other news, Deadline is reporting that Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen has set his next feature film. McQueen has signed on to write, direct, and produce Blitz, a project based on his original idea. He will produce the project with New Regency, the company that helped to made his Oscar winning film 12 Years a Slave. Plot details on Blitz are being kept under wraps. The new film will begin production sometime next year.

Finally, Will Smith was apparently in the giving spirit during the making of his upcoming film, King Richard. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smith, who was reportedly paid up to $40 million for his role as Richard Williams, gifted cash bonuses to his costars who worked with him on the critically-acclaimed drama. Those co-stars included, Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, who play his daughters Venus and Serena, as well as Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis, among others. Smith’s bonuses to the cast came after Warner Bros. changed the release plan for the upcoming movie to debut simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service HBO Max on November 19.

Watch sneak peek of Billie Eilish on ‘Sesame Street’

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Ahead of Billie Eilish’s guest spot on Sesame Street set to air next year, the show has released a sneak peek of her putting an educational spin on her song “Happier Than Ever.”

In the clip posted to YouTube and shared on Billie’s socials, the singer duets with The Count, changing the lyrics to be all about counting to two. They’re helped by Bert, Elmo and other Muppets.

“When I’m counting with you/I’m happier than ever,” she sings. “…Here is what we’ll do/Come on, let’s count to two.”

The 52nd season of Sesame Street debuts November 11 on Cartoonito on HBO Max, with new episodes — 35 in all — dropping every Thursday. Billie’s episode won’t air until June 16, 2022.

“He made me a better human being” — Scott Bakula posts tribute to ‘Quantum Leap’ co-star Dean Stockwell

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Actor Scott Bakula posted to Instagram a heartfelt tribute to his Quantum Leap co-star Dean Stockwell, who died Saturday at age 85. ABC News’ Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV reported the Oscar nominee’s death was from natural causes.

Bakula, who in Quantum Leap played an accidental time-traveler whose only contact was Stockwell’s Admiral Al Calavicci, a hologram advisor, remembered the actor fondly.

He explained Stockwell read for the adventure show after Bakula was already cast. “We connected immediately and my career and my life were changed that day,” he recalled.

Bakula said his co-star became a “dear friend and mentor” over five “very intense years” on the series; a man whose passions included, “life, his work, his art (he was an amazing artist!), his family, all kinds of causes, people, music, the planet, cigars, golf, and on and on!”

Bakula noted his former co-star was a former child actor himself, and as such had a “soft spot” for the young performers who appeared on Leap, a series that earned Stockwell a Golden Globe.

“He was very protective of their rights and safety and always checked in with them to make sure that they were ok,” Scott noted, adding, “His big hearted response to the kids made all of us take notice and be better guardians ourselves.”

In closing, Bakula said, “I loved him dearly and was honored to know him. He made me a better human being…”

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Placebo announces first new album in nine years

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A friend in need’s a friend indeed, but a friend with new music is better.

Placebo has announced a new album for the first time in nearly a decade. The U.K. band will release Never Let Me Go, the follow-up to 2013’s Loud Like Love, on March 25, 2022.

Never Let Me Go includes the previously released single “Beautiful James,” as well as a just-released track called “Surrounded with Spies.” Both tunes are available now for digital download.

Placebo will hit the road in support of Never Let Me Go in November 2022 for a U.K. tour.

Here’s the Never Let Me Go track list:

“Forever Chemicals”
“Beautiful James”
“Hugz”
“Happy Birthday in the Sky”
“The Prodigal”
“Surrounded By Spies”
“Try Better Next Time”
“Sad White Reggae”
“Twin Demons”
“Chemtrails”
“This Is What You Wanted”
“Went Missing”
“Fix Yourself”

20,000 people sign petition to have Travis Scott removed from Coachella lineup

November 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Travis Scott is scheduled to be one of the headliners of the 2022 Coachella festival, and 20,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking the promoters to remove him from the lineup.

The petition is titled, “Remove Travis Scott as a Goldenvoice performer.” Goldenvoice is the promoter for the event. Coachella will be held April 15-17, and April 22-24, 2022 in Indio, California. Due to the pandemic, the event was canceled this year, and in 2020.

“With the recent tragic and unnecessary death at Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert, due to Scott’s own gross negligence and sheer lack of compassion for human life, we ask AEG, Paul Tollett, and Goldenvoice to remove him as performer at all of their festivals,” petition creator Sendero Secreto commented.

As previously reported, Scott was scheduled to headline this weekend’s Day N Vegas Festival, which is also promoted by Goldenvoice, but he has cancelled his performance. He is being replaced by Post Malone.

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