EXXON/MOBIL Posts (Another) Record $11.68 Billion Profit

Source: CNN.com

Exxon Mobil once again reported the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history Thursday, posting net income of $11.68 billion on revenue of $138 billion in the second quarter.

That profit works out to $1,485.55 a second.

That barely beat the previous corporate record of $11.66 billion, also set by Exxon in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Well at least SOMEones making ends meet during this time of economic hardship… wait… Anyone got an old rusty dull-bladed guillotine laying around in their basement somewhere?

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CHEECH AND CHONG Reuniting

Source: ChicagoTribune.com, MarketWatch.com

Their feud finally having gone up in smoke, Cheech and Chong say they’re eager to get back on the road for their first comedy tour in more than 25 years.

“We had such a legacy, such a history. We couldn’t escape it, even if we tried,” Tommy Chong told reporters at a news conference Wednesday at the Troubadour, the Los Angeles nightclub where the pair were discovered more than 35 years ago.

The following “Light Up America” tour dates are confirmed:

September 12 @ Tower Theatre — Philadelphia, PA
September 13 @ Warner Theatre — Washington, DC
September 19 @ Murat Center — Indianapolis, IN
September 20 @ Fillmore State — Detroit, MI
September 26 @ Tabernacle — Atlanta, GA
September 27 @ Fillmore Jackie Gleason — Miami, FL
October 24 @ Westbury Theatre — Westbury, NY
October 25 @ Orpheum Theatre — Minneapolis, MN
October 31 @ Verizon Wireless — Houston, TX
November 1 @ Majestic Theatre — Dallas, TX
November 7 @ Chevrolet Theatre — Wallingford, CT
November 8 @ Rosemont Theatre — Rosemont, IL
November 14 @ Dodge Theatre — Phoenix, AZ
November 15 @ Austin Music Hall — Austin, TX
November 21 @ Memorial Auditorium — Sacramento, CA
November 22 @ Berkeley Community Theatre — Berkley, CA
November 28 @ Copley Symphony Hall — San Diego, CA
November 29 @ Paramount Theatre — Seattle, WA
November 30 @ San Jose PAC — San Jose, CA
December 6 @ Gibson Amphitheater — Los Angeles, CA
December 12 @ Orpheum Theatre — Boston, MA
December 13 @ Borgata Music Box — Atlantic City, NJ
December 19 @ Silver Legacy Casino — Reno, NV
December 20 @ Paramount Theatre — Denver, CO

Read more HERE.

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DARON ARONOFSKY To Direct New ROBOCOP Movie

Source: CraveOnline.com

Not clear on whether it’s a remake or a sequel.

MGM has singed Darren Aronofsky to direct the next Robocop movie. The director is best known for directing ‘The Fountain’, as well as ‘Pi’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream’. The movie will be written by David Self who wrote ‘Road to Perdition’.

Read more HERE.

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MARILYN MANSON Lawsuit Update (07.27.08)

Source: CBS2.com

Marilyn Manson — sued for millions by a former band mate who maintains the offbeat singer spent money belonging to the band partnership on extravagant acquisitions — says he is the sole decision-maker when it comes to the group’s money.

Manson makes the assertions in a five-page declaration included in hundreds of pages of documents his lawyers filed Friday in connection with an Oct. 3 motion to dismiss ex-band keyboardist Stephen Bier’s lawsuit on grounds there are no triable issues.

Central to the litigation is whether steps were ever taken to dissolve the band partnership. Manson maintains it ended 12 years ago, and Bier was an employee after that.

Read more HERE.

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METALLICA: ‘DEATH MAGNETIC’ Track Listing, Album Cover Revealed

Source: Blabbermouth.net

“DEATH MAGNETIC” track listing:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Broken, Beat & Scarred
04. The Day That Never Comes
05. All Nightmare Long
06. Cyanide
07. The Unforgiven III
08. The Judas Kiss
09. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse

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AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE: SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON Searches For CARL For LIVE ACTION Episode

Source: CraveOnline.com

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE have begun searching for a real life human to portray CARL in an upcoming live action episode of the Adult Swim show. For anyone who’s seen the show you know this isn’t as easy a task as it sounds.

The search for a real life Carl will begin in San Diego at the Omni Hotel during the Sand Diego Comic Con on Saturday, July 26th from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. Dave Willis, the co creator of the show and the voice of Carl will be on hand to aid in the judging.

Read more HERE.

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My Thoughts On THE DARK KNIGHT [spoiler free]

I actually stopped watching the previews and new trailers and ‘making ofs’ and behind the scenes about a month ago (with the exception of the www.gothamcablenews.com stuff). I was a little worried that there would be very few suprises left.

I was way wrong there. THE DARK KNIGHT marketing team is the best in the business. Nothing given away. And the last 40 minutes follow a storyline I didn’t expect.

The movie is an A+++++++++ It’s long and you will thank CHRISTOPHER NOLAN for every second you get to see. The twists and turns keep you guessing wtf!? And at least five times during the course of the movie I found myself dropping KEANU REEVES most endeared movie line (‘woah’). I’m going to see it again tomorrow (which I never do with a new release) just to see all shit I missed due to that annoying habit of blinking I was unable to overcome.

CHRISTIAN BALE, HEATH LEDGER, AARON ECKHART, and GARY OLDMAN are a dream team. Even at two two and a half hours I still thought I could’ve used more Bale and Eckhart but that’s just me being selfish. The story front to back jumps from the four main characters the way it should. Not too much of any one thing. Not too little of any one twist.

A lot of focus is on Ledger and his Joker portrayal. Because it’s just that good. I thought his casting as The Joker was spot on when it was announced and was heartbroken when I heard about his accidental passing. A posthumous Academy Award for a supporting role has been earned.

I have to confess to being a bit uncomfortable with audience laughter in regards to Joker moments in the movie. Ledger is nothing but intense, freaky, and ‘off’ in a way that I suppose could make people respond in bits of nervous laughter, perhaps in the same way I thought Javier Bardem came across in last years Academy Award winning Best Picture winner ‘NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN‘.

But make no mistake. The JOKER really is a creepy bastard. I wouldn’t want to meet him, nor (like his lesser unfortunate advesaries) would I double cross him or stand up to him. You know that shiver you get up your spine. The JOKER would draw that out of even the bravest of souls in the real world. Only the BATMAN and tragic Gotham District Attorney HARVEY DENT dare to stand in the way of the mass-murdering clown and they pay a heavy price for disrupting the self described ‘agent of chaos’ and his ‘non-planned’ plans. Nolan’s masterful direction and Ledger’s portrayal really make for a strong philisophical conundrum for the hero who has to decide to let evil die or put evil away (knowing the risks should he escape).

THE DARK KNIGHT should get a nomination for Best Picture. It deserves the comparisons it has gotten to Michael Mann’s HEAT and The Departed. Someone even said The Godfather. Whether it wins depends on what else is released this year. I’m not even sure what else is in the running at this point. The point is: Go see it! NOW!

A final note. Keep an eye out for THE WATCHMEN movie trailer. It’s going to be a big one. It is considered THEE single greatest comic book story ever conceived and for good reason. ZACH SNIDER of Frank Miller’s ‘300′ fame is directing and the preview looks very very promising.

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THE DARK KNIGHT Shatters Multiple Opening Weekend Records

Source: Associated Press, CNN

It’s a little premature to add Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and a Best Supporting Actor for HEATH LEDGER but the following ‘bests’ have now been confirmed for THE DARK KNIGHT:

Opening Day and One Day Box Office record: 66.4 million
Best debut in IMAX large-screen theaters: $6.2 million
Best Midnight Screenings: $18.5 million
Opening weekend record: $155.3

beating previous records:

Opening Day and One Day Box Office record: $59.8 (SPIDER-MAN 3)
Best debut in IMAX large-screen theaters: $4.7 million (SPIDER-MAN 3)
Best Midnight Screenings: $16.9 million (Star Wars: Episode III: REVENGE OF THE SITH)
Opening weekend record: $151.1 (SPIDER-MAN 3)

Read more HERE.

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THE WATCHMEN Movie Trailer Debuts

Source: Apple.com, SuperHeroHype.com,

http://www.superherohype.com/news/watchmennews.php?id=7491

Watch it HERE in Quicktime. THE WATCHMEN hits theaters on March 6, 2009.

The Warner Bros. Pictures release stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer.

A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the watchmen?

Read more HERE.

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90210 Returns On 09.02.08, SHANNON DOHERTY Role Reprisal Detailed

Source: The CW, ComingSoon.net

Shannen Doherty returns to the zip code that made her famous when she guest stars in multiple episodes of The CW’s spin-off, “90210,” premiering Tuesday, September 2.

Doherty will reprise her role as Brenda Walsh, who was last seen headed to London to study acting. Jennie Garth returns as Kelly Taylor, now a West Beverly guidance counselor; Tori Spelling returns as Donna Martin, now owner of an upscale boutique, and Joe E. Tata returns as Nat, owner of The Peach Pit.

Read more HERE.

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SLIPKNOT: ‘PSYCHOSOCIAL’ Video Posted Online

Source: YouTube.com

Watch it HERE.

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MARAZENE To Headline 2nd Annual CREAM OF THE CROPS Festival, Partial Lineup Announced

Source: De Los Santos Productions, www.Myspace.com/Marazene

Chicago based Machine-Metalists MARAZENE ( http://www.myspace.com/marazene ) will headline the 2nd Annual CREAM OF THE CROPS Festival to be held Labor Day Weekend; Sunday, August 31st, 2008.

Held in the heart of the Mississippi Valley in Davenport,IA, The Cream of the Crops Heavy Metal Music Festival is dedicated to highlighting the wealth of talented local and regional acts in the Midwest.

Bands confirmed so far:

Marazene (Chicago, IL)
Speedfinger (Rock Island, IL)
Mindset Evolution (Peoria, IL)
Lost Nation (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Mob Rules (Rock Island, IL)
Three Years Hollow (Moline, IL)
The System After (Peoria, IL)
Freaklabel (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Wastelander (Flint, MI)
Through Terror (Davenport, IA)
Blind The Sun (Rock Island, IL)
Left of Center (Moline, IL)

Live remotes will be provided all day by Rock 104.9, and tattoo and piercing giveaways will be offered by the festivals chief sponsor; OTool Design Custom Tattoo and Body Piercing. The event is the collaborative brainchild of OD Productions and Rodman Productions.

Last year Des Moines’s FACECAGE (Great Big Mouth Records) and Tenessee based STRAIGHT LINE STITCH (Koch Records) anchored an all day 15 band lineup on and this year the trend continues with dual stages and a lineup of some of the best underground metal bands ever assembled on the banks of the Mississippi River.

COTC2 headliners, Marazene recently announced support dates with Wednesday 13. The following dates are confirmed:

July 22 — Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
July 23 — Mokena, IL @ Pearl Room
July 25 — Milwaukee, WI @ Vnuk’s Lounge
July 27 — St. Paul, MN @ Station 4

Marazene have toured with such acts as MUSHROOMHEAD, PSYCLON NINE, DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY, and THE HUMAN ABSTRACT and continue to write follow-up to their debut album, “MachiNation”, self-released on 06.06.06.

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VH1 Confirms 3rd Season Of ‘ROCK OF LOVE’

Source: Bravewords.com

VH1 has confirmed that POISON singer BRET MICHAELS will continue his Rock Of Love reality series in early 2009 with ROCK OF LOVE BUS With Bret Michaels.

The official press release can be read HERE.

This is not to be confused with the VH1 reality show with both SHARON OSBOURNE and the ‘ROCK OF LOVE’ girls from the first two seasons which is set to air THIS Fall on VH1.

The hard-partying gals of Rock of Love 1 and 2 are in major need of a manners lesson, and who better to tutor them in lady skills than metal mama Sharon Osbourne?

Read more about this show HERE.

Nor is it to be confused with the OZZY OSBOURNE family variety show which FOX is set to produce and air sometime soon.

Read more on that show HERE.

Amazing!

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MARAZENE Add Milwaukee Show To WEDNESDAY 13 Tour Dates

Source: De Los Santos Productions, www.myspace.com/marazene

Chicago based machine-metalists MARAZENE will hit the road in July as support for WEDNESDAY 13 on select US dates.

The following dates are confirmed:

7.22 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
7.23 – Mokena, IL @ Pearl Room
7.25 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vnuk’s Lounge
7.27 – St. Paul, MN @ Station 4

Marazene completed three national tours in 2007 with such acts as MUSHROOMHEAD, PSYCLON NINE, DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY, and THE HUMAN ABSTRACT as well as dozens of Midwestern regional tour dates in support, all under the banner 100% DIY.

Marazene are currently in the studio writing the follow-up to their debut album, MachiNation, self released on 06.06.06.

Marazene multi-instrumentalist and co-founder Dietrich Thrall recently issued a studio update for the band: “We have a couple dozen really strong song ideas and we’re writing more every day. There’s plenty of new material in all different stages of development and we’re constantly bouncing riffs off of one another on whatever instrument the part calls for.”

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AARON ECKHART Talks HARVEY DENT In New Interview

Source: CraveOnline.com

Great interview with AARON ECKHART who will portray HARVEY DENT in the THE DARK KNIGHT movie. Read it HERE.

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‘THE SPIRIT’ Trailer Posted Online

Source: Coming Soon, MTV, Yahoo, IMDB

Watch the new trailer for Frank Miller’s ‘The Spirit’ HERE. The opening date has apparently changed since my last update. The updated release date is December 25th, 2008.

More info, pictures, and interviews can be found HERE.

Based on the Will Eisner comic book, the action-adventure stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Dan Lauria, Stana Katic, Johnny Simmons and Louis Lombardi.

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RUSH To Perform On ‘THE COLBERT REPORT’ TONIGHT

Source: The Associated Press

RUSH will perform “TOM SAWYER” on Comedy Central’s “THE COBERT REPORT” Wednesday, July 16 at 11:30 p.m. EST.

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GOTHAM TONIGHT Sits Down With HARVEY DENT, The JOKER Strikes Back (Another DARK KNIGHT Viral Marketing Campaign Update)

Source: GothamCableNews.com

THE DARK KNIGHT Viral Marketing Campaign kicks it up a notch as the July 18th, 2008 theatrical release steadily creeps up on the calendar.

GOTHAM CABLE NEWS world-famous journalist MIKE ENGEL (ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL) sits down with newly elected Gotham District Attorney HARVEY DENT (AARON ECKHART). Watch it HERE.

Gotham News Archives:

www.gothamcablenews.com/gotham_tonight_0616.aspx (Spotlight On Gotham Election)
www.gothamcablenews.com/gotham_tonight_0623.aspx (Spotlight On Bruce Wayne)
www.gothamcablenews.com/gotham_tonight_0627.aspx (Spotlight On Lt. Jim Gordon)
www.gothamcablenews.com/gotham_tonight_0627_2.aspx (Spotlight On Gotham Crime)
www.gothamcablenews.com/gotham_tonight_0703.aspx (Spotlight On Sal Maroni)

Also, ALL of THE DARK KNIGHT viral marketing sites have been defaced by THE JOKER including www.GothamCableNews.com. Check out the handiwork at the links listed below.

Gotham City sites:

www.gothamcitypizzeria.com/ (check here for Two-Face)
www.trustgarcetti.com/
www.thegothamtimes.com/
www.gothamelectionboard.com/
www.ibelieveinharveydent.com/
www.maidenavenuereport.com/
www.danaworthington.com/
www.citizensforbatman.org/
www.saintswithunschurch.org/
www.gvafoundation.org/
www.gpdiad.com/
www.gothamcab.com/
www.wearetheanswer.org/
www.gothamnationalbank.com/
www.rememberinggina.org/
www.gothampolice.com/
www.gothamcityrail.com/

Joker sites (look around carefully):

www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com/
www.whysoserious.com/
www.rorysdeathkiss.com/

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JON FAVREAU Confirmed To Direct IRON MAN 2

Source: DeadlineHollywodDaily.com

Marvel Studios and Iron Man director Jon Favreau have reached a deal for him to helm the sequel, due out in 2010. (Robert Downey Jr had a sequel clause in his contract so he’s on board.)

Read more HERE.

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HEROES Season 3 Spoilers Leaked

Source: DigitalSpy

Read them at your own risk HERE.

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