Here and now Who's driving the buzz?

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Apr 27, 2003

After buddying up with both Steven Seagal and Jet Li - in Exit Wounds and Cradle 2 The Grave respectively - rapper-turned-actor DMX, right, is set to headline his first feature. He'll take the lead role in Werewolf, playing a mystic bluesman on a mission to rid the world of lycanthropic creatures, the last of which live in the Hollywood Hills. Sounds rough.Young, easy-on-the-eye jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, (who you may remember reading about in Review a few weeks back) has just signed a record deal with Universal worth a cool million. They obviously reckon the 23-year-old - who peppers his live sets with intriguing covers of Radiohead and Jimi Hendrix tunes - must have some crossover appeal.Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris and Shannen Doherty are all set for a Beverly Hills 90210 reunion a decade after the show finished. But for some reason cast member Tori Spelling, far right, is passing up the chance to be part of the special television show, due for broadcast on the Fox network on May 11, despite being the daughter of show creator Aaron Spelling. We don't really care, of course, but it does mean we can invoke the classic 1992 episode which featured our favourite band The Flaming Lips miming to their MTV-assisted hit She Don't Use Jelly, inspiring cast-member Ian Ziering to utter the immortal line: "I don't like alternative music but these guys rock!"

This week, we talk to The Delgados on page 6 about their involvement in the Concern/Sunday Herald Concert For Africa on May 17 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The band will share a bill with Belle And Sebastian and the mighty Mull Historical Society, with the gig compered by Karen Dunbar. The last batch of tickets - priced (pounds) 25 - has been released for sale. So if you haven't secured yours yet, head down to the box office or call 0141-353 8000.

Three more acts have been added to the HEBS Live And Loud pop festival at Hampden Stadium on July 27. Joining the current line-up of Blue, Gareth Gates, Liberty X, Sugababes,Mis-Teeq, Busted and Kym Marsh are local lad and Fame Academy colossus David Sneddon plus Big Brovaz and, um, Lisa from Steps (above).

There's yet another reason to get excited about The Matrix sequels; they're planning to release the blockbusters in the massive IMAX format - that's 10 times larger than regular film projection sizes. The IMAX print of The Matrix Reloaded will be released in the USA a few weeks after its May 15 opening date, while the final instalment The Matrix Revolutions will be the first film ever to be released concurrently on 35mm and IMAX when it finally arrives on November 5. "The IMAX experience will add a new dimension to the films' groundbreaking visual action," notes producer Joel Silver, "and advances the Wachowski brothers' vision for telling the trilogy's story in multiple formats." If the move proves to be a success in the US - and let's face it, it's probably going to be absolutely ginormous - expect a similar big format roll-out right here in the UK.