MOVIES AND CELEBS

The latest local and national television, movie and celebrity news from New Orleans and beyond

Columbia Pictures / MGMDaniel Craig reprises his 007 role in the new James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace.'

The fallout just keeps on coming from last week's announcement that next installment in the "Harry Potter" franchise -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- will be delayed until next summer. The newest film affected: the eagerly awaited James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace."

Columbia Pictures and MGM announced today (Aug. 21) that the release of "Quantum of Solace" has been pushed back a week, to Nov. 14.

The move comes just a few days after Summit Entertainment moved its "Twilight" -- based on the wildly popular young-adult vampire book series -- into "Harry Potter's" old Nov. 21 slot.

In announcing the move, Columbia and MGM execs made no bones about the fact that the move was triggered by the "Potter" delay.

"The strategic move places the highly-anticipated James Bond adventure one week closer to the prime movie-going holiday window and takes advantage of last week's decision to move the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," officials said in a press release.

In a 2002 interview, The Times-Picayune's Chris Rose asked the street performer The Naked Cowboy: What is your destiny?

"I am destined to become the most celebrated entertainer of all time, affecting the lives of every man, woman and child alive with the spirit of unlimited determination," said the Cowboy, whom Rose had seen in the French Quarter dressed only in cowboy hat, cowboy boots and little-boy underwear briefs. Also a guitar.

"Sounds like you're ready to displace Elvis at the top of the pop-culture pantheon," Rose continued.

"Elvis is nothing," said the Cowboy. "Before it's all over, I will make Elvis look like a dork. Nothing against Elvis, mind you."

According to a Thursday (August 21) report in The New York Post, The Naked Cowboy (real name: Robert Burck) is moving closer to his goal.

www.nakedcowboy.comThe Naked Cowboy.

www.nakedcowboy.comThe Naked Cowboy.

In theaters Friday, Aug. 22.

• Read more on "Death Race," including Times-Picayune movie critic Mike Scott's One-Word Review.
• See a scene from 1975's "Death Race 2000" below.

"Madden NFL '09" by EA.

• Game retails for $60 for PS 3 and Xbox 360; $50 for Wii; $40 for PSP, PS 2 and Xbox; $30 for DS.

• Plays as fun as games get. Looks great. Easy to challenging, depending on your skill level. Rated "E."

• Ratings: "E" for "Everyone; " "T" for "Teen; " "M" for "Mature 17+"

• Games are rated a maximum of four stars.

Four stars

I have tortured many girlfriends over the years, not in a CIA kind of way, but in a way that's almost as bad -- staying up until 7 a.m., night after night, playing as the New Orleans Saints until I win 15 Super Bowls in "Madden" football.

Rainn Wilson, right, rocks the leopard print shirt in the comedy 'The Rocker,' which opened Wednesday (Aug. 20) in wide release.

The new comedy "The Rocker," starring Rainn Wilson of "The Office," shimmied its way into theaters Wednesday (Aug. 20), and although it's a thoroughly average film (if you missed my review in Wednesday's Living section, you can find it at www.nola.com/movies), there's still fun to be had in lampooning the rock scene.

In fact, long before "The Rocker" took the stage, Hollywood has been worshipping at the altar of rock, with a long line of noteworthy rock 'n' roll flicks cranked out over the years.

So, for those about to rock -- and in the shredding spirit of Wilson's "Rocker" character -- we offer a list of some of our favorite rock films, from comedies to dramas to concert documentaries.

Feel free to sing along . . .

A scene from the film 'College,' which was filmed in New Orleans and opens Aug. 29.

The beer-soaked campus comedy "College" wrapped up its local shoot some time last spring -- after spending a whole lot of time on the Tulane University campus Uptown -- but the production is having one last weeklong blow-out before it graduates to the big screen Aug. 29.

Several studio-sponsored parties will take place at local collegiate hotspots in an effort to boost awareness of the film, which stars Drake Bell, Andrew Caldwell and Kevin Covais as three high-school kids who try to live the college experience for a single weekend. Among the events:

Courtesy of BravoPart-time New Orleanian Varla Jean Merman appeared on episode six of this season's "Project Runway."

What did you think of Varla's outfit?
Add your comments below ».More photos and analysis »

Beloved local drag diva Varla Jean Merman and designer Joe Faris, age 41, rocked "Project Runway" Wednesday night, scoring a sequin smackdown in a the competition to create costumes for drag queens.

When Varla Jean and a number of New-York-based drag performers were introduced, Varla Jean's comments got the biggest laughs. After designer Faris started working on the costume, it was Varla Jean, (AKA Jeff Roberson), who suggested putting a nautical spin on the outfit.

The Southwest Theatre and Film Association is seeking entries for the first cineSouthwest Short Film Festival, to be held in conjunction with the 61st Annual Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Dates for the conference and short film festival are November 5-9 and deadline for entries is September 15, 2008.

Baton Rouge-based Global Quality Assurance Center to be first in United States
Gov. Bobby Jindal and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced a partnership including Electronic Arts (EA), Louisiana State University (LSU) and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) that will lead to the creation of a new global quality assurance (QA) center in Baton Rouge. The facility will be the first of its kind in the United States and will serve primarily as a test center for EA SPORTS' software titles.