Spike Lee presents Michael Jackson Documentary -Bad 25- in Venice Film Festival. More info in the following links:

www.reuters.com/video/2012/08/31/spike-lee-presents-michael-jackson-docum?videoId=237441089&videoChannel=3

www.variety.com/article/VR1118058543

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-festival-michael-jackson-biopic-bad-367256

Our project is, in part, interested in the influence that the idols have even after death. While we reach out to provide a path to enlightenment, there is evidence of them reaching back in unexpected ways. Amy Winehouse’s early death has had a previously unseen positive influence beyond her music.

Winehouse’s album Lioness: Hidden Treasures was initially launched December 2, 2011, and contains songs and demos that were previously unreleased. Although notable because it features the last recordings of her great talent, the proceeds from the album are going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. This foundation supports charitable activities that provide help, support or care for young people in need due to poor health, financial disadvantage, or addiction.  Recently, the foundation donated €25,000 to the LauraLynn House in Ireland which assists in children’s hospice care. Foundations such as these prove that many icons, despite a short lifetime, can provide a long-lasting positive legacy.

What would you do to own a part of your favorite idol? Many of us would perhaps listen to a song or go buy a favorite album, but of course there are more unlikely options too. Recently, a 1972 minivan was selling for the mere price of $24,701. This isn’t your run of the mill family van though. In fact, it features doodles from Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

The Melvan, nicknamed after the van’s previous owners the Melvins, came up on eBay at the end of August. Cobain, who was a roadie for the band, just happened to sketch the busts of Kiss. The Kiss members’ likenesses on the driver’s side of the van have been verified and were reportedly created with a stolen Sharpie pen.  Unfortunately, the bidding on the van has ended. For those of us who didn’t get the chance to own a piece of grunge rock history this time, we’ll just have to wait for resale!

Very few people attain iconic status in their lifetimes. Without a doubt, Whitney Houston is one deserving of the title. Her work in music and on-screen have made her likeness well-known to almost anyone in the world. This autumn Houston’s estate will release an official tribute book honoring her life and career.

Whitney: Tribute to an Icon will feature over 100 images of the star from several photographers like Patrick Demarchelier and David LaChapelle. In addition, many important figures in the music industry like Clive Davis will write essays and contribute to the overall styling of the book. Whitney will offer a timeline of Houston’s style and music but an intimate portrait of her previously unseen moments. To see how Houston embodies her “iconic” title, be sure to check out the book expected in late November.

August 29th, 2012 would have been Michael Jackson’s 54th birthday. Although many of his fans honor the death of the idol, more and more they’ve been celebrating his birth and life. Devotees returned in droves to the King of Pop’s birthplace in Gary, Indiana, this year joined by Jackson’s children for the occasion. Though there were some more solemn aspects of the celebration, this year has in fact been momentous for the idol.  From the start of Cirque Du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour to rumors of a MJ hologram debuting soon, Jackson’s presence can still be seen and felt around us.

Amy Winehouse burst onto the musical scene in the mid-2000s with her catchy anthems like “Rehab” or “Back to Black.” During her years of success, Winehouse’s struggles with substance abuse became fodder for tabloids and media throughout the world. Despite her negative press, the singer’s career still thrived making her one of the top artists of the decade.

With the recent deaths of Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, much attention has been on the  role of drug and alcohol use in society. A recent government publication in the UK notes that there has been a dramatic decrease in drug use since 1996. What’s causing this decrease? While some government programs has assisted in this drop, the decline has been assisted by popular culture. With figures such as Winehouse passing away from drugs, the glamour often mistakenly associated with their use is being replaced with grisly reality.

http://gu.com/p/39be7/em

Nirvana and their lead singer Kurt Cobain are iconic representations of the 1990s. Cobain’s stripped down and raw music breathed a new life into rock music. His artistry and passion for the craft are still relevant in musical discussions almost 20 years after his death.

When thinking about Cobain and Nirvana, many think of the final days and untimely death of the lead singer. In contrast to this, author Gillian Gaar focuses on the formation and early life of the artist and band in Entertain Us: The Rise of Nirvana. Using a combination of archival materials and interviews with those around the band at the time, Garr is offers the reader an out of the ordinary take on Cobain’s life and the band’s formation. Just because the book takes place in the early years, don’t think the book isn’t full of action and intrigue (including the tumultuous relationship between Cobain and wife Courtney Love)!

 Whitney Houston is the one of our idols who is most recently departed. Her musical stylings from the dance hit “How Will I Know?” to her epic rendition of “I Will Always Love You” for the Bodyguard soundtrack are known by almost everyone. Although departed, Houston is currently appearing her final onscreen performance “Sparkle.”

“Sparkle” is a remake of the 1976 movie of the same name. In this role, Houston plays the mother of a group of girls attempting to make it as a singing group in the Motown scene of 1960s  Detroit. Although a supporting character, Houston’s Emma echoes her own issues with drugs an alcohol. Despite these jarring similarities, Houston delivers one of her last powerful onscreen performances of  “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” For any fan of her music or life, “Sparkle” offers that chance to see Houston in true form.