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Tag: Duncan Jones

  • David Bowie: Son Thanks Lorde For Tribute After Blasting Lady Gaga’s Performance

    David Bowie left behind quite a mass of fans when he passed away earlier this year, and there’s been no shortage of tributes, covers, and performances done in honor of the late musician by those whose lives were touched by him. At last night’s Brit Awards, Lorde performed a simple, no-frills version of Bowie’s song “Life On Mars” and was rewarded with praise from his son Duncan Jones, who thanked her on Twitter.

    The praise came soon after Lady Gaga’s performance at the Grammy Awards, which was sponsored by Intel and featured quite a few technological magic tricks, including one that made Gaga appear as though she was wearing David Bowie’s iconic Ziggy makeup as the show began. Viewers seemed to enjoy the tribute, which was an extended performance featuring several shortened versions of Bowie’s most popular songs, but Duncan Jones took to social media afterward to critique it.

    “Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.’ Damn it! What IS that word!?” he wrote of the definition of “gaga”.

    British actor Gary Oldman was on hand to accept the “Icon” award on behalf of Bowie, giving an eloquent speech about his late friend that was tinged with emotion.

    “In recent years, David sparingly spoke about music and his process. But in one of these rare instances, he graciously and eloquently expounded: ‘Music has given me over 40 years of extraordinary experiences. I can’t say that life’s pains or more tragic episodes have been diminished because of it, but it has allowed me so many moments of companionship when I have been lonely, and a sublime means of communication when I have wanted to touch people. It has been both my doorway of perception and the house that I live in.’…I can share with you that he faced his illness with tremendous courage, dignity, grace, and customary humor, even in dire circumstances. David, you were mortal, but your potential was superhuman and your remarkable music is living on. We love you and we thank you,” Oldman said.

  • David Bowie Now Permanently Inked Onto Lady Gaga’s Body

    David Bowie now holds an esteemed place on Lady Gaga. In addition to living on in her heart, he also lives on the left side of her ribcage, too. She chronicled getting inked via Snapchat.

    Lady Gaga’s new David Bowie tattoo was on display Wednesday evening when the singer arrived at the Rainbow Room in New York City, where she was scheduled to perform for a V magazine party. Wearing a dress that had a revealing cutout just above her waistline, the tattoo was in full view of anyone who glanced her way.

    Lady Gaga lauded David Bowie at the Grammy Awards. Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones, wasn’t impressed.

    Alas Lady Gaga wasn’t bothered at all by Duncan Jones’s comment, in which he wrote a dictionary definition of the word “gaga.”

    Do you think Lady Gaga’s tattoo of David Bowie is a bit strange? After all, she’s in love and engaged to marry the very handsome and sexy Taylor Kinney, star of NBC’s Chicago Fire. Or do you see it as more of a show of love and respect for someone from the music world held in very high esteem by Lady Gaga?

  • Duncan Jones, Son Of David Bowie, Cleverly Shades Lady Gaga’s Tribute To His Late Father

    Lady Gaga’s tribute to the late British rocker David Bowie at the 2016 Grammys may have impressed many but one person did not seem to appreciate her performance.

    Duncan Jones, son of the rock icon, made a cryptic Twitter post after the Grammy Awards show. “Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.’ Damn it! What IS that word!?” Jones, a filmmaker, tweeted.

    Although Jones did not mention any names, fans thought that he was referring to the eccentric singer-songwriter, Lady Gaga, when he quoted the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the term “gaga” in his tweet.

    The tribute to Bowie, who died of cancer earlier this year, was among the most anticipated performances of the 58th Grammy Awards.

    Lady Gaga channeled the Bowie persona Ziggy Stardust with her blue Marc Jacobs gown, bright orange hair, blue eye shadow, and huge killer heels, as she paid tribute to her “music hero.” She covered a medley of Bowie’s hit songs including “Space Oddity,” “Ziggy Stardust,” and “Rebel Rebel.”

    Despite the criticism she received from Jones, the crowd was amazed not only by her voice but also by the costume and the “digital skin” technology the production staff used for her number.

    Duncan Jones Was Not Impressed By This Bowie Tribute by Lady Gaga at the Grammys

    A source told Hollywoodlife that Lady Gaga was not offended by Jones’ tweet. The source claims that the singer respects his opinion.

    “Lady Gaga believes everyone is entitled to their own opinion, including David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones,” the source told HollywoodLife.com.

    “She is, and always has been, a huge fan of David Bowie, his music, and what he stood for. She gave it her all [at The Grammys] and hopes she did the legendary rocker justice. She’s just super grateful she got to pay her respects by honoring him on such a special night,” added the source.

  • Duncan Jones Not Impressed With Lady Gaga’s David Bowie Tribute at the Grammy Awards

    Duncan Jones is likely not a Lady Gaga fan. That would explain his blatant diss expressed via social media, following Lady Gaga’s tribute to his father, the late David Bowie, at the Grammy Awards on Monday night.

    Lady Gaga wore a costume likely inspired by Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. She sang a few of David Bowie’s hits including “Space Oddity,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Changes.”

    Duncan Jones took to Twitter following Lady Gaga’s performance.

    What is that word? The word is “gaga.” Duncan Jones tweeted the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the word.

    That said, he likely either isn’t a fan of Lady Gaga or simply didn’t think she did an appropriate job of paying tribute to his late father.

    Duncan Jones is David Bowie’s son with ex-wife Angela Bowie. Bowie also has a daughter, Alexandria, with wife Iman.

    Did you see Lady Gaga’s tribute to David Bowie at the Grammys on Monday evening? Did you like her performance or do you agree with Duncan Jones’s inference that the tribute wasn’t quite up to par?

  • David Bowie Left Instructions in Will to Have Ashes Strewn in Bali

    David Bowie died on January 10 at the age of 69. The singer and actor–whose legal name was David Jones–suffered from cancer for about a year and a half before he died.

    In his will, David Bowie left explicit instructions about his estate. Nearly half will go to wife Iman. Half will be divided between his two children, Duncan Jones and Alexandria Zahra Jones.

    David Bowie even left instructions stating he wished to be cremated, and that he wanted his ashes strewn in Bali.

    In his will, which was prepared back in 2004, Bowie explained that if cremation on the island of Bali wasn’t possible, he wanted to be cremated elsewhere and have his ashes strewn there just the same.

    ABC News reports that according to David Bowie’s death certificate, his remains were cremated in New Jersey two days after he passed away.

    It’s uncertain if Iman will travel to Bali with their daughter and his son to strew the ashes or not.

    Making end-of-life wishes known often helps surviving family members during their times of grief. David Bowie likely took several things off Iman’s mind by preparing his will in such fine detail so many years ago.

  • Alexandria Zahra Jones, Daughter of David Bowie and Iman, Receives One-Quarter of Late Father’s Estate

    Alexandria Zahra Jones is the daughter of the late David Bowie and model and designer Iman. Named recently in her late father’s will, Alexandria Zahra Jones will one day be a very wealthy woman.

    According to a report from the New York Times, Bowie–whose real name was David Jones–left behind a 20-page will that was filed in Manhattan on Friday. The singer and actor was worth approximately $100 million.

    David Jones left the two penthouses he purchased in 1999 and combined, to his wife Iman Abdulmajid Jones. Of the remainder of his estate, one-quarter is left too his son from his marriage to the former Mary Angela Barnett–Duncan Jones–and one-quarter to Alexandria Zahra Jones. Iman receives one-half of the remaining estate, with the exception of money bequeathed to the family’s nanny and David Bowie’s longtime personal assistant.

    Corinne Schwab, known as Coco, was that personal assistant. She will receive $2 million. The family nanny, Marion Skene, will receive $1 million.

    David Bowie also owned a mountain retreat in upstate New York, which will go to his daughter.

    Since Alexandria Zahra Jones is only 15, her portion of her late father’s estate will go into a trust. Most trusts allow disbursements every few years at certain ages.

    David Bowie died on January 10 at his home in Manhattan of cancer. He was cremated, per his wishes, in New Jersey on January 12. Per his wishes, his ashes will be strewn in Bali, “in accordance with the Buddhist rituals of Bali.”

    Alexandria Zahra Jones will one day be an incredibly rich woman, but would likely trade the wealth for more time with her beloved father.

  • Alexandria Jones, the Late David Bowie’s Daughter: Teen Lives Private, but Normal Life

    Alexandria Jones is, by most accounts, a normal teenager. Living a fairly private life, the teen is now mourning the loss of her dad, David Bowie. Bowie died on Sunday, following an 18-month battle with cancer that most people had no idea he was fighting.

    The daughter of the late Bowie and his wife, model and fashion designer Iman, Alexandria Jones was a surprise for the couple.

    Iman had tried several rounds of IVF to get pregnant, with no success. Heavy reports she and David Bowie were considering adoption, when she became pregnant with Alexandria. Iman already had a daughter, more than 20 years Alexandria Jones’s senior–Zulekha Haywood–from her marriage to Spencer Haywood. David Bowie had one child, a son Duncan Jones, with ex-wife Angela Bowie.

    During David Bowie’s last tour in 2013, Iman made it quite clear that she and Alexandria wouldn’t be joining him.

    “We have a 12-year-old in school,” she told the Daily Mail, “so we are stuck, we can’t travel. Our schedule is around her, so I don’t know. We’ll have to go visit him, but we won’t be on tour with him because she’s in school.”

    David Bowie and Iman were dubbed “regular parents” in their raising of Alexandria Jones, despite the fact that both earned worldwide notoriety.

    Iman will now raise Alexandria as a single mom.

    While the world mourns the passing of David Bowie, probably none are grieving as horribly as Alexandria Jones–a teen who will now grow into a woman sans the earthly guidance of her beloved father.

  • Angela Bowie to Remain on “Celebrity Big Brother” Despite David Bowie’s Death

    Angela Bowie, the ex-wife of the late David Bowie, is a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, leaving many wondering–in light of David Bowie’s passing from cancer on Sunday–if she would remain on the show.

    Producers for the show say Angela Bowie plans to stay put.

    Contestants on the British show live together in a house, and are cut off from the outside world. Publicists for the show say Angela Bowie was informed of David Bowie’s death by her reps, off-camera, and “has taken the decision to continue in the program.”

    “The decision to remain in the house is entirely her choice, and she has been given the option to leave at any time if she changes her mind,” the show said in a statement. “Appropriate support will be available to Angie at any time if needed.”

    Angela Bowie–nee Mary Angela Barnett–married David Bowie in 1970, divorcing ten years later. They had one son together, producer Duncan Jones.

    It’s uncertain what–if anything–Angela Bowie knew of David Bowie’s illness. The world is in shock at his untimely passing.

  • Paula Patton to Star in Warcraft Film

    Paula Patton to Star in Warcraft Film

    Paula Patton, ex-wife of singer Robin Thicke, is set to star in Warcraft, a film based on a franchise of video games, novels, and other media by Blizzard Entertainment.

    Patton will play Garona, a half-orc who is caught between her loyalties to the Alliance and the Horde.

    The Warcraft series is made up of five core games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.

    The games in the series are set around the fantasy setting of Azeroth, where human nations battle against the Orcish Horde with arrived in Azeroth via a dark portal.

    The film has been talked about since 2006 when Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures announced that they were going to develop it. In 2009 it was announced that Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) would be directing but he later backed out due to his commitment to Oz the great and Powerful. Duncan Jones (Source Code) took over as director in 2013.

    Jones said that Raimi had originally painted the Orcs in a bad light, so he changed it to make both sides sympathetic.

    “In war movies, it’s rare to feel for both sides, and it’s even rarer to see that in fantasy movies,” he said, “so making it work for Warcraft was a challenge.”

    Jones also describes the film as “Avatar and Lord of the Rings at the same time.”

    Chirs Metzen, the creator of Warcraft, said that the film will be action-packed and violent. “We’re definitely not going to make a G or a PG version of this. It’s not PillowfightCraft.”

    Along with Patton, other stars in the movie include Dominic Cooper (Captain America), Ben Foster (The Laramie Project), and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption).

    Warcraft is scheduled for release on March 11, 2016.

  • How Source Code Applies Tech, Gaming, & Social to Film

    Anytime technological elements are integrated into conventional culture, it’s exciting for those of us in the tech industry. It’s even more thrilling when technology is applied to the entertainment industry, such as the case of the new film Source Code that opens in theaters today.

    Can you name any examples in which technology was applied to entertainment? Let us know.

    The sci-fi thriller is about an American soldier named Captain Colter Stevens that wakes up in the body of a stranger. Played by popular star Jake Gyllenhaal, Capt. Stevens finds himself involved with a government program called “source code” and is tasked with finding the bomber on a Chicago commuter train.

    Through his mission, he meets Christina Warren, played by the lovely Michelle Monaghan, and the two fall in love. As if casting Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead role in the film wasn’t enough to draw the ladies, this love story is also intertwined into the action.

    In terms of technology, the title alone suggests a digital element. The film also includes a social gaming aspect that is based off the “source code” computer game in the movie.

    “The idea of the source code in the movie is that it’s a computer game, and that off that computer game, different tangents are created. And, you affect the world as a result of that game… the computer game that’s actually in reality… on the Internet, is the same sort of idea,” said Gyllenhaal.

    Powered by Microsoft Tag technology, the game allows users to become part of the mission and connect to the film in a socially interactive way. As Monaghan explained to us, the users that play the game become part of the website, which, she believes, creates a real connection with the audience.

    Gyllenhaal also told us that the game gives users a valuable opportunity to create their own story on top of the one told in the movie.

    “If we can get people on the Internet involved in the story… there are so many possibilities in even telling other stories… creating even another movie based on the ideas that were created from the game,” he said.

    Another element that further linked Source Code to the tech industry was the fact that it premiered at SXSW. Director Duncan Jones said he loves the show because it attracts people that genuinely love film (not to mention a whole bunch of techies that love movies too). He also premiered his film Moon at the show in 2009.

    Would you like to see more films that integrate technology?