• BORAT is still the king of the box office. The comedy, starring Sacha Baron Cohen as the crude Kazakh journalist, earned $29 million to remain the top movie for a second straight weekend. Its 10-day total is at $67.8 million.
• Spider-Man’s a daddy! Tobey Maguire and fiancée Jennifer Meyer welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on Saturday. Maguire stars in SPIDER-MAN 3, which opens May 4, 2007. [Link]
• Jonathan Mostow (TERMINATOR 3) has signed on to direct a Fox pilot called THEM, based on the graphic novel SIX.
• Chris Palmer is attached to direct A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON, based on the first book of the long-running Xanth series by Piers Anthony, for Warner Bros. Pictures. [Link]
• SUPERMAN RETURNS director Bryan Singer will produce a horror movie called TRICK ‘R TREAT, starring Brian Cox and Anna Paquin.
• Here come the holidays. CBS will air the classic animated holiday movies RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN on December 8.
• NPR has a discussion of the lasting appeal of the 1937 Carl Orff classical piece Carmina Burana, which has been a pop culture staple for decades finding its way into modern music and movies, particularly as the score for movie trailers. [Link]

It’s finally here — the highly anticipated video game GEARS OF WAR.

For the avid fan, there’s also the GEARS OF WAR LIMITED EDITION, which includes the GEARS OF WAR hardbound artbook DESTROYED BEAUTY, and a bonus DVD containing the Art of Gears of War trailer; a “Making of” inside look at the game; and the MTV mini-documentary Gears of War: The Race to E3, all of which is packaged in a collectible case.

• KEIRA KNIGHTLEY has said that after the third installment of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN — AT WORLD’S END — she will not appear in any further sequels. [Link]
• The new trailer for THE SIMPSONS movie will premiere Sunday, November 12 at 8/7c on the Fox network during the television season premiere of THE SIMPSONS. [Link]
• Lionsgate has announced that SAW IV is set for a release date of October 26, 2007. [Link]
• Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance, who starred opposite Billy Crystal in CITY SLICKERS, died yesterday of natural causes at age 85. [Link]

They’re Tenacious D and they came to kick some ass, and kick ass they do indeed on their sophomore effort, THE PICK OF DESTINY (Columbia), which doubles as the soundtrack to their upcoming feature film of the same name.

The album’s 15 tracks tell the fabled tale of how JB (Jack Black) went from his humble beginnings in a small town to uniting with his musical partner-in-destiny KG (Kyle Gass) to became the (self-proclaimed, yet undisputed) “Greatest Band in the World.”

In truth, Black and Gass formed the band nearly a decade ago as a comedy routine that gained popularity on HBO before the acoustic-metal duo released their 2001 self-titled debut album — and before Black himself landed starring roles in movies like THE SCHOOL OF ROCK, KING KONG, and NACHO LIBRE.

Regardless of how much success Black has since achieved, one thing’s for sure — he loves to rock. While the band’s lyrical references to heavy metal stereotypes — like slaying dragons and making deals with the Devil — come across as humorous, there’s no doubt that The D’s entire philosophy is seriously steeped in rock ideology, as evidenced in the blistering-licks-laced “Break In-City (Storm the Gate!)” and the ultimate homage “The Metal.”

The epic opening track “Kickapoo” flashes back to JB’s childhood as his dad (guest vocalist Meat Loaf) scolds him for playing the Devil’s music. After praying for guidance to a poster of Ronnie James Dio, the rock-god comes to teach the boy how to rock. (Both Meat Loaf and Dio appear in the song and in the movie.)

If those rock legends weren’t enough, the album features the drumming of one Dave Grohl (of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame), who really shines on the frenetic “Car Chase City.” Grohl also provides the vocals for the Devil character on “Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown),” a rock-off between The D and the Devil (a role Grohl also plays in the movie).

At times, the album veers from its mission of rock mayhem for, yes, comedic effect, with the trippy tribute to Sasquatch “Papagenu (He’s My Sassafrass)” and the sung-over classical medley “Classico” (though, what great rock band isn’t classically influenced?).

For the most part, though, the tunes on THE PICK OF DESTINY are peppered with Black’s signature scatting, plenty of anthemic odes, and a hearty host of tasty riffs, of course.