The Top 5 - Best of the Chinese Democracy Best in Pop Culture for the Week of November 16, 2008

November 17, 4:19 AMPop Culture ExaminerDominic Patten

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      "Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle, baby..."

So this is the week the vampires come out to play, and I don't mean Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth showing up on the new 90210 on The CW on Tuesday. No, the film adaptation of Twilight hits the silver screen on November 21 and the season finale of HBO's sexy Deep South bloodsucker series True Blood comes alive on November 23. Now don't think for a second, that I don't reckon that Shannen Doherty on TV anytime isn't a noteworthy event. The former and current Brenda Walsh is charming forbidden fruit that always leads to one getting kicked out of the Garden of otherwise dull actress Eden. That well placed hint aside, this week in Pop Culture is a battlefield of blasts from the past, blasts into the future, and something to get you movin’ – you’ll see what I mean.

     In case you missed it, check out last week's Top 5 here

Take a look at Dominic Patten's Top 5 Pop Culture Icons by clicking here

1. DEMOCRACY DEBUTS  - So after 13 years, a whole new band, millions and millions of dollars and probably millions of hours of studio time, Axl Rose is finally releasing Guns'n'Roses' Chinese Democracy album on November 23 exclusively at Best Buy and Itunes. The killer title track, which you can download off Itunes now, has been everywhere and the reviews are looking pretty good - which must be going over rather well at Chateau LeRose, throughout the ailing record industry and in the head office of Best Buy. You can check out Rolling Stone's review of Chinese Democracy here. But if you just can't wait until next Sunday, turns out you don't have to. On November 18 at the Roxy Theatre in LA, on November 19 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, on November 20 at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit and in cities all across the country this week, GNR are having first come first serve listening parties. Go online and find the party closest to you and get your resurrected rocker out to tracks like "I.R.S." and "There Was A Time" early. Bring your receipt from pre-ordering the album from Best Buy and you'll get a one-of-a-kind Chinese Democracy t-shirt. The tee is while supplies last but you can at least get to the front of that line by pre-ordering Chinese Democracy here. I ordered mine off Itunes, where we don't get no cool tee. Thanks Axl, I stuck by you when all the rest had written you off and this is what I get? Oh well, the album will just have to be enough.

2. LIVE & DIRECT - You can get a special tour of the world of Guitar Hero, you can see Beardyman, Katy Perry, Will.i.am, Akon, and a screenful of others, you can laugh and you can dance. This Saturday, YouTube is putting together an online live show that is a little bit of a concert, a little bit of a song and dance and a whole lotta of a big step forward towards turning the world's fav clip trip site into a full service media powerhouse. Yeah, you can check that peek into the future out on November 22 at 8 EST/5 PST or you can just click here and sign up now and have a real good time with some of the top acts in the world. Your call. Your YouTube.

3. WHY I HEART TiVO - It's a bit of a cheat to mention it in this week's Top 5 I know, but  there are two shows you just don't want to miss on November 23. First, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim brings The Drinky Crow Show to the little screen at 12:15AM. Now, for some on the weekend, that's right as they are coming home, for some that's way before they even go out and for some that's right around bed time, but Drinky Crow is 15 minutes of not very sober fun you do not want to miss, no matter which way your crow flies. Later on that day, you can start getting your St. Nick on by tuning in to A Colbert Christmas on Comedy Central at 10PM. And if Mr. Stephen Colbert, TV’s number #1 soft balling mock Right wing host, isn't enough to get your Jingle Bells going, I might add that he will be visited by Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith and John Legend for a bit of a singsong. Make my Eggnog a double please.

4. SILVER SCREEN NOT SILVER BULLETS - It's a classic girl meets boy, boy turns out to be vampire, girl and boy fall in love and girl is hunted by another vampire for sport story. No wonder the kids dig it.  The three books author Stephenie Meyer has brought out on Isabella Swan, Edward Cullen and their romance in Forks, Washington, which actually is a real place in the wonderful Pacific Northwest, have sold millions of copies, prompting speculation that she might be the next JK Rowling. The thing is Meyer hasn't sold even a tenth of the books JK has with Harry Potter, but the movie of the first Meyer's book out on November 21, could take the series to the superduperstar level. These creatures of the night represent a very strong bloodline to the darkness of our Age of Terror, like invasions from outer space did during the nuclear menace of the Cold War, but will we embrace the enemy within or will we turn away to the sunlight? I'm betting next weekend's box office will be have some very big bite marks in it. Are you afraid? Check out the trailer for Twilight here before you answer.

5. BEYONCE BRINGS A FRIEND - It's been quite the year for Ms. Knowles. She married Jay-Z, performed all over the world on tour, played Etta James in the not-yet release Cadillac Records and also got in front of the camera in the also not-yet released Obsessed. So, being the laid back type,what does Beyonce decide to do? Why release another solo album of course. Oh sorry, not one album but a double album out on November 18 entitled I Am ... Sasha Fierce. One part MOR and standard Beyonce stuff, which isn't really a bad thing as putting "Crazy in Love" on in the car instantly reveals, and the other part her sassy alter ego, that being Sasha Fierce. This is the part where you have to get your booty movin ... cause Sasha Fierce is all about the dance floor.