'Matrix' Reloads For Rabbit Hole
Mum is generally the word on any details of the top-secret Matrix movies.
What can Laurence Fishburne say about this year's two highly anticipated sequels to the 1999 special-effects trailblazer?
The Matrix Reloaded arrives in theaters May 15; Revolutions is due in November.
"I can tell we're going to see how deep the rabbit hole goes," he says, referring to the origin of the Matrix world. "And I can tell the you the technology is as ground-breaking as the first time around. I can tell you there's going to be two animated shorts released on the Internet in February that explain some of the origins of the Matrix.
"I'm as excited as anybody else is to see it, because I have not."
Headed by writing/directing brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, filming in Sydney began in August 2001 for 10 months. But Fishburne had begun training with Keanu Reeves and other cast members in November 2000.
"It was a very long, very long time for the same character, very long to be away from home, to shave one's head every day. Most people don't remember I have hair.
"We lost people. We lost Aaliyah (who died in a plane crash), and Nona Gaye, Marvin Gaye's daughter, replaced her. Gloria Foster (who died of cancer), who is the Oracle, she's in Reloaded but not in Revolutions. So we lost our oldest, and we lost our youngest."
Did it feel as if the production had a Greek curse or something equally mythic?
"If you asked the Wachowskis, I'm sure they'd say it felt like a Greek thing. I don't know, man. I'm happy I'm a part of something that is cinematically historical. Again."
Eternal Youth Keeps 'The Simpsons' Fresh
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For more than a decade they have reigned as television's favorite dysfunctional family, and now "The Simpsons" will soon enter the record books as the longest-running sitcom in prime-time history.
Now in their 14th season of animated social satire on Fox television, that beer-guzzling, doughnut-scarfing family man Homer Simpson and all the good citizens of Springfield have shown no signs of aging as they near their 300th episode.
With its ratings on the rise, "The Simpsons" remains one of the most watched TV shows on Sunday night and was one of the rare bright spots on the Fox lineup during an overall slump in the News Corp.-owned network's viewership earlier this season.
It also remains a perennial favorite among critics and in December earned its first Golden Globe nomination in the race for best comedy series, a rare feat for a cartoon show, even though it didn't win.
Earlier this month, the network announced that it had renewed the series for two more years, through May 2005, meaning "The Simpsons" will stay on the air for at least 16 seasons. By then, they will have easily eclipsed the real-life Nelson family on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" as the longest-running weekly comedy series on TV. The Nelsons left ABC in 1966 after 14 seasons on the air.
But long before a very different Ozzy came to MTV as head of "The Osbournes" unruly household on MTV, "The Simpsons" had established itself as a worldwide pop culture phenomenon seen in more than 70 countries.
AGELESS CARTOON
And according to creator and executive producer Matt Groening, eternal youth is a key ingredient of the show's enduring success.
"I didn't expect to be on the air this long," Groening said at Fox's winter showcase for critics in California recently. "One of the great things about doing an animated show is your characters don't age. So your show stays fresh, and you keep the audience fresh. I love '60 Minutes,' but the people who make it are starting to look like the people who watch it."
For Harry Shearer, the voice of Homer's tyrannical boss, Mr. Burns, and the saccharin, Bible-thumping neighbor, Ned Flanders, the challenge of performing several characters is what keeps the show interesting.
"I would get enormously bored, even after seven years, just coming in and doing this one character every week," Shearer said. "For the actors, one of the great things about making this show fun after all these years is all the different characters we do."
One thing is certain. It isn't big bucks that keeps the ensemble coming back year after year.
"Altogether, we still don't make as much as one 'Friend,"' joked Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer, alluding to the reported $1 million per episode earned by each of the six principal members of NBC's hit comedy "Friends."
The actors clearly enjoy their work, even if they have to suffer silly questions from fans at public appearances.
"The strangest question I ever got is: Do I sound like Lisa Simpson when I'm having sex? And the answer is no," said voice actress Yeardley Smith.
D'OH!
Beginning as a string of cartoon shorts on the "Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987, "The Simpsons" debuted as a half-hour series on the then-fledgling Fox network in January 1990.
At the outset, the series centered on the hijinks of the wisecracking, underachieving 10-year-old Bart Simpson, a spike-haired misfit who darts around town on his skateboard and drives his fourth-grade teacher nuts.
But as the show evolved, its focus shifted to Bart's bone-headed father, Homer, who works at a nuclear power plant and punctuates his frequent mistakes with the anguished, half-syllable utterance "D'Oh!" Castellaneta said he adopted Homer's signature expletive from a character in an old Laurel and Hardy film. "I think it's a euphemism for 'damn."'
Rounding out the Simpsons clan are beehive-haired mother Marge, the sensible, good-natured anchor of the family, and Bart's two sisters -- pacifier-sucking baby Maggie, a silent observer of all, and second-grade prodigy Lisa, a baritone saxophone virtuoso and intellectual of the family.
Behind them is a huge cast of regulars who populate the fictional town of Springfield -- extended family members, neighbors, teachers, classmates, Homer's co-workers, his pals at Moe's Tavern, Apu the convenience store clerk, police chief Wiggum and even the Comic Book Guy.
The show derives much of its humor from sharp-edged social commentary, skewering authority figures and such hallowed institutions as public education, politics, the medical profession, law enforcement and the entertainment industry. The series also is known for the steady parade of guest celebrities who lend their voices, and in many cases their animated caricatures, to cameo appearances.
Actress Jane Kaczmarek of "Malcolm in the Middle" will reprise her role as Judge Harm for the upcoming 300th episode of "The Simpsons," in which Bart goes to court to win emancipation from his parents after learning that he starred in a commercial as a baby and that Homer squandered all of his earnings. George Plimpton will appear as himself in a 301st original episode airing the same night.
Those two segments, and a rerun of an episode featuring guest stars Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello and Brian Setzer, will air in a 90-minute block on Feb. 16.
Long live The Simpsons!
Congratulations Are Due, And So Is Mags!
Two of the people I love most in this world told me on Tuesday that they are expecting their first child later this year. Dave and Margaret Chant (seen above) are family to me and I couldn't be happier for them.
I remain worried for the baby.
Congrats you guys, and remember that Daniel is a great name for a boy and Danielle is a beautiful name for a girl! I'm just saying, is all!
More DIE HARD Britney Rumors
More details on Britney Spears' supposed role in the movie have emerged: "The movie is going to take place in the Caribbean, where John McClane accidently runs into his daughter, Lucy, who is a cabaret dancer. McClane has had very little contact with his daughter in the past 10 years. The movie will involve an villain of Japanese origin and an all-out rescue of Spears' character. (if she's confirmed to play the daughter). The surprising thing about the movie is that John McClane will use one gun in the movie and will fire itonly twice, the rest will be fist-fights".
UP IN SMOKE, OR STILL IN DEBT?
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong reuniting for Cheech and Chong Get Blunt, a new movie in the famed stoner franchise. The flick, written and produced by Chong's daughter, actress Rae Dawn Chong, sees the pair performing community service as anti-drug preachers in a boys' home.
LEGAL EAGLE
Rob Lowe close to signing a deal to produce and star in Lyon's Den, a new NBC ensemble legal drama being readied for next fall. The former West Wing star would play an idealistic attorney trying to make a difference in the world while struggling to escape the shadow of his famous father, a state Senator.
'Batman' Captures Director
NEW YORK (Variety) - "Memento" director Chris Nolan has made a deal to revive the "Batman" franchise.
It was unclear whether he would write the script for the Warner Bros. project.
"All I can say is that I grew up with Batman, I've been fascinated by him and I'm excited to contribute to the lore surrounding the character," said Nolan, who last directed the studio's "Insomnia."
"He is the most credible and realistic of the superheroes, and has the most complex human psychology. His superhero qualities come from within. He's not a magical character. I had a fantastic experience with the studio on 'Insomnia,' and I'm keen to repeat that experience."
Nolan's emergence is an unexpected plot twist for the Caped Crusader, since it appeared that the superhero had flagged after four movies that grossed more than $1 billion. Warner Bros. has been trying to exploit the franchise through reinventions and spinoffs. They include "Batman Vs. Superman," "Batman: Year One" and "Catwoman."
"Batman Vs. Superman," nearly went into production with director Wolfgang Petersen and a script by Andrew Kevin Walker ("Seven") until Petersen instead moved to the Greek epic "Troy," set to star Brad Pitt and Eric Bana.
"Batman: Year One," a Gen-X version of the crimefighter, is being developed by Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream") and creator Frank Stack. "Catwoman," with Ashley Judd expected to play the title role, is a spinoff of the character introduced in the Tim Burton- directed "Batman Returns."
The WB superhero project closest to the starting line is "Superman," with Brett Ratner directing from a script by J.J. Abrams ("Alias") for producer Jon Peters. The film will reintroduce a franchise that sputtered after four Christopher Reeve films, and WB is currently testing actors for its Man of Steel, with Josh Hartnett (Boo!), Jude Law (Boo!), Ashton Kutcher (HUGE BOO!) and Brendan Fraser (Masked indifference) among those rumored as aspirants to be fitted in cape and spandex.
Nolan would not divulge the contents of his Batproject, but he'll undoubtedly bring the wildly inventive style that so quickly brought him to the directing A-list after "Insomnia" and "Memento," whose star Guy Pearce (Sweet!) is among the actors who might make an interesting Bruce Wayne.
Nolan recently turned in his script for a Howard Hughes film that he hopes to direct for Castle Rock, with Jim Carrey in the starring role. Timing of that film is unclear, since the Martin Scorsese- Leonardo DiCaprio Hughes rival pic "The Aviator" could be in production first. Nolan wouldn't say what his next feature would be.
SAG Gives 'Chicago' a Push in Oscar Race
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Looking more and more like the film to beat in this year's Oscar race, musical "Chicago" scored the most nominations -- five -- for the prestigious Screen Actors Guild awards on Tuesday, including the top honor for best performing cast.
It was followed by dark drama "The Hours," which also landed in the category for best performance by a cast and receiving four nominations overall, including one for its star Nicole Kidman in the best actress group.
The nominations come off big victories for both films at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month where "The Hours" was named best drama and "Chicago" was named the best movie among musicals and comedies.
But the Screen Actors Guild, or SAG, nominations coupled with "Chicago" outpacing "The Hours" by far at U.S. box offices could just push the musical about a struggling actress who commits murder past the drama in the race for Oscars.
The Motion Picture Academy voting on the nominees ends on Wednesday, January 29.
Richard Gere and Renee Zellweger of "Chicago," were nominated for best actor and best actress, respectively. Co-stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah were nominated for best female actor in a supporting role.
Along with nominations for best cast and Kidman, "The Hours" scored nominations for Ed Harris as best actor in a supporting role and Julianne Moore as best actress in a supporting role.
Moore, too, was nominated for best actress in a lead role for her performance in the drama "Far From Heaven," in which she portrays a 1950's housewife who is forced to deal with her husband's homosexuality.
Joining Moore, Kidman and Zellweger as best actress nominees were Salma Hayek in "Frida" and Diane Lane in "Unfaithful.
TV PERFORMANCES ALSO SINGLED OUT
With Gere in the best actor group were Adrian Brody of "The Pianist," Nicolas Cage for "Adaptation," Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of New York," and Jack Nicholson for "About Schmidt."
Rounding out the supporting actor group were Chris Cooper for "Adaptation," Alfred Molina in "Frida," Dennis Quaid in "Far From Heaven," and Christopher Walken for "Catch Me If You Can." Joining Zeta-Jones, Moore and Queen Latifah in the best supporting actress grouping were Kathy Bates in "About Schmidt," Michelle Pfeiffer for "White Oleander."
"Adaptation" scored three nominations overall to two apiece for "About Schmidt," "Far From Heaven" and "Frida."
SAG also singles out performances for television, and in that arena, the casts of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "24," "Six Feet Under," "The Sopranos" and "The West Wing" were nominated for top performers in a drama series.
The casts of "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Frasier," "Friends," "Sex and the City," and "Will & Grace" were nominated for best performances in a comedy series.
The 9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony will take place on March 9 and be broadcast by cable TV channel TNT starting at 8 p.m. EDT
Academy Award nominees will be named on Feb. 11 and the Oscar ceremony is set for March 23.
Springsteen, Jones to Goose Grammycast
NEW YORK (Variety) - The Recording Academy scored an early coup this week for its upcoming 45th annual Grammy broadcast by signing a group of big-name acts -- including Grammy nominees Bruce Springsteen and Norah Jones -- to perform at the kudofest.
Also scheduled to hit the stage during the Feb. 23 show at Madison Square Garden are Brit rockers Coldplay, country star Faith Hill and rapper Nelly (featuring Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland). All five of the acts confirmed to date are Grammy nominees.
That star power should give ratings for the Grammy broadcast on CBS a healthy shot in the arm. Nelly's latest LP "Nellyville" (Universal) has sold more than 5 million units, while Jones' "Come Away With Me" (Blue Note) has moved 3 million and Springsteen's "The Rising" (Columbia) just under 2 million.
At the same time, an artist that puts on a good show at the Grammys will often see his or her sales numbers jump in the following week; a good live performance often has even more effect on sales than a victory at the podium.
Jones, Springsteen and Nelly have all received five nominations from the Academy, including one each for album of the year. Coldplay is up for two statuettes, while Hill got a nomination for female country vocal performance.
My Apologies!
Sorry, I forgot to mention yesterday that the 10th Anniversary Edition of "Free Willy" is now available.
"Free Willy": 10th Anniversary Edition
The story of a boy and his whale remains harmless fare for kids and the adults who have to sit through it (though the charm is long gone by the time you've watched both sequels). Still, they missed a great opportunity to tell the full, Dickensian adventures of the real Willy in a making-of documentary - a story about media obsession and how people who don't focus on large environmental issues can become passionately involved in the plight of one poor creature.
Can you spot where I became sarcastic?
'Alias' Becomes a Video Game
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Come fall, video gamers will have the chance to make Sydney Bristow do whatever they want.
Video-game maker Acclaim has reached an agreement with Disney Interactive to release a game based on ABC's spy thriller "Alias." The game will be released across all platforms.
Details of the "Alias" game are few at this point. Acclaim says players will be able to control Sydney (played by Jennifer Garner on the series) and attempt to complete a number of missions involving espionage, combat and stealth tactics.
Acclaim says the show, with its multiple locations and high levels of action, "lends itself perfectly to interactive entertainment."
The "Alias" game is scheduled for release in the fall.
Robbie Williams: Music piracy 'great'
CANNES, France (Variety) -- British pop star Robbie Williams shocked attendees Sunday at music industry confab Midem by declaring piracy a good idea.
"I think it's great, really I do," Williams, who recently signed a reported $120 million deal with EMI/Capitol, said at a press conference. "There's nothing anyone can do about it. I'm sure my record label would hate me saying it, and my management and accountants."
In the past, Williams has supported moves to prevent the illegal downloading of music. He signed a petition in July 2000 that called on the European Union Copyright Directive to allow artists to use technology to protect their work and to stop Net piracy.
Music execs infuriated
Williams' views infuriated music execs and his remarks drew a response from Jay Berman, chief executive of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries, in his keynote speech.
Berman said it was a myth that the Internet would kill the music industry. "On the contrary, in 2003 we are going to be working the Internet much harder, to promote new legitimate services while at the same time actively targeting the sources of online piracy."
The Recording Industry Association of America, sister body of IFPI, released figures Sunday that claimed revenue lost to the music industry through CD and online piracy was up by 20 percent to more than $5 billion.
Marketing tool?
Hip-hop star Wyclef Jean told Daily Variety that while piracy was bad for the industry, he recognized its potential as a marketing tool. "It affects artists, but (downloading) still gives us the credibility factor. But they have got to find a way to control it, as it is killing the business."
Chris Schwartz, chief executive of Ruffhouse Nation, the Columbia-backed label responsible for the success of the Fugees, agreed with Jean. "Piracy is the quickest way to get a record out," he said. "There was a time early in my days with Columbia Records, when I was glad if my record got bootlegged."
Schwartz made it clear he was against mass copying or organized piracy: "I'm not condoning piracy in any way."
KaZaA fights back; files countersuit
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The owners of the KaZaA file-sharing network are suing the movie and recording industries, claiming that they don't understand the digital age and are monopolizing entertainment.
Sharman Networks Ltd. filed its counterclaim Monday in response to a copyright-infringement lawsuit brought by several recording labels and movie studios. That lawsuit accuses Sharman of providing free access to copyright music and films to millions of Internet users in the United States.
The latest filing came two weeks after U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson dismissed Sharman's claim that it could not be sued in the United States because it is based in Australia and incorporated in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
Monopolization?
Wilson had found Sharman subject to U.S. copyright laws because it has substantial usage by Californians and its actions are alleged to contribute to commercial piracy within the United States.
Sharman's counterclaim alleges copyright misuse, monopolization, and deceptive acts and practices.
"In seeking to simultaneously stop illegal copying and to maintain their dominant position in the distribution of musical and movie content, the industry plaintiffs have obscenely overreached," Sharman said.
It seeks a jury trial, damages, attorney fees and a permanent injunction against the entertainment industry so that it can't "enforce any of their United States copyrights against any person or entity."
Claims called 'laughable'
Sharman said the entertainment companies are behind the times and don't realize that consumers need not buy CDs, DVDs or videotapes to enjoy music or films.
Sharman also claimed that movie studios "dominate and, when they act in concert, have monopoly power" for the aftermarket distribution of first-run major motion pictures. Likewise, the company said, recording labels "when they act in concert, have monopoly power in the distribution of recorded music."
Movie studios involved in the lawsuit include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries Inc., Disney Enterprises Inc., Paramount Pictures Corp. The recording labels are BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner. (Warner Music is a division of AOL Time Warner, CNN's parent company.)
In a statement, the Recording Industry Association of America called Sharman's arguments "laughable."
"Sharman's claims are akin to the thief who plunders Fort Knox and then claims she's not responsible because Fort Knox declined to buy her second-rate security system," the RIAA said.
The case is one of the largest in the recent online copyright wars testing the international reach of U.S. courts.