Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson to tackle King Kong remake

WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson will remake the classic King Kong when he completes his Lord of the Rings trilogy later this year, according to a statement from Universal.

For Jackson, it's a childhood dream.

"I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was nine years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age," Jackson said in the statement issued on Monday.

The new version will be filmed in New Zealand.

Prior to embarking on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson had been working on the initial pre-production stages of King Kong.

The screenplay is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by Cooper and Ernest B. Schoesdack.

The RKO version of King Kong has been designated by the United States Library of Congress as one of the 100 greatest films and chosen by that organisation for permanent preservation as a national treasure.

Visual effects for the new version, which is scheduled for release in 2005, will be created by Lord of the Rings Oscar-winning Weta Workshop.

Let Sleeping Pope Lie, McCartney Warned

LONDON (Reuters) - Ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, one year into a world tour stretching from the United States to Japan, has been told to keep the volume down when he gets to Rome in May for fear of disturbing the aging Pope.

"We have been warned," McCartney's spokesman Geoff Baker told Reuters from Barcelona where McCartney has just held the third of the 30-concert European leg of his tour.

Baker said that out of deference for the 82-year-old Pope, McCartney's tour organizers were considering both turning down the volume and removing some of the louder rock n' roll songs from the Beatle-loaded repertoire.

"You can't play 'Back in the USSR' at half volume," he said.

Baker said some of the more raucous songs might be replaced by ballads in the concert, due to take place next to the Colosseum on May 11.

The warning, he said, had not come from the Vatican (news - web sites) itself but from the tour's promoters in the Italian capital. However, a Reuters reporter in Rome said there had been a number of concerts near the Colosseum, none of which had prompted papal criticism.

McCartney's Back In The World tour began in California on April 1, 2002 and has already traveled through Canada, Mexico and Japan.

The European leg includes France, Spain, Italy, Britain, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland.

Baseball Has Been Beddy Beddy Good To Me!

Go Jays, go!

Costello, Sting Scale 'Cold Mountain'

Elvis Costello and Sting have each written and will perform new tracks for the soundtrack to the film "Cold Mountain," due in September via producer T Bone Burnett's DMZ imprint through Columbia. Label president John Grady tells Billboard "other contemporary names" who have contributed to the project will be announced later. "Cold Mountain," starring Renee Zellweger, Jude Law, and Nicole Kidman, arrives Dec. 25 in U.S. theaters.

As previously reported, the film also stars White Stripes guitarist Jack White, who plays a young confederate soldier in the film and sings three songs in it "in a very convincing manner," according to Grady. He adds that White was "an absolute student of [the music]. He was a beautiful kid to work with."

The "Cold Mountain" soundtrack will largely be comprised of pre-1860s period music by such modern-day performers as Stanley, Hazel Dickens, Stuart Duncan, and Tim O'Brien.

In other DMZ news, the label will issue a previously unreleased Stanley Brothers live album in June. "The Stanley Brothers: An Evening Long Ago" was recorded at WCYB Bristol, Va., in 1954. June will also bring the DMZ debut from singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell.

'Idol' Finalists Team Up For Charity Single

The 10 finalists from the second season of "American Idol" will release a charity single, "What the World Needs Now Is Love," with a portion of the proceeds going to the Red Cross. RCA will release the single April 15, the same date that "American Idol" first-season winner, Kelly Clarkson, releases her debut album, "Thankful." "What the World Needs Now Is Love," written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was originally a hit for Jackie DeShannon in 1965, when it reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"American Idol" has been a ratings winner for the Fox network, with the second season currently averaging over 20 million U.S. viewers per episode, according to Nielsen Media Research. On April 29, RCA releases "American Idol Season 2: All the Classic American Love Songs," featuring cover songs from the season's finalists.

Meanwhile, the 20th Century Fox feature-film musical "From Justin to Kelly," starring Clarkson and former "American Idol" finalist Justin Guarini, has had its release date pushed back from April 25 to June 13. There will reportedly be no soundtrack for the movie, but Guarini's as-yet-untitled debut album on RCA is expected to be released sometime in June.

Metallica's 'St. Anger' To Come With Free Bonus DVD

Metallica's forthcoming album St. Anger will include a free bonus DVD of the band playing all 11 songs on the collection. St. Anger is set for a June 10 release. The DVD performances are currently being taped in Metallica's HQ studios, and will mark the first footage captured with new bassist Robert Trujillo.

The 2-CD set will remain at regular price. Directing the DVD is longtime collaborator Wayne Isham, who worked on "Enter Sandman," "Sad But True," "I Disappear," Cunning Stunts, and S&M.

Lisa Marie Presley steps into Elvis' blue suede shoes

NEW YORK (AFP) - Lisa Marie Presley is to follow in the footsteps of her legendary father Elvis and release her first disc.

Presley, a 35-year-old mother of two, who counts pop star Michael Jackson, actor Nicholas Cage and musician Danny Keough among her ex-husbands, has made a "bluesy rock" disc called "To Whom it May Concern", according to Newsweek magazine.

"I feel like I've lived four lives in one," she told Newsweek. "I dealt with death early on. It wasn't just my father, it was my grandma, my grandpa, my great-grandfather, my aunts -- all in a two-year period.

"I didn't have much of a runway into life. I was, like, a deep, dark kid who was always melancholy."

Presley also talked of her relationship with Jackson.

"I thought, I need to be with someone who is bigger than I am -- or at least comparable -- so they don't get trampled.

"Michael wanted to meet me earlier in my life and I said 'No way.' I thought he was a freak and I had no interest in meeting him. But when I finally did, he immediately dashed any preconceived idea I had about him.

"We had a perfectly normal conversation, and I completely forgot who he was within 30 minutes. I actually did fall in love with him, but I don't know what was on his menu."

She added: "It took me a while to realize that maybe he manipulated stories or did things for public reasons, and that I was getting dragged into it. I can see that now."

Asked about the challenge of living up to Elvis' legacy in song, Presley was straightforward.

"It's intimidating. I hate it.... When I meet people, I know they are trying to sift through what they have heard. But if they listen (to the album), I hope they will hear somebody who's being pretty darn honest and not throwing up smoke screens."

'Head of State' Comes in No. 1 With $14M

LOS ANGELES - Audiences gave their votes to Chris Rock and put his presidential farce "Head of State" in the lead with a weekend box office of $14 million.

The Steve Martin and Queen Latifah comedy "Bringing Down the House," the top movie for three straight weekends, held the runner-up slot with $12.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The journey-to-the-center-of-the-Earth adventure "The Core," starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank, opened in third place with $12.4 million. Debuting at No. 4 was the John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson military thriller "Basic," with $12.1 million.

"Chicago," last weekend's Academy Awards champ with six trophies including best picture, rode its Oscar triumph to a $7.4 million weekend, up 20 percent from a week earlier. That gave it a three-month total of $144.9 million.

In limited release, Robert Duvall's "Assassination Tango," the story of a hit man enchanted by Argentina's dance culture, debuted with a solid $64,000 in seven theaters. Along with starring, Duvall wrote and directed the film.

An overall box-office slump continued. The top 12 movies grossed $87.3 million, down 24 percent compared to the same weekend a year ago, when "Panic Room" had a big $30 million opening and "Ice Age" remained a strong holdover.

Overall, movie revenues are down 5 percent to 6 percent compared to last year's, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"It's been significantly depressed I think based on the distraction of what's going on in the world," said Rob Friedman, motion-picture vice chairman at Paramount, which released "The Core."

The box office is expected to rebound as big summer flicks start arriving. The Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson comedy "Anger Management" warms things up in mid-April, followed by the May debuts of the "X-Men" sequel "X2" and the sci-fi follow-up "The Matrix Reloaded."

The war might be steering audiences more toward comedies, which account for six of the year's 10 top-grossing movies. Weekend audiences chose funny flicks such as "Head of State" and "Bringing Down the House" over action tales like "The Core" and "Basic."

"There's strong evidence that comedies are on people's minds," said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, which released "Head of State."

"Bringing Down the House" also might have benefited from the Oscars awards show, where Martin was host and Queen Latifah was an acting nominee for "Chicago."

"Steve Martin was front and center, he mentioned the movie a couple of times, you had Queen Latifah in the audience. That couldn't hurt," Dergarabedian said. "The Oscars were like a nice three-hour infomercial for `Bringing Down the House.'"

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Head of State," $14 million.
2. "Bringing Down the House," $12.5 million.
3. "The Core," $12.4 million.
4. "Basic," $12.1 million.
5. "Chicago," $7.4 million.
6. "Dreamcatcher," $6.4 million.
7. "Agent Cody Banks," $6.1 million.
8. "Piglet's Big Movie," $4.6 million.
9. "View From the Top," $3.8 million.
10. "The Hunted," $3.7 million.

Conan Spends a Week with The White Stripes

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - David Letterman loves the Foo Fighters, and come April Conan O'Brien will show his appreciation of Jack and Meg White when The White Stripes performs on "Late Night" for a full week of shows April 22 to 25.

"In fact, they're staying at my apartment," jokes host O'Brien.

The quirky duo will play songs from their fourth album, "Elephant," which Rolling Stone magazine gives five stars and calls a "stone-cold classic."

In the past, the hipster show has served as a showcase for the network debuts of such musical acts as Coldplay, Sheryl Crow, Green Day, No Doubt, Radiohead and Wilco.

"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. on NBC.

Letterman Returns Tonight!

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Comedian David Letterman will return next week to host his CBS late-night show for the first time since he was sidelined in late February by a case of shingles, the network said Friday.

The 55-year-old star of the "Late Show with David Letterman" last appeared February 25, when he complained on the air about the visible inflammation of his right eye, which turned out to have been caused by shingles, a viral infection related to chickenpox.

Actor Bruce Willis, tennis star John McEnroe and TV personality Regis Philbin filled in as the "Late Show" guest hosts for the rest of that week.

Repeats aired while the program was on a production hiatus the following week, and a parade of additional guests subbed for Letterman on those nights when his show was not preempted by CBS college basketball coverage.

Overall "Late Show" ratings during Letterman's absence, his first since recuperating from open-heart surgery in early 2000, were mixed, and CBS hoped for a big tune-in for his first night back.

Guests will include comedian Billy Crystal and 18-year-old world whistling champion Michael Barimo. Letterman plans to host all episodes of his show throughout the week.

Insiders said swelling around Letterman's eye cleared up relatively soon, but lingering pain associated with the infection is what kept him away for so long.

Before his heart operation, Letterman had never missed an appearance in his more than 20 years of late-night television.

TV DVD

Amazon has revealed 20th Century Fox's TV DVD plans through the end of 2003, and even into very early 2004. Keep in mind that these titles haven't been officially announced by the studio, so release dates are subject to change:

NYPD Blue: Season 2 ($59.98) - August 19
Angel: Season 2 ($59.98) - August 19
Futurama: Volume 2 ($49.98) - September 2
24: Season 2 ($59.98) - September 2
Family Guy: Volume 2 ($49.98) - September 9
The Shield: The Complete Second Season ($59.98) - October 7
Dark Angel: The Complete Second Season ($59.98) - October 21
The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season ($149.98) - November 4
King of the Hill: Season 2 ($39.98) - November 11
M*A*S*H: Season 5 Collector's Edition ($39.98) - December 9
Lost in Space: Season One ($79.98) - January 13, 2004

TBA - Simpsons: Season 3 and Malcom: Season 2. Also, be aware that work is underway to release Firefly on DVD in 2003.

Michael Jackson nabs dubious distinction of most foolish American

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "King of Pop" Michael Jackson was selected as the most foolish American in a poll out ahead of April Fool's Day.

Eighty percent of those polled said Jackson, who has been in the media spotlight again since a British television documentary shed new light on his personal life, was the biggest fool in the country, according to pollster Jaff Barge who has the survey taken every year.

Jackson, 44, drew foolish reviews for, among other things, dangling his baby son out a window in Germany to show him to fans last year.

Boxer Mike Tyson came in a foolish second.

Limp Bizkit Changes Name to 'limpbizkit'

It looks like capitalization and spacing is no good any more for Fred Durst. He posted a message on Limp Bizkit's Web site saying the band will now be known as limpbizkit with no capitals and no space between words. He gives no reason for the change.

He seems to like playing around with words lately, given the changes he makes to the new album's title. This week he said it would not be called "Bipolar" but instead "Fetus More." He's changed his mind again and now he's calling it "The Search for Teddy Swoes." Durst promises "it will all make sense very soon my friends." He does clear one thing up, though. He says the song "Just Drop Dead" is NOT about Britney Spears. But the fact that he says it isn't makes it clear that it really is.

Did Britney make Fred go "crazy."

Madonna Hurt by 'Razzie' Award

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Material Girl has feelings, too.

Madonna is apparently not as tough as she seems. She told "Access Hollywood" that she was "totally hurt" by the bashing of "Swept Away," the movie she made with her husband, Guy Ritchie.

Madonna says she would work again with her husband "in a heartbeat" even though "Swept Away" was named the worst movie of the year and given a Golden Raspberry Award on March 22. Madonna also won a Razzie for "Worst Actress" and Guy Ritchie won "Worst Director."

She may have chance to redeem herself in an upcoming stint on "Will and Grace." Madonna plays a high-maintenance office worker who's a possible new roommate for Karen. Madonna says because of shooting the episode, she and Megan Mullally are now friends.

Great White to Reunite for One Song

LOS ANGELES - The rock band Great White plans to perform together for the first time since the band's Feb. 20 concert in Rhode Island resulted in a nightclub fire that killed 99 people.

Survivors of the group say they will perform one song at West Hollywood's Key Club on April 29 to raise money for a memorial fund in honor of their late guitarist, Ty Longley, the group's manager, Paul Woolnough, said Friday.

The charity concert will benefit the late guitarist's pregnant girlfriend, victim relief funds and students seeking art scholarships.

Great White has no other plans to perform again, Woolnough added, although surviving band members may make individual appearances at various other benefits.

Other bands in the Key Club lineup include the glam-metal group XYZ and 5 Cent Shine, of which Longley was a former member.

Longley, a 31-year-old Ohio native who had lived in Los Angeles for the last five years, was among the dozens who perished at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. Investigators suspect the band's pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing foam.

A grand jury is investigating the case.

Longley listened to Great White in the late 1980s and idolized guitarist Mark Kendall, said Longley's sister, according to family members. He joined the band about four years ago.

Kendall and singer Jack Russell are the only members from the original lineup. The band had recently performed mainly as a nostalgia act at small venues after reaching the peak of its fame with the 1990 hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy."

Moynahan Says Aye to 'Robot'

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Bridget Moynahan, who played Colin Farrell's love interest in "The Recruit," has signed on to star opposite Will Smith in "I, Robot," a Fox sci-fi thriller targeted for summer 2004.

She will portray a psychologist in the distant future with a specialty in robot psyches. She must aid a robot-phobic police detective (Smith) who's investigating a murder that seemingly violates the Laws of Robotics, which state that robots may not allow a human to come to harm.

Alex Proyas will direct from Jeff Vintar's adaptation of Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot" anthology.

Production should begin in May. The picture's current release date is July 2, 2004. However, it's possible that Fox will change its "I, Robot" date after Sony announced on Wednesday that "Spider-Man 2" will launch that same Friday.

Moynahan's other credits include "The Sum of All Fears," "Serendipity" and "Coyote Ugly."

Virus Forces Stones to Cancel China Shows

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones have canceled what would have been their first ever shows in China next week because of the killer bug sweeping through Southeast Asia, the group said on Friday.

Earlier this week the veteran rockers canceled two concerts scheduled for this weekend in Hong Kong, also as a result of the deadly and highly contagious pneumonia virus that has killed 54 people worldwide and infected around 1,500.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which scientists say is caused by a new virus strain, has forced the cancellation of holidays and business travel to many parts of Asia, in a blow to the region's already sickly economies.

The Rolling Stones were scheduled to play in Shanghai on April 1 and Beijing on April 4. Fans were flying in from all over the world to see the band's historic China concerts. The Stones have been trying to play China ever since 1978 when the government rejected their application.

"We are very sad and disappointed not to be able to do these concerts," Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger said in a statement. "We have been looking forward to the shows in China for so long and will reschedule them as soon as possible."

The statement cited travel warnings issued by both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, as well as continued concerns expressed by local Chinese government officials, communities and individuals over large public gatherings.

The Stones have shuffled the dates of the remaining cities on the Asian leg of their "Licks" world tour. They will play the Indian cities of Bangalore on April 4 and Mumbai on April 7, both a week earlier than originally scheduled; and Bangkok on April 10, two days later than planned.

'Late Show' Host Letterman Returns from Illness

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian David Letterman will return next week to host his CBS late-night show for the first time since he was sidelined in late February by a case of shingles, the network said on Friday.

The 55-year-old star of the "Late Show with David Letterman" last appeared Feb. 25, when he complained on the air about the visible inflammation of his right eye, which turned out to have been caused by shingles, a viral infection related to chickenpox.

Actor Bruce Willis, tennis star John McEnroe and TV personality Regis Philbin filled in as the "Late Show" guest hosts for the rest of that week.

Repeats aired while the program was on a production hiatus the following week, and a parade of additional guests subbed for Letterman on those nights when his show was not preempted by CBS college basketball coverage.

Overall "Late Show" ratings during Letterman's absence, his first since recuperating from open-heart surgery in early 2000, were mixed, and CBS is hoping for a big tune-in for his first night back.

Guests will include comedian Billy Crystal and 18-year-old world whistling champion Michael Barimo. Letterman plans to host all episodes of his show throughout the week.

Insiders said swelling around Letterman's eye cleared up relatively soon, but lingering pain associated with the infection is what kept him away for so long.

Before his heart operation, Letterman had never missed an appearance in his more than 20 years of late-night television.

Michael Moore defends Oscar speech

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- Filmmaker Michael Moore said he almost decided not to turn his Oscar acceptance speech into a political statement.

"The thought crossed my mind that the easy way ... would be to soak up the love," Moore told about 1,000 students at the University of Rochester's Strong Auditorium Wednesday.

The documentary maker won his first Oscar Sunday for "Bowling for Columbine," an exploration of gun violence in America.

"I would have ridden the high right out of the building to the Vanity Fair party," he said. "The other voice (in my head) says, 'No, you have a responsibility. People are dying, and they're dying in your name."'

Moore was applauded when he won, and his fiery criticism of President Bush and the U.S.-led war on Iraq first drew cheers at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.

But a cacophony of boos followed as Moore shouted, "We are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush. Shame on you!"

Outside the Strong Auditorium Wednesday, some protested the war in Iraq, while others protested Moore. One sign read: "Shame on you Moore."

Some 400 students watched his speech through a closed-circuit feed elsewhere on campus, while 200 others crowded outside the sold-out show, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported in Thursday's editions.

CHUM pop songs casualties of war

Iraq conflict sparks ban on peace, love tunes at AM station

By BILL BRIOUX -- Toronto Sun

TORONTO -- All we are saying is Give Peace A Chance -- to get on the radio.
John Lennon's anti-war anthem is among 20 songs pulled off the playlist of Toronto oldies radio station CHUM AM due to sensitivity over the war in Iraq. The list includes the usual suspects -- Revolution by The Beatles and War by Edwin Starr -- but also some syrupy ballads like Soldier Boy by The Shirelles and One Tin Soldier by The Original Caste (see complete list below).

The banned titles were posted yesterday on the CHUM-owned CP24 Web site.

Calls placed by The Sun to CHUM AM program director Brad Jones were not returned.

The Shirelles had a No. 1 hit with Soldier Boy in 1962. Original member Beverly Lee maintains that it was just a simple love song. "This song served as an anchor to many many loved ones throughout the Vietnam era," she said yesterday.

Lee and the current Shirelles are scheduled to appear at Casino Rama June 6 as part of a Dick Clark tour of rock 'n' roll bands. Their manager and musical director, John Hughes, has heard of no other radio station in North America blacklisting Soldier Boy. "It's not a pro-war song, it's a love song," he said.

VIDEOS PULLED

The CHUM ban follows news that MTV Europe has yanked several music videos in an attempt to keep disturbing images and war themes off screens during the Iraqi conflict. Paul Hardcastle's 19 and Outkast's Bombs Over Baghdad are both verboten on MTV Europe for the duration of the war. So is Boom! by System Of A Down, an anti-war video depicting Iraq war casualties.

A stranger decision is yanking anything by The B52s, who have apparently been deemed inappropriate just because they're named after a fabled American bomber. Aerosmith's Don't Want To Miss A Thing (featuring scenes from the disaster movie Armageddon), Radiohead's Invasion and You, Me And World War Three by Gavin Friday are also benched, as is Billy Idol's Hot In The City (which features footage of an atomic explosion).

A spokesman for the digital network MTV Canada says they have not altered their playlist. "Canada is a different environment," said communications supervisor Alexis Walker.

CHUM-owned MuchMusic also has no such no-no list said public affairs vice president Sarah Crawford. "MuchMusic is not going to pretend that there is not a war going on," said Crawford, who notes that the station has already produced one MuchTalks war special. But she insisted that no specific artists or songs have been delisted for airplay during the war. "Basically, we don't come up with lists," she said, adding that she hasn't seen one e-mail from a viewer upset at any Much video content since the conflict began.

Much senior music programmer Craig Halket recalled that certain videos were yanked post 9/11 but he couldn't recall any band being blacklisted at this time.

"In a situation like this, it always comes down to a case-by-case basis," he said.
After 9/11, U.S. radio giant Clear Channel Communications sent their 1,200 stations a list of more than 150 songs deemed "questionable." Recommended for removal at that time were Steve Miller's Jet Airliner, R.E.M.'s It's The End Of The World As We Know It and Peter Paul and Mary's Leavin' On A Jet Plane. Even songs by artist killed in plane crashes, such as Ricky Nelson and Buddy Holly, were deemed disturbing, as, incredibly, was The Bangles' Walk Like An Egyptian.

April Fool's? Believe it or not, no.

WHAT THEY BANNED:

Soldier Boy by The Shirelles
Shotgun by Jr. Walker & The All Stars
The Universal Soldier by Donovan
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Cher
Abraham, Martin And John by Dion
Revolution by The beatles
Street Fighting Man by The Rolling Stones
In The Year 2525 by Zager And Evans
Give Peace A Chance By John Lennon
One Tin Soldier by The original caste
When I Die by Blood, Sweat and Tears
The Cruel War by Sugar And Spice
War by Edwin Starr
Live And Let Die by Paul McCartney
The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace
Billy, Don't Be A Hero by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
Fighting On The Side Of Love by The T.H.P. Orchestra
The Dream Never Dies by The Cooper Brothers

Madonna blasts 'homogenized' pop

LONDON (AP) -- Madonna has blasted manufactured pop acts and a stream of TV talent searches, saying they're homogenizing the music world.

In excerpts released Thursday from an interview with British music magazine Q, the star accuses record chiefs of choosing new acts based on their marketing potential instead of their talent.

"I arrived at a different time, before the time of Svengalis holding talent searches -- finding a girl that looks right and can carry a tune and then figuring a way to market her," Madonna is quoted as saying in the May issue of the magazine.

Referring to singers Pink, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, she said: "I'm not saying those girls can't grow into something, but I really don't know where we're going with the world. Everything's so homogenized."

Madonna, who has gained immense success by astutely marketing her own image, joins other music veterans, including Elton John and George Michael, who have criticized talent quests like Pop Idol, a British reality television show in which viewers choose a winner to get a record contract. The U.S. version of the show, American Idol, is in its second successful season.

Madonna, 44, was also critical of young hopefuls who crave celebrity for its own sake, rather than wanting recognition of their abilities.

"It's the allure of this beautiful life. Drive this car, you're gonna be popular," she told Q, which goes on sale on April 1.

"It's a very powerful illusion and people are caught up in it, including myself -- or I was."

The singer rose to fame party because of her provocative image, but despite years of wearing revealing outfits she said she takes a firm line on what her own children should wear.

Asked if she felt able to stop her 6-year-old daughter Lourdes from dressing how she wants, she said: "I can and I do."

'American Idol' Finalist Has Felony Past

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It has almost become a routine to watch a new FOX reality show and wait to see what brand of criminal, amoral or controversial past behaviors made it past the network's background checks. The latest unsavory revelations involve Trenyce, one of the nine remaining finalists on the second season of "American Idol."

TheSmokingGun.com has obtained a mug shot photo of Trenyce, then still known as Lashundra Cobbins, stemming from an 1999 felony theft arrest. Cobbins was booked in Memphis, Tenn. on Oct. 6, 1999, but a Shelby County criminal court judge put her in a pre-trial diversion program, allowing her to expunge her record. According to TSG, Cobbins was upfront with producers about her past, so she'll remain on the show.

It's been a difficult season for "American Idol," which experienced its first glitch with the news that popular contestant Frenchie Davis once posed for nudie pictures on an adult web site. Frenchie's activities were, of course, totally legal, but the show wanted no part of a possible scandal (seeing as how while she posed for the pictures when she was a legal adult, the site catered to men looking for underage models) and removed all references to Frenchie from the show's website and removed the zaftig singer from the round of 32. Frenchie has landed on her feet, working as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight."

This season's second " American Idol" blackeye came when former semifinalist Jaered Neale Andrews faced charges for assault after a November altercation outside a bar, which left a Pennsylvania man dead. Andrews remains free on $5,000 bail.

The series of entertaining FOX reality scandals began, of course, with accused wife-beater and non-millionaire Rick Rockwell of " Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire." Taheed Watson and Ytossie Patterson of " Temptation Island" raised ethical hackles when it was discovered that they went on the couple-splitting show despite a child. Earlier this year, " Joe Millionaire" faced minor embarrassment over the fetish film past of finalist Sara Kozer, while " Married by America" had to deal with a possible suitor who was already married."

Avril Lavigne Recalls Recording 'I'm With You'

Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You" continues to burn up the airplay charts. According to Radio & Records magazine, the song is currently the most-played track on Hot AC stations, the Number Three track on CHR stations, and the Number 22 hit at adult contemporary stations.

Lavigne says that when she first recorded "I'm With You," it sent chills down her spine. In fact, she says that every time she performs the song it still resonates for her. "When I went into the booth to sing it, I sang it through with just so much emotion I had, like, goose bumps going down my spine," Lavigne says. "It was really neat. When I sing that song, I just like to stand there in my own world. That song is...It's an important song to me. I like it."

Lavigne says she can relate to the lyrics of "I'm With You" because her dramatic and hectic life often leaves her alone at night. "I have alone feelings all the time because, 'cause I don't have a boyfriend and because I'm, like, I'm on the road," Lavigne says. "It's crazy when you got so much stuff going on during your days and then you go to, from all the drama, just you go back to your hotel room and you're just sitting there and it's, like, 'Whoa, I'm alone.' I've written so many songs about being alone."

Lennon-McCartney Non-Beatles Songs Covered For New All-Star Album

Singers from Cheap Trick and the B-52s are taking part in a new covers album titled From A Window: Lost Songs Of Lennon & McCartney. The 17-track album includes songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for other artists--including Badfinger, Cilla Black, and Billy J. Kramer--but were never released by the Beatles themselves.

Graham Parker, the B-52's Kate Pierson, and Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz are each featured on several songs, while Cheap Trick's Robin Zander joins the band Johnny Society for P.J. Proby's "That Means A Lot."

From A Window comes out April 8, and the first single will be "Step Inside Love," a top-10 U.K. hit for Black that was written by McCartney. Parker, Pierson, Janovitz, and Johnny Society plan to tour in support of the album starting May 16 in Boston.

The full From A Window: Lost Songs Of Lennon & McCartney tracklisting, with original artists in parentheses, includes: "I'm In Love," Kate Pierson (the Fourmost); "I'll Keep You Satisfied," Bill Janovitz (Billy J. Kramer); "From A Window," Graham Parker (Billy J. Kramer); "Step Inside Love," Kate Pierson & Johnny Society (Cilla Black); "It's For You," Bill Janovitz (Cilla Black); "Bad To Me," Graham Parker (Billy J. Kramer); "That Means A Lot," Johnny Society with Robin Zander (P.J. Proby); "Hello Little Girl," Bill Janovitz (the Fourmost); "Love Of The Loved," Kate Pierson (Cilla Black); "Tip Of My Tongue," Graham Parker (Tommy Quickly); "Goodbye," Bill Janovitz (Mary Hopkin); "Come And Get It," Graham Parker (Badfinger); "A World Without Love," Bill Janovitz (Peter & Gordon); "One And One Is Two," Graham Parker (Billy J. Kramer); "Nobody I Know," Kate Pierson (Peter & Gordon); "Woman," Bill Janovitz (Peter & Gordon); and "I'll Be On My Way," Johnny Society (Billy J. Kramer).

It's Like Watching A Car Wreck

Disgraced boxer Mike Tyson set to co-host with Jimmy Kimmell on ABC's Jimmy Kimmell Live all five nights next week.

SPINNING TO A LATER DATE

Columbia Pictures announcing it plans to push back the release date for its blockbuster sequel The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire, from early May 2004 to July 2, 2004 to capitalize on the July 4 weekend. Meanwhile, Universal will now open director Stephen Sommers' monster movie, Van Helsing, on May 7.

Just call him A. Ranger.

Adrien Brody's surprise Oscar triumph Sunday night will certainly transform his acting career, but the 29-year-old Queens native - who's long been moonlighting as a hip-hop producer under the name A. Ranger - has equally high hopes for his music.

"Adrien is a fanatic," deejay Stretch Armstrong, one of Brody's musician friends, told The Post. "Music is just as important to him as acting."

Word on the street is he's pretty good, too.

Brody has played some demo tracks - which often marry heavy urban beats to Japanese or Middle Eastern music - for his pals P. Diddy and Jay-Z, and the rap world high rollers expressed interest in sampling them for their own songs.

Such an endorsement would be the equivalent of that gold statuette for Brody the mix master.

"He'd love to use his new power to work on the music for his movies," says Sky Nellor, another Manhattan deejay, who dated Brody for a few years and remains a close friend.

Brody certainly isn't the first movie star to want to make music - other actor-musicians include Keanu Reeves, Dennis Quaid and Brody's fellow Oscar-winner Russell Crowe - but unlike those guitar-slingers, Brody's axe of choice is a Korg Triton sampling keyboard.

Friends say Brody can recite entire raps by some of his favorite emcees, such as 50 Cent, Nas or Biggie Smalls.

And whenever he gets the chance, Brody loves to go clubbing.

"We go out downtown, anyplace there's a good deejay and attractive girls," says Armstrong. Some favorites include Tribeca Grand Hotel and Spa.

"You wouldn't recognize him in a club. He's completely on the low. Bobbing with his head to the music, probably with a hoodie on."

"Adrien is a really good dancer," says a New York scenester who dated Brody briefly last year.

"He's an attractive guy, you know. And he dances totally chill. He looks cool."

He's even taken his own turn on the decks - on Valentine's Day last year, Brody deejayed with Armstrong and soul singer Joi at Joe's Pub on Lafayette Street.

Just don't expect him to do it again any time soon.

"Deejaying live isn't really Adrien's thing," says his lawyer, Michael Guido, who's introduced him to hip-hop bigs like Roc-A-Fella's Damon Dash and Def Jam's Lyor Cohen.

"He wants to be in the studio, producing tracks and working with rappers."

Brody already has one cut out there - "This Ain't a Movie," on the soundtrack to his 1998 indie flick "Restaurant." Brody recorded it as A. Ranger and got the Rawcotiks to rap over it.

Though it sounds a little like Eminem, Marshall Mathers probably doesn't have to worry about the competition - Brody hasn't put out another song since.

Still, "Adrien was crazy excited about it," Nellor says. "That was his first taste of recording, and he wants more."

Brody is so devoted to his music, he even worked on it during the grueling six-month European shoot for "The Pianist."

As he was preparing to play a Holocaust victim, director Roman Polanski wanted Brody to feel what it's like to lose everything.

So he sold his car, got rid of his Manhattan apartment, broke up with Nellor and went on a crash diet to lose 30 pounds from his 160-pound frame.

"That Korg Triton was the one thing he kept," Nellor recalls. "He carted it from Paris to Berlin to Warsaw."

Brody used the keyboard to study the Chopin pieces he mimed in the film - and to compose a lot of his own music.

"Adrien was really affected by the movie, so [the music he made is] interesting, dark, gloomy stuff," says Armstrong, who compares Brody's "Pianist"-era tracks to the rich, syrupy trip-hop of Britain's Portishead and Tricky.

Now that Brody owns an Oscar, it might be hard for him to carve out time for his hobby.

"He definitely wants to devote more time to his musical side," Guido says. "But now every film director is going to be calling him. We'll see if he has the time."

DAVE'S BEEN OUT SICK FOUR WEEKS

Fourteen guest hosts (counting Luke Wilson Wednesday night) have subbed for David Letterman since he took ill with a bad case of shingles in late February. And they've generally done a good job for people with no experience hosting a late-night show.

But this week, after sitting through a passable Paul Shaffer on Monday and an oddly disconcerting Bill Cosby on Tuesday, the guest-host thing feels like it's getting old.

And on Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards, some of Dave's fans are beginning to wonder if their hero intends to return at all.

Undoubtedly adding to their uncertainty is the fact that they have heard nothing from Dave himself.

The intensely private "Late Show" host isn't given to issuing public statements even at the best of times. And this time around, he has chosen to maintain total silence since he took ill. The few statements that have come out on his behalf have come only from his publicists or his doctor.

Yesterday marked four weeks since Bruce Willis stepped in at the last minute Feb. 26 as the first sub.

If Dave's absence stretches to five weeks, it will just about equal the time he was absent for emergency quintuple bypass surgery in January and February 2000.

But insiders say he's anxious to come back, although an exact date for his return is impossible to determine just now.

"Dave will be back - we just don't know when," said a spokesman for Letterman, 55.

And the medical books confirm that shingles around the eyes can be a stubborn condition that can take weeks to throw off.

Quite likely, according to the medical texts, it's the pain and discomfort associated with a condition like Dave's that is preventing him from returning to work just yet.

"Obviously, we want him back in the chair as soon as he's ready, but his health comes first," a CBS spokesman said yesterday.

Durst Rethinking Next Bizkit Album

Limp Bizkit next Flip/Interscope album will likely not arrive on May 13 as was previously expected, according to frontman Fred Durst. Writing on the band's web site, Durst also said the new album's title could change at any minute. "The new Limp Bizkit CD is NOT called 'BIPOLAR,'" he said. "It is NOT called 'LESS IS MORE.' It is called 'FETUS MORE' until I decide it shouldn't be. Whatever I'm feeling it is on the day the artwork is due then that will be the FINAL title."

On Monday, the group will return to the studio to record three new songs. "We just can't stop the creative process," Durst said. "As soon as we think we're done some other phat ass riff come[s] barreling out of our amps. Next thing you know we have ANOTHER song. So there. It ain't over till it's over."

It now appears more likely that Limp Bizkit's recent collaborations with Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg may appear on the new album. As previously reported, the band will unveil the song "Crack Addict" and "one surprise song" Sunday (March 30) during World Wrestling Entertainment's Wrestlemania XIX. Limp Bizkit will be joined on-stage by guitarists Head from Korn and Mike Smith from Snot, although a permanent replacement for departed axeman Wes Borland has yet to be named.

Durst also asked fans to phone his manager to give their suggestions as to what type of song should be released as the new album's first single. "I'm feeling the majority of everyone wants us to drop a super heavy 'TRADITIONAL' Limp song first and some people want something TOTALLY opposite," he said. "I'd like to hear what you think."

Backstreet Boys Put Next Album On Hold

The Backstreet Boys have put their next studio album on hold, despite initial plans to begin work on the set this month. "As a group, we have decided not to record our next album at this time," the band said in a statement. "We are not breaking up, but individually we are currently at different places in our lives, and our hearts and minds are focused in other areas. All of us are getting along great and are supporting each other in our individual endeavors."

"When the timing is right, we will record another Backstreet Boys album," the statement continued. "We would like to thank our fans for their continued support and love throughout our career."

Earlier this month, group member Howie Dorough told Billboard he had written 12 songs on his own and another 15 with the other members of the Backstreet Boys. "I'm hoping to have the new album out at least by September, [but] I'd like it to be by the summer," he said.

As previously reported, the group in November filed a massive lawsuit against Jive parent Zomba, seeking to dissolve its contract. Dorough said earlier this month that he expects the suit to be settled amicably. "I think eventually it's all going to work out," he said.

It is not known what future projects the group members hope to tackle. Kevin Richardson just wrapped a run in the Broadway version of the musical "Chicago," and Nick Carter recently wrapped a tour in support of his Jive solo debut, "Now or Never."

Adams, Lavigne, Dion & Others On Peace Compilation

Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Gord Downie, Bruce Cockburn, k-os, Our Lady Peace, Jarvis Church, Chantal Kreviazuk, Bryan Adams, and David Usher are among the artists that will appear on "Peace Songs," a double-CD that is being rushed out to stores April 15 to benefit War Child Canada.

"We have projects that benefit war-affected children all around the world," says Dr. Samantha Nutt, executive director of War Child Canada in Toronto. "In terms of this album, there will be a special focus on children in Iraq. We support a children's hospital in Karbala and have done for the last couple of years.

"As soon as it's safe and we can get access, we're going to be launching a psycho-social support program that responds to the trauma that they have lived through, not just recently, but also the last several years, and helping them to cope and rebuild their lives."

The "Peace Songs" initiative grew out of War Child U.K.'s idea for a single CD, entitled "Hope," which includes contributions from such international names as Paul McCartney and David Bowie. Those tracks will also be on the Canadian version, a joint venture between War Child Canada, Sony Music Canada and BMG Music Canada.

The charity compilation is comprised of classic or original peace songs. Kreviazuk has cut Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," Lavigne recorded Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," and Church a version of U2's "One."

'Breathe' Snuffs Out Julia

Julia DeMato's luck ran out Wednesday night. The 23-year-old hairstylist from Brookfield, Conn., one of the bottom three vote-getters from viewers of Fox's American Idol for the third straight week, was finally sent packing Wednesday night.

DeMato had sung Faith Hill's Breathe on Tuesday's country-rock program, and judges said she was slightly off-pitch.

Rounding out the three contestants were two Texans: Rickey Smith, 23, a student teacher from Keene, who sang Larry Gatlin's I've Done Enough Dyin' Today, and talent-show veteran Kimberly Caldwell, 21, of Katy, who sang Travis Tritt's Anymore. Judge Simon Cowell called it her best performance.

Caldwell also has appeared on the syndicated Star Search and on the WB series Pop Stars, where she made it into the final 15.

Cowell conceded that he didn't much care for country music, leading one to believe that he has never heard the classic Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait).

Dixie Chicks to Forgo Issuing Apologies

NEW YORK - People shouldn't expect to hear anymore apologies from the Dixie Chicks.  

The country trio's manager, Simon Renshaw, tells Radio and Records that lead singer Natalie Maines has released two strongly worded statements and that right now, he doesn't think she can win.

"If she goes on microphone and apologizes, they'll say she doesn't sound contrite enough," he said.

Maines reportedly told a London audience earlier this month, in reference to President Bush's push for military action against Iraq, that she was ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas. She later apologized, saying her remark was disrespectful.

Meanwhile, radio talk show host Mike Gallagher says he's close to booking Charlie Daniels to perform at an alternative concert to the Dixie Chicks' show in Greenville, S.C., on May 1.

Also on Gallagher's wish list of performers are Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, Darryl Worley and Garth Brooks, according to Radio and Records.

Gallagher says all of the proceeds will help provide food and personal care items to the families of military personnel. He's also holding a block of free VIP seats and a backstage reception for Dixie Chicks ticket-holders, because he says the Chicks' promoters are not offering refunds.

Asked for his reaction to Gallagher's plans, Renshaw said it will be fantastic to see who he gets to play.

"If he thinks there should be a counter-show, I wish him good luck."

The group may need it, especially now that they have reportedly also ruffled the feathers of animal activists at PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

MSNBC reports Maines and fellow members Martie Maguire and Emily Robison posed in a field of flowers for one of PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads. They were wearing strategically placed instruments.

MSNBC says the group's management heard about PETA's plan and killed the ad.

Killer Virus Licks Rolling Stones' HK Concerts

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The lethal pneumonia outbreak in Southeast Asia has forced the Rolling Stones to postpone two concerts scheduled for this weekend in Hong Kong, a spokeswoman for the band said on Wednesday.

The veteran British rockers, currently on the Asian leg of their Licks world tour, were scheduled to perform at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Friday and Saturday.

But increasing fears about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which is reported to have killed 50 people and made more than 1,300 sick, prompted the band to change its plans.

"Increases in the number of cases of SARS in Hong Kong and Southern China and continued concern over large gatherings have created apprehension among fans and concern for their safety," a statement said. "The Stones plan to reschedule the concerts as soon as possible."

A spokeswoman said the rest of the tour will proceed. The next scheduled show is in Shanghai on April 1, marking the band's first ever performance in China. Other first-time shows will follow in Beijing, Bangkok and the Indian cities of Bangalore and Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay.

Two viruses have emerged as suspects in the still-mysterious pneumonia, but health experts say the actual culprit is far from being identified.

Experts believe the disease originated in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where people have been getting sick with the symptoms of severe fever, unexplained pneumonia and difficulty breathing since November. International travelers have inadvertently carried the bug to other parts of the world.

The Rolling Stones earlier this week played two shows in Singapore, their first in the city state since 1965.

Networks Turn On Star Power

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Networks are going star-crazy plotting their new fall lineups. After a stretch when programmers sought to make their own stars instead of paying for established ones, familiar faces are again popping up in pilots being produced in the next few weeks and being touted to advertisers in New York this week.

Some are big names rarely seen on TV; others are small-screen veterans.

* NBC, which has long preferred the Friends model of discovering new talent, this year has potential new series led by Heather Locklear, Tom Selleck, Rob Lowe, Rupert Everett and Whoopi Goldberg. And another candidate, drama Miss/Match, stars Alicia Silverstone as a divorce attorney who plays matchmaker for her newly single clients. (Ryan O'Neal plays her dad.)
* CBS, usually the most star-struck of the major networks, has projects with Charlie Sheen (a comedy about two brothers), Matthew Modine (a forensic psychologist), Mark Harmon (a Navy counterintelligence officer), Randy Quaid, Andy Richter, Joe Mantegna and Party of Five's Scott Wolf.
* ABC, seeking more family comedies and cop series, has lined up Regis' co-host (and former All My Children star) Kelly Ripa for a proposed sitcom about a washed-up soap star who returns home to live with her twin sister (Murphy Brown's Faith Ford). Also on tap are other series featuring Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me), Steven Weber, Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From the Sun) and Mario Van Peebles.
* Fox has potential series with Norm Macdonald, Patrick Dempsey, Rebecca De Mornay and Peter Gallagher.

Viewers are more apt to try out a show with a recognizable star. "Those shows are often a little easier to launch," NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker says.

Last fall, John Ritter (Three's Company) helped ABC kick-start its retro family comedy 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

But stars don't guarantee hits: Just ask Bette Midler, Ellen DeGeneres or Geena Davis, all of whom flopped in their latest tries as TV-series leads.

The major networks are desperate for enduring new sitcom and drama standouts at a time when the few new hits are short-lived reality shows like Joe Millionaire. They have ordered about 135 pilots, slightly more than last year. Last fall, about 30 new shows were picked up; the number that make the cut this time depends on how many shows are canceled — and how many time slots go to news magazines and reality shows (expected to be more than last fall).

"There is greater pressure to come up with scripted shows," says Magna Global USA analyst Steve Sternberg. "You can't continue going with constant barrages of short-term (reality) fixes."

But many of the pilots tread safe, familiar ground, with an abundance of cop, forensics and law dramas, and family comedies. A couple feature characters reluctantly returning home such as a former baseball player (Selleck) or hockey player (Craig Bierko, in an ABC comedy).

Among other development trends:

* Sure bets, with 13-episode orders or on-air commitments: Line of Duty (ABC), a drama following the interlocking stories of a young female FBI agent and a mobster; The Brotherhood of Poland (CBS), a drama from producer David E. Kelley (The Practice, Ally McBeal), about three brothers (one is Quaid) running a small New England town; 2069 (Fox), a futuristic drama from Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue) about a present-day cop who suddenly fast-forwards into the future.
* Terrorism. No longer squeamish about tackling world events head-on, there's Threat Matrix (ABC), about a task force dealing with domestic terror threats, and Homeland Security (NBC), a similar tale starring Scott Glenn and Tom Skerritt, about a group of government agents who form the homeland security office after 9/11.
* Remakes. Family Affair bombed, Twilight Zone faded and Dragnet is no hit, but the networks are pressing ahead with revamped versions of other familiar titles.

There's The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS), done up as a reality series despite protests from rural groups; Eddie's Father (WB), about a widowed dad whose son tries to get him remarried, based on the 1960s Bill Bixby comedy; Young MacGyver (WB), about the 23-year-old nephew of the unconventional crime-stopper; and Tarzan and Jane (WB), an adventure drama that finds the jungle couple relocated to New York and Jane a detective. Plus: fresh takes on Mr. Ed (Fox), the 1960s sitcom about a talking horse, and Hotel (UPN), the 1980s soap from producer Aaron Spelling.

On the feature-film side, Fox will try a comedy-pilot remake of About a Boy, with Patrick Dempsey in the Hugh Grant role.

ADDING THEIR TWO CENTS

R.E.M. launching their own anti-war song "Last Straw" on the band's website.

BACK SOON

Tim Allen's ABC reunion special A User's Guide to Home Improvement postponed due to war coverage. Instead of airing in April the show will bow later this year.

TAKE MY WIFE

Halle Berry's hubby Eric Benet is reportedly "not mad at all" that Oscar winner Adrien Brody planted a wet one on his wife, reports People. The trio are friends.

Loving A Spy

Attention, fans of uber-agent Sydney Bristow! Mark September 2nd on your calendar, for that is the top secret date when Buena Vista Home Entertainment will release Alias: The Complete First Season. This six-disc set features the entire first season lineup, plus plenty of extras: audio commentaries on select episodes (TBA), deleted scenes, a production diary on the pilot, the "A Mission Around The World" featurette, "Marshall Finkman's Gadget Gallery," audition footage, and season 2 and 3 previews. Alas, despite being broadcast in HD, the information announced on the transfers is that they will be full frame only, along with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks. (Stay tuned for an update.) Retail is $69.95.

Buena Vista has also just announced the July 22nd arrival of Felicity: The Complete Second Season. This one also features full screen transfers and Dolby 2.0 surround tracks, plus audio commentaries by the series creators on select episodes, the never-before-seen half-hour pilot presentation, and cast audition footage. Retail is $59.95.

For you action fans, Buena Vista will debut the hit sequel Shanghai Knights on July 22nd. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, extras include two audio commentaries with director David Dobkin and screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, deleted scenes, the "Fight Manual" and "Action Overload" featurettes, and trailers Retail is $29.95.

Want more big sequels? How about The Santa Clause 2, which will be available in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen editions on November 18th. Extras include audio commentary by stars Tim Allen and Spencer Breslin, the "Naughty And Nice" interactive game, the "Tour the North Pole" and "Special Effects" featurettes, additional interviews, deleted scenes, a gag reel, trailers and ROM extras including E-Cards. Retail is $29.95.

For the family crowd, Disney has just revealed the full specs for the recent theatrical release The Jungle Book 2, which makes its way to DVD on June 10th. This one comes complete with a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, deleted scenes, the "Mowgli's Jungle Ruins Maze" interactive game, "The Legacy Of The Jungle Book" featurette, and three music videos: "I Wanna Be Like You" music video by Smash Mouth; "W-I-L-D" music video; "Jungle Rhythm" music video. From the direct-to-video department we have George of the Jungle 2, streeting on October 21st. This one is also presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1, with extras including deleted scenes with director commentary, the "George Of The Jungle 2: Behind-The-Scenes" featurette, "Jungle Bungles" bloopers and sneak peeks. Next we have the Roberto Benigni's remake of Pinocchio, which was a huge bust this past fall at the box office. This one streets on July 15th and features a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, plus minimal extras: just "The Voices Of Pinocchio: Creating The English Dubbed Version" featurette and trailers. Retail is $29.95 each.

Last but certainly not least we have a new two-discs special edition of the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, arriving on September 9th. This perennial favorite comes complete with a new 2.20:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, and tons of extras. Supplements include the "Once Upon A Dream: The Making Of Sleeping Beauty," "The Design" featurettes, the "Sleeping Beauty 3-D Virtual Galleries," various story reels, the "Helene Stanley Dance Reference" footage, additional sections with featurettes on "The Music," "The Restoration," a "Widescreen-to-Fullscreen Comparison," the TV show excerpt "The Peter Tchaikovsky Story" from the 1959 "Disneyland" program, a "Grand Canyon" short film, the "Four Artists Paint One Tree" special hosted by Walt Disney, two interactive games "Rescue Aurora Set-Top Adventure" and "Sleeping Beauty Ink And Paint," plus trailers. Retail is $29.95.

Buying DVD's In A Blaze Of Glory

And now for something completely different. Newly-minted Oscar winner Eminem comes home in Da Hip Hop Witch (seriously), coming June 17th from Artisan Entertainment. This early Marshall Mathers appearance is presented in full screen and 2.0 Dolby surround only, with only bonus trailers as extras. Retail is $14.95.

Also just announced from Artisan are updated specs for the new Young Guns Special Edition, due April 22nd. The disc features a new anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, plus audio commentary by cast members Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko and Lou Diamond Phillips, "The Real Billy the Kid" documentary, the "Gunning for the Facts" trivia track, and trailers. Retail remains $24.95.

Paramount readies The Hours

Heavy Oscar contender THE HOURS is about ready to come to DVD this summer thanks to the folks at Paramount Home Entertainment.

Taking place simultaneously in 1929, 1951 and and 2001, three women are interconnected through the Virginia Woolf. Woolf herself writes the novel as Laura Brown reads the novel thirty years later and Clarissa Vaughn lives the story.

Separate fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen releases will both carry Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The extras will be the same on both with an introduction by the filmmakers, an audio commentary with director Stephen Daldry and novelist Michael Cunningham. A second audio commentary features the great collection of Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. The featurettes "Three Women," "The Mind And Times Of Virginia Woolf," "The Music Of The Hours" and "The Lives Of Mrs. Dalloway" and a theatrical trailer are also included.

The disc will arrive on June 24th.

Hahn: 'Rabbit' Sequel Not Going to Happen

LOS ANGELES - Don't expect to see Roger Rabbit in a sequel — getting co-stars Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop and Porky Pig together again would be too difficult for producers.

"It was never in the cards, we could never get the planets back into alignment," co-producer Don Hahn said in an interview to promote Tuesday's DVD release of the original film. "There was something very special about that time when animation was not as much in the forefront as it is now."

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit," directed by Robert Zemeckis, became a $156 million hit in 1988 with its mix of live-action detective noir and cartoon silliness.

Bob Hoskins starred as a gumshoe investigating a murder case to prove the innocence of the rambunctious bunny (voiced by Charles Fleischer). Kathleen Turner supplied the smoky voice of Roger's bombshell cartoon wife, Jessica.

Although Roger was an original character conceived by author Gary K. Wolf, the Disney film was populated with some of Hollywood's most celebrated ink-and-paint actors, including the rival Warner Bros. studio's Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam and Tweety Bird.

Steven Spielberg executive-produced the project and helped secure the rights to many of those characters.

The success of "Roger Rabbit," however, made it more complicated — and expensive — to get those properties again, although the studio continued to develop sequel ideas for years.

"There were ideas about how Roger got to Los Angeles, how he met Jessica. Musical ideas, how he came to the Broadway stage," Hahn said. "There were lots of ideas knocking around but nothing that ever got far enough to develop and make into a movie."

Roger appeared in three short films, 1989's "Tummy Trouble," 1990's "Roller Coaster Rabbit" and 1993's "Trail Mix-Up," but Hahn said there are no longer plans to bring the character back for a feature film.

Lisa Marie Presley Talks

Lisa Marie Presley really loved Michael Jackson - but now wonders whether he married her just to improve his public image.

Usually tight-lipped about her love life, Elvis Presley's only child has finally found a reason to talk.

Her recording debut, "To Whom It May Concern," will be out April 8, and the mysterious Presley is coming out, too, in the new Rolling Stone, on newsstands Friday.

"I did fall in love with him," she told writer Chris Heath.

"I can't tell you what his intentions were, but I can tell you I absolutely fell in love with him and fell into this whole thing which I'm not proud of now."

During their two-year marriage, Presley, 35, says they had sex - "for a while."

"And then it became 'Def Con 2,' " she said. "It just got really ugly at the end."

Jackson, 44, first tried to get in touch with her when she was a teen, but she "thought he was weird," she says.

Fast forward a few years: Jackson sent word through a friend he wanted Presley to hear a demo record he made.

"He was very real with me off the bat," she says. "He immediately went into this whole explanation of what he knew people thought of him and what the truth was.

"He was very real - he was cursing, he was funny. . ."

Presley continues, "I was always saying, 'People wouldn't think I was so crazy [for marrying Jackson] if they saw who the hell you really are; that you sit around and you drink and you curse and you're f - - - ing funny, and you have a bad mouth and you don't have that high voice all the time . . ."

They became friends; she was still married to her first husband, rocker Danny Keough (with whom she has two children, Danielle, 13, and Ben, 10). Jackson confided in her during a costly lawsuit and a police investigation of claims he sexually molested a 13-year-old boy.

"I got into this whole 'I'm going to save you' thing. I thought all that stuff he was doing - philanthropy and the children thing and all this stuff - was awesome . . . OK. Hello. I was delusionary. I got some romantic idea in my head I could save him and we could save the world."

Jackson began courting her with candy and flowers, and she left her marriage to Keough "probably quicker than I would have, and that was probably one of the bigger mistakes of my whole life," she says.

Remember that famous Jacko-Lisa lip-lock at the MTV Music Awards?

"It was his manager's idea," she said. "I thought it was stupid. All of a sudden, I became part of a p.r. machine."

Still, she went on TV to defend him to Diane Sawyer.

"I was really in this lioness thing with him - I wanted to protect him. Naive as hell. I never thought for a moment someone like him could actually use me."

His mind, she says, was "constantly at work, calculating, manipulating. And he scared me like that."

Toward the end of their marriage, he would disappear for weeks at a time, she says.

The last straw came when he dissed Elvis in a TV Guide story. "He was quoting me: " 'Presley told me Elvis had a nose job,' which is absolute bulls - - -. I read that and I threw it across the kitchen. 'I told you what?' "

She demanded a divorce and plunged into depression.

"My body started to deteriorate. I started to have panic attacks."

Finally, a homeopathic doctor told her to get her fillings removed, which cured her. "Mercury [in the fillings] can make you go f - - - ing crazy" she says.

She blames their volatile personalities on her short-lived marriage to Nicolas Cage.

Labeling him a "hothead," Presley says " . . . we're both so dramatic and dynamic that when it was good, it was unbelievably good, and when it was bad, it was just a f - - - ing bloody nightmare for everybody. It was just Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."

Even Presley shakes her head at her troubles with men.

"If you lined up all the men I've been with in a row, you'd think that I was completely psychotic," she says.

Presley still visits Graceland, parts of which, she says, hasn't changed at all.

"Upstairs, which has never been open to the public, is my room and his [Elvis'] room, next to each other, and an attic. It's pretty creepy. It's a shrine."

As for her own new record, Presley at first says, "I don't give a crap about hits," then backtracks, saying, "I mean, I do, of course. But as long as people know it's for real, it's not BS, it's me, my spirit, my heart, my head. You bare your ass for everybody and go, 'What do you think?' It's scary, but it's me."

Brosnan Watches a SUNSET

Pierce Brosnan has agreed to star in the action film AFTER THE SUNSET for New Line. Paul Zbyszewski wrote the script, which is about a thief (Brosnan) sailing to an island paradise after his last big job. However, an FBI agent, the thief's nemesis, tracks him to the island to ensure that he's really retired.

"Give peace a chance" at McCartney's Paris concert

PARIS,(AFP) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney added an unscheduled number to the first night of his European tour when a French audience of 15,000 struck up a spontaneous rendition of "Give Peace a Chance" by his late songwriting partner John Lennon.

McCartney had just completed "Here Today" -- a song he wrote after Lennon's murder in 1980 -- when the Tuesday night crowd at the Bercy sports centre in Paris broke into the celebrated peace anthem, originally penned to protest against the Vietnam war.

Visibly surprised, the former Beatle joined in the chorus but he otherwise made no reference to the war in Iraq, which is opposed by the overwhelming majority of the French public.

McCartney was kicking off the European leg of his world tour, in which he plays around 40 Beatles classics as well as hits by his second group Wings.

Actor Crowe Cheers Oscar Win for Kidman

SYDNEY, Australia - Russell Crowe cheered fellow Australian Nicole Kidman's Oscar win for "The Hours," saying her "dedication, brilliance, resilience and generosity has been lauded, applauded and finally handsomely rewarded."

Kidman, 35, became the first Australian to win the best-actress Oscar. She won the award, which was presented Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., for her performance as Virginia Woolf.

"I couldn't be happier for her, her family, her pets, everyone," said Crowe, who won the best-actor Oscar in 2001 for his role in "Gladiator."

Kidman said she was shocked when Denzel Washington announced her name.

"I just am very proud to have been nominated and to have actually won and I'm very proud to represent my country," she told Australian television's Nine Network in an interview during post-Oscar celebrations.

CNN Abruptly Drops Anchor Connie Chung

NEW YORK - CNN on Tuesday abruptly dropped one of its best-known anchors, Connie Chung, who had been hired only last spring as the centerpiece of a star-driven prime-time lineup.

"Connie Chung Tonight" had been criticized in some circles for its emphasis on crime and personality stories but had drawn strong ratings in a nondescript time slot.

Her show was temporarily replaced by an Aaron Brown-anchored news program after the war's start last week and she had asked management for a time when it would come back. Instead, she was informed Tuesday that the show had been canceled, CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said.

Chung was asked to stay at CNN in another capacity and declined, Robinson said.

She could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday night. CNN wouldn't provide a home number for Chung but said it would send a message to her producer seeking comment.

A major figure in broadcasting over the past 30 years, Chung was hired away from ABC News last year, where she primarily worked in newsmagazines and landed a high-profile interview with Gary Condit. CNN built a new studio for her in midtown Manhattan and the program launched on June 24.

She envisioned her show opening each night with a detailed look at one of the day's top stories, featuring newsmaker interviews, and highlighting emerging issues.

It evolved into a program concentrating heavily on crime stories, and this master of the taped interview occasionally seemed awkward in a live format. It didn't help when CNN founder Ted Turner, in an interview this winter, described her show as "just awful."

She also apparently became caught in the crosswinds of change at CNN. Turner Broadcasting chief Jamie Kellner wanted to attract viewers with well-known names, but he and CNN Chairman Walter Isaacson, who hired her, have since resigned.

Isaacson's replacement, Jim Walton, has sought a less flashy, more serious approach to the news and recently canceled the long-running afternoon talk show, "Talkback Live."

Chung's show had roughly half the audience of cable news' nighttime king, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, but she averaged almost 1 million viewers a night and improved CNN's performance in the 8 p.m. ET time slot. And she lasted longer than MSNBC's big gun hired for the time slot around the same time — Phil Donahue.

CNN has not yet decided what will go in her time slot, Robinson said.

ABC Shortening Shows to Make Room for News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The ABC network is shortening each hour of its prime-time shows by 2 1/2 minutes, starting Tuesday, to make room for war updates, lessening the need for costly program interruptions in the event of breaking news, the network said.

In addition, ABC has canceled its combat reality show "Profiles from the Front Line," the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced series documenting the exploits of American forces last year in Afghanistan, saying some viewers might confuse that show with current footage of the war in Iraq.

Those moves and other programming changes were revealed as ABC and other broadcasters scrambled to find the right mix of news and entertainment, adjusting to the unpredictable demands of war coverage.

Among the first shows to be trimmed by ABC for the sake of news are the John Ritter comedy "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," the sitcom "According to Jim," starring Jim Belushi, and the hourlong season finale of Bonnie Hunt's show "Life with Bonnie."

A spokeswoman for the Walt Disney Co.-owned network said producers of ABC's prime-time entertainment shows had been asked to shave a minute and a quarter from each half hour, or 2 1/2 minutes per hour, from all first-run episodes and reruns slated to air for at least the next two weeks.

"By asking our producers to deliver shorter episodes, we've addressed the need for news updates while also protecting the integrity of our prime-time content," ABC spokesman Kevin Brockman told Reuters.

RIVALS ALSO MAKING CHANGES

Paring down episodes lessens the chance of having to break into programming with unscheduled preemptions that would require the network to give up commercial or promotional time to advertisers. But network officials said the planned war updates did not preclude ABC News from interrupting programming if developments warranted.

In other schedule changes linked in part to the demands of war coverage, ABC said it has placed two new series on hiatus -- the George Hamilton-hosted reality show "The Family" and the father-and-son archeological adventure "Veritas: The Quest."

Both shows have struggled in the ratings, and ABC said the spate of recent news preemptions and scheduling changes had made it too difficult to promote and build audiences for them.

"The Family," in which a group of 10 relatives living together in a Florida mansion compete with each other for prize money, will be relaunched this summer, ABC said. Remaining episodes of "Veritas" are expected to air later in the year.

Among ABC's broadcast rivals, NBC said it was cutting promotional time, not program time, to accommodate news updates. CBS and Fox said they had no plans to abbreviate their entertainment offerings in advance, though CBS was making other alterations in its prime-time schedule.

CBS added a special edition of its news magazine "48 Hours" to its Tuesday lineup in place of the courtroom drama "Judging Amy" and planned to air an extra hour of prime-time news this coming Saturday in place of its espionage drama "The Agency."

NBC is owned by General Electric Co., CBS is a unit of Viacom Inc., and Fox is a unit of News Corp. Ltd.

Rocker Kravitz Releases Peace Song with Iraqi Star

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rocker Lenny Kravitz released a peace anthem with an Iraqi pop star on Tuesday, joining a growing list of recording artists to release protest songs directly to the Internet to bypass a cautious and sometimes hostile radio market.

R.E.M., the Beastie Boys, John Mellencamp and former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha have all released anti-war songs via the Internet in recent weeks.

Kravitz issued his song, "We Want Peace," which he recorded last week in Miami with popular Iraqi musical star Kadim Al Sahir, on the Web site of Rock the Vote, a national organization which encourages young people to become involved in politics.

Kravitz, who in 1991 put together an all-star ensemble to cover John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance," said he had chosen to tie up with Rock the Vote "because of its strong stance with young people as defenders of free expression."

With opinion polls showing a majority of Americans supporting the war against Iraq, radio companies have been cautious to play anti-war songs.

Earlier this month, country music superstars the Dixie Chicks were hit by a nearly 30 percent drop in airplay on country music stations after they criticized President Bush's war plans in Iraq.

ANTI-WAR SONG NOT POPULAR IN TIME OF WAR

"Anti-war songs usually are not a very popular choice for program directors during a time of war. Program directors follow the lead set by their listeners. In this case, two-thirds of the American public say they back the war," said Rich Meyer, president of Mediabase, a division of Premiere Radio Networks. "It could be a dangerous move for stations to step out and take a stand against."

Premiere is a unit of Clear Channel, which syndicates 60 programs to more than 7,800 radio affiliates. One of its biggest personalities, Glenn Beck, has been leading pro-war demonstrations called "Rally for America," across the country.

The one notable success for the anti-war movement on the radio airwaves has been "Peacekeeper," a new Fleetwood Mac single recently debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at 93.

Other artists, however, have sought to steer clear of controversy. Handlers for the soon-to-be-released Madonna single, "American Life," are saying the song is not "anti-war" but intended to promote peace.

"Madonna's single, 'American Life', is not at all anti-war or political in any way shape or form," her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said.

The song's controversial video, however, reportedly shows the diva in military fatigues, tossing grenades while images of fashion models, soldiers and bloody babies flash on screen.

Kravitz too stresses his song is about peace, not war. The song features Palestinian musician Simon Shaheen on strings and Lebanese artist Jamey Hadded on percussion.

Kravitz is currently signed to EMI Group Plc's Virgin Records, but the record label had no participation in the single.

RADIOHEAD Announce "Hail to the Thief"

RADIOHEAD have officially announced a June 10th release date for their sixth album, "Hail to the Thief."

The 14-track CAPITOL Records release, which the band produced with Nigel Godrich, features the tracks "2 + 2 = 5," "Sit Down. Stand Up," "Sail To The Moon," "Backdrifts," "Go To Sleep," "Where I End And You Begin," "We Suck Young Blood," "The Gloaming," "There There," "I Will," "A Punch-Up at a Wedding," "Myxamatosis," "Scatterbrain," and "A Wolf At The Door."

Beginning in mid-May, the band will embark on an extensive world tour, which should bring them to North America in late summer.

Polanski 'Deeply Touched' by Best Director Oscar

PARIS (Reuters) - Film director Roman Polanski said on Tuesday he was deeply touched by winning an Oscar for best director for his Holocaust drama "The Pianist" because the film drew on his personal experiences.

"I am deeply touched to have received the Oscar for best director for a film which recounts events which are so close to my personal experience, events which helped me to understand that art can transcend pain," he said in a brief statement.

"I thank the members of the academy with all my heart for this magnificent reward," Polanski said.

Polanski, who fled the United States for France in 1978 as he was about to be sentenced to prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, faces arrest if he sets foot in the United States and could not attend the Oscar ceremony on Sunday night.

His statement did not mention his legal troubles or raise the prospect of working in Hollywood once again.

"The Pianist" is based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jewish musician who survived Nazi-occupied Warsaw, but it also draws heavily on Polanski's own childhood Holocaust experiences.

The 69-year-old director was born in France to Jewish parents but returned to Poland before World War II, during which time his mother died in a concentration camp.

"The Pianist," which won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, also earned its star, Adrien Brody, an Oscar for best actor.

Polanski was previously nominated for directing the 1974 film "Chinatown" and the 1979 drama "Tess" and received a screenwriting nomination for "Rosemary's Baby."

Today's New Releases

There is some great rock and roll coming down the pike today. New discs from Linkin Park, The Exies and The Cardigans are very much worth your time.

Oh, and there is a new Celine Dion CD out today too! (Like I give a rat's ass!)

:)

Anyway, here are the new CD releases for Tuesday March 25, 2003:

* 702 Star (Motown)
* ADRIAN SHERWOOD Never Trust A Hippy (Real World/Narada)
* AFRO CELTS Seed (Real World/Narada)
* AIR City Reading: The Western Story (Virgin)
* AMANDA PEREZ Angel (Virgin)
* AMY SKY With This Kiss: A Romance Collection (Cafe Records)
* BLUE One Love (Virgin)
* BRIAN MCKNIGHT U-Turn (Motown)
* CARDIGANS Long Gone Before Daylight (Stockholm)
* CELINE DION One Heart (Sony)
* EVERCLEAR Volvo Driving Soccer Mom (CD Single) (Capitol)
* F-MINUS Wake Up Screaming (Hellcat)
* IDLEWILD The Remote Part (Capitol)
* IGBY GOES DOWN OST Igby Goes Down OST (Navarre)
* JAH CURE Ghetto Life (VP)
* JAMES LAST A World Of Music (Eagle Records/EMI Canada)
* JOHN DIGWEED Stark Raving Mad (Red Distribution)
* JOHN MCDERMOTT My Forever Friend (EMI)
* LES NUBIANS One Step Forward (Virgin)
* LINKIN PARK Meteora (Warner)
* LISA MARIE PRESLEY Lights Out (CD Single) (Capitol)
* LMS Straight From The Root (VP)
* MICHELLE CHAMBERS BAND One Kiss (Sextant Records)
* NATARAJXT Ocean Birds (Nutone)
* NO COMMENT Candles In The Air (Sextant Records)
* NOAM CHOMSKY Distorted Morality (DVD Video) (Epitaph)
* NOFX Regaining Unconsciousness (EP) (Epitaph)
* PINK FLOYD Dark Side Of The Moon (30th Anniversary Reissue) (EMI)
* PLACEBO Sleeping With Ghosts (Virgin)
* PLUMB Beautiful Lumps Of Coal (Curb)
* RINGO STARR Ringorama (Koch)
* ROBBIE ROBERTSON Classic Masters (Capitol)
* ROLLER Impossibly Real (Linus Entertainment)
* ROSANNE CASH Rules Of Travel (Capitol/EMI)
* STACIE ORRICO Stacie Orrico (Virgin)
* STEVE WARINER Greatest Hits (Capitol)
* THE EXIES Inertia (Virgin)
* TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS The Last DJ (CD/DVD) (Warner)
* UNCLE TUPELO Anodyne (Remastered) (Rhino)
* VANESSA-MAE The Best Of Vanessa Mae (EMI)
* VIEW FROM THE TOP OST View From The Top OST (Curb)

War delays Meg Ryan film release

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Paramount Pictures said it has postponed the upcoming release of the Meg Ryan boxing comedy "Against the Ropes" because TV coverage of the war in Iraq could make it difficult to publicize the film.

"Our campaign was poised to go on air and we became concerned that our message would be lost amidst the current war coverage," studio spokeswoman Nancy Kirkpatrick said Friday in a statement.

The movie, about a woman boxing manager trying to succeed in the male-dominated sport, was originally set for release April 25. No future release date was set.

"We will reschedule the release once there is a return to normalcy in the media," Kirkpatrick said.

Cherry's War Rant Not A Hit With Hockey Night In Canada Viewers

TORONTO (CP) -- Don Cherry's pro-American rant on the war in Iraq wasn't a hit with Hockey Night In Canada viewers nor apparently with the CBC itself.

"The CBC does not feel Hockey Night In Canada is the appropriate place for discussion on the war in Iraq," CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles said Monday.

Soles says CBC Sports executive director Nancy Lee and Hockey Night In Canada executive producer Joel Darling spoke to Cherry, the star of Coach's Corner, and co-host Ron MacLean on Monday.

As of Monday morning, the CBC says it had received about 1,000 e-mails reacting to Saturday night's Coach's Corner, with about 60 per cent going against Cherry and 40 per cent favouring him.

MacLean could be in more hot water than Cherry, who at first refused to get into the subject of war, saying "I don't want to go anywhere (with that subject)." But MacLean persisted, saying: "Everybody wants to know what you think."

It started with Cherry commenting on Montreal Canadiens fans booing the American national anthem last Thursday before a game against the New York Islanders.

Cherry, wearing a tie emblazoned with U.S. colours, apologized on behalf of Canadians, saying that "years of pride went down the drain" with Habs fans' behaviour.

Cherry also went at it with MacLean over the war in Iraq, chiding the Canadian government for its "lack of support to our American friends."

"I hate to see them go it alone. We have a country that comes to our rescue, and we're just riding their coattails," Cherry said.

MacLean stood firm that it was Canada's right not to go.

"Why attack Iraq if they haven't attacked you?" MacLean said.

Calls to MacLean's home and Cherry's agent weren't immediately returned Monday.

Both Lee and Darling were said to be out of the office Monday and not available for comment.

"I know they were going to address it but I don't know what form that discussion took," Soles said.

DVD Features:
* Contains all 8 original video programs on 4 DVDs
* Bonus disc of rare and never-before-seen footage, including:
* Recollections (June 1994): Paul, George, and Ringo spend a summer's day together singing, playing and warmly remembering the early days
* Back at Abbey Road (May 1995): Paul, George, and Ringo at Abbey Road Studios with George Martin, play back the multi-tracks of some of their classic recordings and reveal the inventive techniques used during the original sessions
* Recording "Free as a Bird" & "Real Love": Paul, George, and Ringo, along with Jeff Lynne discuss the story behind these recordings - includes intimate footage of them at work in the studio
* Real Love Video: The video not screened as part of the original Anthology series, now in glorious 5.1 surround sound
* Compiling the Anthology Albums: Paul, George, Ringo, and George Martin talk about how the three Anthology double albums were compiled
* Making the "Free as a Bird" video: An intriguing insight from director Joe Pytka into how the Grammy Award winning video was created
* Production Team: The team behind the Anthology series discuss how the programmes were made
* Newly mixed in 5.1 surround sound with picture restoration
* Number of discs: 5

Enjoy!

Also Out Today!

The second best new release out today is:

Futurama Volume One- The show's first 13 episodes plus several bonus features. (Katey Sagal (voice), Billy West (voice), John Di Maggio (voice))

And then there is this stuff too:

Maid In Manhattan- Cinderella tale of maid who catches the eye of a politician. (Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson)

Jackass: The Movie- MTV dangerous stunt show stretched out to feature length. (Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O , Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna)

Friday After Next- Craig and Day Day's new crib gets robbed. (Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Don "DC" Curry)

Ghost Ship- Salvage crew must pull in a haunted ship. (Julianna Margulies, Gabriel Byrne, Ron Eldard)

Femme Fatale- Jewel thief double-crosses team. (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Antonio Banderas, Sandrine Bonnaire)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: First Season- Entire first season of CSI, 23 first run-episodes. (William Peterson, Marg Helgenberger, George Eads)

I'm With Lucy- A newly single woman is set up for a series of blind dates. (Monica Potter, Julianne Nicholson, John Hannah)

Killing Me Softly- A scientist takes a deadly risk with a new love. (Heather Graham, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone)

Lady Jayne Killer- A female assassin runs from the mob and the LAPD. (Erika Eleniak, James Remar, Adam Baldwin)

Porn Star: The Legend Of Ron Jeremy-A look inside the world of the unlikely porn star. (Ron Jeremy, Seymore Butts, Larry Flynt)

Paul Simon Kind Of An Eminem Fan

Paul Simon may have lost to Eminem at the Oscars, but he's not holding any grudges. Simon and Eminem were both nominated for best original song at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony--Simon for "Father And Daughter" from The Wild Thornberrys Movie, and Eminem for "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile, in which he also starred. Eminem won.

Simon is only somewhat familiar with Eminem's music, but he likes what he's heard. "I didn't hear this album (the 8 Mile soundtrack), but I heard the one before this (The Marshall Mathers LP)," Simon said. "He was up for a Grammy at the same time I was--you know, it was the year that Steely Dan won a Grammy. He was up for best album and I was up, so I listened to that album, and I thought it was good."

Simon, who attended and performed at the Oscars, is currently recording his next studio album in New York City.

TOON TIME

Oscar winner William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) adapting DC Comics' Shazam! for New Line for a possible Christmas 2004 release, reports Variety. Shazam was the wizard who transformed mild-mannered Billy Batson into Captain Marvel.

The Right Stuff: Special Edition Is On The Way!

The 2-disc set streets on June 10th (SRP $26.99). The film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen video (1.85:1), with Dolby Digital 5.0 audio. There will be audio commentary (with director Philip Kaufman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and cast members Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid and Barbara Hershey), 13 deleted scenes (including Trudy's Dream, Chimp and Center Fuse, Milkshake Connecting, Second Convolution, Specimen Request, Glen Gets Out of Centerfuge, Astronauts Walk Down Hall, Gus and Trudy at Motel, Dayroom Liaison Man Speech, Blood/Mission Control, New Congress Lift, NASA Man "Socks" and Trudy Wakes), and some 50 minutes worth of documentary material introduced by author Thomas Wolfe, including interviews with Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Quaid, three of the real Mercury Seven astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Wally Schirra) and test pilot Chuck Yeager. VERY cool!

Coming Soon To A Store Near Us All

Two days after the Oscars and a Best Actress trophy for Nicole Kidman, Paramount Home Entertainment has announced a June 24th street date for "The Hours."

Available in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen releases, each includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, an introduction by the filmmakers, audio commentary by director Stephen Daldry and novelist Michael Cunningham, a second audio commentary by stars Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman (their first!), the featurettes "Three Women," "The Mind And Times Of Virginia Woolf," "The Music Of The Hours" and "The Lives Of Mrs. Dalloway" and the theatrical trailer. Retail is $29.95.

Debuting a week earlier is the cop drama Narc, which didn't quite gain the Oscar momentum generated by The Hours. This one will hit shelves on June 17th also in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, plus a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, audio commentary by writer and director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy, the featurettes "Narc: Making The Deal," "Narc: Shooting Up" and "Narc: The Visual Trip" featurettes, and the trailer. Retail is also $29.95.

Big Blue Marble

What happened to Dark Blue? It starred Kurt Russell and seemed to have a marketing campaign fit for a king, but only last a couple of weeks in theaters. Now you can make up your own mind on June 29th when MGM Home Entertainment will release a special edition DVD with plenty of extras. The release includes 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English and French 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, an audio commentary by director Ron Shelton, the "Internal Affairs" featurette and a still gallery. Retail is $26.95.

MGM has also announced their July catalog lineup, which includes many foreign favorites. On July 1st comes a new version of Luc Besson's favorite La Femme Nikita. Featuring a new 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and French and English 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, extras include the featurettes "Revealed: The Making of La Femme Nikita" and "The Music of Nikita" featurettes, the "Programming Nikita" interactive map, a still gallery, and trailers. Retail is $24.95. MGM will also finally release that special edition of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire on July 1st. Featuring a new 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and German and English 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, extras include an audio commentary with Wenders and Peter Falk, the "Angels Among Us" documentary, deleted scenes with optional commentary, an interactive map and trailers. Retail is also $24.95.

Wonder Woman Gets a Makeover

NEW YORK - Her bullet-deflecting bracelets are gone, her golden tiara has disappeared and her long, flowing locks have been shorn.

After 60 years of fighting evil, Wonder Woman has a new, edgy look, complete with short, spiky hair and a camouflage bustier. The new Wonder Woman will appear in this Wednesday's DC Comics issue.

With characteristic finesse, a somewhat shocked Wonder Woman looks in the mirror and takes her new 'do in stride: "It's hair. It will grow back."

The makeover is part of Wonder Woman's latest six-part adventure, a harrowing scenario in which she gets amnesia and must fight demons without her superpower strength. Luckily, her brains out-muscle the brawn.

In Issue 190, Wonder Woman decides she must go undercover if she is to survive her ordeal and reclaim her identity.

"She's bright and when she realizes she's getting attacked she thinks she probably ought not to look like herself," said Wonder Woman writer Walter Simonson of DC Comics. Simonson expects readers to have mixed reactions to the new look.

To foil her enemies, a slight trim won't do. So, Wonder Woman chops her hair, dons a pair of glasses (a nod to Clark Kent and his superhero alter ego Superman) and trades in her star-spangled leotard for the camouflage bustier.

The look is more boot camp than beauty queen.

"In this series, she has plenty of battles and she looks like a soldier," said illustrator Jerry Ordway. "Here we have someone who is a fighting machine. She's suddenly put in a situation and she can handle herself."

An identity crisis — the short hair, the military garb? Could Wonder Woman be a metaphor for our post-Sept. 11 selves?

Although the creative minds behind Wonder Woman don't want to make too much out of the similarities between their heroine's struggles and the current global crisis, they do acknowledge the parallels.

"After 9-11 a lot of people went back to think about who we are and to do some soul-searching," Simonson said. "But remember, Wonder Woman's specific mission is to bring peace; she's a heroine who fights for peace."

Wartime Oscar Ratings Hit Record Low

NEW YORK - The wartime Academy Awards telecast on ABC Sunday night was the least-watched Oscar ceremony since Nielsen Media Research began keeping records in 1974.

An estimated 33.1 million people watched "Chicago" win best picture, Nielsen said on Monday, down sharply from the 41.8 million who watched the Oscars last year.

The Oscars toned down the glitz Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood because of the war with Iraq, and going into the weekend, there had been some question whether the ceremony would be held. That took its toll, said Larry Hyams, ABC's chief researcher.

"It was such a special instance, it's hard to speculate what it was beyond the war coverage," Hyams said Monday. He noted that viewership has been sharply up for cable news networks covering the war full time.

The Academy Awards is often the most popular entertainment program of the year, but even last month's finale of "Joe Millionaire," with 40 million viewers, beat it this year.

The previous Oscar lows came in 1987, when 37.2 million people watched "Platoon" win best picture, and 37.8 million in 1986, when "Out of Africa" won.

Oscar's record was the 55.2 million viewers in 1998, when "Titanic" won.

Doc Ock Talk

Steve Johnson, the prosthetic and animatronic effects artist for the upcoming sequel The Amazing Spider-Man, told SCI FI Wire that director Sam Raimi wanted a real costume for the new villain, Doctor Octopus. "Sam's a fan [of animatronics], and he feels like the fans would prefer to see the real thing," rather than a computer-generated image, Johnson said in an interview. "It's a lot harder when you have a puppet, and you've got 18 performers on the set. It takes a lot longer to shoot than if you do it digitally."

In the comics, Doctor Octopus wears a rig that gives him mechanical arms. Johnson said that Doc Ock actor Alfred Molina has been a trouper in working with the elaborate costume. "He's strapped into a giant torture device, and he obeys our every command," Johnson said.

The costume will undergo some changes, as the makeup team adjusts to Molina's weight loss. "We're having to re-cast him, [because] he's lost so much weight since our initial molding of his body."

The Amazing Spider-Man opens May 7, 2004.

Wang Cooks With Sandler

Wayne Wang has agreed to direct New Line's GOOD COOK, LIKES MUSIC, starring Adam Sandler and Zhang Ziyi. In the film, Sandler plays a "lovable loser" that lives in a trailer park with his mother. One night, in a drunken stupor, he orders a mail order bride (Zhang) that is, in reality, a musical prodigy. The two change each other's lives.

Writer Frank Darabont talks a bit about the villains for the upcoming INDIANA JONES sequel.

Frank Darabont, screenwriter of the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie, told SCI FI Wire that the sequel's 1950s setting requires different villains from those in previous installments, which were set in the 1930s. "Those pesky Nazis seem to have departed, which is a shame, because I like those pesky Nazis, because you can just squash them all over the place," Darabont said, with tongue in cheek.

Darabont would not say who the new villains were, but assured that the tone of adventure would be consistent with previous Indy movies. "From the standpoint of the fun of it and the adventure of it, [there will be] no [change]," he said.

Darabont added that he has nearly completed a first draft of the script and that director Steven Spielberg is happy with his progress. "The reaction has been quite good," he said. But the writer added that he is approaching the script one day at a time. "Right now, every day is like one foot in front of the other," he said. "It's 'How do I solve this next scene? How do I get this next three pages in its best form?'" The new Indiana Jones movie is still aiming for a July 1, 2005, release.

'Chicago' wins big at Oscars

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Chicago" led the Academy Awards with six trophies, including best picture, at a ceremony Sunday that allowed Hollywood to exalt itself while muting the Oscar pageantry because of the U.S.-led war on Iraq.

The razzle-dazzle satire "Chicago" became the first musical since 1968's "Oliver!" to win the top Oscar. Its other awards were supporting actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and four technical honors including costume design and art direction.

Adrien Brody won the best-actor award for the Holocaust saga "The Pianist," Nicole Kidman took best actress for the somber drama "The Hours" and Chris Cooper was picked as supporting actor for the twisted Hollywood tale "Adaptation."

The best-director Oscar went to Roman Polanski for "The Pianist." Polanski has been an exile from the United States since fleeing 25 years ago to avoid sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

"The Pianist" also won the adapted-screenplay award for Ronald Harwood," giving it a total of three, while Pedro Almodovar earned the original-screenplay prize for "Talk to Her."

'Bringing Down House' Leads Box Office

LOS ANGELES - "Bringing Down the House" led the box office for the third straight weekend, but the overall numbers dropped significantly during the first weekend of the war in Iraq.

The top 12 films grossed an estimated $83.9 million — a 29 percent drop from the same weekend a year ago.

"I think the war has impacted people's desire to go out to the movies. I think people were at home with their families, they were watching the news and not a lot of movies did a lot of business," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, which released "View from the Top," a slapstick airline comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow that debuted at No. 4.

But Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, said the weekend's drop-off from a year ago may have more to do with the films that were out than with the war. A year ago, "Blade 2" had a $32.5 million debut and "Ice Age" was in its second weekend.

"We can only guess, but I just think that this weekend turned out pretty much like we expected and any impact the war had is negligible," Dergarabedian said.

"Bringing Down the House," a comedy starring Steve Martin as an uptight lawyer and Queen Latifah as an escaped convict, topped the box office with $16.2 million, pushing its total take to $83.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Stephen King adaptation "Dreamcatcher" opened in second place with $15.3 million. "Agent Cody Banks," Frankie Muniz's teen-spy flick, dropped from second to third place in its second weekend out with $9.3 million. "View from the Top" was in fourth place with $7.6 million.

The G-rated "Piglet's Big Movie" opened in seventh place with $6.1 million while the Cuba Gooding Jr. comedy "Boat Trip" debuted a distance 10th with $3.7 million.

"There's no question we all have things on our mind, and being able to get inside a theater and kick back and have someone really entertain you with belly laughter, it's definitely a good thing," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, whose Touchstone Pictures released "Bringing Down the House."

Benefiting from strong word of mouth, "Bringing Down the House" became the first film this year to stay No. 1 three weekends in a row and is on track to cross $100 million within weeks. It presented tough competition for the weekend's new films, Dergarabedian said.

"It's doing incredibly well," he said. "The two newcomers that were comedies really got hurt."

The film also likely pulled audiences from "Dreamcatcher," which tells the story of four longtime friends (Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant and Damian Lewis) who communicate telepathically.

Sunday's Oscars ceremony should boost sales for the winning films, and three big new openings could mean strong box office next weekend. The comedy "Head of State," starring Chris Rock and Bernie Mac, opens against the sci-fi thriller "The Core" and "Basic," John Travolta's military thriller.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Bringing Down the House," $16.2 million.
2. "Dreamcatcher," $15.3 million.
3. "Agent Cody Banks," $9.3 million.
4. "View from the Top," $7.6 million.
5. "The Hunted," $6.6 million.
6. "Chicago," $6.2 million.
7. "Piglet's Big Movie," $6.1 million.
8. "Tears of the Sun," $4.5 million.
9. "Old School," $4 million.
10. "Boat Trip," $3.7 million.

Musical 'Chicago' Wins Best-Picture Oscar

LOS ANGELES - The razzle-dazzle musical satire "Chicago" won the Academy Award as best picture Sunday, while top acting honors struck a more somber note: Adrien Brody as a Holocaust survivor in "The Pianist" and Nicole Kidman as suicidal novelist Virginia Woolf in "The Hours."

In a ceremony overshadowed by the U.S.-led war in Iraq, "Chicago" became the first musical since 1968's "Oliver!" to win the top Oscar and also took home the most trophies, six. Its other awards were supporting actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and four technical honors including costume design and art direction.

Veteran character actor Chris Cooper won as best supporting actor for his role as scraggly- haired, toothless horticultural poacher in "Adaptation."

Brody's victory was something of a surprise, as was the awarding of the best-director Oscar went to Roman Polanski, also for "The Pianist." Polanski has been an exile from the United States since fleeing 25 years ago to avoid sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

"The Pianist" also won the adapted-screenplay award for Ronald Harwood," giving it a total of three, while Pedro Almodovar earned the original-screenplay prize for "Talk to Her."

World events sparked several emotional highlights, including Brody's tearful speech and an attack on President Bush by filmmaker Michael Moore, winner of the best-documentary Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine."

"Chicago" came in with a leading 13 nominations, followed by the crime epic "Gangs of New York" with 10, but "Gangs" was shut out in every category.

"Chicago" was adapted from the Bob Fosse stage hit about two Jazz Age murderesses using their jailhouse celebrity to further their singing careers.

Once a Hollywood staple, musicals hit a critical peak 40 years ago with best-picture Oscar winners that included "West Side Story," "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music." Musicals gradually fell out of favor since the late 1960s as moviegoers grew more sophisticated and studios became convinced that audiences would no longer abide characters who burst into song.

"Moulin Rouge," a best-picture nominee a year ago, whetted the public's appetite for musicals, and "Chicago" has packed theaters, with its domestic haul at $134 million and climbing.

Zeta-Jones was the first performer to win an acting Oscar for a musical since Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey for 1972's "Cabaret." In "Chicago," Zeta-Jones played a jailed vaudeville scamp scheming for celebrity after slaying her husband and sister.

Due to deliver her second child with husband and Oscar winner Michael Douglas in a few weeks, Zeta-Jones joined co-star and fellow supporting-actress nominee Queen