Apple Launching New Music Store Service
SAN FRANCISCO - Two years after angering the recording industry with its "Rip. Mix. Burn" ad campaign, Apple Computer Inc. has won its cooperation in creating the Internet's least restrictive commercial music service yet.
The iTunes Music Store announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Monday draws from all five major labels in offering more than 200,000 songs at 99 cents a download — and includes some big name artists who previously shunned online distribution.
Unlike its competitors, the service has virtually no copy-protection — a major concession to consumer demand.
Apple lets customers keep songs indefinitely, share them on as many as three Macintosh computers and transfer them to any number of iPod portable music players. No subscriptions are necessary and buyers can burn unlimited copies of the songs onto CDs.
"There's no legal alternative that's worth beans," Jobs told of reporters and industry analysts at San Francisco's convention center.
Jobs has intensely courted music industry executives, who have been leery of digital music downloads and have aggressively used lawsuits and lobbying to stem the illegal copying and distribution of copyright works. That wariness has hamstrung other online music distribution models, keeping most of the best new music offline.
In contrast, Music Store already includes music by Bob Dylan, U2, Eminem, Sheryl Crow, Sting and other artists previously wary about music downloads. Eventually, millions of songs will be for sale on the site, predicted Doug Morris, the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group.
Morris, attending Monday's launch, called it "a defining moment in the music business."
By allowing people to do pretty much as they please with their digital copies, Apple and the music industry are acknowledging that, due to digital technology, online file-swapping can't be eradicated.
"You can't stop piracy, so you have to work with technology, and you have to get into the rhythm of it. That's what Apple has done here," said the musician Seal, who was at the announcement.
Even Hillary Rosen, who as CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has led the fight against Napster and it's free online music-swapping successors, called Apple's new service "cool, cutting edge" in a statement.
"It's not stealing anymore. It's good karma," said Jobs, asserting that other industry-backed services' subscription-based models treat music fans as "criminals" with extra fees and restrictions. Apple also announced a new version of the iPod — thinner and lighter. It comes with 30 gigabytes, or about 7,500 songs, and costs $499.
Initially, Music Store only works on Macintosh computers, but by year's end, Apple plans to make it compatible with devices using the nearly ubiquitous Microsoft Windows platform — as it did for they iPod. Then, the service could have mass appeal.
While the service remains limited to Macs, which comprise less than 3 percent of the desktop computing market, the segment is big enough to let the music industry test a new business model, said Phil Leigh, an analyst at the research firm Raymond James & Associates.
"I think it'll change the world a little bit," Leigh said. "It'll be the first legitimate online music service that will have major brand recognition, and it's focused on portability and ease of use."
Until now, most music found online lacked the blessing of the major labels — BMG, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal and Warner. Millions of users are downloading free copies of songs through file-sharing services such as Kazaa — services that the recording industry have sued in an effort to stem what they deem as revenue-robbing piracy.
The RIAA has sued four college students who allegedly offered more than 1 million recordings over the Internet, demanding damages of $150,000 per song. Music companies also are lobbying corporations, urging them to crack down on the downloading of songs using company computers.
But their efforts suffered a major blow Friday when a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc., the companies that distribute Grokster and Morpheus, aren't to blame for any illegal copying that their customers do using their file-sharing software. They've vowed to appeal.
Apple enters a market that has yet to establish much traction. Other providers of online music to paid subscribers have drawn only about 650,000 users, analysts estimate.
Pressplay, a joint venture of Sony and Universal, charges a flat fee of $9.95 a month to listen using their computer to an unlimited number of songs from the major labels. Consumers who want to purchase songs to store on their hard drive or burn them onto a CD pay an extra fee of 98 cents per song.
Apple charges no such fees but does incorporate some minor restrictions — playlists can be stored on no more than three Macs and once a user burns 10 copies of a playlist onto CDs, they have to "modify" the list before copying again. This can be as simple as shuffling the order of the songs.
All Music Store songs are encoded in the AAC audio format, which allows for faster downloads and higher sound quality than MP3 files of the same size. The format was developed by Dolby to provide the sound for industry-standard MPEG-4 video files.
Stroke-Stricken Singer Vandross Has Tracheotomy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Soulful balladeer Luther Vandross, described as barely conscious 13 days after suffering a stroke, has undergone a tracheotomy to fight off pneumonia, his business manager said in a statement on Monday.
The procedure was done in a way that did not affect the vocal chords of the Grammy-winning singer, who remains in intensive care at Weill Cornell Medical Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to business manager Carmen Romano.
Romano said in a statement that doctors reported Vandross was minimally responsive and "we're waiting for him to regain full consciousness. I am told that this may take some time."
Romano said the family and friends of Vandross appreciated the "tremendous outpouring of well wishes and prayers" received from his fans.
Vandross, who has battled weight and health problems for years, suffered a stroke on April 16 just days before turning 52.
Known for a silky singing style that helped him sell more than 20 million records worldwide, Vandross is also known for his songwriting and production prowess.
"Here and Now" brought Vandross his first Grammy Award in 1990, while "Power of Love/Love Power" won him Grammy honors for best Rhythm and Blues Song and best Rhythm and Blues male vocal performance the next year.
Summer DVD Releases Include 'Hulk,' 'Schmidt' and Stiller
HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) -- The summer DVD and video releases will run the gamut, capitalizing on the upcoming summer blockbusters. The TV show for "The Incredible Hulk" is about to come out at the same time the summer "Hulk" is being released, "Speed Racer" TV shows will be out just in time for "2 Fast 2 Furious" and Jack Nicholson's Oscar-nominated "About Schmidt" performance is on its way.
To celebrate the release of the original television series premiere of "The Incredible Hulk" on June 3 there's a contest for fans to ask the original Hulk star Lou Ferrigno a question and win a $603 gift certificate for an online retailer.
That contest is available at The Hulk Contest and the DVD will include: an introduction by Ferrigno; commentary with director/writer Ken Johnson; a sneak preview of Ang Lee's "The Hulk"; The Making of The Incredible Hulk Coaster; The Hulk Interactive Game Trailer and The Hulk Novelization Excerpt.
Also out are the documentary, "Biggie and Tupac," with director Nick Broomfield doing in-store promotions nationwide throughout the summer, and "The Ben Stiller Show" DVD which is being changed to a later summer date from its previous June 3 release.
Warner Home Video is releasing Nicholson and Kathy Bates's performances -- Oscar®-Nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress -- along with Dermot Mulroney and Hope Davis in "About Schmidt."
The DVD has deleted scenes; Woodmen Sequences – Original “short films” of opening film sequences featuring the Woodmen Tower located in Omaha, NE created by Alexander Payne’s editorial staff showcasing their different perceptions of the film and the original trailer.
HILLARY SPEAKS!
"Living History", Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoirs, will hit book stores on June 9, her lawyer said. The Senator and former First Lady was paid an estimated seven figures to give her account of her years in the Clinton White House.
X-MEN 2 director Bryan Singer talks about some of the things he had to leave out of the film.
Bryan Singer, director of the upcoming X-Men sequel film, X2, told SCI FI Wire that a lot of comic mythology didn't make it into the second movie, but could end up in a third. "Possibly," he said in an interview. "You choose your battles. You figure out what serves the story and what is ultimately tangential."
Singer added, "[In] each X-Men film, we lost a character. I had to battle Beast out of the first film. I think Angel was a character that found its way into almost towards the final drafts of this script. I had a wonderful scene with Angel that I was very fond of, and had to get rid of, because you don't want to have characters and plot lines for the sake of having characters and plot lines."
Singer said that he had to cut other elements from X2, including a scene featuring Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the Danger Room and others involving the Sentinels. X2 opens May 2.
Public Enemy to Take on Bush With CD-DVD
NEW YORK - Hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy are still fighting the powers that be.
The group, known for anthems including "Don't Believe the Hype" and "Fight The Power," will take on President Bush with their new CD-DVD, "Son of a Bush," scheduled for May 6 release.
The title track, which first appeared on last year's "Revolverlution," criticizes both the current president and his father.
Among the lyrics: "Have you forgotten/I been through the first term of rotten/The father, the son/and the holy Bush... I told y'all when the first Bush was tappin' my phone... Can't truss 'em."
The group joins other artists including the Dixie Chicks and the Beastie Boys who have spoken out against the president.
'Identity' Tops Weekend Box Office
LOS ANGELES - The murder-mystery "Identity" made a killing at the box office, taking in $17 million in its first weekend and displacing "Anger Management" as the top movie.
"Anger Management" slipped to second place after two weekends in the top spot. The Adam Sandler - Jack Nicholson comedy grossed $16 million, pushing its 17-day total to $104.5 million.
The weekend's other new releases debuted weakly. The con-men romp "Confidence," with Edward Burns and Dustin Hoffman, came in at No. 5 with $4.75 million.
"It Runs in the Family," a comic drama starring Kirk and Michael Douglas, opened at No. 9 with $3 million.
"The Real Cancun," a big-screen variation of MTV's "The Real World" produced by that show's creators, took in $2.3 million to finish in 10th place.
Overall revenues rose, with the top 12 movies grossing $78.6 million, up 9 percent from the same weekend a year ago. For the year, though, the box office is lagging about 7 percent behind 2002's revenues.
Business should heat up next weekend as "X2: X-Men United" opens. Analysts saying the sequel's debut could exceed the $54.5 million first-weekend haul of "X-Men" in July 2000.
"'X2' is probably going to do great business, but it's a tough comparison when you look at the year ago numbers of 'Spider-Man,'" which debuted with a record $114.8 million, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Sony, the studio behind "Spider-Man," had this weekend's No. 1 and 2 movies in "Identity" and "Anger Management."
"We're having a very good weekend," said Rory Bruer, president of Sony Pictures Releasing. "We really figured `Identity' would open fairly strong, but this is far better than anticipated."
"Identity," with John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet, is a thriller about travelers stranded in a rainstorm at a motel where guests are bumped off one by one.
Playing in 2,733 theaters, "Identity" averaged a solid $6,220 a cinema. Among other new movies, "Confidence" averaged $2,539 in 1,871 theaters, "It Runs in the Family" averaged $2,486 in 1,207 cinemas, and "The Real Cancun" averaged $1,017 in 2,261 theaters.
Among limited-release debuts, Al Pacino's thriller "People I Know" opened in five theaters with a $6,800 average. Pacino plays a publicist caught up in a murder mystery.
Matt Dillon's directing debut "City of Ghosts," in which he co-stars with James Caan in a thriller about insurance con men on the lam in Cambodia, averaged $6,269 at six theaters.
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. "Identity," $17 million.
2. "Anger Management," $16 million.
3. "Holes," $13 million.
4. "Malibu's Most Wanted," $7.7 million.
5. "Confidence," $4.75 million.
6. "Bulletproof Monk," "$4.65 million.
7. "What a Girl Wants," $3.35 million.
8. "Phone Booth," $3.1 million.
9. "It Runs in the Family," $3 million.
10. "The Real Cancun," $2.3 million.
'Star Wars' Faves Back for Prequel
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - George Lucas is bringing back the classic characters Chewbacca the Wookie, C-3PO and R2-D2 for the upcoming "Star Wars Episode III."
The director has already hired actors Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniel and Kenny Baker to reprise their respective roles as sprightlier versions of their characters for the prequel in preproduction.
All three actors have donned costumes in past "Star Wars" episodes, and in the case of Daniel and Baker, the thespians have loaned their voice talents to puppet and motion-control versions of their characters. Lucas has noted in the past that having Baker inside the R2-D2 suit brought "an element of humanity" to the character.
The film, whose full title has not yet been disclosed, is scheduled for a May 25, 2005 release.
'X-Men' Sequel to Mark Biggest International Debut
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It's bigger, faster and darker than the original movie, so perhaps it's not surprising that it is receiving a bigger screen debut than "Spider-Man" or "Harry Potter."
It's the new "X-Men" film, "X2: X-Men United," and studio Twentieth Century Fox hopes the sequel story about a universe of mutants will kick off the early summer movie season on Friday with a box office bang.
"X2" debuts in 93 countries and territories around the world simultaneously, marking the broadest opening ever for a movie -- wider than "Harry Potter" and "Spider-Man."
The first film, 2000's "X-Men," raked in the cash -- $294 million worldwide on a reported budget of $75 million, prompting film makers to believe the sequel could be even more profitable if they ratcheted up the action.
To some fans of the comic book series, the initial "X-Men" movie lacked energy and excitement that might be expected of the storied comic franchise.
Not so "X2." In early screenings in Los Angeles, fans have been cheering their favorite characters like Wolverine, Magneto, Storm and Mystique.
With a budget of more than $100 million and the initial work of explaining the "X-Men" universe of mutants and their enemies out of the way, the sequel was free to show the fire and ice, claws and body armor that are the hallmark of "X2."
MORE MORE MORE
"The marching orders in a sequel, I guess, are to top the first one -- bigger, better, more action," producer Lauren Donner said in a recent interview.
"X2" takes up where the first film left off, with Sir Ian McKellen's metal-controlling villain Magneto locked up in a plastic prison and Patrick Stewart's Prof. Charles Xavier still teaching gifted young mutants.
But a high-profile attack by a mutant with the ability to teleport -- Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler -- brings renewed attention to the brewing differences and struggles between mutants and humanity.
The attack draws in William Stryker, a military man with a shady past and even more suspect motives, to try and gain control of the "mutant problem." It also draws back Logan, the clawed mutant known as Wolverine, to Xavier's school. Played by Australian actor Hugh Jackman, Wolverine takes an aggressive role defending his fellow mutants.
The sequel goes farther than the first in the scope of its story." Having had success with the first, a certain kind of freedom has been earned," director Bryan Singer said.
The film, as with the comic book series, is an allegorical tale on the effects of discrimination against fundamentally decent people who happen to be different from others.
'BITTER BLUE MARRIED COUPLE'
The film's special effects, costumes and make-up are elaborate. Cumming as Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique appear in head-to-toe blue makeup that took hours to apply each day.
"We were like an old, bitter, blue married couple," Romijn-Stamos said, adding that the make-up made her action work very difficult. "It's really hard to kick butt when you can't see the butt you're kicking."
Former beauty pageant queen Kelly Hu, who has a black belt in martial arts, appears in the film as Lady Deathstrike, whose sharp metallic nails would make any manicurist shudder.
Hu and Jackman have an intense fight scene in the film, though Hu said she had to beg the gentlemanly Jackman, a veteran of musical theater, to hit her harder in their scene.
"I've played rugby. I've been in a few fights, (and) there's not many people I've hit harder than Kelly," Jackman said.
STORIES AND ALLEGORIES
Director Singer, known for dealing with weightier material like the complex mystery film "The Usual Suspects," said he enjoyed bringing comic book super heroes to life.
"As long as there are stories to tell and they're taken seriously then I think this universe can be explored for decades," he said.
For their parts, producers Donner and Ralph Winter are already openly talking about the possibilities for an "X3" and even "X4" and "X5." The film leaves a number of potential avenues open for such sequels, and a number of key cast members are already under contract for those films.
But others, like Oscar winner Halle Berry, who plays Storm in the movie, are not. Many expect that Berry, who did little publicity for the film and whose career is surging beyond the world of comic book mutants, will not be back.
"I don't know about Halle," Singer said.