Quaid Reprises 'Vacation' Role for NBC
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Production began Friday (May 30) on NBC's upcoming holiday movie "National Lampoon's Cousin Eddie's Christmas Vacation." Not just a "National Lampoon" movie in name only, several cast members from the 1983 classic "National Lampoon's Vacation" return, along with veteran actors Fred Willard and Ed Asner.
While neither Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, nor Anthony Michael Hall will return as the Griswolds, Dana Barron, who played daughter Audrey in the original "Vacation" will be back, along with Randy Quaid's Cousin Eddie and Miriam Flynn's Catherine. However, Eddie and Catherine's slutty daughter Vicki (played by "Ally McBeal's" Jane Krakowski in '83) will not be present.
Eric Idle will also stop by to make a cameo appearance as the put-upon English tourist he played in the 1985 sequel "European Vacation."
"Cousin Eddie's Christmas Vacation" was written by Matty Simmons, who produced the other "Vacation" movies, as well as "Animal House," and is being directed by Nick Marck ("Malcolm in the Middle," "Gilmore Girls").
Mariah Rep Says Singer Did Not Send Rude Email To Blind Fan
An email sent to Mariah Carey's official website by the grandmother of a blind, 10-year-old fan named Michelle Katz appears to have ended up in the hands of someone other than its intended recipient.
After hearing that Carey cancelled her concert scheduled for July 26 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as part of her plan to move all her U.S. shows this summer to more intimate venues, Michelle's grandmother, Dee Hofland, who had bought three tickets for the show, made a special request to the singer via email. Hofland wrote, "I know it is not very probable but you have no idea what it would mean to this child if she could meet Mariah even for five minutes. You would make one girl's dreams come true."
Hofland was shocked when she received an email back which read, "Miss with all due respect, I have my own problems. I have no time to accommodate everyone else's. My sister is suffering from HIV right now. Is anyone worried about my problems? Some people can be so damn selfish. Next time you email me with any requests, you will be reported. Have a great day!" m.c.
Carey's publicist, Cindy Berger, told FOX News that the email was "completely bogus." When Carey heard what had happened, Berger said the singer immediately called Michelle. Berger said Mariah assured the girl that she did not send the nasty email and will make it up to Michelle when she does reschedule her show in St. Paul. "Mariah is looking forward to meeting Michelle and her family backstage at a concert during her Charmbracelet tour," Berger added.
Meanwhile, Carey is performing on the Today Show on Friday (May 30) as part of the Today Show Summer Concert Series. The Today Show airs live from 7 to 10 a.m. ET on NBC.
'Finding Nemo' Takes No. 1 at Box Office
LOS ANGELES - The deep-sea adventure "Finding Nemo" hooked the top spot at the box office Sunday with an estimated $70.6 million opening weekend.
The Disney-Pixar comedy, about a worrisome clownfish searching for his aquarium-trapped young son, sank the Jim Carrey God-comedy "Bruce Almighty" to second place with $35.6 million, according to studio estimates.
Meanwhile, the Mark Wahlberg caper remake "The Italian Job" opened in third place with $19.3 million, while "The Matrix Reloaded" continued to plunge after its spectacular debut three weeks ago, landing in fourth place with $15 million.
The horror flick "Wrong Turn," starring Eliza Dushku as one of several lost teenagers hunted by woodland mutants, was the only other film to open in wide release. It earned a weak $5.01 million for seventh place.
"Finding Nemo" scored the biggest debut ever for an animated film, swimming past the $62 million opening for previous record-holder "Monsters Inc.," which also was a Disney-Pixar collaboration.
All of the companies' previous films — "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2" and "Monsters Inc." — opened at No. 1.
"This is as much of a sure-thing at the box office as you can get," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
The blockbuster debut of "Finding Nemo" is even more impressive considering many tickets sales for the family-themed movie were discounted for children or matinee shows, he added.
"The $70 million represents a lot more tickets for that G-rated film than for an R-rated film, where all the tickets reflect an adult admission price," Dergarabedian said.
That's not to say "Finding Nemo" lacks grown-up fans. The film collected near-unanimous praise from film critics, and Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane said demand from adult moviegoers filled many late-night screenings.
"The Italian Job," a remake of the 1969 Michael Caine heist-thriller, also garnered a wealth of positive reviews and Paramount spokeswoman Nancy Kirkpatrick said the studio is hoping good word-of-mouth will help turn it into a sleeper hit over the long-run.
Many summer films open big and fade fast. Last weekend, "The Matrix Reloaded" shed more than 60 percent of its audience, and "Bruce Almighty" saw ticket sales fall by 48 percent in its second week.
"The Matrix Reloaded" remains the highest-grossing film of the year, however, with $232 million. The final part of the trilogy, "The Matrix Revolutions," is scheduled to open in November.
The following 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. "Finding Nemo," $70.6 million.
2. "Bruce Almighty," $35.6 million.
3. "The Italian Job," $19.3 million.
4. "The Matrix Reloaded," $15 million.
5. "Daddy Day Care," $6.8 million.
6. "X2: X-Men United," $5.02 million.
7. "Wrong Turn," $5.01 million
8. "The In-Laws," $3.7 million
9. "Down With Love," $1.6 million.
10. "Bend It Like Beckham," $1 million.
MTV Viewers Name 'Two Towers' Best Movie
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Superheroes and special effects wizards battled for the spotlight at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards on Saturday, claiming several top trophies including the best movie prize for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."
Digital effects-filled "Two Towers," the middle chapter in the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy about an epic battle for control of Middle Earth, earned four awards, more than any other film.
Along with best movie, MTV viewers gave it best action sequence, on-screen team for stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and digitally-created Gollum, as well as a new honor for virtual performance for Gollum.
Winners were picked from a poll of viewers who watch cable TV network MTV and sister channel MTV2.
Among superhero movies winning awards was "Spider-Man," about the web-spinning crime fighter, which earned Kirsten Dunst the title best actress and her and co-star Tobey Maguire the honor of best on-screen kiss.
The award for breakthrough actress went to Jennifer Garner for her comic book hero role of Elektra in "Daredevil."
Rapper Eminem was named best actor in a film, as well as breakthrough performance by an actor in "8 Mile," the tale of his early days trying to make it in Detroit's hip hop clubs.
The MTV Movie Awards take place each year during the summer movie season and offer a good look at what the youth culture likes in films, which was personified by young Daveigh Chase who took home the award for best villain in "The Ring."
"Oh my gosh, this so rocks," Chase said on stage after grabbing her MTV statue -- a bucket of golden popcorn.
The show also gives fans a lively counterpart to staid, old Hollywood awards like the Oscars with MTV categories including best fight. That title went to Force master Yoda for his lightsaber battle with Christopher Lee in "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."
Mike Myers won the golden popcorn bucket for best comedic role as spy Austin Powers in "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
MTV added an award for best transatlantic breakthrough performer, and that went to Colin Farrell in "Phone Booth."
The awards show will air on June 5.
McCartney Gets Back Home to Tumultuous Acclaim
LIVERPOOL (Reuters) - Paul McCartney got back to where he once belonged on Sunday, wrapping up his world tour with an emotion-charged concert in the birthplace of the Beatles.
From the moment he tore into the Beatles back catalog, 35,000 people leapt to their feet and clapped in unison. For ardent Beatle fans, McCartney was replaying the soundtrack of their lives and they sang along to every number.
"It's great to be home," he said, launching into "All My Loving" that was played out against a nostalgic video backdrop of newsreel footage of Sixties Beatlemania.
Since launching his tour in Oakland, California, in April 2002, the indefatigable McCartney has played to two million people around the globe, from Mexico to Japan.
He performed in Moscow's Red Square and brought rock n' roll to Rome's Colosseum for the first time. But on Sunday, the message waved to McCartney on thousands of heart-shaped banners said it all: "Home is where the heart is."
McCartney played 25 of the Beatles' greatest hits, twice as many as the world's most famous pop group used to perform at gigs together in their heyday.
The 60-year-old singer was in reflective mood, choking back the tears as he sang "If you were here today" in memory of John Lennon, shot dead by a crazed fan in New York in 1980.
Then he remembered "My baby brother" George Harrison, paying tribute to the Beatle who died of cancer by playing "Something" on the ukulele, one of Harrison's favorite instruments.
He dedicated love songs to the two women in his life -- his late wife Linda and his second wife Heather Mills.
McCartney and Mills have just announced that they are to have a baby, prompting one Liverpudlian wag in the crowd to hold up a sign saying "Still Got Lead in Your Pencil Paul," much to the singer's amusement.
The setting for the concert was stunning.
As darkness fell, the silhouette of Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral acted as a dramatic backdrop to the specially constructed open air stage on the banks of the River Mersey in northwest England.
At the end, McCartney poured heart and soul into the evocative ballad "The Long and Winding Road" but any talk of his retirement is definitely premature.
Like fellow wrinkly rocker Mick Jagger, McCartney loves the adrenaline rush of performing and is in no hurry to reach for the pipe and slippers and warble "When I'm Sixty-Four."
"I never think it is my last tour," he said. "I've always said I'll be wheeled on when I'm 90. And that might be a dreadful prediction that comes true! You age but you don't think that you do."