On This Day In History - June 11

1793 - The first patent for a stove was issued -- to Robert Haeterick.

1961 - Roy Orbison was wrapping up a week at number one on the "Billboard" record chart with "Running Scared", his first number one hit.

1972 - The controversial 62-minute XXX-rated film "Deep Throat" opened at the Mature World Theatre in New York City. Linda Lovelace starred, or, whatever...

1979 - One of America’s greatest legends, both as a movie star and as a symbol of patriotism, died this day. Marion Michael Morrison, known as John Wayne, died following a courageous fight with cancer. ‘The Duke’ was 72.

1981 - The first baseball player’s strike in major-league history began during mid-season after Seattle defeated Baltimore 8-2 at the Kingdome in Seattle. For two months, the nation’s favorite pastime was watching negotiations between the players’ union and team owners.

1982 - The movie "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" opened. Steven Spielberg directed this classic. It dazzled audiences with state-of-the-art special effects and a touching, humorous, story line, grossing over $100 million in its first 31 days of theatrical release.

1993 - U.S. audiences rumbled to theatres for a first look at Jurassic Park. The Steven Spielberg-directed dinosaur blockbuster billed a gigantic $47.06 million -- just for openers.

1999 - "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" premiered at theatres across North America.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE!!

Indy DVD Update

Just can't wait until November when that Indiana Jones Collection box set arrives? No? Well, you're not alone. Just got confirmation from Paramount Home Entertainment regarding most of the specs for the highly-anticipated box, which is sure to be one of the biggest catalog sellers of all time.

The four-disc box will be available in separate 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, with audio options including Dolby Digital tracks in English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0 surround (sorry, no DTS or EX) plus subtitles in English, French and Spanish plus English Closed Captions. With all the extras on the fourth disc, what can you expect? While still untitled, thrill to a new full-length documentary on the series, four separate featurettes on the sound, the music, the stunts and the wizards at ILM. As of now, no word on whether or not all the film's many trailers will be able to be squeezed on the bonus disc, but stay tuned.

And in one of those rumors that only the Internet could produce, there is a rumour about a possible special bonus 5th disc offer for the Indy Jones set, which would available to purchasers at specific retailers only, such as Best Buy. However, we've received official word from both Paramount and Lucasfilm that they have no such plans or any awareness of such a promotion or bonus disc offer. Of course, watch this space for any further updates.

Die Another Day DVD Easter Egg

On their Special Edition release of the latest James Bond movie 'Die Another Day,' MGM has finally returned to their glorious tradition of including hidden features on those Bond DVDs.

Insert the second disc of the set and from the Main Menu select 'Image Database.' In the following screen select the entry 'Locations and Sets,' which takes you to the respective photo gallery. Now go through the images until you see a picture of Halle Berry coming out of the water - it is the twelfth image in the gallery - and press the 'Up' arrow key on your remote control.

This will take you to a separate menu screen entitled 'Hi Jinx.' On this screen you get to see alternative footage of this homage to Ursula Andress’ first appearance in 'Dr. No,' from a variety of angles and at different speeds.

A Classic Case Of Downsizing

Something strange is abreast with Knickknack, the critically acclaimed 1989 short that precedes Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo at theaters nationwide.

The short follows the hapless attempts of a lonely snow-globe snowman to escape his domain and join a plastic Miami beach bunny. The movie was released on a G-rated 1996 video collection called Tiny Toy Stories. But in that version, the Miami beauty and a mermaid who appears at the end of the short were more well-endowed than they are today.

"In the original, the girls have breasts the size of large grapefruit," says animation fan Raymond Tucker of Greensboro, N.C. "In the new version, the breasts just aren't there."

Though Disney and Pixar aren't talking, fans say the reduction reduces the humor of the short.

Paul Poroshin, 23, an animation buff from Old Bridge, N.J., suspects the women were deflated to make the short more politically correct.

"It can be argued that this breast removal does nothing to the story or that it's just some sexual male thing, but to me it's all about intent and the vision of an artist," Poroshin says. "The snowman is after a large-breasted girl. His facial expressions tell it all, especially when, in the end, he dunks in the fish tank and gets trapped again."

Though it's not clear whether Pixar or Disney made the change, Disney has a history of making subtle changes when reissuing a classic that includes aspects that might be less savory to modern viewers:

• In the short The Three Little Pigs (1933), the wolf originally tried to get into a pig's house by pretending to be a Jewish salesman, with a mask and a Yiddish accent. The scene was re-animated, probably in the 1940s, to make the wolf look and sound more like he does elsewhere in the cartoon.

• When the feature Melody Time (1948) was released for the first time on DVD and video in 2000, Pecos Bill's omnipresent cigarette was digitally removed from his mouth in every frame. Gone is the memorable sequence in which he rolls one and grabs a thundercloud to light the cigarette with a lightning bolt.

• Even in the supposedly "uncut, restored" Fantasia (1940) released on DVD in 2000, a black "centaurette," the servant of a white centaurette, has been eliminated, according to animation historian Jerry Beck.

"These films need to be treated like classic films, not kids' fodder," says Beck, editor of cartoonresearch.com and author of the upcoming book Outlaw Animation. "Would they cut a frame from The Wizard of Oz or Citizen Kane? No."

Ironically, Beck says, Disney treats its classic cartoons better than other studios. "Disney is the only company to treat these films with a lot of respect," he says. He singles out Disney's ongoing DVD series Walt Disney Treasures (sample titles: The Complete Goofy, Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Silly Symphonies)as an example of well-done cartoon reissues.

The series includes the censored version of Pigs but offers a glimpse of the original with commentary by film critic Leonard Maltin.

ABOUT A.I.

The makers of Ice Age announcing their next CGI project will be Robots, which has already started production with a cast of voices including Mel Brooks, Halle Berry, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent. The movie is expected hit theaters in 2005.

SCORE!

ABC's telecast of Monday's decisive Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs attracting 7.2 million viewers--the largest TV audience ever for a hockey game. New Jersey beat Anaheim 3-0.

Hulk: It's Not Easy Being CG

Studio execs are seeing red (and possibly less green) after a rough cut of The Hulk has been circulated on the Internet just two weeks before the movie's June 20 premiere.

It's not the first time Web pirates have obtained bootlegged copies of a highly anticipated movie. Recent hits Finding Nemo, The Matrix Reloaded and Spider-Man all appeared online before their theatrical releases.

Problem is for The Hulk, the version viewers are watching--and slamming on Websites like Ain't It Cool News for its shoddy CG effects--is, according to Universal, an unfinished product and doesn't reflect the film's polished F/X.

But the damage may have been done. The Ain't It Cool News website, whose bad buzz has known to derail would-be blockbusters (see Rollerball), has been flooded with amateur reviews criticizing ILM's unrealistic renderings. One Web surfer, Orion's Angel, opined, "I saw an early workprint of the Hulk movie online and the Hulk hadn't even been added the scenes yet, let me tell ya, the CGI was terrible!"

Not exactly the reception Universal was hoping for its $150 million big-screen adaptation of Marvel Comics Day-Glo green antihero, directed by Ang Lee and starring relative newcomer Eric Bana as the mild-mannered Dr. Bruce Banner (who transforms into the not-so-jolly green giant after getting pelted with gamma rays) and Oscar-winning beauty Jennifer Connelly as Banner's long-suffering gal-pal Betty Ross.

The studio, which recently released hits Bruce Almighty and 2 Fast 2 Furious, is under pressure to perform as its parent company, Vivendi Universal, looks to unload its U.S. entertainment division to the highest bidder. The studio was also eyeing The Hulk as a franchise launcher.

So, despite the disses, the studio is putting on a brave face. Execs insist that Internet critics aren't representative of regular movie-going audiences and claim that the unfinished flick has been unfairly judged.

"As is often the case with highly anticipated media content, the nature of such postings is more often an indication of the appetite for the movie rather than an accurate link to such content," said Universal spokeswoman Susan Fleishman in a statement released Monday.

But it's an uphill battle. The movie's been battling bad word of mouth ever since a hastily put-together Super Bowl commercial had fans comparing the computer-generated Hulk to Gumby on steroids.

Again, Universal blamed unfinished renderings (and questionable TV resolution) as the cruddy quality culprit.

The movie's also been over budget and over schedule--at least $20 million was required for reshoots on ILM's animation work, which the studio denied was required to fix or improve the movie.

However, it's not all thumbs down. An anonymous movie geek on Ain't It Cool News, who says he's seen a legitimate preview, writes, "Forget all those cynics that doubt the movie's F/X. Everything in this movie looks incredible. The intergration of the CG Hulk into the real environments is flawless. When you see Hulk smashing things like crazy and tossing tanks around, you believe he's there doing it for real."

That's good news for Universal, which is trying to track the origin of the pirated movie that first appeared through Internet Relay Chat, a program that lets users transfer files at high speeds.

"We are conducting a thorough investigation to determine how this occurred, and those responsible will face serious consequences," said Universal's Fleishman.

In other words, Universal smash.

Nirvana Song Called Best of Past 25 Years

NEW YORK - Here they are now, entertaining us — or at least entertaining VH1, which named Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the greatest song of the past quarter-century. The Seattle band's groundbreaking grunge anthem is No. 1 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years."

The whole countdown will air over five nights, starting at 10 p.m. EDT Monday on the video music channel. The series will feature clips of videos and performances by the artists along with interviews from musicians and celebrities discussing why the songs matter.

Of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan said: "That was really a breakthrough for a great scene that had been going on for a long time up in Seattle. And it was kind of another victory, I think, for a misunderstood music, you know. The dam broke when 'Teen Spirit' came out."

While no one performer or group dominated the countdown, which was chosen by a panel of VH1 executives, several had two songs featured.

Michael Jackson had the second-highest song, "Billie Jean," and was at No. 40 with "Beat It." Eminem reached No. 4 with "Lose Yourself," while his "My Name Is" was No. 85. Madonna's "Like a Virgin" was No. 10 and her "Ray of Light" was No. 100.

Rounding out the top 10 were "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "One" by U2, "Walk This Way" by Run-D.M.C., "When Doves Cry" by Prince, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston and "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.

In May 2001, VH1 picked the 100 greatest videos of all time; Jackson's "Thriller," a 17-minute mini-movie, was No. 1, but it didn't even make the list this time.

Simmons Taps Dylan, Zappa Songs for Solo Set

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Gene Simmons' first solo record in 25 years will feature songs co-written by Bob Dylan and the late Frank Zappa, Billboard.com has learned.

The as-yet-untitled disc will be among the first albums released through his recently revived Simmons Records' new deal with Sanctuary Records.

The Dylan co-write, "Waiting for the Morning Light," was born out of a one-day writing session at Simmons' home in Los Angeles six or seven years ago, the Kiss bassist/vocalist says.

"Bob came up with the chords, most of them, and then I took it and wrote lyrics, melody, the rest of it," he says, adding that he kept urging Dylan through the years to put lyrics to the song. "I'd see him on tour, and I'd say, 'Bob, you wanna write the song? And he would say, 'No, man, you write it, Mr. Kiss."'

Of the one-day session, Simmons says, "We understood each other right away. He picked up an acoustic guitar, and we just tossed it back and forth, 'How 'bout this, how 'bout that?' And he started to strum, because he -- at least with me -- tended to talk and strum guitar at the same time. And as soon as I heard the first three or four chords, I went, 'Wait, wait, what's that? Do that again.' So I went and started to write a lyric around that."

Simmons says he also plans to build a song around an unused Zappa riff titled, appropriately, "Black Tongue."

"The plan is for Dweezil, Ahmet, and everybody to play on it, and to take Frank's voice and create a brand new song. It's very dark, very sort of King Crimson, 'In the Court of the Crimson King'-kind of sound, with 7/8 time."

The bassist, whose previous solo album was a 1978 self-titled set released the same day as solo sets from his three Kiss bandmates -- singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, singer Ace Frehley, and drummer Peter Criss -- is also courting the likes of John Mellencamp, Axl Rose, and Trey Anastasio for guest vocals.

The album, previewed to Billboard.com, will surely surprise many. The funky, acoustic guitar-laced "Dog" recalls Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," and the soulful, midtempo "Waiting for the Morning Light," a relationship song, is reminiscent of Daryl Hall.

"Looking Out the Window" is a sentimental, Beatles-inspired number that features lap steel. Another cut, "Asshole," is more of a straightforward, rock guitar-driven track.

The solo set, for which no release date has yet been set, is just one of many projects Simmons is working on.

Kiss is nearing the July 22 release of The Kiss Symphony: Alive IV," which captures the band's Feb. 28 performance with the Melbourne Orchestra, the first release from Kiss Records via Sanctuary. A summer co-headlining jaunt with Aerosmith begins Aug. 2 in Hartford, Conn.

"Sex, Money, Kiss," Simmons' second book, following the autobiography "Kiss and Make-Up," is due next week via his own Simmons Books (through New Millennium).

Three more books are in the pipeline, "Groupies: Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' roll," "Gene Simmons Mysteries," and "How to Raise a Rock Star," written by his longtime girlfriend, actress Shannon Tweed.

Simmons says he's also closing in on signing the first artists to Simmons Records in more than a decade. The label was last active in the late 1980s and was previously distributed through RCA/BMG.

It released records by hard rock acts such as House Of Lords, Silent Rage, and Gypsy Rose with moderate success.

With the revived label, he says he's out to prove that "Van Halen wasn't a fluke." Simmons is credited with discovering the band.